Time passed in a flash, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day before the wedding.
Ding Hong and Liu Ping called upon Ding Shao and Yao Dan, carrying a trunk as they went to the Xu family home to “warm the room.” Setting up the bed, hanging the curtains, and arranging the utensils—almost all of which were part of Ding Baozhu’s dowry—went without saying.
When evening arrived, Liu Ping went to the kitchen to cook. To put it nicely, this was the “Departure Feast,” signifying that the bride-to-be was about to be wed.
Tables and chairs were set out in the courtyard. Although Ding Baozhu had always been on poor terms with Ding Jin, Old Madam Jiang, and the family’s first branch, they could not be left out. Furthermore, since she was about to be married off and the betrothal gifts had been substantial, this meal served as a temporary reprieve where all previous unpleasantness was forgotten as everyone sat together.
The dishes were soon laid out on the table: shiitake mushrooms stir-fried with cured meat, fragrant lettuce tossed with minced garlic, wheat gluten stir-fried with bamboo shoots, tofu braised with green onions, scrambled eggs, pan-fried ham, a pot of freshly stewed fish, and a large bowl of salt pork soup with green mugwort. Each dish was steaming hot and filled the air with an appetizing aroma.
By right, a Departure Feast could include invited relatives and friends, but the original owner’s reputation seemed to have been quite poor. Since arriving here, Ding Baozhu hadn’t wanted to do anything excessive, so the event concluded with just the family gathered for this small banquet.
Old Madam Jiang and Wu Tang from the first branch appeared relaxed. As elders, they offered a few words of advice to Ding Baozhu and then spoke no more. Baozhu felt that this was perhaps the first time the original owner had ever been in such harmony with the two of them.
After the meal, everyone returned to their respective rooms. Liu Ping called her over, seemingly intending to whisper some private advice. When Ding Baozhu listened, she realized it was about the things that happen on the wedding night. Although she lacked personal experience in this life, she was certainly more familiar with the subject than an average sheltered maiden. However, facing Liu Ping, she could only act as if she were hearing it all for the first time.
Another night passed, but the wedding ceremony was not to begin until evening. Even when the Xu family came to receive the bride, it would not be until twilight—the groom’s family also had preparations to make.
With no entertainment available, Ding Baozhu waited with utter boredom. Finally, when the hour arrived, Liu Ping and Yao Dan began to dress and groom her as if she were a doll. The two sisters-in-law had differing opinions, creating such a noisy racket in her ears that it only stopped when she insisted that she, the bride, should have the final say.
Liu Ping said with satisfaction, “My daughter is truly beautiful today!”
“They say a bride is at her most beautiful on her wedding day. Didn’t Second Sister-in-law and I both go through this?” Yao Dan laughed, covering her mouth. She then looked at Ding Baozhu’s styled hair and suddenly said, “But I feel like something is missing… Second Sister-in-law, what do you think?”
“This… where?” Liu Ping asked in confusion.
“Second Sister-in-law, didn’t you prepare any jewelry for your eldest niece?” Yao Dan asked. “Her head looks quite bare; it doesn’t look right.”
Liu Ping sighed. “Didn’t all the money go into supplementing her dowry? There wasn’t any spare silver left to buy jewelry. Jewelry is nice, but it’s better for Zhu’er to have more private funds so she can have some confidence in her husband’s home.”
Just then, more people entered the room. It was Ding Baozhen and Ding Baoqin. The latter held something in her hand and walked over with a giggle. “Mother, Third Aunt, Second Sister and I saw the peach blossoms blooming beautifully outside. We plucked a few good ones; shall we use them to dress up Big Sister?”
Yao Dan’s eyes lit up, and she said happily, “This is perfect! Let’s quickly pin them on Baozhu. The time is almost here!”
The sun in the sky slanted slightly, casting a wide expanse of sunflower-yellow light.
Xu Ye wore a chestnut-purple formal robe and a pair of newly made black cloth shoes. He led a donkey, which was hitched to a wooden cart, as he walked slowly toward the Ding family home.
To be honest, even though today was the day he was to receive his bride, there wasn’t much of a ripple in his heart. This marriage had originally been settled by Xu Yi on his own authority, and it was considered the “command of the parents.” Furthermore, since his father was often worried, he didn’t want to make things difficult for him.
…If he married this wife and they could live well together, then it wasn’t something he couldn’t accept.
Having pondered this all the way, he arrived at the wide-open gates of the Ding residence. Xu Ye, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts, composed his expression, stopped the donkey, and stepped forward to knock on the door.
Ding Hong had been waiting for a long time and opened the door immediately. Seeing the man standing straight before him, he felt increasingly satisfied and smiled. “You’ve arrived.”
Xu Ye’s lips moved slightly. He bowed and saluted, calling out respectfully, “Father-in-law.”
After speaking, he went to the wooden cart, took out some items, and presented them. “These are gifts from my family. I ask Father-in-law and Mother-in-law to accept them.”
It was a jar of wine, a bag of white sugar, and a strip of cured meat. Ding Hong accepted them while offering polite modesties, then shouted toward the house, “The son-in-law has come to receive the bride!—”
At this extremely unfamiliar title, Xu Ye’s heart gave a heavy thud. As the sunlight hit his cheeks, he felt only a sense of warmth. From his vantage point, he could see the door of one of the rooms inside open in the next moment.
Two young maidens came out first. Although Xu Ye didn’t know them, he could guess they were Ding Baozhu’s two younger sisters—his… well, sisters-in-law?
After that, Liu Ping and Yao Dan emerged, leading a person between them. The new clothes were made from fabric purchased during the New Year—a set of crabapple-red robes. On her feet were a pair of bright red embroidered shoes, and a sheer veil covered her head, making her features appear misty and indistinct.
Xu Ye led the donkey over. Liu Ping and Ding Hong saw Ding Baozhu to the door, all of them at a loss for words.
Ding Baozhu smiled and said, “Father, Mother, don’t be sad. It’s not as if we’ll never see each other again. Even in the short term, I still have to make my return visit.”
“Don’t worry, your mother and I aren’t sad,” Ding Hong comforted her instead, though it was unclear if he was also comforting the woman beside him. “Once you are at your husband’s home, you must be obedient and sensible. You cannot lose your temper as you did before, do you understand?”
“Yes, yes,” Liu Ping added, suppressing her emotions and urging, “What I told you last night, you must remember it firmly. Most importantly, you must live steadily…”
Ding Baozhu agreed to everything and was helped by the two of them to sit sideways on the donkey’s back.
Xu Ye gave two calls, and the donkey began to move slowly, growing further and further from the front gate. Looking back, she could vaguely see the two of them waving at her through the veil.
Ding Baozhu suddenly felt a wave of melancholy. She didn’t know if it was an influence from the original owner or her own feeling regarding the future. The custom here was that once married, one belonged entirely to the husband’s family and could not even visit one’s parental home frequently. Otherwise, given Ding Hong and Liu Ping’s attitude, they would certainly have her come home often, as it was convenient since they were in the same village.
A village wedding wasn’t as grand as a “ten-mile red makeup” procession, but there were still relatives, friends, and a noisy, bustling crowd of onlookers, or at least some firecrackers being lit. Yet their wedding consisted only of a borrowed donkey carrying the bride and a wooden cart behind it hauling a trunk.
The two of them didn’t say a single word. The scene was so awkward it made Ding Baozhu want to curl her toes. Even for a blind marriage, surely it wouldn’t be this silent? It seemed this Xu Ye truly didn’t like her!
The muddy ground stretched out with a long trail of wheel ruts. Ding Baozhu looked up and saw that they were passing several peach trees in full bloom. The delicate pink petals, even enveloped by the setting sun, appeared enchantingly bright. From time to time, light petals fluttered down, landing on their heads with a subtle fragrance.
For some reason, Ding Baozhu thought of a poem:
The peach tree is young and elegant, brilliant are its flowers. This young lady goes to her new home, fitting for her family…
But while she was dazed by the vibrant peach blossoms, a forceful interruption suddenly occurred.
Ding Baozhu looked down and saw a palm-sized smudge of dirt had mysteriously appeared on her red dress. Before she could look up, she heard high-pitched shouting from the distance:
“Hahahaha! Someone actually wants to marry a Fat Pig Woman! What heavy tastes!”
“Who else would a hunter marry but a Fat Pig Woman?”
“An Ugly Freak and a Fat Pig Woman—a match made in heaven!”
Xu Ye’s brow furrowed as he was about to scold them, but the person on the donkey suddenly leapt down. In an instant, she rushed over and reached out to grab one of the children like she was picking up a small chick.
When the group of children saw Ding Baozhu rushing toward them, they scattered with loud cries. Only the one who had been caught flailed his arms and legs, screaming even louder, trying to hit her while hurling insults.
“Shut up!”
Ding Baozhu roared with full strength, gripping the brat’s collar tightly. She was naturally tall, and the child dangled in mid-air; if she let go, he would fall. Stunned by the roar, he immediately fell silent.
Ding Baozhu didn’t lift her veil but leaned closer, gritting her teeth as she whispered a dark warning: “You know what I used to do. If you ever dare to mess around again, I’ll take my butcher’s knife and hack you into eight pieces, drain all your blood, and throw you to the dogs. Do I make myself clear?!”
The brat—the one who had thrown the mud and stones—simply stared blankly without answering, as if his soul had left his body.
When Ding Baozhu let go, he fell onto his bottom in the mud, which splashed onto his clothes. Baozhu gave a cold harrumph and ignored him as she went back. However, she didn’t get back on the donkey but stood there silently patting the mud off her dress.
Xu Ye looked at the dazed child and then at Ding Baozhu. For some reason, he felt a slight urge to laugh—though it wasn’t a laugh of mockery. She was actually quite impressive!
Thinking this, he spoke up: “Get back on. A wedding should at least maintain its appearance. I’ll help you.”
They weren’t far from the west side of the village. When Xu Ye had left, his family had already set out a simple feast. A few relatives and friends were bound to come over, and it would be truly improper for the bride to walk through the door on her own.
“A bunch of brats. This dress was handmade by my mother,” Ding Baozhu complained, but she understood why Xu Ye said what he did. In the end, she used his hand to climb back onto the donkey’s back.
The spring day wasn’t cold. The original owner had learned knife skills and couldn’t avoid using them, and Xu Ye was also accustomed to using tools; both their hands had a rough, calloused texture, but the warmth seemed to be the same.
“When we get home, we’ll get some water to wash it. Just use plenty of soap nuts; we have them at home.”
Since Xu Ye had said so, Ding Baozhu said no more. Besides, although this was a bride’s new dress, it would eventually become everyday clothing that she would wear for a long time.
The wooden cart continued its journey. Only the brat sitting in the mud, upon coming to his senses and seeing the small receding figures, finally let out a loud, wailing sob that echoed through the sky.