Ding Baozhu had quite keen ears; hearing the brat’s distant yet incessant wailing, her mood brightened considerably.
The donkey had only traveled a few steps when Xu Ye heard her humming a tune from where she sat on its back. He couldn’t help but ask, “Are you really that happy?”
“A brat has been suppressed; why wouldn’t I be happy?” Ding Baozhu retorted.
“Aren’t you afraid the child will go tell his parents and they’ll come looking for you?” Xu Ye asked. After a pause, he added pointedly, “Besides, now that you’ve married into our family, they’ll be coming to the Xu house. I don’t care how willful you were before, but don’t bother my family.”
“Don’t worry, I take responsibility for my own actions. Besides, if that brat really does go to complain, his parents would have to believe him first. Even if they don’t and they bring people to our door, I’ll simply refuse to admit to it until my dying breath. What could they possibly do to me?”
Xu Ye let out a cold sneer upon hearing this. “You certainly have it all figured out. With your past temper, I’m sure they’ll definitely believe it was you!”
Ding Baozhu wasn’t annoyed by his words. Since she didn’t know exactly how arrogant and willful the original owner of this body had been, and seeing as she had taken her place, she simply said with a smile, “After all, they were just calling me a ‘Wild Pig Woman’ and saying that a ‘Wild Pig Woman’ and an ‘Ugly Freak’ are a match made in heaven!”
…This woman was truly shameless; she just came right out and said it?
Xu Ye pursed his lips. Recalling something, he let out a cold laugh and said, “Yes, I am an ugly freak, and thus I am not worthy of you. But since the matter has been settled and the nails have been driven into the board, there is no room for you to go back, and neither can I.”
“So I advise you to behave yourself and just live your life as usual. I won’t make things difficult for you…”
These words had to be said eventually, and since it was just the two of them now, it was a suitable setting. Xu Ye even expected Ding Baozhu to argue back, but to his surprise, she replied:
“What? You aren’t even ugly. There’s no such thing as being ‘unworthy’ or not.”
Although there were marks on Xu Ye’s face similar to a birthmark, they fortunately did not cover his facial features. His face was generally as well-proportioned as Xu Yi’s, and the rest likely took after his mother. He wasn’t ugly at all; it was entirely due to the village rumors becoming more and more exaggerated.
Even the nickname the brat had used for her was because most women in the village were thin and small, making her immediately stand out like a crane among chickens. Coupled with that temper, she naturally became a target for gossip.
Xu Ye froze and fell silent, but he began to mutter to himself inwardly.
Does she actually understand what I’m saying?
He suddenly felt the road ahead was long and confusing, and he couldn’t help but let out a secret sigh.
They soon passed the few peach trees, and after another few minutes on the dirt road, they reached the westernmost edge of Xiangshan Village.
The main gate of the Xu family was also wide open, though perhaps because there weren’t many people in the family, the gate was smaller than the Ding family’s. He could vaguely see rooftops similar to the Ding family’s, though there were fewer of them.
Upon reaching the entrance, Xu Ye helped Ding Baozhu down from the donkey and shouted toward the house, “Father, Aunt, I’ve brought her back!”
Sitting under her veil, Ding Baozhu wondered to herself: Why is he calling her “Aunt”?
Unfortunately, the original owner had virtually no memories of Xu Ye or his family, so she was completely in the dark.
Before the “Father” and “Aunt” could appear, another voice rang out, sounding quite joyful: “Big Brother is back! The bride is here!”
Ding Baozhu was familiar with this kind of energy; it should be Xu Ye’s younger sister—her future sister-in-law.
Aside from this sound, there were suddenly several barks from a dog—it sounded as though it didn’t welcome the arrival of an outsider. Ding Baozhu paused her steps. Noticing this, Xu Ye whispered, “Don’t be afraid, those are our hunting dogs. They’ve already been locked up.”
Ding Baozhu nodded. Then she heard a shout from the courtyard: “Quick, quickly invite the daughter-in-law in!”
Ding Baozhu recognized this voice; wasn’t it Xu Yi?
Fortunately, even with the veil over her head, she could still see the ground beneath her feet. Just as she was thinking of walking forward, she heard a voice from someone who seemed to have suddenly appeared at her side:
“Wait!”
It was an older woman’s voice with a rather heavy tone. Before Ding Baozhu could react, a burning brazier was placed in front of her. The voice continued, “Step over the brazier to ward off bad luck, lest you bring those ill spirits inside. That wouldn’t be good!”
Ding Baozhu’s brows furrowed slightly. Why did she hear a hint of sarcasm in that voice?
Supposedly, after “that incident” happened, the younger sister of Ding Hong’s wife—who was Xu Yi’s wife—was particularly dissatisfied with the situation. Now that she had married in anyway, wasn’t this woman her nominal mother-in-law?
Tsk tsk, it seemed things wouldn’t be very peaceful from here on out.
Thinking of this, Ding Baozhu lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands. Fortunately, her legs were long, and she stepped over it with ease.
“Alright, alright. Ying’er, Zhi’er, take your eldest sister-in-law to the new room. Ye’er, bring the trunks along as well. Guests will be arriving in the courtyard soon, and the feast will begin.”
Ying’er and Zhi’er agreed and came over. The elder one, Ying’er, only reached Ding Baozhu’s waist, while the younger one, Zhi’er, was even smaller and likely quite young. Xu Ye went to the wooden cart to carry down the trunk, and they all went to the new room together.
When the wind brushed against the corner of her veil, Ding Baozhu keenly noticed several tables set up in the small courtyard, laden with bowls of various sizes, but she passed right by them.
Wait… could it be that she wasn’t allowed to sit at the table for the feast?
This bride was treated far too miserably!
Xu Ye had to go return the donkey and cart; he turned and left without a word. Only Ying’er and Zhi’er accompanied Ding Baozhu, sitting beside the large bed in silence. It was unclear if they were shy or simply didn’t know what to say to this new sister-in-law.
Ding Baozhu took the initiative to ask, “You two are Xu Ye’s sisters, right? How old are you?”
Ying’er answered honestly, “I am thirteen this year. My sister, Xu Zhi, is ten.”
Ding Baozhu smiled. “I see. To tell you the truth, I have sisters about your age at my house too.”
Xu Ying paused for a moment and then said plainly, “That’s good. Eldest Sister-in-law, please wait here. Zhi’er and I are going to light the candles.”
Her tone was clearly one that didn’t want to talk much, so Ding Baozhu had no choice but to remain silent for the time being.
On a wedding night, there must be a bridal chamber and candles, but the village didn’t have grand conditions; lighting two red candles was considered enough. Xu Ying and Xu Zhi quickly left the room, closing the door behind them.
Seeing that things had quieted down, Ding Baozhu raised her hand and lifted her veil, beginning to inspect this so-called new room.
The walls were made of rammed earth. The room looked like it was meant for a single person; perhaps it had originally just been Xu Ye’s room. With the addition of the trunks Ding Baozhu had brought, the space felt even more cramped.
Looking around, though it was small, it had everything it needed, thanks to the “room-warming” done by her family yesterday.
Ding Baozhu quietly stood up and went to her trunks to open them. Inside was the dowry her family had prepared for her: small tools, daily necessities, and mostly clothes, shoes, and bedding. Given the frugal habits of the village, these could last her for several years.
At the same time, there were many food items included in the trunks as part of the dowry. There were dried fruits, grains, and notably, a jar of lard. Fatty meat was more expensive than lean meat because the former could be rendered into oil; the value of this jar of lard was not cheap.
However, compared to the dowry items above, the most important thing was a pouch in the corner of the trunk brought today. Inside was the “private money” that Ding Hong and Liu Ping had secretly scraped together for her, amounting to several taels of silver. These few taels couldn’t buy any large items, but they could be used in critical moments.
Ding Baozhu felt a warmth in her heart; those parents were truly good to the original owner!
From dusk to nightfall, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it had grown dark outside the room’s only window. This made the candlelight seem even brighter, casting Ding Baozhu’s shadow.
She listened carefully and heard a bit of a commotion outside. The feast must have started in the courtyard; occasionally, she could catch a faint, drifting aroma.
Ding Baozhu curled her lips and rubbed her stomach, which was vibrating slightly. Although the groom had only come to receive her in the evening, she had been told by Liu Ping and Yao Dan to eat very little during the day. She had only eaten a tiny bit and was now starving.
Fortunately, a wedding never lacked various symbolic dried fruits, especially since many were spread across the marriage bed. Ding Baozhu reached out and grabbed a handful of red dates and peanuts, wiped them off, and ate them.
But there weren’t many dried fruits on the bed in total. Ding Baozhu finished them quickly, and they didn’t even count as a snack. She could only lick her lips and continue to reminisce about the taste.
She could hear the bustle outside, which seemed to surge like waves, one after another. After a while, it finally quieted down, suggesting it was coming to an end.
Ding Baozhu didn’t know exactly how long she had waited, but after about the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the door was opened. Through the hazy light, she saw that it should be Xu Ye coming in.
But he was very silent as he entered, and even his footsteps were light. He then looked up at her and walked slowly to the bedside.
The closer he got, the more Ding Baozhu smelled a hint of alcohol. The groom had likely been forced to drink a lot at the feast, though it didn’t smell unpleasant.
Then, she felt a lightness and coolness on her head as the veil was lifted.
Ding Baozhu took a secret peek; Xu Ye’s cheeks indeed had a faint flush, and he looked slightly tipsy as if he might fall asleep the next second.
Ding Baozhu felt awkward and was wondering if she should speak when she noticed Xu Ye reach out and touch the top of her head. She blinked her eyes in confusion, and then she saw Xu Ye take down the peach blossom branch.
The candlelight flickered, and the atmosphere was subtle. However, at that moment, a gurgling sound suddenly came from Ding Baozhu’s body. In this environment, it was startlingly clear.
As a hunter, Xu Ye was used to quickly detecting any movement around him, so he naturally noticed this sound. He frowned and asked, “What was that sound?”
Ding Baozhu scratched her head awkwardly and replied, “Um… I’m hungry.”
Xu Ye was speechless, but he immediately turned and left. It wasn’t long before he returned, carrying several bowls of food, which he placed on the only square table in the room, right under the red candles.
Ding Baozhu stepped forward and saw that almost none of the dishes in the bowls had been touched: there was roasted bone, oil-braised chicken, red-cooked duck, sausage, fragrant diced meat, tofu fried to a golden brown on both sides, and crispy fried small fish. There were also chives, fragrant mushrooms, sliced bamboo shoots, lettuce, and a large bowl of rice.
The sight made her eyes crinkle with a smile as she said happily, “Thank you, Xu Ye! I barely ate anything today, and the bride isn’t allowed to sit at the table. I was so hungry!”
Xu Ye’s expression softened slightly, though he looked somewhat sleepy. He said hoarsely, “Eat first. I… I’m going to lie down for a bit.”
Ding Baozhu agreed. Xu Ye scratched his head, took off his outer robe, lay down on the bed, and closed his eyes.
Ding Baozhu sat at the table and ate. The four small dishes in front were likely cold appetizers; there wasn’t much in them. Since most people go to wedding feasts to drink, whatever was left over could be put away and eaten later.
The hot dishes had also cooled down a bit, but she didn’t care. She popped the tofu and fried fish into her mouth one by one. The other side dishes were either pickled or tossed with various seasonings, making them go very well with the rice.
Ding Baozhu was starving, and since there was no one watching her, she ate in large mouthfuls without any pretense.
Finally, she rubbed her satisfied stomach and tidied up the bowls and chopsticks. However, she wasn’t sure if she should take them out, so she went to the bedside.
Xu Ye’s eyes were tightly shut. Ding Baozhu gave him a gentle nudge, but he didn’t move or wake up. He seemed to truly be asleep, likely due to having drunk too much.
Ding Baozhu scratched her head again. Hearing the silence outside, she prepared to take the bowls and chopsticks out so that she could quickly familiarize herself with the surroundings.