News quickly spread that the Zheng family had found a daughter-in-law. Soon, they would be holding a grand wedding banquet to “ward off evil”. This news spread throughout Cangzhou, becoming a popular topic of conversation.
Speaking of the Zheng family’s Second Young Master, Zheng Yanqing, was a name that everyone in Cangzhou knew by heart.
At three, he could recognize a thousand characters; at seven, he was well-versed in classical poetry; by ten, he wrote exceptional essays and had gained some local fame.
And by twelve, he took the entry-level civil examination,[1] topping the list with remarkable success. He became renowned far and wide in Cangzhou, a model for scholars.
However, perhaps his early brilliance came at a cost. Shortly after the exam, Zheng Yanqing fell seriously ill. His health declined day by day, causing him to miss the subsequent provincial examinations.
The Zheng family sought out famous doctors far and wide, but this resulted in little effect. Eventually, they turned their hopes to the mystical, inviting a famously renowned Taoist priest to perform a divination.
The hexagram indicated Zheng Yanqing’s life would be short. The only way to break this fate was through a “warding wedding” – a marriage to counteract his bad luck.
It wasn’t long after that when Zheng Yanqing began having frequent nightmares, and strange, eerie occurrences started happening around him.
Because of all this, no one dared to marry into the family. The wedding was postponed again and again. The auspicious date calculated by the priest was fast approaching, yet they still couldn’t find anyone.
As a last resort, they turned their sights to the martial world and raised the banner for a marriage contest.
Everyone assumed the winner would be a highly skilled female knight-errant. No one expected it to be a semi-skilled outsider.
The whole city was placing bets on how long the girl would last in the Zheng residence.
While the whole city was in a hubbub, Li Ruoshui was in her inn room reapplying medicine to her hand, blissfully unaware she had become a minor celebrity in Cangzhou.
Lu Feiyue felt deeply uneasy. Infiltrating the Zheng residence was originally her mission. That Li Ruoshui now had to bear this burden because of her failure filled Lu Feiyue with guilt.
“Ruoshui, the Zheng family will come for you tomorrow. If you’re not willing to go, we can still leave now.”
Li Ruoshui’s hand trembled as Lu Zhiyao applied her medicine. She forced a stiff smile. “It’s fine, Sister Lu. I don’t put much stock in the institution of marriage. Besides, the antidote I need is also in the Zheng residence. You don’t need to feel so–ack… I really think we can stop with the medicine now.”
For some reason, Lu Zhiyao had taken great interest in applying her medicine. Every day, like a cuckoo from a clock, he would chime “Time for your medicine” right on schedule.
“The scab is already forming. There’s no need to apply more ointment,” Li Ruoshui argued. The ointment felt peculiarly fiery once the wound had scabbed over.
“The physician said a full three days of treatment was necessary. Just one more application this afternoon will suffice,” Lu Zhiyao replied, his tone gentle but his hand firm as he pressed down to slowly spread the ointment over her wound.
He was blind. Li Ruoshui had no idea how he managed to apply it so accurately, not even missing the cuts on her fingers.
Li Ruoshui sighed and let him continue.
“Are you certain the Fire Blaze Grass is in the Zheng residence?” Jiang Nian looked at her skeptically. “To be honest, I’ve already searched the place. I didn’t find any letters, and the only medicinal herbs were common ones like lingzhi and ginseng.”
Li Ruoshui thought carefully about the plot. In the original story, Madam Zheng gave the Fire Blaze Grass to Lu Feiyue. It wasn’t specified where it came from, but it was definitely in the Zheng residence.
The System forbade her from revealing spoilers, but after some deliberation, she decided to give Jiang Nian a hint. “The Zheng family is vast and wealthy. I’m sure the Fire Blaze Grass is there. As for the letters, you probably just missed a spot. Don’t worry, just keep searching.”
Lu Feiyue hugged her gilded blade, her head bowed. Her usual cool, elegant aura was gone, replaced by a docility born of guilt. “We originally brought you here to detoxify the poison. Now, not only are you helping me complete my mission, but you’re also the one comforting us.”
Li Ruoshui gave a wry laugh, brushed Lu Zhiyao’s hand away, stepped forward, and patted Lu Feiyue’s shoulder. “This isn’t comfort, it’s the truth. And I genuinely don’t care about having the title of being a bride.”
Lu Feiyue lowered her head, sniffed, quickly hugged Li Ruoshui, then turned and pulled open the door. “I’ll go buy you some food.”
Jiang Nian patted Li Ruoshui’s shoulder and hurried out after Lu Feiyue. Their figures soon disappeared around the stairwell corner.
Li Ruoshui closed the door. When she turned back, she saw Lu Zhiyao sitting in his original spot, head bowed, his black hair obscuring his profile and his expression.
She didn’t pay it much mind and sat back down, casually picking up a piece of apple from a plate and popping it into her mouth. “Continue. I’ll eat something to distract myself.”
Lu Zhiyao acknowledged her and lifted his head again, picking up the white gauze bandage and beginning to wrap it carefully around her fingers.
It was already April, and the weather was gradually improving.
After her hand had brushed his away earlier, that strange feeling of restlessness had surfaced in his heart again. He couldn’t find an outlet for it.
“Does the wound still hurt?”
Li Ruoshui chewed the apple and nodded. “A little. Be quicker, or I’ll finish all the apples.”
“If it hurts, you can still bite me,” Lu Zhiyao stopped what he was doing and said with utter seriousness. Only that particular joy could suppress this restlessness.
Li Ruoshui looked at him carefully, her cheeks bulging as she chewed. The crisp sound of biting into fruit echoed in the room. “Then come closer.”
Like a sailor who had lost his way and lured by a siren’s song, Lu Zhiyao slowly leaned forward, offering his shoulder, a smile curling his lips.
“Open your mouth.”
Though puzzled, Lu Zhiyao parted his lips slightly.
His thin lips were faintly painted a shade of red. He looked inexplicably obedient leaning forward with his mouth open.
A piece of apple was placed into his mouth. The fruit was cool and sweet. He chewed instinctively, and the sweetness immediately spread across his tongue.
“Hahahahaha!”
Seeing his stunned expression as he ate the apple, Li Ruoshui couldn’t help but burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling shut with mirth. “If your jaw is sore, just chew on something. I don’t want to make a habit of biting people.”
Her clear, bright laughter rang in his ears. Lu Zhiyao felt a strange, fleeting palpitation in his chest—a sensation he had never experienced before.
Lu Zhiyao chewed slowly then swallowed the apple. At the same time, the smile vanished from his lips. He raised a hand to his chest.
That momentary feeling had been peculiar, as if his heart had been gently squeezed—a mix of sourness and an indescribable comfort and satisfaction.
Seeing his smile disappear, Li Ruoshui’s laughter slowly died down, and she scooted back slightly.
Has she gone too far? Was he angry?
Her eyes darted around, instinctively looking for his sword. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted it on the bed.
If his mind short-circuited again, she’d still have time to maneuver.
“What is this?”
Lu Zhiyao’s hand on his chest slowly clenched, his expression somewhat dazed.
Li Ruoshui glanced over and replied hesitantly, “That’s your chest.”
Did that slice of an apple turn this guy stupid?
Lu Zhiyao frowned, placed his fingers on his own wrist, and concentrated on reading his pulse.
Li Ruoshui leaned in to look, unconsciously lowering her voice. “What’s wrong with you?”
Lu Zhiyao withdrew his hand and replied softly, “I thought I might have been poisoned. But it seems not.”
“Poisoned?” Li Ruoshui’s face was full of disbelief. “Who could possibly poison you?”
At this, Lu Zhiyao’s brow smoothed, and he lowered his gaze as he chuckled lightly. “There are only two of us here. What do you think?”
Li Ruoshui was completely dumbfounded.
‘???’.
Was this something a normal human being would say? She immediately shook her head. Of course not, a normal person wouldn’t.
Li Ruoshui walked over to him. Even though she knew he couldn’t see, she waved her bandaged right hand in front of his face. “Why would I need to use poison on you? Wouldn’t it have been better if I’d just let her stab your eyes out the other day?”
Lu Zhiyao unhurriedly put away the medicine bottle and gauze, the smile not leaving his lips. “I’ve been blind for a long time. What use are these two eyeballs? Besides, I could have dodged it.”
“You finally admit it!”
The anger on Li Ruoshui’s face was replaced by a smile. The smugness of finally finding evidence to back her feelings was vividly displayed in that expression. “I knew you set me up on purpose!” This story is hosted at novelping.com.
Lu Zhiyao let out a slight sigh, feigning distress. “Oh my, to think you saw through it.”
“I realized it right away!” Li Ruoshui was so happy she pumped her fist. This was the first time she had completely guessed Lu Zhiyao’s thoughts correctly.
She was so immersed in this joy that she overlooked the fact that she had indeed been set up.
In this harmonious and cheerful atmosphere, the inn room door opened. Two plump matchmakers[2], one dressed in red and the other in green, bustled in. Lu Feiyue and Jiang Nian hurried in right after them.
“My oh my! So this is the future Young Madam of the Zheng family! What a pretty face!”
“It’s just a bit improper to be alone in a room with a man.”
The two matchmakers immediately began running commentary on Li Ruoshui and Lu Zhiyao. They covered their mouths with their handkerchiefs and whispered to each other.
Lu Feiyue, holding a roasted chicken, quickly walked over to Li Ruoshui, looking flustered. “These are matchmakers sent by the Zheng family. They’re here to prepare you tonight, and the bridal palanquin[3] will arrive tomorrow morning.”
After discussing for a moment, the two matchmakers clapped their hands towards the downstairs area. Three attendants immediately entered the room carrying boxes.
The matchmakers had them place the boxes by the dressing table and affectionately pulled Li Ruoshui to the table. “Young master, could you make some room?”
Lu Zhiyao, who had been sitting at the table, curled his lips into a smile, picked up the plate holding the gauze and ointment, and stood up to yield his seat.
The two matchmakers surrounded Li Ruoshui, chattering incessantly as they began her crash course in wedding etiquette.
Clearly, Li Ruoshui had no maternal family. The matchmakers were there not only to do her makeup and deliver the betrothal gifts but also to explain the wedding rules from the very beginning.
Just as the two matchmakers were in full swing, Lu Zhiyao slowly sat down beside them.
The matchmaker in red turned to look at him. “What are you doing?”
Lu Zhiyao smiled pleasantly. “I’m also unfamiliar with wedding customs. I’m a little curious.”
It wasn’t just Lu Zhiyao. Even Jiang Nian and Lu Feiyue came over and sat down.
They were not only curious but also wanted to understand the process to find the best time to thoroughly search the Zheng residence.
Eager to seize this opportunity to show off, the matchmakers didn’t refuse. Instead, they raised their voices and continued.
“…We do things a little bit differently here than other places. After bowing to heaven and earth, the bride doesn’t immediately enter the bridal chamber. Instead, she sits in the main hall with the groom to distribute the piled-up wedding candies from a tray.”
Li Ruoshui also became interested, treating it all as a lesson on local customs. “Why distribute candy? I also don’t need to wear a veil?”
“No need,” the red-clad matchmaker waved her hand. “Cangzhou is open-minded. We don’t fuss over veils. It’s fine to show off a handsome man and a beautiful woman openly. Covering up or not doesn’t matter.”
The green-clad matchmaker added, “A wedding is a great joyous event. The wedding candies are blessed by the fortune of the bride and groom. Distributing them is sharing that fortune.”
The two continued their back-and-forth explanation of the rules until Li Ruoshui’s head was spinning.
By the time the slanting rays of the sunset brushed against the inn windows, the two women were finally finished.
They handed Li Ruoshui a small, ornate brocade box, their faces beaming with joy. “This is the Zheng family’s betrothal gift. Inside are deeds for some shops and residences they purchased but never assigned owners to. They all belong to you now.”
Li Ruoshui’s hands trembled slightly. She opened the brocade box, looked at the stack of property deeds inside, and couldn’t help but swallow hard.
This is… incredibly substantial. Ridiculously substantial, actually.
The two matchmakers opened two other small wooden boxes, laying out their contents one by one on the dressing table, their expressions festive. “You’ll be distributing wedding candies; your appearance is very important. Tonight, we’ll give you a beautiful makeup application.”
Li Ruoshui was pulled over to the dressing table. Thread was used to remove fine hairs from her face, marking the beginning of her long journey of preparation.
[1]童生试 also known as the entry-level civil examinations is the start to climbing the civil ‘ladder’ of imperial china.
[2]媒婆 Meipo or matchmakers are usually aunties in charge of communicating between the bride and groom to one another. They’re kinda like ancient Chinese versions of bridesmaids and groomsmen.
[3]Generally in this era the bride takes a fancy ride, usually a carriage or palanquin, and is essentially paraded through the streets with her dowry until she reaches her new home.[/mfn]
TLN: Actually really curious to know if Li Ruoshui will keep those deeds and properties after they leave xD
EDN: Are you saying our FL is greedy? 🤭