The clothes on Qin Yi’s upper body were damp with morning dew, and beneath the fabric the faint rise and fall of his muscles could be seen. The Qin family lived deep in the mountains more than twenty li away, yet he had already appeared in the Jian family’s courtyard at daybreak. He must have walked a long way. If circumstances allowed, Jian Jia truly would have wanted to let him sit down and rest for a while.
Unfortunately, the courtyard only held her impatient elder brother and elder sister-in-law, who were eager to shove her out the door, along with a matchmaker who would do anything for money. She did not even wish to remain here herself, let alone entertain Qin Yi.
Taking a deep breath, Jian Jia pointed to the handcart in the courtyard. “It’s all there.”
Following her gesture, everyone saw the handcart piled high with furniture. Qin Yi’s brows lifted slightly as a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
Jian Jia pressed her lips together and asked somewhat uneasily, “Are you strong?” When she had been packing the night before, she had been full of pent up anger and had placed anything in the house that seemed remotely useful onto the cart. Now that she looked at it again, moving the cart would not be easy.
Qin Yi lowered his head and thought for a moment before replying modestly, “I suppose so.” As a hunter, lacking strength meant being unable to bring down large prey. Qin Yi considered his hunting harvests fairly good.
The sturdy boxes of various sizes were stacked neatly one inside another, forming a stark contrast with the dull grey handcart. He Xiaohong’s expression changed instantly as she shrieked, “Good heavens! What are you trying to do?!”
Jian Jia had not intended to waste words with her, yet the savage look on her elder sister-in-law’s face made her sneer, “Can’t you tell? This is my dowry.”
He Xiaohong had coveted this set of dowry for a long time. If she had ever found a suitable opportunity, she would have claimed it for herself already. Who would have thought this wretched girl would try to take it away? She absolutely would not allow it.
He Xiaohong hurriedly turned to Jian Xiaoqiang and grabbed his sleeve, shaking it urgently. “Say something!”
Jian Xiaoqiang rubbed his hands together, feeling a headache coming on. Normally, when a young woman suddenly learned she was to be married, she would be filled with anxiety. Who would pay attention to her dowry? In his imagination, he would open the courtyard gate today to find Jian Jia in tears, after which she would be taken away by Hunter Qin under Granny Qian’s direction, leaving everything in the Jian household to belong to him and his wife.
Looking again at the dowry on the cart, it was made of the finest camphorwood. Even he had never used such good furniture, let alone He Xiaohong.
Just as Jian Xiaoqiang was pondering how to keep the dowry, a noisy commotion arose outside the courtyard. Third Uncle’s voice sounded from beyond the gate.
“I heard Jia’er is getting married today?”
Jian Xiaoqiang’s expression changed as he hurried toward the entrance. Third Uncle had never gotten along with his eldest uncle. His arrival rarely meant anything good.
Before Jian Xiaoqiang could reach the gate, Third Uncle had already entered with more than a dozen strong young villagers. As soon as they stepped into the courtyard, they began looking around curiously, their chatter filling the air.
Jian Xiaoqiang’s anxiety deepened. Why had the villagers come? That should not have happened. Only a few people knew that Jian Jia was to be married, and Qin Yi’s visit had only been arranged yesterday. Could it be that Granny Qian had caused too much of a stir?
Jian Jia quietly let out a breath of relief. Earlier she had been worried that Third Uncle might take the wheat but failed to act. It now seemed that the wheat had indeed done its job.
Even the poorest family would paste red paper on their doors when marrying off a daughter, yet the Jian household courtyard was bare. Jian Jia wore plain clothing, without even a flower in her hair. Aside from the dowry on the handcart, there was nothing festive about the place.
Several villagers who were on good terms with Jian Jia called out, “Sister Jia’er, why are you getting married without a word? We never heard anything about it before!”
Jian Jia gave a bitter smile and glanced at Jian Xiaoqiang with pursed lips. That single look became a silent accusation in the eyes of the crowd.
The villagers had only just heard that Jian Jia had been sold off by her elder brother and elder sister-in-law. They had been half convinced at first, but seeing Jian Xiaoqiang and He Xiaohong’s nervous expressions, along with Granny Qian’s awkward smile, they could not help but inhale sharply.
In terms of ruthlessness, Jian Xiaoqiang truly stood out. Relying on a powerful eldest uncle, he had seized the Jian family’s property, and now he had even sold off the family’s daughter.
Which young woman did not dream of love? Everyone in Jian Family Village knew that Jian Jia liked Xu Lingsheng. Even though her parents were gone, with the Jian family’s circumstances, if Jian Xiaoqiang and his wife had treated her even a little better, she could have chosen a decent husband even if she could not marry Xu Lingsheng. How had it come to her quietly following a mountain hunter home? Even if the hunter was handsome, he still made his living among wild beasts in the mountains. Who knew when he might lose his life…
The villagers’ disdainful gazes were like sharp blades. Even Jian Xiaoqiang, thick skinned as he was, found himself unable to maintain his composure.
He had always considered himself a scholar, different from these mud legged peasants who scratched out a living from the soil. Yet now he felt as though an invisible hand had torn his dignity from his face and cast it to the ground for these villagers he had always looked down upon to trample.
At this moment, he could only hope that Jian Jia would be sensible and leave with Qin Yi as soon as possible.
My third Uncle came today to support Jian Jia. The more embarrassed Jian Xiaoqiang became, the more determined he was to expose him.
“Xiaoqiang, this is where you as an elder brother and sister-in-law are in the wrong. Jia’er’s big day should have been announced in advance.”
Jian Xiaoqiang stammered, unable to reply. Third Uncle glanced around the courtyard and shook his head in dissatisfaction. “A wedding without any festivity? That won’t do.”
After a pause, his gaze landed on the cart of dowry. “This must be Jia’er’s dowry, then?”
Turning around, he called out to the young men behind him, “Today is your sister Jia’er’s wedding day. It’s the first time Xiaoqiang and Xiaohong have handled such an event, so it’s natural for there to be shortcomings. We are all Jia’er’s family. Today, we will send her off in grand style.”
The villagers had already been informed beforehand. As soon as Third Uncle finished speaking, they surged toward the cart. Some impatient ones even began untying the ropes that secured it.
“With such a fine dowry, it should of course be carried proudly to the groom’s home. Don’t you agree?”
Voices rose in agreement.
“Of course!”
“Sister Jia’er is the pride of Jian Family Village. Her wedding feast must be splendid!”
Third Uncle nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll take charge today. Everyone lend a hand and send Jia’er off. When we return, Xiaoqiang and his wife will prepare a wedding banquet to thank you all.”
No sooner had he spoken than He Xiaohong’s shrill voice rang out. “What?! A wedding banquet too?! Absolutely not!”
Her face had turned mottled with anger, making her look especially vicious.
She did not even want Jian Jia to take the dowry, let alone hold a banquet for her.
Yet Third Uncle did not spare her even a glance. Taking a couple of puffs from his pipe, he spoke slowly through the swirling smoke, “Oh?”
Alarm bells rang in Jian Xiaoqiang’s mind. Third Uncle had been one of the witnesses during the adoption. Before Jian Zhishan passed away, the person he had worried about most was his only daughter, Jian Jia. In order to be adopted into the Jian family, Jian Xiaoqiang had knelt beside Jian Zhishan’s bed and sworn to treat her well.
If Third Uncle brought in the witnesses from that day, even the clan head would be unable to resolve the matter peacefully.
Jian Xiaoqiang’s eyes darted as a plan formed in his mind. Raising his hand, he slapped He Xiaohong across the face and barked, “What do you mean impossible? This is what we should do. You narrow minded woman are making me lose face!”
He Xiaohong was stunned by the sudden blow. Covering her cheek, tears welled up in her eyes. “You hit me? You actually hit me?!”
Jian Xiaoqiang lifted his hand again. “Keep causing trouble and see what happens.”
Sniffling, He Xiaohong tried to hide behind Granny Qian. Granny Qian forced a smile, yet subtly edged toward the courtyard gate.
Although Jian Xiaoqiang felt no satisfaction from striking He Xiaohong in public, he dared not speak sarcastically to Third Uncle and instead vented his frustration indirectly.
“Why should outsiders need to remind us how to handle our own family matters? What kind of elder sister-in-law are you?”
Third Uncle naturally understood his insinuation that he was an outsider. Unlike He Xiaohong, he would not be misled by a few words.
“Since ancient times, a girl’s marriage has been decided by her parents and a matchmaker. Now that Jia’er’s parents are gone, you as her elder brother and sister-in-law should not be so stingy. The dowry in this courtyard was saved by Zhishan while he was alive. As her elders, shouldn’t you add something of your own?”
He Xiaohong finally understood. Though her heart ached as though it were bleeding, compared to losing the Jian family estate, she could only sob bitterly through her tears.
Third Uncle glanced at the couple. “You are young and inexperienced. I will have my wife bring a few people to help shortly, so you won’t be in a flurry.”
With just a few words, Third Uncle had taken control of the entire situation. Only then did he turn to Jian Jia.
“A girl only marries once in her lifetime. Go inside and dress yourself properly. Everyone will see you off soon.”
Jian Jia accepted the situation with grace and thanked those in the courtyard solemnly. “Thank you, Third Uncle. Thank you, my clansmen. I will remember today’s kindness.”
With Third Uncle presiding over matters, everything that followed went far more smoothly. The empty courtyard quickly became lively as villagers carried the dowry inside and began preparing.
He Xiaohong watched as red cloth was wrapped around the dowry, her eyes seeming to redden with it. Just as resentment filled her heart, Third Aunt entered with several capable women. At the sight of them, He Xiaohong no longer dared remain idle in the courtyard. She needed to keep an eye on these women lest something from her household disappear amid the chaos.
The courtyard bustled with activity as villagers moved in and out, busying themselves for the couple, yet the two people at the center of the celebration seemed like outsiders, detached from the commotion. Before the women could usher her inside to dress, Jian Jia slipped out of the courtyard with some oil flatbreads and eggs.
To the east stood a large camphor tree. A sturdy chestnut horse was tied to its bucket thick trunk. Beside the horse lay a grey black dog. When it sensed a stranger approaching, it rose with a low bark, its fluffy curled tail swaying twice. Standing upright, it was as tall as half a person, and the glossy sheen of its coat showed how well its owner cared for it.
Most people would feel uneasy before such a formidable dog, but Jian Jia was different. She had loved cats and dogs since childhood, and the sight of such a large dog made it impossible for her to look away. A faint smile appeared on her face, and her voice softened.
“It’s beautiful. What’s its name?”
Qin Yi reached out and stroked the dog’s head calmly. “It’s called General.”
Jian Jia beckoned to the dog. “General, come. Have some flatbread.”
With that, she tore off a palm sized piece of oil flatbread and tossed it before him.
The fragrant smell made General’s nose twitch. He sat up straight and lifted his head, looking expectantly at Qin Yi. Only after Qin Yi nodded did he step forward to snatch up the flatbread in a single bite. Jian Jia watched him eat without blinking, her hands itching with the urge to pat his head.
At that moment, startled cries rose from the courtyard.
“Where’s the bride?”
“Has the bride run off?!”
Jian Jia snapped back to her senses and hurried forward, stuffing the oil flatbreads and eggs into Qin Yi’s arms. “I made them last night. Just make do with these.”
Qin Yi held the warm food in both hands, watching her retreating figure in silence. Only when the dog gently bumped against his leg did he come back to himself.
A hint of confusion flickered in his eyes.
Jian Jia seemed rather different from the rumors.