"Sis, don’t be afraid. I’m holding your hand, you won’t fall..."

The sound of firecrackers CRACKLED and POPPED by her ears, while the suonas and copper gongs blared deafeningly.

The neighbors cheered and shouted their approval. Children darted through the crowd. Everything was a flurry of excitement, yet Chen Wanqing’s heart was utterly still.

She was helped onto a horse-drawn carriage.

She would later learn that this carriage had been specially prepared by Mr. Wang.

The horse pulling the carriage was tall and strong, with a flowing mane. A large red flower was tied around its neck, along with an exquisite brass bell. As the horse began to walk, the bell let out a light, pleasant JINGLE, JINGLE. The sound was lovely, yet it made one’s thoughts drift away.

Chen De’an, Chen Yaoan, and the couple Chen Bai and his wife were to accompany the bridal procession. A few other Chen clansmen were also going to the Zhao Family’s banquet. But they wouldn’t be taking the ox-cart behind the carriage; they would just walk to the Zhao residence.

Weddings have a tradition of never turning back. When the procession came to pick her up, the carriage had come around from the east end of the village. On the way back, it would leave from the west end. The Zhao Village wasn’t large, but the carriage moved slowly as it circled the village, a trip that would take at least the time to drink a cup of tea.

Walking to Zhao Jing’s home, on the other hand, was much more direct. They would surely arrive before the "wedding carriage."

Once the procession was far enough away, the old grandmother urged Xu Su Ying, "Quick, splash the water! A married daughter is like spilt water. From now on, she eats her in-laws’ food, not her own family’s."

Xu Su Ying was already heartbroken. Hearing the old grandmother’s words, she didn’t care that there was a crowd and immediately retorted, "I gave birth to her. Even if she’s married, she’s still my daughter. She can eat at whichever house she pleases. Even if she came back home to eat every single day, I would be happy."

The basin of water was right beside her, but after Xu Su Ying took it, she refused to splash it. Once she was back home, she lifted the basin and poured the water directly into her own courtyard. Only then did the tightness in her chest finally ease.

Seeing this, the old grandmother was furious. Standing among a group of other elderly women, she pointed at Xu Su Ying and began to curse her.

Xu Su Ying couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying, but she could guess it was something along the lines of "ungrateful" or "mistaking kindness for malice." She paid it no mind, instead calling for people to set up the tables. It was time to eat.

...

Chen Wanqing had been to the Zhao residence several times before.

A few years ago, when it rained or snowed, she would come to the private school to pick up De’an after his lessons. Later, after Mr. Zhao passed away and Zhao Jing was at home observing the mourning period, she would, at De’an’s request, deliver the test questions and annotated lecture notes from the school’s teacher to Zhao Jing.

Occasionally, when her family made a rare treat like dried beef or pan-fried potstickers, her mother would have her deliver a portion to them as well.

The Zhao Family’s courtyard wasn’t small. The main building had three rooms, with side rooms and a kitchen to the east and west. The front, facing the street, had only a large gate, while the rest of the space was also filled with buildings—this was the former private school.

The school consisted of two large rooms, which used to be filled with students.

In the past, whenever Chen Wanqing had free time, she would make a special trip to sit outside the window and listen to the lessons. When Mr. Zhao saw her, he would always invite her to come inside and listen.

Worried that the students’ parents would object and cause trouble for Mr. Zhao, she always refused to go in.

After a while, Mr. Zhao stopped calling out to her. Instead, after finishing his lecture and while the students were doing their assignments, he would come outside and ask her if she had understood everything.

There was a period when it was always raining and unusually cold. Standing outside with an oil-paper umbrella to listen to Mr. Zhao’s lectures would always leave her face blue with cold. But one day, when she went over, she was welcomed into the courtyard by Mrs. Zhao.

A west-wing room had been built in the courtyard. This room was adjacent to the school, and a window had been cut into the wall between them.

Neither side could see the other, but sitting in the west-wing room, she could clearly hear Mr. Zhao’s voice as he taught.

She spent a great deal of time in that small room.

And in that small room, she would accompany Mrs. Zhao with her needlework and keep Zhao Jing and De’an company as they did their schoolwork.

The courtyard seemed smaller than she remembered. After stepping over the basin of fire, it was only a few more steps to the main room.

A village elder passionately called out the commands: "First bow to Heaven and Earth! Second bow to the parents! Husband and wife bow to each other!" Chen Wanqing followed the instructions properly. Her movements were swift and steady, but a closer look would reveal a faint stiffness.

Fortunately, the ceremony was soon over, and she was led into the east room.

The room seemed to be packed with people: elders, young women, and children with high, milky voices. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

They were all laughing and chatting, urging Zhao Jing to hurry and lift the bridal veil so they could see the bride.

She didn’t know if Zhao Jing was embarrassed, but at that moment, the smile on Chen Wanqing’s face suddenly stiffened.

Soon, beneath the edge of her bright red veil, a patch of red hem appeared, along with a pair of black boots with white sides, embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns.

The owner of those boots was none other than Zhao Jing. He was now standing right in front of her.