Zhou Song got up early today. After breakfast, he went to the backyard to feed the chickens and tidy up the vegetable garden, then swept the courtyard. Even after all that, the nervousness in his heart hadn’t subsided.

At noon, he was going to Shen Qingzhu’s house for lunch, and he hadn’t slept well the night before, tossing and turning until almost dawn before dozing off.

Once he finished all the chores at home, he checked the time and figured it was about right. He went inside to freshen up. This time, he carefully shaved and washed his face and hands with soap.

Looking through his wardrobe, he found that most of his clothes were old and made of rough cloth. They were already grayish from wear and had clearly been around for years. He hadn’t made any new clothes in quite a while.

In the past, he hadn’t minded, since he was always working in the fields or on the mountain. Wearing good clothes wasn’t suitable for such work, and he didn’t care much about his appearance. He had never thought that one day, he would be troubled over what to wear.

But no matter how dissatisfied he was with these old clothes, he still had to pick one to wear. He couldn’t very well go out without anything on.

He told himself that tomorrow he’d have to go to town to get a couple of new outfits. Otherwise… it wouldn’t look good at future gatherings.

He had completely forgotten that in the past, when he attended banquets in the village, he’d simply go in his rough clothes, often straight from the fields without even stopping home to clean up.

In the end, Zhou Song chose the newest-looking dark blue short robe from his few options. He smoothed out the wrinkles on the edges and corners.

After redoing his hair, he didn’t tie it all up into a bun for convenience, as he usually did, but instead tied it into a neat ponytail.

“Bang bang bang.”

“Brother Song, are we going or not?”

As if perfectly timed, just as Zhou Song finished tidying up, Lin Erzhu called out from outside. Zhou Song tugged at his clothes again, adjusted his collar, and walked out of the house.

When he opened the courtyard door, he met Lin Erzhu face to face. Lin Erzhu froze, his eyes widening as he looked Zhou Song up and down.

“Brother Song, something’s different about you today.”

Zhou Song, feeling a bit self-conscious, adjusted his clothes again and brushed the strands of hair from his face. “What’s strange about me?”

“There’s nothing strange! Brother Song, you look extra handsome today!” Lin Erzhu exclaimed, giving him another once-over in awe.

His brother Song never cared about such things. Sometimes, his clothes would be torn, and he wouldn’t even notice. It was usually Lin Erzhu’s mother who would take them to mend. But today, from head to toe, he was neat and tidy, even his hair was meticulously groomed.

Lin Erzhu clicked his tongue in admiration. A good-looking person really was different; even with a simple touch-up, he appeared even more handsome and dashing than usual.

He raised an eyebrow and teasingly moved closer. “Brother, if you walk around the village like this today, the matchmakers are going to start swarming again. Your doorstep won’t survive the flood!”

Zhou Song gave him a sidelong glance and pushed his face away. Then he stepped outside, saying, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Lin Erzhu laughed sheepishly and backed off, waiting for him to lock the door.

After securing the lock, Zhou Song turned to him and, almost casually, asked, “Do I really look… handsome?”

Lin Erzhu was stunned for a moment, then took two steps back, pointing at him with exaggerated shock. “Who are you? My Brother Song would never say something like that!”

Zhou Song didn’t bother responding and turned to leave.

“Hey, Brother Song, wait for me! I was just joking because I was surprised. You do look handsome, really! You’re the most handsome in all of Qi Shan Village!” Lin Erzhu quickly caught up, laughing.

Zhou Song glanced at him. “Where are Auntie and the others?”

“They’ve already gone ahead with my wife. I came to get you.” Lin Erzhu walked beside him, unable to suppress his curiosity. “Brother Song, you’ve never dressed up for big feasts before. Today’s just a simple meal with a few families. Why go to the trouble of getting dressed up?”

Zhou Song didn’t respond.

Suddenly, it dawned on Lin Erzhu, and he slapped his hand. “Isn’t there a Kun Ze in that family? Brother Song, don’t tell me…”

Zhou Song turned to look at him and said, “Later, I’ll have a good talk with my sister-in-law about how you’re always bringing up Kun Ze…”

“Brother! You’re my big brother! I was wrong!” Lin Erzhu immediately grabbed Zhou Song’s arm. “Please don’t say that in front of my wife. She’s been so irritable since she got pregnant, and she’s already annoyed with me every day. If you say that, I won’t be able to step into the house for three days!”

Seeing that Lin Erzhu wasn’t spouting nonsense anymore, Zhou Song was satisfied and shook off his hand, smoothing out the creases on his sleeve.

Lin Erzhu quickly helped him pat it down, smiling ingratiatingly. “Brother Song, please, don’t mess with me like that.”

Zhou Song had no intention of really saying anything. He just wanted to use Lin Erzhu’s wife to keep him in check, so he wouldn’t keep rambling. But he didn’t reply, merely saying, “Depends on my mood.”

On the way, Lin Erzhu completely forgot about Zhou Song’s carefully dressed appearance and was instead preoccupied with begging him not to stir up trouble with his wife.

When they arrived, they found the courtyard door wide open, clearly to welcome the guests.

Inside, it was already lively with the sounds of people chatting.

This wasn’t a major celebration, just a meal to mark the house repairs, so there was no need for a grand banquet. Wu Lanshu had taken the opportunity to host the meal to thank the families that had helped her since they moved to the village, and to build stronger connections with them. After all, people who are warm-hearted usually have good character, and they could maintain these relationships moving forward.

Besides Zhou Song and Lin Erzhu’s family, the only other guests were Aunt Wang’s family, who lived next door, and the village head’s family. Since they moved into the village, these families had provided a lot of help.

Lin Erzhu’s mother and wife had arrived just before them and were standing at the door, talking with Wu Lanshu.

The door to the main hall was also open, and they could see the village head’s family inside. The village head’s young grandson was clinging to his side, saying something.

“Oh, Zhou and Lin boys, you’re finally here. Come on in, we were just waiting for you two,” Wu Lanshu said, waving them over as soon as she saw them.

The two of them walked over, and Wu Lanshu led them into the main hall, telling them to sit down while she went to check on the food in the kitchen. Aunt Wang was helping her keep an eye on things, and Wu Lanshu felt a bit embarrassed.

Hearing that she was going to be busy, Aunt Qian rolled up her sleeves, ready to help. With so many guests, it was bound to get hectic.

“Oh, no need for that. You’re our guests,” Wu Lanshu said, trying to decline. Aunt Wang was already familiar with her, having come over early in the morning to help, which Wu Lanshu already felt a bit bad about. How could she ask her to do more?

“Hah, we don’t stand on ceremony in the village. Whoever has work to do, we all help out,” Aunt Qian said with her usual carefree attitude, waving off the notion of formality. She dragged Wu Lanshu with her into the kitchen.

Lin Erzhu went to help his pregnant wife into the main hall. The space was big enough, with some rearrangement of the furniture, to set up two or three tables, which would comfortably accommodate everyone.

Snacks and tea were already laid out on the tables for the guests. The village head’s grandson had crumbs all over his mouth from the treats he had already eaten.

Zhou Song didn’t rush to enter. His eyes quickly scanned the courtyard, but he didn’t see Shen Qingzhu. He looked around again, but there was still no sign of him. Perhaps, as an unmarried Kun Ze, it wasn’t appropriate for him to be in such a mixed gathering.

He lowered his eyes, ready to follow the others inside.

Just at that moment, someone came out of the kitchen. Zhou Song glanced up and, sure enough, it was Shen Qingzhu.

Shen Qingzhu paused when he saw Zhou Song standing at the door, then smiled, his eyes curving slightly. “Why aren’t you sitting inside?”

He must have just come from the kitchen because his cheeks were slightly flushed, and there was a bit of sweat at his temples. A few strands of damp hair clung to his face.

Even in this slightly disheveled state, he didn’t look the least bit messy. In fact, his beauty was so striking that it was almost hard to look at him directly.

Zhou Song quickly lowered his gaze. He noticed Shen Qingzhu was carrying a stack of bowls in his pale, delicate hands. The sight of his fingers resting on the rough, earthenware bowls made Zhou Song worry they might get scraped. These hands were clearly not meant for manual labor.

He quickly walked over and took the bowls from Shen Qingzhu, realizing how heavy they were. Glancing at Shen Qingzhu’s soft hands, he asked, “You’ve been helping in the kitchen?”

Shen Qingzhu, now holding only a bundle of chopsticks, blinked, then responded reflexively, “What could I really help with? I’ve just been rinsing the bowls and washing vegetables. The aunts all shooed me out once they arrived.”

Hearing that he hadn’t been near the fire or any knives, Zhou Song felt relieved. Holding the stack of bowls, he turned toward the main hall. “I’ll take these inside for you.”

Shen Qingzhu blinked again, then, seeing that Zhou Song had already taken the bowls, followed behind him with the chopsticks.

When they entered the main hall together, the chatter died down as everyone instinctively looked up. And when they saw the two of them, they froze for a moment.

First, because Shen Qingzhu’s appearance was truly striking. His fair, handsome face immediately marked him as someone not from the village. He had stayed inside recovering for most of the past two weeks, so aside from Aunt Wang’s family, this was the first time the others were seeing him in person. Even the village head hadn’t met him when they moved in, as Wu Lanshu had handled most of the formalities.

The second reason for the silence was that the two of them, standing side by side, somehow looked… well-matched.

Though these thoughts ran through their heads, no one dared to say anything. It wasn’t appropriate to speak of a Kun Ze’s reputation lightly.

Zhou Song didn’t know why everyone had suddenly gone quiet. He assumed they were simply taken aback by Shen Qingzhu’s striking appearance and elegant demeanor. Silently, he walked over to a table and set the bowls down.

The soft sound of the bowls clinking brought everyone back to reality.

Shen Qingzhu stepped forward to distribute the bowls and chopsticks, smiling as he said, “Is everyone hungry? The dishes will be ready soon.”

“No, no, with all these snacks here, we’re not hungry yet,” said the village head’s wife, who was a warm and lively woman. As Shen Qingzhu set a bowl in front of her, she couldn’t help but compliment him. “Shen Xiaolang, you look like you came straight out of a painting! Like an immortal!”

Shen Qingzhu had heard such praise many times since he was young and didn’t feel embarrassed. He thanked her gracefully.

The village head’s young grandson, with his big round eyes, was also staring at him, clutching a half-eaten snack in his hands. Suddenly, he blurted out, “I want to marry that brother as my husband!”

The innocent declaration from the child sent the room into a fit of laughter.

Zhou Song cast a brief, disapproving glance at the little boy.

“You’ve got good taste for a little one,” the village head’s wife teased, tapping her grandson on the forehead.

After a few more laughs, Shen Qingzhu was called over by Aunt Wang’s daughter to sit with her. He had stayed at their home for a while, and the young girl had taken a liking to the handsome older brother.

She was fourteen this year, old enough to be married off next year, though her mother wasn’t in any rush, feeling reluctant to see her go. The girl was still quite innocent and attached to Shen Qingzhu, as she didn’t have many close friends.

She admired Shen Qingzhu’s refined manners and gentle demeanor, finding comfort just in hearing him speak.

Zhou Song glanced at him before sitting down in the spot Lin Erzhu had saved for him.

Lin Erzhu leaned over, lowering his voice as he whispered, “That Shen family young man is even more handsome than the village rumors said. No exaggeration.”

Zhou Song shot him a cold look, then glanced over at Liu Fang at the other table.

Lin Erzhu shivered, quickly raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Brother, I wasn’t saying anything inappropriate!”

They had barely sat down when dishes began arriving from the kitchen.

Although it wasn’t a formal banquet, the variety and quality of the dishes were top-notch. There were both meat and vegetable dishes, and each table had a whole fish. Wu Lanshu had hired a local fisherman to catch the fish, paying him well, and the fish he brought were large and plump.

Having lived in the capital for a long time, Wu Lanshu’s cooking was more generous with oil and seasoning than what the villagers were used to. The aroma of the food filled the room, making everyone’s mouths water.

The last dish brought out was a large pot of chicken soup with a whole chicken, bought from a local villager, already cleaned and prepared.

Seeing that the food was ready, Wu Lanshu quickly invited Aunt Wang and Aunt Qian to sit, then brought out a small jar of wine for the men’s table. “Everyone, eat well and drink heartily today. Don’t be shy!” she said warmly.