Chapter 28: The Vegetable Boom and the Zhu Family’s Wedding

Even after walking quite a distance, the teasing laughter of the women could still be heard.

Zheng Shi couldn’t hold back her amusement and said, “I never expected our big girl to be in such high demand.”

Xu Nian shamelessly chuckled. “Ah~ Being too likable is such a burden.”

Zheng Shi was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter.

—

According to their plan, the two first headed to the fabric shop. Interestingly, Xu Nian chose the same fabric shop that had been directly across from her old street stall.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance, the young shop assistant immediately recognized her.

“Isn’t this the little boss who sold cotton-padded clothes? Are you here to buy fabric today?”

Seeing the assistant looking as if he were facing a great enemy, Xu Nian teased, “I am indeed here to buy fabric. Don’t worry, I’m not selling winter clothes anymore. Now, I’m selling fresh vegetables right across from Kelai Restaurant.”

The assistant twitched his lips. You really know how to pick a spot.

Since the shopkeeper wasn’t in today, the assistant guided them through the selection of various fabrics and even offered them reasonable prices.

With a grand gesture, Xu Nian not only bought three feet of red fabric as a gift but also purchased enough material to make clothes for her entire family.

In the end, with her smooth talking, she even convinced the assistant to gift her two feet of fine gray linen.

She planned to use it to make a little vest for Xiao Liuzi. Ever since the little one had started practicing calligraphy, his clothes had never been clean.

—

After leaving the fabric shop, the two didn’t linger in town but drove the donkey cart straight back to Wanying Village.

The return trip was much more pleasant than the morning journey. With the sun shining down on her, Xu Nian felt drowsy.

When they arrived home, Zheng Shi excitedly shared Xu Nian’s bold exploits with the family. Everyone in the Xu household laughed so hard they nearly doubled over.

After putting away her purchases, Xu Nian sat on the side, sipping ginger tea to warm herself while casually responding to the family’s questions.

Through the rising steam from her bowl, she looked around at the smiling faces in the room, feeling utterly content in that moment.

—

For the next two days, Zheng Shi and Xu Nian continued selling vegetables in town. With amaranth also reaching maturity, their sales were overwhelming.

Even Kelai Restaurant placed a large order for Longevity Greens.

In just a few short days, selling vegetables had earned the Xu family several dozen taels of silver. Wang Shi was so delighted that she hummed cheerful tunes as she walked.

As the weather grew colder, Old Master Xu and the three Xu brothers halted their land-clearing work.

It just so happened that today was the wedding day of the Zhu family’s daughter. Wang Shi took her two daughters-in-law to help out. Xu Nian wanted to join in the festivities as well, so the task of selling vegetables in town fell to Xu Fugui and Xu Youliang.

Meanwhile, Xu Weian was kept busy under Xu Nian’s orders, making vegetable tubs and shelves, running around with no time to rest.

—

The Zhu family

The head of the Zhu family was Zhu Hai, a distant cousin of the village chief. He had married Madam Sun in Beijiang, and they had two sons and one daughter.

Today, the one getting married was their youngest daughter, Zhu Bao’er. Her name alone made it clear how much she was cherished.

Years ago, Zhu Hai had served in the army and managed to accumulate a substantial family fortune. As a result, his daughter’s dowry included six sedan chairs—a very generous dowry for an ordinary family.

Xu Nian followed Wang Shi into the bridal chamber, curious to see what ancient brides looked like.

However, when she laid eyes on the bride, she was somewhat disappointed.

The bride was not dressed in luxurious attire like those in television dramas but wore a simple red jacket with a plain red cotton skirt.

Her face lacked elaborate makeup—only a dusting of powder and lightly drawn eyebrows, without even a touch of lip color. Fortunately, the young girl had naturally rosy lips; otherwise, her appearance might have been rather startling.

Xu Nian later learned that the lipstick here was called “Rouge Flower Sheet,” made from silk. Due to its high cost, only noblewomen could afford to use it.

On the side, Wang Shi had already completed the ritual of adding to the bride’s dowry.

Sun Shi handed over a cup of brown sugar water, feeling genuinely happy.

“Thank you, sister-in-law, for adding to my daughter’s dowry. My girl is truly blessed by your kindness.”

“It’s only right for me to come. Though we haven’t known each other for long, I hold our friendship dear to my heart.”

Sun Shi laughed heartily. As expected of a woman who had raised a scholar, her words were warm and comforting.

Zhu Bao’er curiously studied Xu Nian, having never seen her before. Since her wedding was approaching, her parents had forbidden her from going outside to avoid catching a chill.

She was truly beautiful, looking nothing like the women of Beijiang. If Beijiang women were known for their boldness and straightforwardness, Xu Nian had a calm and gentle demeanor.

Her parents had told her that Xu Nian was exceptionally intelligent. The Longevity Greens and other vegetables sent by the Xu family were all cultivated through her efforts. Zhu Bao’er was very curious about her, but since she was about to marry, she knew there wouldn’t be many opportunities to meet in the future.

Xu Nian naturally sensed the subtle gaze. When she realized it was the bride secretly looking at her, she playfully flashed a teasing smile.

Zhu Bao’er, caught in the act, didn’t panic but instead blushed shyly at the smile.

Xu Nian, feeling rather smug, thought to herself, Look at that—no need for rouge now. This is how a bride should look!

Just then, she heard a commotion outside and knew it must be the groom arriving. Along with a group of young girls, she peeked through the door crack to catch a glimpse of today’s groom.

According to Wang Shi, the groom was a frontier soldier. The two had been engaged since childhood, but since a soldier’s leave was unpredictable, the wedding preparations had been somewhat rushed.

Sure enough, the groom had the rugged features typical of a soldier—tall and sturdy, with tanned skin. It was clear that he was genuinely happy today; his mouth hadn’t stopped grinning the entire way, giving him a somewhat goofy charm.

After satisfying her curiosity, Xu Nian obediently stood behind Wang Shi. After all, today was a joyous occasion for the Zhu family, and as the most striking young woman present, she had to be mindful not to outshine the bride or cause any trouble.

Sun Shi noticed Xu Nian’s discreet retreat and silently nodded in approval. The Xu family’s younger generation had truly been well-taught.

Meanwhile, the groom had to answer a series of questions from the bride’s relatives before he could finally claim his bride.

According to Beijiang’s unique customs, after the groom received his bride and paid respects to her parents, he had to demonstrate his strength by breaking apart a prepared sheep’s neck bone with his bare hands. This was a way to prove to the bride’s family that he had the ability to protect his household.

Xu Nian had assumed he would use a knife to cut the bone, but to her surprise, the groom snapped the sheep’s neck with his bare hands as if it took no effort at all. The crowd erupted in cheers.

After watching the lively wedding, Xu Nian enjoyed her first grand banquet in this place.

The meal was hearty, without any fancy plating—just large chunks of meat and big bowls of wine. The only two vegetarian dishes were tofu and bean sprouts.

Xu Nian heard that all the meat served today had been hunted by the bride’s two older brothers and their men on Ling Mountain.

Speaking of Ling Mountain, Xu Nian suddenly missed those three rascals. The three of them had been in school for nearly half a month now. She wondered if they would come home for their break this time.

At that moment, the three who were on her mind were also thinking about her.