Chapter 4: The Wedding  

On the day of the wedding, the skies were clear, and the Qin family was up early bustling about.  

In Da Jin, the custom was to welcome the bride in the morning and conduct the formal wedding ceremony in the evening.  

Hiring a bridal sedan chair would cost two taels of silver, which the Qin family couldn’t afford. Instead, they borrowed the village head’s ox cart—a common practice among poorer families.  

They tied a festive red ribbon to the ox’s horns, and a group of energetic village boys escorted Qin Jin, who was leading the ox cart, noisily from the Qin house to Ye Miao’s home.  

The distance was short, and the journey was over in no time.  

With ties severed to his uncle Zhao Dafu, Ye Miao had no other relatives left. A few daughters-in-law from the village head’s family came over to help with his makeup, jokingly demanding red envelopes from the welcoming party before letting the bride leave.  

Ye Miao, veiled in a red wedding cover, clasped his hands tightly until he heard Qin Jin’s laughter outside. Only then did he exhale in relief.  

The tradition left him anxious—what if Qin Jin lost patience and decided not to go through with the marriage?  

Once the women received their red envelopes, they opened the door with smiles. Huang Chunlan, the village head’s eldest daughter-in-law, held Ye Miao’s hand and helped him step outside slowly.  

As soon as Ye Miao crossed the threshold, the sound of firecrackers and cheerful voices erupted from outside. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart.  

At that moment, Huang Chunlan placed Ye Miao’s hand into Qin Jin’s and said, “You’re one lucky boy, Qin Jin. Treat Miao well in the future.”  

Just earlier, while helping with Ye Miao’s makeup, she noticed how youthful and vibrant his face looked—soft enough to pinch water out of!  

Later, during casual chatter, someone mentioned Ye Miao’s exceptional embroidery skills and even brought out a partially finished handkerchief he’d worked on. The intricate craftsmanship was truly remarkable—a skill that lived up to his origins in the county.  

It was no surprise he could support both himself and his dad through embroidery alone.  

Such a fine young man, with good looks and talent, would have been highly sought after, even with a greedy uncle like Zhao Dafu, had it not been for the drowning incident.  

Now, Qin Jin was the lucky one, although rumors hinted that Qin Jin had been reluctant at first. That thought stirred Huang Chunlan to voice a few words of support for Ye Miao.  

Huang Chunlan’s intentions were good, but Ye Miao stiffened at her comment, fearing Qin Jin might be displeased because of it.  

However, Qin Jin, just as he took Ye Miao’s hand, noticed his nervousness and reassured him with a smile, “I understand, Sister Chunlan. Don’t worry, I’ll never mistreat Miao in the future.”  

“Good boy!” Huang Chunlan beamed brightly. “Now, get Miao onto the ox cart.”  

Qin Jin agreed cheerfully, guiding Ye Miao toward the gate.  

Ye Miao let out a long breath of relief and walked more briskly.  

Yet, when he sat on the ox cart, he immediately straightened his back, his posture rigid. He was determined not to appear improper and risk being laughed at.  

Because the wedding custom prohibited returning by the same path, the ox cart circled the village before arriving at the Qin family’s home.  

The journey wasn’t far, but when the cart finally stopped, Ye Miao’s back was sore, and his waist ached.  

Just then, a pair of large hands gently grasped his.  

“Miao, we’ve arrived. Time to get off the cart,” came Qin Jin’s voice, warm and full of mirth.  

At that moment, Ye Miao was entirely captivated by his tone. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he momentarily forgot his discomfort.  

Led by Qin Jin, Ye Miao was brought to the bridal chamber and seated on the bed. From there, all that remained was to wait until dusk for the wedding ceremony.  

Once everyone else had left, the bridal chamber grew silent. Finally, after maintaining a straight back throughout the journey, Ye Miao was able to relax.  

In the courtyard, the villagers who had come to watch the commotion began to disperse, while those closer to the family stayed behind to help with the preparations for the wedding banquet.  

The pre-arranged tables, chairs, benches, and dishes were delivered. From the neighboring village of Lu, the butcher brought half a pig, ordered the day before, and the cook specialized in wedding feasts began chopping it up to stew the meat.  

Tofu and other household vegetables were also delivered. Since it was summer, pre-cooking the dishes too early risked spoilage, so everyone simply prepped the vegetables for cooking later in the afternoon.  

By noon, the helpers enjoyed a midday meal before most headed back home, planning to return in the evening for the ceremony. A few, however, stayed back to chat.  

Inside the bridal chamber, Ye Miao caught the delicious aroma of the food wafting from the courtyard. Instinctively, he raised a hand to his growling stomach. He was starving.  

But according to custom, it was best not to eat on the wedding day…  

He softly patted his shoulder and adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable.  

At that moment, footsteps approached, followed by a gentle knock on the door. Qin Jin’s voice rang out, “Miao.”  

Ye Miao immediately arranged his hands neatly on his lap, straightened his back, and sat upright.  

After closing the door behind him, Qin Jin noticed Ye Miao sitting so rigidly. He walked forward, holding out a piece of pea cake. “Here, eat something to fill your stomach.”  

Ye Miao was momentarily stunned and flattered—he hadn’t expected Qin Jin to offer him food so proactively.  

After a brief pause, he shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”  

But just as he uttered those words, his stomach let out an audible growl.  

His face immediately turned crimson with embarrassment, and he wished he could disappear into the ground.  

Before he could recover, a warm chuckle echoed in the room, and a large, warm hand gently grabbed his right hand.  

Suddenly, a piece of pea cake was placed in his palm.  

“Eat it,” Qin Jin said with a smile. “We’ve got the ceremony later this afternoon—you’ll need your strength.”  

The hand left as quickly as it came, but Ye Miao instinctively clenched the cake in his hand, his shame gradually fading away.  

But remembering that eating might ruin his makeup—or worse, force him to use the restroom—he shook his head again. “No need. I can endure.”  

Qin Jin’s gaze shifted to Ye Miao’s stomach, clearly still grumbling. How could he still refuse after being so obviously hungry?  

Mistaking Qin Jin’s silence for annoyance, Ye Miao quickly explained, “If I eat, I’ll smudge my lipstick…”  

“Then let it smudge,” Qin Jin replied firmly, grabbing Ye Miao’s hand and guiding it—pea cake and all—beneath the red bridal veil. He reasoned inwardly that, with Ye Miao’s natural beauty, he’d still be the most attractive in Wuligou even without makeup.  

Of course, Qin Jin didn’t say that part aloud. Instead, he said, “You’re married now. Follow your husband’s lead.”  

The moment those words fell, a rush of joy surged through Ye Miao, warmth spreading through his cheeks, turning them an even deeper red.  

Follow your husband’s lead.  

Husband.  

He softly responded, “Mm.” Using his left hand, he lifted the edge of the red bridal veil just slightly and brought the pea cake in his right hand to his mouth.  

He took a gentle bite of the pea cake. It was just as fragrant, sweet, and soft as before, with an excellent texture.  

Meanwhile, Qin Jin began to feel a bit awkward.  

How had those words come out of his mouth so naturally just now…  

Ye Miao swallowed the piece of pea cake and couldn’t help but comment, “This is delicious. Brother Jin is amazing to come up with such a new snack.”  

“This isn’t something I came up with,” Qin Jin replied. “It’s a dish from another place.”

“I happened to hear some passing merchants mention this food and its recipe when I was wandering through the county town one day. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but now, without any silver in hand, I remembered it and decided to try it. I bought some peas and experimented—and it worked out.”  

His explanation made sense. The original owner of this body often visited the county town to stroll around, and Dongyang County had plenty of traveling merchants passing through. This story was convincing enough that when Qin Jin used it as a reason to borrow money from Qin Bing, the latter didn’t doubt it for a second.  

“So that’s how it is.” Ye Miao’s admiration for him grew stronger. To hear something in passing and then recreate it so successfully—it wasn’t something just anyone could do.  

The room fell silent.  

Ye Miao wanted to praise him a bit more but worried Qin Jin might find him repetitive or overly talkative if he harped on the same point.  

Qin Jin, on the other hand, was busy racking his brain for a conversation topic. It was only midday, with over two hours left until the wedding ceremony. He couldn’t just leave Ye Miao to sit in silence the entire time.  

Although he didn’t have feelings for Ye Miao, he had now married him. At twenty-four, he was seven years older than Ye Miao and felt it wouldn’t be right to mistreat him.  

But what could he say?  

As he struggled to think of something, Wang Xiuqin’s voice rang out from the courtyard: “Jin! Come here and help move the table!”  

“Alright, I’m coming.” Qin Jin sighed in relief and turned to Ye Miao. “I’ll step out for a bit.”  

Ye Miao quickly nodded in agreement.  

As the sound of the door closing echoed, he couldn’t hold back anymore and broke into a smile. Qin Jin was unexpectedly considerate.  

But then, remembering the contents of his dowry chest, his smile faded. Weddings cost a lot of money, and the Qin family was already poor. He wasn’t sure what Qin Jin’s attitude about it would be.  

In the courtyard, Wang Xiuqin pulled Qin Jin aside after he stepped out of the main house and led him to the kitchen. “I can tell you’re starting to take a liking to Miao, but don’t get carried away. There’s still the wedding ceremony at dusk. Staying in the bridal room for so long—people will gossip if word gets out.”  

“?”  

Qin Jin widened his eyes in surprise.  

What was she even saying? When had he started having feelings for Ye Miao?  

And what had he even done? Nothing at all!  

“Alright, alright. Here, take this tray of pea cakes outside and pass them around. You’re married now, an adult. You can’t keep hiding from people like you did before.” Wang Xiuqin shoved a tray of pea cakes into his hands.  

“…”  

Qin Jin exhaled heavily, deciding to let it go. They were already married anyway. Explaining himself might only embarrass Ye Miao further.  

Carrying the tray, he walked out of the kitchen.  

At the courtyard gate, Huang Chunlan sat under the big tree, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan while chatting with a few others. She was busy praising Ye Miao’s embroidery skills.  

Interestingly, no one in the Qin family had actually seen Ye Miao’s embroidery yet. The engagement had been so rushed that he’d only had time to make his own wedding attire.  

Qin Jin’s new clothes and shoes were made by Wang Xiuqin.  

As he listened to Huang Chunlan’s praises, an image of Ye Miao making clothes flashed through Qin Jin’s mind. Embroidery wasn’t easy to master; it took a toll on one’s neck and eyes.  

He smiled and interrupted Huang Chunlan, inviting everyone to try the pea cakes.  

Qin Jin hadn’t been selling pea cakes for long, and with it being the busy farming season, most villagers didn’t even know he had started a small business. Even those who had heard of it hadn’t seen or tasted the cakes yet.  

Now that he had brought the pea cakes out, everyone’s attention immediately shifted. Once they tasted them, Huang Chunlan’s praises quickly turned to Qin Jin.  

That morning, she had felt like Qin Jin was getting the better end of the marriage. But now, seeing his industrious nature and his budding business, she thought he and Ye Miao were a perfect match.  

The group continued chatting and laughing, and time passed quickly.  

By the hour of Shen (3:00 PM), the families who had helped earlier in the morning started returning. The meat in the large pot had finished stewing, and the chef began preparing the banquet. This way, the guests could enjoy the feast right after the ceremony.  

As evening fell, it was time for the wedding ceremony.  

The courtyard was once again packed with villagers eager to watch the event. Qin Jin entered the bridal room and led Ye Miao out.  

Amid blessings and the sound of firecrackers, the two completed the most important ritual and officially became a married couple.  

After the ceremony, Qin Jin led Ye Miao back to the bridal room.  

The room was crowded with people who had come to watch the rest of the festivities, which included lifting the red veil and drinking the cross-cupped wine.  

With the ceremonial scale in hand, Qin Jin lifted Ye Miao’s red veil amidst laughter and teasing. Slowly, Ye Miao’s delicate face was revealed—oval-shaped, fair, with a faint blush on his cheeks. His beautiful eyes carried a shy, timid gaze, which briefly met Qin Jin’s before lowering again, his eyelashes trembling lightly.  

A collective gasp of admiration came from the crowd. “So beautiful!”  

Qin Jin, on the other hand, gripped the ceremonial scale tightly.  

His little bride was indeed stunning.  

Soon, as the moon rose, the once-bustling courtyard grew quiet.  

The guests who had enjoyed the wedding feast began to leave. Families like Qin Bing’s, Qin Wen’s, and Qin Li’s stayed behind to help tidy up the courtyard.  

Meanwhile, Qin Jin carried a tray of food into the bridal room.