Chapter 3: The Eve of Marriage  

Ye Miao stepped into the small shed. Zhao Feng saw his flushed face and couldn’t help but laugh. “Seeing Qin Jin makes you this happy? Come, sit down and eat.”  

In the middle of the tiny shed was a bamboo basket with a wooden board placed on top, serving as their dining table.  

On the table was a plate of stir-fried pumpkin slices. Although there wasn’t any cured meat, the dish was still rich and glossy with oil.  

On the stove sat two large bowls of pumpkin soup, simmered until the pumpkin chunks had turned into a thick, creamy consistency. This kind of smooth pumpkin porridge was the most delicious.  

Ye Miao washed his hands and sat down on a wooden stool by the table, speaking softly, “It’s not seeing him that makes me happy—it’s what he said.”  

“What did Qin Jin say?” Zhao Feng asked curiously.  

In a low voice, Ye Miao repeated Qin Jin’s words. Zhao Feng’s face lit up with joy as he listened.  

Qin Jin was someone with responsibility. Since he had agreed to the marriage, even if he didn’t like Miao-ge, he wouldn’t let him suffer too much.  

A good man.  

A man so rare you wouldn’t find another even with a lantern.  

“Alright then, finish your meal quickly. After you’re done, keep working on your wedding clothes. If you finish early, you can still embroider a few handkerchiefs and save up a little extra dowry.”  

“Okay.” Ye Miao picked up the bowl of pumpkin porridge from the stove and took small sips.  

The pumpkin porridge was sweet, but it couldn’t compare to the sweetness in his heart. 

After lunch, he went straight to his room to work on the wedding clothes.  

His family was truly poor. Though they owned their courtyard, every grain of rice, every piece of tableware, every needle and thread had to be purchased.  

Now, he and his dad together had only a few hundred coins. His dad hoped that he would take this money to the Qin family, but Ye Miao didn’t want to. If he took it all, how would his dad survive?  

They had no land, and his dad had no real trade skills. On most days, he could only earn a little money by selling firewood.  

Years ago, when his father was gravely ill and beyond the help of medicine, the Ye matriarch had sought to save him by arranging a marriage to lift his spirits. Ye Miao’s dad, sturdier than most Gers and with a decent appearance, was chosen to marry into the county.  

After the marriage, his father’s illness quickly improved, and the matriarch treated him decently for a while. But before long, the matriarch passed away, and his dad’s life became hard again, treated as a servant by the mistress of the house.  

Ye Miao’s dad accepted this treatment, for his husband didn’t like his looks and considered him unrefined and illiterate.  

Even after Ye Miao was born, his dad’s situation didn’t improve. Starting from the age of four, Ye Miao was also made to do all kinds of chores.  

When he was six, his dad knelt and begged his husband to let Ye Miao learn embroidery from the seamstresses at the fabric shop, so he could contribute to the household income when he grew older.  

The Ye family owned a textile business and ran a fabric shop.  

His husband thought an extra embroiderer would be useful and agreed.  

To do embroidery, the fingers couldn’t be rough—callouses could snag the fine fabric.  

To protect Ye Miao’s hands, his dad took over all the rough labor at home, hoping Ye Miao could endure less hardship and master a trade that could earn money.  

His dad had sacrificed so much for him—how could he take all the family’s money and leave?  

Besides, a few hundred coins wouldn’t make much difference. Even if he brought the money to the Qin family, they wouldn’t treat him any better for it.  

He had already made up his mind: every copper coin he earned before the wedding would be left for his dad.  

After marrying into the Qin family, he planned to work harder and embroider more diligently. That way, the Qin family would hopefully not make things difficult for him…  

Thanks to Madam Ye’s high standards, his embroidery skills were even better than most seamstresses.  

While others could only sell a single handkerchief for three wens, he could sell one for four or even five wens.  

After returning to the village, most of the living expenses for him and his dad were covered by the money he earned from his embroidery work.  

While Ye Miao was focused on making his wedding garments, Qin Jin finished lunch at the old family courtyard and returned to his own.  

He still needed to go to the county to buy materials today, but at the moment, he just wanted to take a nap.  

He had woken up at around five in the morning—and had been busy ever since. Naturally, he was tired.  

His body was worn out, his mind groggy, and yet he couldn’t fall asleep.  

Because Ye Miao’s face kept flashing in his mind, no matter how hard he tried to get rid of the thought.  

That look Ye Miao gave him right before turning away left him blank for a few seconds. Even as he entered the courtyard with the bowl in hand, while Wang Xiuqin teased him, he replied normally on the surface but felt completely unsettled inside.  

This wasn’t normal, was it?  

What kind of man stares blankly at another boy just because they’re good-looking?  

He turned over, staring absentmindedly at the ceiling while tapping his fingers lightly on the bamboo mat beneath him.  

It truly wasn’t normal.  

And the boy responsible for his abnormal state was about to become his spouse…  

Happy? Not exactly.  

Marrying a ger wasn’t exactly cause for unbridled joy.  

But to say he was worried? That didn’t seem quite right either. At this point, the initial resistance he felt was gone.  

When Wang Xiuqin first brought up the idea, he had jumped off his stool in alarm.  

Yet here he was, less than ten days later…  

With a sigh, he shut his eyes and forced himself to sleep.  

Forget it. He would take it one step at a time.  

But his restless mind wouldn’t quiet down. In the end, he didn’t manage to fall asleep. After lying down for less than half an hour, he grabbed his coins and headed to the county to buy materials.  

Out of the fifty-two wens he carried, he spent forty-seven, leaving him with only five wens.  

During lunch, Qin Bing had noticed how popular the pea cakes were and offered to give him another 200 wens to make more.  

But Qin Jin had declined. It was only the first day, and he had no idea what the future would hold.  

If he made too many and couldn’t sell them, it would result in a loss.  

He was already 50 wens in debt, and soon, he would incur another expense—his wedding costs.  

Even though Ye Miao didn’t want a betrothal gift, weddings were expensive. The biggest cost was the banquet, and since Qin Jin didn’t have the money, his three brothers—Qin Bing, Qin Wen, and Qin Li—had agreed to cover it.  

Though wedding gifts were customary, villagers typically gave small amounts, like ten or twenty wens. Often, a single gift meant the entire family would come to enjoy the banquet, emphasizing the importance of a lively atmosphere.

Under such circumstances, hosting a wedding banquet was bound to incur a loss.  

Adding on various other miscellaneous expenses, his debt would inevitably increase.  

If he were living alone with no dependents, he wouldn’t mind accruing more debt. After all, he had plenty of ideas for small businesses that could generate income.  

But since he was about to get married, he didn’t want Ye Miao to shoulder debt the moment he joined the household. If he owed too much, Ye Miao would inevitably worry.  

So, he planned to proceed cautiously and only consider expanding his business once they were married.  

After buying supplies and returning home, he first soaked the peas to save firewood during cooking.  

After resting for a bit, he waited for the sun to cool down before grabbing a small hoe and heading to the fields to weed.  

Though he now had a side business, he couldn’t neglect work in the fields—it was their foundation.  

The next day, he woke up before dawn to prepare pea cakes. While the cooked peas set in a clay pot, he used the waiting time to work in the fields, returning home when the heat became unbearable.  

The original Qin Jin had three brothers. Aside from his eldest brother, Qin Bing, he also had his second brother, Qin Wen, and his third brother, Qin Li, both of whom treated him well. Their care had allowed the former Qin Jin to develop a somewhat lazy disposition.  

Before heading to the county, he gave Qin Wen and Qin Li each half a pound of pea cakes to try.  

That day, he needed to buy wedding candles, red paper, and some gifts for urging Ye Miao to prepare for the ceremony. Items like firecrackers, red fabric, peanuts, and melon seeds had already been prepared—today’s shopping involved smaller necessities.  

At the city gates, he sold the pea cakes while Wang Xiuqin went into town to shop.  

He continued the free sampling promotion, which made sales go smoothly. He had made six pounds of pea cakes. After accounting for half a pound used for sampling and one pound given to his brothers, he was left with four and a half pounds.  

At a price of fifteen wens per pound, he earned 68 wens in total.  

Deducting the cost of supplies, 47 wens, he made a profit of 21 wens that day.  

After finding Wang Xiuqin in town, he bought another round of supplies for 47 wens, the same quantity as before.  

When they returned home, lunch had already been served in the old family courtyard. However, his sister-in-law had set aside food for them.  

Since he seldom cooked for himself, he often ate at the old courtyard, and Qin Bing and his wife didn’t mind in the slightest.  

However, he was out of firewood at home.  

After returning from the old courtyard, he placed the remaining 21 wens from the day’s profit into an old, paint-chipped wooden box. Wang Xiuqin had given it to the original Qin Jin during the property division for storing money.  

But the original Qin Jin had quickly squandered two strings of cash, leaving the box empty by the time he arrived in this world.  

Currently, the box contained five wens left over from the previous day.  

Adding today’s earnings, he now had 26 wens to his name—his entire wealth.  

After storing the box, he grabbed a hemp rope, intending to head up the mountain to gather firewood.  

But just as he locked the courtyard gate, Zhao Feng from the neighboring yard walked out holding a large bundle of dry firewood.  

He greeted him quickly, “Uncle Feng.”  

Zhao Feng nodded in response and, noticing the hemp rope in Qin Jin’s hand, asked, “Off to gather firewood? Perfect timing. Take this bundle with you.”  

“No need. You should sell it instead,” Qin Jin replied, shaking his head hurriedly.  

After all, selling firewood was Zhao Feng’s sole source of income.  

“It’s no big deal. You and Miao-ge are getting married soon. If you don’t accept it, you’d be too distant.” Zhao Feng walked over to the courtyard and left the bundle of firewood at the gate before Qin Jin could protest further.  

These words left Qin Jin unable to argue. Since Zhao Feng was soon to be his dad-in-law, as a son-in-law, accepting a bundle of firewood was nothing out of the ordinary.  

“Thank you, Uncle Feng,” he said gratefully.  

“You’re too polite, child.” Zhao Feng smiled and added, “Alright, go home and rest. You’re running yourself ragged, between tending the fields and selling cakes. Make sure to rest when you can.”  

“…Alright.” Qin Jin unlocked the courtyard gate, carried the bundle of firewood inside, and placed it down.  

Actually, this marriage might turn out just fine.  

Zhao Feng was a good man, and Ye Miao… Qin Jin unconsciously tiptoed, trying to catch a glimpse of the happenings in the neighboring yard.  

He hadn’t seen Ye Miao yet today and was curious what he might be doing right now.  

But the courtyard wall was too high, a full head taller than him. Even standing on tiptoe, he couldn’t see over to the other side.  

Unless he fetched a stool to stand on.  

…  

He walked closer to the courtyard wall and pressed his ear against it.  

Two seconds later, realizing what he was doing, Qin Jin’s eyes widened in disbelief. He glared at the wall for a moment before hurriedly turning away and retreating into the house as if fleeing.  

This was terrifying.  

There was something seriously wrong with him!  

—  

On the third day, Qin Jin continued selling pea cakes as usual. Once again, he offered free samples, which helped them sell quickly.  

After accounting for the half-pound used for sampling, he sold five and a half pounds, earning 83 copper wens.  

Tomorrow was his wedding day with Ye Miao, and he wouldn’t have time to sell cakes. Standing at the city gate, weighing the money pouch in his hand, he decided to head into town.  

He planned to make pea cakes for the wedding banquet as a form of advertisement.  

Wuligou Village was close to the county seat, making it convenient for villagers to sell farm produce or work in the town. Most households lived relatively well-off lives.  

These villagers, with their stable incomes, would likely be willing to spend a copper coin on a piece of cake.  

In the past, the Qin family had been relatively well-off too. The old Qin patriarch wove baskets and bamboo carriers, while Qin Bing, Qin Wen, and Qin Li took up odd jobs in town during the off-season. Apart from Qin Jin himself, the whole family was hardworking.  

If it hadn’t been for the money spent on Wang Xiuqin’s illness, the family might still have had some savings.  

—  

That afternoon, the Qin family set aside farm work to prepare for tomorrow’s wedding.  

Although poor families didn’t have many elaborate rituals, certain traditions couldn’t be skipped. They began by cleaning up the courtyard and hanging red celebratory cloths.  

Next, they borrowed tables and bowls from neighboring families, ordered vegetables and pork, and ground flour for steaming bread the next day.  

The families of Qin Wen and Qin Li also came to help.  

Additionally, a cousin of the original Qin Jin came over to lend a hand.  

Meanwhile, Ye Miao sat in his room embroidering a handkerchief. The lively sounds of preparation from the neighboring courtyard reached his ears, filling him with a mix of joy and apprehension.  

His silver needle hovered in the air, hesitant to touch the fabric.  

Today was supposed to be the day for delivering the dowry, but since he had not asked for a bride price and it was well known that his family was destitute, this tradition was skipped altogether.  

He wondered what Qin Jin’s reaction would be when he discovered that his dowry chest contained only a few old clothes…