Chapter 45: Go and Invite Your Wife Out

Voices could be heard from outside.

“Who in the village keeps chickens and still manages to keep their yard this clean? Only Shouzhong’s wife is this diligent.”

The voice was familiar.

It was Li Lian.

Hui Niang hadn’t expected her to come so early. She quickly wiped her hands and went to pour tea.

Li Lian stopped her.

“I know you’re busy with household chores. I have nothing to do anyway, so I came to lend a hand.”

In the village, when there’s a celebration, everyone helps each other.

She looked around and nodded to herself approvingly.

The snow had been shoveled into the corners early in the morning, and even the stools for guests had been wiped repeatedly until they gleamed.

New red lanterns hung at the door – clearly Hui Niang’s handiwork.

It showed how much the Wei family valued Yu Tingwan.

“How many tables are you setting up?”

Hui Niang: “We haven’t invited many people. If one table isn’t enough, we’ll set up two.”

Li Lian nodded and rolled up her sleeves as she headed to the water basin.

“Auntie, the water is cold, let me do it,” Hui Niang quickly said.

“You tend to your work. My skin is thick enough to wash some vegetables. Don’t stand on ceremony with me – I’ve been craving your cooking for a long time.”

Seeing her insistence, Hui Niang didn’t say anything more.

In the kitchen, Yu Tingwan didn’t look at the change in Wei Zhao’s expression as she ate her sweet potato and walked out.

The sweet potato was home-grown, exceptionally sweet and soft.

She went to Li Lian’s side and called out, “Auntie.”

Li Lian didn’t even want to acknowledge her!

Yu Tingwan stood beside her, ready to wash vegetables.

“Step aside, today is not the day for you to work.”

Yu Tingwan knew that in the countryside, it was said that a new bride shouldn’t work in the first few days after marriage, or she would toil for a lifetime.

So she withdrew her hand.

Yu Tingwan turned to leave with light steps.

Li Lian: “Come back.”

Yu Tingwan: ???

Li Lian’s face was stern. “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

It seemed she didn’t.

Yu Tingwan thought for a long time, watching as Li Lian’s expression grew darker, and hesitantly said, “…Thank you for your hard work.”

Li Lian: ???

To think that she had been tossing and turning these past days over Yu Tingwan’s affairs, while the girl herself wasn’t the least bit afraid of becoming a widow!

She lowered her voice, speaking tactfully, “Some things aren’t appropriate to say out loud, but now that the ceremony is done, there’s no room for regret.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed a figure appear by the kitchen.

Li Lian instinctively looked over and saw Wei Zhao standing tall and elegant.

The light fell on his bloodless face, giving him a fragile appearance.

He was surprisingly handsome.

Just very depressed.

???

Wei Zhao could walk?

Yes, not only could he walk, but when Hui Niang told him to take his medicine, he even plucked a peanut hanging from the evergreen.

It was then that Wei Zhao received a death glare from Yu Tingwan.

Wei Zhao looked listless.

After a pause, he reluctantly hung it back.

Seeing this, Li Lian’s eyes widened.

But then she heard the young woman’s calm voice.

“Auntie, I haven’t lost my mind. I’m clearer than anyone about this.”

*

Though Yu Tingwan wasn’t allowed to work, she couldn’t stay idle, and seeing Wei Zhao doing nothing, she had him help paste wedding decorations.

Wei Zhao wasn’t keen on it, but Yu Tingwan divided them in half and handed them to him.

The young girl’s eyes were clear, without any hint of coquettishness, as she looked up at him.

“My mother told me before she passed that when you get married, you must paste these. The more you paste inside the house, the smoother your life will be. When my father married her, if not for their small house, he would have bought all the wedding decorations from the store.”

“They were famously loving and never quarreled.”

“My father bought the red paper, but I cut ours myself.”

She nodded with absolute certainty. “We’ll surely be even more loving than them.”

Wei Zhao: …

Someone like him, born in sin, destined to carry guilt, trapped at every step..

He didn’t want love, he just wanted to die.

Yet with everyone watching, he couldn’t even die when he wanted to.

Yu Tingwan pasted the wedding characters meticulously, working slowly, afraid of making them crooked.

She was beautiful, with red lips and white teeth, not looking like a country-raised girl at all.

Her temperament could be called both good and bad.

At this moment, she turned to glare at the motionless Wei Zhao.

“Why are you so slow? Can’t you go faster? Don’t hold me back.”

Wei Zhao: …

Hmph.

How dare she urge him when she was being so slow herself?

*

By dusk, the Wei household had become lively. Yu Tingwan returned to her old house.

Without a bronze mirror, she simply arranged her hair in a simple bun. She sat in the room counting time, waiting for firecrackers from next door to welcome the bride.

Having no experience with weddings, Yu Tingwan was a bit nervous. Just as she was about to change into her wedding clothes, Aunt Wu arrived carrying various packages.

Having rushed over, she was slightly out of breath.

“Good thing I made it. Auntie will help you with your makeup.”

“This sort of thing shouldn’t fall to me, but we can’t count on your aunt.”

She opened her bundle, which contained eyebrow pencils and lip rouge.

“Xiufen’s third brother just got married, and his new wife wore rouge when she married in. I shamelessly went over and borrowed these things.”

How could they refuse when they heard it was for Yu Tingwan?

Yu Tingwan looked over curiously.

Aunt Wu continued, “You’re already pretty, but with some makeup you’ll be even more stunning. When Wei Zhao sees you, he’ll surely dote on you at night.”

She regretted her words as soon as she said them – what could Wei Zhao do in his condition? Her words had surely spoiled the mood.

But Yu Tingwan nodded shamelessly, thinking Aunt Wu was absolutely right!

After applying makeup and changing into wedding clothes, it wasn’t long before there was commotion outside, followed by the crackling of firecrackers.

The aged voice of Wei family’s grand uncle came from outside. “Ah Lang, go quickly to escort your bride out.”

Wei Zhao, sickly as ever, was surrounded by people as he came to the door.

This was his first time coming next door.

The old house looked particularly dilapidated, but had gained some vitality since Yu Tingwan started living there.

Wei Zhao tugged at his slightly old wedding clothes, as if he hadn’t heard, and began undoing the buttons.

It was Wei Shouzhong who, despite his cold stare, had changed him into these clothes.

Wei Zhao was very dissatisfied.

Earlier, Hui Niang had said they could alter them if they didn’t fit, but the sleeves and trouser legs were far too short to fix.

Seeing him like this, the Wei family’s grand uncle was very troubled.

Yet on this joyous day he couldn’t scold him, and with his illness, he couldn’t beat him either.

Hearing the commotion, Yu Tingwan rushed to open the door, moving so quickly that Aunt Wu couldn’t hold her back.

She became anxious.

“Ah, the veil! You forgot the veil.”

The groom was supposed to make several requests before the bride emerged, maintaining her dignity and shyness!

With a creak, the door was opened from inside. The made-up young woman, beautiful as a peach blossom, appeared before everyone.

Wei Zhao remained listless, giving her a weak glance before lowering his head to continue unbuttoning.

Yu Tingwan stepped forward, brushing away Wei Zhao’s hands and carefully refastening the three buttons he had undone.

“So many people are watching, don’t do this outside.”

Wei Zhao let it go in one ear and out the other.

Yu Tingwan leaned in and whispered to him, “Don’t be impatient, be a bit reserved. If you want to take it off, wait until we’re back in our room with the door closed, then we can take our time.”

Sister Wan only knows how to be direct!