My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 24

Chapter 24: Wedding Preparations

Thanks to the Song family this time, otherwise they would have had to endure the rain, cold, and hardship for much longer. After Xu Zhizhou had washed the clothes, it was still raining, and the sky was gloomy. He took a cloth towel to dry his hair.

Cao Qin: “You don’t have to do anything else today. Just rest well.”

Xu Zhizhou went to his elder brother’s room. Xu Zhici had already dried his hair and let it hang down his back. It seemed that his elder brother was also tired and wanted to take a nap.

The sky was dim. Doing needlework now would strain their eyes, so it was better to sleep first and think about other things later.

Xu Zhizhou kicked off his shoes and lay down with Xu Zhici. Xu Zhici was both amused and helpless, and gave him half of the quilt.

“Elder Brother, I think Song Changxu is a good person,” Xu Zhizhou said after holding it in for a long time.

Xu Zhici said, “I don’t know him very well yet, but based on his actions so far, I also think he’s not bad.”

Xu Zhizhou knew that his elder brother was a cautious person. He was only muddle-headed when it came to Xie Huaichuan.

He hugged his elder brother and slept.

After the downpour, the weather was cool. Many fish had been washed ashore by the waves. The dead fish and shrimp were collected to feed the livestock, while the live ones could be taken back for a good meal.

The people of Qishan Village had collected all the fish and shrimp from the shore. The small paths were still watery, and one’s shoes would sink in with a single step. The village roads were all mud paths. They would only be easy to walk on after the sun had dried the mud.

Xia Ya went to find Xu Cheng to play. They went to the river and collected some small shrimp, which could be used to make soup.

Xu Cheng held his small fish basket, which was filled with many small shrimp. He laughed happily. Old Madam Xu had come to the river with her son’s husband to collect fish and shrimp. Seeing Xu Cheng, she waited for him to come and call her “Grandma,” but as soon as Xu Cheng saw her, he was like a mouse seeing a cat and ran off with Xia Ya.

Xu Cheng knew that his father and his other father had separated. He had gone back to his maternal grandparents’ house with his other father, and his life was very good. His grandmother was not good to him, and he didn’t want to have any contact with the Xu family.

Xia Ya hadn’t seen Old Madam Xu. When Xu Cheng said he was going up the mountain to pick fruits, she ran off with him.

Xu Cheng took out two pieces of pastry from his pocket and handed one to Xia Ya.

“Cheng Ge’er, did you buy this pastry? It’s so delicious.”

Xu Cheng licked the crumbs from his hands. “My uncle bought it.”

Xia Ya bit into the pastry reluctantly. “The pastries from outside are so delicious.”

Xu Cheng picked some fruits and soapberries to take back. In the summer, the weather was hot, and they used a lot of soapberries. Back at home, Xu Cheng scratched his head and went to find Song Mingyan.

“Father, I want to wash my hair.”

Song Mingyan had just finished tidying up the storage room.

“I just boiled a pot of hot water this morning. Go and move the long bench to the courtyard, and I’ll wash your hair for you.”

Xu Cheng went to move the long bench.

Xu Cheng was still young, and Song Mingyan didn’t feel at ease letting him wash his hair by himself. As an adult, he mixed the hot water until it was warm, squeezed some soapberries onto Xu Cheng’s head, and rubbed it for him.

“It feels so good when you wash my hair, Father,” Xu Cheng said, feeling so comfortable that he wanted to sleep. The soapberries had a fresh fragrance, which was also pleasant.

Song Mingyan smiled. “I’m going to rinse your hair now.”

Xu Cheng nodded.

The mountains were empty and resonant, the river water was white, and a cuckoo stood on a branch and called out a few times.

Song Changxu was listening to a lecture in Lingshui Village. This time, due to the downpour, not a single disciple had come. The rain was too heavy. He had gotten a pair of shoes wet on his way to class today. Fortunately, he had put a pair of shoes in his book box and had changed when he reached the courtyard.

There was still muddy water in Scholar Li’s courtyard.

“He who governs a large state and is concerned with its wealth must be a petty man. If he is considered good, and a petty man is employed to govern the state, calamities and disasters will arrive together…” [1]

Song Changxu wrote down his understanding and marked it on the side. Studying here made him feel exceptionally calm. At noon, he ate the food he had brought, which was stir-fried potato shreds with green peppers and meat, and spicy dried radish, which was very delicious.

The people of Lingshui Village knew that Scholar Li had opened a private school in the village and was accepting students, but most of them were farmers and just watched the excitement. Three taels of silver a year was too expensive, and with the cost of brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, it was not worth it.

They just watched the excitement. They recognized several of the dozen or so students.

Song Changxu had finished the water in his flask. He went to the kitchen to find the teacher’s wife to get some more. When he returned to his seat, Lin Pu was lying on the table, listless. He opened his eyes, glanced at Song Changxu, and grabbed his arm.

“Brother Song, how are you so energetic?”

Song Changxu took a sip of water and said thoughtfully, “If you go to bed early and wake up early, you’ll be energetic.”

Lin Pu covered his head and didn’t want to talk to him.

After class, Song Changxu was packing his book box when Feng Xin’ou came to talk to him. They chatted about their studies on the way. Lin Pu had become familiar with Feng Xin’ou and could also say a few words.

Lin Pu’s marriage was already settled. Taking advantage of his familiarity with Feng Xin’ou, he asked, “Is Brother Feng engaged?”

Feng Xin’ou paused. “I’ve been married for a long time.”

Song Changxu was a bit surprised. Others were not familiar with Feng Xin’ou, and Scholar Li valued him, so they all thought he was going to be the prized son-in-law.

Lin Pu: “When?”

Feng Xin’ou: “I married my husband when I was twenty-one. At that time, I hadn’t come to Lingshui Village to study yet.”

He explained with some helplessness that he and his husband had been introduced by a matchmaker. His husband was from Shuibo Town.

Lin Pu hadn’t expected it at all. After the three of them separated, Song Changxu had originally wanted to ask Feng Xin’ou how he usually got along with his husband, but he felt it would be embarrassing and gave up.

Life should just be lived that way.

A simple and plain life, supporting each other. Song Changxu thought of Xu Zhizhou’s personality and felt that their life would not be so peaceful. In the deep shade of the trees, he discovered a hint of purple. The shape looked a bit like grapes.

Could it be wild grapes?

There was no path here, just a steep slope. It wasn’t very high, and if he fell, he would only fall into the river. He put down his book box, climbed up, and saw that it was indeed grapes. There was also a peach tree next to it.

Song Changxu first picked five bunches of grapes, then climbed up to pick peaches. The branches were strong enough to support him. He picked seven or eight peaches and slowly climbed down. By the end of it, his face was covered in sweat.

He put the grapes and peaches in his book box and went to the river to wash his face. He memorized this place so that he could bring someone over to pick grapes and peaches together tomorrow.

He had just put on his book box and hadn’t reached the village yet when he saw Xu Zhizhou coming back from outside with a hoe. This time, Xu Zhizhou didn’t intend to give him the work, because it was already done.

“Did you run into a peddler on your way back?”

Song Changxu: “No.”

Xu Zhizhou was a bit disappointed, as he wanted to eat a sugar figure.

Song Changxu looked at him and said, “Why are you outside the village?”

“We have a piece of land just outside the village. I went to loosen the soil today.”

There were fine beads of sweat on Xu Zhizhou’s face, but he was still very fair.

“I picked some wild grapes and peaches. Do you want some?” Song Changxu asked, his heart stirring when he thought of him asking about the peddler.

“Hurry and take them out,” Xu Zhizhou’s eyes lit up, and he urged him.

Song Changxu opened his book box. Xu Zhizhou took them without ceremony, found a small stream, and ate the grapes as he walked, also giving the hoe to Song Changxu to carry for him.

He said happily, “I’m so lucky.”

Song Changxu: “…”

He shouldn’t have spoken.

Xu Zhizhou put a grape to Song Changxu’s mouth, because both of his hands were full, and he didn’t have a free hand to take it.

The grape touched his lips, and Song Changxu’s lips pursed.

Xu Zhizhou held it there, not letting go. His smiling expression was tinged with a hint of shyness and annoyance. “I’m kindly feeding you a grape. Why aren’t you eating it?”

Song Changxu quickly snatched the grape and said vaguely, “I didn’t say I wouldn’t eat it.”

He hadn’t eaten grapes since he had come here. He had originally planned to take them home to eat, but now that Xu Zhizhou had fed him one, his mind had drifted elsewhere, and he had swallowed it whole without tasting it.

Xu Zhizhou’s fingertips were burning. He pretended to be nonchalant and continued to eat the grapes.

He asked, “Is your family preparing for the wedding?”

“Everything is ready.”

Xu Zhizhou finished the grapes, took back the hoe, and felt a bit happy and a bit embarrassed.

“We shouldn’t walk together. If people see us, what will happen to our reputations?” Xu Zhizhou said and walked ahead of him.

Song Changxu looked at his back. He seemed happier than before?

When he got home, Song Mingyan was making shoe soles. He took out the grapes and peaches from his book box. “Elder Brother, I saw a place with wild grapes and peaches on the road today and picked some.”

Grapes and peaches were both expensive. He hadn’t expected to find wild ones. Hearing this, Song Mingyan’s face lit up with surprise.

Song Changxu washed the grapes, cut two peaches, and put them on the table. “Elder Brother, eat.”

Song Mingyan ate the grapes, spat out the pits, and felt very happy. He took out one tael of silver from his purse.

“This is your share. You’re getting married soon, and the house needs to be cleaned, so I haven’t set up the stall these past few days.”

“I’ll help with the cleaning too,” Song Changxu said. The thought of getting married made his heart prickle, as if he had been scratched by a kitten.

Song Mingyan smiled, pursing his lips. “I’ve already cleaned the house. You just need to clean your own room.”

He wouldn’t casually enter Song Changxu’s room. After all, he was a man, and a scholar. Song Mingyan was afraid of breaking his things.

The previous Song Changxu didn’t like his family to enter his room casually. After he had thrown a few tantrums, they had stopped going in.

Song Changxu took a wooden bucket and a broom to clean his room. His room was large, but it looked empty. Only the desk and chairs in the middle were conspicuous. He focused on sweeping the dust from under the bed and knocking down the cobwebs on the walls.

He sorted out the used paper. The ones he didn’t need were taken to the kitchen to be used as kindling. He wiped the cabinets and put the clothes he couldn’t wear in the cabinet under the bed. They could be taken apart to make purses and shoes later. After this round of tidying up, Song Changxu felt a bit restless.

He wrung out a cloth and wiped the wardrobe, dressing table, and desk until they were spotless.

It seemed that he was really getting married.

Song Changxu sat on the bed after he was done. When he saw the dressing table, his eyes flashed with alarm, and he couldn’t look at it again.

.

Liang Su went to ask her sister-in-law to help with the cooking, as well as other familiar people. They all readily agreed.

Someone smiled and teased, “Your Changxu is a young man now. It’s time for him to start a family. As the saying goes, start a family and establish a career. You have to start a family first before you can achieve a good reputation.”

These were good words. Liang Su felt comfortable hearing them. She said, “The two families have already decided. We’re just waiting for the wedding. All that’s left is the feast, and for the villagers to come and liven things up.”

“It should be a lively occasion. A wedding is a major event. We’re waiting to come and drink the wedding wine.”

Liang Su chatted with them for a few more words. Her sister-in-law held her hand and said, “See if there’s anything else you need help with for Changxu’s wedding. Let Feng-zi help. He’s a cousin, after all. He can’t just be fooling around in the village with people.”

“Sister-in-law, with you saying that, I’ll still need Feng-zi to help me greet the guests and shout a few times.”

Back at home, tonight they were having tofu and cabbage soup, potato slices, and a plate of stir-fried green beans.

Liang Su told the family about the arrangements. “I’ve already talked to them. In three days, we’ll borrow an ox-cart and go to town to buy the meat, wedding cakes, and other things.”

“Alright, I’ll go and borrow the ox-cart,” Song Ye said.

Song Changxu lowered his head and ate the green beans. Xu Cheng, hearing this, understood what was going on. It seemed that a new uncle-in-law was coming to the family.

Song Mingyan and Liang Su talked about family matters as they washed the dishes, looking very cheerful.

At night, the wind was gentle and the air was clear. Every family was cooling off in their courtyards.

A few days ago, a few packages of pastries had appeared in the family’s cabinet. Cao Qin hadn’t said anything, but Xu Sunzheng had secretly eaten Xu Zhizhou’s pastries.

Today, he had brought back grapes and peaches.

Grapes and peaches were not cheap.

Cao Qin went to ask Xu Zhizhou, “You didn’t ask for them, did you?”

This time, Xu Zhizhou was truly wronged. “I ran into Song Changxu on the road. He said he had found a place with wild grapes and peaches, and he gave them to me.”

Cao Qin was relieved.

“You’re not married yet. You can’t just ask for this and that.”

Xu Zhizhou: “I know.”

After they were married, he would want many, many more things. Xu Sunzheng took a few grapes and ate them. The flesh was plump.

Xu Zhizhou took a few and gave them to Xu Zhici. “Elder Brother, hurry and eat. There’s still another bunch. We’ll wash it later and continue to eat. They’re delicious when freshly picked. They won’t be as good if they’re left for too long.”

Cao Qin fed the chickens and ducks and herded them into their coop, then ate a few.

Cao Qin thought that the Song family was indeed a good family. It seemed that Song Changxu also had feelings for Zhizhou. It wouldn’t be difficult for the two children to live together.

In the future, after Song Changxu finished his studies, he could be an accountant in town and take Zhizhou to live there. That would be a very good life.

An accountant earned two taels of silver a month, which was twenty-four taels a year. Their family didn’t even have twenty-four taels a year.

Xu Zhizhou took a piece of peach and ate it, enjoying the evening breeze without a care in the world.

Xu Zhici took a bite and smiled.

In the evening, the birds stood on the branches and chirped. Someone in the village was brewing tea, and the fragrance of barley tea wafted through the air. From another house came the smell of burning mugwort.

Author’s Note:

Little Song: I’m going to be a married man. [Crying]

Little Xu: Hmph. [Eating melon]