Chapter 113

Chapter 113

"Old Ge, slow down!"

Liang Zhong urged his horse to keep up, his injuries still not fully healed, and he didn't want them to reopen on this journey.

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt anymore," Ge Changbao said with a smile, his horse galloping swiftly.

After nearly forty miles, the horses couldn't take it anymore, snorting and needing a rest. Reluctantly, Ge Changbao pulled the reins and stopped by the roadside.

"Whoa~~~" Liang Zhong also pulled the reins, dismounting breathlessly, "Why are you in such a hurry? It's not like anyone will run away if we return a day later."

Ge Changbao scratched his head and laughed foolishly, eager to see his husband-to-be, wishing he could fly back home.

"Let me check your shoulder wound."

"It's really fine."

Liang Zhong lifted his cotton jacket and saw some blood seeping through the bandage, "You're just being stubborn. What if your wound gets infected?"

"It's fine, I have alcohol."

"That's not a cure-all. Besides, it hurts every time you use it. Let's ride slowly; we'll definitely make it before the city gates close tomorrow."

Ge Changbao stopped being stubborn and nodded in agreement.

The injury on his back was from a recent battle when he led troops to reclaim lost territory. During the attack on the city, he fought against the barbarians. An enemy had ambushed his horse, causing it to rear up and throw him off. He then took a blow to the shoulder. If the blade had been an inch off, it would have cut his neck.

Fortunately, he was quick and dodged the second ambush, using all his strength to slay the enemy.

The wound was deep, about two inches, and the flesh had torn, which is why it hadn't healed properly.

He had played a crucial role in the battle, and the prince, upon learning of his upcoming marriage, bestowed him with many gold and jade artifacts and promised a promotion to the rank of Fifth-Class Cavalry General next year.

Liang Zhong was genuinely happy for his brother-in-arms.

Because they were in a hurry, the two of them did not return with the main army. The relief troops, led by a deputy general, were still on their way to Songgao County.

After feeding the horses, they built a fire, heated a pot of strong liquor, and ate dry flatbread.

Liang Zhong teased, "What kind of love potion did Lu Jiaowu give you to make you so infatuated? The girls I introduced you to weren't bad either, but you didn't fancy any of them."

Ge Changbao blushed slightly, "I don't know, but I'm just happy when I see him."

"Alright, you two must have hit it off. Have you set a wedding date yet?"

"Not yet. When I left, I only said I'd marry him when I returned. This time, I need to tidy up the house and prepare everything before I can propose formally."

"You've got your work cut out for you. If you need help, just ask me."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely need your help."

They looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

*

Meanwhile, Lu Yao had already prepared everything for his younger brother's wedding. In addition to the items they had already prepared, he made a redwood bed frame and a set of table and chairs. These items would be impressive even for a wealthy family's daughter's dowry.

In the evening, Lu Miao secretly called Lu Yao to his room.

"What's up? Being so mysterious."

Lu Miao closed the door and quietly took out three hundred taels of silver, "Third Brother, take this money."

"Why are you giving me money?"

"Come on, just take it. I can't spend all your money when I get married."

"Oh, you're already acting like a stranger before the wedding. You're willing to spend your Ge Captain's money but not your brother's?"

Lu Miao blushed, "No, you earn money to support the whole family..."

Lu Yao smiled and put the money back, "I have enough money. Keep it for yourself. You'll need it after you get married. Don't be wasteful."

"Okay."

Lu Yao patted his head and suddenly noticed that Lu Miao had grown taller than him over the years.

When they first met, Lu Miao was only as tall as his shoulder. Over the years, he had worked hard, moving from the village to the town and then to Prefecture City. Now, he was finally getting married.

"Get some rest. Ge Captain might return tomorrow."

"Okay."

To Lu Yao's surprise, his casual remark turned out to be true.

The next afternoon, while the tavern was busy, two military officers suddenly appeared at the door.

Ge Changbao hadn't changed his clothes, wearing the cotton jacket Lu Miao had given him despite the hot weather. The hurried journey had left him dirty and disheveled.

Before entering the city, he was anxious, but once inside, he started to hesitate.

"Liang, isn't my beard too long? Should I go back and shave it off?"

"No need, no need. You look perfect this way."

Ge Changbao sniffed himself, "I haven't bathed for days. I must smell terrible. Maybe I should go back and clean up first."

Seeing his nervousness, Liang Zhong dragged him over, "You never acted like this on the battlefield. Now that you're finally back, you're afraid to meet your fiancé? Come on, I'll go with you!"

A waiter escorted them to the main hall. With many customers ordering dishes, they were a bit overwhelmed and served the two men a pot of barley tea to wait.

After waiting for about fifteen minutes, Lu Miao hurried over, "What would the two gentlemen like to eat?"

The two men didn't respond, just stared at him intently.

Lu Miao frowned slightly, looked down, and froze instantly, dropping the menu and charcoal pencil on the ground.

Ge Changbao quickly bent down to pick them up, "Lu Miao, I'm back."

Lu Miao let out a loud cry, startling everyone nearby. The waiter thought he was being bullied and rushed to call the innkeeper over.

Lu Yao hurried to the front hall, saw Ge Changbao and Liang Zhong, and walked up excitedly, "You're back! It must have been a tough journey. Sit down, I'll have Da Chuan prepare some good dishes for you!"

"Thank you, Third Brother."

Lu Yao pulled his brother aside, "Why are you crying even though you're back?"

"I, I'm just so happy."

"This silly child, you scared our Captain Ge. Go ask your brother-in-law for a few dishes and bring them over later."

"Okay." Lu Miao wiped his face sheepishly and ran to the kitchen to order four dishes.

Shortly after, he brought the dishes to the front hall. When their eyes met with Ge Changbao's, they saw deep affection in each other's eyes.

Liang Zhong, sitting beside them, couldn't bear to watch. His brothers were like an old house on fire, beyond saving.

They ate for two hours before finally finishing. As they left, they were still reluctant to part. If it weren't for the approaching darkness, Ge Changbao wouldn't have wanted to go.

Liang Zhong dragged him away, "If you miss him so much, hurry back and start preparing for the wedding. Set a date and get married as soon as possible."

This woke Ge Changbao from his daze, and he quickly got up to say goodbye, returning to prepare for the wedding.

*

Sometimes watching people fall in love is quite amusing. These days, Lu Yao noticed that his brother often smiled to himself and occasionally wrote a few sappy lines. Though his handwriting was terrible, he carefully kept them to give to his beloved.

Peeling garlic, Lu Yao nudged his husband with his elbow, "Hey, why didn't we feel this way when we were together?"

Zhao Beichuan glanced at him, "Back then, you were always acting lewd."

"Was I? Don't slander me."

Zhao Beichuan chuckled softly, "Remember the year we built our house? When I was tamping the earth bricks, you stood there with your eyes almost popping out."

Lu Yao recalled the scene and felt his ears turn red, "Oh, stop exaggerating. I never did that."

"You also used to sneak your hand into my bed at night."

Lu Yao's face turned bright red, and he covered Zhao Beichuan's mouth, "Alright, stop talking."

Zhao Beichuan smiled warmly at his husband. Back then, he had his own tricks too, often walking around shirtless in front of Lu Yao, stirring up their passions every day.

Lu Miao and Captain Ge's wedding was set for April 28th, as May was considered an inauspicious month for weddings in ancient times.

With less than a month until the wedding, Ge Changbao called in about thirty soldiers from the barracks to help clean and renovate the house. They replaced the old doors and windows and relaid the tiles in the courtyard.

When the tavern wasn't busy, Zhao Beichuan and Lu Yao also went to help.

The Ge family lived in the northwest corner of Changrong Street, in a two-courtyard house. Most of the residents in this area were military officers, and Liang Zhong's house was just across the alley.

The house was bought by Ge Changbao two years ago. He had sold the old house after his parents passed away, as no one could take care of it while he was in the army, and it would have been taken over by his relatives.

Now, there was only a cook and two guards living in the house.

With the wedding approaching, another cook and two maids were added to the household to take care of Lu Miao's daily needs.

The furniture was newly purchased, as there wasn't enough time to have it custom-made.

It was all made of good wood, but the only downside was that it wasn't a matching set. High-ranking families might not want it, but they, being poor soldiers, didn't mind such details.

Ge Changbao had no proper elders in his family, so he asked Liang Zhong's wife to help with the preparations. She was a quick-tempered woman who spoke and acted efficiently without being annoying. Lu Yao had interacted with her twice, and they became good friends.

On April 20th, the engagement gifts were delivered. Ge Changbao gave everything the prince had bestowed upon him to Lu Miao.

There were a hundred taels of gold, and the silver and jade items were even more numerous.

Lu Lin had never seen such a grand display and didn't know what to do.

Lu Yao took charge, packing everything away and planning to return it on the wedding day.

As the wedding day approached, Lu Miao grew increasingly nervous. In the past few days, he had been asking about the preparations, and recently, he had locked himself in his room, fussing over his wedding clothes.

After lunch, Lu Yun chatted with him, "Fifth Brother, the wedding is coming up. Why do you look unhappy?"

"I'm not unhappy," Lu Miao put down his needlework, "I just feel suffocated. The thought of moving to someone else's house after the wedding makes me feel like I can't breathe."

Lu Yun put an arm around his shoulder, "Everyone goes through this. You can't stay with your mother forever, can you?"

Lu Miao's eyes welled up, "Brother, I'm scared... I don't want to get married."

"Do you no longer like Captain Ge?"

"I still like him, but... but I don't want to leave you all."

"You'll still be in Prefecture City, and no one will lock you up. You can visit us anytime."

Lu Miao thought about it and nodded.

Lu Yun patted his hand, "Every girl and boy has this day. We'll be relieved if you marry well. Captain Ge is a reliable person. Don't worry so much."

"Okay."

*

On April 27th, Lu Yao closed the tavern.

Tomorrow was his younger brother's wedding day, and the whole family came over to help.

On Changshui Street, Lu Lin and Wang Youtian were hanging red silk, and Zhao Beichuan hurried over to lend a hand. Lu Yao went inside to help the sisters-in-law cut red paper, which would later be pasted on the dowry boxes.

The dowry items were displayed in the courtyard, and just looking at them brought joy.

"Is everything prepared?"

Lu Yun said, "It's all ready. They said they'll come to fetch the bride at dawn tomorrow, leaving from the alley and passing through Changxing Street before turning into Changrong Street."

"That's good. Are we all going together?"

Hu Chunrong said, "You two families can go, but I won't. I'm pregnant and don't want to jinx the newlyweds."

"Alright, I'll take Little Stone to play then."

Little Stone, hearing this, ran over and hugged Lu Yao's waist, "Thank you, Uncle Three."

Hu Chunrong couldn't help but laugh, "I just said he should stay home, but he insisted on following Lu Yun. I was worried Lu Yun wouldn't be able to look after two kids alone, but it's perfect that you're taking him."

Little Stone grinned with a mouth full of white teeth, "Uncle Three is the best!"

Lu Yun pretended to pinch him, "Ungrateful brat, isn't Uncle Four good too?"

"Uncle Four is good, and Uncle Five is good too! You're all good!"

Everyone burst into laughter, finding the child's words amusing.

In the evening, everyone prepared things in the east room, sending Lu Miao to sleep in the west room. He had a busy day ahead, and without some rest, he wouldn't last.

Lu Miao agreed but couldn't fall asleep in the west room. He tossed and turned, eventually getting up quietly to read the letters Captain Ge had written him. His cheeks flushed as he read, growing more excited about his married life to come.

He finally fell asleep just before midnight. It felt like he had just closed his eyes when he was woken up and started putting on his wedding clothes.

The groom's attire was different from a woman's, similar to what the bridegroom wore—a bright red robe.

After dressing, he began to comb his hair, which Lu Yun did for him, tying it back with a silver hairpin.

Even after getting ready, Lu Miao was still drowsy.

Someone outside shouted, "Hurry up, the wedding procession has reached Changshui Street!"

Lu Yao quickly put shoes on Lu Miao, covered his head with a veil, and led him to the main hall.

"Bang!" Firecrackers suddenly went off, startling Lu Miao awake. Seeing the red cloth in front of him and his brothers supporting him, he realized it was his wedding day!

Captain Ge specially called over a hundred soldiers for the wedding, making the procession quite impressive.

Zhao Beichuan, Lu Lin, and Wang Youtian were responsible for blocking the door. To pass, one had to win an arm-wrestling match against Zhao Beichuan.

Captain Ge broke out in a sweat upon hearing this. This was no easy task! Sitting on a stool, he gripped Zhao Beichuan's hand, his face showing distress, "Brother-in-law, you have to let me win."

Zhao Beichuan grinned, "Don't worry."

The centurions in the back, enjoying the spectacle, cheered, "Captain, use some strength, bring your wife home quickly!"

Captain Ge waved them off, "You little rascals, stand aside. It's not you who are arm-wrestling."

Everyone laughed.

The match began, and Captain Ge immediately used all his strength, but could only hold his ground, while Zhao Beichuan didn't even change expression.

"Who will have the final say at home?"

"Of course, it's Lu Miao."

"Who will manage the money?"

"Lu Miao!"

"Who will apologize first when there's a quarrel?"

"I... I will!" Captain Ge was already struggling, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Zhao Beichuan said, "Remember what you said today." Then he released his grip, and Captain Ge pushed him down, tears of excitement welling up in his eyes. Leading his soldiers like they were storming a city, he rushed into the house.

Seeing the veiled groom, he picked him up without a word and ran outside.

"Hey!" Lu Miao was scared stiff, lifting the corner of the veil to see Captain Ge in his red robes, blushing as he wrapped his arms around his neck.

That day, the young Lu Miao became the husband of the Ge family.

*

After the wedding, Lu Miao continued to help at the tavern during the day, and Captain Ge would ride his horse to pick him up in the evening. Life went on much as before.

As May arrived, the weather grew hotter each day.

Lu Yao taught Lu Lin and the others how to make cold noodles, and business at the eatery became busier.

The tavern's business continued as usual, with several new seasonal dishes added to the menu. In the hot weather, cold dishes like cucumber salad and pig ear salad were particularly popular.

Lu Yao also added chilled plum juice to the dining hall, allowing guests to drink freely.

Today, he greeted two fair-haired Persian merchants, a rare sight in Ping Prefecture. Lu Yao approached them for a chat.

These two spoke Chinese well and had been trading with Wu Dynasty for over ten years, leading a group of over forty people.

They had set out from Persia, circumnavigated Tukharistan, entered the Western Regions, passed through Loulan, Yangguan, and Dunhuang, then switched to a water route from Lanzhou, finally reaching Shang Jing. The journey took nearly a year.

"It’s a pity that we offended the guild as soon as we arrived in Shang Jing and were driven out of the city. We had to travel around selling our goods, but we’ve sold most of them. In about half a month, we should be heading back."

Lu Yao admired them greatly; in ancient times, with inconvenient transportation and no navigation, they dared to travel such a long distance.

"I wonder what goods you still have? Could I join you to take a look after dinner?"

"Of course!" The two men were delighted. After finishing their meal, Lu Yao called Zhao Beichuan and went to the neighboring inn together.

The inn was full due to the arrival of this Persian merchant team. They brought over thirty camels, and most of their goods had already been sold. What remained were mostly expensive and hard-to-sell items.

There were brightly colored wool carpets, a small piece of which cost thirty taels of silver. Lu Yao couldn’t bear to buy it.

There were also various gems, which were extremely precious in the future and were quite expensive even now. Lu Yao spent forty taels of silver on two ruby-sized red gems and a decent-quality aquamarine.

Apart from these, Lu Yao discovered cumin! This was the soul of barbecues!

"How much do you sell this spice for?"

The two Persian merchants were shrewd. As soon as they saw Lu Yao’s interest in the cumin, they raised the price sky-high. "This is a rare spice from our region, and we don’t have much. It costs at least three hundred coins per tael."

Lu Yao frowned. At such a high price, he wouldn’t make a profit if he used it in his barbecue. He shook his head and decided against it.

The other merchant said, "We can also trade for wine. One jar of your family’s Lu Wine can be exchanged for ten pounds of cumin."

The tavern used small jars, each containing about five pounds of wine. This was acceptable, so Lu Yao directly traded for fifty pounds of cumin.

Zhao Beichuan didn’t know what use he had for so much spice. Its strong smell might be hard for diners to accept.

Lu Yao smiled mysteriously, "I have a great use for this. Just wait and see!"

He kept two pounds of cumin as seeds and ground the rest into powder, sealing it in jars. This cumin powder would last at least a year.

Grilling meat has existed since ancient times, but most taverns and restaurants today don’t offer this style of eating.

Lu Yao remembered how a small city became famous because of its barbecue in his previous life. Perhaps he could draw some inspiration from that experience!