Chapter 50: Farewell

Chapter 50: Farewell

The groom had been welcomed back, and the wedding was about to officially begin. Most villagers, hearing the commotion, put down their work, locked their courtyard gates, and went to Yun Ting's house to witness the ceremony and soak in the festive atmosphere.

A red cloth was hung on the latch of Yun Ting's gate, and the courtyard and the path in front of the house were meticulously cleaned. Even the usual potholes on the village road were filled in, showing that despite their poverty, they had spared no effort to make this wedding as perfect as possible.

When Qiu Huanian's family arrived, the groom had already stepped out of the bridal sedan and was surrounded by a group of children clamoring for wedding candies. His face was still covered by the red veil, so his expression was unclear, but his nervousness was evident in his body language.

Yun Ting, with a large red cloth flower pinned to his chest, took a small basket adorned with the character for "double happiness" and squeezed through the crowd to hand it to his new husband. Since the groom couldn't see, Yun Ting had to guide his hand to the basket's handle.

As soon as their hands touched, the adults around them started teasing, and the children, though not understanding why, clapped and laughed along. Yun Ting, without a veil to hide his face, turned bright red, his tall and burly frame betraying his embarrassment.

Just as he was at a loss, someone tugged at his belt. Turning around, he saw his new husband lifting the basket slightly. Understanding the hint, Yun Ting quickly joined in distributing the wedding candies to silence the onlookers.

The candies were Sorghum Candies bought from Qiu Huanian. Out of respect for Yun Ting, Qiu Huanian had only charged the wholesale price. Yun Ting's family had spent fifty coins to buy a hundred pieces of Sorghum Candy, which they then cut into four smaller pieces each, about the size of a broad bean, and filled the small baskets covered with red cloth and adorned with the character for "double happiness."

Standing in the middle of the courtyard, the newlyweds handed out the candies, and everyone crowded around to get their share. The children eagerly stuffed the candies into their mouths, while some adults ate theirs or passed them to their children.

Qiu Huanian also pulled Du Yunse along to get some candy. Some people, seeing him, teased, "Brother Hua, didn't you make these candies yourself? Why are you here asking for them?"

"These are wedding candies, not ordinary candies," Qiu Huanian replied with a smile, extending his hand. "I want the groom to give them to me personally."

Hearing the conversation outside, the groom, still under the red veil, realized that the person standing before him was Qiu Huanian.

Though he was also from Shangliang Village, his family had been at odds with the Qiu family, so he hadn't been close to Qiu Huanian as a child. His deepest impression of Qiu Huanian was from half a year ago, during the dramatic grave-moving incident, and the fate of Qiu Fu and others, whose whereabouts were still unknown.

Some in Shangliang Village praised Qiu Huanian for his strength, while others muttered about his ruthlessness and unorthodox ways, calling him a bad seed. The groom nervously gripped the basket, and it was only after Yun Ting patted him that he quickly handed over a piece of candy.

The skin his fingertips touched was warm and soft, and the clear, pleasant voice laughed, "Finally got some candy. Wishing you both a loving and harmonious marriage, a hundred years of happiness."

For some reason, the groom suddenly felt relieved and leaned slightly against the tall, sturdy man beside him, feeling a sweet warmth in his heart.

After the ceremony, the feast, and some more festivities, the villagers gradually left Yun Ting's house. The groom had already entered the bridal chamber, and Yun Ting was pushed in by his brothers amidst cheers. The rest of the time belonged to the newlyweds, and everyone tactfully refrained from disturbing them.

The joyous wedding briefly lifted the dark cloud hanging over Du Village, but the looming corvée labor was still unavoidable. Three days after Yun Ting's wedding, it was time for the laborers from Zhang County to set off.

Early in the morning, the yamen runners who had arrived the day before began counting heads at the village entrance. Almost everyone from Du Village had gathered there. No one went to till the fields, feed the livestock, or sweep the courtyards. Everyone's hearts were with their fellow villagers who were about to embark on a long journey.

This time, twenty-eight people from Du Village were going to serve in the corvée labor, including Bao Yi and Yun Lei. Bao Yi stood in the crowd with a bundle of dry rations and spare clothes on his back, watching his tearful wife and children, his fists clenching and unclenching.

After speaking with the yamen runners, the clan leader turned and saw his second son, feeling a pang of sorrow. If Bao Yi didn't return, he might end up burying his own child. He couldn't bear to lose any of his three sons, but if he had to choose, he would have to let one go.

The clan leader had been blessed with many children—three sons and two daughters—but his sons' fortunes with offspring were thin. His eldest son, as the firstborn, had only one son so far. His second son had been married for years without his wife conceiving, and when she finally did, it was a girl. After that, there was no news for six or seven years until they finally had a son three years ago, which worried the clan leader.

Only his third son and daughter-in-law had been fruitful, having three sons in a row, with another on the way. Though the clan leader didn't say it out loud, his heart leaned toward them.

The third daughter-in-law's pregnancy had been precarious, with constant nausea and frequent visits to the doctor since it was discovered. The clan leader feared that if Bao Li went, his third daughter-in-law might not fare well either. In the worst-case scenario, the three grandsons would be left without both parents, so he had to send the second son, Bao Yi, instead.

Sensing his father's gaze, Bao Yi and his father exchanged a silent look. Bao Yi chuckled nervously and walked over, saying, "Father, I'm leaving now. Take care of yourself."

"You... you be careful too. Be careful. You must come back safely. In a couple of years, Cun Lan will be ready for marriage, and you, as her father, will need to oversee and support her."

Bao Yi glanced at Cun Lan, who was clinging to Ye Taohong's waist, silently weeping, and softly replied, "Father, today might be the last time we see each other. I've never asked you for anything before, but today, in front of everyone, I have one request."

"...Go on."

"Yun Zhe wants to study, and I can't stop him, nor do I have a reason to. But my Lan Jie'er should also study. Whatever Yun Zhe has, Lan Jie'er should have too. Her marriage should be decided by Taohong alone, and she must not marry until she's eighteen."

As soon as Bao Yi finished speaking, everyone around them was stunned. Bao Li's family stared at their second brother and uncle in shock, momentarily speechless.

The clan leader was also taken aback by Bao Yi's words, "You're not asking for Yun Ying, but for Cun Lan?"

Yun Ying is Bao Yi's own son, just three years old this year, innocently chewing on his fingers while nestled in his mother Ye Taohong's arms.

Bao Yi looked at them with reluctance and shook his head, "Yun Ying is still young; who knows how many years it will be before he can read. Cun Lan is the most important. Besides... Dad, let's be honest, Yun Ying is a boy, so you'll naturally look out for him. But if I, as her father, don't plead for my Lan girl, who else can she rely on?"

"..." The clan leader was left speechless.

"Dad, I know you're afraid I might not have an heir, so you've always hoped I would have a son as soon as possible. I was also very happy when Yun Ying was born, but Cun Lan is my first child, and the only child between me and Taohong over these many years. In my heart, I favor her even more than Yun Ying."

"Dad, promise me, let me go with peace of mind."

"..." The clan leader's pale beard trembled, and after a long while, he closed his eyes and said, "Alright, alright, we'll do as you say, Bao Yi... you must also come back safely."

"...Dad!" Cun Lan finally couldn't hold back, ran over and hugged Bao Yi's leg, sobbing. Bao Yi picked her up as he did when she was a child, but quickly put her down again.

"My Lan girl has really grown up; Dad can't carry you anymore," Bao Yi said, stroking her head. "Take good care of your mother and brother, and study hard. Dad knows how capable you are, Cun Lan; you're sure to outshine everyone else!"

Cun Lan nodded through her tears, and once this started, the sorrowful emotions of the other people seeing them off became increasingly uncontrollable. Soon, the cries and shouts rose and fell, filling the sky above the village like a prelude to a dirge.

Although Bao Li's family had some objections to Cun Lan studying, under the current circumstances, no one dared to speak out against it, otherwise Bao Yi would surely fight them, and the rest of the village would drown them in their scorn.

Jiu Jiu held Qiu Huanian's hand and stood aside, watching Cun Lan bid farewell to her father, her eyes gradually reddening.

"Brother Hua," she tugged at Qiu Huanian's sleeve, and he bent down to listen to her say, "Why must they go to the frontier to serve in forced labor?"

Jiu Jiu was still young and had not experienced the turmoil of twenty or thirty years ago. Qiu Huanian patted her head and pointed to the fields outside the village where the crops were beginning to yellow, "Jiu Jiu, look over there, those are the fields we planted. We sow in spring, work hard for several months, and harvest in autumn to get the grain that fills our stomachs for a year, living a stable life."

"If the Tatars from beyond the frontier invade, ride to Zhang County, they will burn our crops, steal our grain, kill the men, and take the women and boys... At that time, everyone will die."

"So, we can only strictly guard the frontier, keep the enemy out. Whether it's the soldiers at the frontier or the laborers going to the frontier to serve, they are risking their lives to protect the Yu Dynasty, to protect their relatives and the people of the Yu Dynasty."

Jiu Jiu, with red eyes, thoughtfully whispered, "They are the great men and heroes spoken of in books."

The local authorities began to urge them; they had to reach Zhang County by noon to set off together for the frontier to serve.

The village's only three mules were brought out for the occasion, the clan leader's, Qiu Huanian's, and Yun Hu's mule carts lined up in a row, sending these twenty-eight laborers on their final journey.

Qiu Huanian stood straight, watching them go until the mule carts were no longer visible. Twenty-eight men set out, but how many would come back?

...

The village suddenly lost twenty-eight people, but life had to go on. The very next day after his wedding, Yun Ting was back at work in Qiu Huanian's house. Qiu Huanian also met his new spouse, a young man named Xia Xing, about the same age as Qiu Huanian.

Xia Xing was from Shangliang Village, but because the Xia and Qiu families had always been at odds, there was no memory of Xia Xing in the original host's mind, and Xia Xing didn't know the original host either.

As they got to know each other, Qiu Huanian noticed that Xia Xing was quite timid, with a soft and obedient personality, easily frightened. Though his features were merely delicate, they somehow stirred a protective instinct.

While Yun Ting toiled in the fields, Xia Xing would often bring him meals. Over time, he became familiar with Qiu Huanian, who heard that he could spin yarn and was eager to try using cotton as raw material after the harvest.

After waiting a few more days, early one morning, right after Qiu Huanian had finished breakfast, Yun Ting suddenly came knocking urgently, seeing Qiu Huanian and joyfully said, "Brother Hua, come quickly and see! There are several cotton bolls in the field that have burst open!"

Hearing this, everyone in the house dropped what they were doing and eagerly headed to the cotton field together.

While most of the cotton bolls in the field were still immature, a few of the quickest had turned a dry brown, split open, and exposed their white cotton.

Qiu Huanian pushed through the waist-high cotton plants into the field, carefully picked a burst-open cotton boll, gently opened it with his hands, and pulled out the cotton bit by bit to avoid getting it dirty.

As a clump of pure, soft, flawless cotton fell into his palm, Qiu Huanian's face was already filled with smiles. Clutching the first hard-earned cotton of the year's harvest in both hands, he turned amidst the clusters of cotton plants and lifted his hands high.

"Yun Se! Look, cotton!"

The wind swept through the cotton plants, creating waves of green, and the figure standing amidst the field was like an eternal blossom, together with the surrounding scenery, forming a naturally divine painting, deeply etched in Du Yunse's memory.