Chapter 178 City Streets 78

Chapter 178: Prefectural City Daily Life 78

"What is it?"

Qin Rongshi pulled him into the room, and Liu Guyu tilted his head, looking at him.

Meeting Liu Guyu's clear, limpid eyes, Qin Rongshi—usually silver-tongued and quick-witted—suddenly felt a pang of nervousness.

He stared at Liu Guyu, carefully choosing his words. "The exams are over. According to Mother's wishes, it's time to arrange our wedding."

Hearing this, Liu Guyu roughly guessed what he meant. With a cheeky grin, he chuckled and began pacing around the room before finally plopping down on Qin Rongshi’s bed.

"Well, yes... I suppose I’ll be moving into this room soon. Heh, let me test the bed's firmness first—see if we need to add a thicker mattress."

As he spoke, he bounced up and down a few times, testing the bed’s softness.

Hearing Liu Guyu’s words, Qin Rongshi felt a heat rise to his ears for some reason. He lowered his gaze slightly and said, "If you don’t want to move, you can keep sleeping in your own room."

What he meant was that after marriage, they could both move to the other room—whatever Liu Guyu preferred.

But Liu Guyu deliberately misconstrued his meaning, shaking his head repeatedly in disagreement. "No way! Once we’re married, how can we sleep in separate rooms?"

He shook his head like a rattle-drum, half-reclining on Qin Rongshi’s bed without any intention of moving. With a roguish grin, he added, "I’m sleeping right here. It feels pretty comfortable—I think it’ll work."

Watching as Liu Guyu seemed ready to kick off his shoes and roll around on the bed—showing none of the shyness typical of most young men—Qin Rongshi’s gaze fell on the squirming figure, who looked as if he were rowing a boat across the bed, using the pillow he hugged as an oar. It was his pillow, no less.

Seeing his own pillow held tightly in Liu Guyu’s arms, Qin Rongshi’s gaze darkened slightly, though it was unclear what he was thinking.

Suddenly, he walked over to the small study area separated by a screen, went to the desk, pulled out a drawer, and retrieved a red silk scroll about half a foot long.

Liu Guyu noticed and immediately sat up, slipping over sneakily. "What’s this?"

Qin Rongshi’s hand gave a slight tremble, but his voice remained calm and coolly detached, though those familiar with him could detect the tension hidden beneath. "The marriage certificate. Do you... want to see it?"

Marriage certificate?!

Of course he wanted to see it!

Liu Guyu’s eyes lit up, and he immediately held out both hands. "Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me!"

Qin Rongshi handed it over as instructed.

Though excited, Liu Guyu handled the red scroll with gentle care and carefully unrolled it.

It was about half a foot wide and one foot long, bound in dark red brocade embroidered with intertwining branches. The interior was lined with gold thread and inset with high-quality Xuan paper, already inscribed with characters. The brushstrokes were vigorous and elegant, like pines and bamboos, with restrained sharpness and considerable grace.

Liu Guyu read it with keen interest, then looked up at Qin Rongshi with enthusiasm, brandishing the document in his hand. "Read it to me."

Qin Rongshi paused, looking embarrassed, and said softly, "Can’t you just read it yourself? It’s all written there."

Liu Guyu insisted, "I want to hear you read it."

Qin Rongshi: "..."

After another moment of silence, the tips of his ears burning, Qin Rongshi finally took the marriage certificate from Liu Guyu’s hand. He spread it flat on the table, braced one hand on the desk, and draped an arm loosely around Liu Guyu before lowering his head and beginning to read.

"Today, we join two families in harmony, pledging to share life as lovers. This covenant is solemnly made.

Let heaven and earth bear witness, let mountains and rivers stand testament. My resolve is firm as rock, unwavering. Henceforth, year after year, we shall be united in heart and virtue, forever joined in purpose.

This phoenix covenant is now established, with red paper and ink as matchmakers, akin to sowing jade in fertile fields, with moonlit vows and crimson threads binding us. We vow to remain undivided for a hundred years, unwavering until white-haired old age.

On this auspicious day, we call upon heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers to bear witness."

...

Although it was Liu Guyu who had insisted Qin Rongshi read it aloud, now that he was actually hearing it, he felt the warmth of Qin Rongshi’s breath against his neck, sending weakness and tingles through his body. Qin Rongshi’s voice was deep and raspy, carrying a damp heat that swept around his ears like soft willow catkins brushing against him—a tingling that was almost unbearable.

What started as playful teasing soon left Liu Guyu flushing deeply.

Meanwhile, Qin Rongshi divided his attention—reading aloud while preparing ink. By the time he finished reading, the ink was ready. He took up a brush, dipped it lightly, and placed it in Liu Guyu’s hand.

Liu Guyu stammered, "Wh-what are you doing?"

Qin Rongshi rapped the table with a knuckle, pointing to where he had signed his name on the Xuan paper. "I’ve already written my name. Now it’s your turn."

In other words, he wanted Liu Guyu to sign his name as well.

Liu Guyu hesitated. "My handwriting is ugly. It’ll ruin the marriage certificate."

Qin Rongshi replied firmly, "It looks fine."

Liu Guyu added, "...And there’s not enough space."

Qin Rongshi: "...?"

It took Qin Rongshi a moment to realize that the blank space he’d left was indeed too small for Liu Guyu to write his name properly—especially since Liu Guyu had a habit of writing large characters. If the space was too small, his signature would end up looking like an ink blot.

He was torn between amusement and exasperation but still took Liu Guyu’s hand in his and guided his hand to write "Liu Guyu" next to his own name.

"Wow! Great handwriting! I’ve never written better in my life!"

Liu Guyu exclaimed delightedly, lifting the certificate to examine it repeatedly. He puffed out his cheeks and blew on it gently until the ink dried, then carefully rolled it back up and tied it with a soft ribbon.

"I’ll take this. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back to my room now. It’s getting late, and you must be tired after days of exams. Rest early."

Liu Guyu patted the scroll safe in his arms like a treasure, deciding to take it back to his room for another thorough look.

But Qin Rongshi caught his hand. "There’s more."

Liu Guyu arched an eyebrow curiously. "There’s more?!"

He’d already received the marriage certificate—what else could there be?

Was Qin Rongshi going to present all the Three Letters and Six Etiquettes?

As it turned out, he guessed wrong. Those matters were being handled by Cui Lanfang. Although Qin Rongshi was precocious, he lacked the experience of elders in such customs and had left the arrangements to Cui Lanfang.

Instead, he took down a wooden box from the bookshelf and handed it to Liu Guyu. "Open it yourself."

He was being deliberately cryptic, insisting Liu Guyu open it on his own!

Liu Guyu raised an eyebrow at him, set the marriage certificate back on the table, and took the box, studying it thoughtfully.

"Huh, quite heavy."

That Qin Rongshi, wouldn't he have given away his entire life savings?

Liu Guyu's thoughts were racing as he opened the wooden box.

A red cloth was spread at the bottom of the box, and on it lay a small, about seven-inch abacus that fit perfectly in one hand.

The frame, beams, and rods of the abacus were all made of the finest red sourwood, polished smooth and round, coated with a glossy lacquer that shimmered with an oily sheen. But the most fascinating part was the beads—each one perfectly round and crafted from polished silver.

It was a silver abacus.

It really was his life savings!

Liu Guyu, who loved money, his eyes lit up!

With a “Whoa!” he lifted the abacus, marveling as he touched it all over, then gave it a shake in his hand. The silver beads clinked together, producing a crisp, melodious sound.

“Silver! The sound is so pleasing!”

If the marriage certificate had moved Liu Guyu with its sentiment, this silver abacus delighted him inside and out—it hit the spot.

Qin Rongshi had anticipated his reaction, and the look in his eyes softened as he said gently, “Among the betrothal gifts, there should be a set of jewelry for the new spouse, but you’ve never been fond of such things. Even if I prepared them, you probably wouldn’t use them.”

“Earlier, when the Prefect hosted a banquet, he rewarded me with a hundred taels of silver, a substantial amount of silver. I added some of my own savings, had the silver melted down at the silver workshop, and made this abacus. Consider it my betrothal gift to you.”

“Our marriage is different from others—we can’t follow the usual customs for the wedding ceremony. But I won’t shortchange you on anything you deserve.”

Even in the prefectural city, it was rare for a bride or *ge'er* to receive a betrothal gift of a hundred taels of silver. This alone surpassed what others received in full.

Liu Guyu was both delighted and deeply moved. He looked up and planted a firm kiss on Qin Rongshi’s lips, then hugged the abacus and circled back to Qin Rongshi’s bed, settling onto it once again.

He even had the nerve to say, “Qin Rongshi, how about I sleep here tonight! We’ll keep it on the down-low, and I’ll wake up early tomorrow to sneak back to my room. I promise Mother and Banban won’t find out!”

Qin Rongshi: “…”

Qin Rongshi was still processing the sudden kiss when he heard Liu Guyu’s bold suggestion. He was utterly stunned.

“This isn't proper… It’s really getting late. You should go back to your room now.”

When Qin Rongshi spoke again, his voice was slightly hoarse, and his eyes darkened.

Liu Guyu: “Really not sleeping together? Once we’re married, we won’t get to experience the thrill of ‘sneaking around’ anymore.”

Qin Rongshi’s face darkened, but he said nothing. Instead, he reached out to pull Liu Guyu, who was stubbornly refusing to get up, and pushed him toward the door.

Liu Guyu: “Really not? You could even tie me to the bedpost with my headband!”

Qin Rongshi: “…Shut up.”

Liu Guyu: “I won’t… Hmph, don’t tell me you don’t know how? Such an innocent scholar!”

With that, Liu Guyu was pushed out the door by Qin Rongshi. The response he got was the silver abacus thrown out after him, followed by the door slamming shut.

“Hey! The marriage certificate! My marriage certificate!”

“Once something’s been given, you can’t take it back!”

A moment later, the marriage certificate was thrown out as well.

Despite all the joking around, their wedding was officially set for the twenty-seventh of November, leaving them just over half a month to prepare.

Cui Lanfang had been incredibly busy these days—preparing red silks and cloths, enlisting Qin Banban to cut double-happiness symbols. The wedding attire and betrothal gifts had been prepared months in advance. She’d even hired a carpenter to make a new large bed, tables, stools, and cabinets, all included in the betrothal gift list.

Though time was tight, Cui Lanfang made sure nothing was missing.

The news shocked Xie Baozhu.

“Getting married? Who?! The two of you?!”

“Since when have you been together?!”

He was so surprised his eyes nearly bugged out.

Li Anyuan, however, had his suspicions. He’d previously seen the two secretly holding hands under the table, so the news wasn’t sudden for him. He accepted it quickly.

He even said, “The exam results will be posted in a month. Since we’ll be waiting in the prefectural city for our exam results anyway, we can attend your wedding. That works out perfectly!”

Hearing this, Xie Baozhu, who had just been complaining that Qin Rongshi didn’t treat him like a brother for not telling him such important news, quieted down. He nodded and said, “Hey, Yuan Yuan’s right! The timing works out—we’ll enjoy your wedding celebration before heading back!”

With the wedding date set, all they had to do was wait for the auspicious day.