Chapter 30 Finally Wed (Part 1)

Chapter 30: Finally, the Wedding (Part 1)

Considering Wu Qiu’s delicate condition and how suddenly everything had happened, many of the necessary items were lacking. Lei Ding formally marrying Wu Qiu actually took place nearly two months later, when the baby Wu Qiu was carrying was almost four months old.

It was now mid-November, nearly half a year since the flood. Many refugees in Yongning City had not yet returned home, but the plague had been brought under control. As a result, although the clinic was still busy, it was much better than before. In snatches of free time between his busy schedule, Lei Ding prepared all the formalities of the three letters and six etiquettes and also settled Wu Qiu’s household registration and other matters. He wanted to marry Wu Qiu with great fanfare, but the city was still unsettled, with both refugees and many locals who had lost family or property in the disaster. If the wedding were too ostentatious, it might stir up envy and resentment. Therefore, it was best not to decorate with lanterns and streamers or hold a lavish banquet, and instead only invite close relatives and friends to their own courtyard.

Lei Ding couldn't help feeling a bit regretful, thinking this was a bit unfair to Wu Qiu. However, Wu Qiu himself did not see it that way. Initially, he thought that since they were already expecting a child, perhaps all these formalities could be skipped. Now, knowing they would still formally wear wedding attire and hold a ceremony, he was thrilled. On the eve of the wedding, his heart was all aflutter, unable to calm down at all.

His wedding robes were placed right beside him. The weather was cold now, and a stove was lit in the room. Wu Qiu, dressed warmly, was in no hurry to hide under the covers. He sat by the bed, lovingly holding the brightly embroidered red wedding attire. Traditionally, a new husband’s wedding robes should be embroidered by himself, but both Yang Shu and Madam Liu forbade him from overexerting himself, fearing it would strain his eyes. Thus, Wu Qiu only did a very small part himself, with most of it done by them on his behalf.

The room contained a bathtub, basin, and all other items needed for bathing. Which were originally supposed to be placed in the outer room, Lei Ding moved them into the warmest inner chamber, worried Wu Qiu might catch a chill. When he returned after closing the outer door, he saw Wu Qiu sitting there, stroking the wedding robes and smiling. His heart softened, and he turned to lower the curtain on the inner door as well before sitting down beside Wu Qiu. “Do you like it that much? You’ll be wearing it tomorrow. I haven’t seen Qiu Er in wedding attire yet.”

To keep it more of a surprise for Lei Ding, Wu Qiu hadn’t allowed him to see during the fittings. Neither had seen the other in wedding robes yet.

Wu Qiu was still stroking the garment. “Mother’s embroidery is the best in our area. Look at these patterns, how exquisite. The tailoring is excellent too—loose and comfortable without looking bulky. Thinking it will only be worn once tomorrow, I’m already feeling a bit reluctant.”

His belly had already swelled, showing a slight curve, but the waist of this robe was intentionally cut loosely, so it wouldn’t show at all when worn.

Lei Ding smiled, gathering Wu Qiu’s hair to keep it from getting wet later. “If Qiu Er likes it so much, you can certainly wear it again in the future. If you don’t want to wear it outside, wear it in the room, just for me to see, alright?”

Perhaps because the room was too warm, Wu Qiu’s face flushed. “Then… then you have to wear yours too. I’m sure I’ll love how you look in wedding robes.”

He even involuntarily thought of some intimate matters, imagining they might take pleasure in making love while wearing their wedding attire. Lei Ding gently nibbled his earlobe. “What is Qiu Er thinking about? Your face is so red—could it be something naughty?”

Wu Qiu, exposed and unsure how to retort, kissed his mouth pleadingly, begging him to stop. Lei Ding only meant to tease him, not truly upset him, so he stopped at the right moment. Embracing Wu Qiu and kissing him, he then helped him sit on a nearby wooden stool, undressed him, and prepared to wash him. Since Wu Qiu was pregnant, it wasn’t good for him to soak in water that was too hot or for too long. Therefore, Lei Ding would first wipe him down, then quickly wash himself in the tub. This was when the changes in Wu Qiu’s figure were most apparent. Originally very thin, his slightly protruding belly now stood out even more. Wu Qiu touched his own belly. “He’s growing fast, but why isn’t he moving yet?”

Lei Ding poured water over him, wringing out a towel to wipe him carefully. “Is the water too cold? The baby is still small. He’ll start moving when he’s a bit bigger, and who knows how much he’ll trouble you then.”

Wu Qiu shook his head, saying the water was just right, still gazing intently at his belly. “I asked you to choose a nickname for the baby, but you haven’t thought of one these past days. No one just calls their own child ‘he.’ Don’t use our wedding as an excuse to slack off, brother.”

Lei Ding smiled and agreed amiably, attending to Wu Qiu until he was washed, dried, and tucked into bed, then went out to wash himself. These days, Wu Qiu often felt sleepy, but today when Lei Ding returned, he was still awake, eyes bright as he lay wrapped in the covers. Seeing Lei Ding enter, he called out happily, “Brother.”

The items needed for tomorrow had been checked repeatedly; everything was ready. Seeing Wu Qiu still quite energetic, Lei Ding lit some pregnancy-safe calming incense and placed it on the table before extinguishing the lamp and getting into bed. “Why aren’t you asleep yet? Not tired?”

Wu Qiu shook his head. “Thinking about tomorrow, I can’t sleep.”

Lei Ding let him wriggle in his arms to find a comfortable position, occasionally tucking in the quilt corners. “This incense helps calm the mind and aids sleep. Be good, Qiu Er. Close your eyes and lie still for a while, and you’ll get sleepy. Although tomorrow won’t have as many formalities as a grand wedding, and we’ll be more relaxed at home, there’s still plenty to do. You shouldn’t stay up too late tonight.”

Wu Qiu mumbled and fretted about many things for tomorrow—worried he might make a mistake at some step, or that the food and dishes weren’t prepared well enough. Lei Ding patiently reassured him about each concern while coaxing him to sleep. Wu Qiu insisted he wasn’t sleepy, but as Lei Ding continued to soothe him, his voice gradually softened, and before long, he was nestled in Lei Ding’s arms, fast asleep.

During the night, Wu Qiu dreamed again—the same chubby little baby from last time. After his previous dream, Lei Ding had taken his pulse, and it turned out he really was carrying a little boy. The two had marveled at this for quite a while. In the dream, the child was also wearing a new little red jacket and a small tiger-head hat. This time, Wu Qiu wasn’t restrained by anything binding his hands and feet; he easily picked up the child, kissed his chubby little cheek, and said, “You’re wearing new clothes too? So pretty.”

The child seemed to love being held by him, squirming joyfully in his arms—a heavy, warm little bundle of flesh. When kissed, he became even happier, babbling and waving his arms and legs, trying to press his little face against Wu Qiu’s.

Wu Qiu kissed his other cheek. “Good child, tomorrow is a joyous day. Are you happy too?”

The little one giggled, answering in a milky voice, “Happy.”

When Wu Qiu woke in the morning, he kept savoring the dream, unable to suppress a smile whenever he remembered it. Usually, the groom and the bridegroom wouldn’t see each other before the wedding, but Lei Ding wasn’t particular about such customs. Besides, with Wu Qiu pregnant, he could only feel at ease by personally caring for him, so he stayed with him as usual. Wu Qiu told him about the dream, and Lei Ding listened quietly, smiling along with him. Finally, he ruffled Wu Qiu’s hair. “Daytime thoughts become nighttime dreams. Qiu Er has been talking about it all day—even the baby knows.”

Since they lived together, it saved the trouble of a daytime bridal procession. The formal wedding ceremony was scheduled for dusk, so they weren’t too busy at the moment. Wu Qiu was glad for this, clinging to Lei Ding’s arm and smiling. “This child is so adorable. It’s a pity I can’t let you see the scene from my dream. If you saw it, you’d definitely love it too.”

Lei Ding smiled. “I would love him even without seeing. But he really is a clever little fellow, knowing to congratulate us on our happy occasion. Does Qiu Er want to eat something?”

Since becoming pregnant, although Wu Qiu hadn’t suffered severe morning sickness and rarely felt nauseous, his appetite hadn’t been great these past few days. Lei Ding didn’t force him, instead offering food whenever he felt able to eat. Seeing him nod, Lei Ding hurried to arrange a meal and brought it back to the room.

There was also the honey drink Wu Qiu liked—last time, due to disrupted trade routes outside the city, Lei Ding couldn’t buy fresh lotus root, so he made a different soup with pear and red dates instead. Wu Qiu liked it even more and often pestered Lei Ding to make it. Lei Ding didn’t dare let him have too many sweet things, only making it every few days. Seeing it, Wu Qiu was indeed delighted. He hurriedly ate his meal, then held the small bowl, sipping the drink carefully and lovingly.

Lei Xun had taken Lei Li out on a house call. Cui Nanshan and Lei Ding were each seeing patients. Lei Tan and Yu Yuan were jumping around, arguing over where to paste the last extra large red double-happiness character.

Ignoring the commotion behind him, Lei Ding wrote a prescription for the patient, saw them out, then calmly turned around and said to Yu Yuan, “If you two really have nothing better to do, come help me watch for a while. I’ll go check on Qiu Er.”

Yu Yuan leaned leisurely against the wall, completely unmoved. Lei Tan, being young, jumped up trying to reach the character Yu Yuan held high with one hand, shouting in frustration. Lei Ding came out, grabbed one in each hand, and hauled them into the courtyard. Looking up, he saw Wu Qiu leaning against the wall at the entrance of the east courtyard, watching them and laughing. He quickly dropped Yu Yuan and Lei Tan, strode over, and tightened the ties of Wu Qiu’s cloak. “Come here, don’t stand in the draft; be careful of catching a chill. When did you come out?”

Although Yu Yuan was still present, Wu Qiu no longer avoided Lei Ding much in front of outsiders. He slipped his hand into Lei Ding’s palm, letting him lead him out. “Couldn’t sleep, wanted to see what you all were doing.”

Lei Tan had already bounded over, pointing at Yu Yuan. “Brother Qiu! Look at him! This is the last one!”

Wu Qiu walked over and bowed to Yu Yuan. Yu Yuan returned the bow while sighing. “I say, Little Tan, look at your brother-in-law—such a gentle and refined person, clearly reasonable. Don’t expect him to favor you. Come on, listen to me, paste it here.”

Wu Qiu was caught off guard by the sudden address “brother-in-law” and felt a bit embarrassed, leaning against Lei Ding and burying half his face in the fur trim of his hood. Lei Ding didn’t want Wu Qiu standing in the courtyard fooling around with them, so he snatched the double-happiness character from Yu Yuan’s hand. Before Lei Tan could rejoice, Lei Ding handed the red paper to Wu Qiu. “Qiu Er, you paste it. I’ll help you into the room.”

Lei Tan stared longingly at Wu Qiu, making Wu Qiu’s heart soften. Thinking he shouldn’t compete with a child for something, he was about to give it to Lei Tan to play with when Lei Ding spoke to his brother before he could extend his hand. “Tan Er, there’s a patient outside. Go take a look and give Father a hand.”

He turned and touched Wu Qiu’s face—not too cold—and felt relieved. “The double-happiness character for our wedding should naturally be pasted by Qiu Er. Paste it wherever you like; what matters is that you pasted it yourself, making it special.”

Wu Qiu thought for a moment, then took the character to the door of the small study at the front. He carefully compared its position and asked Lei Ding, “Is it straight? Don’t let it be crooked.”

Lei Ding stood behind him, holding his hand and adjusting the position slightly. “That’s perfect. Why did you think of pasting it here?”

Yu Yuan had already tactfully retreated to the front to help Cui Nanshan and Lei Tan. With no one else around, Wu Qiu wasn’t as shy. He pursed his lips and whispered, “Because… this is where I first saw you.”

Memories from a few months ago weren’t too distant, but Lei Ding felt as if something struck his heart. Many details that had been hidden in his mind now fell like a sky full of goose feathers, landing in his palm and melting into his heart. He remembered Wu Qiu’s thin face then, his gentle yet resolute eyes, and how he stood below the steps, bathed in sunlight, bowing deeply to him.

Wu Qiu continued, “Before you came in that day, I looked at the calligraphy and paintings in this room and thought the handwriting was truly beautiful. They say handwriting reflects the person. I thought someone who could write like that must be upright and honorable—”

He turned, smiling at Lei Ding, hooked his arms around his neck, pressed himself into his embrace, and whispered, “And as handsome as the writing.”

In the past, when Lei Ding idly read miscellaneous stories, he always felt the characters in those books were too easily ensnared by beauty traps—truly exaggerated, especially nobles and royals who had seen all kinds of beauties in the world. How could they abandon their country and family for a single beautiful woman? But now he suddenly thought: if he were some prince or general and one day met a Wu Qiu who described their first meeting like this, he would probably want to hand over his life and fortune to him. Immediately, he hugged Wu Qiu tightly, not daring to squeeze his waist and belly too hard, so he held his shoulders firmly instead.

When Lei Ding released him, Wu Qiu’s lips were as red as his face, like the double-happiness character pasted on the study door. Lei Ding didn’t want anyone else to see his charming appearance, so he helped him sit in a chair. “Good Qiu Er, sit for a while and catch your breath. I’ll go get a hand warmer.”

Knowing Wu Qiu’s hands and feet easily grew cold, he paid extra attention. Just now, touching Wu Qiu’s hands, he felt they weren’t very warm, so he went out to the main hall and took the hand warmer he usually used from the small cabinet by his desk.

Yu Yuan glanced at his expression and clicked his tongue repeatedly.

Lei Ding added charcoal to the hand warmer and asked calmly, “Something the matter?”

Yu Yuan curled his lip. “Just marveling at how much you’ve changed. You actually know what emotions and desires feel like now.”

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