Chapter 46

“I’ve already cut ties with the Ye family. From now on I have no natal family… I don’t know whether the Wei family is willing to take me back and let me return to the Weis.”

Only the Wei family was in the main room. Ye Wanqing poured a cup of tea each for Wei Huainong and Liu Lixiu and asked them with a smile in her eyes.

She had seen their careful, hesitant manner these past one or two days and knew that this honest couple would never take the initiative to ask for anything, so she spoke first.

Breaking with the Ye family and returning to the Weis was something Ye Wanqing had already decided in her heart long ago.

In her previous life the Weis had treated her well. In this life they were even more firmly on her side. Being lucky enough to have a family like this—why would she be unwilling?

She was willing.

She just didn’t know about them…

“Child… child…” Liu Lixiu could not stop her tears. She choked once and then covered her face and wept. “I never thought you would be willing to forgive us… Back then, I was the one who sent you away! I deserve to die! I made you suffer…”

“All these years we never showed up. You suffered hardship, and we didn’t take care of you at all…”

“We were wrong. We don’t deserve to be your parents… We have no right…”

Wei Huainong’s eyes were also red. The hands resting on his knees clenched into fists, enough to show how unsettled this man was.

Wei Hong grew anxious. “Mom, Sister is willing to come back to our Wei family. That’s a good thing. Why are you crying? We wronged Sister before, so we’ll treat her even better from now on. We can’t refuse to let her come home just because of the past!”

“We didn’t stay in contact with Sister before, but when I was four or five you already took me to see her. We only went home after we saw from a distance that she was dressed well and eating enough. Isn’t that concern?”

If Liu Lizhen had not been so wary of their family, they would not have had to sneak around every time they looked at Ye Wanqing, and they would not have found it hard to ask people around her about her real situation. They would have known much earlier that her days were not easy.

It was only a series of unfortunate coincidences.

Liu Lixiu shook her head bitterly. “Our Wei family is a burden…”

Wei Hong pouted and said nothing.

She did not think she was a burden at all. She could study. She would make something of herself. In the future she would certainly not become a load on Ye Wanqing! She felt she still had the ability to treat this second sister well and repay her properly!

But the Wei family’s situation right now was indeed poor. They were not even considered a good household in the village. Taking Ye Wanqing back made them happy, but what benefit was there for Ye Wanqing?

None.

Not the slightest.

At that moment the usually quiet and shy Wei Jun spoke. “Dad, Mom, I think we must take Sister back.”

“…” Liu Lixiu looked at him in surprise, not knowing why this son who was always so quiet would suddenly speak so firmly.

Ye Wanqing also smiled at Wei Jun.

This younger brother of hers looked quiet, reserved, and shy, but he was actually sharp and clear-headed, a person who already had his own calculations.

Wei Jun glanced at Ye Wanqing. Seeing encouragement in her eyes, he smiled shyly.

He said, “Our Wei family’s situation isn’t good, but as long as we keep our own bottom line and don’t take advantage of Sister, we can’t really be called a burden. I believe we can all do that. But if we don’t take Sister back, I’m afraid the Ye family will still have things to say and later stir up more trouble that will make things hard for Sister.”

Wei Lan also spoke up. “What belongs to Second Sister belongs to Second Sister. None of us will covet it.”

Liu Lixiu paused, feeling that this made sense too.

If Ye Wanqing did not return to the Wei family, in other people’s eyes she would still have a connection to the Yes—she would be “the adopted daughter who cut ties with the Ye family.” But if Ye Wanqing returned to the Weis, from then on she would be a daughter of the Wei family, and the people she would have to be filial to and support would be her and Wei Huainong.

And she and Wei Huainong would naturally never take even a little advantage of Ye Wanqing. That way Ye Wanqing would have it relatively easier and could avoid trouble from the Ye family’s side.

Liu Lixiu was a shrewd woman, not stupid. She understood as soon as it was pointed out.

She did not object, and Wei Huainong even less so.

Ye Wanqing pressed her lips and smiled. “Then it’s settled. We don’t need any other recognition ceremony. On the day Yuan-ge and I get married, the two of us will offer you tea, and that will settle it.”

“Good, good…” Liu Lixiu nodded through her tears.

“Wonderful! That’s exactly how it should be!” Wei Hong’s nature was lively. She clapped her hands and laughed.

But what had started as pure joy could not hold when she saw Liu Lixiu crying and Wei Huainong looking as if he was about to cry too. She could not keep it in either. She grabbed Ye Wanqing’s hand and began to sob.

“Wuwu… Second Sister, I’ll study hard. I’ll repay you in the future…”

Ye Wanqing: “…”

She rubbed Wei Hong’s head and could not help smiling.

No one knew that when she stood at the public security bureau and cut ties with Liu Lizhen, she had only looked calm. In fact her hands had been ice-cold and her body had been trembling slightly… The sadness in her heart was known only to herself, and she did not want to speak of it.

She knew the Ye family was no good—cold and thin in both her previous life and this one—but that had still been her home.

Once she cut ties with the Yes, she had no home left…

That panic and unease rising in her heart could not be put into words. No matter how disappointed she was in Ye Xiangdang and Liu Lizhen, at that moment she had still felt lost, as if she were standing in darkness so thick she could not see her own hand.

Now it was better…

Her gaze passed over the people around her. Their tears and smiles slowly warmed her cold heart.

Good family affection and bad family affection—she could tell them apart.

—

She had not gone more than a few meters from the main room when a strong hand caught her.

She did not struggle. She was familiar with her own man’s presence and had guessed he would be waiting outside.

Sure enough, the moment she lifted her eyes she fell into a pair of black ones.

“How did it go?” Ge Yuan asked her tensely.

Just now the Weis and Ye Wanqing had been talking in the main room. He could not insert himself, so he could only stand far off under a tree and worry himself dry. He was afraid the Weis would refuse to loosen their mouths because they did not want to take advantage of Ye Wanqing. He had circled under the tree so many times he had nearly worn grooves into the ground.

“Of course it went well.” Ye Wanqing smiled.

Ge Yuan let out a breath and broke into a wide grin. “That’s good.”

“What about the matchmaker?” Ye Wanqing asked.

Ge Yuan looked very pleased. “The matchmaker is settled too. Fatty Wang’s mother will do it. She agreed… This, well, I guess you could call it becoming friends after a fight?”

Another problem solved. They could get married smoothly. He was happy!

Back then Fatty Wang’s mother had gossiped behind their backs, and Ge Yuan had even taken Ge Yue to pound on their door and kicked their courtyard gate to pieces. Who would have thought they would end up so harmonious today.

It counted as a rather unusual kind of fate. Barely enough to count as a matchmaker.

Ye Wanqing pressed her lips and smiled. Ge Yuan was so delighted he raked a hand through his steel-needle short hair and grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth.

Matchmaker’s words, parents’ consent.

Although Ye Wanqing and Ge Yuan counted as a free love match, at this time inviting a matchmaker to fill the formality would not make anyone say anything. Further on, people would not be so particular about these things anyway.

There were no elders left in the Ge family. Old Zhong had watched Ge Yuan grow up. If Ge Yuan had not let Old Zhong stand as the groom’s parent, Old Zhong would have given him a beating.

After such a huge scene with the Ye family, Ye Wanqing could not possibly invite the Yes. Not only Ye Xiangdang and his wife—she did not want to invite a single relative from that side either…

Since her rebirth she had not dealt with any of the Ye relatives, and it would be best not to have dealings with them in the future.

So the elders on Ye Wanqing’s side were settled as Wei Huainong and Liu Lixiu. Coming over tonight to speak things through with the Weis was also something Ye Wanqing had discussed with Ge Yuan.

Fortunately, everything had fallen into place.

“Wanqing, we’re getting married. There are still some things to handle. I’ll definitely handle them well and make our wedding a good one. I absolutely won’t let you lose face!”

In the night Ge Yuan’s voice was a little hoarse, full of an excitement he could not hold back. Ye Wanqing felt that if she were not standing in front of him, he would certainly not have been able to resist throwing another set of military punches.

Ye Wanqing laughed softly. Seeing no one around, she took the initiative and lightly pecked her man’s chin, her heart full of lingering tenderness.

“Mm. We’re getting married.”

—

To hold a banquet, Qingshui County had no high-class hotels. Ye Wanqing decided to hold it at home.

In fact, at this time in rural county towns, holding happy events at one’s own home was the mainstream. Ordinary families, for convenience and to save money, usually had relatives and friends help manage things and set the tables at home.

Only in the countryside was there a large stretch of open ground that could be used, and stoves could be built and taken down easily. In the county town it was a bit more constrained because there was not enough space.

The Ge family’s little courtyard and the little courtyard where Ye Wanqing lived were not far apart, but they were not particularly close either. Setting tables in two courtyards was definitely not workable, so after discussing it they decided to hold the banquet in the Ge courtyard.

When the time came they would set five tables in the courtyard and another four in the alley outside the gate—nine tables in all, taking the meaning of lasting long and lasting long.

Ge Yuan had quite a few friends. Ye Wanqing’s classmates and teachers would also come to the wedding. Counted that way, there were already quite a few people. This time when Ye Wanqing went back to Hongxing First Team, many neighbors in the team had also made a fuss about coming to drink wedding wine. That was another table or two.

Added together, nine tables was several more than Ye Wanqing had expected earlier. It should be enough.

Because there were so many tables, one stove in the Ge courtyard would definitely not be enough when the time came, or serving dishes would be delayed. Ye Wanqing was just getting anxious when Auntie Plum Blossom next door volunteered that her own stove could be cleared for them to use.

On the wedding day they would hire two cooks and light two stoves at the same time. Then there would be no delay at all.

As for the ingredients needed on the wedding day, Ge Yuan happened to be in that line of work. Not only could all the ingredients be guaranteed fresh, the variety was especially rich. Whatever they wanted, they could get it.

A wedding that happened only once in a lifetime—they were willing to spend and intended to do it well.

They set the wedding date for August 17, which happened to be Huaguo’s Valentine’s Day, Qixi.

Two days before the wedding, a red-topped plastic sheet awning was put up.

Summer temperatures were high. If they ate lunch under the blazing sun, they would certainly sweat through their clothes.

Ge Yuan had dragged several rolls of red plastic sheeting from who knows where and put up a high awning, covering the open space in the courtyard and a stretch of the alley outside the gate. It also served to block the sun.

When the time came they would put a few basins of ice under the tables and set several electric fans blowing toward them. That would be enough to blow the heat away!

Once the awning was done, he stood in the courtyard covered in sweat, his heart seeming stuffed full of honey.

The sunshade was a festive, vivid red. Just looking at it made his mood leap. Whatever he did, he had extra energy.

Two more days. In two days he would belong to someone!

Oh, no…

He would be the one in charge of the household!

—

“Sister, come try the dress I made for you and see if you like it. If anything doesn’t fit, I’ll alter it right away.”

Wei Hong, sitting by the window working the sewing machine, picked up the dress in her hands and looked it over, then stood and walked to the doorway. There was a pleased smile in her eyes as she called out to Ye Wanqing, who was drawing water.

“Coming.” Ye Wanqing smiled back and put the watermelon in her hands into a bucket full of ice-cold well water.

When the watermelon went in, the already full bucket overflowed a little. Ge Yue, squatting by the bucket, immediately let out a “wah” and reached out her little paws to catch the spilling water, feeling the coolness of summer.

Ye Wanqing ruffled the little girl’s head and took her soft little hand. “Little Moon, come with Sister-in-law to try on clothes.”

“Okay.” Ge Yue looked up and asked, “Is it Pretty Sister-in-law’s bride clothes?”

“Yes.”

“Then it will definitely be beautiful.”

The little girl looked completely certain and even nodded hard, as if to strengthen her own persuasiveness. Ye Wanqing was amused into a laugh.

The clothes to be worn for the wedding had actually been bought by Ge Yuan early on from a department store in the provincial capital.

But because of his terrifyingly straight-man taste, the clothes he picked made a person want to start twisting yangge the moment they saw them. Ye Wanqing could only keep a polite smile and could not get a single word of praise out.

Ye Wanqing had twenty extra years of vision and taste after all, and she did not much like the cuts of this era either. Besides, it was not as if they lacked the conditions. A marriage that happened only once in a lifetime—she did not want to make do. So she decided to buy good fabric herself, draw two styles, and have two sets custom-made.

Then Wei Hong volunteered for the job.

The first time Ye Wanqing went to the Wei house, Wei Hong had given her a skirt made from fabric she had chosen herself.

Ye Wanqing had worn that skirt several times. The fabric was ordinary and the style could not be called especially good, but the details showed thought, and the workmanship was very fine. It was clear Wei Hong still had skill.

When Wei Hong volunteered, Ye Wanqing handed the matter to her.

Ye Wanqing walked into the room and at a glance saw the soft fabric dress in Wei Hong’s hands. Her eyes lit up at once.

After trying it on, standing in front of the mirror, she was even more satisfied.

In this era people were still used to dressing more conservatively. Ye Wanqing had not designed this dress to be earth-shattering. She had only added quite a few little touches in the details.

The top was sleeveless with a sweetheart neckline. A circle of ruffles at the chest wrapped around Ye Wanqing’s arms. The fabric rested lightly on her arms and covered a short stretch, yet left her round, fair shoulders exposed.

The sweetheart neckline was not cut too low. Below it was a row of pearl-white buttons, showing only Ye Wanqing’s beautifully curved neck and that short stretch of small, fair, well-shaped collarbones. One look and a person felt she was refined and delicate, and it also added a brighter allure.

The skirt was designed to cinch the waist. Tied with a slender white belt, it pinched Ye Wanqing’s slim waist until it looked as if it could hardly be held in one hand.

The wide skirt hem was large and made in two layers. When she walked it looked like a rose tossed by a breeze, layer upon layer, very beautiful.

Because it was a wedding dress, the color chosen was a rich red. This red was very pure, so vivid it made a person think of lush roses.

“It’s very pretty. I like it.” Ye Wanqing smiled at Wei Hong, who was standing nervously to the side. “Little girl’s craftsmanship isn’t bad. I think you could become a fashion designer later.”

“Really?” Wei Hong did not know what a fashion designer was, but the moment she heard it she felt it sounded impressive.

And she knew Ye Wanqing was affirming her.

“Wonderful!” Wei Hong let out a long breath and patted her chest in an exaggerated way. “Sister, you don’t know—my hands were shaking when I was cutting. I was afraid I’d ruin the fabric with one careless move, or make it badly and you wouldn’t like it. Now I can finally relax.”

“Wah!” Ge Yue, who most loved giving rainbow compliments, finally reacted. She tugged at Ye Wanqing’s skirt hem in a dazed, cute way and said enviously, “So pretty! I want Little Red Sister to make pretty clothes for me too, so I can be a bride.”

Ye Wanqing could not help laughing. “Little girl, you’re still small.”

“Can’t I get married tomorrow?” Ge Yue looked so disappointed.

“Then who would you marry?” Ye Wanqing asked.

Ge Yue tilted her head and thought, then sighed, her little face full of helplessness. “If I can wear pretty clothes, Fatty Wang would be fine too… or Little Ox Brother. He doesn’t have a runny nose.”

Not having a runny nose counted as a strong competing advantage for a boyfriend?

Ye Wanqing: “…Don’t worry. Even if you don’t get married, Sister-in-law will still buy you pretty clothes later and let you dress beautifully.”

She must not let some little boy trick her away over two dresses!

In her previous life Ge Yue had been cold and lonely her whole life, sunk in her own world, letting no one near her. In this life she already wanted to get married at such a young age… Mm, this was a very good change!

But she would definitely have to keep a tight watch on the little one!

—

This dress was to be worn on the wedding day. After trying it on and being satisfied, Ye Wanqing could not keep wearing it. She smiled, pinched Ge Yue’s face, and was about to change out of it. She had just prepared to straighten up when she felt a burning gaze fall on her.

She lifted her eyes and looked ahead. The tall man standing in the courtyard was staring straight at her. Those black, bright, deep-set eyes were full of a hunter’s aggressive intent, fierce enough that it seemed he might pounce the next moment and press her to the ground.

Ge Yuan had not expected to walk in and see such a stimulating scene…

It was really fucking stimulating!

His little woman was standing by the doorway in a vivid red dress, her eyes gentle, a soft smile at the corners of her lips, her skin white as piled snow. And when she bent at the waist, that… at her chest…

Aaaah!

Suddenly remembering there were still people behind him, Ge Yuan jumped as if startled. Like a leopard that had been provoked, he whirled around and slapped Monkey’s shoulder hard, then lifted his foot and kicked toward Flower Shirt.

Seeing the two of them still staring blankly at his little woman, he immediately cursed in a rage and shoved them toward the gate. “Get out, get out, get out! Get out of here right now! That’s my wife. Don’t you know you shouldn’t look at what isn’t proper?”

It was his. All of it was his!

Only he could look!

Monkey: “…”

Flower Shirt: “…”

The person was wearing clothes, tightly and properly! What kind of “don’t look at what isn’t proper” was this?

But… they could not afford to provoke him. They had better get out!

After driving the people away, Ge Yuan’s wildly beating heart still would not calm.

He stood with his back to Ye Wanqing, feeling the blood in his body like boiling water. The fire was still burning, steadily turning up the heat. He was about to die!

He really was about to die.

Although his little woman’s clothes were proper and conservative, the stretches of fair skin that showed still sent his thoughts running wild like a horse that had thrown off its reins…

What he did not know was that Monkey and Flower Shirt had simply been stunned by Ye Wanqing’s beauty. The filth in their minds did not even reach one-tenth of what was in his at that moment. It was only that his sense of territory was far too strong, and he treated everyone else as an invader.

“Yuan-ge.” Since Ge Yuan had come, Ye Wanqing also wanted to ask his opinion and see what he thought of the dress.

But she had only taken two steps toward him when he covered his nose and stretched out a hand to stop her, rather awkwardly saying, “Don’t—don’t come over!”

Ye Wanqing: “…”

Ge Yuan took two more steps toward the courtyard gate. He really could not hold back and twisted his head to glance at Ye Wanqing—then felt the fresh blood surging down his nasal cavity even more cheerfully, overflowing from between his fingers no matter how he tried to stop it.

He really was going to die!

Afraid of making an even bigger fool of himself, Ge Yuan silently cursed himself a few times in disgust, then turned and sprinted out the gate. His face was scarlet, as if he had been baked under the sun for a whole summer.

Ye Wanqing: “…”

Wei Hong walked over. The wild laughter she had been holding in finally burst out. “Hahaha, Brother-in-law got a nosebleed, didn’t he?”

“…Seems like it.” Ye Wanqing could not help laughing, her almond eyes curving.

Her Yuan-ge seemed to have a bit too much fire…

On the wedding night, if she said she was unwilling, would he be able to hold back and not touch her?

—

After thinking it over for two days, the day before the wedding Ye Wanqing walked into a clinic.

The doctor in the clinic was an elderly female practitioner of Chinese medicine. Quite a bit of white was mixed into her black hair, which was gathered neatly at the back of her head. She looked kind-faced and benevolent.

When she saw Ye Wanqing come in, the old doctor motioned for her to sit in the chair.

“Where does it hurt?”

“Nothing hurts at the moment…” Ye Wanqing’s face flushed. A little embarrassed, she said, “I just wanted to see how my body is. I’m getting married in two days, but I feel I’m still young, and I suffered from cold in the past. I don’t know whether I can share a bed with my husband.”

If she had not needed to ask this question, she would not have specially sought out an elderly female Chinese doctor…

She had intended to wait for her body to grow a little more, but she also did not want to ignore Ge Yuan’s feelings. That fellow had been so impulsive just from seeing her in a dress. If he bottled it up until something went wrong, cough cough… that would not be very good either.

The old doctor looked a little surprised at this. She probably rarely saw patients like this. She lifted her eyes and glanced at Ye Wanqing. Seeing her cheeks scarlet, she could not help showing a kind smile.

“Don’t be nervous. I’ll take your pulse.”

“Thank you for your trouble.” Ye Wanqing held out her wrist.

The clinic was quiet. The old doctor took her pulse for several minutes, then had Ye Wanqing stick out her tongue for a look. After that she began writing on paper and did not speak to Ye Wanqing for the moment.

Ye Wanqing did not rush her. She waited quietly.

Only, her heart was a little tense too.