dmims Chapter 83 I'm a married man now
Chapter 83 I'm a married man now
The sky was completely dark, and the moon climbed to the treetops, illuminating the small village of Xiahe in a cold and clear light.
But inside the Qin family's three mud-brick houses, the heat was so intense it almost blew the roof off.
Although they couldn't buy bright red wedding candles, the clever Er Gou somehow managed to get a kerosene lamp covered with red paper and placed it in the center of the gleaming eight-immortal table.
The flickering lights bathed the room's furnishings in a warm, orange glow.
The curtain in the inner room was lifted, and Li Xianglian walked out with her head down.
In that instant, the men who had been chatting with Er Gou suddenly fell silent, like roosters being choked.
The room was so quiet that only the occasional crackling sound of the kerosene lamp wick could be heard.
The red satin jacket Li Xianglian wore shimmered softly under the lamplight, making her usually pale face appear rosy, as if she had applied rouge.
Her hair wasn't styled yet; it was just loosely tied back with a red ribbon, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears. Her timid yet slightly shy appearance was enough to steal one's soul.
Qin Rushan was holding a wine cup in his hand, his eyes fixed on her, not moving an inch.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and his gaze was so direct it seemed he could see right through her clothes.
"Oh my goodness!" Er Gou was the first to recover. "With my sister-in-law dressed up like this, she's like a fairy descended from heaven! My brother isn't getting married, he's practically ripped a fairy from a painting!"
That shout brought everyone back to their senses.
"Go away! Stop your nonsense!"
An elderly woman with gray hair, wearing a blue apron, rushed in from the kitchen carrying two large plates of food.
This is Er Gou's biological mother, Li Guiying.
She slammed the glistening braised pork belly onto the center of the table. It was a real hearty dish, with the meat cut into bite-sized pieces, stewed until it was a deep red, tender, and trembling.
The other dish was fried peanuts, sprinkled with fine salt, and the aroma was irresistible.
There were also two main dishes: sweet and sour pork ribs and stewed chicken, as well as stir-fried vegetables, which was quite impressive for a banquet.
"Xianglian, sit down, sit down!" Aunt Guiying was genuinely happy. She held Li Xianglian's hand tightly and patted the back of Li Xianglian's hand repeatedly with her rough hands. Her eyes were also a little red.
"Shanzi has had a tough life. His parents passed away early, and then he joined the army, where he spent several years rolling around in piles of corpses. All these years, he's been alone in these few empty rooms, never even getting a hot meal. But now, things are finally better; we've been waiting for you to come home."
As Aunt Guiying spoke, she wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye, turned to look at the two dark memorial tablets on the altar in the corner, and said, "Brother Qin, sister-in-law, if you could see this from the afterlife, you should be able to close your eyes in peace. Shanzi has made something of himself, marrying such a beautiful wife. Their lives will surely be prosperous from now on!"
Hearing this, Li Xianglian felt a pang of sadness, and her eyes welled up with tears. She had served the Zhao family for three years, and no one had ever said such heartfelt words to her, nor had anyone treated her like a human being.
"Auntie..." she called out, her voice a little hoarse.
"Oh, my dear child, today is a joyous occasion; we don't cry!"
Aunt Guiying quickly wiped her eyes, her face beaming with a kind smile. "Not only should we smile, but we also need to hurry up and produce offspring for the Qin family! Xianglian, your aunt has a good eye for people. With your figure, you're definitely a good mother—round hips, wide pelvis. Let's try to give Shanzi a big, healthy son by this time next year, so that the yard can be filled with the sounds of a baby crying!"
Upon hearing this, Li Xianglian's face instantly turned bright red, all the way to the roots of her neck, and she wished she could bury her head in the red jacket she was wearing.
"Mom! You're pushing for childbirth right off the bat, aren't you afraid of scaring my sister-in-law!" Er Gou grumbled, his mouth full of braised pork, his lips dripping with oil.
"Eat your meat! It won't shut you up!" Aunt Guiying said with a laugh, then urged everyone to start eating.
Besides Er Gou, two of Qin Rushan's brothers who had risked their lives for him, Tie Zhu and Da Zhuang, also came today.
These two men looked fierce, but they were actually very kind-hearted. They were already drooling with envy, but since Qin Rushan hadn't touched his chopsticks, neither of them dared to reach for their spoons first.
Qin Rushan stood up, bit open the cap of the bottle of Erguotou, and poured the liquor into the rough porcelain bowls in front of the group.
The aroma of the liquor instantly filled the room; it was very strong.
"Brothers."
Qin Rushan raised his wine bowl, a rare smile appearing on his usually stern face. "Today is a joyous occasion for me, Qin Rushan. No need for words, it's all in the wine. Before, I was a carefree man, but now I have a wife. This bowl is to thank you all for coming!"
"Let's do it!"
Tiezhu and Dazhuang were also straightforward people; they picked up their bowls, tilted their heads back, and gulped it down.
The spicy liquid flowed down my throat, like swallowing a ball of fire, yet it burned me with a comforting warmth.
"Brother Shan!"
Tie Zhu was a straightforward guy. He put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and refilled his glass. "We brothers know you've had a tough time. This sister-in-law... she's really good! We've heard all the gossip in the village, and I'm telling you this now: from now on, if anyone dares to talk behind your back, I, Tie Zhu, will be the first to smash their window!"
"Exactly!" Dazhuang chimed in sullenly, "From now on, our sister-in-law is like an older sister to us. Anyone who bullies her is bullying the brothers of our Red Star Brigade!"
Li Xianglian sat next to Qin Rushan, holding a hot white steamed bun in her hands. Listening to the men's loud and boisterous expressions, she felt incredibly warm inside.
This is what a human life should be like. Someone protects you, someone respects you, and you're no longer a punching bag for everyone to vent their anger on.
Qin Rushan turned his head and looked at his wife's rosy cheeks, and the fire in his heart burned even brighter.
He reached under the table and grabbed Li Xianglian's small hand, which was resting on her knee. Her palm was sweaty and soft, and it looked especially petite when wrapped in his large, calloused hand.
"Come on, Brother Shan! We have to drink until we drop tonight!"
Er Gou, now quite tipsy, held his wine bowl and leaned towards Qin Rushan, saying, "This bowl is for my sister-in-law, wishing you two a loving and long-lasting marriage!"
Qin Rushan didn't hesitate either; he picked up his glass, clinked it against Er Gou's, and drank it all in one gulp.
The wine was really strong. After two bowls, Qin Rushan's eyes became a little unsteady, but his energy and spirit were even stronger.
Seeing this, Tiezhu was about to fill his glass again: "Brother, this is nothing! Back in the army, we used to chug drinks straight from the bottle! We're in a good mood today, so we have to finish this one!"
Unexpectedly, Qin Rushan raised his hand and covered the bowl, blocking Tie Zhu's action of pouring wine.
"Alright."
Qin Rushan's voice was deep, a wicked smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were fixed on Li Xianglian beside him. "A couple of drinks are just for fun, but too much will lead to trouble."
"What did you mess up?"
Tie Zhu was a little tipsy and his mind wasn't quite clear yet. "We're not going to work tomorrow, so we're just having some fun, right? What could be more important than drinking?"