"Brother!" Ye Bao ran over, hugged Ye Shan's leg, and said in a spoiled tone, "I want to go too, take me with you."
He was still just a child; he only saw the beautiful mandarin ducks and lotus blossoms decorating the bridal sedan chair and didn't know anything about etiquette.
Ye Shan hugged him. "Big brother is going to pick up your brother Jing today. He'll take you out to play another day. Hurry up and ask your brother Yan to take you to change into your new clothes."
Upon hearing that she would have new clothes, Ye Bao forgot everything else and pulled Gu Fengyan into the house.
Most of the villagers came today. The men and their wives divided the work. Gu Fengyan didn't want to stay with Huo Duan all the time, so he told him and took Ye Bao into the house to change clothes.
Inside the house, the wives were all sitting and eating sunflower seeds and snacks.
Although Gu Fengyan was from Heqing Village, he was only vaguely familiar with these people... He braced himself and pulled Ye Bao through a group of chattering wives.
Sure enough, a whole bunch of people stopped gossiping and looked at him.
Gu Fengyan felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, silently sweating.
A woman, whose identity he didn't recognize, casually handed him a handful of pumpkin seeds. "It's been a long time since I've seen you and Huo. Are you here for your older brother's wedding?"
Gu Fengyan smiled when he saw her kind face, "Thank you, sister-in-law, it's for my elder brother's wedding..."
"We also need to plant medicinal herbs in the village... By the way, if any of you ladies have spare land, you can come to us. We'll provide the medicinal herb seeds and buy them when they're grown." He added, seizing the opportunity.
These wives are all incredibly well-informed; they heard rumors last night that the Huo couple were going to lead the villagers to make money.
They were initially skeptical, but after hearing Gu Fengyan's words, they were all eager to try.
The shrewd wives chattered amongst themselves, afraid of missing out if they were late, and hurriedly grabbed him to ask, "Sister-in-law, you have land, but we don't know if those medicinal herbs are easy to grow. If they are, besides keeping enough land for wheat, we'll plant all the other land with medicinal herbs!"
Farming only yields a few coins a year. The younger men in the village have all gone to the county to find other ways to make a living. The land is just lying fallow anyway, so why not use it to grow medicinal herbs? You can earn something there... Maybe you'll even earn more than the men do in a year.
Firecrackers were already going off outside. Gu Fengyan smiled and said, "This is not the time to talk. If you ladies are interested, come to the old house tomorrow to find me and Huo Duan. We can discuss it in more detail then."
The wives were all there to help. When they heard the firecrackers, they knew the wedding party had left, so they had to hurry to the kitchen to help prepare the wedding feast.
Therefore, the matter of the medicinal herbs had to be put on hold for the time being.
As everyone scattered, Gu Fengyan breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly took Ye Bao to change into new clothes.
Next, Ye Shan brought Liu Jingyu back... The courtyard was filled with red festive colors. Liu Jingyu had applied a little rouge, and her face looked excellent. She and Ye Shan each held one end of the wedding knot, and Xue Daxuan performed the wedding ceremony.
Next, it was time to greet and thank the guests. Ye Shan was worried that Liu Jingyu wouldn't be able to handle it, so he asked Gu Fengyan to help him back to the bridal chamber while he himself offered thanks and toasts.
In the afternoon, the guests left in twos and threes, and only after the sun set did the whole family gather around the table to eat a hot meal.
After dinner, Father Huo, in high spirits, drank a few extra cups and became somewhat drunk. Huo Duan and Gu Fengyan, exhausted from a long day, told the Ye family before heading back...
The next day, Ren Jiu was busy. According to custom, the Ye family was to send gifts to thank the guests, and Huo Duan and the others had to help out. In the afternoon, they also had to arrange the planting of medicinal herbs with the villagers.
The Ye family got up very early. Ye Bi first went to the county to exchange the rented tables and chairs. The newlywed Ye Shan and Liu Jingyu helped to sort and pack the gifts they had bought in advance, and wrote them down one by one according to their names.
Liu Jingyu couldn't do heavy work, and he was the only literate person in the Ye family, so he stood by and checked everyone's names one by one, with a gentle smile on his face. His red wedding dress made him look very healthy.
Ye Shanni tidied up the place, while Liu Jingyu smiled, his ears turning bright red.
"Brother Dashan, have you had breakfast yet?" Huo Duan and Gu Fengyan walked up and asked.
Liu Jingyu, who hadn't met many outsiders, stood up awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Ye Shan smiled, "Mother and the others are cooking, you should eat with them. Uncle isn't here?"
Huo Duan shook his head, "Father was in a good mood yesterday and drank a few more cups, so he doesn't feel like moving around much today."
Gu Fengyan had met Liu Jingyu a few times before, and now that they were family, he was genuinely happy. He quickly pressed Liu Jingyu down to sit, saying, "Sit down quickly. We're all family now, so there's no need to be so formal. Huo Duan and I will have to call you 'brother' from now on."
Liu Jingyu was a little embarrassed, lowered her eyes and smiled gently as she poured them tea from the table. "Brother Dashan also told me... thank you for that ginseng."
"Being healthy is more important than anything else," Gu Fengyan said with a shake of his head and a smile.
After a few words, the atmosphere became much more lively. Gu Fengyan and Liu Jingyu exchanged names, while Ye Shan and Huo Duan tidied up the gifts for the returning guests. Once everything was ready, Huo Xiuling prepared breakfast.
The family sat down to eat, and Ye Shan's eyes were glued to Liu Jingyu. He served him food, ladled out porridge, and moved away any cold or spicy foods that he couldn't eat... He was practically blowing on the porridge to cool it down before feeding it to him.
It was normal for the newlyweds to be like this. It was the first time Liu Jingyu had sat at the same table with the Ye and Huo families, and the first time he had experienced such a lively meal... In the past, he had always eaten alone in his small room.
Feeling a little embarrassed by being served so attentively, he secretly glared at Ye Shan.
Ye Shan chuckled foolishly, continuing as before.
Gu Fengyan and the others weren't surprised. Huo Xiuling served them rice and asked, "Aren't you all busy planting medicinal herbs today? Your uncle, Dashan, and I can manage here..."
Ye Bao dawdled over to Gu Fengyan's side, "Brother, feed me..."
Gu Fengyan smiled helplessly, picked him up and put him on her lap, fed him some cucumber shreds with her chopsticks, and said to Huo Xiuling, "The planting of medicinal herbs is scheduled for this afternoon. Brother Dashan will have to come with us then. Once he learns all of this, we will entrust the village's medicinal herb business to him."
Their medicinal herb business is notoriously profitable, and Ye Shan also receives a substantial share of the profits from helping manage the village's business. Otherwise, the Ye family would never have been able to afford the wedding banquet this time.
Afterwards, the medicinal herbs will be managed by Ye Shan. As the business grows and the money earned increases, Ye Shan will naturally benefit as well.
Huo Xiuling was very happy to hear this, but when she looked at her honest son, she couldn't help but worry.
“You trust him so much, entrusting him with such a big task, but I’m a little worried… Da Shan is always honest and clumsy, unlike others who are cunning. I’m afraid he might be used as a tool by someone with ulterior motives.” She looked at Ye Shan, speaking earnestly.
With Liu Jingyu present, Ye Shan felt a little embarrassed and scratched his head. "Mom, don't say that... I did a great job."
Huo Duan also said, "Aunt, don't worry. Brother Dashan is a reliable person. Besides, everyone in the village knows him well. No one can hide their true character from anyone. Who would dare to cheat Brother Dashan?"
Liu Jingyu coughed and said, "Mother, don't worry. Once I'm feeling better, I'll help out, and nothing will happen."
Huo Xiuling, who cherished Liu Jingyu, heard him cough twice and stopped thinking about it. She said seriously, "Don't go running around with him. He's clumsy and doesn't know how to take care of people... Just let him take care of things outside."
Because of his chronic illness, Liu Jingyu had rarely left the house since childhood. Hearing Huo Xiuling say this, he knew that she was concerned about him, but he was still a little disappointed.
Gu Fengyan fed Ye Bao a spoonful of thin porridge. "Aunt, it would be good to ask Brother Jing to help. He's taking medicine and needs to move around more to have energy. Besides, Brother Dashan is also taking care of him."
Huo Xiuling looked at Ye Shan hesitantly.
Ye Shan looked at Liu Jingyu... Liu Jingyu blinked, and Ye Shan smiled and nodded vigorously, "Mother, don't worry, I'll take care of Jingyu."
"You guys..." Huo Xiuling knew perfectly well that Ye Shan only listened to Liu Jingyu, so asking was pointless. She smiled helplessly and nodded, then told Liu Jingyu, "You should also be careful. If you're cold, hot, or tired, just say so. The Ye family brought you in to enjoy life, not to suffer... You're a young man, don't compare yourself to Dashan. He can endure hardship, and he deserves to endure hardship too."
Gu Fengyan and the others also looked at Liu Jingyu and smiled, agreeing with what Huo Xiuling said.
Only now did Liu Jingyu feel truly integrated into this family. All restraints and etiquette vanished, and he did whatever made him comfortable.
While the adults were talking, Gu Fengyan was feeding Ye Bao sporadically.
Ye Bao was ignored, his little face scrunched up, and he secretly glanced at Liu Jingyu... Liu Jingyu smiled at him.
Ye Bao, as if playing hide-and-seek, quickly buried her face in Gu Fengyan's neck, stealing another glance...
Gu Fengyan laughed and pulled him out, "Go on, go find your brother Jing."
Liu Jingyu had no children at home, but when he saw Ye Bao, who looked like a New Year's picture doll, he was delighted and awkwardly spread out his hands to signal Ye Bao to come over.
Ye Bao looked at him, kicked her little leg, ran over and tugged at Liu Jingyu's sleeve, "Brother, you're so handsome, give me a hug."
The adults were amused; this little guy had praised Gu Fengyan in the same way last time.
Huo Xiuling was both amused and exasperated. "I don't know who this little guy takes after. He forgets everything when he sees someone good-looking. I'm afraid he'll be a troublemaker when he grows up..."
"Don't bother Jing-ge'er, or I'll teach you a lesson!" she scolded Ye Bao.
Ye Bao stuck out his tongue, climbed onto Liu Jingyu's lap, and asked him to feed him.
Huo Xiuling sighed helplessly, "This little thing is really something when he grows up. He just ate so much at Yan Ge'er's place, and now he wants to eat more... He falls in love with every girl he sees. He'll definitely be a womanizer in the future."
Ye Bao could understand what was being said, and immediately became unhappy, pouting, "No way! I like both of my brothers!"
After eating some food at Liu Jingyu's place, he ran over to Gu Fengyan's side like a busy man and said to Huo Xiuling, "Mother, I want to sleep with Brother Yan again tonight."
Before the others could say anything, Huo Duan's expression changed instantly.
This little brat really knows how to push his luck. Last night, he wasn't satisfied with monopolizing Gu Fengyan, so how come he's already planning tonight?
"Stop clinging to your brother, get down." Huo Duan quickly peeled Ye Bao off and put her on the ground. "You're so old and you still don't know shame. When your brother was your age, he was already sleeping alone."
The house where the Ye family lives is an ancestral house. Putting aside everything else, it has a lot of rooms, otherwise it wouldn't be able to accommodate so many people.
Ye Bao also has his own room, but the Ye family elders were already in their thirties when they had him, and they cherished him like a precious gem, so they couldn't bear to let him sleep alone.
Over time, Ye Bao developed a habit of spoiling her.
As children grow older, they eventually have to learn to be independent.
Huo Xiuling was just about to have him sleep alone, so she smiled and said, "Xiao Bao, no one wants you anymore. Your brother is right, you're old enough to sleep by yourself now."
Ye Bao was stunned, blinking his big eyes as he looked at the group of people... and realized that no one spoke up for him.
Suddenly, he burst into tears.
Huo Xiuling ignored him and ate her meal by herself. Liu Jingyu didn't know how to coax her, so he looked at Ye Shan.
Ye Shan picked up a piece of food for him and calmly said, "Don't worry about him. Let him know that crying won't help."
No one paid him any attention, so Ye Bao stopped crying and looked at Gu Fengyan with pleading eyes, "Brother Yan, don't you like Xiao Bao anymore?"
Gu Fengyan's heart melted.
"How could that be?" He glared at Huo Duan, who seemed to have ill intentions, and then pulled Ye Bao into his arms.
Seeing this, Huo Xiuling said, "Yan Ge'er, don't pay any attention to him."
“Aunt, Brother Dashan’s wedding has just ended, and you’ve all been very busy these past few days. You haven’t had time to take care of Xiaobao. Why don’t you let him stay with us for a few days? When you have more free time later, you can let him sleep alone. This will also prevent anything from happening at night.” Gu Fengyan was soft-hearted and, remembering the previous incident where Ye Bao had a fever in the middle of the night, she made the suggestion.
Huo Xiuling thought about it and, fearing a repeat of the last time, agreed, "Alright, his father and I haven't had time to take care of him lately."
Ye Bao cheered up, snuggled in Gu Fengyan's arms, and looked at Huo Duan defiantly, "Brother Yan is the best."
Huo Duan's face was as black as the bottom of a pot; he found Ye Bao utterly displeasing, while Gu Fengyan remained oblivious.
The thought of having such a huge third wheel between him and Gu Fengyan tonight made Huo Duan feel utterly disgusted; nothing tasted good anymore.
A note from the author:
Ye Bao: Hehe... I have one, two, three, four older brothers, do you have any?
Thanks to Sangjiu for the landmine (smack-);
Thank you to the little angels Sangjiu and Lulalalulu for the nutrient solution (tilts head and rubs against each other -)
Chapter 55
Besides Liu Jingyu, the Ye family, along with Xue Da, Huo Duan, and Gu Fengyan, split up to deliver the return gifts and helped tidy up for the whole morning.
After having lunch at the Ye family's house, Gu Fengyan and Huo Duancai took Ye Bao home.