My humble days in ancient times

Early in the morning, just as the sun rose, its gentle rays bathed the earth. Zhuzi, full of energy, mounted Xu Ruyi's sleek, swift-footed steed. He wore a vibrant, bright red robe, its sleeves fluttering in the breeze like a blazing flame. This festive attire made Zhuzi look exceptionally handsome and eye-catching.

The sound of horse hooves rang out crisply, and Zhuzi walked towards Lijia Village with a heart full of joy.

Along the way, people cast envious glances at him, full of blessings and expectations for the groom who was about to marry his bride.

In the evening, the wedding sedan landed steadily in front of Zhuzi's house amid the sound of firecrackers and laughter. Zhuzi happily lifted the curtain of the sedan and led Li Hehua out.

At this time, Li Hehua was wearing a red veil and a wedding dress, and she looked graceful. Surrounded by people, the two walked into the main hall and held a solemn wedding ceremony.

"Worship heaven and earth!"

"Two thanks to the high hall!"

"Couple greetings!"

With loud shouts, the two completed the ceremony and officially became husband and wife.

Aunt Zhang, who was sitting at the top, had a happy look on her face.

The banquet began with relatives and friends toasting each other, making it very lively.

Li Hehua was sent to the bridal chamber, and Zhuzi was busy toasting the guests with a happy smile on his face.

Xu Ruyi secretly bent down, raised her head, and looked at the bride under the veil through the gap in the veil.

The bride noticed her gaze and smiled at her. She had bright eyes, white teeth, a face as rosy as a peach, and her eyebrows and eyes were filled with shyness and joy. She was truly a beautiful lady!

Xu Ruyi's heart was filled with joy, and she felt sincerely happy for Brother Zhuzi.

Zhuzi came over to toast Xu Ruyi and her three siblings, his eyes full of gratitude as he said, "Sister Ruyi, thank you for lending me the money. I'll remember this favor."

The four brothers and sisters couldn't drink alcohol, so they could only drink tea instead of wine to toast Brother Zhuzi.

As the night deepened, the guests gradually dispersed. Zhuzi gently pushed open the door of the bridal chamber and saw Li Hehua sitting quietly beside the bed.

He walked forward and gently lifted the veil. Li Hehua's shy face looked even more charming under the candlelight.

Zhuzi held Li Hehua's hand and said softly, "Hehua, from now on, I will treat you well for the rest of my life."

Li Hehua's eyes were filled with tenderness as she nodded slightly.

This night, the red candles flickered, warm and sweet.

The next day, many people who passed by Zhuzi's house saw the bride Li Hehua, and they couldn't help but stop and sigh that Zhuzi was so lucky to marry such a beautiful girl.

Wang Erdan was also a person who couldn't sit still. He deliberately took a detour and passed by Zhuzi's house. When he saw Zhuzi's wife, his eyes widened and he couldn't move for a long time.

Even the people in front of Uncle Xu's house had a hot topic to gossip about.

Widow Wang said, "Oh, Zhuzi is so lucky to have such a beautiful wife. I used to think everyone in the village was pretty. But now, Zhuzi's wife is the most beautiful. She looks like she stepped out of a painting."

Aunt Li said, "That girl's face is so rosy and bright, it makes everyone else look better than her."

Huang Guiyun also nodded and said, "She is indeed beautiful. She is pleasing to the eye."

Widow Wang said gloomily, "Zhu Zi's conditions are not good either. Why would such a beautiful girl fall for him? Shouldn't she marry someone in the town? The people in the town are much richer than our village."

Huang Guiyun was also depressed and said, "If I could turn back time, I would also like to marry in the town. Anyway, I don't want to marry a village man. Life in the village is so hard, what's so good about it."

Everyone burst into laughter after hearing this.

Old Li said cheerfully, "It's a pity it's too late. You won't have another chance in this lifetime. You'd better just live an honest life in our village."

Zhuzi took many days off, and Xu Ruyi specifically told him not to rush to set up a stall.

But Zhuzi plans to start setting up a stall after returning home in three days.

Aunt Zhang originally thought that Li Hehua must be spoiled because she was so beautiful, but she didn't expect her to be such a capable daughter-in-law, getting up early in the morning to cook before dawn.

Aunt Zhang said with some concern, "Hehua, I'll cook for you from now on. It's so cold, don't let you get cold. It would be bad if you get sick."

Li Hehua said sweetly, "Mom, I'm not that delicate. I can do these jobs. You work hard every day. I'm young, so it's okay for me to do more."

Aunt Zhang thought this was a good idea, but she didn't want her to get tired, so she said, "Call me to do it with you next time. You have to take good care of yourself. Give birth to a fat boy soon. We can be a happy family together."

When Li Hehua heard this, her face turned red like the clouds in the sky.

The next day, Li Hehua got up early again and cooked a pot of Laba porridge. Aunt Zhang felt warm in her heart.

After three days of visiting relatives, Zhuzi was eager to set up the stall. He got up early in the morning before dawn to prepare the advance work of steaming rice and making egg pancakes.

Li Hehua is also an early riser. In such a cold day, she gritted her teeth and crawled out of the warm bed.

Seeing this, Zhuzi asked, "Why don't you get some sleep? It's still early."

Li Hehua replied, "I want to help you. Besides, the egg pancakes are so delicious, I want to have another one!"

Zhuzi smiled, revealing his big white teeth: "That's easy, I'll just make two in the pot later."

After Zhuzi put the things on the cart, Li Hehua urged him to go to the county town quickly.

Since she had the ingredients for making egg pancakes at home, Li Hehua quickly made two, one for herself and one for Aunt Zhang.

Aunt Zhang sat on the bed, happily eating an omelet and said, "Oh, I'm so lucky! Now I can enjoy the blessing of having a wife. This is the first time in my life that I've eaten sitting on the bed!"

Li Hehua smiled and said, "Mom, what's the big deal? If you want to eat in bed, just sit on the bed and eat. Besides, it's so cold, you should eat in bed. It's warmer that way! Just enjoy yourself!"

When Aunt Zhang heard what Li Hehua said, she felt warm as if she had a heater in her heart.

Li Hehua also thoughtfully poured a bowl of hot water over.

Aunt Zhang said happily, "I'm not used to this yet. Lotus, finish your meal quickly and then go back to bed and lie down for a while."

"Okay." After eating the omelet, Li Hehua washed her hands and face carefully with hot water and then went to bed.

For several days in a row, Li Hehua got up early and ran around.

That day, just as Li Hehua was about to get up, Aunt Zhang hurried into the room and said, "Hehua, you should lie down. You want some egg pancakes? I'll make them."

Li Hehua thought about it and nodded.

After a few days, the two of them finally got tired of eating this food. So no one got up early in the morning, and everything returned to its previous peaceful state.

That day, Aunt Zhang said to Zhuzi, "Son, buy Hehua two thick winter coats and some thick shoes. Don't let her get cold."

After closing his stall, Zhuzi hurried to the clothing store and carefully selected and bought two beautiful winter clothes.

When Li Hehua saw the clothes, she couldn't help but say, "Why don't you buy some needles and thread? I can make them myself and save a couple of copper coins."

Aunt Zhang took Li Hehua's hand with a distressed look and said, "Don't worry about those two copper coins. Needlework is very taxing on your eyes. It's not good for your eyes. It's better not to do it. We don't need this little money."

After spending these past few days together, Aunt Zhang had become increasingly aware of Li Hehua's sensible and well-behaved nature. Not only was she adept at household chores, but she was also incredibly caring towards both her and Zhuzi. She was secretly happy for both Zhuzi and herself, feeling incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law.

In those few days, Li Hehua had come to understand that Aunt Zhang was a kind and gentle woman. She never put on airs, nor was she the type to harass others. She was secretly delighted, feeling that she had married the right person and that her future life would be filled with joy and happiness.