The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Zhang Tieniu stood up, realizing he had nothing to say to these uncles. They used to look down on his family, but now that he was an official, they were all fawning over him. It made him very unhappy.

The Shi family originally only had two dilapidated thatched huts, but now they have been renovated, the thatch has been replaced, and three more huts have been added next to them.

Zhang Tieniu was thinking that he should add a few rooms to his house, since Erniu would be getting married next year and would also need his own house. The children were growing up and should have their own rooms too.

"Di di da..." The sound of suona horns rang out from the village entrance, indicating that Shi Tou was returning from welcoming his bride.

Before long, Shi Tou, dressed in a crisp military uniform with a large red flower pinned to his chest, rode ahead on horseback. Behind him followed a carriage adorned with red silk, and a drum and gong troupe played their instruments with deafening force.

The Qian family was quite well-off, providing several loads of dowry. It looked like it included bedding, a wardrobe, and a bed.

The village chief's second uncle also mustered his spirits and stepped forward to greet them; he was a well-known figure in the surrounding area. The Qian family felt honored that he was there to receive them.

However, when the Qian family saw Zhang Tieniu sitting at the head of the table, they were all at a loss for what to do.

"Haha! This is Zhang Tieniu from our Zhang family. He joined Shen Da's new army with Shi Tou. Now he's a ninth-rank official!" the village chief's second uncle said proudly. He didn't know what a platoon leader was, but he knew from Shi Tou that it was equivalent to a deputy commander, a ninth-rank official.

The one who came from the Qian family to escort the bride was the bride's elder brother, Qian Mancang, who immediately stepped forward and prepared to kneel down to pay his respects.

"Hey! Brother Qian, you don't need to be so polite! Shi Tou and I grew up together. We're not brothers, but we're closer than blood brothers. We're all family, please have a seat!"

As he spoke, Zhang Tieniu pulled out cigarettes and started handing them out. He had brought two packs of cigarettes with him today, and he figured he was almost done with them!

“Brother Qian, although our Shi Tou family is small, with only one grandmother, Shi Tou is a promising young man. He is now a sergeant and earns eight taels of military pay a month.”

"If you earn some more military merits, it'll be only a matter of time before you're promoted to a platoon leader like me. Your sister can just wait to enjoy life after marrying into the family! There's nothing messy going on at home, as long as you take good care of the old lady."

"Good, good, good!" The eldest brother of the Qian family smoked his cigarette, his eyes narrowing with laughter, and nodded repeatedly.

Soon after the wedding ceremony, Shi Tou came out, and his second uncle ordered the banquet to begin.

Today, Xi Shitou really went all out, providing chicken, duck, fish, and meat of all kinds. The large white steamed buns were plentiful, making adults and children alike drool.

"Brother Tie Niu, let me toast you first! Thank you for taking care of me all these years. Without you, there would be no Shi Tou today." Shi Tou raised his glass and his eyes reddened as he spoke.

"Hahaha, look at you, pissing your pants on your big day! What else is there to say between us brothers? Come on, bottoms up!" Zhang Tieniu picked up his cup and drank it all in one gulp.

"Good brother, you're married now. Treat your wife well and do your best in the army! Make something of yourself!" Zhang Tieniu patted Shi Tou's shoulder hard.

"Understood, Brother Tie Niu!" Shi Tou nodded.

"Hurry up and toast your second uncle and your brother Qian..."

They drank for over two hours, and Zhang Tieniu was even a little unsteady on his feet. His mother helped him walk home.

"Can't you drink less? You've made your clothes all dirty," the young woman said, as she lovingly wiped the wine stains off Zhang Tieniu's clothes with a handkerchief.

“I’m so happy, so happy today! My wife, you have no idea how hard it was for Shitou! His parents died when he was young, and he was raised by his second grandmother all by himself. When he was little…” Zhang Tieniu rambled on and on with a thick tongue the whole way.

When they got home, his mother put Zhang Tieniu on the bed, and he immediately fell asleep.

The young woman laboriously undressed him, fetched hot water to wash him, and then covered him with a blanket. She quickly fetched water to wash her own clothes, as her husband needed to wear them when he went back to her parents' home tomorrow!

The next day, Zhang Tieniu drove his horse-drawn carriage, taking his wife and children to his father-in-law's house. His family didn't own a carriage; this one belonged to the village chief's second uncle, who had offered it to him upon hearing that Zhang Tieniu was going to visit relatives.

Today, the young woman was wearing a light red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her hair was adorned with a gilded silver hairpin that Zhang Tieniu had bought for her. She also wore a light touch of rouge on her face, which attracted Zhang Tieniu's intense gaze. He hadn't expected his wife to be so beautiful!

Their daughter, Ya Ya, now has a name. It's Zhang Wanru, chosen by the instructor at Zhang Tieniu's request. Their son is named Zhang Juncai.

Today, the siblings were also dressed in new clothes, with Ya Ya wearing a cream-colored floral print dress.

The family rode in a horse-drawn carriage to the neighboring village!

Upon arriving at Wangjia Village, this time Nenniang didn't rush inside. Instead, she had Tie Niu stop at the village entrance, took some dried fruit and candy, and got out of the car.

"Oh my! It's Nen Niang? I thought it was some noble lady!" Aunt Wang, who was sewing shoe soles under the big tree, exclaimed loudly when she saw Nen Niang walking over.

"It's me! Third Aunt, how are you feeling! Little Grandma, Second Sister-in-law, are you all doing well?" The young woman kept greeting everyone without missing a single one.

"I brought some dried fruit for everyone to try," the young woman said, opening the cloth bag in her hand.

"Oh dear, how can I accept this? Mother, this is such a nice thing, you should take it back to your mother and the others!" Auntie said, feeling embarrassed, but quickly reached out and took it.

"Hey! It's nothing. My husband came back to visit this time and brought a lot with him. I just took a little bit. I hope everyone won't mind," the young woman said, waving her hand.

"Oh dear! What are you saying, young lady! I rarely get to eat such good food even during the New Year, who would dare to complain about it!" Several other women gathered around, and Aunt Wang quickly grabbed a handful and put it in her bosom.

"Tie Niu, get down here right now! Can't you see Uncle Wang and the others are here? Take out your cigarettes and give them one. They've been neighbors for years. Don't think you can act high and mighty just because you've become a minor official!" the young woman shouted.

Zhang Tieniu shook his head! His wife was putting on an act, there was nothing he could do but let her be smug for once! He quickly got up and got out of the car, took out cigarettes from his pocket and offered them to the old men.

"Young lady, your Tie Niu only joined the army last year. He's already been promoted?" Wang San Niang glanced at Zhang Tie Niu and asked in a low voice.

"Yes! It seems he made some contributions during their bandit suppression campaign! He was promoted to a minor official position, but I don't know the specifics. I just know it was something like being promoted to the ninth rank."

"Oh my god! Our village hasn't had an official for years! So, you'll be an official's wife from now on, young lady!" Aunt Wang exclaimed, attracting the attention of everyone around. Zhang Tieniu felt a little embarrassed.

"Hey! He's just a nobody. There are plenty of higher-ranking officers in Lord Shen's new army. It's nothing!" The young woman waved her hand dismissively.

"You're all busy, so I won't keep you any longer! Let's go see my parents first. It's been a while since we've seen them, and the children miss them a lot." Having achieved her goal, Nenniang turned around and drove away with Tie Niu.