Even in a famine, there's no panic; the eldest sister has stockpiled plenty of money and grain.

That's it? Is that all?

Liu was stunned. Such an important event as a wedding was over in just two days?

“It’s the busy season for farming right now. If he marries into our family, we’ll have another strong laborer. We can bring him into our home sooner so he can start working as soon as possible.”

"Is that right?"

Liu felt dizzy from Jiang Bai's words, and she felt that her words were strange.

It's not like getting married; it's more like buying a cow—you pick it out the day before, place an order that day, and bring it home the next day.

"Isn't this a bit too rushed? And since this is a wedding, shouldn't we have a few tables set up?"

In the village, whenever someone has a wedding or funeral, they set up a few tables. This is not only to invite people to help and share in the joy, but also to exchange favors and return the gifts given to relatives.

"It's not that I don't want to hold a wedding, but my father has only been gone for a short time, and you've seen the situation at home. In addition, everyone has a lot of work to do in the fields. My wedding is a small matter, but it would be bad if it delayed everyone's work in the fields."

"I don't think it's a big deal. We can hold it later when we're less busy. Er Ya and I will make some wedding cakes for the next two nights and deliver them to everyone tomorrow so that everyone can share in the joy."

Jiang Bai didn't want to make things too complicated. After all, they were just living together, and they might break up in the future anyway, so there was no need to go through so much trouble.

Moreover, there's not much water left in the stream, and if it doesn't rain in a few more days, things will get even worse.

"What you said makes sense."

“He doesn’t have any elders in his family. Everything you give him should be brought back as dowry. After all, he’s coming to marry into the family, so you should make sure it looks good on him.”

“I don’t understand these things, so I’d appreciate it if you could teach me.”

Jiang Bai humbly sought advice.

Liu then explained the betrothal gifts from the groom's family to the bride's family, but with the genders reversed.

Jiang Bai nodded repeatedly as he listened, though whether he actually took it all in was another matter.

Because she was getting married, when she took Jiang Songwen to see a doctor, she also bought some red cotton cloth. This stuff was very expensive; a small piece cost her several taels of silver.

After Liu left, Jiang Bai took out scissors, cut the cloth, and wove it into cloth flowers with Jiang Lu. After Jiang Lu learned how, she went out with a basket on her back.

Arriving at Jiang Erlai's house, I knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

A woman's voice came along with footsteps. The door opened in front of Jiang Bai, and Aunt Qiu inside was stunned for a moment when she saw her, then quickly asked with a cold face, "What are you doing here?"

Jiang Bai pretended not to notice her expression and asked with a smile, "Auntie, could I borrow your slingshot for a moment?"

What do you need the slingshot for?

Aunt Qiu looked suspicious and said, "Never mind, it's just about feeding some birds."

"How unfilial."

She turned around and went inside, keeping her last words low, but still took out the slingshot and put it in Jiang Bai's hand.

"Don't break it, and remember to return it to me."

After saying that, she slammed the door shut, as if afraid that Jiang Bai would rush in.

Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow, took his slingshot, and went up the mountain.

When she came down the mountain, her basket was already full of harvest, but it was covered by grass, so no one knew what she was carrying.

After returning home, they ate dinner first, and then took Jiang Lu and the already awake Jiang Songwen to the clan chief's house.

"Grandpa, Grandpa."

"Bai girl, what brings you here?"

The clan chief sat on the threshold and frowned instinctively when he saw Jiang Bai, thinking that some trouble was coming again.

"Grandpa, I've come here today to tell you something. My future husband has been chosen, and I'll be going to his house to present the betrothal gifts in a little while. Tomorrow, I need the clan to help me with the transfer of my household registration."

The clan chief stopped holding his pipe.

"Did he marry into the family?"

"Yes."

"Have you really thought about it?"

"Think about it."

When should we hold the banquet?

"Everyone's busy, so we won't set it up."

The clan chief paused for a moment, then, thinking of the water level in the river and the people in the village on the other side, nodded.

"It's fine if we don't hold the ceremony. We can bring the person back, have them kowtow at the ancestral hall, and put them in the family genealogy."

"Remember to prepare three sacrificial animals to honor our ancestors."

The clan chief gave some instructions and then didn't ask any more questions. He sat on the threshold, puffing on his pipe, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Jiang Bai turned around and saw the gaunt old man sitting on the threshold of his house, his face obscured by rising smoke.

drought.

She silently recited the words to herself, then quickened her pace and led Jiang Lü and Jiang Songwen to Qianshan Village.

The gate to Ji Xiucai's house was tightly closed, but it was not locked.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door. The door opened from the inside, revealing Ji Yanwen's familiar face.

She glanced at it subconsciously; the mask, which had previously had visible edges and gaps, was now completely obscured.

"You came."

Ji Yanwen's anxious heart finally calmed down, but he was also a little annoyed.

He originally thought that her saying she would propose today and marry tomorrow was just a joke. After all, it was a wedding, and even if it was quick, it would take a few days to prepare. He didn't expect it to be so fast.

"This is the betrothal gift."

The two looked at each other in silence. Jiang Bai lifted the grass covering the basket and pulled out a wild goose. Ji Yanwen's pupils contracted instantly.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. Remember to bring your household registration documents."

After saying that, she left with her younger brother and sister-in-law, leaving Ji Yanwen standing there, watching her disappearing figure for a long time without saying a word.

After a long while, he gave a self-deprecating laugh.

Ji Mo, oh Ji Mo, you've really fallen from grace.

He laughed as he went back inside.

Soon, a meaty aroma wafted from inside. He held a golden-brown roasted goose leg in his hand, took a bite, and his mouth was filled with its delicious fragrance.

An eerie, clattering laugh could be heard from inside the room from time to time.

On the way back, Jiang Lu frequently looked up at Jiang Bai, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"what happened?"

"Sister, were you bullied by Scholar Ji?"

When the betrothal ceremony was held, the older sister was not happy at all.

"Him? He thinks he can bully me?"

"Then why are you unhappy?"

"Sigh, you don't understand, I'm just feeling a bit complicated." After all, it's my first time getting married.

Jiang Lu tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Don't think about it too much, hurry home and make wedding cakes, we need to deliver them tomorrow!"

The two sisters chatted and laughed all the way, but then they felt a bit overwhelmed thinking about the wedding cakes they were going to make that night.

Jiang Songwen had just received one treatment, but there was no visible effect yet. He just stared blankly at his two older sisters, occasionally glancing at them, but he couldn't understand why they would frown one moment and laugh happily the next.

No matter what, it's still a happy occasion.

Jiang Bai comforted himself in this way, and his mood gradually improved.

However, this good mood vanished as soon as I got home.

“Sister.” Jiang Lu nervously tugged at Jiang Bai’s sleeve.

Jiang Bai nodded, indicating that she had seen it.

The tightly closed gate of their house was now open, and the iron lock was nowhere to be seen. Smoke could be seen billowing from the chimney from a distance, and the sounds of women talking and children laughing could be heard coming from the yard.

If they hadn't left in the afternoon, she would have thought that after she had been gone for decades, the house had already been bought by someone else.

Seeing the half-open courtyard gate, Jiang Bai kicked it open. A basin fell from above, spilling foul-smelling blood. If they had pushed the door open, the blood would have splattered on their heads.