Chapter 27: This is the human world

Chen Wuji experienced the morning routine of those old villagers.

Those old Lao Deng Er in the village, after getting up and washing up in the morning, sit on the kang waiting for their daughter-in-law to bring food, eat it slowly, then wait for the daughter-in-law to clear the bowls and chopsticks before tidying up and starting the day's routine.

Some people even wash their faces only after eating.

This matter almost made Chen Wuji feel awkward.

This is a miniature version of rural etiquette, but it really doesn't suit his modern soul.

After the meal, Chen Wuji packed the snake meat that Huo Sanniang had prepared into a backpack, then slung the crow and weasel onto his waist, and prepared to set out.

He looked up and saw that Huo Sanniang also brought a backpack.

"What are you looking at? I'll carry some too; You Wei doesn't need to go, she'll stay home to watch the house." Huo Sanniang said, stuffing bundles of snake meat wrapped in banana leaves into the backpack.

"Honey, can you carry it?" Chen Wuji asked.

"How could I not be able to carry it? During the time you lay on the kang, I carried you up and down the kang; this little thing is nothing." Huo Sanniang said, "Let's go."

Chen Wuji was left speechless.

He figured Huo Sanniang could talk about this for a lifetime.

"Come back early, we'll have roasted frog for lunch, right? I'll tidy up." Shen Youwei asked.

"No need, just rest; when we return I'll tidy up." Huo Sanniang said, "You've become so weak, don't worry about doing anything; when you recover and want to do something, I won't stop you."

Shen Youwei smiled with pursed lips, and the corners of her eyes suddenly grew moist.

During the days she lived in the dog kennel, she felt as if she had fallen straight from the human world into eighteen layers of hell.

But having been forced to come here, she realized this was truly the human world.

Warm people are better than everything in the world.

Chen Wuji didn't notice Shen Youwei's abnormality; he shouldered the backpack and stepped out of the courtyard ahead of them.

"Rest well; if you're really bored, just sweep the house a bit." Huo Sanniang cupped Shen Youwei's cheeks and rubbed them twice, then hurried to catch up with Chen Wuji's steps.

Shen Youwei pressed her lips, doing her utmost to hold back the urge to burst into tears.

She should smile now.

She must smile.

Although life is poor and her husband acts foolishly, they… are just too good.

She wasn't sold by the Court; she simply stumbled into a blessing.

……

On the road out of the village, Chen Wuji encountered many villagers.

Some drove donkey carts hauling grain; some carefully covered their bundles, hurrying along.

If nothing unexpected happens, these people rushing about are also paying taxes.

As Chen Wuji was about to leave the village, he met Chen Bushi and Chen Luozi.

Chen Luozi was steering a donkey cart, while Chen Bushi rode the donkey.

"How did these two end up together?" Chen Wuji muttered to himself.

"Little Wuji, hop on!" Chen Luozi called, stopping the donkey cart.

"We're going into the city." Chen Wuji said.

"I know, I'm going into the city with your third uncle; come up." Chen Luozi said.

Chen Wuji didn't decline, and he and Huo Sanniang climbed onto Chen Luozi's donkey cart.

"Going to the city to sell snake meat?" Chen Luozi waved the whip and asked casually.

"Yes, Uncle Nine, we've never sold this snake meat before; what price do you think we could sell it for?" Huo Sanniang asked with deliberate familiarity.

Chen Luozi laughed heartily: "I think about six wen is about right; don't be like Wuji who sold it for three wen last night, that's a loss. Come to think of it, I also took advantage of Wuji last night, so I'll give this kid a lesson."

Chen Wuji: ……

"Damn it, you even have the nerve to say that, and you call yourself Uncle Nine? You're just an old silver coin."

"Wuji doesn't even know if snake meat is edible; seeing someone want it, he just sold it casually." Huo Sanniang laughed and asked, "Uncle Nine, what are you going to do in the city today?"

"Me, I and Lao San have a few things we want to sell, and I'd like to buy some more, while seeing if we can scrape together the tax. The Court takes a slice from us every year, each cut harsher than the last; this life is worrisome." Chen Luozi said, shaking his head and swaying.

As he spoke, he suddenly turned his head and said, "I just remembered something— you and Wuji are married now, right?"

Huo Sanniang blushed slightly and nodded, "We got married yesterday."

"You should have a wedding feast; why haven't you two done anything? Yesterday the county even seemed to have sent Wuji another bride? It's perfect to do it together; propriety must be observed, rites cannot be abandoned." Chen Luozi said.

Huo Sanniang gave a wry smile: "We can't even get past the tax hurdle; where would we find extra money for a feast? Having the marriage certificate is enough; other things, we'll make do."

"You two— one is simple and honest, the other thin‑skinned; for this sort of thing you should ask us relatives, we'll each chip in a bit and the feast will be done." Chen Luozi shook his head, somewhat disdainful.

"When times are tough, isn't that what everyone does? When have we poor folk ever been truly well‑off? If we wait until we have money to hold a feast, it'll be the second half of our lives."

Huo Sanniang pressed her lips and said nothing.

As a new bride, she also wanted a proper, lively wedding— with suona welcoming the bride, a big red veil, happiness characters pasted on the windows, and a quilt large enough to cover two people.

But Wuji is like a child; she can't be expected to handle all this herself, can she?

That wouldn't be right either.

Chen Wuji listened to their conversation and turned his head to look into the distance.

He had also thought about a wedding.

But after considering the family's actual situation, he planned to endure the tax, earn some money, and then give Huo Sanniang and Shen Youwei a belated grand wedding.

This family is really too poor now.

And he didn't know that in the village a wedding could be organized by pooling contributions from one household and borrowing from another.

Otherwise he would definitely have arranged a feast for Huo Sanniang and Shen Youwei, even if that fool didn't pretend.

Even if the belated wedding were as grand as possible, it would still not be as good as the present.

Unfortunately, there is no unfortunately.

It's already passed, now we can only make up for it.

「Whether we have wine or not doesn't matter; this afternoon we'll come back to the ancestral hall and kowtow to the ancestors, that's enough. 」 Chen Bushi suddenly leaned his head over, slapped Chen Wuji's head, "Did you hear that?"

「I heard, I heard, San Shu, this is my head, not a mule's butt, don't use so much force! 」 Chen Wuji shouted, covering his head, this guy, he literally used all his strength.

Chen Bushi burst out laughing, 「Your head is better than a mule's butt—slap it and it makes a sound. 」

Chen Wuji reached out and gave the mule's butt a hard slap; the mule was startled, its hoof jerked and it bolted away.

「San Shu, clearly this sound is louder! 」

「You little bastard, you wait for me! 」

Chen Bushi, who had almost been flung away, shouted from a distance.