Chapter 209: Two Years After Emerging (Part 2): Yang Tiexin's Grand Wedding

Grandma Sun, while surprised, looked at the group behind Mu Nianci, couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed, quickly set down the vegetable basket and called out:

"I live nearby, so I occasionally come to deliver vegetables to your father and tidy up the house. Quickly bring the people inside; your father went hunting up the mountain and won't be back until evening."

As she spoke, she pulled a key from her bosom, unlocked the door, and ushered the few people inside.

After Mu Nianci, Bao Xiruo, Yang Kang, Niu Ben, and Su Lu Zhi, Yan Hongshou, Jin Buhuan sat down, she poured tea for each of them.

The few drank tea absentmindedly, engaging in awkward small talk, and time passed extremely slowly.

In the evening, the setting sun sank into the mountains, and a blaze of crimson twilight happened to illuminate the wooden house's doorway.

When Yang Tiexin appeared at the doorway, carrying a steel fork and shouldering a wild mountain deer, the conversation inside fell silent.

"Father!"

Mu Nianci rose, her face trembling with emotion, rushed forward, took the steel fork and set it aside, and tears couldn't be held back.

Silently, they left her alone in an unfamiliar place; this past month had truly made her taste the feeling of longing for family.

"Father!"

Yang Kang also stood up, shouted, hesitated briefly, then raised his hand to take the wild mountain deer from the other's shoulder.

"Uncle Yang!" Niu Ben set down his tea bowl, stood up, and greeted with a smiling tone.

Yang Tiexin responded blankly, and when his gaze fell on a figure deep inside the house, his eyes became somewhat dazed.

But he quickly regained his composure.

He nodded toward Grandma Sun, hesitated, fixed his gaze on Bao Xiruo, and asked hesitantly: "You came because…"

Bao Xiruo's eyes were reddened, and she strained to hold back the urge to cry.

After being a married couple who respected each other like honored guests for years, then suddenly separated by life and death for over a decade, how could they now meet again without any ripple in their hearts?

She lowered her head to wipe her eyes, took a piece of paper from her sleeve, bit her lip, and hoarsely said, "This was given to me by Kang'er; I want to know whether you wrote it voluntarily."

Yang Tiexin was startled for a moment, then said frankly, "Before, there might have been some unwillingness, and my separation from you was more out of guilt and remorse, but now I have no regrets at all."

Yang Kang let out a sigh of relief inwardly.

He set the wild mountain deer down, clapped his hands, walked to his mother, and complained, "Look, look, I've told you countless times, yet you still don't believe me, Mother."

Bao Xiruo's face flushed.

She truly feared that Yang Kang or Niu Dingtian might coerce Yang Tiexin into signing this document, which would keep her uneasy.

Now that she had an answer, her tangled emotions gradually calmed down.

"Father, let's go back."

Mu Nianci wiped her tears, reached out to grasp her father's arm, and whispered, "If you don't wish to stay on the mountain, your daughter will accompany you to rent a house in Xiangyang City."

Yang Tiexin shook his head.

His gaze lingered over the people inside, finally resting on Grandma Sun; after a moment of silence, he looked at everyone and said, "If there's nothing urgent, stay another day."

He paused after that, then continued, "I intend to marry a Sun family maiden; the master of the Ancient Tomb Sect agreed two days ago. If you don't mind, wait until tomorrow's wedding to have a toast of celebratory wine before returning."

"Celebratory wine?" As soon as those words were spoken, the few inside the house froze, all looked up, and stared in disbelief at Yang Tiexin and Grandma Sun.

Grandma Sun's face flushed instantly; she pinched the edges of her clothing with both hands, looking rather embarrassed. She had just said she was only delivering vegetables and tidying up.

Seeing the reaction, Yang Tiexin frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Why not? I'm openly marrying; what's wrong with that? If any of you are unwilling, you may leave now!"

"Yes! Of course!," Yang Kang snapped to attention, shouted, "Father, if you can marry again, I'm the happiest son! Mother, give me some money; I'll go to town to buy a handsome groom's outfit for you!"

Saying that, he hurried back to his mother, and seeing the others still stunned, he waved his hand in displeasure and called out, "What are you all standing around for? My father gets married tomorrow; we should all pitch in and help!"

"Congratulations, Uncle Yang!"

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

"Wishing you an early birth of a noble child!"

The people inside recovered and offered enthusiastic blessings; Su Lu Zhi cheerfully said "Early birth of a noble child," which made Grandma Sun's face turn bright red again.

Bao Xiruo lowered her brows and eyes, stood there without speaking, her eyes still slightly reddened.

Somehow, after hearing the news, an indescribable feeling rose in her heart, and she suddenly felt much lighter.

She took twenty taels of silver from her embroidered pouch for her son, looked up at Yang Tiexin and Grandma Sun, and whispered, "Congratulations to both of you."

"You're welcome, you're welcome." Grandma Sun smiled a bit shyly; she truly hadn't expected that the Yang family elder could have such a fairy-like wife.

Seeing everyone still standing, she hurriedly called, "Everyone, please sit; dinner is almost ready, I'll go fetch some rice."

Having said that, she turned and went to a small room nearby.

Yang Tiexin said little, feeling he had been rude, and offered an apologetic fist to the others.

Then, he hoisted the wild mountain deer at the doorway, walked to a tree, tied it up with rope, took out a small knife and began to gut it.

Mu Nianci saw her father just busy skinning the deer, realized she couldn't ask anything, hesitated briefly, and entered Grandma Sun's rice-fetching room. "Mother, let's go to town together to buy some things; we can also catch the night market."

Seeing the hall's atmosphere a bit heavy, Yang Kang, smiling, weighed the silver in his hand, and leaned toward his mother to suggest.

Bao Xiruo nodded lightly, looked at Su Lu Zhi, Yan Hongshou, and Jin Buhuan, and softly said, "Thank you, seniors, for your effort."

On this descent, thanks to the three's protection all the way, she herself, though versed in martial arts, was more of a display of form.

"Madam, you're too kind!"

The three quickly clasped fists in a bow.

"Brother Ben, let's go first!" Yang Kang, laughing, slung his arm over Niu Ben's shoulder, created some distance from his mother, and whispered, "Later we'll look for a chance to roll the dice?"

Niu Ben raised an eyebrow and, without hesitation, replied, "We're not in Woniu Zhai, so why play dice? If you really have the nerve, I'll take you to drink flower wine tonight."

Yang Kang sheepishly let go of his shoulder.

He learned three vices—eating, drinking, gambling—at Woniu Zhai, but only prostitution; when he was a bit curious, his uncle Niu beat him up.

Since there was no more entertainment in mind, the group shopped quickly in the county town, and after an hour they returned to the wooden house at the foot of the mountain, carrying big and small bundles.

"Everyone, start eating; I'll go to the Ancient Tomb Sect to deliver some meals to the miss and the girls."

At the crowded dining table, Grandma Sun did not sit; she took a food container, portioned out some dishes, packed them, and apologetically said something to the others.

Yang Tiexin hesitated, then said: "Why not invite Sect Master Lin and her two disciples together?"

Sun Popo smiled and shook her head, saying: "The young lady doesn't like bustle; the elder miss has also been forbidden to go out by the young lady, but the young lady has already agreed to come over tomorrow."

"Granny, your sect is called the Ancient Tomb Sect? What a strange name." Mu Nianci couldn't help but raise her head and ask curiously.

The others also raised their heads and looked over curiously.

"Granny?"

Granny Sun was about to reply when everyone suddenly heard a clear voice from the doorway.

Then, a head poked out from outside the door, its eyes curiously fixed on the people inside.

"Miss?"

Seeing the visitor, Granny Sun's face showed surprise; perhaps she realized something, she delightedly put down the food box in her hand, waved, and smiled: "Miss Xu, you've come out? Don't stand there, hurry in and eat."

Li Mochou still had her head poking out, hearing this she giggled: "Junior sister is asleep; I slipped out while the master wasn't paying attention."

While speaking, her gaze remained curiously fixed on the strangers at the dining table.

Granny Sun's smile suddenly froze.

"This person is..."

Although he already understood in his heart, Su Lu Zhi still couldn't help but ask.

He had only just noticed that this young lady's steps were extraordinarily light, and only when he walked near the door did he become aware of it.

Granny Sun's face showed a slight embarrassment as she introduced: "This is the young lady's eldest disciple, surnamed Li; please excuse my rudeness, Mr. Su."

After saying that, she helplessly glanced at Li Mochou and said: "This is a friend from Xiangyang, someone I met on Nine Palaces Mountain. You're quick on your feet—hurry back, otherwise the young lady will find out and punish you again."

"Do you know Elder Brother Niu?" Li Mochou's eyes lit up as she asked delightedly.

"We do."

Bao Xiruo replied with a smile.

Niu Ben, Su Lu Zhi, and the others also smiled and nodded; his sect's leader really knows quite a few pretty girls.

Li Mochou's eyes lit up; she was about to ask something when her gaze suddenly shifted, and she quickly said: "Granny, I'm leaving first; the master will notice and punish me."

Before her words had fully faded, the head that had poked out from the doorway vanished, as if it had never appeared.

Just as she stepped out, Granny Sun also lifted her food box and left; after Granny Sun departed, the atmosphere at the dining table grew much more subdued.

They simply took a few bites, drank no alcohol, and after Granny Sun returned to the wooden house, they proposed to take their leave.

Because there was no place to stay in the mountains, they didn't want to let Bao Xiruo camp outdoors, so they decided to first go to town and come back tomorrow morning.

The next morning.

Mu Nianci returned to the wooden house early, intending to nicely decorate it for her father, but Yang Tiexin refused.

In the end, she merely hung a few red silk strips at the door and pasted some happiness characters.

Yang Tiexin watched his daughter, who had been busy for half a day on his behalf, feeling rather uneasy; his son's heart ultimately was not with him.

In the evening.

Yang Tiexin, dressed in a red ceremonial robe, escorted by Yang Kang, Niu Ben, Su Lu Zhi, and others, arrived at the gate of the Ancient Tomb Sect, where Lin Shinv, Li Mochou, and a delicately carved jade-like child were already waiting at the door. (End of chapter)