Chapter 58: Neighbor's Nighttime Wedding

The Tiger Bone Wine that Zhou You purchased was delivered before dark.

The one delivering the goods was still the young man in green, Du He, who moved the 10 jars of Tiger Bone Wine to the entrance of Zhou You's house.

"Young man, have a drink of water."

Zhou You Niang handed him water to drink and asked enthusiastically, "How much do you earn a month doing this job?"

The young man in green hesitated for a moment and replied, "10 taels."

"Oh, that's not a small amount; my old man only..."

Zhou You was listening from the side and silently moved the Tiger Bone Wine back into his room.

A martial artist with internal strength earning 10 taels of silver a month sounds a bit low.

But Zhou Laodie had just taught him a lesson that there are hidden benefits and extra income when working for others.

As a martial artist with internal strength working at Xingren Tang, would the young man in green get an internal employee discount when purchasing Secret Medicine?

Perhaps the other party's life is even more comfortable than his own!

"Your neighbor is quite lively; there's red silk hanging on the door frame. Are they getting married?"

When Du He came to deliver the goods, he passed by Mou Laoyao's house and saw the whole family busy.

"What, that's too rushed! Why didn't I hear any wedding music?"

Zhou You Niang was astonished; the person had only just entered the house during the day, and they were rushing to hold the wedding at night.

She looked at Zhou You, and Zhou You shook his head, signaling her not to gossip and that they should ignore that family's affairs.

Given Mou Laoyao's stinginess, it was truly possible that to save money, he wouldn't even hire a band and would just hang a foot or two of red cloth at the door to get married.

Du He finished the water and politely returned the water ladle, "Ma'am, I'll be going now."

"Guest, come back to patronize our business next time."

"I definitely will next time."

After the young man in green, Du He, left, Zhou You finished moving the Tiger Bone Wine, and by this time, Zhou Laodie had returned from his post-meal stroll.

"You'er, Mou Laoyao is hosting a banquet tonight but didn't invite our family. Stingy, truly stingy."

"Even though our two families have fallen out, given the neighborly friendship of so many years, I would have at least given him a red envelope of 1 or 2 taels."

Zhou Laodie spoke with a sour tone; he was a man who cared about face. Whenever there were weddings or funerals among the neighbors, when had he ever failed to contribute?

Even if the banquet was held shabbily, with only big bones stewed with cabbage and not even a few slices of fatty meat, he would still eat it happily.

That is how human relations work; if you treat me with importance, I will also show up to support you and give you face.

Mou Laoyao rushed to hold a banquet but specifically didn't invite his long-time neighbor.

"If he doesn't invite us, then he doesn't!"

Zhou You patted his chest, "Tomorrow, I'll treat you to a meal at Zhaijin Lou, a first-class banquet."

"It would be spending my own money." Zhou Laodie decisively refused, "I won't eat it."

"His father, Mou Laoyao is marrying a concubine for his son..."

Zhou You Niang had just started speaking when she was corrected by the old man, "How is that marrying a concubine? It is clearly marrying a wife."

A few days ago, Mou Laoyao's family had been telling everyone that they were marrying a concubine!

"His son didn't do his job well at the restaurant, ruined a big matter, and ended up being sent to the back kitchen to wash dishes."

"Haha, a dishwasher dares to marry a concubine? Wouldn't Li Erlengzi, who pulls the cart, be able to take a third concubine?"

Zhou Laodie laughed, but was reminded by Zhou You Niang, "Mou Xiaoli is marrying a wife tonight; I'm afraid their family will be able to hold a grandson by next year."

The scene fell into silence. Zhou You saw that the conversation was taking a wrong turn and turned around to head back to his room.

"You'er, why are you walking so fast? Let's chat some more!"

At the entrance of Mou Laoyao's house, a slightly shabby wedding banquet was underway.

Although the guests had been mentally prepared, they were still shocked by the family's stinginess once they arrived at the scene.

The tea leaves were steeped until they turned white, yet they kept desperately adding boiling water; it really tasted no different from plain water when drunk.

The sugar pellets on the plates looked like sheep droppings, making people not even have the heart to reach out and take one.

The boiled cabbage in water didn't have a single drop of oil, and the only "hard" dish was fried bean pods with pork cracklings.

"Mou Laoyao really made a profit today."

The guests estimated that even if they took away the tables and chairs, the gift money they had given wouldn't be recouped.

Although the banquet was shabby and the wedding wine was either as bland as water or so sour and astringent it could be used as vinegar, the bride was still very beautiful.

A figure like a fairy descending to earth, how did she end up in Mou Laoyao's family? She has a life of suffering to look forward to!

The groom, Mou Xiaoli, was so happy that snot bubbles were forming, his eyes staring straight at his new wife.

He had been working hard lately, soaking his hands in cold water to wash dishes, and the joints of his fingers had turned white from the soaking.

However, Mou Xiaoli still dreamed of a comeback and firmly refused to leave Zhaijin Lou.

Whenever he thought of Zhou You, he felt unconvinced. What's so great about him? Even if my generation fails, the son I have will be able to eat in a second-floor private room in the future, and when that time comes, I'll have your son serve him dishes.

Mou Xiaoli looked at the bride's profile and became even more infatuated. In the past, he wouldn't have dared to dream that he could marry such a beautiful wife.

The faint fragrance wafting from her made his lower abdomen feel uncomfortably tight.

Mou Xiaoli thought of the intoxicating scenery of the bridal chamber and felt that the first half of his life had been lived in vain.

Men, men, is a man without a wife still a man?

So what if Zhou You next door has status? He has no wife; he is just a bachelor.

A sense of superiority sprouted in Mou Xiaoli's heart; at least in this regard, he had already won over Zhou You.

"It's getting late, everyone please head back!"

Once Mou Laome spoke, the guests were all waiting for him to distribute wedding eggs; this was a classic part of the process.

"What, quail eggs?"

The guests were all stunned; in all their years, they had never heard of using quail eggs as wedding eggs—was it not shameful?

Each finger-sized wedding egg looked at them like a mocking eye.

The guests completely erupted, cursing and swearing as they left without looking back.

"Wife, let us enter the bridal chamber!"

Mou Xiaoli grabbed his new bride's hand; although the surroundings were filled with the guests' curses, he could not hear them at all.

"Mm, husband!"

Two patches of blush flew onto the new bride's cheeks, making her look even more charming.

Mou Xiaoli impatiently picked up the new bride and hurried into the bridal chamber.

"This lad is even more impatient than I was back then; he shouldn't wear the new bride out."

Mou Laoyao grumbled while cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, collecting the soups, liquids, and leftovers into a wooden bucket to keep for their own consumption, not wasting even a tiny bit.

During this time, a few stray dogs came over to beg for food, but he kicked them away.

The stray dogs barked wildly, accusing this household of being inhumane, and the chaos lasted for quite a long time.

"Give this bag of wedding eggs to the Zhou Family!"

After finishing the cleanup, Mou Laoyao saw a few bags of wedding eggs left over and called his old wife over to hand her one.

The old wife was full of confusion, "Didn't we have a falling out with their family?"

"That is why we didn't invite them to eat, but one thing is one thing; as neighbors, they must pay their gift money."

Mou Laoyao's abacus clattered loudly, "If you send them the wedding eggs, the gesture is made. Old Zhou is a man who cares about face; won't he have to wrap up a gift of one or two taels of silver for us?"

"Hurry up and go; Old Zhou was recently promoted and is making big money."

The old wife, half-believing and half-doubting, carried the wedding eggs away, but returned a moment later with them untouched.

"Their son didn't want them, saying our wedding eggs are too small and get stuck in his teeth."

Mou Laoyao flew into a rage, "Preposterous! Old Zhou's son is too unreasonable; he deserves to never be able to take a wife!"

This was already the most vicious Curse he could think of.