Chapter 87: Marriage

The next day, at the beginning of the sixth month, Zhuang Jin collected his monthly stipend and the silver for last month’s assignments. Afterward, he went to the duty office, and his own request had evidently been taken into consideration. This month’s posting was at the medicinal fields outside the city, under the charge of the border constable of Long Town.

The border constable at the outer medicinal fields was not as profitable in merits or in side gains as the street constables in the city, but in terms of safety it was far superior; one need only face exotic beasts occasionally. That suited him well, allowing him to digest his recent harvest and devote himself to cultivation.

There was another important matter as well: the merit-exchange ledger had been updated with a new item, the Vein-Clearing Pill.

As the saying went, if medicine failed to become a pill, it became a pellet. The Vein-Clearing Pill was the enhanced version of the Vein-Clearing Pellet. Its ingredients, such as Lotus Herb and Poison Dragon Flower, were no longer ten-year materials like those used for the pellet; they required at least twenty years of growth, and could assist martial artists in breaking through the bottleneck between the seventh and twelfth meridians.

In the past, even the town constables above the seventh meridian could exchange for meat from muscles-forging realm exotic beasts and armor made from mysterious-grade exotic beast hide. Those things had their appeal, certainly, but they lacked a certain edge. Now, with the Vein-Clearing Pill introduced specifically for them, a pill that could break through bottlenecks, the impact would likely be considerable. Compared with their former laid-back approach, they would probably become much more motivated from now on.

The smaller forces and gangs in the northern part of the city would likely be driven out faster, and the friction between the Shen family and the Medicine King Gang would then enter a white-hot stage.

Zhuang Jin considered the consequences of this matter. He was slightly puzzled as to why the Vein-Clearing Pill had appeared four months later than the Vein-Clearing Pellet, but he supposed there must be a reason for it and it was not something he needed to worry about.

It seemed that his choice of the outer medicinal fields this month had been a wise one.

Of course, these thoughts merely flashed through his mind. Today, he had a greater matter to attend to: his wedding.

...

In the Shen family’s outer residence, there were many servants and maids. Since a wedding had already been held last month, everything needed was ready and the procedures were familiar, so all proceeded in orderly fashion.

What Zhuang Jin needed to do was mainly to receive guests.

Zhuang Jin hosted those on his side, while Chen Honggan, the future younger brother-in-law, received his relatives and friends.

Qian Wende took the initiative to stay with Zhuang Jin. The fellow was quick-tongued and good at livening the mood, which would be quite useful in today’s setting, so Zhuang Jin did not refuse.

The guests on Zhuang Jin’s side were basically all from the Shen family proper, such as Ping Yongfeng, Chang Hetong, Yue Song, and others, along with some other martial artists he knew, as well as the martial arts students he had taught over the previous four months...

He had all of them in mind, yet unexpectedly there were also unanticipated visitors.

“Brother Zhuang!” Xiang Qichen said with some nervousness and a forced smile.

Truthfully, he would naturally have preferred not to come. But on the night of the ninth day of the third month, when it spread that Zhuang Jin had conquered two streets in one night and was held up as a model example, Xiang Qichen, for the sake of vanity and face, claimed that he and Zhuang Jin were on good terms. Today, his squad leader had even kindly granted him leave to attend the wedding, and had said that he could not come empty-handed.

In such circumstances, how could he possibly not come?

When Zhuang Jin broke through the third meridian in March, Xiang Qichen had suffered a devastating blow. Since then, whenever he saw Zhuang Jin, he would avoid him. Yet today he had actually come as well?

Zhuang Jin was somewhat surprised. Still, one should not strike a smiling face, especially on a day like this, so he merely gave a slight nod and said nothing.

Xiang Qichen immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

By contrast, Xiong Lei was much more natural. “Brother Zhuang!”

This fellow had changed quite a bit. On the first day of the third month, when they had met while selecting assignments, he had even taken advantage of the situation to display closeness with Zhuang Jin, borrowing his influence to gain hidden benefits.

However, he clearly had not yet fully honed his skills. Seeing Qian Wende following beside him, Xiong Lei could not resist calling out in a sour tone, “Brother Qian!”

Compared with how he addressed Zhuang Jin, that deliberately drawn-out “Brother Qian” was plainly mocking.

Yet Qian Wende only laughed and responded cheerfully.

This was where emotional intelligence showed its difference. Qian Wende naturally heard the mockery in Xiong Lei’s words, but today was Zhuang Jin’s joyous occasion, so it was not appropriate to meet insult with insult. Otherwise, with just one sentence, he could have slain the man outright: “I hear you, Xiong Lei, once had a thing for Miss Chen.” That would absolutely have shattered Xiong Lei’s composure.

Speaking of which, Xiong Lei’s feelings for Chen Yun were no secret. But for the most part, others shared the same view as Yu Xiaoxiao: a toad lusting after swan meat.

There was also Jiao Kun, who had come as well. After losing an arm in the southern part of the city, he had been assigned to guard the gate here at the main residence. When his family heard that Zhuang Jin, his former dormitory mate, had broken through the fourth meridian and that the Shen family was arranging marriages, they insisted that he come to strengthen ties.

The eight men who had once shared the dormitory, scattered for months, had unexpectedly gathered again because of Zhuang Jin, who had pulled far ahead of them all.

Not only ordinary guests, but even the eldest young master sent a trusted servant near the time of the wedding ceremony to deliver twenty taels as a gift. This both shocked and pained the other guests.

The shock came naturally because it showed that even the eldest young master knew Zhuang Jin’s name. The regret was this: it was said that last month, among the martial apprentices recruited from outside, the first to break through the fourth meridian and marry had even drawn the eldest young master himself to appear in person. Zhuang Jin had not received such treatment. That difference between first and second place, though only a matter of order, meant the loss of a fair amount of fortune.

Zhuang Jin, however, did not find this regrettable. On the contrary, he felt it was a blessing rather than a misfortune.

To stand out too much was not a good thing. Better to remain less conspicuous and keep a low profile.

...

At dusk, the ceremony began.

“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”

“Second bow to the honored elders!”

“Husband and wife bow to each other!”

With the three bows came a burst of cheers.

Among the guests, Xiong Lei watched the scene with a complicated gaze.

He had learned a lesson from Old Chen: everyone wants good things, but whether you have the strength, the资格, and the right to have them is another matter.

I am not worthy of Miss Yun.

Though people change easily in outward ways, their nature is hard to alter. As for Xiong Lei in this very moment, his heart still...

But he understood that he was not worthy of Chen Yun, that he could not give her happiness. In such a case, he would rather let go.

Seeing Chen Yun moving step by step beside Zhuang Jin, her arm linked through his, and knowing that she had chosen this willingly and was truly happy, that was enough. Even more, he felt a strange, moving emotion rise within him. Though he could not be with the girl he admired, seeing someone as outstanding as Zhuang Jin care for Chen Yun and make her happy was satisfying enough; it made him feel that life was complete.

The moment that thought arose, he suddenly felt a vast detachment and freedom, as if his whole body were shining with some nameless radiance.

...

After the ceremony, according to the customs of this world, Zhuang Jin came out to drink with the guests. Fortunately, Qian Wende and Chen Honggan shared the burden and helped him fend some of them off.

After the toasts, Qian Wende stayed at the doorway to block those who wanted to make trouble in the bridal chamber, while Zhuang Jin and Chen Honggan went inside.

At the door of the bridal chamber, Chen Honggan, already slightly drunk, suddenly knelt down. “Brother-in-law, I lost my father when I was five. Last year, my mother also... My eldest sister is like a mother to me... Sister Shu has truly never enjoyed much blessing, so please be good to her.”

This younger brother-in-law had always been generous and chivalrous, and there was the saying that a man has gold beneath his knees. Yet at this moment he was so humble. Zhuang Jin understood that all he wanted was for him to treat Chen Yun better.

He also recalled their first meeting the previous night: unwilling for Zhuang Jin to look down on him, he had brought out every bit of savings he had accumulated, and even accepted help from friends, to prepare the dowry. Zhuang Jin could not help admiring that Chen Yun had such a good younger brother, and thought that this too came from the inheritance of family upbringing.

Zhuang Jin solemnly agreed and entered.

...

Returning to the bridal chamber, Zhuang Jin lifted the veil and looked at Chen Yun, radiant beyond compare beneath the glow of the red candles. His heart skipped a beat.

Looking into Chen Yun’s eyes, he spoke from the heart: “Today the world is boundless and dim; Heaven and Earth are indifferent; all living things seek their way. Fireworks are easily extinguished, and true affection is hard to give. Others see me in glory, yet they do not know that every step I take is cautious and wary, as though walking upon thin ice, fearing even the slightest misstep. Let us take these words as mutual encouragement. I hope you and I may support each other, cross the river in the same boat, and walk steadily through these years, which are anything but peaceful.”

Chen Yun had witnessed Hou Yong bring him here in the beginning, and had seen Zhuang Jin step by step arrive at today. She could imagine how much effort he had poured into the days behind him. Yet there had been no complaint, no arrogance, no neglect—only calm composure. A trace of pity rose inexplicably in her heart, and she said softly, “I entered the Shen family’s outer residence when I was thirteen. What my husband says, I feel in my own heart... Since I have entrusted myself to you in this body, I shall naturally follow my husband in song and in step, as the moon follows the turning stars.”

Two hearts in perfect accord, knowing one another at a single touch.

Zhuang Jin looked at this profoundly intelligent woman. Whether the two of them could truly achieve that would still depend on what lay ahead.

He would not imagine marriage as too idealized. Even a fated union required adjustment. He was willing to be patient, and if there were sincerity, he would surely respond with sincerity.

Zhuang Jin reached out and took hold of Chen Yun’s wrist, feeling the tender warmth and smoothness there. His heartbeat quickened slightly, only to realize that Chen Yun was trembling with equal excitement and even greater nervousness, which made him relax at once.

“Yunniang, your heart is pounding like rice being pounded in a mortar.”

Chen Yun said nothing. She turned back with a smile, and that single glance was enough to steal the soul.

Zhuang Jin drew her into the curtains. The tenderness and love that followed need not be spoken of.

...

The next day.

Early in the morning, Chen Yun rose before dawn, as if someone were urging her on. When Zhuang Jin asked why, Chen Yun said she was afraid her husband would think her lazy.

Her conduct was so proper that Zhuang Jin silently admired it, and then rose with her to practice martial arts.

After truly marrying and living together day by day, he discovered that his bride, Chen Yun, was at first very quiet and reserved. She would not show anger if they did not see each other for a day, and when he spoke to her, unless there was a need to answer, she would only smile.

Chen Yun was also literate. When Zhuang Jin asked her about it, he learned that when Chen Yun first learned to speak, she could hear classical prose once and recite it from memory. After that, she would compare each word against the written scrolls and gradually learned to read.

Thus, she handled accounts and every sort of matter with great order and without the slightest omission.

Beyond that, she was also extremely attentive in the small details of daily life.

For example, Black Origin Powder tasted bitter beyond measure. Since Chen Yun knew that Zhuang Jin did not much enjoy wine, she prepared tea so that he could wash away the bitterness in his mouth.

For another example, once Zhuang Jin sighed that eating half a jin of exotic beast meat at a time made his blood and energy too vigorous at first, yet by the time the next meal came around, the effect had already grown weak. Chen Yun took note and prepared a plum-blossom food box.

A plum-blossom box was made of six deep white porcelain dishes, each two inches across, with one placed in the center and five around it. A layer of gray lacquer was applied, and the arrangement resembled a plum blossom. The base and lid had grooves, and the lid had a handle shaped like the flower’s stamen. Placed on the table, it looked like a plum blossom covering the tabletop, and when opened, it seemed as though side dishes had been set among the petals.

In this way, when Zhuang Jin was cultivating, the rest of the food could be kept warm in hot water. He could take it from the dishes, eat, and then add more without fear of it going cold. Chen Yun also made a low-rimmed round tray for placing teacups, making it easier to cleanse the bitterness from his mouth.

By eating smaller portions more often, the efficiency was higher, and they could also save on exotic beast meat. Such ingenuity was truly admirable.

There was also the matter of flowers.

Women and men were, after all, different. On the day after the wedding, several vases appeared on the tables in the room as decoration, filled with orchids or azaleas, making the room feel less empty. Wherever one looked, up or down, they were pleasing to the eye, and one could also smell the rich fragrance. Even one’s mood seemed to improve along with it.

Only one thing: as they spent time together, Zhuang Jin felt that Chen Yun was rather formal and restrained. Occasionally, when he draped a garment over her shoulders or straightened her sleeves, she would surely say, “Thank you.” Sometimes when they handed things to each other, she would always rise to receive them.

Zhuang Jin mentioned this once, but Chen Yun thought it was a rebuke. Her cheeks reddening, she said, “I have heard that much of the world’s wantonness and enmity begins with the smallest details. Little by little, people come to think everything is deserved. I believe that between husband and wife as well, one should remain respectful and courteous and keep proper bounds; that is precisely the path to lasting happiness.”

Hearing this, Zhuang Jin found it deeply reasonable, admitted his mistake on his own initiative, and from then on, he too gradually became that way under Chen Yun’s influence.

The two of them grew familiar with each other little by little, came to understand one another, adjusted to one another, and never once quarreled or argued. This married life far exceeded Zhuang Jin’s expectations, filling his heart with anticipation.

It was as if he had merely been surviving before, and only now had begun truly to live. Each day his heart held hope, his mood was better, and even the effects of cultivation seemed greater, advancing by leaps and bounds.

Unfortunately, the three days of post-wedding leave passed in an instant, and soon it was the fifth day of the sixth month. Zhuang Jin took Chen Yun with him to the medicinal fields outside the city.

...