Chapter 41 Ah 4
Shen was stunned and asked, "Ah Si, is it the mute girl Ah Si from the scholar's family?" In her memory, there seemed to be only one person named Ah Si.
Third Aunt nodded in agreement.
"Oh, it's her. I remember she never interacts with outsiders. Why is she here?" Shen was very puzzled about Ah Si's purpose.
"Changzhou, for so many years, Ah Si has been visiting your parents' graves regularly to sweep the graves." Third Aunt did not answer Shen's question, but looked at Shen Changzhou.
"Aunt San, is Ah Si okay?" Shen Changzhou asked.
"Well, she is an orphan, it's hard to say whether she is good or not, we can only say that she is alive. Since her father, the scholar, passed away, she has been living with her blind grandmother?" Aunt San sighed and continued, "Changzhou, go see her, she has suffered a lot for you."
Shen was confused. What was going on? Her eldest brother had been missing for more than ten years. She only discovered Ah Si after he came back. It was unbelievable.
Shen Changzhou said yes, asked Qin Zhi for some fruit candies, and went out in the night.
Shen kept pestering Third Aunt to ask what was going on, and Qin Zhen and Qin Zhi also looked at Third Aunt with curiosity.
Third Aunt was speechless. Why were they so gossipy?
Third Aunt opened the valve of memory: Ah Si's house was near the foot of the mountain, at the innermost of the village. That year, the news of your brother's death came back, and we built a tomb for him at the foot of the mountain. Your third uncle accidentally discovered that Ah Si always appeared there, and he obviously cried. Two years later, the scholar also passed away, and only she and her grandmother were left at home. The second beggar in the village climbed up the wall of her house, and she would rather die than obey, so she took a kitchen knife and chopped off one of the second beggar's legs. This incident caused a big fuss, and later someone from the county government came to commend her.
Qin Zhen was puzzled and asked, "Why can you be rewarded for cutting off his legs?"
"It was the third leg that was chopped off," said Aunt San slowly.
Shen's face flushed and she quickly changed the subject.
Only Qin Zhi knew that this was how much the imperial court valued chastity.
Shen Changzhou came back soon, his brows relaxed and with a hint of excitement.
"Uncle San, Aunt San, let's go and ask Ah Si for marriage as soon as possible."
As soon as Shen Changzhou finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
"Tell me slowly, how can a thirty-year-old man act like a young boy?" Uncle Shen rolled his eyes at Shen Changzhou.
"I went to see Ah Si. She had been waiting for me. I always thought she had been a wife for so many years." Shen Changzhou smiled innocently.
"Uncle, did you give the candy you took from me just now to Aunt Si?" Qin Zhi teased.
Shen Changzhou was still a little embarrassed, but admitted it happily.
Shen asked curiously, "Brother, when did you get together with Ah Si? How come I don't know anything about it?"
"What do you mean by being in love? What we have is mutual love," Shen Changzhou rolled his eyes at his sister.
"Okay, you're not ashamed. I'll talk to your uncle tomorrow and propose marriage as soon as possible," said Uncle Shen with a smile.
"It has to be quick. I have to return to the army before the 15th of next month." Shen Changzhou said.
Uncle Shen frowned. "You still want to return to the army?"
Shen Changzhou nodded in agreement.
"My uncle is now General Weiyuan, a fifth-rank general. In my mind, he is a great hero who defends his country." Qin Zhi said with admiration.
"Changzhou is a general, good boy, you have done a good job and brought honor to our Shen family," Uncle Shen patted Shen Changzhou on the shoulder with a smile on his face.
Early the next morning, Shen Changzhou urged his third uncle and aunt to go to his uncle to discuss his marriage.
Everyone was speechless. They had never seen anyone so anxious.
His third uncle and aunt also let him do as he pleased, and went happily to look for Uncle Shen.
When Uncle Shen's family learned about this, they were all surprised. They didn't expect that the two had fallen in love with each other more than ten years ago. Ah Si had actually waited for Changzhou alone for so many years. This child must have suffered so much.
However, when they thought about the upcoming happy event, everyone became excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood and started to prepare for it actively.
After a day's discussion, they invited the town's famous matchmaker Fan to propose marriage. The new house would still be the old courtyard of the Shen family, and after the wedding, they would move together to the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain in Shitou Village.
The marriage of rural people is very simple. They choose an auspicious day to propose marriage, then choose a day to send betrothal gifts and marry the bride. It is not as complicated as that of the aristocratic families.
This also made everyone very busy. Cousin Shen Changlin helped to find a few good brothers to come over and renovate and paint the Shen family's old house inside and out, and clear the weeds in the yard. Qin Zhen and her sister helped to decorate the new house, putting up anything festive.
On the day of the marriage proposal, the eldest uncle, the eldest aunt, the third uncle and the third aunt all went out. Shen felt that it was unlucky to be divorced, so she did not go. Matchmaker Fan dressed very festively today and led everyone to Ah Si's house. Qin Zhi relied on his young age and hid in the team and followed.
Ah Si supported the blind old lady and greeted the guests at the door.
This was the first time Qin Zhi saw Ah Si. She had eyebrows like crescent moons, a delicate and upturned nose, red lips and white teeth. She was definitely a beauty in ancient costume.
Ah Si's face was shy, but his eyes were full of joy.
The elders gathered around the old lady to discuss various wedding matters, and the old lady responded happily.
As the younger one, Ah Si was so shy that he hid in the kitchen.
Qin Zhi sneaked into the kitchen and called out, "Aunt Si."
Ah Si was surprised. Seeing that Qin Zhi and Shen Changzhou had similar features, he used a burnt firewood stick to write on the ground: "Are you the older or younger twin?"
"I am the younger sister Qin Zhi. I have canine teeth, but my elder sister doesn't," she said, opening her mouth and showing her teeth to Ah Si.
"Aunt Si, I came here secretly with a mission. Let me measure your size so we can prepare your wedding dress." After saying that, Qin Zhi took out a ruler and started measuring Ah Si.
Ah Si blushed as Qin Zhi measured him.
"Okay, Aunt Si, just wait at home. I will make you the most beautiful bride." Qin Zhi stuck out his tongue and slipped out.
The marriage has been settled and the wedding date is on the 28th of this month, which is less than ten days away.
Shen Changzhou went to Ah Si's house every day, either to help fetch water or chop wood. Uncle San and Aunt San said that the bride and groom could not meet before the wedding, but Shen Changzhou refused to listen. Later, Shen Changlin couldn't stand it anymore and dragged him up the mountain to look for wild geese. There was a pair of wild geese in the betrothal gift.
Two days before the wedding, Shen Changzhou's cousin and brothers from the clan carried the betrothal gifts to Ah Si's house. The wedding dress was also delivered, and even the old lady's clothes were prepared.
The wedding day finally arrived. Shen Changzhou changed into the wedding suit Qin Zhi had prepared for him. His already handsome appearance made him even more handsome.
The groom rode on a red horse, looking handsome and elegant. Behind him followed a wedding procession with music and drums. It took only half an hour to get from the Shen family's old house to Ah Si's house, but it felt like a century to Shen Changzhou.
After entering the house, Shen Changzhou personally carried the bride into the sedan chair.
The eight-man sedan was lifted steadily and followed by the horse ridden by Shen Changzhou back to the Shen family's old house.
The old house of the Shen family was now filled with joy, with red lanterns hanging from the eaves and red wedding characters pasted on the windows. Uncle Shen lit a brazier in front of the old house, and the newlyweds stepped over it.
The aunt distributed wedding candies to the villagers who came to watch the fun, and everyone happily expressed their blessings.