W Chapter 92
by VolareChapter 92: Chapter 92, End of Main Text(Story)
This year, the Shen family had a different kind of New Year. Due to Ling Xing’s change in status and the fact that he hadn’t yet married Shen Hui, Shen Gui and the others of the same generation didn’t know how to address him for a while.
Shen Lai, however, didn’t feel anything amiss. He still blurted out, “Brother-in-law.”
Whether it was eldest brother-in-law or second brother-in-law, they were all his, Shen Xiao Wu’s, brother-in-law!
So Shen Gui and the others simply followed Shen Lai and called him “Brother-in-law.”
On New Year’s Eve, the whole family stayed up in the main room.
Xie Qingya and Wang Juan were both there. The adults’ topics revolved around Shen Lai’s studies in medicine, Ling Yue’s academics, and Ling Xing and Shen Hui’s marriage.
Shen Lai, one of the parties involved, moved to Ling Yue’s side by the brazier, where he was reading a book.
He quietly asked, “Ling Yue, do you know when Brother-in-law and Second Brother got together?”
He didn’t believe he was the only one in the family who hadn’t noticed.
Ling Yue turned a page of his book, not forgetting to reply, “I always felt that Shen Second Brother’s kindness towards Brother was different.”
Shen Lai was secretly devastated.
So he really was the only one in the whole family who hadn’t noticed anything?
Xiao Chun and Xiao Xia also said they felt something was different before.
Shen Lai couldn’t understand, what was different?
Why couldn’t he feel anything?
Shen Lai scratched his head, deciding not to think about it.
Headache.
When he went back after the New Year, he would ask his master to see if the ancestral master grandmother had left any acupuncture techniques that could make people smarter.
If there were, he would try a few needles.
…
After the New Year, the Shen family became completely busy.
Ling Xing had no relatives except for Ling Yue, so Xie Qingya and Xu Youfang helped him with exchanging the betrothal tokens and other arrangements.
To avoid gossip, Ling Xing returned to the county town after the New Year, and Shen Lai and Ling Yue also went back.
Shen Hui stayed at home.
Before the wedding, he couldn’t see Ling Xing again.
He would endure these two months.
When busy, time passed quickly.
Before the wedding day, Ling Xing added a red bean and rice cake sweet porridge to the sweet soup shop and scallion pancakes and hot and sour noodles to the snack stall.
The snack stall was too small. Ling Xing wasn’t short of money now, so he asked the brokerage to help find another shop to open a second snack stall.
Ling Xing’s career was thriving, and his relationship was about to come to fruition.
Although the dating period was short due to various reasons, he and Shen Hui had really spent a long time together.
In his spare time, he would think of Shen Hui, and a smile would unconsciously appear on his face.
Lin Qingyu had been very busy lately, just like Shen Hui and Ling Xing.
The things Shen Hui had given him earlier were working, and he was now cooperating with the main family’s actions. Fan Tongliu’s matter had already been exposed.
Zhou Tuo’s name was also on the account book, so he couldn’t escape either.
The officialdom of the capital city and Yunshui County were in turmoil, but the people couldn’t feel it and didn’t care.
With that time, it was better to think about when to buy what things to get a good deal.
In mid-to-late March, Lin Qingyu sent a confidential letter to Shen Hui through a trusted aide.
The imperial appointment had been issued.
He had to get married quickly.
The date set by the family was perfect, after the appointment was issued and before he arrived.
The day before the wedding, Xu Youfang came to the county town to find Ling Xing.
She mysteriously gave Ling Xing a small box.
“Ling Xing, this is a booklet about intimate relationships for ge’ers that mother has prepared for you. You should take a good look at it today.”
Xu Youfang blushed as she spoke.
But if she didn’t say it, her family’s Ling Xing’s only ge’er friend, Qingya, although seemingly indifferent, was actually also shy and couldn’t bring himself to speak up.
Then no one would say it.
In her heart, Ling Xing was no different from her own ge’er, and these were things that a mother should teach her daughter or ge’er before they got married.
She stuffed the wooden box into Ling Xing’s arms and, looking at Ling Xing’s flushed face that he dared not lift, stifled a laugh and handed over another item.
“Mother knows what Second Son is like. This child doesn’t like or care about much. But once he likes or cares about something, no one can take it away from him.”
“Your body is weak, and he’s a reckless fellow. Mother is afraid that you will suffer, so I’ve prepared a ruler for you. Put it under your pillow, and if… if Second Son becomes confused and bullies you… you have to be ruthless and use this to hit him, understand?”
Xu Youfang couldn’t bring herself to say these things, but she was really worried about Ling Xing, so she stammered to get the words out.
She had heard that rulers hurt people a lot. One slap down, even a wolf would have to let go of the meat in its mouth.
She didn’t believe Second Son wouldn’t let go!
Xu Youfang held back the rest of her words.
Ling Xing’s face was already as red as it could be, and he never expected Xu Youfang to say these things to him.
Now he only knew how to nod, agreeing to whatever Xu Youfang said.
…
The Shen family’s Second Son in Xiao Liucun was getting married.
And he was marrying the husband of his deceased eldest brother.
Over these past few months, the Shen family had already suppressed the gossip in the village to ensure that Ling Xing would not be criticized when he married into the family.
When the news first came out, there were people in the village who gossiped.
As a result, those who had spoken ill one day were fired from working for the Shen family the next day.
The Shen family’s attitude was firm and clear.
Whoever said anything unpleasant would be punished.
Being removed from the payroll and denied work had some deterrent effect, but it wasn’t enough. Some people who didn’t care about anything still wouldn’t hold their tongues, and their words were really nasty.
The gossip finally stopped completely when the news of Shen Hui passing the provincial exam and becoming a Provincial Graduate finally reached Yunshui County.
The county government also sent people to Xiao Liucun to inform them.
There was a difference in status between a commoner and a student, a difference in position between a student and a licentiate, and a difference in class between a licentiate and a Provincial Graduate.
A licentiate could exempt one family from taxes and protect one family.
A Provincial Graduate could exempt one area from taxes and protect one area.
If you pleased the Provincial Graduate, your family could be exempt from taxes.
No one could resist such a great temptation.
The scope of five surrounding villages could be protected by Shen Hui’s status as a Provincial Graduate.
Not to mention gossiping, if they heard people from other villages gossiping about this in the future, affecting Shen Hui’s reputation, they would tear their mouths apart.
Just kidding, if the Provincial Graduate was punished because of this, would they still be able to get tax exemptions!
The villagers of Xiao Liucun were even more tight-lipped than those of the other four villages, not even daring to discuss it in private.
Chief Zhu and his wife came to the Shen family every two or three days to ask if they needed any help.
Although Shen Hui was protecting five villages at once, they were the villagers of this village after all, so he would definitely be better to them.
The chiefs of the other four villages wanted to come and ingratiate themselves, but the Shen family sent them all away, not allowing them to come again.
Chief Zhu was always happy, as if his own son was marrying a husband.
When it came to the day of Shen Hui’s wedding.
A hundred-meter-long string of firecrackers was set off at the entrance of the village, and the exploded red paper resembled red plums, covering the ground with a layer.
The villagers of Xiao Liucun all turned out, happily welcoming the bride.
An exquisitely crafted sedan chair was carried by six sedan chair carriers.
The band played festive music. Ling Xing wore a red wedding gown, his hair tied up with red silk.
Listening to the somewhat familiar wedding music, he remembered the first day he transmigrated, it was also this music that sent him into the Shen family.
He bowed to the elders with Shen Hui.
But at that time, he was Shen Hai’s husband.
“The groom is here to welcome the husband!”
The matchmaker shouted loudly outside, and the sedan chair curtain was lifted.
Ling Xing looked up and saw Shen Hui in a wedding gown, looking at him with a deep gaze.
His tall figure reached into the sedan chair, and the curtain fell.
The space, which was already somewhat large, instantly became cramped.
Shen Hui raised Ling Xing’s face and gently kissed his eyes.
Ling Xing, whose eyelashes trembled and whose heart was uneasy, heard Shen Hui say, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll carry you.”
Shen Hui smiled and carried Ling Xing out of the sedan chair.
He saw relatives and villagers clapping and congratulating on both sides, and remembered when he first set up a stall, he carried Ling Xing like this.
In that day after day of getting along, it made him want to carry Ling Xing openly and legitimately forever.
After many hardships, he was finally able to accept everyone’s blessings in front of everyone, carrying his star home.