Chapter 26: The Proposal Amidst the Ceremony

As dusk descended, carried on the briny sea breeze from Luohai’s shores, it ushered in the opening chords of Tianmen Village’s annual memorial ceremony. Under the watchful eyes of over a hundred villagers, the old village chief, cloaked in a white ceremonial robe for ancestral worship, leaned on his staff with one hand and held a blazing torch aloft in the other. With a gravely solemn motion, he ignited the towering bonfire. In the blink of an eye, a crimson light, like a sword drawn from its sheath, pierced the tranquil night sky, effortlessly streaking towards the heavens.

“May heaven grant us auspicious times, may earth bestow abundant blessings, and may our hearts be united in righteousness!”

As the old village chief’s resonant shout echoed, the musicians poised by the stage seized their cue, their instruments springing to life with a medley of strings and winds. In accordance with the memorial ceremony’s ancient customs, the commencement of music heralded the ancestors’ descent. Villagers were then expected to seek out a dance partner of the opposite s*x and circle the bonfire in a dance, a ritual to entreat the heavens for abundant harvests and favorable weather in the year ahead.

No sooner were the words spoken than the young men, with an almost telepathic understanding, promptly abandoned the other eligible maidens. In a flash, they formed a boisterous circle around Wu Xiyu, much like a clamoring flock of mynahs, each incessantly vying for her hand as a dance partner.

“Xiyu, you danced with Old Brother Yao last year. This year, by all rights, you ought to dance with me…”

“Get out of the way! My father is a master bricklayer; your family’s repairs next year will still depend on his skill!”

“What’s so remarkable about a bricklayer? My father is a renowned textile artisan! We might skip a year of repairs, but can your family go a year without clothes?”

“Comparing fathers? This is an invitation to dance, not a fatal accident! Does ‘daddy’s status’ even apply here?”

“Make way, all of you! Get out of my sight, you worthless rabble…” At that moment, Young Li Chun, not one to be left out, surged into the fray. “Sister Xiyu, whenever your father borrowed our cart, my own father never once showed the slightest displeasure. Now that I’m here to invite you to dance, surely you wouldn’t frown upon my request, would you?”

“I…”

No sooner had Wu Xiyu parted her lips than, before she could even utter a complete sentence, the clamoring young men beside her could no longer contain themselves.

“What is your dilapidated cart worth? If Sister Xiyu is willing, I’ll gift her several acres of our finest vegetable plots!”

“What good are your paltry few acres of vegetable garden? If Sister Xiyu is willing, she can have all the livestock from our farm!”

“Your few livestock are filthy and reek, and you have the audacity to offer them? Look at this coiled dragon carving, crafted from rare huangli wood, from my home! My father spent an entire year carving it, and rumor has it, it’s destined for Tianyu City as an imperial tribute! If Sister Xiyu simply nods, I’ll have it delivered to her home immediately…” His grand boast was cut short mid-sentence as a powerful hand clamped down on his wrist. He spun around, and the young man instantly recoiled, his voice shrinking. “Father, you… why are you here?”

“If I hadn’t come, wouldn’t this wooden carving, into which I poured my heart and soul for an entire year, be squandered by you, my prodigal son, as a mere courtship gift?”

“Father, allow me to explain…”

Before he could finish his plea, his father clamped a firm grip on his son’s ear, forcefully dragging him away.

“What an utter disgrace! Come with me; we’ll discuss this further when we’re home!”

“Ow, ow, ow…”

He was not alone; the fathers of the other young men had, by unspoken agreement, converged. One by one, they seized their unfortunate sons, dragging them away from the scene.

“You prodigal! Our family’s vegetable plots, painstakingly cultivated for decades, and you’d just give them away at a whim?”

“You wretched boy, cease your disgraceful antics and come home with me immediately!”

“Never in all the generations of our family has there been one like you…”

In mere moments, the clamoring ‘mynahs’ were thoroughly rounded up by their exasperated fathers, leaving only Li Chun standing amidst the sudden quiet.

“Hah—this is fate, truly divine providence!” He couldn’t help but let a triumphant smile spread across his face. In that very instant, however, an unbearable, searing pain shot from the base of his ear, coursing through his entire body like an electric current. “Ow, ow, ow—Father, stop pulling!”

Old Man Li’s face contorted into a furious snarl, and the moment his eyes landed on his son, he erupted in a torrent of curses. “You wretched boy! Didn’t I send you to invite Miss Song to dance? And here you are, having vanished in a puff of smoke!”

“But I’ve been waiting for years for this moment, and finally…”

“Cease your prevarications! You and Qianqian are betrothed from birth; there is no other choice. Now, come with me!”

“Alright, alright, let’s speak civilly and stop pulling my ear, it hurts—!”

No sooner had Li Chun been hauled away than Yao Tian sauntered over, a decidedly smug grin plastered across his face. “This motley crew truly indulges in pipe dreams; it takes their own fathers to bring them back to their senses!”

“Xiao Tian, were those men summoned by you?”

“Naturally, it was I,” Yao Tian declared, puffing out his chest with pride. “Only I could devise such an ingenious solution!” With that, he extended a hand to Wu Xiyu, inviting her with practiced familiarity. “But enough of that. In truth, I, too, have come to invite you to dance!”

“Hmm…”

‘How peculiar. She had always accepted with such delight before. Why did her mood feel so different this time?’

“Xiyu?”

“Xiao Tian…”

“It appears you’ve already sensed it,” Yao Tian remarked, producing a magnificent bouquet from behind his back. “These are Heavenly Fate Orchids, and I spent an entire afternoon gathering them, solely to arrange them into this exquisite bouquet for you.”

“Heavenly Fate Orchids…”

“The Heavenly Fate Orchid is the traditional flower exchanged in betrothal ceremonies,” Yao Tian announced, a confident smile gracing his features. “I am not merely inviting you to dance; I am… inviting you to join me in my life, forevermore.”

“Hmm…”

For reasons she couldn’t quite discern, Wu Xiyu felt an inexplicable unease blossom within her, causing her to involuntarily recoil a half-step.

“Everyone agrees that a proposal made during the memorial ceremony is considered the most solemn and earnest of gestures…”

Wu Xiyu gently interjected, “Xiao Tian, I’m afraid I’m not feeling quite well today, and I truly wish to return home early to rest.”

“There’s no rush,” Yao Tian insisted, taking a step closer and gently but firmly urging the bouquet into her hands. “Please, just accept the flowers first…”

“Hmm…” Wu Xiyu retreated another step. “Xiao Tian, please don’t insist…”

In that brief interval, the surrounding villagers had all drawn near, forming a tight circle. Almost every face among them was alight with anticipation, eagerly awaiting Wu Xiyu to accept the bouquet from Yao Tian’s outstretched hand.

“Simply accept this bouquet, and I shall personally escort you home. Would that not be agreeable?”

Wu Xiyu, never adept at refusing others, could only continue to retreat, her voice trailing off. “Xiao Tian, I…”

It was at this precise moment that an unknown voice, tearing through the air, bellowed from within the throng: “Look! Someone approaches, mounted on a magnificent steed!”

In the span of a single breath, every eye in the village pivoted towards the entrance. There, astride a gleaming saddle, was He Junan, mounted on a horse of pure black, its coat shimmering under the enchanting moonlight. He galloped towards them with such an effortless grace that, in an instant, he captivated the entire assembly.

The moment Wu Xiyu spotted his arrival, her clear eyes immediately lit up with the same delight a child finds in a beloved sweet. “Junan!!!” she exclaimed, and without a moment’s hesitation, she darted towards him. In doing so, she brushed past Yao Tian, who stood before her. It was in that precise instant that he seemed to grasp a profound truth, and slowly, his hand descended, lowering the bouquet.

“Xiyu…”

“You must be utterly exhausted, aren’t you?” Wu Xiyu said, her smile radiant. “Thank you for your hard work, and welcome home.”

“Er…” He Junan’s face instantly flushed a deep crimson, all the way to the tips of his ears. “Yes, oh, uhm…”

Li Chun circled the horse for a considerable time, his eyes wide with sheer wonder, his face alight with undisguised envy. “Junan, where on earth did you acquire the means to purchase such a magnificent steed?”

“You might scarcely believe it, but my shopkeeper, finding the constant back-and-forth on a donkey—a four-legged beast of burden, mind you—far too cumbersome, simply gifted me this fine steed.”

No sooner had Li Chun extended a hand to stroke the horse than the animal swung its head around, fixing him with such a fierce glare that it quite literally froze him in his tracks.

“The merchants in town truly are a breed apart, their generosity so utterly extraordinary! To gift a magnificent steed without so much as a blink!” Old Man Li exclaimed, a note of awe in his voice. “You wretched boy, look at him! He goes off to work and returns with a magnificent steed!”

“Father, everyone else’s child is perfect in your eyes. Why don’t you go be someone else’s father then?”

“You wretched boy, you dare to defy your father in public? Beware, or I’ll give you a good thrashing—!!!”

“No, no, no—”

“Young man, have you had your meal yet?” Just as Old Man Li was about to strike Li Chun, the old village chief, leaning on his staff, approached He Junan, a peculiar, forced smile on his face. “We’ve just finished our feast, and there’s still quite a bit left. Why not stay and have a bite or two?”

“No need, Grandpa Village Chief. Leftovers aren’t very appetizing. I’ll just go home and make him some hot food to eat.” For some reason, a hint of displeasure crossed Wu Xiyu’s face.

“It’s so late, and you’ve been busy all day. Aren’t you tired?”

“Thank you for your concern. If it means he can eat his fill, no hour is too late, no effort too tiring.”

Upon hearing her reply, a distinctly overt expression of displeasure settled on the old village chief’s face, his lips subtly tightening.

He Junan, unable to spot a familiar figure, glanced left and right, but ultimately found no trace of him. “Xiyu, where is Uncle Wu?”

“Father said he had matters to attend to and left this afternoon. I haven’t seen him since.”

“I see…” He Junan then extended his hand to her, his face flushing crimson as he invited her openly before the gathered crowd, “Come, I’ll take you home.”

Wu Xiyu did not hesitate for a moment, nodding decisively before extending her own hand to his. “Yes, let’s go home…”

And so, under the gaze of over a hundred villagers, He Junan rode off on his magnificent steed, carrying Wu Xiyu away. The old village chief watched their figures grow distant, his expression growing increasingly grave, his eyes holding an unusual hint of indignation. He murmured He Junan’s name under his breath.

Yao Tian tossed the Heavenly Fate Orchids carelessly to the ground, sighed, and with a gloomy, dejected expression, walked towards his home.

“Yao Tian, the memorial ceremony isn’t over yet. Where are you going?”

“Don’t bother me. I’m tired and want to rest…”

With that, he stepped over the threshold and slammed the door shut with a heavy thud.

Meanwhile, on their way home, Wu Xiyu’s spirits were exceptionally high, and she couldn’t help but hum a cheerful tune.

“You must be exhausted today, aren’t you?”

“Not really. Everyone helps out a little, so there wasn’t much to do in the end.”

“That’s good…”

“Was your first day at work smooth?”

“It was nothing but endless work; I practically finished everything myself, leaving nothing for anyone else.”

“Was the shopkeeper taking advantage of you?”

“No, no, it wasn’t the shopkeeper taking advantage of me. It’s just that I’m highly efficient, and the bank’s clients all prefer someone who works quickly and reliably like me.”

Wu Xiyu lowered her head, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks. “That’s good…”

“You wouldn’t believe it, but I almost caused a huge disaster today.”

“What happened?”

“I ran into that notorious young master from the Lin family at the bank…”

He Junan recounted all the day’s events and observations with great enthusiasm to Wu Xiyu, who listened patiently and quietly until the very end. She seemed to thoroughly enjoy their time alone together, as if both her mind and body found solace in his presence.

Upon arriving back at the small wooden house, He Junan dismounted with a single fluid leap, his foot gracefully striking the stirrup. He then turned back and extended a hand to Wu Xiyu, intending to help her dismount with an elegant gesture.

Wu Xiyu, having never ridden a horse before, was tentative as she tried to dismount. Unexpectedly, her balance faltered, and she tumbled directly into his arms. He, in turn, instinctively embraced her tightly. They held each other for a brief moment before instantly springing apart as if shocked by electricity, both exclaiming in unison, “I—I’m so sorry…”

“It’s getting late,” Wu Xiyu said shyly, twirling a strand of hair. “Wait a moment, I’ll be quick in the kitchen!” She turned to look back and instantly froze. “Strange, why aren’t there any candles lit inside the house…?”

“Could it be that Uncle Wu hasn’t returned yet?”

“It’s pitch black outside; where could Father have gone…? It truly makes one worry.”