TIPS – Chapter 8

Inside the Song Residence in Lihua Town, in Song Man’s study.

He San stood respectfully, listening as Song Man instructed, “I’m leaving the young master’s wedding arrangements in your hands. You should know what to do, right?”

Having served beside Master Song for over a decade, He San understood his master’s thoughts well—there were only a few possibilities. He immediately assured him, “Rest easy, Master. I will make sure it is grand and proper, so that all of Lihua Town will know of your generosity.”

Using the young master’s marriage as an opportunity, there were plenty of things that could be maneuvered.

“Hm, I heard the Wang family has been quite high-profile lately…” Song Man mentioned cautiously. The Wang family was their long-time rival in town, and he was wary of their influence.

“You’re right, Master,” He San responded, his mind already calculating his own gains. “But that Wang family brat is young and reckless—his arrogance won’t last long.” He was also considering how much he could pocket from the wedding arrangements. Seizing the moment, he suggested, “Why not use this opportunity to make the Wang family keep a lower profile?”

“Oh?”

He San probed further, “How much do you plan to give as the dowry for the young master?”

“Hmm…” Song Man hesitated. He had money, but he had never married off a child before, so he had no precedent to follow. “How much do you think is appropriate?”

He San thought to himself: the more, the better. He could also take a cut from the young master’s side. So he suggested, “How about thirty-eight dowry chests?”

Song Man winced at the number. “That many?”

He San chuckled. “Make sure to include more large items and reduce the amount of valuable jewelry and trinkets. That way, it looks impressive without being too costly.”

Song Man considered this and found it reasonable. After a moment, he nodded. “Alright then. Thirty-eight chests—more large items, fewer gold and silver accessories. As for fabrics… handle it as you see fit.”

He San followed up, “What about silver and land?”

Song Man asked, “Do we have any land in Chashan Village?”

He San nodded. “Yes, I remember we own about 150 mu of rice fields there.”

Hearing that it was only 150 mu, Song Man wasn’t too concerned. “Give it all to him. As for silver… thirty thousand taels.”

And just like that, without Song Jingwei’s knowledge, his dowry was decided: thirty-eight chests, 150 mu of rice fields, and 30,000 taels of silver.

In a place like Lihua Town, this was an unmatched dowry. Though Song Man didn’t particularly care for or love his son, he was wealthy and willing to spend money to build his reputation.

When the news spread through the residence, Lychee was both thrilled and shocked. Although Master Song was usually generous, this dowry was excessive. He immediately ran to share the good news with Song Jingwei.

“Young Master, the Master treats you so well! This dowry is enormous!” Longan added in excitement.

Song Jingwei smiled faintly at their words. He wasn’t actually Song Man’s son, so receiving this fortune felt like an unexpected windfall.

“Aren’t you happy about it?” Lychee and Longan asked, puzzled by his lack of enthusiasm.

“I’m happy,” Song Jingwei replied, but his tone was perfunctory. His calm expression revealed nothing of his true feelings.

After sending away the two chatty young servants, Song Jingwei sat alone in his room, reading. Several days had passed since he arrived in this world, and he had already read most of the books in the study. Based on the scattered clues within them, he was piecing together the structure of this society.

Among the many things that troubled him, one stood out: men could conceive children. This fact had been gnawing at him since he arrived. And based on his deductions… there was a high chance he was already pregnant.

Yes. All because of that damned river water he drank.

“…”

Song Jingwei placed a hand on his still-flat stomach, his expression shifting through various emotions. Yet, in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to feel any resentment.

Having endured death and illness in his past life, he had developed a unique reverence for life. If possible, he did not want to lose any life that had already begun.

The thought of leaving the Song residence had briefly crossed his mind before. Even now, he had not completely made up his mind.

But time waits for no one. In the blink of an eye, over twenty days had passed.

Today, the seamstresses in the household finally finished his wedding attire. Lychee and Longan carefully carried the garments back from the tailoring room, ready for him to try them on.

Worried about the complexity of the outfit, Lychee offered, “Young Master, this wedding robe is so intricate… do you need help putting it on?” They hadn’t assisted him with dressing or bathing in a long time.

“No need,” Song Jingwei refused, instructing them to leave the clothes and exit the room.

As he changed, his hand brushed over his still-flat stomach. His expression was complicated. Though there was no obvious physical sign, he knew—he was absolutely certain—something inside him had changed.

After a long while, he removed the well-fitted wedding robes and changed back into his regular clothes. Stepping outside, he called, “It fits well. You can take it away.”

With the final fitting done, the wedding day was fast approaching.

For the past half-month, Song Jingwei had refrained from drinking tea and had stopped worrying about other matters. He seemed entirely at peace with the idea of his marriage.

Meanwhile, at the Shen residence, everything was ready. The entire house had been spruced up, inside and out, awaiting the big day.

“Husband, when can we put up the red wedding banners?” Yang Shi asked, staring at them eagerly.

With only two days left until the wedding, she had checked the banners multiple times, unable to contain her excitement.

“How would I know? Maybe tomorrow?” Shen Dongming pondered. “Putting them up today seems a bit early, doesn’t it?”

Shen Junxi was distributing wedding pastries on the side when his gaze fell on the bright red wedding banners in his mother’s hands. He smiled gently, his warm and clear eyes carrying a soft, glowing light.

It wasn’t until today that he truly felt he was about to get married. The same excitement and nervousness as the day he had gone to deliver the betrothal gifts surged within him.

The next day, with some free time on his hands, Shen Junxi took the stack of wedding banners from his mother and personally pasted each one, carefully placing them both inside and outside the house. Every single one was straight and neat, looking festive and beautiful.

Yang Shi saw his handiwork and praised, “It looks wonderful!”

On the night before the wedding, the Shen family decided to make dumplings for dinner. Though they were mostly vegetarian, with only the slightest bit of minced meat, the atmosphere was lively and warm.

Shen Dongming rolled out the dumpling wrappers, Yang Shi prepared the filling, and Shen Junxi, sleeves rolled up, skillfully wrapped the dumplings, arranging them in neat rows. Each one looked plump and adorable.

“Xi’er is so skillful! His dumplings are the best-looking ones. His future wife is in for a treat,” Yang Shi praised.

“Haha, that’s right! Xi’er’s dumplings are delicious. Once your wife tries them, he’ll love them for sure,” Shen Dongming laughed heartily, secretly hoping that his son’s future wife would cherish him. Just like how back then, nobody believed he could keep Yang Shi by his side, yet here they were, still in love after all these years.

With steady and quick hands, Shen Junxi continued wrapping dumplings while listening to his parents’ teasing. Though slightly embarrassed, he maintained a soft smile on his lips.

Seeing their son’s bright smile, the Shen couple suddenly felt a sting in their noses, their eyes welling up with emotion. They weren’t sad—just overwhelmed with feelings. Perhaps it was happiness. Their son had grown up, had weathered many storms, and now, he was finally getting married.

“Xi’er, Mother is so happy,” Yang Shi said, looking up with reddened eyes.

Shen Junxi put down the dumpling wrapper in his hand and gestured: Mother, I’m happy too.

Shen Dongming, a rough man in his forties who had been through all sorts of hardships, felt his own nose tingling at the sight of his wife and son sharing this moment. He quickly turned his head away, unwilling to show his emotions.

“Pa-la! Pa-la! Pa-la!”

The crackling of firecrackers echoed through the festively decorated Shen family courtyard.

“Is everyone here? If we’re all set, let’s go! I can’t wait any longer!” Shen Dongming called out impatiently. They had been bustling about since early morning, and now the sun was fully up.

“Let’s move! Strike up the horns! Play a tune first!” The leader of the procession shouted, and with that, the grand wedding escort team set off from Chashan Village, heading towards Lihua Town.

At the same time, in the Song Residence, Song Jingwei had just been dragged out of bed by Lychee and Longan, who were both visibly nervous.

“Hurry, hurry! We need to help you change into the wedding attire and put on the bridal makeup!” they urged.

Song Jingwei sighed, exasperated. “I’ll change into the outfit, but the bridal makeup is unnecessary.”

After a bit of back-and-forth, he managed to escape the full bridal look. Instead, he simply had his eyebrows lightly shaped and his lips slightly tinted. His hair was gathered and secured with a gold hairpiece inlaid with red gemstones, and a red satin ribbon adorned with red agate was tied at the end—symbolizing that he was the one being married off.

“Young Master, you still need to wear these,” Longan said, presenting a pair of ruby earrings —another symbol of a groom being married off.

Song Jingwei sighed inwardly but showed no resistance. “Fine, put them on.”

Even as Longan fussed with his newly pierced ears, Song Jingwei’s expression remained composed, betraying no discomfort.

Nearly an hour later, the grand wedding procession from the Shen family arrived at the Song Residence, causing a commotion that quickly drew the attention of the entire town.

Everyone in Lihua Town knew that the Song family’s young master was getting married today, and many had gathered early to watch the spectacle.

He San, ever the smooth talker, had arranged for peanuts, sunflower seeds, and even a large basket of copper coins to be handed out. As the Shen family fought their way through the traditional wedding challenges to retrieve the groom, he had people tossing peanuts and copper coins into the crowd, instantly turning the street outside the Song Residence into a scene of joyful chaos.

The villagers from Chashan Village had never seen such a grand and extravagant bride’s family. The sheer amount of money being thrown around made them itch to dive in and grab some for themselves.

Because Shen Junxi could not speak, he carried ink, paper, and a brush with him. Whenever the Song family posed a challenge, he would write his responses on paper and have someone nearby read them aloud.

Song Man, the head of the Song family, prided himself on being a scholar and had prepared a series of difficult literary challenges, including poetry composition.

But as Shen Junxi calmly took up his brush and penned one wedding poem after another, Song Man found himself at a loss for words. Eventually, he had no choice but to relent, opening the front gate, then the inner gate, and finally, the doors to Song Jingwei’s courtyard.

Surrounded by his fellow villagers, Shen Junxi took steady steps forward into the courtyard.

The first thing he saw was a figure clad in brilliant red standing before him—a sight that filled his heart with joy and excitement.

Meanwhile, the matchmaker was busy chiding Song Jingwei. “This is against tradition! You mustn’t let your feet touch the ground! Quickly, find a strong young man to carry the groom!”

Song Jingwei frowned, finding the matchmaker’s voice unbearably grating. “I can walk by myself,” he was about to say—when he looked up and met a pair of deep, expectant eyes.

Shen Junxi, summoning his courage, stepped forward and wordlessly made a gesture, offering to carry him.

They had been calling for someone to carry the groom for a while, but to everyone’s surprise, it was the groom himself who stepped forward. Shen Junxi had arrived, and he actually wanted to carry the bridegroom on his back.

The matchmaker quickly waved her hands in protest, exclaiming, “No, no, this is against tradition! You can’t carry him yourself. It must be someone from the bride’s family!”

Song Jingwei, clearly annoyed, pressed his lips together. Without hesitation, he leaned forward onto Shen Junxi’s back and said, “Let’s go.”

As he felt the weight on his back, Shen Junxi’s heart stirred. From this moment on, the most important person in his life had been entrusted to him. This was a new beginning—one filled with great responsibility but also deep happiness.

Stepping out of the Song residence, Shen Junxi recalled Song Jingwei’s impatient expression from moments ago. He smiled, his eyes curving with amusement. His spouse, who always acted as if nothing mattered, actually had quite the temper.