Lu Liu blushed, his cheeks turning rosy.
“It’s about serving a man in bed, making him comfortable.”
Lu Sanfeng asked, “And then what?”
Lu Liu also waited for the answer.
What exactly should he do next to get pregnant sooner?
Lu Sanfeng was so exasperated she laughed. “You’ve lived in the streets for so many years, and you still need me to explain this so bluntly? Are you just messing with me on purpose?”
Lu Liu wasn’t.
But he understood. His older brother definitely knew what it meant.
Since that’s the case, he wouldn’t ask anymore.
Next time he saw his brother, he’d ask him instead.
After all, getting pregnant wasn’t something that happened overnight. No rush.
Lu Liu obediently said, “Don’t get mad. I won’t ask again.”
Lu Sanfeng grew even angrier.
This little brat was getting cocky. He probably thought that now he was getting married and had someone to rely on, he didn’t need to respect her anymore.
Seeing her flushed with anger, Lu Liu offered meekly, “Then go ahead and scold me.”
He shut his eyes and ears, bracing himself for the worst.
Lu Liu peeked out just in time to see Lu Sanfeng trembling with rage.
He silently retreated under the blanket.
What was going on here?
If he asked, she got mad. If he didn’t ask, she got mad. Even when he asked for a scolding, she was still mad?
She was impossible to please.
Hopefully, men would be easier to deal with.
…………………….
The twentieth of the twelfth lunar month—a good day for marriage.
Long before the rooster crowed, Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian were already up and about. One held a candle, shielding the flame with his palm, while the other stuck red paper cuttings onto the windowpanes.
They also used leftover red paper to make a few paper flowers, pasting them above the courtyard gate. From a distance, the place looked festive.
Today, Lu Erbao’s eldest brother and his family were coming to help out. They’d agreed on the payment already: no banquet, no fancy gifts—just some rice set aside from the bride price.
These days, aside from silver, rice was the most practical part of a marriage gift. It symbolized prosperity and fertility—a household full of children and a life without hunger.
Just as the men finished decorating the gate, the eldest brother’s family arrived.
Lu Dahe, his husband Miao Qing, their two sons, daughters-in-law, and sons-in-law—all except Lu Lin, who was about to get married himself.
Lu Erbao’s eyes reddened with gratitude. “Big Brother, you really didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
Lu Dahe waved off the thanks and glanced around the courtyard. “We’re family—no need for that. Looks nice out here. Where’s Liu? Let me help him get ready.”
Lu Erbao called Wang Fengnian over to lead Miao Qing inside.
Before heading in, Miao Qing instructed his daughter-in-law and son-in-law to help in the kitchen.
In the inner room, Lu Yang was already awake.
He’d secretly taken off his padded jacket, leaving only a thin layer underneath. He expected trouble today, and bulky clothes might slow him down.
Over the thin layer, he wore a bright red wedding robe. His hair wasn’t done yet; his father had hired someone to style it.
When Wang Fengnian entered, he told Lu Yang to greet Miao Qing as “Uncle Qing.” Lu Yang did so politely.
Miao Qing gave him a once-over and raised his eyebrows. “Wow, your family really went all out. This wedding robe must’ve cost a fortune! Did the Xie family provide it?”
“It didn’t cost much,” Wang Fengnian said. “We made it ourselves. Just a coarse cloth outer layer—feel it.”
Miao Qing stepped closer and touched the fabric, surprised to find it rough and thin despite its elegant appearance.
He turned Lu Yang around, examining him. “You’ve grown up. This robe really flatters your figure. From a distance, no one would guess it’s plain cloth.”
That flattery made the family beam with pride.
Miao Qing had brought rouge, lip color, and fine threads.
He threaded Lu Yang’s face to remove stray hairs, reshaped his eyebrows, then wiped his face with a warm cloth. His skin turned even fairer, without a single blemish.
Next came the “pregnancy mark.” In this village, a red pregnancy mark symbolized fertility. A faded mark meant trouble conceiving, which would earn a bride ridicule.
Lu Yang’s mark was naturally faint, so Miao Qing enhanced it with rouge. He added a touch of color to his lips as well, making him look vibrant and fresh.
Miao Qing then stepped back, candle in hand, to examine the result. Lu Yang’s cheeks seemed too pale, so he dabbed more blush onto them with his fingertips.
Curious, Lu Yang asked why he was applying makeup like that.
Miao Qing chuckled. “Your cousin Lin said it makes people look better. He lives in Shangxi Village too—after you marry in, go visit him. You’re family, after all. Look out for each other.”
Lu Yang nodded, committing the name to memory.
The hairstyling came next, with Miao Qing offering auspicious phrases as he combed the hair and fastened it with a hairpin.
“All done. Now just sit tight,” Miao Qing said. “Your cousin Song will come carry you out later.”
Lu Yang obediently stayed put. “Is there anything I can help with outside?”
“Just enjoy the day—it’s the only time you’ll get to.”
Lu Yang smiled faintly and said no more.
Meanwhile, in Chenjia Bay…
Lu Liu had risen early and dressed neatly.
Last night, he’d upset Lu Sanfeng, yet she appeared cheerful this morning, coming over to thread his face and shape his brows. She applied rouge to his pregnancy mark and lightly powdered his face, leaving his cheeks flushed red. “To ward off bad luck,” she explained.
Lu Liu didn’t know much about makeup, but when he saw his reflection in the water basin, the painted face staring back at him seemed unfamiliar and ugly.
Lu Sanfeng kept insisting he looked handsome.
Lu Liu didn’t argue. He’d be wearing a veil anyway.
The Chen family courtyard was bustling. As soon as their lanterns were lit, neighbors streamed in with congratulations. Old Chen couldn’t refuse their enthusiasm and hastily organized a simple wedding breakfast.
The meal was nothing fancy—just meatball soup with dough bits made from precious white flour.
For these tough times, a bowl of white-flour soup was already generous.
While the adults enjoyed themselves, several women clamored to help style Lu Liu’s hair, but Lu Sanfeng declined. “I’m the lucky one here,” she said proudly. “I married well and have two fine sons.”
Someone corrected her. “Didn’t you have three?”
Sanfeng waved it off. “A little brother doesn’t count as a son.”
Before finishing, she reminded Lu Liu, “You need to have lots of sons too. Got it?”
Lu Liu nodded but thought to himself, Like having sons is something you can just order up. If it were that easy, half the men in the village wouldn’t still be single.
Days of drinking nothing but water had left him lightheaded. He’d rationed the jerky given to him by Li Feng, but his stomach still ached from hunger.
“Mom, I want some meatball soup,” he said.
“No.”
Lu Liu didn’t argue. He knew better than to waste effort on her.
When Old Chen came in to check on him, Lu Liu immediately piped up, “Dad! I want some meatball soup!”
Old Chen nodded. “Give him some. Li Feng said the wedding procession’s going to make a big loop around the village. Better eat something so you don’t faint halfway through.”
Lu Liu latched onto the key phrase: “A big loop around the village?”
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