Sister-in-law Chen lowered her voice and said, “There’s something off. A couple of days ago, Brother Yang was sick, and the Chen family was all up in arms. From what I heard, it sounded like there was no one around to do the chores, so it turned into a mess.”
The ones doing the housework are the ones who get resentful.
The ones not taken care of properly are the ones who get cranky.
When these two collide, conflict is almost inevitable.
Arguments reveal true feelings.
She gave her guess: “Maybe the Chen family doesn’t care that much about Brother Yang.”
Even though Chen Guizhi was close to her maternal family, she wouldn’t joke about her eldest son’s marriage.
“What family doesn’t make their young men do chores? I like that Brother Yang is quick on his feet. Maybe he’s the only one who can handle some tasks, so the family gets noisy over it. It’s nothing.”
The wedding was done, the banquet hosted. What more could they do if things went wrong now?
Sister-in-law Chen was just afraid that the two families might become estranged, so she decided to give a warning. Since Chen Guizhi said it was nothing, she and her husband went back to Chenjiawan.
After they left, Chen Guizhi couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. She called for Li Feng and went to check on Lu Yang’s dowry chests.
Li Feng was reluctant. “What’s the rush? He’ll sort it out tomorrow morning.”
But Chen Guizhi dragged him over anyway.
Lu Yang had only two dowry chests—a bit meager but acceptable for the village. The chests were made of good-quality wood and were quite heavy.
When they opened them, though, all they found were old things.
Forget about quilts or jewelry; the Chen family hadn’t even given Lu Yang a decent set of clothes.
Aside from the outfit he was wearing, everything else was old clothes, some patched and worn-out.
Compared to the ostentatious generosity the Chen family had displayed earlier, the truth was now crystal clear:
The Chen family had put on a show to snag a wealthy groom. Now that the wedding was done, they couldn’t even be bothered to keep up the act.
Li Feng had been tricked into marriage.
The buzz from the wedding wine dissipated, and the happiness in Li Feng’s eyes was thoroughly doused.
They had hosted a lively wedding celebration; divorcing now would be humiliating.
If word got out, their family would become the biggest laughingstock in Lijie and probably the entire region.
Li Feng turned to storm off and confront Lu Yang, but Chen Guizhi held him back.
“Don’t make a scene just yet. If the Chen family comes asking for money later, they’ll be the ones losing face. Your husband has a strong temper; don’t fall into his trap.”
Thinking about the sweet, soft moments that had melted his heart before, Li Feng didn’t want to believe those were all fake.
Chen Guizhi understood her son’s temperament. Despite his rough exterior, he was actually sharp-eyed and patient—traits that made him an excellent hunter.
She trusted him completely.
“You can’t divorce him now,” she said. “How will you live with the shame later? Just wait and see what he does.”
Since she was staying overnight in the new village with her second son’s family, Chen Guizhi left after reminding him, “In three days, he’ll go back to visit his family. Let’s see how that goes.”
Li Feng agreed.
After sending off his mother and younger brother, Li Feng stood in the courtyard for a while.
The wedding night had lost all its appeal.
He figured Lu Yang wouldn’t bother pretending anymore.
If an argument broke out tonight, it would be embarrassing, but at least the truth would come to light.
Shaking his head, Li Feng fetched some water to wash up and went back to the bedroom.
Lu Yang was still sitting obediently on the heated brick bed, waiting for him.
The mountain air was colder than elsewhere, and nighttime temperatures plummeted. Lu Yang’s cotton clothes were thin, yet he hadn’t dared to crawl under the blankets without permission. He sat there, shivering.
Li Feng noticed the red wedding veil still covering his head. He went over and lifted it away.
The scornful expression he’d expected was nowhere to be found. Instead, Lu Yang’s eyes shone with happiness and embarrassment.
His face tilted up toward Li Feng, his smile shy and hopeful.
It’s the wedding night. It’s normal for a young husband to feel embarrassed.
But Li Feng wasn’t falling for those innocent, doe-eyed looks again.
His tone was cold. “Drop the act.”
Lu Yang froze. After a moment, he realized what Li Feng meant and looked heartbroken.
“Why are you being like this on our wedding night?”
Li Feng: ???
By logic, Lu Yang didn’t need to fake anything anymore.
Something felt off about his behavior tonight.
A hunter should observe before acting. So Li Feng chose to go to sleep.
Lu Yang, confused and unfamiliar with the surroundings, softly called out, “I’m cold… I want to soak my feet.”
Li Feng understood; nights here were indeed chilly.
When he opened his eyes and saw the tears welling up in Lu Yang’s eyes, he sighed, got out of bed, threw on a coat, and fetched a bucket of hot water.
He wasn’t picky; his bucket served as both a washbasin and foot tub.
Lu Yang clearly wasn’t used to that. He followed Li Feng around like a little tail, carefully wiping off his makeup with hot water-soaked cloth and rinsing his mouth.
Li Feng said nothing, keeping the atmosphere heavy.
Lu Yang didn’t know what he’d done wrong. The silence made him anxious, which made him rush through his tasks.
Once his feet were warm, he dried them quickly, shed his clothes, and crawled into bed.
According to the advice he’d been given, pleasing his husband in bed would solve everything.
Though embarrassed, he tried to cuddle up to Li Feng. “Are you mad at me?”
Li Feng closed his eyes and gave off a “yes, I am” vibe.
Lu Yang had no idea why.
But tonight, he was lying beside his husband.
The first night together had gone smoothly; Li Feng hadn’t pushed him away.
Yet, the cold crept in. The bed hadn’t warmed up yet, and Lu Yang’s body heat was being drawn away.
He shivered. Next to him, Li Feng radiated warmth.
Bit by bit, Lu Yang edged closer. His icy skin probably made Li Feng uncomfortable, but surprisingly, he wasn’t pushed away.
On their wedding night, the couple was out of sync.
Li Feng lay there, waiting for his husband to make a move, but instead, Lu Yang soon started softly snoring.
Lu Yang’s thoughts before falling asleep:
“He’s sleeping with me, warming my bed. He must like me. Hee hee hee.”
Li Feng, wide awake, remembered how pale and tired Lu Yang had looked with his makeup wiped away. His skin, too pale, and his eyes, rimmed with exhaustion.
Shaking his head, he tried to banish the pitying thoughts and focus on how the Chen family had tricked him.
He’d never been duped like this in his life.
He would remember this.
—
That night, Upper Creek Village was buzzing with gossip about the impressive young man the Xie family had just married.
Some households were still squabbling—over bride prices, chickens, or useless husbands. A few even considered going to the Xie family’s house to raise a fuss but chickened out halfway through.
Everyone knew the Xie family, once a laughingstock, had finally turned the tables.
While the village gossiped, the Xie family sat back and enjoyed their chicken soup in peace.
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