Chapter 76

The bride, wearing a wedding dress she had sewn herself stitch by stitch, sat in front of the dressing table, listening to the festive sounds of gongs and drums coming from outside the room. She was already in tears, and beside her sat her best friends from the brothel. Compared to them, she was not the most beautiful, but she was undoubtedly the luckiest.

Her luck came from meeting a man named Zhang Xiaozheng, whom his friends called Xiaomao.

Just one encounter, and this man generously took out silver to redeem her, bringing her to this small courtyard. From then on, she lived a life of waiting by the door for her husband to return. The man was a soldier, and the days he could return each month were limited, but whenever he did, she always tried her best to make him comfortable.

She had been trained from a young age in the brothel, excelling in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and had never done any rough work. But after following this man, she rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen, washing her hands to prepare soup. On the days when the man was away, she didn't even bother to dress up, but instead focused on how to make the small courtyard more warm and homelike.

Yes, like a home.

She had never expected to marry this man with grandeur and dignity, simply because she was a courtesan. In her youth, she was pampered and cared for, but once she aged and lost her beauty, she would inevitably face a bleak end, a common fate for women in her profession. Fate had already favored her once, and she didn't expect it to happen again.

Moreover, the man was a person of status, a general. Although he told her he wasn't a general yet, in her eyes, a man who could command thousands of soldiers was undoubtedly a general, and if not now, he would be in the future. Such a man's wife would certainly be a noble lady, and it would never be her. So she never dared to hope for more; she was already very content with her current life.

Her hands had become rough, and her waist had become fuller, making her look more like a housewife. She had always lived contentedly with her current life until the day the man left with his friends, carrying a sword. His last words before leaving left her completely stunned.

After the immense happiness and joy, came even greater fear. The man never spoke of love, but his concern and affection for her were more often shown through his actions. But that day, he suddenly said that if he returned alive, he would marry her. This indicated that his mission was extremely dangerous.

She cried, wanting to tell him that she was pregnant, and to beg him not to go. But after years of living with him, she deeply understood this man and knew he would never change his mind because of this. If she told him, it would only add to her worries. Although she didn't understand war, she knew that at this moment, the best thing she could do was to let the man go to war without any worries.

She, who did not believe in Buddha, bought a statue of Guanyin and prayed for the man's safe return every day. Sitting in front of the statue, she began to sew her wedding dress stitch by stitch, something she had never done before because she felt she didn't deserve to marry such a man.

The war broke out as expected, with over ten thousand Qin soldiers surrounding Nanyang City. Outside the city, refugees were in chaos, and inside, the city was bustling with displaced people. She locked herself in the room, trembling as she sewed her wedding dress, her ears straining to hear the noise outside. Many times, the needle pierced her fingers, and blood stained the wedding dress.

She finally endured the most difficult days in fear. When she finished the last stitch of her wedding dress, the city erupted in cheers. The Qin soldiers had left.

The city gates opened, but she still didn't dare to go out. She didn't know the situation outside or whether the man was still alive. Until one day, the man's unique knocking rhythm and the voice she longed for sounded, and she flew to the door like a happy little bird, pulling it open. Ignoring the stares of passersby, she threw herself into the man's arms, tightly hugging his neck, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm back, I'm going to marry you!" The man spoke, always concise and powerful.

"Hong'er, it's a happy day, why are you crying? You should be happy." The two women behind her hugged her shoulders, whispering comfort, their faces filled with envy. Not everyone had her good fortune.

"I'm crying because I'm happy." Hong'er lifted her face.

The sound of gongs and drums had reached the door. The women in the room covered Hong'er's head with a red veil and helped her stand up. Outside, the sound of knocking on the door echoed, "The groom has come to fetch the bride!" A rough voice called out, "Open the door, bride!"

The door slowly opened, and Zhang Xiaomao, with a smile on his face, had a large red flower pinned to his chest by a monk, holding a long red silk ribbon, which the monk had procured.

"Play the music!" Seeing the newlyweds walk hand in hand to the front hall, the monk was as happy as if it were his own wedding, dancing and bustling around. He was a very dedicated master of ceremonies.

"First, bow to heaven and earth!" The newlyweds bowed to the sky, holding the red silk ribbon.

"Second, bow to the ancestors!" This time, they bowed to the two ancestral tablets on the table.

"Third, bow to each other! Enter the bridal chamber!"

The simple and brisk wedding ceremony, with a military style, ended after the three bows. However, Xiaomao didn't take the bride into the bridal chamber but instead embraced her and lifted the red veil from her head.

"Xiaomao, that's not proper!" The monk, the master of ceremonies, loudly reminded him.

Xiaomao smiled slightly, "Today, everyone here is a good friend and a good brother, so there's no need for so many formalities. Hong'er, come, let me introduce you. This is Doctor Shu, who has saved my life multiple times and is my savior."

The woman curtsied and bowed, and Doctor Shu smiled and stepped aside.

"This loud and bald guy is called the monk, but he's actually a playboy, skilled in eating, drinking, and womanizing."

Hearing Xiaomao's introduction, the monk's face fell, "Xiaomao, you can't do this. You're ruining my reputation in front of your wife. How will I face her in the future?"

Wild Dog laughed, "It's the truth, monk. Your face is thicker than a city wall. Are you embarrassed? Sister, just call me Wild Dog. None of us remember our real names. We and Xiaomao are friends through fighting. That gloomy guy who looks like everyone owes him money is called Scissors. The last time, he beat your husband so badly he couldn't get up. When you toast him later, don't forget to secretly put some senna in his drink."

"Hello, Sister!" Scissors stepped forward, bowing.

The woman blushed and bowed to everyone in turn.

"Everyone, today I am introducing Hong'er to all of you. From now on, she will be my wife. Today, in front of my brothers and my wife, I have an important announcement to make." Xiaomao's face was solemn.

The room fell silent.

"This battle has left the Western Border Army and my Chasing Wind Camp no more. My heart is cold. Today, I have married a wife, and she is carrying my child. So, I want to live a proper life. Next, I will leave my military career, resign from my position, and no longer be a soldier. I will stay with my wife and children and live a simple life. Please understand!" Xiaomao bowed deeply, and the woman looked at him with surprise and joy.

Everyone was initially silent, then nodded in understanding. Xiaomao had already cleared his name and could resign, but the other three, if they wanted to leave the military now, would have to desert, which would forever tarnish their reputations.

Thinking about their current situation, everyone felt a bit melancholic. What would the future hold?

"Let's wait for the leader of the Qin to return before we discuss anything else!" Wild Dog slapped the table, "If the leader of the Qin doesn't return, I will definitely desert. This war is frustrating and suffocating. If I stay here, I'll be worn out sooner or later."

"Today is Xiaomao's big day, why talk about these things? Come, let's drink, let's drink." The monk raised his hands high, "Wild Dog, you claim to be able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. Let me see your skills."

"Xiaomao is the main event today. Don't get it wrong." Scissors finally showed a rare smile, "If we don't get Xiaomao drunk, no one leaves today."

"Serve the drinks, serve the drinks." Everyone shouted in unison.

(I am very satisfied with this chapter.)

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