Chapter 5

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

In the wild forest, ten young men and a chestnut horse turned into the woods, full of anticipation for the journey ahead. After a couple of hours, they realized how inadequately prepared they were. Grandma Feng had prepared enough dried food for two people for three days, but it was quickly devoured by the ten young men, who only treated it as a snack, and no one felt full.

The excitement of leaving home gradually faded as dusk approached. The young men began to call out one by one that they were hungry. Even the ten-year-old bald boy started to cry, wanting to go home. At this point, Ershuan had no choice but to temporarily hand over the leadership to Xiaoqiu.

Xiaoqiu assigned tasks: Daliang led two people to pick fruits nearby, Erlang led two people to gather firewood, Xiaoqiu personally went to the river to find fish and clams, and Fangfang and the chestnut horse stayed at the site.

Half an hour later, night fell, and a small bonfire was lit on the open ground. The aroma of grilled fish and clams filled the air. Erlang always carried salt and other seasonings, which allowed him to show off his skills. The sour and sweet wild fruits were used as side dishes. Even the bald boy forgot about the meals at home, claiming it was the most fragrant meal he had ever eaten. Then he revealed a small secret, "Fangfang has a gap-tooth, just like me."

The bald boy was not actually bald; he had a round face with two bright eyes. He originally had no right to play with Ershuan's group until he secretly brought out a batch of candied fruits from his family's grocery store to bribe Ershuan and promised to contribute a pack every few days, thus becoming a member of the group.

In this small group, he had not yet found his place and often said inappropriate things. This time was no different. Everyone was enjoying their meal when they heard his words and looked at Fangfang.

The bald boy opened his mouth, showing his gap-tooth, and mumbled that Fangfang was just like him. This was why he laughed after fighting with Fangfang and why Fangfang rarely spoke.

Fangfang had just finished half a grilled fish, her lips tightly closed, her cheeks flushed, and her hands covering her mouth, not letting anyone see.

The young men were not very polite. After half a day of interaction, they were already very familiar with each other. The more Fangfang tried to hide, the more everyone stared. Erlang, curious, asked, "Fangfang, your father wants to marry you off even before your teeth are fully grown. Isn't that too hasty?"

Fangfang did not speak, but Ershuan said, "It's my father who is in a hurry. He invited a fortune-teller from Xia'er Castle, who said my brother's fortune is bad and that he must get married in mid-summer to ward off the evil. So..."

"Your brother is a fool. He's already unlucky. What's there to be afraid of?" Erlang asked, puzzled.

Ershuan's face was even redder than Fangfang's. He said loudly, "He's my brother. No matter what, he must live. I just don't believe the fortune-teller. He looks like a fraud."

Erlang wanted to say more but was stopped by his brother Daliang. Fangfang finally spoke, still covering her mouth, her voice a bit muffled, "Actually, it was my father who proposed the early marriage."

"Why?" The bald boy's mouth was full of fruit, making his voice even more muffled. "Is your family short of money?"

Fangfang slowly shook her head. "No, my father feels he is ill. He's afraid... that no one will take care of me."

"Huh, then why did you run away? I saw you jump on the horse yourself, not Xiaoqiu pulling you up," Erlang said, puzzled.

"I can take care of myself," Fangfang said stiffly, glancing quickly at Xiaoqiu. "Besides, my father isn't seriously ill. He's just weak and thinks too much."

The bald boy swallowed the food in his mouth, his eyes shining with excitement and a bit of pride. Among this group, he was the most excited. "Brother Xiaoqiu, I really admire you. You dared to snatch the bride in front of the whole town. I heard Liu Er encouraged you to do it, but when the Shen family came looking, he didn't dare to say a word. Ha, it was so funny..."

Hearing the praise, Xiaoqiu blushed a bit. He suddenly realized something. Ershuan's change of mind to help was not just to defy his father but also to compete for "reputation." Xiaoqiu glanced at Ershuan, who indeed looked不服气 (unconvinced).

The bald boy was still not satisfied. His eyes sparkled in the firelight. "Brother Xiaoqiu, how did you think of using the startled horse trick? It really scared everyone. My mother hurt her leg and keeps saying she'll beat you when you come back."

He said it this way, but the bald boy had no resentment, just extreme admiration.

Xiaoqiu's face turned even redder. He scratched his head. "I thought of it on the spot. When I saw the crowd, I just had the idea."

"But Brother Xiaoqiu had already decided to save Fangfang and asked for our help. Unfortunately..." Erlang said resentfully. If his brother hadn't stopped him, he would have become a "young hero" of Wild Forest Town with Xiaoqiu. Everyone else was already full, but he still held the last half of a large river clam, swallowing it with a hard face. He never wasted food. While chewing, he asked, "Brother Xiaoqiu, why did you decide to save Fangfang?"

The bald boy jumped in. "Because Fangfang is Brother Xiaoqiu's wife."

Fangfang buried her face in her hands. Xiaoqiu hurriedly shook his head. "No, no, I... it's not related to that."

"Huh, then why? To act chivalrously and help those in need?" The bald boy pressed.

Xiaoqiu was even more reluctant to speak, shaking his head vigorously. But when Fangfang's curious gaze peeked out from behind her hands, he hesitated, feeling uneasy. He took off his hat and fanned himself, saying, "It's really hot."

"Brother Xiaoqiu had a dream," Daliang couldn't wait any longer. He was the only one who knew. "He dreamed that Fangfang asked for his help."

The young men made strange noises. They had only a vague understanding of love, more amused than envious. Xiaoqiu's face turned red, and he grabbed a clam shell and threw it at Daliang. "Shut up."

Daliang laughed and dodged. After straightening up, he had an idea. He shouted, "Let Brother Xiaoqiu and Fangfang get married."

The young men, having filled their bellies, were eager to do something to release their excess energy. They all cheered and egged each other on. Fangfang's face was hidden behind her hands, feeling isolated among the boys and rarely speaking.

Xiaoqiu shook his head even more vigorously. "No, no, I... it's not possible."

Daliang and Erlang led the charge, and several young men rushed forward, lifting Xiaoqiu and pushing him toward Fangfang. The others cheered and encouraged them, startling the birds in the forest into flight.

Xiaoqiu struggled fiercely, but it was Ershuan who finally saved him.

Ershuan stopped the revelry. "Alright, that's enough. Listen to me." The others stopped, and Ershuan, like an adult, placed a hand on Xiaoqiu's shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll eventually marry Fangfang."

"I wasn't worried," Xiaoqiu said, shaking off his hand. "No, I didn't save Fangfang to marry her."

No one believed Xiaoqiu, and Ershuan believed him even less. "When we get to Xijie City, I'll have my uncle arrange the wedding. Then it will be official."

"What about your father? Will he agree?" The bald boy asked, worried.

"No problem, my uncle and my father don't get along," Ershuan said, determined to make this happen to become the leader of the young men of Wild Forest Town, even if it meant defying his father.

The young men's enthusiasm came and went quickly. Since Ershuan had spoken, no one insisted. They gathered around the bonfire and chatted.

"The Xuanfu Army is here!" A voice called from behind a tree. Xiaoqiu and Ershuan almost jumped up at the same time, looking around nervously.

It was Lengzi, who had gone behind the tree to relieve himself and decided to play a joke on everyone.

"You're not the Xuanfu Army, you're a barbarian monster!" Realizing the truth, Ershuan charged forward at full speed. "I am the Xuanfu Army!"

In no time, the well-fed young men joined the battle, fighting in pairs. The youngest, the bald boy, danced around, cheering for everyone. Fangfang covered her mouth, laughing uncontrollably.

This was a game the young men of Wild Forest Town often played, simple and brutal, perfect for burning off excess energy. After fifteen minutes, the young men lay down to sleep, with Xiaoqiu and Ershuan still arguing about who had the right to be the Xuanfu Army.

No one had brought bedding, and only Fangfang used the bundle prepared by Grandma Feng as a pillow, sleeping alone on the other side of the bonfire. When she finally fell asleep, her hands slipped from her mouth.

Two days of travel had disrupted Xiaoqiu's sleep pattern. He did not wake up before sunrise but was woken by something. He opened his eyes to find the sky already bright, birds chirping all around, and a tall figure standing in front of him.

Xiaoqiu sat up in one swift motion, all sleepiness gone, staring in shock.

A soldier fully clad in armor was looking down at him, the thing that had woken him being a black sword scabbard.

This was a real Xuanfu Army soldier.

Xiaoqiu felt like he was looking up at a tall tree, except this tree had no green leaves, only black metal. Even the eyes were hidden, and it was unclear how they saw the outside world.

Strange patterns were engraved on the black armor, resembling both text and rising clouds. Xiaoqiu had seen Xuanfu Army soldiers from a distance before, but only as a black mass. This was the first time he saw the patterns, and he was completely stunned, his mouth agape, unable to speak.

Xiaoqiu was the first to wake up. The other young men were gradually woken by the same method, all terrified. In a daze, Ershuan tried to run away but was lifted into the air by a single hand and then thrown to the ground. After that, no one resisted.

Eleven Xuanfu Army soldiers, eleven warhorses, surrounded the fleeing young men.

Although Ershuan had warned them, they still found it hard to believe. Like all the young men in town, they had caused plenty of trouble, some more serious than a bride-snatching, but none had ever attracted the Xuanfu Army, especially eleven of them, a small detachment.

No one dared to speak. The young men huddled together like a flock of docile sheep. Xiaoqiu stood next to Fangfang, looking at her terrified face. Suddenly, he felt a surge of courage, stepped forward, and said loudly, "I was the one who snatched the bride. Take me away. It has nothing to do with them. Fangfang... Fangfang is already my wife and cannot marry the Shen family. Taking her back won't do any good."

The Xuanfu Army soldiers remained silent, like statues from another world, seemingly unable to understand the young man's words.

After a while, one of the soldiers finally spoke. He was the only one who had never dismounted, sitting straight on his horse, his voice cold and unfeeling: "Violating national law is unpardonable. You will all receive the appropriate punishment."

The bald boy could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

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