Chapter 77

On the early morning of the second day of March, while it was still dark, the "Qing Yuan" was already bustling with people. Among the穿越团队, except for Yang Xin and Wu Peng, who were responsible for guarding the base, all the others, including the four brothers Xie Tian, Yu Xuzi, who had come from Yuxu Palace, and Qingchen, who had specially returned from Feilong Fort, were dressed in new clothes, groomed, and happily got into the carriages, preparing to attend Zhong Shiwén's wedding.

Because there were many carriages and people, almost all the servants of "Qing Yuan" were mobilized. Under the direction of the steward Deng An, several servants loaded all the gifts and items that the masters might need on the road onto the carriages. Beside the fleet of carriages, the four committee members were still giving instructions to Yang Xin and Wu Peng, who were staying behind, urging them to be extra cautious. Now, in the vast "Qing Yuan," only these two穿越者were left. Although they had modern weapons for self-defense, they were still at a disadvantage if someone with ill intentions took advantage of the situation. It would be difficult for them to handle it alone.

Wang Xiaojun particularly required them to protect the radio station and even live in the radio room. This way, in case of any emergency, they could contact the main group through the radio. From Fan Yang to Liangxiang, it was neither too close nor too far. With a fast horse, they could return in half a day.

After giving instructions to Yang and Wu, Zhang Weixin called Deng An to his side and instructed him to be extra careful over the next two days, to take good care of Yang and Wu, as well as Sun Lao Bo, the adoptive father of Xie Tian and others. If there were any formal matters, he could go to the county office to find Captain Zheng or directly to County Magistrate Hu. Additionally, he should pay attention to the two shops and "Tianfu Building." If there were any urgent matters, he should immediately notify Yang and Wu, who would report to the main group. Deng An listened and nodded repeatedly, assuring the masters that they could go with peace of mind, and nothing would go wrong in just two days.

With all the necessary instructions and arrangements made, Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Weixin, and others got into the carriages. The large fleet of carriages left the "Qing Yuan" gate and headed for Fan Yang County in a grand procession.

The fleet arrived at Zhong Yuwai's residence in Fan Yang County in the afternoon. The large fleet startled Zhong Fu, who was welcoming guests at the gate. Upon recognizing the people from Yuxu Palace, Zhong Fu immediately ran forward to greet them warmly, leading them into the residence and to the main hall where the ceremony would take place, and arranging their seats. Soon, Zhong Youpeng came over to greet them. Everyone congratulated Zhong Yuwai, and Zhong Youpeng repeatedly thanked them, saying "congratulations, congratulations" and expressing his gratitude for their presence. After a few more pleasantries, he excused himself to attend to other guests.

The people from Yuxu Palace were old friends of Zhong Yuwai, so they felt no restraint. They found seats and, while waiting for the bride to arrive and the banquet to start, gathered in small groups to chat. Everyone else was comfortably seated, but Zhong Ziqi, who had returned to her own home, did not want to waste time. She suggested to Wang Feng that she take the uncles on a tour of the garden. Zhong Ziqi said that although it was early spring, some flowers had already bloomed in the garden, and it would be better to admire them than to sit idly.

Thinking that Zhong Shiwén had just left the residence to fetch the bride, and that the Xia family was not too far from the Zhong family, but the wedding procession would take some time, some of the穿越者accepted Zhong Ziqi's invitation and followed her to the Zhong family garden. Wang Xiaojun, who originally did not want to go, could not resist Zhong Ziqi's repeated requests and also went along.

The Zhong family garden was larger than the one in "Qing Yuan." It was spring, and the garden was in full bloom. The forsythia had not yet faded, and peach, cherry, and rose flowers were blooming in competition, creating a very pleasant scene. The穿越者followed Zhong Ziqi along the garden paths, chatting and stopping to admire the scenery when they saw something beautiful.

After walking for a while, they came to a pavilion. The pavilion was built by a small pond, which was a good place to cool off in the summer. Although it was spring, standing in the open pavilion with a breeze blowing made it a bit chilly. Therefore, the group did not stay long, discussing the pavilion and the pond, and then moved on to the next spot. Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin walked at the back, their minds not on the garden's beauty but on the upcoming visit to Feilong Fort to mourn Xing Budé. They discussed how to show respect to Xing Budé while also demonstrating the authority of the new leaders.

As they walked and talked, Wang Xiaojun inadvertently turned his head and saw a plaque hanging on the pavilion, inscribed with the three large and elegant characters "Wanchun Pavilion," which seemed to be written by a famous calligrapher. However, what attracted Wang Xiaojun was not the calligraphy but the name "Wanchun Pavilion." This name held great significance for him. Whenever he saw it, a beautiful picture appeared in his mind: a summer day in Beijing, at the highest point of Jingshan Park, "Wanchun Pavilion," where a beautiful girl with a ponytail, wearing a blue T-shirt and denim shorts, was giggling as she watched him run up the hill, sweating profusely. She scolded him for being a habitual latecomer while gently wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and offering him a bottle of mineral water to drink.

This was a scene from the early days of his romance with his wife, Zhang Xiaofei. Because Zhang Xiaofei lived near Jingshan, it became their favorite place to meet. At that time, he was in his second year of university, and Zhang Xiaofei had just been admitted to university. Although it had been almost sixteen years, whenever he recalled this scene, it felt like it had happened yesterday. The vividness of the memory made each recollection a painful ordeal for Wang Xiaojun.

Seeing the name "Wanchun Pavilion" again, the scenes of their past love and affection flooded back, making Wang Xiaojun feel deeply saddened. He spontaneously recited Su Shi's famous "Jiangchengzi" (River Town) to mourn his deceased wife, written on the night of the 20th day of the first month of the year Yi Mao:

For ten years, life and death have been vast and desolate, no need to think, yet never forgotten. A lonely grave a thousand miles away, no place to speak of sorrow. Even if we met, you would not recognize me, dust on my face, hair like frost.

In the night, a dream suddenly returned me to my hometown, by the small window, you were combing your hair. We looked at each other in silence, only tears flowed. I imagine the place that breaks my heart every year, under the bright moon, on the short pine hill.

Wang Xiaojun had learned this poem from Zhang Weixin on his wife's birthday not long ago, using it to express his longing. Hearing him recite it and seeing the characters on the plaque, Zhang Weixin understood why his close friend's mood had suddenly changed. He patted his shoulder, about to offer some words of comfort, when he heard a woman's voice asking, "I didn't expect Brother Wang to be not only a good person but also a talented poet. However, I find this poem too sad. Brother Wang, is there something that has made you feel sad, leading you to write this poem?"

Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin turned to see a graceful and beautiful woman in yellow, a woman of extraordinary beauty, walking towards them. She was Zhong Ziqi's cousin and Zhong Shiwén's cousin, Han Qingwen.

Han Qingwen approached and gave a slight bow, saying, "I greet the two brothers."

Wang Xiaojun and Zhang Weixin quickly returned the bow. Wang Xiaojun said, "Sister, there's no need for such formalities. To be honest, the poem I just recited is not my own but the work of a great poet on the island. His name is Su Shi, and he is considered the best poet on the island. I was just expressing my feelings, and I apologize for any embarrassment."

Han Qingwen nodded and asked, "From my limited knowledge of poetry, this poem seems to be a lament for a deceased wife. Brother Wang...?"

Wang Xiaojun understood Han Qingwen's meaning and said, "Sister, you are correct. This is indeed a lament for a deceased wife. While I was on the island, I had a wife, but when we returned, our ship encountered a storm, and we were separated. Given the severity of the storm, I fear I will never see her again. Seeing this 'Wanchun Pavilion' reminded me of a pavilion I used to visit with my wife, and thus I recited this poem."

Han Qingwen was deeply moved by Wang Xiaojun's devotion to his deceased wife and said, "Brother Wang is truly a man of deep feelings."

Feeling the atmosphere becoming a bit heavy, Wang Xiaojun quickly changed the topic and asked, "When we arrived, I didn't see you in the hall. I thought you hadn't come, but I didn't expect to meet you here."

Han Qingwen relaxed and replied, "How could I not attend my cousin's wedding? I was just chatting with my mother in my aunt's room, so you naturally didn't see me in the hall."

"Is that so?"

"Is this your first visit to my uncle's residence?"

"Not exactly. I came once before to propose for my cousin, but this is my first time in the garden. Just now, Ziqi was showing us around, and I and Weixin stayed a bit longer in the pavilion. I don't know where they are now."

"In that case, let me show you around."

"That would be great, but I don't want to trouble you."

"Brother Wang, what are you saying? Please, this way... Hey, where did Brother Zhang go?"

Hearing that Zhang Weixin was nowhere to be found, Wang Xiaojun realized his close friend had left at some point. Looking around and not seeing him, Wang Xiaojun waved his hand and said, "Don't worry about him. He often disappears, and it's actually more peaceful without him."

Han Qingwen's mind wasn't on Zhang Weixin either. His departure suited her just fine. So, she didn't dwell on it and led Wang Xiaojun to tour the garden.

After they rounded a rockery and could no longer see the "Wanchun Pavilion," Zhang Weixin sneaked out from somewhere, a mischievous smile on his face. He stood there for a moment, thinking, then looked around. Not seeing Zhong Ziqi and the others, he turned and headed back to the main hall.

Wang Xiaojun and Han Qingwen, unaware that they had been set up by Zhang Weixin, walked along the garden paths, chatting and enjoying a very pleasant atmosphere. Han Qingwen introduced Wang Xiaojun to the various buildings and flowers in the garden, while Wang Xiaojun told her about the "difficult journey back home" of his "returnees" and some interesting stories from their time "living abroad."

The stories of their perilous journey at sea, where life and death hung in the balance, made Han Qingwen very tense, while the unfamiliar and exotic things and customs fascinated her. When she heard that the mysterious and unique island had eventually sunk into the sea, she felt a sense of regret and sorrow.

They walked and talked for more than half an hour in the garden until the voices of Zhong Ziqi and Wang Feng, searching for them, interrupted them. Hearing the increasingly loud calls, Wang Xiaojun and Han Qingwen realized that Zhong Shiwén's wedding procession must be arriving soon, and they were being called to witness the ceremony.

Han Qingwen, though reluctant to part, said, "Today's conversation with Brother Wang has been very enlightening. If there's an opportunity in the future, I hope we can chat more."

Wang Xiaojun, feeling a bit disappointed, replied, "Of course, I would be delighted. Chatting with you has been very pleasant. Unfortunately, I don't know when we will meet again after this."

Han Qingwen, however, was more optimistic and said, "Brother Wang, why are you so pessimistic? As the saying goes, 'the future is unpredictable.' We might meet again soon." She winked at Wang Xiaojun and smiled mischievously.

Before Wang Xiaojun could ask what she meant, a worried Zhong Ziqi and Wang Feng ran up to them, scolding them, "Brother, Cousin, I finally found you. You're still enjoying the scenery here? My brother's wedding procession is almost at the gate. If you don't go back soon, you'll miss the ceremony."

Zhong Ziqi, in her haste, spoke without thinking, making it sound as if Wang Xiaojun and Han Qingwen were the ones getting married. As a result, Wang Xiaojun was extremely embarrassed, and Han Qingwen blushed furiously, pinching her cousin and scolding her, "You're already married, and you still speak without restraint."

With that, she pulled Zhong Ziqi out of the garden and headed to the front. Wang Xiaojun and Wang Feng were left behind, looking at each other in amazement, marveling at how fast a lady could run. Seeing the two classical beauties disappear, Wang Feng turned to his cousin with a mischievous smile and said, "Brother, I didn't know you still had it in you. Your skills in charming women are as good as ever. But, to be honest, Sister Han is really nice, much more refined than our little firecracker. She would be a good match for you. If you really like her, I can help you arrange a match and get you a beautiful wife. What do you think?"

Wang Feng's excitement grew, not noticing his cousin's darkening face. As he enthusiastically described the wonderful life Wang Xiaojun would have after getting married, he suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him. It was too late to dodge, and before he could protect himself, Wang Xiaojun's hand had already landed firmly on the back of his head.

Wang Feng, holding his head, looked at his cousin with a hurt expression and said, "You can't just attack me like that. It's easy to get a concussion. Besides, I was just trying to help you. Is that a crime?"

Seeing him still talking nonsense, Wang Xiaojun raised his hand and slapped him again, scolding him, "What are you talking about? Sister Han is an unmarried young lady. If others hear you talking like this, it would ruin her reputation. If you keep spreading rumors, I'll deal with you."

With that, he ignored his cousin and walked ahead. Wang Feng stood there, rubbing his sore head and complaining, "Hmph, you get your feelings exposed, and you start acting like a tyrant. What a fascist."

Wang Feng took a few steps forward, then an idea came to him. He thought, "You say I'm spreading rumors, but I won't argue with you. However, I can tell Brother Xin. If I can convince him, he will talk to you, and you can't act like a tyrant with Brother Xin. Hmm... I can also use Ziqi to talk to my father-in-law and make the situation clear. Then, we'll see how you can pretend!"

With his plan set, Wang Feng felt energized, his headache gone, and he ran ahead to implement his "great" "matchmaking plan."