Chapter 65: Picking Wild Vegetables (II)

After a long drought, sweet dew appears; in a foreign land, an old friend is met. The night of the wedding under the flower-lit candles, and the moment one’s name appears on the imperial list.
We commonly refer to these as the four greatest joys in life. Undoubtedly, the latter two hold particular significance in the hearts of the people of the Tang Dynasty. Throughout history, fame and marriage have been the standards by which a person’s success is judged. Whether you admit it or not, they have always existed in this world.
Li Kuo was no saint, so he was no exception to societal norms. His relationship with A Tian was not particularly passionate, but upon closer reflection, it was filled with deep affection. It had been quite difficult for the two of them to reach this point.
Thus, when Li Kuo helped Miss Du Jingtian step out of the bridal sedan, he could feel his heart pounding. Amidst the noise of relatives and friends, the two entered the main hall. There, his mother and Master Du sat with a group of relatives and several brothers.
They performed the first bow to heaven and earth, then the second bow to their elders, followed by the couple’s mutual bow.
The two young people completed the most solemn ritual of their lives. From then on, they would walk together, forward together.
After the wedding ceremony, it was time to go to the bridal chamber. Holding his beloved wife’s hand, the young man stepped steadily into the inner room. He gently closed the ebony window doors and lit a few red candles. Walking slowly to the bed, he said softly, “A Tian, I’ll go out to attend to the banquet first. Wait here for a while; I’ll be back with you as soon as I’m done.”
“Mm.”
Du Jingtian nodded lightly and remained silent.
This little girl could even get shy! Li Kuo shook his head with a wry smile and quietly left the room.
It was inevitable for the groom to offer drinks to others. Li Kuo had no choice but to fill glasses one after another and pass them around the hall.
“Uncle, today is my wedding day. Thank you for coming. Here’s a toast from your nephew!”
With that, Li Kuo tilted his head back and downed the wine without hesitation. Wiping the wine from his lips, he flashed a bright smile.
His uncle was Lu Xulun, who dealt in medicinal herbs in the capital. In fact, the house in Lane 23 by the lake had also been rented to him and his mother. Initially, Li Kuo had thought his uncle was too materialistic, always associating everything with money. After going through so much, he came to understand that his uncle had been kind by helping them when their family was in trouble.
People often take others’ help for granted, not realizing that it shows they value you—failing to help you would be the norm.

Hearing this, Lu Xulun’s cheeks turned slightly red. Cancan waved her hand and said, “I never expected that after so many years apart, my Kuo has grown into such a handsome young man. Hmm, look at these eyebrows and eyes—just like your grandfather’s back then!”
As soon as these words left his mouth, Lu Xulun realized he had said something wrong. Damn it! Today was the day of the young man’s wedding—how could he be so foolish as to bring this up? Just as Uncle Lu was thinking about how to make amends, the young man took over the conversation.
“Apart from my eyebrows and eyes, my other facial features come from my mother. You can’t side with her just because of that.”
The young man smiled cheerfully, breaking the awkward silence.
“That’s true, that’s true. Our Lu family’s high noses can’t be stolen by anyone!”
Lu Xulun quickly nodded in agreement.
In the past, he would have stepped forward to touch the young man’s nose to show his affection. But now, he didn’t dare touch the young man’s body so easily. This nephew of his was no ordinary person—he had already reached the high rank of military commander at just seventeen. Even throughout the Tang Dynasty, how many young people could match such talent?
A golden dragon isn’t meant to stay in a pond! This child has a bright future ahead!
“Kuo, you need to work harder and have more children. Your Li family is waiting for you to start a family. By then, I, as your uncle, will definitely show up uninvited to celebrate the child’s first birthday!”
Lu Xulun didn’t dare say anything else, but on this matter, even if he spoke to the heavens, the young man couldn’t find a single flaw in his words. The Li family had only one child—without him starting a family, who else could do it?
Li Kuo blushed with shame at his cousin’s words and silently lowered his head.
“You old rascal! You always pick on my Kuo.”
Mrs. Li Lu had somehow come over from her seat and pointed at Lu Xulun, scolding him with a smile.
“Mother!”
Li Kuo finally found his savior. He rushed forward and grabbed Mrs. Li Lu’s arm. For some reason, no matter how strong he appeared outside, once he returned home, he reverted to being a child, just like other boys his age, longing for his mother’s affection.
Mrs. Li Lu patted the young man’s head affectionately and said, “Don’t listen to your cousin’s nonsense. Such things need to be taken slowly; there’s no rush.”
“Oh, my dear sister, you can’t spoil the child like this. Continuing the family line is a very important matter. Your Li family has had only one child for three generations, and now it’s still just Kuo. Of course, the child needs to work harder!”
Lu Xulun kept talking nonstop, bringing up all sorts of reasons. It seemed as if he, as the cousin, cared more about the young man’s descendants than Mrs. Li Lu herself.
“Alright, alright! I can’t argue with you. Fine.”

Madam Li Lu knew that Lu Xulun was someone who wouldn’t hold back in his words and didn’t want to get entangled with him, so she admitted defeat on her own.
“Mother, go chat with my uncle first. I’ll go over there to offer drinks!”
Li Kuo saw an opportunity to get away and wouldn’t miss it. With a sly smile at Madam Li Lu, he turned and rushed off to offer drinks.
“That child!”
Madam Li Lu shook her head, a bitter smile on her face.
One, two, three…
Offering drinks, drinking them all, offering more drinks…
It was unclear whether the young man had overestimated his drinking capacity or if there were simply too many relatives and friends invited by his mother. In any case, after going through one round of drinking, aside from others, he himself was already heavily intoxicated.
“Sigh, Brother Kuo, I told you not to drink so much. You’re still so stubborn about keeping face.”
Zhang Yanji half-supported Li Kuo as they walked into the inner room, complaining the whole time. Brother Kuo was fine in every way except that he was too proud, unwilling to lose to anyone or let others look down on him. Take offering drinks as an example—after being approached by a hundred or so relatives and elders, even a strong man would get drunk.
“It’s fine at other times, but you’re about to have your wedding night with Sister A Tian soon.”
Zhang Yanji glared at Li Kuo and said, “What an idiot. You can’t enjoy such a great moment. Wait till tonight to see how Sister A Tian deals with you!”
After sending the young man outside, Zhang Yanji couldn’t enter anymore, so he clapped his hands and said, “I leave the rest to you. Hurry in!”
With a brief reply, Li Kuo pushed open the door.
Du Jingtian was sneaking a bite of crispy cheese when she heard the door creak softly. She quickly swallowed the remaining half of the cheese and put the dark red veil back over her head.
“A Tian, I’m back!”
Under the light of the red candles in the room, the young man’s cheeks, already red from drunkenness, appeared even redder. Slowly walking to the bed, he sat down on the edge. Upon taking a closer look, he almost laughed out loud.
“Little Seventh Brother, what’s wrong?”
Not knowing why the young man was silent, Du Jingtian asked cautiously.
Li Kuo removed a few crumbs from Miss Du’s wedding dress and said, “Nothing. My A Tian must be hungry after waiting for so long. Guess what I brought for you?”
Hearing there was food, Miss Du immediately became interested. “Little Seventh Brother, I knew you were the best to me!”
Suppressing his laughter, the young man lifted the veil for Du Jingtian and handed her the crispy cheese from the small plate.
“Oh, so you already knew. You’ve been lying to me all this time! You little jerk, you wretched Little Seventh, you know everything!”

Miss Du immediately understood upon seeing the broken piece of cheese and punched the groom hard.
“Pity me! Please spare my life!”
Li Kuo dodged while joking, “Ah, you’re going to kill me. If you kill me, you’ll become a widow.”
“You worthless wretch! Don’t you have any sense?”
Miss Du was furious. “Do you know how bored I’ve been waiting in the room? I can’t move or shout, and hunger makes my head spin. Meanwhile, you go to the hall to drink and only return so late!”
Li Kuo quickly said, “Who would dare bully our A Tian? Tell me, how can I make it up to you?”
This was exactly what Du Jingtian had been waiting for. Though she was overjoyed, she didn’t show it at all.
“Well, since it’s your first offense, I won’t make things hard for you. Hmm, you’ll have to sing as punishment!”
“Sing?”
The young man stared at Du Jingtian in surprise, hardly believing his ears.
“That’s right. I’ve been with you for so long, but I’ve never heard you sing!”
Du Jingtian leaned against him and said in a soft voice.
The young man frowned and thought for a moment before saying, “If I really have to sing?”
Du Jingtian nodded. “You must sing!”
The young man already had an idea and, suppressing a smile, said, “Alright, then I’ll sing a song for you today.”
“Encourage me to drink one more cup—life is short. Since ancient times, fate and wealth are predetermined. Don’t let your beauty fade; seize this good time and marry a loving man…” (Note 1)
The young man cleared his throat and began singing a quite famous tune. Originally used in the imperial music courts, it was naturally melodious. With the young man’s rewording, it took on a new flavor.
The song was too explicit and flirtatious!
The young lady’s heart fluttered as two rosy blushes appeared on her cheeks.
“Two peach blossoms, blooming on my cheeks—only I, my little A Tian!”
Suddenly, the tone changed, and the young man’s lips curled up, revealing his white teeth.
Note 1: This song is originally “Yangguan Sandie,” a famous tune from the Tang Dynasty’s imperial music courts, slightly revised by Liu Yun.