Chapter 140
On the Lantern Festival night, Qingyan and Qiuniang were both busy, closing their shop late into the night. San Yao and Nian Sheng also came by, and the six of them took advantage of the fact that not all the stalls outside had closed yet. They hurriedly selected two lanterns and carried them home.
A brief moment of relaxation after the hustle and bustle made them feel particularly content.
On the way back, Jindou fell asleep in Qingyan’s arms. When they got home, they took off his clothes and put him to bed, but he didn’t wake up.
After washing up, the husbands lay down on the bed. Qingyan lay on the mattress with his hands under his head, his face turned to the side. Qiu Henian sat beside him, massaging his back and legs.
After massaging his back, Qingyan lazily turned over. The room was warm, and his cheeks were flushed, his clothes disheveled.
Qiu Henian looked at him for a while, then couldn’t help but bend down and kiss his cheek and neck. Then he sat up straight, grasped one of Qingyan’s legs, placed it on his own leg, and slowly massaged it.
Qingyan sighed comfortably. When the massage was done, Qiu Henian got out of bed and extinguished the oil lamp. When he returned to bed, Qingyan softly snuggled up against his firm chest, holding his favorite slender waist, and fell asleep as he was held by his husband.
…
After the New Year, the skin on Qingyan’s hand finally healed, although it was still slightly reddish. The old physician gave him an ointment that stung when applied, but it was very effective. After using it for nearly a week, the reddened area healed quickly, leaving only a faint scar that was barely visible unless examined closely.
Qiu Henian often held his hand, gazing at the scar for a long time, feeling deeply distressed. Even Aunt Li couldn’t help but feel pity when she examined it closely.
Qingyan didn’t mind it at all. Instead, he felt fortunate that this was already the best outcome.
…
Another month passed, and the accumulated snow began to melt, making the ground muddy and difficult to walk on, but it also meant that spring was coming.
Xiao Zhuang’s wedding plans were also on the agenda.
Xiao Zhuang’s mother had been arranging his marriage for him for the past two years. Their family’s financial situation had improved somewhat over the past couple of years, but with so many children, it was challenging to find a match.
The current match had been arranged early last year, with the bride’s family from a neighboring village. They were even worse off than Xiao Zhuang’s family, but the girl was beautiful and had a good temperament. Xiao Zhuang’s parents were satisfied, and Xiao Zhuang himself liked her, so the marriage was settled.
The date was set for the end of March. After the New Year, Xiao Zhuang’s family began bustling with preparations for the wedding feast.
Relatives from both sides were also informed, and Xiao Zhuang was cheerful all day long.
Qingyan made two trips to the county for Qiu Henian, arranging furniture for Xiao Zhuang’s new home. It would be ready in a few days.
But during this festive time, something went wrong.
That day, Qingyan and Qiu Henian had just finished dinner at home with Jindou when Xiao Zhuang’s parents arrived.
As soon as they entered, Xiao Zhuang’s mother started crying, and his father sighed heavily.
Xiao Zhuang followed behind with a grim face, looking extremely upset. Seeing his master and mistress, he reluctantly called someone over and fell silent.
Qingyan asked what was going on, and Xiao Zhuang’s mother cried, “Our family has encountered such a disaster! Just as we were about to get married, the other family backed out!”
At her words, Qingyan was stunned, and Qiu Henian furrowed his brows.
Xiao Zhuang’s face sank even lower.
He had slimmed down over the past two years and become stronger. He appeared capable and competent in his work, with a quick mind. But now, with his head bowed in despair, one could still see the shadow of his younger self from a few years ago.
Qiu Henian asked in a deep voice, “Is there any chance of salvaging this situation?”
Xiao Zhuang shook his head and said, “I just inquired. Her family was originally uncertain even after agreeing to the marriage. They only settled on the end of March recently. But just as the engagement was confirmed, her family somehow arranged for her to become a concubine in a wealthy household in the county town. She left quietly yesterday and only informed me this afternoon.”
Bang!
Qiu Henian slammed his hand on the table in anger, startling Jindou, who cried out in surprise.
He quickly picked up Jindou and comforted him in his arms.
Xiao Zhuang’s eyes turned red too. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and said, “Master, my parents and I came to ask for your help to get the betrothal gifts back. These people are unscrupulous. I’m afraid they won’t return them willingly.”
Qiu Henian fell silent for a while before saying, “Tomorrow, I’ll go with a few people to visit them.”
Xiao Zhuang and his parents left with profuse thanks. Qingyan saw them off at the door, comforting them before sighing and returning inside.
Inside the house, Jindou played with his toy car on the floor while Qiu Henian remained seated at the table, silent and deep in thought.
Qingyan walked over, patting his shoulder. He lifted his hand and held Qingyan’s hand, not letting go for a long time.
Xiao Zhuang had been Qiu Henian’s apprentice for many years, calling him “master” every time. He was almost like a half-son. Seeing Xiao Zhuang’s family improving over the years and Xiao Zhuang growing up to start his own family, this incident must have weighed heavily on him.
That night, Qingyan didn’t allow Jindou to disturb his father and instead played with him himself.
Before going to bed, the two cuddled together. Qingyan said, “From the looks of Xiao Zhuang’s parents, they don’t want to escalate this. They don’t intend to involve the authorities.”
By now, Qiu Henian had calmed down considerably.
He sighed and said, “Let’s retrieve the money tomorrow first. We can discuss the rest later.”
…
The next day, Qiu Henian took San Yao and Liu Fa along to the neighboring village. Xiao Zhuang and his parents, along with a few relatives, also went.
Seeing this group of people, the other family became somewhat fearful. As Xiao Zhuang had predicted, they refused to return the money, claiming it had already been spent.
Qiu Henian said, “If you have no money, then give us the house as compensation. We’ll move your things out right now, and the house will belong to Xiao Zhuang.”
The man shouted, “Why should we give it to him? This is forcible seizure of private property! I’ll report you!”
Qiu Henian narrowed his eyes and said, “Feel free to report.”
With that, he led the way into the house to start moving furniture with San Yao and the others.
With so many people, there was no way for the family to resist. If they reported to the authorities, they would face consequences themselves. Finally, the man stomped his foot in frustration and instructed his wife to find the money. They returned most of it.
However, they adamantly refused to hand over the remaining small portion.
Outside in the courtyard, many onlookers gathered. After this incident, Xiao Zhuang was completely disheartened. After discussing with his master, they decided to let go of the remaining money.
In front of everyone in the courtyard, they made it clear that it was the other family’s decision to break off the engagement, and they would have no further ties.
And so, the matter came to a close. However, with the sudden cancellation of the marriage, the village inevitably buzzed with gossip. Xiao Zhuang’s family had to swallow this loss, unable to undo what had happened.
