I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 75 The Wedding Night

As dusk settled, He Yuzhu walked to the old locust tree in the middle courtyard.

Last March, the locust tree hadn't sprouted yet. I remember when she was washing clothes, she said that once the locust flowers bloomed, she would make locust flower rice for Yushui.

The locust tree branches are just sprouting new green shoots, like sleepy eyes, and the aroma of food wafts in the wind—it's her wedding feast.

The spring scenery in March is lively, but in He Yuzhu's eyes, it is still a gray and dull scene.

Standing amidst the vibrant spring colors of the courtyard, He Yuzhu resembled a lost child, gazing at others' spring while enduring his own harsh winter.

Perhaps because she was heartbroken that her sister-in-law had flown away, He Yushui didn't eat dinner. The little girl snatched the wedding candy and hid in the side room, refusing to come out again.

Listening to the commotion at the Jia family's residence in the middle courtyard, He Yuzhu felt a deep emptiness in his heart. He did not heed his sister's advice to propose marriage until He Yushui hid in the side room. Only then did he realize that she was going to enter the bridal chamber tonight and become someone else's wife.

He Yuzhu suddenly felt a sense of loss, as if he had lost something precious, and even the peanuts no longer tasted crispy and fragrant.

"Silly Zhu, what are you doing?"

A donkey-like face came closer, along with a cigarette.

"Hmm, Guangtian Jiecheng is here too, along with Jiefang. What are you guys up to?"

"What else can we do?"

Xu Damao skillfully lit a cigarette for He Yuzhu, winking at the Jia family and hinting at the old program.

"Let's go together!"

He Yuzhu instantly snapped out of his daze, slapped his forehead, and was filled with energy again.

"Talented people emerge in every generation, and new people surpass the old. What are you thinking?"

He Yuzhu still remembered what Yan Fugui had said: tomorrow, Matchmaker Wang would bring a girl over for a date. His future was not a dream; he was following hope.

Nothing could stop his longing for a beautiful wife.

He Yuzhu led a carefree life, with no worries in his heart.

He also felt lost during those dark years.

Only when we were walking together did we realize the path beneath our feet.

"Hey, what's the rush? You almost twisted my ankle."

"We're not in a hurry, you're the only one who's all red in the face."

Yan Jiecheng was baffled. He had finally managed to get a cigarette from Xu Damao, and it was even a Daqianmen brand. He was enjoying it comfortably with his friends.

"Yeah, I don't know why you're in such a hurry, Sha Zhu. It's still a long way from exercising. Let's wait until the lights are out and have a proper smoke first."

Liu Guangtian plopped down on the edge of the flower bed, and casually pushed Liu Guangfu aside.

According to the rules of Beijing, listening to the sounds of a young rooster is the right of a young rooster, and no tender rooster is allowed to interfere.

The stove in the room was lit; it was a cast iron stove used for cooking and heating, burning coal briquettes. The stove was 60 centimeters high and divided into three parts: the upper stove platform had several iron covers, the middle chamber contained a special type of durable ash, and the lower chamber had a space with a gate for emptying the ash.

A kettle of hot water sat on the stove, already boiling and hissing with steam. The room was not cold at all, but rather filled with heat.

The glass windows were completely covered by a coarse red cloth curtain, letting in only a few slivers of light, casting a warm and sacred halo over the entire room. On the kang (a heated brick bed) against the north wall, a blue coarse cloth mattress was laid, and on top of it was a brand-new floral coarse cloth quilt, with bright red double happiness characters cut from paper at the corners.

A row of small "double happiness" characters cut from red paper was pasted along the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), as if quietly telling the newlyweds of their joy.

A folding table sits at the head of the bed, with a wooden measuring cup filled with millet and a red "double happiness" character pasted on the outside, serving as an incense burner. Several sticks of incense are inserted inside, their smoke curling and releasing a faint scent of herbs and wood.

Next to it were small bows and arrows with sticks, which were said to ward off evil spirits; a new steelyard wrapped in red paper, which symbolized "satisfaction"; and a can of grains, which expressed the hope for a life of plenty.

The lights illuminated the large red "囍" (double happiness) character, filling the room with a red hue and creating a festive and warm atmosphere.

As expected of Jia Zhangshi, she single-handedly took care of the children, cooked, and managed to arrange everything for tidying up the new house.

Before Qin Huairu came to the courtyard house, Jia Zhangshi was always a capable person; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to raise Jia Dongxu.

Qin Huairu didn't say anything. She went to the small room, took the kettle that had been boiling on the stove, skillfully mixed the water in a basin, and carried the hot water to the new room to prepare to serve Jia Dongjin for washing up.

Jia Dongjin understood Qin Huairu's intentions. After the woman finished washing his face, he stopped her from washing his feet. Seeing Qin Huairu looking at him suspiciously, Jia Dongjin said gently, "Huairu, I'll wash your face too. We'll wash our feet together later."

"No, no, no need, I'll wash myself later."

"I'm the head of the household, so obey."

Jia Dongjin continued to invoke the role of the head of the household, and finally washed the woman's face. He got into character too early, and his hands were shaking so badly that the woman also became very aroused. Fortunately, he did not grope her and successfully completed the face-washing service.

"Eastward expansion is not an option, it's really not an option."

However, Qin Huairu refused to wash his feet together, so Jia Dongjin had to let her wash them for him first. Equality between husband and wife is not easy and cannot be achieved overnight; Jia Dongjin could only take it slowly.

"Our village also has Duan Sun's steamed buns, a symbol of good fortune."

Qin Huairu's voice was barely audible.

The so-called "offspring dumplings" are actually small, undercooked dumplings.

On their wedding night, the "blessed man" will feed the bride while asking, "Will you have children?"

The bride usually bows her head and answers, "Give birth."

This word "birth" represents the most basic expectation of Chinese people for carrying on the family line.

"Mom made eight dishes, and the vegetables were all a bit undercooked."

Jia Dongjin grinned and replied that this was the first time the old bachelor had entered the bridal chamber in two lifetimes, and he was walking a little unsteadily just now.

After finally washing his feet, Jia Dongjin was about to get into bed when Qin Huairu smiled and pointed out the window.

Jia Dongjin suddenly realized what was going on. He quickly brought over the foot-washing water and tiptoed to the window.

He fetched another basin of cold water, and after preparing ample ammunition, Jia Dongjin turned off the light to mislead the eavesdropper, then listened carefully to the sounds outside.

Sure enough, there was a faint sound outside the window; someone was indeed listening in.

"Silly Zhu, the lights are off. Come over here quickly, they're about to take off their clothes and start fighting."

"What's the rush? I still have two puffs of my cigarette left."

"Move over a bit, give me some space."

"Shh, keep your voice down, I can't hear you!"

Jia Dongjin grinned, and after He Yuzhu took his place, he gestured for Qin Huairu to open the window and then suddenly splashed two basins of water out one after another.

"Oh!"

Screams rang out, one, two, and finally a group of figures appeared outside the window.

"Shazhu, Damao, Jiecheng Jiefang, and Guangtian."

Jia Dongjin called out names one by one, then threatened, "Get out of here right now! You'll all get married someday, hehe."

"Fine, I'll splash you with water, Dongjin. But splashing you with cold water isn't fair. Watch out, or I'll get my revenge later!"

The tenants scattered in panic, and before leaving, He Yuzhu uttered a harsh remark.

"Cold water is cleaner than foot-washing water, I meant well. Silly Zhu, I've prepared two basins of cold water, just waiting for you to come back."

After chasing away the eavesdroppers, Jia Dongjin closed the windows. Still not entirely at ease, he grabbed a newspaper and stuffed the gaps in the windows to prevent those brats from coming back.

On his wedding night, he had neither the time nor the inclination to engage in a battle of wits with these people.

"Women are such a hassle!"

Seeing that Qin Huairu had gone to the small house to wash herself again, Jia Dongjin stuffed the door crack with newspapers again. Only after everything was done did he return to bed and begin to seriously recall his past life's practical experience and the unforgettable portable hard drive.

The hard drive contains thousands of short videos, and even various exercise instructions and fitness tips.

The water gurgled, the stove was hot, and Jia Dong's mouth was dry.