The Zhong family searched for Zhong Xiaomei in the village for a while when she didn't return.
However, just like when Zhong Ger went missing, by the second day when she still hadn't returned, the Zhong couple simply gave up.
They merely wailed and complained in the village, lamenting how unfortunate they were, having raised a son and a daughter only for both to disappear!
Everyone knew the Zhong couple only cared about the five taels betrothal gift, and while villagers said nothing to their faces, behind their backs, they all gossiped that this was the Zhong family's karma for selling their children.
These words naturally circulated back to the Zhong couple, making Madam Zhong furious.
She stood at her doorstep, cursing at the heavens for several days, wishing boils on the heads and pus on the feet of those who gossiped behind her back, and that their families would bear no sons.
Villagers avoided her, but secretly reached a consensus. They absolutely must not marry their daughters or Ger into the Zhong family.
Just looking at Madam Zhong, who was unkind even to her own children, imagine how she would treat a daughter-in-law! What if a daughter-in-law couldn't bear sons? Would she even have a path to survival?
This rumor spread like wildfire, even reaching neighboring villages. After that, when Madam Zhong tried to find a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for her son, Zhong Xiaobao, no decent family in the village was willing.
Any family that was willing was just as audacious as the Zhong family, demanding an exorbitant betrothal gift, starting at five taels.
***
A few days later, autumn arrived. After two small rains, the weather cooled down. The sixth day of the eighth month was the auspicious day Wang Xiaolian had set for his wedding.
He put on his wedding attire early and sat in the room, waiting for the Sun family to come and pick him up.
Since their youngest son was getting married, Nanny Wang's family also prepared some tea, sugar candy, dried sweet potatoes, and other snacks according to village custom, to entertain the neighbors who came to join the festivities.
However, as the auspicious hour drew near, the Sun family's welcoming procession was still nowhere to be seen.
The neighbors in the village began to whisper amongst themselves. Nanny Wang grew anxious and asked Wang Dalang to go outside and check.
No sooner had Wang Dalang stepped out than he saw a bullock cart adorned with red silk ribbons approaching in the distance.
An old man sat on the bull's back, coming from the neighboring village. Upon seeing the Wang family, he said, "Don't fret, everyone. The Sun family has sent me to pick up the bride. Quickly, let the new groom come out, take his dowry, and return with me!"
Wang Dalang immediately flared up, his face turning crimson. He spun around and stormed back into the house.
The Sun family was truly too much! Not only did they not provide a betrothal gift, but they didn't even bother to invite a wedding procession.
The Wang family was losing three mu of land by marrying off a Ger, and this Sun family dared to pick him up with just a bullock cart? They clearly didn't respect the Wang family at all!
There were examples of impoverished families using bullock carts to pick up new brides in the village, but they were mostly very poor households.
Any family with a respectable standing would invite a welcoming procession, with music and fanfare, carrying the bride in a sedan chair.
Furthermore, the Sun family was, after all, a scholar's family, and Wang Xiaolian's dowry was quite considerable among the neighboring villages.
The Wang family members' faces darkened upon seeing the Sun family send only a bullock cart. Nanny Wang, in particular, looked as black as a pot.
Wang Erlang also went directly back into the house, no longer bothering with Wang Xiaolian's marriage. However, the villagers who came to watch a spectacle found it amusing.
Wang Xiaolian had boasted about marrying a scholar for a month, and now, not only was there no betrothal gift, but the Sun family clearly held him in low regard.
On their wedding day, the Sun family dared to humiliate Wang Xiaolian, giving him a "kick in the teeth" right from the start.
Wang Xiaolian hadn't expected the Sun family to send only a bullock cart to pick him up. His surge of excitement instantly vanished.
But now, the news had long been spread; everyone knew he was marrying a scholar. If he were to make a scene now, even if it forced the Sun family to invite a wedding procession, it would inevitably miss the auspicious hour.
According to village custom, such a marriage wouldn't last. Sun's mother-in-law and Scholar Sun would also likely be displeased.
"The auspicious hour is almost here, Brother Wang, are you getting married or not?" the old man driving the bullock cart was quite displeased that the Wang family hadn't even offered him a sip of sweet tea.
Nanny Wang was even more angered upon hearing this and was about to argue with him, but Wang Xiaolian stepped out himself. "I'll marry!" Wang Xiaolian declared loudly.
Nanny Wang shook her head in disappointment, telling Wang Xiaolian, "Are you foolish? This Sun family is so difficult. They dared to humiliate you during the welcoming. You'll be tormented to death once you marry into their family."
"But he's still a scholar's husband! That's better than marrying some idle fellow in the village," Wang Xiaolian said.
He was already eighteen, the oldest among the unmarried Ger in the village. Besides Scholar Sun, the only ones willing to marry him were extremely poor households in the village.
If he couldn't marry Scholar Sun this time, he didn't know how much he would be ridiculed!
Wang Xiaolian had been pampered in the Wang family and didn't want to marry into a household that couldn't even afford white rice, only to be laughed at by the villagers.
Seeing their younger brother so eager to marry Scholar Sun, Wang Dalang and Wang Erlang both felt humiliated.
According to custom, the elder brothers should have taken turns carrying the new groom out, but they both washed their hands of it.
Wang Xiaolian gritted his teeth and carried his dowry of quilts, clothes, and various items onto the bullock cart himself.
He then covered his head and sat down. Nanny Wang had no choice but to wipe away her tears and bid farewell to Wang Xiaolian, watching the bullock cart from the neighboring village take him away.
***
Wang Xiaolian's bullock cart had to pass by Shen Xuan's house on its way to Scholar Sun's home. Shen Xuan happened to be home today and saw the wedding bullock cart passing by in the distance.
Wang Xiaolian was lifting his head covering and looking around, sitting alone on the bullock cart. Seeing Shen Xuan, Wang Xiaolian immediately lifted his chin and said with a hint of pride,
"Shen Xuan, your 'husband' has already run off, while I'm going to be a scholar's husband!"
Shen Xuan glanced at him, too lazy to respond, and turned to go back into his room. "You! Don't leave!" Wang Xiaolian saw that Shen Xuan wasn't taking the bait and had nowhere to vent his anger.
He could only watch sullenly as Shen Xuan's courtyard grew farther and farther away. He still thought somewhat triumphantly: No matter what, I won against Shen Xuan this time. His cheap 'husband' has already run off, leaving him as an unwanted widower, while I've become a scholar's husband.
Soon after, the bullock cart arrived at the Sun family's doorstep. Wang Xiaolian, with his head covered, couldn't see outside, but he heard that the Sun family's entrance was strangely quiet, with no sounds of guests talking.
He couldn't help but feel a little strange. The bullock cart stopped, and the driver shouted. Sun's mother and Scholar Sun came out to greet him.
Sun's mother held a burning brazier, placed it at the entrance of the courtyard. Then she went to move Wang Xiaolian's dowry. After glancing at him, she said,
"The new groom has arrived. Come quickly and step over the brazier. Don't bring your bad luck to my son."
Scholar Sun was indeed fair-faced and refined, but he wasn't wearing wedding attire; instead, he was in ordinary plain clothes, standing inside the courtyard.
He didn't even offer a helping hand, simply watching Sun's mother busying herself alone.
Wang Xiaolian, with his head covered, couldn't see the path clearly. He slowly walked a few steps forward until he reached the brazier.
Through the covering, he saw a pair of feet on the other side of the brazier, wearing men's shoes, clearly Scholar Sun's.
He then shyly extended his hand and said, "This brazier is hot on the feet, husband, help me across."
To his surprise, Sun's mother slapped his hand angrily and said, "Still being finicky about stepping over a brazier! A Ger needs to step over a brazier to ward off bad luck. My son is a scholar, a literary star descended from heaven, naturally blessed with deep fortune. You hurry up and step over it yourself before coming in. Don't let him get tainted by your bad luck."
Wang Xiaolian hadn't even entered the door yet and had already received a slap from his mother-in-law.
His hand stung, and he felt incredibly wronged. He was originally a fiery-tempered person, but at this point, he forced himself to suppress his anger and stepped over the brazier to enter the house.
Once inside, Sun's mother came and pulled him into the room. After settling him on the bed, she said, "Give me the land deeds first. Our family has few people, and we don't have so many customs for marriage. Later, you'll follow me to get acquainted with the house and put away all the dowry you brought."
Wang Xiaolian hesitated slightly, then still took out the land deeds for three mu from his sleeve and gave them to Sun's mother.
Sun's mother immediately put the land deeds away, then rambled on, "Although my son has passed the scholar examination, our family no longer has to pay taxes, but he still needs to continue studying to pass the imperial examination."
She continued, "Currently, our family only has five mu of land. With the three mu you brought, that's eight mu. The annual harvest, after deducting our food, will only leave five or six taels. This isn't enough to support my son's studies, so we also need to take on odd jobs outside."
She added, "You, as a Ger, are strong. From now on, you'll be responsible for all the farming and housework. I still need to go work as a temporary laborer for the village gentry. With the autumn harvest approaching, the village is busy everywhere. I can earn at least three wen a day."
The more Wang Xiaolian listened, the more something felt wrong. He lifted his head covering and saw that while the Sun family's courtyard looked quite decent from the outside, the room itself was bare, without a single decent piece of furniture.
He never expected the Sun family to be like this. He then looked into the courtyard; there was no wedding feast as promised, and it was cold and empty, with no one around.
Wang Xiaolian was stunned, utterly unable to comprehend how a dignified scholar's family could be so poor that the mother-in-law had to go out and work odd jobs!
In fact, with a scholar's talent, it was easy to find a job in the city that required literacy and writing, earning at least two or three taels of silver a month, much more than an ordinary commoner.
However, Scholar Sun was an anomaly. Due to his mother's doting, he had never done any work in his life.
All along, his studies had been supported solely by his mother's labor. Now that he had passed the scholar examination, he was completely hands-off, never even thinking of finding a job outside.
Wang Xiaolian couldn't help but look at Scholar Sun, who was standing nearby. He saw Scholar Sun frown at his face, step back, and reveal a look of disgust.
A moment later, Scholar Sun and his mother both left the room. Wang Xiaolian then heard the two arguing outside.
Scholar Sun said, "This Brother Wang is truly too ordinary-looking, and he's just a Ger. I don't know why you insisted I marry someone like him."
Sun's mother replied, "No matter what, his family compensated us with three mu of land, making it much easier to support your studies. Besides, a Ger is also strong and can help with more housework. If you don't like him, then just don't touch him. When you pass the imperial examination, you can just marry a gentle and beautiful concubine to have children, can't you?"
Hearing this, Wang Xiaolian felt as if struck by lightning, never expecting the Sun mother and son to have such a scheme.
However, he had already entered the Sun family's door; he was now the Sun family's husband, and his family's three mu of land had become the Sun family's property.
At this point, he could neither advance nor retreat. He had already offended his elder brothers in his family for the sake of marrying Scholar Sun, so Wang Xiaolian dared not go back to them for support.
The thought of enduring hardship and suffering from now on finally became too much for Wang Xiaolian, and he buried his head in the Sun family's wedding bed and cried bitterly.