Ger, So Proud

Chapter 97

As soon as Lin Shou left, Dad Liu passed away immediately. Perhaps it was a dying effort, he made his wishes clear before his death, urging Lin Tiangui to find Lin Shou.

There was no formal funeral. Several days after his death, two young men from the village were dispatched to dig a hole and bury him. He Ze only found out later that when Lin Tiangui went out to chase someone, witnesses saw him fall into a mountain stream. No one knew where the current took him.

This time, He Ze didn’t have to take matters into his own hands.

The fate of the Lin family suddenly became the hot topic among villagers, even rumors of retribution spread widely. But this was clearly not a bad thing; at least the village had fewer arguments and less gossip. Everyone treated each other peacefully on the surface, and Clan head He Hong was particularly pleased, smiling happily.

This good mood peaked when he received the appointment as the village head.

“Third grandfather received the appointment as the village head?”

“Yes, Father told me it was all thanks to you. He specifically asked me to invite you and Youcai to our house for dinner. Dad has prepared a table full of delicious dishes. Let’s have a good meal tonight, shall we?” It was He Hong’s son who came to invite He Ze. According to seniority, He Ze should call him uncle.

“Third Uncle, where did you get that idea? I didn’t play any significant role. It’s your father’s usual way of handling things and his care for the people that led to the county magistrate’s decision.”

He Ze spoke sincerely. After dealing with Shi Xingwen’s case, County Magistrate Zhou did inquire about a suitable candidate from He Ze regarding the village head position. He Ze, however, downplayed his involvement, simply stating it was up to the county magistrate to decide.

“Hey! How can you say that? If you hadn’t brought down Shi Xingwen, how could my father have gone up? If you hadn’t shown your face in front of County Magistrate Zhou, he probably wouldn’t even know we have He Family Village here. Alright, let’s not say anymore. You and your father come early tonight. The whole family is waiting for you. Don’t forget!”

With the conversation reaching this point, He Ze couldn’t easily refuse, so he nodded in agreement. As soon as the person left, however, he drove his ox cart to the town.

—

He Ze now is the typical absentee.

As soon as He Ze arrived at the flower shop, he saw Luo Zhanming wearing coarse linen clothes, with a smile on his face, welcoming him warmly, “Young Master He is here. Rest assured, business is good today. Would Young Master He like some tea?”

“…”

Listening to this enthusiastic tone, He Ze took a while to recover and replied, “Brother Luo is too kind. I’ve been mischievous. You don’t need to worry about me. You better hurry back home and not delay your business.”

Luo Zhanming could afford to be like this here because of their recent calligraphy contest. One wrote with the left hand, the other with the right. Whoever had uglier handwriting would agree to a condition set by the other. He Ze won, and Luo Zhanming agreed to help out at the flower shop for a month.

He Ze simply didn’t know what to say.

“Brother, what are you doing? He agreed to this himself. I didn’t authorize you to make decisions for me! And Luo Zhanming, as a man, should honor his promises.”

“Alright, I will definitely honor my promise,” Luo Zhanming said with a smile. “Please feel free, Young Master He. I’ll go attend to the guests.”

As Luo Zhanming left, He Ze looked at He An with a solemn gaze, leaving He An puzzled, “Brother, what’s wrong?”

“No, nothing.”

He Ze forced a smile.

…

After about a month, He Ze successfully acquired a small storefront opposite the flower shop for Father He to run a wooden furniture shop. It used to sell flowers and plants, but since the He family opened their flower shop, his business had declined, so he decided to lease it out.

Before the furniture shop opened, He Ze had He Youcai design a collapsible small stool as a small gift for customers who came to buy flowers, inadvertently advertising He’s furniture shop.

After the furniture shop opened, due to its innovative and convenient designs, as well as good craftsmanship, it quickly became popular. Customers came in droves, and business was much better than the flower shop. When the flower shop wasn’t busy, He Ze directly sent them to help out at the furniture shop.

Only Cai Xing remained in the shop. He snipped off a rose branch and, watching the bustling activity across the street, couldn’t help but turn to He Ze and say, “Xiao He, why not hire a couple more people? It’s not good when things get too busy.”

“It’s okay, it’s only for another month or two,” He Ze shook his head.

Right now, the furniture shop was relying on its innovative and convenient designs to capture the market. However, in this era without patents or intellectual property rights, there were plenty of carpenters in the county. It was only a matter of time before imitations appeared, and customers would naturally be split among them. If the furniture shop wanted to thrive, it could only compete on craftsmanship and price.

“When it gets really busy, I’ll go hire a couple more people from the village.”

“That works too.”

Cai Xing’s remark was just a passing comment, and he trusted that He Ze had his own considerations.

With business thriving, fortunately He Youcai had prepared inventory for three to four months beforehand, which could barely meet the demand. Perhaps his long-cherished wish had come true, as he had been glowing these days, walking with a spring in his step. He even picked a day to treat He Ze’s grandparents to a lavish meal at a restaurant. Of course, they couldn’t resist visiting his furniture shop as well.

Feeling relieved finally, Dad Li told He Ze that his father looked much younger. Half a month after the furniture shop opened, He Youcai discussed with He Ze and took on three apprentices: one from the He family village and two from neighboring villages, all young boys around twelve or thirteen years old.

In this era, the relationship between master and apprentice was akin to that of father and son, and there was no need to worry about betrayal. He Youcai had avoided partnerships previously due to such considerations. Now with these three apprentices, he could rest assured and also share the workload.

With the elders of the clan as witnesses, after the tea ceremony honoring their master, they were considered part of the family. He Ze finally got to know these three, who were like younger brothers to him: Xu Yun, He Gui, and Li Dashu, in order of seniority.

With this matter settled, He Ze’s long-awaited wedding arrangements were officially underway.

The wedding day was just under a month away. Dad Li had already started making arrangements: invitations, wedding attire, banquet… every detail was meticulously planned. During this month, He Ze was strictly forbidden from meeting Lin Yu, but he consoled himself that it was just this one month.

During this month, He Ze planted vines and emerald bamboo in the new courtyard, transplanted a medium-sized pomegranate tree, and set up two swings. He even built a pavilion with wooden and grapevine trellises, creating a flower garden nearby. The entire courtyard was lush green, and from a distance, it looked like a small garden.

Initially, Dad Li was reluctant, fearing that planting so many flowers and plants in the courtyard would attract insects. However, He Ze repeatedly assured him and considering their flower shop, he eventually let his son have his way.

However, He An quite liked this unconventional “decoration” and often played enthusiastically on the swings in the courtyard.

Time passed quickly, and May 20th arrived as scheduled.

The family closed their flower shop and furniture shop for five days, focusing entirely on He Ze’s wedding ceremony. Perhaps overly excited, He Ze hadn’t slept the night before, but when Dad Li woke him up early in the morning, he was full of vigor.

After washing up, Dad Li personally tied his hair crown, helped him change into wedding attire, and put on a wedding hat. He An circled around He Ze and smilingly praised, “Brother, you look really handsome today!”

“Of course, today is my big day!”

Dad Li clicked his tongue at He An, then smoothed out the wrinkles on He Ze’s clothes, tears suddenly streaming down his face.

“Dad…”

“It’s okay, it’s just a moment, I’m happy! When you were born, you were so small. The midwife said you were too light, afraid you wouldn’t survive. Your father and I didn’t believe it. We were determined to raise you. In the blink of an eye…”

“Dad…”

“Dad, if you say more, I’ll get jealous. No wonder you all treat Brother so well.” He An pouted, hanging onto Dad Li’s neck as if boneless.

“Go away!” Unable to hold back his laughter through tears, Dad Li said, “Your brother will have someone to dote on him from now on. Dad will dote on you alone, okay?”

“Agreed!”

He An swiftly grabbed Dad Li’s hand and high-fived him, dispelling the previously somber atmosphere.

The wedding was scheduled for dusk, with two banquets planned. Villagers began arriving in the morning, and by the afternoon, people from neighboring villages and friends of He Ze from town had also arrived. This included the innkeeper Yu, storyteller Wei Quan, Master Cai Xing, Uncle Xu who now lived in the village, and even two classmates from his academy. He Ze wasn’t very familiar with these last two, so he politely welcomed them in.

Finally, He Ze saw Luo Zhanming, who had come with a generous gift as expected. It was within expectations that he could attend, as He Ze had weighed it carefully and sent him an invitation.

“My eldest brother-in-law has a case to review today and couldn’t make it. However, he specially asked me to bring this gift for you. May you have children soon and enjoy a hundred years of happiness. Congratulations!”

“Oh, this… You’re too kind, Sir!”

Others didn’t know who Luo Zhanming’s brother-in-law was, but could He Youcai not know? Before He Ze could speak, he became visibly excited, practically beaming as he eagerly accepted the gift from Luo Zhanming and invited him inside.

After the noon banquet, nearing the time of Shen, He Ze rode a tall, majestic horse, while He An, dressed in red silk, mingled in the welcoming procession, banging a drum for added festivity. The group, carrying the bridal sedan chair, set off in grand procession towards Lin Yu’s home.

At that moment, Lin Yu was kneeling in front of his father’s tablet, bidding farewell.

Three loud knocks followed, leaving Lin Yu’s forehead red. Zhang Su, holding him, tears cascading down his face, and both appeared tear-streaked.

“Don’t cry, now. Today you put on makeup, and more tears will mess up your appearance!” Zhang Su spoke, tears in his eyes, gently wiping Lin Yu’s face, “He Ze is about to arrive for the wedding. Once you enter the He family, you will be a husband and wife, you must respect your elders, love your brothers, and honor your husband. Do you understand?”

“Dad, I understand.”

Suppressing his emotions, Lin Yu turned toward the door, and the wedding dowager knocked on the door outside. “Zhang Su, bring Yu-ge out quickly. Outside, they beat gongs and drums to celebrate, and the bridegroom is coming!”

“Let’s go, we’re going out.”

In this era, weddings bore little resemblance to those in ancient China. Grooms didn’t need to cover their heads, and their wedding attire matched He Ze’s style, just a bit looser.

Originally, Zhang Su intended to embroider a set of festive robes for Lin Yu, but Lin Yu declined.

After a burst of firecrackers, Lin Yu stood at the door amidst thick smoke, seeing He Ze in identical red attire dismounting from his steed with grace, an imposing figure full of vigor and charm.

That was his husband.