After weighing the pros and cons and agreeing, Meng Fangxun immediately heard that the Commissir also wanted to visit the Xu family to find Xu Huaiqian and have him engrave the characters for the epitaph.
At that moment, Meng Fangxun didn't dare to breathe heavily. How could he say that Xu Huaiqian was currently blind?!
He didn't dare.
He was afraid the Commissir would vent his anger. These officials' moods changed daily. His attitude in finding them to write and engrave the epitaph was very gentle now, but who knew what his mood would be if he found out it couldn't be d?
Would he blame Xu Huaiqian or help him out?
Meng Fangxun didn't dare to gamble. The Commissir was the Commissir; the examination hall was the examination hall. The examination hall was managed by the Prefect of Yong'an Prefecture, while the Commissir only oversaw the candidates' exam results.
He didn't dare to gamble that the Commissir would confront the local-power Prefect for a Xiucai he didn't know, just because he wrote good calligraphy?
Most likely, Xu Huaiqian would have to bear the consequences himself.
Therefore, he immediately told the Commissir's servant: "Xiucai Xu and I are close friends. If Your Excellency trusts me, I will find Xiucai Xu to do the engraving after I finish writing the epitaph."
Finding some in the countryside wasn't easy. It had been raining those days, and the roads were muddy soup. The Commissir's servant had already had a hard time finding Meng Fangxun, let al going to find the more distant Xu Huaiqian.
Hearing that they knew each other and could discuss matters together, what was there to disagree with?
He also wasn't afraid of a small Xiucai like Meng Fangxun deceiving him. If he dared, whether he could keep his Xiucai rank would be questionable.
Meng Fangxun spent these days pondering the epitaph at home. Finally, he wrote a deeply moving and was about to find Xu Huaiqian and the others. But remembering they were about to celebrate their happy event, he didn't want to spoil their good mood at this juncture. He decided to wait until after their wedding.
So, he effusively wrote a congratulatory message for their wedding and then came over full of worry.
He didn't know how Xu Huaiqian's eyes were. Could he read and write yet? If he still couldn't see, did the family still have any practice calligraphy from before?
Meng Fangxun thought of an idea for Xu Huaiqian: if his eyes weren't better yet, they could dig out his old writings, pick out characters from his epitaph by , and find some to copy them.
That was much better than offending people.
Therefore, he didn't pay any attention to the wedding decorations, constantly turning this matter over in his mind.
Compared to their complex inner thoughts, Zhang Bingwen was much more pure. His all emotions and desires hadn't fully developed yet; he didn't understand love and romance. With a bright face, he handed over a gift my of 888 coins, entered the Chen family courtyard, and waited for the banquet to start so he could enjoy the feast.
Seeing his classmates arrive, he waved to them: "This table! This table! This table!"
Zhang Bingwen was so clever! Before others arrived, he had already secured a table facing the main hall, so he could later watch his senior brother and sister-in-law bow during the ceremony.
Seeing his wave, the others snapped out of their thoughts and hurried to his table.
"You are the cleverest!" Pei Wangshu looked left and right, finding their table had the best view, and had to admire him.
"Of course." Zhang Bingwen grabbed some sunflower seeds, very pleased with himself.
"This is my husband." Duan Youyan led Sheng Yunjin over and introduced him.
" We've long heard of you." Every at the table had heard of their love and hate story and were quite curious about Sheng Yunjin. Now, seeing him in person,
They were all so impressed with Duan Youyan.
A real Liu Xiahui—a historical figure known for his extreme chastity!
To have such self-control, and still be able to struggle with himself for two years! If they had such a beautiful as a flower husband, they would have fallen for him long ago.
Sheng Yunjin's appearance wasn't as intense and bright as Chen Liejiu's, but he was still an docile beauty, not at all common.
What was rare was that despite his high birth, he didn't have an overbearing aura, nor was he dislikably timid and subservient.
Seeing every staring at him, Sheng Yunjin's face reddened, and he also greeted them: "I've also long heard of all of you."
Every smiled: " You flatter us."
Afraid he would feel uncomfortable, Zhang Bingwen took the initiative to change the subject: "Did you see the road at the village entrance when you came?"
"What road?" Each of them had their own concerns; how would they notice such a small thing?
"Here," Zhang Bingwen pointed to the wide road surface outside the Chen family courtyard. "This road."
He expressed regret that they hadn't noticed it: "My sister-in-law built this for my senior brother! It's so level, even better than the roads in the prefectural city!"
Living close by—Xinghua Village was next to Taoli Village—news of a major event like Chen Liejiu building a road for Xinghua Village had long spread to neighboring Taoli Village.
Especially since the road was so smooth and level, even better than prefectural roads, drawing people from many surrounding villages to see. Taoli Village, being close, not only saw the road being built day by day but also knew more inside information.
For example, this road was built by the bully of Xinghua Village for his live-in Xiucai husband.
Although it wasn't officially called "Huaqian Road," every already thought of it as such in their hearts.
Zhang Bingwen, having just passed the Xiucai exam and feeling relaxed, spent his days idly listening to gossip in the village, especially about his senior brother and sister-in-law, hearing who knows how much.
Now, telling the others, he was absolutely brilliant, leaving them dumbfounded.
Especially Sheng Yunjin: "I never expected Brother Xu's husband to be so valiant. Not a man, yet more than a man."
Zhang Bingwen agreed: "Exactly! My sister-in-law is so capable, daring to think what ordinary people cannot. Not to mention other things, just collecting debts, making charcoal, building roads—what man has his boldness of vision?"
"Brother Xu has such good fortune!" Pei Wangshu sighed. He also wanted to find a husband or wife like that, but the more he heard, the more distant the hope seemed.
Having Chen Liejiu in the world was already encounterable but not seekable; how could there possibly be a second?
Every was astonished by what Chen Liejiu had d for Xu Huaiqian. Even though each had their own worries, they didn't mention them to avoid spoiling the mood, planning to wait until after the wedding banquet.
So, what were the main characters doing at this moment?
The main characters were changing clothes inside.
Chen Liejiu had been out for almost half a month, hauling dozens of cartloads of charcoal to several counties, and finally earned enough my to buy silk.
He immediately went to the silk shop, bought several feet of red silk, and had two wedding outfits hastily made.
One had to admit, silk wedding clothes were different. Although rushed without any dragon-phoenix embroidery, the simple red made both Xu Huaiqian and Chen Liejiu look as beautiful as peach blossoms.
As soon as they changed, they couldn't control themselves. Holding each other in the room, their lips met in a long, drawn-out kiss.
They still hadn't separated.
Xu Huaiqian's legs were weak, but he held his husband, refusing to part from his lips.
The sound of exchanged saliva lingered in their ears like rain.
"A-Qian, we can't continue." The torrential kiss finally forced Chen Liejiu to turn his face away, gasping for breath, ending the deadly intimacy.
Xu Huaiqian, still immersed in his husband's sweetness, was suddenly interrupted. His affectionate phoenix eyes were still dazed and uncomprehending. He wiped the moisture from his lips and asked: "What's wrong?"
"Heat flush." Chen Liejiu pointed between his brows. Xu Huaiqian had almost triggered his heat flush. Remember, today was their wedding banquet. A heat flush during the banquet wouldn't be the end of the world, just potentially awkward.
Because many people were coming.
Not greeting guests, not performing the ceremony, going straight to the wedding chamber... well, that would truly shock every.
Xu Huaiqian reached out to touch the man's line between Chen Liejiu's brows. It was burning hot. "So hot."
His expression suddenly turned strange. If it was this hot here, wouldn't his body be even hotter?
Remembering last time when helping Chen Liejiu with his heat flush, his skin was scalding like a high fever.
And if it was a full heat flush?
Resolving a heat flush involved heat... how hot would that get?
"What are you thinking?" Xu Huaiqian didn't know how tempting he looked now—long, lowered eyelashes, skin like congealed cream, lips reddened from kissing and glistening with moisture, like a bright red cherry, begging to be picked.
"Thinking about the heat flush." Getting married soon, Xu Huaiqian wasn't shy at all. He held Chen Liejiu's waist and spoke softly by his ear.
"What do you think?" Chen Liejiu's ear burned slightly. He asked in return.
"It would be very hot, right?" Xu Huaiqian gave his answer. Wouldn't that mean doing it would be...
Seeing him like this, Chen Liejiu laughed teasingly: "Don't worry, it won't cook our little A-Qian."
Little A-Qian.
Xu Huaiqian's face instantly flushed red. His husband really liked to tease him anytime, anywhere.
" Why be shy?" Chen Liejiu found his instantly blazing white face extremely amusing. "You're an adult today. Should we... heat things up tonight to celebrate?"
He had been coveting his little husband for longer than a day or two. He had raised him for so long, even his eyes were better. Was it too much to ask for a taste tonight?
"Heat things up"?
Like hot pot?!
Xu Huaiqian's face turned even redder. Looking at Chen Liejiu, he really wanted to say: Husband, can we be a little more reserved? Just a little?
But Chen Liejiu was completely unaware of Xu Huaiqian's shyness. He wrapped his arms around his neck, rubbing against him: " Is it okay? I kind of want to."
It wasn't just because of the heat flush; he had been mentally wanting it for a long time.