Chapter 27: Holding Lanterns and Decorating with Banners to Welcome the Bandits
After the general direction was settled, how to divide troops, set up ambushes, and train were no longer things that Zhao Xing, who had washed his hands of the matter, cared about. He left everyone behind and went to the backyard to explain to his mother and Xu Wanting why he wanted to marry another wife less than half a year after getting married.
"Mother, I have something to tell you!" Zhao Xing said loudly outside the door of the house where his mother lived, hearing the sound of people talking inside.
Why the fuss? Because he had overheard that the three people in the house were Zhao Shi and Xu Wanting, sisters. Even if Zhao Xing and Xu Wanting hadn't gotten married, the three of them still had an aunt-nephew relationship, so normally they would naturally gather together, and there wasn't any difficult-to-deal-with mother-in-law-daughter-in-law relationship.
"Ah..." The door was opened by someone, and it was Xu Wanlin with a smug expression on her face.
As soon as they entered the house, Zhao Xing said with a forced smile, "Look at our little fairy, has she picked up a golden treasure or is she going to be a good wife? She's so beautiful that it's hard to find her equal!"
"Hmph, I won't tell you!" Xǔ Wǎnlín, with two braids and wearing a pink changshan, raised her small face, her chin pointed at Zhao Xīng. This mischievous little girl was someone that everyone inside and outside of Wòhǔ Zhuāng knew not to mess with, all because Māma Zhào and their family had spoiled her rotten.
"Hey, if you don't tell me, I'll write a letter to your uncle later and have him arrange for you to marry Li Tiezhu, that snot-nosed kid!" Suddenly having a wicked idea, Zhao Xing immediately transformed into the gray wolf facing off against Pretty Sheep!
"Wow......" Contrary to everyone's expectations, Xu Wanlin suddenly burst into loud sobs after hearing these words, completely unlike the usual half-grown girl who was always laughing and joking with Zhao Xing.
Zhao Xing, who had caused the trouble, could only look gloomy and cast a pleading glance at Zhao Shi and Xu Wanting.
"Xiao Lin, don't cry! Xing'er is just teasing you!" Zhao Shi hurriedly coaxed Xu Wanlin, "Our Xiao Lin won't marry anyone, how about following Auntie from now on?"
"It's terrible!" Xǔ Wǎnlín choked out, "I want to stay by Aunt's side forever, but I also want to get married!"
One sentence shocked the other three people in the house into silence!
It is said that children's words are innocent, but the other three people sniffed out a different flavor from these words.
"Daughter, I have something important to discuss with you!" Zhao Xing hastily interrupted, his heart racing wildly! What a joke, Hu Xiang'er's matter hasn't been resolved yet, and this little demoness seems to be about to drop a super-heavy bombshell. Picking the sister flowers is a wonderful thing that many men dream of, but now Zhao Xing really doesn't have such thoughts. In the chaotic world of Three Kingdoms, first think of ways to survive and live better, this heavy burden presses on Zhao Xing, leaving him no time to fantasize about picking the twin sisters' flowers.
"What's wrong?" Zhao asked.
Zhao Xing looked at Xu Wanting and Xu Wanlin, somewhat embarrassed and didn't speak up. Just now, he had just said that he wanted to marry Xu Wanlin off to Li Tiezhu, which had already caused a huge storm. If he were to say that he wanted to take a Qiang Hu woman as his wife, wouldn't he be drowned by the saliva of the two Xu sisters?
"Wan Ting and Wan Lin are not outsiders, there's no need to avoid talking in front of them." Zhao gently stroked Xu Wanlin's little face, which was even more intimate than with her own daughter. To be honest, since Zhao Xing only had one child, from a psychological compensation perspective, it was normal for her to treat Xu Wanlin as her own daughter.
"Hmm, recently the village may be a bit restless. The Taihang Mountain bandits might come to rob us with just one gust of wind." Zhao Xing said slowly and hesitantly.
"Oh, what's the difficulty? My son is intelligent and brave, and recently he has also recruited strong men like Guan Yu, Zhou Cang, Pei Yuan Shao and others. With Mr. Jia Wen's strategy and hundreds of soldiers, we can surely defeat the enemy outside." Madam Zhao said with a carefree tone.
"Mother needn't worry, if that scoundrel dares to come, I'll make sure he won't return!" Zhao Xing guaranteed with full confidence, also afraid of frightening the few people in the house.
"What's wrong, you've been evasive and hesitant since the moment you came in." Zhao suddenly remembered that Zhao Xing had once had this expression, it seemed to be when he proposed to Xu Wanting. Thinking of this, Zhao seemed to know the reason for Zhao Xing's anxiety.
"To make the mountain bandits retreat, we need to do one thing first." Zhao Xing had no choice but to explain Jia Yun's plan in detail. After finishing, he looked at Xu Wanting and Xu Wanlin with a guilty conscience. He found that the two women had different expressions, both were deep in thought, and so far, there was no sign of them blowing up.
"It seems that our Zhao family is going to have a new addition, which is a joyful event. What do you think, Wanjing?" Madam Zhao said with deep meaning, looking at Xu Wanjing.
"But mother knows best," said Xu Wanting with a hint of sourness.
"I disagree! Why should my sister serve the same husband as a Hu woman?" Xǔ Wǎnlín said loudly from the side. This remark was quite tactful, implying that it's unacceptable for Han and Hu women to share the same husband, but acceptable for multiple Han women to share one father? Zhao Xīng's monkey in his heart climbed up the pole, and his horse began to run wildly.
"Wanlin, stop messing around!" Xū Wǎntíng dragged Xū Wǎnlín out.
"You two sisters don't have to worry that Xing'er will marry a Hu woman and neglect you in the future. Even if Xing'er dares to do so, I, as your mother, won't agree!" Madam Zhao's words carried deep meaning, comforting her two daughters.
"Don't worry, daughter. Even if I become the emperor in the future, Yueting will still be the empress!" A certain young man patted his chest loudly.
"Xian Ting knew," said Hsu Wen-ting shyly.
"Hmph, what does it have to do with me if he's cold and distant?" Xǔ Wǎnlín said nonchalantly.
"Then let's hurry up and hold the wedding! Using the wedding to calm people's minds, hang lanterns and decorate, wait for the thieves to come!" Xǔ Wǎntíng said resolutely.
Having obtained the consent of his mother, Lady Zhao, and having comforted his two sisters, Zhao Xing came to the front hall, where he happened to meet Jia Yu, who had just returned from proposing a marriage alliance with the Qiang Hu people. Seeing that both of them had a relaxed expression on their faces, they understood each other's intentions, and the matter of the marriage was thus settled.
As they entered the hall, everyone was still there. "Master, did Sister Wanting pinch your ear?" Li Tiezhu asked excitedly.
"Get out of here!" Zhao Xing glared at Li Tiezhu with a bad temper, but turned to Jia Xun and said, "Mother has already agreed to this matter, I wonder how it is on Mr. Wen's side?"
"Hu Che'er is just waiting for me to propose, afraid that his sister won't be able to marry out. But Hu Xiang'er is hesitating and wanting to agree, but can't bear the loss of face. Thinking of refusing, I'm sure she can't bear to part with him in her heart. Who made our master so elegant and refined?" Jia Yu said sarcastically. "In the end, it was still me who helped them make up their minds."
"What do they want?" Guan Yu asked.
"There's no other request, just a few elderly people shouting that Guo Chang has picked the most beautiful pearl of their tribe and wants to send three jars of Longhe Daqu as betrothal gifts to each person in their tribe!" Jia Xun said with a smile.
"Haha, we may not be able to get our hands on other things, but when it comes to this long river and great curve - there's more than enough!" Zhao Xing said with an uncontrollable smile.
