Chapter Seven: The Wedding

  When I saw the wooden puppet had been burned, I felt relieved at once. At dawn, in order not to let others know about this matter and thus cause gossip, I told others that it was a midnight electrical fire, and after finding someone to repair it, the matter was over. As the wedding date approached, I didn't have time to take care of things in the store either, as everyone in the family was busy with the wedding.

  My grandma heard that I was getting married, and she came ahead of schedule with my big cousin. As soon as she arrived, she went to the basement where I had burned the wooden puppet and walked around in circles, asking me if I was sure I had really burned it. If he hadn't died, he might come back to take revenge on me.

  I solemnly promised my grandmother that I would burn everything, and even the ashes would be gone. Grandma's face showed a hint of suspicion, as if she had sensed something unusual, but she didn't want to say for sure. Seeing grandma's expression, I felt a twinge in my heart and asked her if she had sensed anything.

  Xīnǎinai looked at me, hesitated for a moment, shook her head, and Dàbiǎogē was standing beside us, complaining that we were suspicious and ghostly. He said women are just trouble, which made Xīnǎinai very unhappy, so she pointed at Dàbiǎogē and scolded him:

  "Big Fatty (Table Brother's nickname), you rascal, if it weren't for you corrupting Little Yue with the things you wrote over there, Little Yue wouldn't be so worried and afraid. What else can you do besides eating?!"

  Before Grandma Lin finished speaking, I immediately looked at my cousin in surprise and said to Grandma Lin:

  "Xianai, you, you said that Da Ge told me to use white candles to drive out ghosts is something he saw in there?! How can he be so perfunctory with me?!"

  My brother's face suddenly squeezed up, revealing a flattering smile, and he quickly grabbed my hand saying:

  "Your aunt is fooling you, how can your uncle be such a person? Look, your aunt has brought a bunch of treasures for you, let your aunt show them to you."

  Xī Nǎinai heard Dà Biǎo Gē say this, and she suddenly slapped her forehead, saying that when she came, she brought a bundle of old-fashioned big coins and jewelry from her elders. She said that these coins and jewelry were her dowry when she married my grandfather, given to her by her natal family. At that time, Xī Nǎinai's family was a well-known wealthy family for ten miles around, with several fine horses, foreign guns, and guards. And Xī Nǎinai was born with a beautiful face, but it's unknown how she fell in love with my grandfather, a widower with children. After marrying my grandfather, Xī Nǎinai didn't have any children either. She said that these things would be buried with her when she died, so she might as well bring them to our family and make it a joyful occasion.

  Although it's already the 21st century, and whether it's a holiday or whatever, everything is synchronized with Western culture. However, in our Jiangxi province, which is a bit more out of the way, for important days like weddings, although they are imitated from the West, most people still haven't abandoned the fundamental traditions passed down by their Chinese ancestors. Things like "xīn pìn cí táng" (sending betrothal gifts) and "sān cháo huí mén" (three visits to the bride's home) are all still practiced. When I got married to Su Huaifeng, we also followed these traditional procedures step by step.

  This time getting married, although Su Huai Feng was not pleased, when our parents from both families were present, all the necessary etiquette was there, it's just that when we two were alone together, he would do his own thing and didn't even bother to talk to me.

  I've gotten used to Su Huai Feng's indifferent expression since he returned from abroad, always giving me a cold and icy look. Originally, before we graduated from high school, we were still lovers who held hands every day on our way to and from school. To be a bit mushy, one winter when it was snowing heavily, I brought a hot water bottle from home that had gone cold, and my hands were frozen like ice sticks. He actually put the icy hot water bottle inside his clothes, shivering all over like he was sieving flour, then took out the hot water bottle warmed up by his body heat and gave it to me, saying he had just charged it with electricity from the teacher and told me to warm my hands quickly. At that moment, I was so touched that I couldn't say a word. This kind of thing is rarely done by boys for girls at that innocent and naive age.

  But after we graduated from high school, Su Huai Feng was like a different person, from being enthusiastic to being indifferent. He didn't even tell me when he went abroad and cut off all contact with me. Recently, I heard that he liked a girl who went abroad with him to study, but his dad immediately told him to break up with her and come back to China to marry me, which is the main reason why Su Huai Feng dislikes me so much.

  Su Huai Feng's dad and my dad have always been trying to get us together, all the relatives at home know about our relationship. Breaking up isn't just between Su Huai Feng and me, it's a matter of two families, plus I still love him.

  I don't even dare to think about such sad things, because thinking too much won't make him love me. At least, if I marry him, his people will still be by my side.

  Everything needed for the wedding has been prepared, and the banquet will be held at a five-star hotel in the city. The guests from Su Huai Feng's family are all high-ranking officials. It is said that Su Huai Feng's father spent a lot of money on our wedding, decorating the hotel like a grand cathedral, with luxurious tables set up with famous wines and delicacies. Even my and Su Huai Feng's new wedding clothes have been prepared in several sets, along with professional makeup artists and photographers following us.

  The Su family has money and power, I know that. But when I got out of the car wearing a white wedding dress and saw all those high officials and rich people who are usually hard to see gathered at the hotel entrance rushing towards me and Su Huai Feng, I was still shocked in my heart. After all, there is a big difference between my family background and Su's. This psychological gap, at this moment, suddenly surged out. Su Huai Feng walked beside me, his face with a clear outline, with a hint of anger on it, holding my hand tightly, without considering whether I was in pain or not, nor caring about the expressions of the people around him, and walked into the hotel numbly.

  Su Huai Feng might have been holding in a lot of anger, and didn't notice her footing, so when she was going up the stairs, one foot missed a step, and her entire body fell backwards. I almost didn't even think about it, and immediately reached out to support Su Huai Feng, but my feet were wearing high heels, and as Su Huai Feng pulled me down towards the ground, my waist twisted, and I immediately fell onto Su Huai Feng's body, a sharp pain shooting through my lower back.

  Su Huai Feng was wearing a brand new white wolf costume, when he saw me lying on his body, his eyebrows furrowed together, and with great disgust, he pushed me to the side, stood up himself, and called for the bridesmaid behind him to pull me up.

  My big brother, that fat guy, was standing next to me. Seeing this scene, the flesh on his chubby face twisted, and with one punch, he rushed up and gave Su Huaifeng a punch in the face:

  "You little rascal, you're not even married yet and you dare to bully Xiao Yue, are you tired of living?!"

  Su Huai Feng, although about 1.78 meters tall, has a weak physique. My big cousin's heavy punch immediately sent Su Huai Feng rolling to the ground! The people around us were shocked and stared at us troublemakers. My dad and Su Huai Feng's dad stood together, saw this scene, and hurried over to hold back my big cousin, calming down the surrounding people saying it was nothing. I was stunned for a moment, quickly walked towards Su Huai Feng, apologized, and tried to help him up from the ground. However, Su Huai Feng ignored me, pushed away my hand, covered his face which was already smeared with nosebleed, stood up from the ground, and didn't even look at us as he walked in the direction of the bathroom.