Chapter One: Joyful Wedding

  Winter of AD 340, north bank of the Yellow River, eastern suburbs of Xiyang County.

  In the lecture hall of Huang Yong, an old man with a lame leg was explaining the etiquette, there were more than ten seats in the auditorium, but only one young man was sitting upright and listening to the lecture, all the other seats were empty.

  In the late afternoon, heavy snow fell and the sky gradually darkened. After finishing his lesson, the old man put down his book and waved to the young people, indicating that they could disperse.

  Under the hall was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old handsome young man, who put away his writing utensils and walked forward to salute the old gentleman, "The student has heard that the war in the north is pressing, Xiyang has become a place of accumulated danger, it is not possible to stay for long, what plans does the master have?"

  "The old man is about to rot like a dead tree and does not want to leave his hometown." The old gentleman shook his head calmly.

  "Sir, the barbarians are cruel by nature, brutal and cannibalistic. It's unsafe for you to stay here." The young man said in a low voice.

  "The barbarians want to kill him, then they will. The barbarians want to eat, and they will too, as long as they don't mind that I'm old and bony." The old man smiled and said.

  "After the student's family moved south, the saint said, 'A gentleman does not stand on a precarious wall.' I humbly invite you to go with us, this is also my father's intention." The young man bowed deeply to the ground.

  "Your father's kindness has deeply moved me. Please thank your father for me, but I am unwilling to leave my hometown. The sky is already dark, you should go back earlier." The old man raised his hand to bid farewell.

  The young man sighed helplessly, took out a small package the size of a fist from his bosom and presented it to the master with both hands, "Master, for ten years of teaching, your kindness is as heavy as a mountain. Please accept this silver to use when needed."

  "It is a teacher's duty to enlighten and resolve doubts, and I have been supporting you every month without fail. As for this silver, I absolutely cannot accept it." The old man waved his hand repeatedly.

  "Sir, take care of yourself." The young man stuffed the package into the old gentleman's arms and turned to hurry away quickly.

  "Don't ask, it's none of your business." The old man said with a shocked expression.

  The young man did not turn his head upon hearing this, and insisted that the silver must be left behind, otherwise the old gentleman would have nothing to live on in the future.

  "You have read extensively the classics and various philosophers, deeply grasping the benevolent spirit of a gentleman. However, in times of chaos, the way of a gentleman may be harmed. In the future, when handling matters, you must clearly distinguish between good and evil, and deal with them accordingly." The old master's legs were crippled, making it inconvenient for him to chase after, so he could only loudly remind.

  The young man turned back and bowed again, then immediately turned around and went out the door. Outside the house, heavy snow was falling, and a servant in a hemp garment was waiting in the snow. Seeing the young man come out, he immediately put the cloak he had brought on the young man and took over the writing brush, inkstone, and paper from the young man's hand.

  The young man's name was Mo Wen, seventeen years old this year. His father ran the largest pharmacy in the county town, and he was the only son of the family. The servant boy beside him, one year younger than him, was the child of a lifelong servant, originally surnamed Wu. Because "Wu" and "nothing" were homophones, it was disliked by business families, so everyone in the Mo family called him Xiao Wu.

  On his way home, Mo asked to stop at a food stall in the county town of Sanchaokou to buy a bun and handed it over to Xiao Wu when they reached an uninhabited place.

  "Thank you, young master." Little Wu said with gratitude as he accepted it.

  Mo didn't ask, nodded slightly and continued on his way. Due to years of disasters and wars, food was extremely scarce. Three meals a day were only available to wealthy families, while peddlers could only afford two meals, which were thin porridge.

  "Tomorrow you'll be getting married, I wonder if Second Miss Lin is pretty or not?" Xiao Wu followed behind Mo Xun.

  "A woman's virtue is what matters, her appearance is not important." Mo Wen said. This marriage had been arranged by his parents, the bride was Lin Ruochen, the second daughter of Lin Xiang, a silk merchant. The Lin family were also merchants, their daughters were pampered and followed etiquette strictly, never leaving the house, so outsiders naturally didn't know what she looked like.

  "If that's what you're saying, if Miss Lin looked like a bun, would you still want her?" Little Wu held up the bun that had not yet gone into his mouth.

  "Be more discreet." Mo Wen smiled and stood up, Xiao Wu smiled and dodged away.

  The county town was not big, and the lecture hall was less than five miles away from Mo's pharmacy. After a while, the two returned to the pharmacy, where everyone was busy bundling up the medicines in the medicine cabinet and loading them onto carts. Xiao Wu handed over the stationery and books to Mo Xun, ran over to help, while Mo Xun walked alone through the outer hall into the inner courtyard.

  The women in the inner courtyard were setting up lanterns and decorating the new house, although they were doing joyful things, everyone's expression was filled with anxiety and unease. The reason was simple: the Zhao State from the north was about to attack, and the Mo family had to rush to complete the wedding between Mo Wen and Lin Ruochen before their southern migration.

  Zhao State was a country established by the Hu people, and the current emperor Shi Hu is of Jie ethnicity. He is cruel and fond of killing, enjoying eating human hearts. Most areas in the north are under his rule. The Jin State, established by the Han people, has retreated to south of the Yellow River. Xiyang County is one of the few counties on the northern bank that still belongs to Jin State. As Zhao State launches a southern campaign, border conflicts are intense, and for safety reasons, all villagers have made preparations to flee, waiting only for the Yellow River to freeze before crossing the ice to head south.

  After meeting his parents, Mo's father kept Mo and took him to the ancestral temple of the Mo family with sacrificial objects. It is customary for a man to sacrifice to heaven and report to his ancestors before getting married.

  The Mo family ancestral hall was located just north of the pharmacy, and the two men entered the hall to pay their respects to their ancestors. After the ceremony, Father did not rush to leave, but instead took out eight gold bars from the bottom of his food box and buried them in the northwest corner of the hall. Mo asked for help without asking too many questions, he understood that his father was doing this to leave a way out for the family, and fleeing south was just a desperate move. After the war ended, they would still have to return to their hometown.

  On the way back, the sky grew darker and darker. A gust of wind started in the late afternoon, and the temperature dropped again. Although it was bitterly cold, the villagers were extremely happy because the colder the weather, the thicker the ice on the river would be, and everyone could leave this place of trouble earlier.

  Even if things are urgent, the rules still need to be followed. After dinner, my sister-in-law brought over her seven-year-old son to sleep with Mo for good luck, as it is customary for a man to have a young boy whose parents are both alive sleep with him on the eve of his wedding, symbolizing many children.

  The next morning, Mo Wu changed into new clothes, bid farewell to his parents, and rode a horse with a sedan chair to welcome the bride.

  "Xiao Wu, why are you all sweaty?" Mo Wen asked, hugging Tong Yan and sitting on the horse.

  "Old Master told me to go take a look at the riverbank." Little Wu, who was leading the horse, turned his head and replied.

  "Has the river frozen solid?" Mo asked.

  "No, pedestrians can make do, but cars cannot pass. It may be better tomorrow. Young master, it seems you didn't sleep well last night." Little Wu asked with concern as he saw Mo asking looking listless.

  "Don't mention it, the kid who wet the bed at midnight is now sleeping soundly." Mo Wen frowned and shook his head.

  "Children's urine is also called golden water, which can not only dispel dampness and reduce fire but also support the righteous and ward off evil. What a great blessing! " Xiaowu turned his head and smiled slyly.

  Mo Wen glanced at Xiao Wu and didn't continue speaking. Although they were nominally master and servant, in reality they were friends who had grown up together, so their conversation was quite casual. The difference was that Mo Wen was well-read in poetry and books, and was reserved and taciturn, while Xiao Wu had been working in a pharmacy for many years, was smooth-tongued, and talked more.

  The pharmacy is just a few miles away from the silk weaving village, and soon they arrived at Lin's house. A large number of villagers had gathered around Lin's house, and as soon as they saw the wedding procession, they rushed up to block the road.

  No need to ask, when a wealthy family gets married, they must scatter lucky money, also known as opening the road money. So, without waiting for Ice Man's reminder, he took out a package from his horseback and handed it over to Little Five. Little Five took out copper coins and scattered them left and right, and the villagers scrambled to pick them up, clearing the way.

  The son-in-law welcomes the relatives when he is the guest of honor, and the parents-in-law must personally welcome him. When they see the parents-in-law, don't ask why they start to get nervous. Under the guidance of the matchmaker, they dismount and walk forward to present the bronze goose they have been holding in both hands to the father-in-law. The father-in-law smiles and hands it over to his wife, then leads the way.

  The main house was filled with a large number of boxes, all of which had their lids wide open. The Lin family was also a wealthy merchant household, and they had prepared a rich dowry, including bedding, tables, chairs, and even cooking utensils. The centerpiece of the dowry was a pair of golden boy and girl statues, about the size of wine cups, made from gold and shining brightly. In addition to these items, the Lin family also sent a beautiful maid as part of the dowry. This type of maid is called an "陪妻" (pei qi), which means she is someone who is very close to the young mistress and will continue to take care of her after marriage, serving both the mistress and the master when needed.

  The dowry has a list, and the father-in-law hands over the list to Mo Wen. Mo Wen carefully follows the ancient rules to open the list and check the dowry. In fact, this is just a process. Mo Wen's attention is now in the backyard, where all the maids of the Lin family are busy. The main room in the backyard is his wife who has not yet crossed the threshold, Miss Lin Ruochen, the second daughter of the Lin family.

  The matchmaker was a woman in her fifties who had arranged countless marriages and was extremely familiar with wedding customs. After the rituals of betrothal, wedding ceremony, tea ceremony, sending off, and gratitude, the bride would get into the sedan chair and the wedding procession would return.

  Until now, Mo Wen still did not know what his wife looked like, only knowing that the bride's posture was elegant and her voice was soft and gentle. Such a light and delicate beauty must not be an ugly or coarse face.

  "Master." Little Wu handed over the remaining lucky money to Mo Wen.

  "Good for you." Don't ask how good I'm feeling right now.

  "We can't let others take our money." Little Wu hung the purse on the saddle.

  "The man meets the double and does not marry, you are sixteen this year and cannot get married, next year I will also give you a family, and arrange for the young lady's maid to be paired with you." Mo asked for approval and nodded slightly. He was deeply emotional with Xiao Wu, not only because Xiao Wu grew up with him, but mainly because he admired Xiao Wu's innate loyalty. Loyalty is a virtue, it is the inheritance of father and son, and the Wu family has this excellent quality in their bones.

  "Thank you, Master Xiao." Xiaowu was so excited that he trembled slightly. Their family had signed a lifelong contract with the Mo family, and the master-slave relationship had been established for generations. If the master did not allow his servant to get married, the servant would never be able to marry in their lifetime.

  When returning to the Mo family at noon, according to etiquette, the wedding ceremony should be held at dusk. However, with the urgent war situation and villagers fleeing south across the ice, the city was filled with panic and anxiety. To ensure everything went smoothly, they skipped some rituals. After paying respects to their ancestors in the ancestral hall and thanking the matchmaker in the main hall, they sent the bride into the bridal chamber, which was only around late afternoon.

  When they first entered the bridal chamber, it wasn't just the two of them; the matchmaker was also there to teach them the final etiquette. They took a green calabaza and split it in half, the calabaza being extremely bitter. After pouring wine, the taste became even more bitter. After exchanging the calabaza, the couple drank together, called "he jin", symbolizing sharing the sweetness and bitterness together. Each of them took a strand of hair, cut and exchanged it as a gift, called "jie fa", symbolizing eternal love until death. Only then was the wedding ceremony considered complete, the matchmaker left, and only the couple remained in the room.

  At this time, Mo didn't ask to start again with tension, because next he would lift his wife's veil. For some reason, the package that Xiao Wu held in her hand yesterday lingered in his mind...