Chapter 1768 — The Betrothal
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Boss, good timing—you're home. I'm about to get betrothed to Yuanyuan. We're holding the betrothal feast in a few days, and you absolutely have to come!" Ergoudan said.
"Betrothal?" Wei Zhao wasn't surprised. Though Ergoudan and Yu Yuanyuan weren't yet of marriageable age, village custom allowed a betrothal first—and in truth, once betrothed, they were as good as married. In the village, everyone would already treat Yu Yuanyuan as a member of Ergoudan's family.
"That's right, boss. How about you get betrothed alongside me?" Ergoudan asked.
"I'll pass..." Wei Zhao thought over his own situation and declined. How could he get betrothed? To Tang Zhi? Would Xiaoshu be unhappy about that? And Feng Xiaoxiao wasn't even here—why should he go joining in the excitement?
In the blink of an eye, the day of Ergoudan's betrothal arrived. The once quiet little village burst into festivity—lanterns hung and colored silks draped everywhere, and relatives near and far, from this village and the next, all came to join in. Ergoudan's family, as hosts, had begun preparing well in advance!
Wild boar, wild pheasant, wild duck, wild roe deer—every kind of game was on hand, and side dishes like corn, potatoes, and vegetables had long since been readied and prepped days ahead. This morning, before the sky had even fully brightened, the kitchen at Ergoudan's house was already bustling!
Every relative who knew how to cook came to help, for the banquet was enormous—a full hundred tables. It could be said that the whole village, plus folk from neighboring villages, had all come. That was how it was here: whenever a family had a wedding or a funeral, everyone came to show their support. Whether or not they brought gift money was a minor matter—what mattered was the lively spectacle.
Wei Zhao, as Ergoudan's closest friend, naturally ran about busily helping to organize everything, while Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, and Tang Zhi didn't rest either—they became serving girls, ferrying dishes back and forth for the banquet!
A mountain-village betrothal had few formalities. The two parties showed their faces on stage, said a few polite words about growing old together and sharing a lifetime, and then the hired opera troupe performed. The couple themselves had little else to do.
The crowd had come for the opera, while the newly betrothed went off to change clothes and toast each table in turn. Of course, whether they knew the guests or not, they had to toast them all—such was the custom of the little village.
"How fun! Will we have a betrothal like this someday too?" Tang Zhi said with hopeful envy.
"If you want one, of course we can arrange it. I just worry you'd find it too noisy," Wei Zhao said.
"Right... how could Xiaoxiao and I possibly get betrothed to you together? Wouldn't people laugh themselves to death?" Tang Zhi shook her head. "Better to keep things low-key."
Hearing Tang Zhi's words, Wei Zhao didn't know how to answer, and could only respond with a bitter smile. Tang Zhi was right—if two of them got betrothed at once, what would that even look like?