The sky was just beginning to lighten when Li Xiu woke. He didn't get up, instead lying still and listening to his younger brothers' breathing beside him. He quietly recalled the first time he'd met his wife in his past life. She had worn her hair in two thick braids, a shy smile gracing her fair face. But after she saw him, the smile had slowly faded. She had stood quietly to one side, listening as her mother, older sister, his mother, and the matchmaker did all the talking.
He had fallen for her at first sight, yet they had ended up as husband and wife in name only. 'This time, I'll never break her heart again,' he vowed to himself. 'I'll cherish her like a precious gem, hold her in the palm of my hand, and never let her suffer any wrong.'
"Eldest, get up. Your aunt will be here soon."
Hearing his mother's call, Li Xiu quickly got up, put on his new clothes, and went into the courtyard to wash up. 'This is different,' he thought. 'It's different from my past life. Back then, Mother and Second Sister-in-law Ge went with me. This time, Aunt Li is going. First Uncle arranged it. He insisted Aunt Li go instead of Mother. It seems First Uncle is still holding a grudge about dividing the family!'
In his past life, his first uncle and aunt had treated him well. The reason was actually quite simple: he was the *chengzhong sun*, the lineage-bearing grandson. In the countryside, the role of a *chengzhong sun* was comparable to that of a future family patriarch. Once he married and established his own branch of the family, he would have to take responsibility for all major events—weddings, funerals, and everything in between—for his first uncle's family, his own family, and his third uncle's family. He and his wife would both be expected to fulfill these duties.
'In my last life, First Uncle didn't get involved in my marriage. That was because Mother hadn't said certain things, which made him think that while she might play favorites, she wasn't completely unreasonable. This time, by saying I'd handle the furniture for the new house myself, I pushed Mother to act too hastily, which has clearly given First Uncle and Dad second thoughts.'
'Whatever. I can deal with all this family nonsense later. I'll have plenty of opportunities to sit back and watch the show. Right now, I have too much on my plate and need to get my own affairs in order. When my wife joins the family next spring, I have to be able to give her a peaceful and harmonious home with her in-laws.'
In his past life, he had often discussed these things with his son and two little grandsons. He recalled his youngest grandson saying, "Grandpa, for all that petty family drama, you wouldn't even need half of the Thirty-Six Stratagems. You could have saved face and gotten what you wanted without losing the family ties you value. Come on, let me help you study up on them." At the thought, Li Xiu couldn't help but smile. 'He was right. What's the big deal? Having lived a whole extra life, I can certainly see things more clearly now.'
Just as they finished eating, Aunt Li and Second Sister-in-law Ge arrived together. Li Xiu quickly stood up to offer them a seat and asked Li Xin to pour them two bowls of sweet water.
"Sister-in-law," Li Xiu's father began, addressing Aunt Li and Second Sister-in-law Ge. "I'm troubling you both today to help our eldest with his matchmaking interview. If the girl's family is agreeable, let's just settle things. Our boy isn't getting any younger, and you both know our situation. As long as he is happy, his mother and I have no objections."
Hearing her brother-in-law's words, Aunt Li glanced at her silent sister-in-law—Li Xiu's mother—before smiling. "Of course," she said. "He's my dear nephew, so I'll be sure to keep a sharp eye out for him. Once Li Xiu is ready, we should get going. We don't want to keep the young lady waiting. What do you think, Second Sister-in-law Ge?"
Second Sister-in-law Ge smiled and nodded, beckoning as she walked toward the gate. "Uncle, Aunt, we'll be on our way then."
The trio walked briskly toward Little Nanshan. The matchmaking meeting was set to take place at the Nun Temple there. They had to cross the mountain; at the southern foot of Little Nanshan lay the outskirts of Zhou Family Village. Shanqian Village and Zhou Family Village were separated by Little Nanshan, with Shanqian Village to the north and Zhou Family Village to the south. The road between them was over twenty *li* long. 'In my past life,' Li Xiu recalled, 'it was always inconvenient for my wife to go back to her family. The distance was too great, and we didn't have a bicycle.'
"So, little brother," Second Sister-in-law Ge said as they walked, "tell me about your plans. I need to know what to tell the girl's mother."
"Second Sister-in-law, for the engagement and the betrothal gifts, we'll follow the going rate. I'll apply for a housing plot, build a house, and we'll split from the main family as soon as we're married."
Second Sister-in-law Ge glanced at Aunt Li. Seeing her nod in confirmation, she smiled. "Alright then. I'll be sure to explain that clearly to the girl's mother. By the way, when you split from the family, you won't be taking on any debt, will you?"
'It's rare in the village for an eldest son to split from the family after marriage. Even when it happens, they usually leave saddled with a mountain of debt. What young person doesn't want their own home and life? She herself had only been able to because her husband was the second son. If there was no debt involved, this was a huge selling point she had to stress to Lian. That girl is too naive, and I'm still worried about Li Xiu's unreliable mother. Honestly, if Li Xiu wasn't such a good man, I wouldn't have even considered introducing him to Lian. But if they split off right after the wedding, Lian won't have to suffer under that mother-in-law.'
"No debt," Li Xiu said quickly. "When we divide the family, you and Second Brother can come and act as witnesses." 'This is no time for games,' he thought. 'If I make Second Sister-in-law unhappy, I won't even get the chance to meet my wife—she'll call the whole thing off herself.'
"That's good. Let's get through the meeting first. This afternoon, I'll go straight to my family's village and visit their uncle. He's the one who makes the decisions in their family."
Li Xiu understood at once. 'Second Sister-in-law Ge is clearly very satisfied. She's planning to lock this marriage down today.' "Great! Then let me thank you in advance, Sister-in-law!"
"You haven't even seen the girl and you're already in such a hurry!" Second Sister-in-law Ge was no fool; she'd caught his implication.
"Heh, since you're the one making the introduction, Sister-in-law, I'm satisfied without even looking!" 'How could I not be satisfied? This is the wife I've been dreaming of day and night.'
Aunt Li laughed from the side. "Well, well, look at you! Our eldest can be like this too! I really should let your younger siblings see this. Just yesterday, they were worried you'd scare away their future sister-in-law with that stern face of yours!"
Second Sister-in-law Ge chuckled along. 'As long as he's happy, that's what counts,' she thought. 'The most annoying part of matchmaking is dealing with people who whine and nitpick before they've even met.'
They chatted the whole way and arrived at the Nun Temple before they knew it. The bride-to-be's party hadn't arrived yet, so Aunt Li and Second Sister-in-law Ge sat on a stone in front of the temple to rest. Although it was called a temple, it had been destroyed during the campaign to "Smash the Four Olds," and only a single empty building remained.
Li Xiu stood there silently. He didn't dare speak, afraid that the turmoil in his voice would give him away. His heart had been churning like a stormy sea the entire journey. He fought to suppress the overwhelming wave of emotions—he was excited, but also terrified. 'What if I mess this up? What if something goes wrong? What if I lose her again?'
"They're here!" The voice of Second Sister-in-law Ge broke his trance. He looked up and saw three figures slowly approaching. His wife. She was here. Just like in his past life, she walked at the very back with her head lowered. Li Xiu dug his fingernails into his palm, barely managing to suppress the word "Wife" that almost escaped his lips.
"This is her mother, this is her older sister, and this is Lian," Second Sister-in-law Ge said, quickly introducing everyone. "And this is Li Xiu, and this is his aunt."
Zhou Lian looked up at the man before her. 'Wasn't Li Xiu's mother supposed to come? Why is his aunt here instead?' Suppressing her surprise, she offered a quiet greeting. "Hello, Auntie."
Aunt Li beamed at the young woman. "What a lovely girl," she said warmly. "You're so very pretty."
"Hello, Auntie. Hello, Sister," Li Xiu quickly greeted his future mother-in-law and sister-in-law. 'My mother-in-law is an honest soul who doesn't get involved in things, but my sister-in-law... she's a force to be reckoned with. She gave me plenty of grief in my past life.' He didn't dare look at Zhou Lian, afraid he would lose control. He wanted to pull her into a tight embrace, to tell her how much his heart ached from missing her. He wanted to hold her forever and never let go. He loved her. He had loved her in his last life, too, but he had lost her.
"Auntie," Second Sister-in-law Ge said to Zhou Lian's mother, "how about we let the young people walk ahead for a bit?"
"Alright. We can have a little chat ourselves," Zhou Lian's mother said, her eyes on Li Xiu. 'The young man is quite presentable,' she thought. 'Let our girl see for herself.'