Read Novel Full Chapter 203
Chapter 203: The Wedding Toast
That night, Shen Lie was destined to be sleepless, and so was Sang Luo.
They had already developed deep feelings for each other. For two people who were mutually infatuated, attraction, closeness, and touch were instinctive. Given their marital status, their emotions and desires were so intense that even the smallest breath could stir up waves. How could they possibly restrain themselves?
It was unclear how it all started. Perhaps it was Shen Lie’s burning gaze as he leaned toward her, or perhaps it was Sang Luo’s own experiences—twenty-eight years of hardship, followed by a short period of illness. Now, wanting to indulge herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
What began as an attempt to learn had turned into Shen Lie’s domain of conquest. The firewood crackled, making soft popping sounds, and the heat by the fire grew increasingly intense. Sang Luo felt herself growing weak and dizzy. It was her first time realizing how consuming a kiss could be.
The wolf skin that had been laid out was eventually only used by Sang Luo. Wrapped in it, they were completely separated, allowing each of them to regain composure and not overstep their boundaries.
As they looked at each other and calmed down, Shen Lie held Sang Luo and the blanket in his arms. When she tried to move, he laughed softly by her ear, “I’m very happy just holding you, really.”
—
After four days, they successfully brought back four live sheep, two large and two small, to the village. Everyone gathered around in curiosity to see. Uncle Xu examined them and confirmed that one was pregnant. The other three included two males and one female, with one of the males and females being young.
Shen Lie had been considering bringing these sheep to improve their diet. The pregnant one was to be kept for their own use, and the male sheep would be quietly introduced into the valley at night to mate with the existing sheep. The younger pair was given to Chen Dashan as a wedding gift.
Shen An, Shen Ning, and Shen Jin were already excited about the sheep’s milk. They rallied their friends to cut down trees and prepare to build a sheep pen.
Building the sheep pen couldn’t be left to the apprentices alone. Shen Lie tied the rope for the sheep to a tree, carried the two baskets back, and let Sang Luo rest and freshen up before he went out to work.
The four days in the mountains had brought them closer, though only the two of them truly understood it.
By evening, when it was time to move the bed, Sang Luo looked at Shen Lie, who smiled and said, “Alright.”
He had promised to keep their bed as it was.
—
November 27th arrived quickly. The wooden house of the Chen family had been completed a few days earlier. Chen Dashan was getting married, and Old Man Chen, Qin Fangniang, and their little daughter naturally had to come out, even if only to stay in the wooden house. Even though they didn’t go out, they stayed inside. People from the valley also returned home to visit their families and prepare gifts for Chen Dashan.
On the morning of the 28th, with matchmaker Mrs. Gan accompanying them, Chen Dashan and a few young men went to fetch the bride. It looked quite ordinary, almost indistinguishable from their usual hunting trips, and not particularly eye-catching.
On their return, they brought not only the dowry from the Zhou family but also some dried dates and a basket of blessings from nearby families.
Given the special circumstances, there were no elaborate ceremonies or formalities. The wedding was simple—just picking up and dropping off the bride without lingering. Chen Dashan and Zhou Ge bowed to Zhou Laizi’s couple and then to his own parents, completing the formalities.
Many children came to watch the excitement, and families in the valley prepared gifts, whether grain or cloth, selecting their best items to give.
Sang Luo and Shen Lie had already sent their gift earlier, but for such a joyous occasion, Sang Luo prepared an additional gift for the Chen family.
She brought it from the valley last night when she visited Shen Yin and Shen Tie, and now, she delivered it directly to the Chen family’s cave.
Arriving late, she found that the children had left after seeing the excitement, and only Zhou Ge remained in the cave. As the bride, she was very nervous and didn’t dare to move around outside. Since she was somewhat familiar with Sang Luo, she visibly relaxed upon seeing her.
Sang Luo found it amusing, handed over a small wine jar, and said, “This is a gift for you. There aren’t many customs or formalities in the mountains, but I thought you should at least have a cup of wine for the wedding toast.”
“Wine?”
Sang Luo nodded, “Yes, red wine. It tastes quite good; you should like it.”
Zhou Ge had never had wine before and only knew it was expensive. However, recalling Sang Luo’s mention of the wedding toast, she knew what it was from seeing similar ceremonies in the past. She blushed and thanked Sang Luo.
Sang Luo noticed her shyness and thought about how Zhou Ge was about the same age as she was now, almost seventeen. She hesitated to offer advice, as the gap between ancient and modern views was vast. In this era, getting married at fifteen was common, and not marrying by seventeen could be considered old maid territory. If she reached eighteen without a match, people might suspect there was something wrong with her…
In any case, the understanding between them was completely different. The advice Sang Luo wanted to give might seem strange to Zhou Ge.
But if she didn’t offer any advice, despite having a valley to hide in and the safety of raising a child there, it would be difficult. Elderly women in the valley might help with childbirth, but it was still a delicate situation. A child could be born as early as seventeen and a half or as late as eighteen.
Even if she waited until eighteen to conceive and give birth at nineteen, it would still be challenging. Newborns were the hardest to care for, and in the remote mountains, where medical resources were scarce, it was hard to imagine.
Considering the Chen family’s kindness toward her, and the relationship between Chen Dashan and Shen Lie, Sang Luo decided to be proactive. If it seemed strange, so be it.
Seeing that there was no one else around, she asked Zhou Ge softly, “Did your mother give you any advice about marriage?”
Zhou Ge was taken aback, her face flushed.
Her mother had indeed given her advice, whispering a few things to her when no one else was around. However, she wondered if it was appropriate to discuss them now.
She stammered, unable to articulate her thoughts.
Sang Luo understood that in ancient times, it was customary to give gifts like fire avoidance maps for marriage. However, Zhou’s family wasn’t wealthy enough to provide such things; it was likely some general advice about what to expect on the wedding night.
Feeling somewhat awkward, Sang Luo pressed on, “That’s not what I mean. I’m asking if your mother advised you to be cautious and not get pregnant too quickly after marriage?”
Zhou Ge was stunned, but she did recall her mother’s advice. It was mainly to avoid potential complications and to be cautious, as pregnancy might not be safe, but she thought Chen Dashan could protect her, making marriage to him safer than staying at home. Her mother had advised her to encourage Chen Dashan to exercise some restraint after marriage.
Her face was bright red, and the words were hard to say, but knowing Sang Luo’s good reputation from the past and present, Zhou Ge believed there was no ill intention behind the question. She mustered the courage and said, “Yes, she… she advised me… to avoid being too… frequent.”
Her last few words were barely audible.
Sang Luo found Zhou Ge’s embarrassment both amusing and endearing. She herself was quite inexperienced, only having learned about kissing and now giving advice on contraception.
She closed her eyes and steeled herself, telling herself it was just a biology lesson. She leaned close to Zhou Ge’s ear and whispered a few words, then said softly, “This should help, though it’s not guaranteed. But it’s useful. Please don’t tell anyone I taught you; it would be too embarrassing.”
Heaven help her, she was still someone who had only experienced kissing and now found herself teaching contraception.
Zhou Ge, whose face was already burning, burst into a giggle upon hearing Sang Luo’s last comment. “Alright, thank you for teaching me. I’ll say it’s my mother who advised me.”
Sang Luo laughed and then said seriously, “I mean it. It’s not just about avoiding disruptions to the valley; it’s also about the safety of childbirth for very young women. Having too many children can harm your health, and in the mountains, where medical resources are scarce, caring for a newborn is challenging. It would be better to wait until you’re a bit older, or until the outside world improves.”
She genuinely cared for Zhou Ge. Zhou Ge absorbed the advice, noting that she had never heard before that giving birth too young could be dangerous. Many people became mothers before sixteen, and even if she became pregnant now, she’d still be close to eighteen when she gave birth.
Zhou Ge, who recognized Sang Luo’s expertise and respected her words, especially the part about the dangers of frequent childbirth, reflected on her own mother’s condition. She had once thought her mother’s illness was due to bearing her younger sister, but now she wondered if it was the result of repeated childbirth weakening her health.
Zhou Ge nodded seriously. “I’ve noted it down. Thank you.”
She almost called Sang Luo “sister-in-law” but remembered that Chen Dashan was older than Shen Lie, so she changed her address to “A Luo.”
Sang Luo smiled. “Alright, I won’t stay longer. I’ll head back now.”
Zhou Ge personally escorted Sang Luo to the cave entrance. After watching her leave, she returned to her own cave, closed the door, and went to the wooden house to join Qin Fangniang and the others.
That night, Chen Dashan’s wedding was marked by the use of red wine, a drink Zhou Ge had never tasted before. As they proceeded to the wedding night, Zhou Ge was so shy she nearly buried her face in Chen Dashan’s chest while discussing how to avoid pregnancy. The night was sweet and unforgettable.
As for Shen Lie, he was unaware of Sang Luo’s advice on contraception. The bed still had a small couch beside it, but with his friend’s wedding, he was not completely clueless. Sang Luo had given Zhou Ge a small jar of red wine in the afternoon, intended as part of the wedding toast.
Just thinking about the wedding toast made Shen Lie’s blood boil. He wanted to coax Sang Luo to try the wine with him, but the sweet and fragrant taste made the wine seem different, and the small couch beside the bed was nearly left unused.
Struggling to remember his promise, he reddened and moved away slightly, sitting on the couch, pulling a blanket over himself, and taking up the copy of *The Analects* Sang Luo had given him. He began to read, making Sang Luo laugh so hard her shoulders shook.
Seeing her laugh, Shen Lie put the book down, pulled her into his arms, and teased, “Are you laughing at me?”
Sang Luo shook her head, trying to contain her laughter. “No, Shen Lie. How about we make a deal? If you read through this copy of *The Analects*, I’ll let you fold up the couch for a day.”
Shen Lie’s throat bobbed as he considered her words. “Are you serious?”
Sang Luo laughed again. “I meant just folding up the couch for a day.”
Shen Lie grinned. “I’m not thinking of anything else. Don’t go back on your word.”
He held back from getting too close, returning her to the couch and earnestly focusing on his book. Whenever he encountered unfamiliar characters, he asked Sang Luo, gradually becoming absorbed in the text and finding it less uncomfortable.
Sang Luo lay in bed, accompanying him, and eventually fell asleep, having drunk no wine.
When Shen Lie noticed she had fallen asleep, he watched her for a while, his lips curving into a smile. He gently adjusted the blanket around her and continued reading, making a mental note of any unfamiliar words to ask Wei Qinghe or Wang Yunzhen about the next day.