Someone said, “You’re the tribal leader now. Perhaps she’s changed her mind. If you show your affection for her, she’ll accept you.”
“Yes!”
“Just do it!”
Tarico cleared his throat and said, “The woman who received my agate necklace, if you’ve changed your mind, could you come onto the stage?”
Ye Xiaoxian’s heartbeat quickened.
She remembered that Tarico had once given her a necklace though she had never worn it or shown it to others.
After she returned from Beihui city by then, she wanted to give the necklace to Li Hongmei. But she was so busy that she forgot it, so the necklace was still placed in the wooden box beside her bed.
Hearing Tarico’s words, the crowd began looking around to see if any woman would go onto the stage.
To avoid being suspected, Ye Xiaoxian also looked left and right, pretending as if she was not that woman.
She wouldn’t go up to be his wife.
She didn’t want to marry at all.
Or to be exact, Tarico didn’t give her that kind of feeling – the eagerness to be with him for a whole life no matter what would happen.
Only Xiao Baoshan had ever given her such a strong desire.
The expectation in Tarico’s eyes was gradually replaced by disappointment. His eyelids drooped.
He smiled self-mockingly. “It seems that she won’t come up. All right, I’ll keep waiting for her.”
Most women felt it a pity for the one Tarico liked. Tarico was so handsome. Even if she hadn’t liked him before, she should change her mind now.
Women were all fearless when they fell in love.
Now that this blessed woman wasn’t willing to come out, she might really have no feeling for Tarico.
To ease the embarrassment, the seniors said, “It doesn’t matter. Tarico is still young and can invest more energy in tribal affairs. There’s no hurry about marriage.”
…
Longmen Inn.
As it became warmer here, the customers also gradually increased.
One day, Jin Xiaoyu said to Xiao Baoshan in a sweet voice, “Dumb, you’ll marry me, right? The weather is good today. Why don’t we go downtown to buy something we need for our wedding?”
It had been Silly and Dull who were responsible for purchasing materials for the inn. Jin Xiaoyu seldom went outdoor, let alone Xiao Baoshan.
Xiao Baoshan had promised to marry her last year. Now, it was spring. If he kept delaying the marriage, he would become an “irresponsible” man that he hated.
He put down the rag and replied in a flat tone, “Okay.”
Jin Xiaoyu was displeased. “Why do you sound so reluctant? You’re unwilling to marry me?”
“No,” he said.
Then, he added, “I’ve promised you.”
It sounded like it was just for a promise.
But Jin Xiaoyu was happy about his answer. “Change your clothes then. I’ll get changed, too. We’ll go there by carriage, have great fun, and sleep in an inn there at night.”
Xiao Baoshan then went back to his bedroom.
But when he opened his wooden box, he thought the clothes he was wearing were good enough.
Clothes were for covering one’s body. Why bother to dress so fancily?
He knew Jin Xiaoyu would spend much time picking a dress and wearing makeup, so he just sat on the bed waiting.
Somehow, he felt empty in his heart.
Every day, he climbed on that dune and observed the passers-by quietly. The new faces always lit up the light of hope in his eyes. Perhaps among these people, some came for him.
But as it turned out, no one was here to find him.
Maybe he had been forgotten or abandoned, or why wasn’t there anyone to find him?
Maybe it was his best choice to marry Jin Xiaoyu. At least there would be someone to accompany him for his rest life.
…
After getting changed, Jin Xiaoyu pushed open the door of his bedroom and found him sitting still on the bed.
She paused and asked, “Are you all right?”
Hearing her voice, he drew back his attention and said apologetically, “I don’t think I need to get changed. The clothes on me are good enough. Besides, I have only two robes. If we are going to stay outside, I’ll also need to change clothes tonight.”
She couldn’t help patting her forehead. “Alas, it’s all my fault. If I had bought you a new outfit, you wouldn’t need to dress like this. Forget it. Just go this way. The carriage has been ready outside. You drive it, okay?”
…
Xiao Baoshan was very skillful when he rode the horse, though he didn’t know which way to go. Jin Xiaoyu, sitting in the carriage, pointed at the roads from time to time.
She was dressed very gorgeously, dripping with jewels.
It was like she was a lady from a rich family while Xiao Baoshan was merely a coachman.
After telling him the way to go, she threw her arms around his neck and asked, “Dumb, tell me the truth – are you reluctant to marry me?”
“Not like that.”
“Then why are you so absent-minded?” She pressed her cheek against his neck.
He didn’t answer.
She said, “Forget it. It’s useless to ask you this question. Anyway, we’ll be a couple after we get married. By then, you can only accept your fate. If you betray me, I’ll kill you.”
He replied briefly, “No.”
“I’ll really kill you.”
“I mean, I won’t betray you.”
Satisfied with his answer, she laid her head on his shoulder happily as she showed him the way. “Turn left. Do you see the ramparts? That’s Da’an county.”
…
There were only two streets in the county with nothing particular to see and the inns were also rather humble.
That was why Ye Xiaoxian and her companions, on their escape, had gone to Longmen Inn rather than staying in the county.
Jin Xiaoyu was very disappointed about Da’an county. She said unhappily, “There’s nothing to buy here, let alone the clothes for our wedding. What about going to Baoning city?”
“Baoning city?” Xiao Baoshan asked. “Where is it?”
“It won’t be that far, I suppose. If we go fast, it’ll take only one day. Now that we’ve come out, let’s just take it as a journey. I’ve never been to Baoning city. Some customers said it had become much more prosperous than before. There are many things to buy, including quite a few from the Central Plains! We’ll know what kind of city it is after we go there!”
Xiao Baoshan agreed. For her, he always felt an inexplicable trace of guilt in his heart.
…
Baoning city.
This day, Xiao Tieshu and Jia Zhenbo also went here.
There was a batch of goods that had been left over last year. Now, winter had passed and spring came as a good season to start the business.
Their products were very popular here. Usually, they could be sold out in a few hours.
At this moment, Xiao Tieshu and Jia Zhenbo were answering customers’ questions and packing up the products for them.
When they were terribly busy, Xiao Tieshu suddenly heard a voice, “How much is the vase?”
Why was it… so familiar?
He raised his head hurriedly.
