WBSGVS Chapter 73 V1

The wedding day was set for ten days later. Although the ceremony was still modest, everyone wore clean, new clothes—mostly men in traditional Zhongshan suits and women in blouses, with bright red flowers pinned to the left chest as a symbol of marriage.

Song Dongyun sat on the brand-new bicycle Xiang Lifeng had bought, as he brought her from her parents’ home to his. They scattered candy along the way, attracting children from nearby villages who happily followed, making the journey lively and festive.

People around couldn’t help but admire Xiang Lifeng’s generosity, which brought an even brighter smile to Song Dongyun’s face.

After the formalities, the newlyweds were escorted to their bridal chamber. However, Xiang Lifeng couldn’t stay long, as he needed to greet guests, so after a brief time, he brought their youngest son into the room.

Of the three children, he trusted his youngest the most—mainly because he was still small and unlikely to get into mischief.

“Stay with your mother, all right? I’ll be back soon,” Xiang Lifeng instructed.

Having already been told to behave, little Sanbao nodded obediently, “Got it, Dad!”

Song Dongyun smiled and reassured him, “Go on. Nothing will happen while I’m here.”

Xiang Lifeng chuckled softly and strode out. Soon, the sounds of people encouraging each other to drink filled the air outside.

With nothing else to do, Song Dongyun said, “Sanbao, how about I teach you a nursery rhyme?”

“Sure!” Sanbao nodded eagerly, but he wanted to be held, saying, “Carry me!”

Song Dongyun, who adored children, picked him up and gently taught, “Little duckling, quack, quack…”

Sanbao mimicked her in his small voice.

A little while later, Xiang Lifeng, feeling a bit uneasy, returned to check on them. But hearing the warmth of the mother-and-son moment inside, a soft smile appeared on his lips, and he returned to his guests.

After a good while, as some guests were already tipsy, Song Dongyun’s voice suddenly came from outside. A bit groggy, Xiang Lifeng asked, “Why did you come here?”

Song Dongyun laughed, “Didn’t you ask Dabao to fetch me? Are you really that drunk?”

“Dabao?” Xiang Lifeng snapped to attention, suddenly a bit clearer. Just as he was about to speak, two children ran by, playfully bumping into Song Dongyun.

“Oh!” she gasped as she heard the sound of fabric tearing behind her. To her surprise, Xiang Lifeng, who had anticipated something like this, quickly wrapped her in his arms, covering the tear in her dress.

“Hey, isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” someone drunkenly teased.

Xiang Lifeng forced a smile and said, “What’s inappropriate? It’s our wedding day! That’s enough for now. I’m heading back.”

With that, he lifted Song Dongyun into his arms.

Still flustered, Song Dongyun felt relief as Xiang Lifeng shielded her from view, holding onto his clothes, afraid to move for fear of exposing her back.

Fortunately, Xiang Lifeng moved quickly, ignoring others’ protests, and went straight to their room, shutting the door.

As Song Dongyun sat down, she reached to touch her back and confirmed that her dress had indeed torn in a large patch, revealing the thin layer of underclothes she’d made herself.

If Xiang Lifeng hadn’t acted so quickly, she would’ve been exposed in front of everyone at the banquet. In such a crowd, she didn’t even want to imagine the aftermath.

Pale, she muttered, “Why is this fabric so cheap? Good thing you reacted quickly.”

Xiang Lifeng managed a wry smile and asked, “Can I take a look at the dress?”

“Sure,” Song Dongyun nodded, then, feeling a bit shy, asked him to step out. Once alone, she changed out of the torn dress.

After putting on fresh clothes, she inspected the tear. One part of the rip was unusually clean, almost as if it had been cut, while the rest looked like a natural tear.

Puzzled, she called Xiang Lifeng back into the room and asked, “What happened? The dress was perfectly fine when I came over.”

Xiang Lifeng’s lips tightened as he examined the dress, his expression darkening. He asked, “Who were you with before?”

Song Dongyun glanced at him. “Besides you, only Sanbao. It couldn’t be you, right?”

Xiang Lifeng’s face grew serious, silent.

Song Dongyun guessed, “It couldn’t have been Sanbao, could it? He’s just a little kid! And why would he do that?”

Xiang Lifeng managed a small smile and said, “I don’t know. I’ll go ask. You stay here and get some rest. It’s been a tiring day.”

“…Alright.” Song Dongyun smiled too, deciding not to dwell on it.

If it had been Sanbao’s prank, there was little she could do but let it go.

Since he wasn’t her biological child, any harsh discipline might only breed resentment. Besides, Sanbao was so young—only three. In her modern mindset, she considered that a three-year-old would be barely independent, let alone crafty enough to cut her dress without her noticing.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she instinctively wrapped herself in a coat. As she opened the door to check on things, the sound of a child crying echoed from the backyard.

Her expression changed slightly. She was of the mindset that children shouldn’t be disciplined harshly. While older customs advocated “tough love,” she knew that such approaches could stifle or traumatize a child.

Soft-hearted, she couldn’t bear the sound of a child crying and quickly went over.

In the front, the guests were still enjoying themselves, while the back was for housekeeping matters. As she entered, she saw Dabao dodging around the yard, with Xiang Lifeng close behind, holding a stick and looking dark-faced. “Hold still!”

“I won’t!” Dabao cried out, refusing to face the consequences.

The crying child was Sanbao, too young to keep up and already hit once, bawling loudly. Erbao hugged him, red-eyed and looking forlorn. The sight tugged at Song Dongyun’s heartstrings, and she rushed forward, scooping up Dabao. “Enough, enough! Stop hitting him!”

Xiang Lifeng paused, his face softening as he said, “It was the two older ones, not Sanbao. He’s too little to understand. But if I don’t discipline them, they won’t listen.”

Sensing an opportunity, Dabao clung to her, wailing, “I’m sorry, don’t hit me, Dad!”

“There, there,” Song Dongyun comforted him, then turned to Xiang Lifeng. “You’ve already disciplined them, haven’t you? Did it help? Hitting too much can make them stubborn. Let’s talk it out.”

Xiang Lifeng wanted to argue but stopped when she took the stick away.

Looking at his teary-eyed daughter, who stayed close to Song Dongyun, Xiang Lifeng relented.

He cared deeply for his children and wouldn’t have been so strict if the situation hadn’t been serious.

This was only the third time he had ever punished them, all incidents occurring recently.

Seeing he was listening, Song Dongyun gently smiled and said, “Dabao, Erbao, Sanbao, let’s have something to eat, okay? All the guests have eaten, and I haven’t had a bite yet. What would you like? I’ll make it for you.”

Erbao quickly came forward and asked, “Can I have eggs?”

“Me too!” Sanbao piped up, his tear-stained lashes still wet.

“Of course,” Song Dongyun agreed, then looked at Dabao, “What about you? Would you like some?”

Dabao pouted and didn’t answer, pulling away moodily.

When Xiang Lifeng tried to scold her, she ignored him, and he looked apologetically at Song Dongyun. “I’m sorry. I’ve spoiled her.”

“It’s alright. She has her personality.” Song Dongyun didn’t mind.

“You’re truly kind,” Xiang Lifeng sighed, looking at her with an apology. “I owe you. You can discipline the children however you see fit. If it’s too hard for you, let me know. Don’t let yourself be mistreated.”

Song Dongyun felt warmth in her heart. “I won’t.”

The Xiang family wedding was a bustling celebration.

There hadn’t been many festive occasions in nearby villages lately, so this one felt especially lively. Xiang Lifeng’s generosity in sharing candy drew many children, and quite a few adults followed.

Qingli didn’t attend. As usual, after selling her wares, she returned home, where Auntie Xiuhong from next door handed her two pieces of candy. “Here, something for your little one.”

“Thank you, Auntie.” Qingli accepted the candy, noticing the bright red “happiness” symbol on it. “Who’s having a wedding?”

Auntie Xiuhong hesitated, then decided to tell her, as Qingli rarely reacted much to gossip. “It’s the Xiang family. Xiang Lifeng married a girl from Song Village.”

Qingli nodded in understanding. “They’re already married.”