CHAPTER 102: CHAPTER 101: YOU DON’T NEED TO KNOW

Gao Fusheng is a full twelve years plus three ahead of Su Jingchen, already twenty-five years old.

With someone of Gao Fusheng’s age, he should have been married long ago, but Gao Fusheng was a stubborn sort.

He swore not to get married until he passed the Scholar exam.

Fortune finally smiled on him, and this autumn, Gao Fusheng barely made it as a Scholar, finishing last on the list.

Had Gao Fusheng kept failing the exam, given the Gao family’s wealth, he wouldn’t have landed such a wealthy young bride at his age as an old Scholar.

"Your hand... is it better?"

"Hand?" Yu Xiaolian showed her hand to Su Jingchen, "It was just a splinter, it hasn’t hurt for ages."

Yu Xiaolian’s body had a very low sensitivity to pain, if she felt pain, it must be one that is unbearable to ordinary people.

Seeing everyone ushering the groom to the backyard, Yu Xiaolian pulled Su Jingchen to join in the fun.

Su Jingchen was usually stern and reticent, but no one at the academy treated him like a child, even though he was young. Older Scholars and Teachers often asked to consult or debate with him.

He could make those old academics blush and strain their necks, while he remained unfazed.

At this moment, having his sleeve tugged by Yu Xiaolian, his ears silently turned red.

The bridal chamber was packed with young men and women, most of the men were Gao Fusheng’s classmates from the academy, all wearing robes.

The girls mostly dressed in ordinary autumn clothes, except for the bride’s red dress, only Yu Xiaolian wore a pomegranate red jacket and skirt, making her the most presentable.

Yu Xiaolian pushed into a corner of the room with Su Jingchen, as some Scholars nodded to Su Jingchen along the way, to which he politely responded.

"Brother Su, is this young lady your sister, by chance?" asked a Scholar next to Su Jingchen.

"You should have seen her; she came to sell things at the academy during the opening," Su Jingchen replied lightly.

"Oh?" The Scholar studied Yu Xiaolian closely, frowned, and said, "I don’t remember!"

Su Jingchen didn’t respond.

No wonder the Teacher taught something yesterday, and the next day you almost forgot it all.

This memory, perhaps you should go home and work in the fields.

The Scholar speaking with Su Jingchen was Zhao Shanhe, a Supervisor.

If you were to say the difference between a Supervisor and a Scholar, their titles are the same.

It’s just one earned it, and the family bought the other.

The Zhao family are landlords, generation after generation they have tenants farming.

Dreaming of producing a Scholar, yet none of the descendants managed to live up to the expectation, the family had to pay for a name.

Of course, the money was not given to Bai Shixi, but paid in tribute to the County Magistrate of Yangcheng County.

The leader of a county, wanting to arrange three to five people into Qingquan Academy, even Bai Shixi had to relent, the Magistrate’s face couldn’t be ignored.

Gao Fusheng drunkenly sat beside the bride, and the matron immediately pressed the groom’s left neckline over the bride’s right neckline.

Indicating the man should overshadow the woman.

After the seating ceremony, Gao Fusheng lifted the bride’s red veil, and at that moment, the bride coyly covered half her face with a prepared round fan.

"The bride is so pretty!" someone exclaimed in surprise.

The matron joyfully brought the wedding wine to the bride and groom, singing, "Please drink the wedding wine, bride and groom!"

The wedding wine, divided from the same melon into two basins, tied together with red string.

Symbolizing two bodies, and after drinking, becoming one, symbolizing the union of husband and wife.

After the wedding wine, the matron tied the hair of Gao Fusheng and the bride together symbolically, indicating a married couple.

Next, came the part where everyone played pranks in the bridal chamber.

"Brother Gao, three days of wedding chaos, we won’t hold back,"

Zhao Shanhe laughed heartily and stepped forward, the group had already decided he would lead the upheaval.

"Come, come, bride, put down the fan, let’s play a game!"

Zhao Shanhe grabbed a piece of wedding candy from a plate on the table, "The first task, eat wedding candy!"

The groom and bride each bit into one end of the candy together and ate it.

Such an old tradition.

Yu Xiaolian scoffed internally.

But just as the groom and bride’s lips were about to meet, her eyes were suddenly covered by a pair of long, cool hands.

"Not suitable for children!"

A calm, even voice from Su Jingchen reached her ears.

Yu Xiaolian yanked down Su Jingchen’s hand, glaring at him angrily.

Not catching the most crucial moment, how annoying is that?

Though she was an old single woman who never dated in her past life, she’d seen pigs run even if she hadn’t eaten pork.

A single dog won’t give a chance to even eat dog food?

"Difference between men and women?" the bride whispered as she repeated Zhao Shanhe’s question.

Tilting her head and thinking for a while, she couldn’t find the answer, so she helplessly looked at her husband for help.

Gao Fusheng whispered a few words in her ear, immediately making the bride’s pretty face blush dark red like blood.

Yu Xiaolian didn’t understand either, nudging Su Jingchen with her elbow, "What does it mean?"

What are they laughing at?

If she didn’t laugh, it seemed like she wasn’t smart, no, she had to laugh along.

An unnatural look briefly flashed across Su Jingchen’s face, he coughed lightly, leaned closer to Yu Xiaolian, and whispered, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Yu Xiaolian nodded, thoroughly determined.

"The difference between men and women, ahem... lacking above, but having below," Su Jingchen’s ears grew red and hot as he finished.

He hoped Yu Xiaolian understood the meaning, he didn’t want to explain further.

"Oh." Yu Xiaolian realized, just a mind-teaser, and a dirty one at that.

"It doesn’t count, that question was told by Brother Gao, let me ask another one."

Zhao Shanhe shook his head knowingly and posed another question, "A group of girls bathing in the river, suddenly a stranger barges in, what do the girls most want to cover?"

I know this one!

Yu Xiaolian’s eyes lit up.

They’d obviously want to cover the man’s eyes.

Just as Yu Xiaolian thought of the answer, the bride said the correct answer too.

Winning an abundance of cheers, avoiding the punishment.

"A table with four square corners,

In the center, lies a shriveled vegetable jar.

No pickled eggplant nor ginger,

Only soaking hard sweet potatoes,"

Zhao Shanhe posed another riddle.

Yu Xiaolian looked up, seeking answers from Su Jingchen.

Su Jingchen’s gaze darted around, finally pulling Yu Xiaolian and leading her out of the bridal chamber.

"Let’s go home!"

"But... the bridal chamber fun isn’t over yet?"

Going home is boring too, this lively scene is so rare.

"Home!"

Su Jingchen’s voice was authoritative, pulling Yu Xiaolian through Gao’s gate.

Home it is then, why be so harsh?

When separating at her own door with Su Jingchen, Yu Xiaolian couldn’t resist asking again, "What was the answer to that riddle?"

Su Jingchen had a trace of embarrassment on his face, said unnaturally, "You don’t need to know, go on!"

Yu Xiaolian pouted; if only there was an online search, she could look for it.

The old twists and turns could be really puzzling.

If women could sit the exams now, she reckoned she’d struggle to qualify as a Scholar. Back in the previous life, she leaned towards science subjects, not keen on the humanities.

Little did she think she’d suffer from the lack of cultural insight now, Yu Xiaolian went from being entirely delighted to feeling a little disappointed.