Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Li Hua Gets Married
"Sister-in-law." Li Hua wiped her tears and looked at Zhou Lian, deeply moved. She hadn’t expected Zhou Lian to say something like that. One of her husband’s distant female cousins-in-law was her mother-in-law’s own niece, so Zhou Lian’s words were a blatant message for her new in-laws.
Second Granny Li smiled and gently chided them, "Alright now, no more tears. Today is a happy occasion for the Li family. The girls are blessed to have such a good brother and sister-in-law. Now, go fix Li Hua’s makeup. She’s cried it all into a mess."
Seeing Li Hua’s tear-streaked face, everyone couldn’t help but burst out laughing. A bride’s makeup was heavy to begin with, and after all her crying and wiping, her face was an absolute mess.
Zhou Lian couldn’t stand the sight of Li Hua’s face any longer. She said in a rush, "Quick, quick! Get some water to wash her face. We have to do her makeup all over again!"
Li Yun brought a basin of water, which Zhou Lian took and poured out. She had Li Hua wash her face clean while Li Gui carefully supported her, worried she might get jostled in the crowd.
Once Li Hua was seated, Zhou Lian had Li Gui help her sit up straight. Zhou Lian then sat opposite her and said, "Stay still now. I’ll do your makeup for you."
Ignoring everyone’s reactions, Zhou Lian quickly got to work, shaping Li Hua’s eyebrows and applying powder. In no time at all, she was finished. Li Hua had delicate features to begin with, so heavy makeup didn’t suit her. Zhou Lian had lightly defined her brows, applied a thin layer of powder, a touch of rouge, and a hint of color to her lips. The effect made Li Hua’s pretty face look as if it were straight out of a painting.
She then took down all of Li Hua’s hair. Not wanting to do anything too unconventional, she wove it into a fishtail braid, adorned it with two pearl-beaded flower pins, and let the end of the braid rest over her shoulder.
When they saw the newly made-up Li Hua, everyone was stunned. Li Hua wasn’t considered a great beauty—just pretty. But after Zhou Lian’s styling, she looked like she had the makings of a true knockout.
"Aunt Li, is our sister ready? The groom’s party is here," Li Xiu called from the doorway.
"She’s ready. You can carry your sister out now," Aunt Li said, wiping away tears.
Li Xiu came inside. He glanced over and saw Zhou Lian sitting there, safe and sound, before turning to Li Hua. "I’ll carry you out," he said.
Looking at her cousin squatting before her, Li Hua sniffled and climbed onto Li Xiu’s back. ’I don’t have an older brother of my own,’ she thought, ’but my cousin and his wife are better to me than anyone’s real brother and sister-in-law. They gave me such a generous dowry contribution, and my sister-in-law sent a clear message to my new in-laws. Now, he’s even carrying me out himself. I’m going to live a good life, and I’ll be sure to treat them both well in return.’
As Li Xiu lifted Li Hua onto his back, Zhou Lian, supported by Li Gui, hurried to the main gate. Li Yun was waiting there with a basin of water. The moment Li Xiu carried Li Hua over the threshold, Zhou Lian took the basin. She waited until Li Hua was seated on the bicycle that had come to fetch her, and then she threw the water out onto the street.
After watching Li Hua and her escorting party disappear into the distance, Grandma Li and Aunt Li helped Zhou Lian back into the house. Zhou Lian was supposed to be part of the bride’s retinue, but since she was so heavily pregnant, no one dared let her go. They had a distant female cousin-in-law go in her place.
Back in the house, only Grandma Li, a few of her old sisters-in-law, Zhou Lian, and Aunt Li remained. Everyone else had gone to escort the bride; on a wedding day, the more people from the bride’s family in the procession, the better.
Eldest Granny Li said with a smile, "Fourth Sister-in-law, your branch of the family is truly blessed. Both your eldest daughter-in-law and eldest granddaughter-in-law are wonderful women."
’How fortunes change,’ she mused. ’The river flows east for ten years, then west for ten. Years ago, my fourth brother-in-law died young, leaving his wife a widow with young children. Who would have thought my fourth sister-in-law would be so blessed in her later years? Just look at how Li Xiu’s family handles things. It’s clear they’re generous and sensible. That wife of his is more than capable of shouldering the main responsibilities for their branch of the family.’
"Eldest Sister-in-law, my hardships have finally given way to happiness. They’re all good children," Grandma Li said with a faint, content smile.
While the women chatted about household matters, Li Hua was arriving at her in-laws’ home.
Li Guo led Li Bo, Li Miao, and Li Yuan, the four of them sticking close behind Li Hua. Someone in the crowd shouted, "That boy from the Zhang family better treat his new wife well! Her younger brothers and sisters don’t look like they’re to be trifled with!" The comment sent the onlookers into a wave of roaring laughter.
Li Xiu followed behind, overseeing the entire situation. ’A daughter of the Li family isn’t so easily married off. My sister won’t be suffering the slightest grievance.’ Li Bao watched his older cousin for cues on how to act. Li Gui led Li Yun and the other girls close behind them. She also made a point to tell Li Cui to keep a close eye on Li Xin and make sure she didn’t embarrass them in public.
The other Li family members in the escort party watched them, clicking their tongues in amazement. They all thought that the fourth branch of the family was destined to rise with Li Xiu at the helm. His influence among the third generation was even greater than some of the elders’. Who would have thought that after the early death of the fourth branch’s patriarch, they would produce someone like Li Xiu.
When the members of the Zhang family saw how much the new bride was valued by her own family, they quickly suppressed any petty ideas they might have had and began to re-evaluate her standing. The new bride’s cousin was Li Xiu, a man praised by everyone far and wide. And Li Xiu’s fierce protectiveness of his own was famous throughout the surrounding villages.
Li Xiu watched the Zhang family’s reaction, a small smile playing on his lips. ’See? I got the result I wanted. It’s true what they say: a gentle horse gets ridden, and a kind person gets bullied. In my past life, when Li Hua married into this family, her direct in-laws were actually quite decent. Unfortunately, some of the women from the side branches of the Zhang family were always nitpicking. You couldn’t exactly call it bullying, but they’d get together and deliberately make things difficult for her.’
’Even if I had wanted to go over and back her up, there was nothing I could do. As a grown man, I couldn’t bicker with a group of women. In the end, the issue wasn’t resolved until Li Hua, pregnant at the time, went home and tearfully complained to Aunt Li. Zhou Lian overheard, found out what was going on, and dragged Li Gui and Li Yun over to the Zhang residence to raise hell. Only then did it stop. Thinking about it now, Zhou Lian probably stood up for Li Hua in our last life to repay Aunt Li for taking care of her during her postpartum confinement.’
After watching Li Hua complete the ceremonies and enter the bridal chamber, with Li Gui, Li Yuan, and Li He following her in, Li Xiu finally relaxed and took his seat at the head of the banquet table. Everyone in the Zhang family was busy reassessing the new bride’s status. Even Li Hua’s new parents-in-law felt a sense of unease. ’This daughter-in-law’s cousin is far too dedicated, isn’t he? They said he was a cousin, but even a biological brother wouldn’t go to such lengths!’
As the groom began making his rounds to toast the guests, Li Bao caught Li Xiu’s eye and a mischievous grin spread across his face. When the groom reached their table, Li Bao staggered to his feet, a cup in one hand, and slung his other arm around his new brother-in-law’s shoulders. He said with a wide grin, "Brother-in-law, my big sister, you know, she was spoiled rotten at home. Now that she’s married into your Zhang family, she’ll of course be a filial daughter-in-law and a good sister to her new siblings. But if she ever does anything wrong, you come find my cousin, okay? He’ll be the one to discipline her. You got that?"
Seeing the look on his new brother-in-law’s face, Li Xiu stood up, pulled Li Bao away, and said with a smile, "Don’t mind him, Brother-in-law. The kid’s just sad to see his sister get married. He’s had too much to drink."
"I’m not drunk, Cousin!" Li Bao grumbled loudly, leaning unsteadily against Li Xiu. "I just feel bad for my sister! Life was so good at home. She had Uncle and Aunt doting on her, and all of us to protect her. Why did she have to get married? Now she’s in someone else’s house, serving the old and caring for the young. What if she ended up with an unreliable husband? Can you imagine how hard her life would be?"
"It’s alright. Your brother-in-law is a dependable man. Your sister won’t have it too hard," Li Xiu said, coaxing Li Bao to sit down.
"Oh, I guess that’s okay then... No, wait! What if he *is* an unreliable guy? My sister is so honest and kind. What if she gets bullied? We’d all be heartbroken!" Li Bao said, looking up at Li Xiu with a whimper.
Li Xiu’s mouth twitched. ’He’s overdoing it a bit.’ "Don’t worry," he said. "Isn’t there a saying? It’s perfectly natural for a brother-in-law to beat up his sister’s husband. If he ever bullies your sister, you just go beat him up!"
"Oh, that’s right! I forgot about that!" Li Bao turned back to Zhang Chuanzhi, blinking his big, handsome eyes with a grin. "Brother-in-law, you’re not going to bully my sister, are you? She has six or seven younger brothers, you know. We could really mess you up. So please don’t bully her. What would we do if we accidentally broke you?"
Li Xiu pushed him down into his seat and said to Zhang Chuanzhi with a smile, "Don’t take it to heart, Brother-in-law. He’s drunk. I’ll deal with him when we get home. You should go finish your toasts!"
Zhang Chuanzhi’s lips twitched uncontrollably. His new brother-in-law’s smile was terrifying. He looked exactly like a tiger about to eat someone.
Li Bao continued to grumble loudly from his seat, "Cousin is so biased! He’s always ready to beat us up, but he protects his sisters like they’re the apples of his eye. Everyone knows you play favorites!"
"Well, you all carry on drinking. I’ll be right back," Zhang Chuanzhi said with a stiff smile. ’This power play from the bride’s brothers is a little too much, isn’t it?’ he thought. ’It’s my wedding day, for crying out loud! Couldn’t they at least offer a simple blessing?’
"Brother-in-law, just finish your toasts and take good care of my sister," Li Guo said bluntly. He’d disliked the look of the groom for a while now. ’He looks like a cunning wolf cub.’
This younger brother-in-law wasn’t one to be trifled with either. Amidst the hall’s roaring laughter, Zhang Chuanzhi continued on his rounds. At the main table, the Zhang family members accompanying Li Xiu and his group were all lost in their own thoughts. ’The new bride’s brothers are a tough bunch. It’s clear she’s adored by her family. We’ll have to tell the women of our house to be on their best behavior.’ This display was also the direct reason why, on the following day when Li Hua was formally introduced to the extended family, she wasn’t met with any trouble at all.
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