Clear skies.
The 13th of the last month.
Auspicious: Marriage, taking a wife, planting trees, ancestral rites.
Inauspicious: All matters are favorable.
Today is a good day.
There is a joyous occasion in Kan'er Village.
"One bow to Heaven and Earth, two bows to the high altar, husband and wife exchange bows."
Jiang Changtian, serving as the marriage officiant, sat on the high altar, receiving the kowtows of a pair of newlyweds.
He felt a bit dazed himself.
Actually, he felt as if he hadn't really grown up.
Suddenly, he was already officiating marriages for the younger generation.
He felt a bit nervous all of a sudden.
Would Elder Sister Yu and Feng soon follow?
Today, Cui and her bodyguard husband Wu were getting married.
Since Wu's original home was too dilapidated, he was approved to move into two rooms of Lord Liu's grand mansion.
The rooms were sturdy, not leaking wind or rain.
His bedridden elderly mother wore a rare joyful expression today.
Finally, finally she had seen her son take a wife.
She tremblingly removed the silver ring from her finger as she lay in bed, raising her hand and shaking it to put the ring on Cui.
That night, the old woman passed away, a smile on her face, her eyes peacefully closed.
Clear skies.
The 14th of the last month.
Auspicious: Opening a business, burial, placing in the coffin, burial, funerary rites.
Inauspicious: All matters are favorable.
Today is a good day.
Kan'er Village has a funeral.
Everyone said it was a joyous mourning.
Wu cried until his voice grew hoarse.
Yesterday he was a groom, his mother's son.
Today he is a husband, and he no longer has a mother.
Jiang Changtian patted Wu's shoulder and said, "Your mother didn't want to burden you. Seeing you get married, she could leave in peace. She suffered greatly from her illness, so being freed from it is also a blessing. I envy you, having such a good mother."
Wu cried even more uncontrollably.
His tear-filled eyes looked at Mr. Jiang as he hugged Mr. Jiang's legs and wailed, "Sir! Sir!"
Yesterday, Cui wore a red wedding dress. Today, she wore a white mourning robe.
Everyone said Cui was fortunate - her mother-in-law had acknowledged and accepted her as a daughter-in-law before passing, not wanting this daughter-in-law to labor too much.
Yesterday, Cui was still a young lady. Today, she became the matriarch, donning the mourning robe and stumblingly learning how to host guests.
Jiang Yu came to attend the funeral while carrying her younger sister.
For joyous village occasions, one could slack off, but not for funerals.
People gathered, pooling money, this and that, in any case needing to properly send the deceased off.
It was Jiang Mianmian's first time attending a funeral service.
Being an infant, she simply joined in the meal.
She wouldn't be brought up to the altar or anything.
She obediently rested in Father's embrace.
She didn't cause any trouble, watching as the villagers all donned white mourning robes.
A few elderly women sat in a row by the roadside, wailing mournfully.
Their voices rose and fell as they cried, but also recounted the life of the deceased old woman.
The old woman's life held no shining moments.
She simply raised a son, lost her husband early, and was sick and bedridden for many years.
While alive, it was extremely difficult for her son to find a wife, as normal families were unwilling to marry their daughters into a home with an ailing person.
Now that she had passed, everyone praised her.
Praised her for understanding the greater principles, praised her for being fortunate, praised her as a blessed person who, in departing, left behind a son and daughter-in-law.
They forgot that the old lady had once been quite cantankerous herself.
She could trade insults with Cui's Mom for three whole days and nights.
Cui could not bring herself to shed tears - she was still in a daze.
But her Mom pinched her, turning her eyes red.
"You must cry. Your mother-in-law was a kind soul. Cry, and your heart as the new matriarch will feel better. From now on, you are part of their family."
Cui was pinched so hard by her Mom that big teardrops rolled down her cheeks.
Jiang Yu was Cui's close friend, and Cui's Mom did not avoid Elder Sister Yu either.
Jiang Mianmian also witnessed this scene, thinking to herself that sometimes, the people who hit you are not necessarily those who dislike you.
That day, the rebel Mr. Gong came again.
He did not attend Cui and Wu's wedding.
But he came for Cui and Wu's funeral service.
He even brought ceremonial burial offerings.
The crowd praised him even more, saying the old lady was so fortunate, dying with such grandeur and dignity, surely destined to be born into an auspicious rebirth next life.
On this day, Jiang Yu watched as her childhood friend swiftly transformed into a matriarch.
She saw how devastated Wu looked as he cried - when he ate, he could not take a single bite himself, but still remembered to stuff a piece of flatbread into Cui's mouth.
It seemed that getting married wasn't so bad after all.
Everyone was tearfully wailing, yet not truly grief-stricken.
With so many people around, Jiang Mianmian was passed from one embrace to another.
This time, she was in Father's arms.
Father greeted the distinguished guest Mr. Gong.
Today, there were no wealthy nobles present, only villagers in mourning white.
Half the village was covered in snow, the other half cleared.
They sat under the eaves of Lord Liu's grand mansion.
A small brazier burned, warming them.
The two men each had a small bamboo chair.
They watched the lively funeral proceedings.
Jiang Changtian seemed a bit somber himself, lacking his usual arrogant, haughty air and demeanor, appearing more genuine somehow.
He had a bit of a lazy, relaxed feeling about him.
Jiang Mianmian, cradled in Father's embrace, sensed that he no longer exuded the same tautness as before.
He sat on the small chair, chatting idly with the little bearded man.
That night at Qingfeng Restaurant, there were just two corpses - one killed by the little bearded man, one killed by Jiang Changtian.
Gong Qichi did not kill indiscriminately either - the man he killed was habitually evil, exploiting and robbing the common folk, forcibly taking village women.
Perhaps Jiang Changtian did not kill randomly either.
It was enough to intimidate the crowd.
Watching the funeral, Gong Qichi said to Jiang Changtian, "The year I attained the top imperial examination degree, my mother fell gravely ill. But she endured it painfully, worried it would affect my exam. After I passed, she worried it would affect my official career, so she kept enduring. Then when she learned I had been punished, she could no longer bear it - losing her will to live, she passed away the day she received that news. I never got the chance to attend her funeral. Now seeing this lively funeral, I think it's good, so good to have such liveliness."
"Yes, liveliness is good."
Jiang Changtian leaned back in the small bamboo chair, one arm cradling the child, the other hand holding a bamboo cup, sipping hot tea.
The hand holding the child had somehow come to rest on the child's head, stroking her hair, strand by strand.
Jiang Mianmian: ...
The little one squirmed slightly, then listened intently to the gossip.
"Brother Changtian, what are your plans going forward? Observing your uncommon appearance, your status may have some hidden story behind it," Gong Qichi continued.
Jiang Changtian cuddled his daughter and gently stroked her little head, smiling, "No, I have a wife, a son, a daughter, fields, and a house. My life is very good. From now on, I am the father of my children, the husband of my wife. I am Mr. Jiang for everyone, responsible for ensuring everyone has enough food and drink. Every day is very busy, too busy."
"Thank you, Brother Gong Qichi," said Jiang Changtian, raising his bamboo cup in a toast.
Gong Qichi nodded slightly.
He felt that the other man was quite pitiful, having lived so long only to find out his mother was not his real mother, yet not knowing who his real mother was, having been oppressed by filial piety half his life.
No wonder it is said that the underhanded methods employed behind the scenes in great families are terrifying.
They can torment someone to death without using knives or swords.
The human heart is more terrifying than knives and swords.
"I cannot stay long in Ming County. I have observed that you govern Kan'er Village well. While chaos erupts everywhere else, this village remains peaceful and retains a human touch. I want to report back to General Zi and have you take charge of governing Ming County. I will leave some guards behind temporarily to assist you."
"Thank you, Brother Gong Qichi. In these chaotic times, human life is as worthless as weeds. I am already risking my life, so as long as General Zi trusts me, I will devote all my efforts to the task," Jiang Changtian said earnestly.
...
The weather cleared.
The fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Auspicious activities: Traveling, securing doors, moving to a new house, changing jobs.
Inauspicious activities: Getting married, breaking ground.
Gong Qichi then hurriedly departed with his soldiers.
He left behind a contingent of men to assist.
The oldest was 46 years old, and the youngest was 6 years old.
...
