Entering the main hall, they paid respects to Lord City God and Lady City God, renewing old vows and making new ones.

A few “clink” sounds came as Huo Ling tossed offerings into the donation box.

The two rose from their meditation cushions one after the other. There were four cushions in this row, and on the one furthest to the edge lay a black-and-white tabby cat. Despite the constant flow of people, it neither moved nor was it shooed away.

Yan Qi glanced at it several times, unsure if Huo Ling had noticed. He tugged at Huo Ling’s sleeve.

“Look, there’s a cat over there.”

Huo Ling glanced over and smiled. “I’ve seen it before when I came. The temple keeps it.”

“And it’s gotten quite plump.”

Yan Qi’s eyes crinkled.

“The temple often distributes rice porridge. With all that stored grain, there must be plenty of mice.”

After watching for a while longer, they saw several more people entering the hall until it was nearly full. Only then did they leave.

Huo Ling flagged down a passing young monk and asked where they could burn paper offerings for their deceased relatives. The monk pointed the way: “There’s a large incense burner behind the main hall. You can do it there.”

He also inquired if Huo Ling and Yan Qi wished to hold a memorial service for the deceased. Huo Ling waved it off, saying it wasn’t necessary. The young monk didn’t press the matter, instead offering a few words of advice on the proper etiquette for burning paper offerings—explaining that only by following these customs could the spirits of their loved ones receive the offerings. With that, he bowed and departed.

Huo Ling and Yan Qi had indeed never performed such rituals before. These old customs were mostly known to the older generation, who passed them down to the younger ones, generation after generation.

Following his instructions, they approached the incense burner, finding it unoccupied at that moment. The interior held a considerable amount of burnt paper ashes.

Yan Qi recited his parents’ names, birthplaces, burial sites, and birth dates before the incense burner. Unfortunately, he didn’t know their exact birth charts.

Meanwhile, Huo Ling had already placed the paper money into the burner. He used an incense stick to light it, gesturing for Yan Qi to ignite his portion.

The yellow paper burned swiftly. The flames rose briefly before gradually fading. Yan Qi wiped his dampening eyes and bowed once more toward the main hall.

After completing this act, it felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart. Huo Ling saw Yan Qi’s brows relax and his expression lighten considerably.

Such is life—holding onto a memory or a hope makes many things easier to accept.

He himself had long since passed the stage where remembering his loss brought deep sorrow, but his husband would likely need quite some time to fully let go.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After leaving the City God Temple, they didn’t hurry back. They still needed to buy red cloth for a sash.

Not much was needed—two feet would suffice. The shop assistant at the cloth store knew immediately why they were buying red cloth. As he took payment, he offered a few auspicious words.

Adjacent to the cloth shop was a small yarn store, its shelves overflowing with colorful threads. Noticing Yan Qi staring intently inside, Huo Ling suggested, “Go take a look. See if there’s anything you’d like to buy to take up the mountain.”

Yan Qi hesitated to say no, but then realized that once they were up the mountain, getting supplies would be inconvenient. Now, while still at home, if anything was missing, he could always ask his sister-in-law.

He hesitated and said, “I was thinking of embroidering a few handkerchiefs to give to my sister-in-law, Yingzi, and Ming-ger. We’re running a bit low on colored thread at home.”

Truthfully, he hadn’t found suitable colors for the red bean pouch he planned to embroider for Huo Ling either. Red thread was available—Huo Ling had bought some earlier—but green was still missing.

Still, he didn’t mention it. Rather than hinting at unfinished projects, he’d simply present them when the time came.

“How simple! Come on, we’ll pick everything out in one trip.”

The yarn shop was tiny, even looking a bit cluttered. The shopkeeper sat there like she was in a spider’s web, yet whatever you wanted, she could reach out and find it for you.

With Huo Ling’s height, standing inside made the shop feel even more cramped. Just then, another customer entered, looked up, and was startled at the sight of him.

Staying any longer would block the way, so he stepped out to wait for Yan Qi by the door.

“Luguo! Selling luguo!”

A young woman peddled pastries along the street, basket in hand. Luguo were sweet treats made from white flour, sugar, and eggs. Most families only prepared them for New Year celebrations, but street vendors often sold them—a treat parents would splurge on to placate their children.

Huo Ling called her over and asked about the price.

“Three for five wen. If you pay ten wen, I’ll throw in an extra one.”

Luguo was small, gone in a few bites. Huo Ling calculated, “Then give me twenty wen worth.”

“Sure thing. That’ll get you two extra.”

The nimble young vendor quickly counted out fourteen pieces for him, wrapping them in cut oil paper. Huo Ling touched them and remarked, “They’re still warm.”

The young vendor smiled and replaced the clean, cotton-lined cover on the basket.

“That’s right. They came out of the oven just fifteen minutes ago. I rushed out to sell them. If you like them, come back next time. I always roam around these few streets.”

Huo Ling tucked the furnace-baked pastries into his sleeve and waited for the ger to buy his thread. When he emerged, they each took a piece and ate as they walked. They were truly crispy and sweet.

This experience of snacking while strolling through the market was entirely new to Yan Qi. He found it novel and cherished it deeply.

He savored each bite of the tiny furnace-baked pastry, taking several mouthfuls before finally finishing it, even licking the crumbs clean from the wax paper.

Perhaps sensing his fondness, that night after drinking his medicine, Huo Ling produced another roasted fruit as if by magic.

Yan Qi licked his lips, thinking his palate had grown spoiled—he truly craved roasted fruit more than malt sugar now.

“But I already had some earlier today.”

“What, only one piece a day? Where’d that rule come from?”

Seeing Yan Qi refuse to take it, Huo Ling snapped it in half. Now sharing equal portions, the ger finally accepted it with a smile.

Arm in arm, they devoured the pastry like squirrels clutching pinecones in the mountains.

After finishing, they couldn’t help but exchange a knowing smile.

Yan Qi remarked, “We really are quite the gluttons.”

Even back home, they never snacked like this. Yingzi had a sweet tooth too, but her parents kept her in check. How different from these two, hiding away in a room, “running wild.”

“That’s the perk of being grown-ups, especially newlyweds without kids yet. You wouldn’t believe—before Yingzi came along, my brother and sister-in-law would whip up a couple of dishes and have a little drink every other day.”

The mention of children made Yan Qi raise his hand to wipe an imaginary crumb from his mouth. His ears flushed as he turned sideways to climb down from the kang.

“I’ll fetch water. Let’s rinse our mouths and get ready for bed.”

Huo Ling followed closely behind, carrying the remaining medicine bowl out to wash it clean.

Salted water washed away the lingering sweetness. Before extinguishing the lamp, Huo Ling caught sight of the osmanthus-scented hair oil tucked away in the sewing basket.

He’d bought it fresh in town today. After descending the mountain, he’d learned that the peddler hadn’t brought any hair oil during his last village visit. Yan Qi hadn’t gotten any and hadn’t mentioned it to him.

It worked out perfectly. The town’s oil was far superior to the peddler’s, though naturally more expensive—fifty coins per jar.

With a little thought, he snuggled close to his husband and lay his head on the pillow.

The buckwheat hull pillow rustled softly. He preferred sleeping flat, while Yan Qi liked to fluff it, piling the hulls lower to support his neck.

Seeing him slip under the covers, Yan Qi rolled over to face him.

“When you comb your hair tomorrow, remember to try that hair oil.”

But Yan Qi replied, “I… want to save it for a couple more days.”

Huo Ling initially wanted to persuade Yan Qi not to be so frugal. His elder sister-in-law had told him that hair oil needed regular use to be effective. Yingzi had used it since childhood, and now her hair was jet-black and glossy, earning praise from everyone who saw it.

Upon hearing this, he reconsidered. Wouldn’t the day after tomorrow be the day they held their wedding banquet? Waiting a couple of days wouldn’t hurt.

“Alright, we’ll see about it in a couple of days.”

Though the husband by his side now lacked the fragrance of osmanthus, he carried a distinct herbal scent—equally pleasant to his nose.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

These past few days, since Huo Ling descended the mountain, he hadn’t had a moment’s rest.

One day, he went to market to sell goods, another he hauled back new chests and cabinets from Shuangjing Village, and yet another he visited the stove-maker and butcher to finalize arrangements for their services on the wedding day.

Anticipating more guests than expected, he found his mountain-hunted rabbits and hazel grouse insufficient. He had to seek out hunters to purchase several extra birds to supplement the feast.

In the blink of an eye, the crucial moment arrived.

On the eighteenth day of the third month, firecrackers crackled for a full quarter of an hour before finally fading outside the Huo family’s Xiashan Village home.

Though merely a supplementary wedding feast, every detail was observed except for the bridal procession and farewell.

The Huo family invited Sun-shi, the eldest daughter-in-law of Zhou Chengzu from the village chief’s Zhou household, to serve as the auspicious lady. She combed Yan Qi’s hair, applied her makeup, and proceeded to spread the bedding and drape the canopy.

Sun-shi had a silver-plate face, delicately arched willow brows, a broad waist, and earlobes that hung like pearls. Everyone said her face radiated good fortune. In recent years, whenever there was a wedding in Xiashan Village or her hometown, she was often invited to perform the rituals. For this alone, she received considerable gift money.

With experience came skill.

“This hair oil smells exquisite. Look how dark and glossy your hair becomes after applying it—was it bought in the city?”

As she smiled and gathered Yan Qi’s hair, she noticed the newly opened bottle on the table. Its sweet osmanthus fragrance, neither cloying nor overpowering, clearly distinguished it from the cheap wares peddled by traveling merchants. Hence her inquiry.

Yan Qi glanced at her reflection in the bronze mirror. She was still the same person, but a touch of rouge on her cheeks and lips seemed to brighten her complexion.

He tugged at his hem, suppressing his nervousness, and replied with a faint smile, “I bought it earlier when I went to the town market.”

Sun-shi praised, “It must have been Erling’s idea. I always said that the boy is kind-hearted. Don’t be fooled by his delay in marrying—once he does, he’ll surely be a loving husband.”

She quickly secured Yan Qi’s hair. Boys’ hairstyles were simple, nothing like the elaborate buns women wore. Especially in the countryside, boys mostly tied their hair back like men, perhaps wrapping a headscarf around it when working.

But Yan Qi was quiet and delicate; a little grooming made him quite presentable.

Yan Qi had no dowry jewelry to adorn him, which was hardly unusual. In the village, poverty was common; a new set of clothes and shoes was sufficient for presentability. Jewelry was a luxury, but its absence was equally ordinary.

“Turn around so I can see.”

Sun-shi used a damp comb to smooth the last few stray hairs, gently lifting his chin to tilt his head back slightly. She examined him closely and declared with satisfaction, “What a handsome face! When Erling sees you in a moment, he won’t be able to take his eyes off you!”

The auspicious hour had not yet arrived, so the groom could not leave the house. After finishing her own preparations, Sun-shi left him inside and stepped out alone. Moments later, Xiao Mingming entered, followed by a little shadow—Huo Ying.

“Sister-in-law Suping is too busy, so she asked me to help look after Yingzi. I thought I’d drop in and keep you company.”

Xiao Mingming leaned closer to examine Yan Qi, her curiosity piqued. “Little Qi, did you put on rouge?”

Yan Qi raised his hand to cover his face. “Sun Dasaozi brought it. I told her I didn’t need it…”

“Of course you needed it! On your wedding day, you must look your absolute best.”

The Lin family had little surplus wealth. Moreover, Lin Changshui’s late father had been irresponsible in life, straining relations with many relatives. Thus, the Lins had no intention of hosting a banquet like the Huos.

Xiao Mingming envied Yan Qi, yet he harbored no resentment toward the Lin family. Banquets were for show to outsiders; what truly mattered was living well behind closed doors.

Just like now, having the chance to witness a friend’s wedding, lend a hand with preparations, and share in the celebratory feast was more than she could have ever dreamed of.

He smiled down at Huo Ying and asked, “Yingzi, don’t you think your little uncle is beautiful?”

Huo Ying answered without hesitation, “Of course he is!”

Yan Qi blushed at their teasing. After sitting and chatting for a while, they heard the voices outside growing louder and louder. They knew the invited guests had mostly arrived.