Wei Qingshan had a serious expression, looking somewhat cold. He had a habit he didn’t even realize: when nervous, he would become expressionless.

The crowd pushed him to the bridal room, and of course, Lin Yu heard the voices. He nervously gripped the wedding gown on his knees.

Wei Qingshan swallowed, slowly lifting the veil amidst the teasing. Lin Yu lowered his head, not daring to look at the people around him. Even Wei Qingshan couldn’t see Lin Yu’s face clearly, only catching a glimpse of the delicate, fair neck exposed from the red wedding gown.

The crowd urged Lin Yu to look up, and Wei Er’s family crowded in to watch the fun. They didn’t believe that Wei Qingshan could have married a beautiful bride.

After all, the rumors about Wei Qingshan being unlucky and unfilial had spread through the village. No good girl would want to take that risk.

Wei Qingshan noticed Lin Yu’s discomfort and turned to shoo the crowd out. “Yu-ger is tired today, please leave. I’ll entertain you another day.”

Wei Qingshan, tall and imposing, managed to make the onlookers quiet down, and they left the room. Only when they were gone did Lin Yu finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Although the veil had been lifted, Lin Yu hadn’t even seen Wei Qingshan’s face. He was both scared and nervous. Once everyone had left the room, he secretly raised his head to glance toward the door.

Wei Qingshan had sent the guests to the yard and returned to close the door. Unexpectedly, the two of them made eye contact, and Lin Yu hurriedly lowered his head.

Wei Qingshan, too, took a good look at Lin Yu. The first time they met, he only noticed Lin Yu’s slender chin. Today, Lin Yu had his hair up, and he could finally see what his little husband looked like. Just as Dongdong had said, he was indeed a handsome little husband.

Wei Qingshan’s mind drifted back to the time he went hunting last winter, when a pure white weasel had peeked out from a hole. As soon as he moved, the little creature quickly retreated. He hadn’t caught it, since it looked so young and its eyes were teary when it looked at him.

It felt like something soft and gentle struck his heart. His little husband’s eyes resembled those of the weasel he had let go. Lin Yu was timid, just like the little creature.

Wei Qingshan softly closed the door behind Lin Yu and quietly observed him. The little husband seemed like a timid creature, just like the weasel.

Once the door was closed, Lin Yu finally relaxed, while Wei Qingshan continued to see off the guests outside. Relatives from the close branches stayed behind to help—men carried back the borrowed tables, and women helped wash the dishes, returning them once clean.

The local guests took their own chairs and tables as they left, so there was no need for the family to send them. On the way, they kept praising Wei Qingshan for hosting such a nice banquet.

A few of the aunts who left later lingered under the window and sneakily peered inside. They saw Lin Yu raise his head and burst into laughter. “Oh, the new husband is really handsome!”

Hearing the laughter, Lin Yu hastily lowered his head, and Wei Qingshan didn’t stop them, only offering a gentle reminder. “Aunties, don’t scare Yu-ger. He’s timid.”

The aunts chuckled. “Qingshan really takes good care of his husband.”

Lin Yu, hearing the clatter of dishes outside, knew the guests were almost gone. After hesitating, he gathered his courage, pinched the hem of his gown, and stepped outside.

“I… I’ll help,” he stammered.

The aunts gathered around him. “No need for you to help. Go back and rest, there’s still other stuff to be done!”

Lin Yu’s face flushed from their teasing, and the aunts laughed. Just then, Wei Qingshan appeared and rescued him. “Yu-ger is shy. Thank you all for helping today.”

He Daniang also stayed to help, and He Dongdong didn’t leave either. He ran over, holding Lin Yu’s hand and pulling him inside. “There’s nothing to do now. You can rest.”

The aunts finished washing the dishes and were ready to leave. They were close relatives, so as they left, Wei Qingshan handed each of them a handful of peanuts. They left happily.

When seeing off his He Daniang and He Dongdong, Wei Qingshan gave He Dongdong a boiled egg and gave He Daniang two pieces of candy and a few slices of steamed meat wrapped in oil paper, making her smile so much that her wrinkles deepened. “Qingshan, you’re being too polite.”

“Thanks, Aunt He, for all your help. Take some candy for the kids.”

Wei Qingshan’s wedding gown was made by He Daniang, and He Dongdong had helped a lot, too. Wei Qingshan gave such lavish gifts because he had something to ask. He requested that He Daniang help him make a small jacket and new shoes for early spring.

He Daniang agreed repeatedly. “Of course, no problem. But I don’t know what size your new husband’s feet are?”

“Auntie, Yu-ger’s feet are about the same size as Dongdong’s. You can just make it according to his size.”

“I think so too. Yu-ger is about the same size as Dongdong, just a little thinner.”

After sending off He Daniang and Dongdong, Wei Qingshan turned to the kitchen to clean up the leftovers. He planned to get fabric for the spring clothes tomorrow. If his little husband couldn’t make them, he’d ask He Daniang to make another set of spring clothes.

Wei Qingshan wasn’t afraid of the cold and had already switched to his spring clothes. But his little husband was slender, and when he got out of the sedan earlier, his hands were icy. He still needed a small jacket for warmth.

Wei Qingshan put away the leftover meat. The meat he had prepared, along with the wild chicken, had mostly been eaten. Whatever was left, he covered with a lid over the pot.

“Eldest, are you still busy?”

Wei Laotai had stepped out earlier but hadn’t gone far. Seeing Wei Qingshan giving meat and sugar to the He family, she figured her eldest still had money in his hands. Besides, with the banquet today, there was bound to be leftover food and drink. As his mother, taking some home seemed perfectly reasonable to her.

Wei Qingshan didn’t call out to her or even look in her direction. He just went about covering the remaining bowl of braised meat and other items in the pot.

Seeing that Wei Qingshan wasn’t responding, Wei Laotai spoke directly. “Eldest, the braised meat today was so tender and soft. It’s perfect for me to eat. Let me take some back.”

“I recall we’ve already divided the family. Do I need to fetch the written agreement for you to see?”

Wei Qingshan’s face turned cold. The reason he had separated from the family wasn’t just because they’d spent all his years of savings, but because the day he got sick after hunting in the rain and needed a string of coins for medicine, his mother refused to give him any. He was completely disheartened and decided to split the family with nothing.

When they divided the family, he made it clear that he wouldn’t take back any of the silver he had saved over the years. It would count as repayment for the familial ties, and from then on, they’d go their separate ways, owing nothing to each other.

Over the years, Wei Qingshan had saved no less than seventy or eighty taels of silver. The Wei family used that money to build two green-tiled rooms and even to marry off Wei Er. Yet his mother couldn’t bring herself to spare a coin for his medicine.

Seeing Wei Qingshan’s mercilessness, Wei Laotai started cursing loudly. “Wei Qingshan, you ungrateful brat! You disgraceful son!”

“I raised you for so many years, but I might as well have raised a dog! When I gave birth to you, I nearly died because of you, you little bastard. That day, I should have drowned you in a chamber pot! You’re not only a curse to your parents but also to your wife! A cursed, wretched lone star!”

When Wei Qingshan heard her curse him, he remained unmoved. But when she accused him of cursing his wife, his face turned icy. Wasn’t she essentially cursing Lin Yu?

“Get out. If you don’t leave, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Wei Qingshan’s face darkened, veins bulging from his clenched fists. Wei Laotai was somewhat intimidated by him and left while cursing under her breath.

Inside the house, Lin Yu had heard her malicious words. He came out of the room and saw Wei Laotai’s retreating figure, still yelling about how he was a cursed lone star.

Wei Qingshan’s expression wasn’t good either, looking even fiercer than usual.

Lin Yu, already somewhat afraid of Wei Qingshan, became even more nervous. However, this man had just covered him with a quilt and had someone cook him noodles earlier. Summoning his courage, Lin Yu walked over, trembling like a scared little mink, and gently tugged on Wei Qingshan’s sleeve. “You… you’re not.”

Wei Qingshan’s voice was cold and hard. “Not what?”

“You’re not a cursed lone star,” Lin Yu said, mustering his courage and looking up at him, hoping to convey his sincerity.

But Wei Qingshan was too tall. Even if Lin Yu stood on his tiptoes and craned his neck, he could only see the man’s chiseled jawline.

Wei Qingshan lowered his head slightly and saw the little ger’s red-rimmed eyes. A wave of tenderness swept over him, and he softened his tone. “You’re not afraid?”

Lin Yu firmly shook his head. “I’m not afraid. My father disappeared, and my mother passed away. If anyone is a cursed lone star, it’s me. You’re not.”

“Don’t say such things about yourself.”

Wei Qingshan had always considered himself to have shallow familial ties and sometimes feared those rumors might hold some truth.

“Go back and rest.”

Lin Yu let go of his sleeve and quickly ran back to his room. Just now, they had been so close, and his face was burning.

Sitting alone in the room, Lin Yu didn’t know what to do. Outside, Wei Qingshan was sweeping the courtyard. After a while, he brought in some snacks and hot tea, leaving them for Lin Yu before heading out again.

Lin Yu, having grown accustomed to being busy in the Zhao family, felt uncomfortable with this sudden leisure. He eventually came out to help Wei Qingshan tidy up the courtyard. Only then did he get a good look at Wei Qingshan’s home.

It was a mud-walled, thatched-roof house divided into three rooms: a bedroom, a main hall, and a grain storage room.

Beside the thatched house was a smaller, lower building that seemed to be the kitchen. The yard was fenced off with wooden stakes. It was spacious, with signs of previous cultivation, though nothing had been planted yet, as it was only early spring.

Lin Yu also heard a dog barking in the back. Thinking it belonged to a neighbor, he paid no attention.

He wasn’t afraid of Wei Qingshan’s poverty; he was more concerned about encountering someone unwilling to work or with ill intentions.

Hearing what Dong-ger said today, Lin Yu realized Wei Qingshan was just as pitiful as himself.

By the time they finished tidying the yard, the sun was setting. Lin Yu hurriedly put down what he was doing and went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. When he lifted the lid of the pot, he was met with a pile of meat..

Lin Yu’s first reaction wasn’t to be surprised by the amount of meat but to feel uneasy. He didn’t know what to do. Back when he lived with his uncle, whenever there was meat at home, Cai Chunhua would order him out to do chores.

Lin Yu, knowing his place, would avoid coming back during mealtime. By the time he returned, the Zhao family would have finished eating. With his stomach growling, he’d drink cold water to stave off hunger. If he were lucky, Yueniang might sneak him a steamed bun to make things more bearable.

Now, faced with a pot full of meat, Lin Yu was at a loss, like a child caught doing something wrong. He clutched his red wedding robe and walked out hesitantly. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Unsure how to address the man before him, he couldn’t bring himself to say his name.

Wei Qingshan looked up. “What’s the matter? Don’t know how to cook? I’ll do it.”