Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 458

Almost all the strong men were taken away the next day. 

Moreover, neither Wu Qingyi nor the original owner were particularly pleased with Mrs. Wang’s decision to marry them.

Wu Qingyi understood that he saw the original owner more as a child. The original owner, on the other hand, was inexperienced and knew little about romantic love.

However, Mrs. Wang was in charge of the household at the time, and she was pregnant. Despite their reluctance, they agreed to marry after seeing her tearful pleas.

Given the rushed timeline and the harsh winter, there was a shortage of resources in the village. It was not the season for families to prepare for the upcoming New Year.

Mrs. Wang slaughtered an old hen from their home and found a red ribbon for the original owner from the cupboards, representing the entirety of their wedding preparations.

They didn’t even have proper red candles at home; they had to make do with an oil lamp. There were no relatives or friends present to witness the ceremony. The two of them bowed three times to Mrs. Wang and Wu Zhong, considering it a formal ceremony.

Regarding the “new house”, it was the same house where Wu Qingyi had previously lived. Mrs. Wang had changed the bedding and provided a newer quilt, which was the extent of their preparations.

The two of them sat in silence, facing each other in the middle of the night. When the rooster crowed, the recruitment officers and soldiers arrived to take away the villagers.

For the first time, Mrs. Wang, who had always been strong, cried loudly and chased them out of the village with the original owner.

In private, Gu Yin often thought back to that wedding and felt that something was missing. It wasn’t because she considered it rushed or lacking in a good atmosphere. Even though the original owner’s memories had fully integrated into her own, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was another person who had married Wu Qingyi at that time.

The relationship between the two gradually warmed, and it was only a matter of time before they went from being a nominal couple to a genuine one.

Gu Yin had contemplated organizing another wedding, but she was hesitant to suggest it. In that era, there was no such concept as a “redo” wedding. Except in circumstances like Heli’s, marriage was considered a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Unexpectedly, the idea that had been brewing in her heart for a while was actually brought up by Wu Qingyi.

Gu Yin was taken aback but didn’t respond immediately.

Wu Qingyi carefully studied her expression. “I’m not asking for an immediate marriage, but I believe it deserves proper time this time. If I bring it up later and you agree, we’d still need time to prepare. The wedding will have to wait until at least next year…”

His voice softened, “Yin Yin, I can’t wait much longer,” he added, a touch of vulnerability in his tone.

Gu Yin turned her head away, biting her lip to suppress her smile.

Seeing her continued silence, Wu Qingyi resumed his proposal, “If you agree, we could set the wedding date for this year’s Qixi Festival. There’s still half a year until then, and you can change your mind at any time…”

Wu Qingyi was extremely serious. Even as he sat on the ground, he straightened his back, appearing as tense as a tightly strung bow.

Gu Yin couldn’t contain her laughter any longer and playfully asked, “Are you saying this just because you want to retract the marriage proposal?”

Wu Qingyi’s face reddened, and he quickly clarified, “No, not at all. I just want to respect your wishes.”

Gu Yin rested her chin on her hand and gazed at him with a teasing smile, “It seems like you’re not confident enough in yourself.”

Wu Qingyi averted his gaze and smiled with a touch of embarrassment, “Then what should I say?”

In that moment, he was no longer the mighty and dignified general; he had transformed into a young man unsure of himself when facing his beloved.

Gu Yin pondered for a moment, then grinned and said, “You should say something like, ‘This general is quite fond of you, and I want to marry you right now. Whether you like it or not, you have no choice!'” Gu Yin playfully spoke, and her laughter was infectious, causing Wu Qingyi to join in.

After they had both laughed for a while, Wu Qingyi asked nervously, “So, do you agree?”

Gu Yin turned to him with a playful smile, asking, “What do you think?”

Wu Qingyi visibly relaxed, a sense of relief washing over him. “I can now rest easy and start preparing.”

Gu Yin responded, “Um.”

He reached out and took her hand, gently squeezing it while saying, “I feel like I’m dreaming right now.”

Gu Yin playfully pinched his hand and remarked. 

“It hurts, so it’s definitely not a dream!” Despite his insistence that it hurt, Wu Qingyi showed no intention of letting go of her hand.

Gu Yin smiled and asked, “Why Qixi Festival?”

Wu Qingyi replied, “I’ve mentioned it to you more than once, especially that night you opened Elegant Hall. I asked you how you felt about the Qixi Festival, and you said it’s pretty good, quite suitable for launching a Valentine’s Day package, and it could be quite profitable.”

If Wu Qingyi had a big dog’s tail, it would have drooped in dejection at that moment. On that particular night, Gu Yin had uttered some rather unpleasant words while drunk.

She clasped her hands together and looked up at him, “General, spare my life. This little girl knows she was wrong!”

Wu Qingyi coughed lightly, his lips curled into a smile, and he nodded with solemnity, saying, “Then, as this general, I shall spare you, little lady.” The two of them shared a laugh. However, despite the happiness, Gu Yin couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness as she gazed at the sea of flowers in front of her.