A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 177: Hanging the Red Lanterns High

Li Yi stood on the high gate tower of Wuji Fort.
The tabby cat Zhaocai squatted on the parapet, looking down on everyone with an arrogant attitude. The fat black Lai Fu raised his head at Li Yi's feet and made all kinds of provocative gestures towards Zhaocai, but was completely ignored by the tabby cat. Only the little yellow dog Wangcai ran around behind it.

Red lanterns were hung in the castle.
Everyone is busy,

Today is the day when Li Yi’s sister Yu Youniang is getting married, and she is getting married in Wuji Castle.

Today is the ten-day holiday, and the school is also on vacation. The children have nothing to do in winter, so they come to join in the fun.

"The groom's official is here!"

More than a hundred students from Xiao Wuji Castle acted as grooms today, surrounding the wedding carriage and following behind Xiao Shisanlang on a white horse.

Li Yi waved his hand from the city gate tower.

Immediately, a group of people blocked the gate of the fort and stopped the wedding procession.

Outside the fort wall there is a moat two zhang deep and two zhang wide, and there is only one road leading to the fort gate.

The gate guard team composed of villagers from Luojiabao blocked the car with laughter.

Liu Heizi was like a general guarding the gate, shouting, "Groom, give me wedding money, wedding wine, and wedding candy!"

Xiao Shisan was dressed neatly today, in a formal dress. He no longer looked down and depressed, but full of energy.

Facing such a lively obstacle course,
He also waved his hand and said, "Bring me some wine."

Today Dong Qilang acted as Xiao Shisan's best man and immediately invited others to bring wine and meat.
Sweet wheat wine, jar after jar.

"Everyone, please drink the wedding wine in large bowls."

Fill the big earthenware bowl and pour it out.
The villagers who blocked the car, young and old, men and women all drank one or two bowls.

Dong Qilang and his men distributed some malt sugar, and then distributed money.
Several baskets of copper coins were prepared and scattered on both sides of the road. Everyone rushed to grab the money with joy.

The road is finally open.

Dong Qilang and others quickly escorted Xiao Shisan into the fort.

The students who followed him into the castle shouted "bride, bride!" in unison.

Ji Lingyi walked to the door,
"The bride is still getting dressed. If the groom is anxious, he can write a poem to urge her to get ready!"

Xiao Shisan stepped forward,
"The Yu family has a young daughter, who married Lanling Xiao. Her sister-in-law prepared the powder herself, and her adopted brother happily gave her flowers.

I urge you to spread the hundred-piece tent, wait for the seven-scented curtains to be lit, may I ask if your makeup is finished, the east is about to dawn."

A group of students cheered and applauded loudly, regardless of whether they understood it or not.

"The bride, the bride."

Ji Lingyi said, "Okay, I'll take the groom's poem to the bride right away. Let's have a drink first."

finished,

The Li family servants brought a wine jar and a large bowl.

Just now everyone was asking for the groom's wedding wine, and now the bride's family wants to invite them to drink the gate-blocking wine.

Several tables were set up.

There were three tables filled with earthenware bowls, all filled with wine. One table had wheat wine, one table had millet wine, and one table had persimmon liquor.

Luo San was singing a congratulatory speech.

Dong Qillang sang a thank you speech.

Singing in unison,
Then Luo San asked some questions about the groom's family, and Dong Qilang answered them.

It's just like a folk song, so lively.

Finally, Luo San stopped asking questions.
He gave up the three tables of wine behind him.
The wine must be finished before the bride can be picked up.

Dong Qilang took the lead in drinking,

The students drank sweet and sour wheat wine, while the men invited by Guozhuang and others to pick up the bride drank millet wine and persimmon liquor.
It's rare to get a drink.

Today's scene,
The villagers were very happy.
The wine was finally finished.
Luo San stepped forward with a smile, "Excuse me, distinguished guest."

Dong Qilang blushed, "Please don't be polite, we are all family."

The wine door opened, and those who were blocking the door made way.

Dong Qilang and others finally embraced Xiao Shisan and entered the front gate of the east courtyard.

Ji Lingyi came out.

"The bride is very pleased with the groom's poem urging her to put on her make-up. She has already put on her make-up."

A group of women came into the outer court,

Now it’s time to find a son-in-law.

All the female guests of the bride present today must hit the groom with sticks. This is a warning to the groom and also a reminder to him that he must treat the bride well after marriage and that he has someone to support him from her family.

Ji Lingyi smiled and said to the women, "Everyone please be gentle and don't hurt the groom."

The women laughed,
Some village women wanted to play a good trick on the groom.

Fortunately, Ji reminded us again and again.

So the groom-in-law part was not as vulgar as the other villagers' weddings. Everyone took the prepared bamboo poles and
Hit the groom lightly a few times,

This level is passed.

"Bridal bride, Bridal bride," the students and children cheered collectively outside again.

At this time, the bride finally came out after much calling.

Li Yi, the bride's sworn brother and also a member of her family, and his wife Du Shiniang walked out of the inner courtyard of the east courtyard, holding the bride Yu Youyu on each side.

Yu Youniang was wearing a green dress today, with a gold and silver-decorated hairpin in her hair.
She covered her face with a fan in her hand.

Xiao Shisan stepped forward excitedly.

This is a wedding that is more than ten years late.

There were once two noble families, a young man and a young woman who were engaged as childhood sweethearts. However, they were convicted and their families were destroyed. One was exiled to Dunhuang, and the other was sent to the imperial music school.
Lovers finally get married. Yu Youniang kept crying, unable to control herself.

Li Yi looked at her makeup that was all smudged from crying and whispered, "Today is your big day, be happy."

"I'm happy, I'm very happy," Yu Youyu was obviously happy, but she couldn't stop crying.

"Sister is crying for joy." Shi Niang said beside her. She would understand her mood at the moment, just like when she got married.

"Xiao Shisanlang, I hand my sister over to you today. May you be together forever and live happily ever after. Although you two have gone through hardships, the fact that you have come this far is also due to God's blessing and your unwavering efforts.
I hope you will never forget your original aspirations and always love and live in harmony with each other."

"Sister, I also wish you a loving and respectful husband after marriage, and a son soon. If Xiao Shisanlang ever makes you feel wronged, just come home. This will always be your mother's home, and I'll support you."

Xiao Shisan bowed to Li Yi earnestly and thanked him.
"Thank you, Wuyi."

Yu Youyu also bowed to Li Yi and thanked him.
"Thank you. I will always remember this kindness."

"We are siblings, and we are one family, so we should keep our differences."

This wedding may not be luxurious enough, but it is definitely lively and festive. For Xiao Yu and his partner, being able to have such a wedding is an unforgettable one.

Li Yi placed Yu Youniang's hand in Xiao Shisan's palm.

"You must be happy!"

The bride went out and got on the wedding car.

Go around Luojiabao, then go uphill to Shenheyuan, go around Fengjiabao and come back to Xiaowujibao.

Xiao Shisan shot three arrows at the wedding carriage in front of the fort gate.
The bride gets off the chariot, sits on the saddle, and straddles the fire basin.

Pass the seat and enter the tent.

Sprinkle sugar,

Eat from the same cup, drink from the same cup,
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Xiao Shisan composed another poem about taking away the fan, and the bride finally took off the fan and revealed her true face.

Everyone praised the bride's beauty.

After a while of commotion in the bridal chamber, Luo Er, Dong Qilang and other people in charge of the groom's family invited everyone to take a seat.

Li Yi, the 'brother-in-law', was naturally the most distinguished guest.
The banquet was also quite sumptuous, with pork tuans, hand-rolled noodles, and mutton soup. For the villagers, it was even more sumptuous than the Chinese New Year.

"Today's wedding is really lively." Luo San said with a smile.

"Uncle San, you're going to be a groom in a few days, so we can have some fun then."

Luo San felt a little embarrassed, "I'm an old hand, I don't have the face to do this." He was going to marry his third wife and didn't want to make too much trouble, and he also wanted to save some money.

"I'll help Uncle San," Li Yi was always grateful to Luo San. Not only was he his lifesaver, but he was also Li Yi's right-hand man.

Luo San is a loyal and honest person, and he does things in a generous way. Li Yi now puts him in charge of the farmland. During the winter farming off-season, he is also given some of the task of picking persimmons. He is very trustworthy in what he does.

Gousheng was the son Luo San brought home after marrying that woman for the second time. But after that woman unfortunately passed away, Luo San treated this non-blood-related son Gousheng as his own son. Such a man is definitely kind-hearted.

Luo San’s first two wives were found among the disaster victims, and the second one even had a child.

But the third daughter-in-law was an eighteen-year-old virgin. Her family was not well off, so she asked for a higher gift price, a cow and two stone of rice, and no dowry.

"Uncle San, marry your new wife and try to have more children while you're still young."

Luo San chuckled a few times, "Wuyi, you have to hurry up. You don't have any brothers, so you have to start a new family sooner rather than later."

Li Yi was outmaneuvered and smiled a little embarrassedly.

He married Shi Niang, but wanted her to wait a few years before getting pregnant and having children. He even thought that Yu Shu was still young and wanted to wait two years. This kind of thinking was actually difficult for the Tang people to understand.

In later times,

Many people get married in their thirties, which is not only late, but also late in having children, and they only have one or two children. In this era, they would definitely think that this is a disease.

In the lively Tuotuo meat banquet,
The villagers ate meat and drank soup, and today they also had rice to fill their stomachs.
Everyone is extremely happy,
This year was originally very difficult for the villagers of Luojiabao. Heavy rains in June caused cliff collapses, which directly wiped out six families. The cave dwellings of more than a dozen people collapsed, injuring many people and causing heavy losses.

Several groups of people were conscripted for military service, but their terms were extended beyond the designated time limit, and two people died in Jingzhou.

During the autumn harvest, the Qiang soldiers rebelled and plundered Yusuchuan. Many villagers' firewood piles and thatched houses were burned, and some people's rice fields were even burned before they could be harvested.

But they are lucky again this year.

Li Yi became the village chief, set up a workshop and a school, and the villagers worked there to earn wages, and the children went to school for free.
Up to now, all the villagers in Luojiabao have been working for Li Yi. Compared with the past, they would go to Zhongnan Mountain to cut bamboos during the slack season, or go into the mountains to make charcoal for others in winter, or cut wood, carry boards, or do odd jobs for others.

The days are tortured with not having a single meal.

Now in the village, Wuyi provides them with a stable job, even women and the elderly have work to do.

This year, everyone has made a lot of money.

Life is obviously less easy.

Even our own children, after studying for half a year, can recognize many words, write and count. Even if they go to find a job as a shop assistant now, they are qualified.

At the table,

One after another, villagers came to toast Li Yi, expressing their heartfelt gratitude.

Even the four Qiang people who had settled there specially returned to Luojiabao today to attend the wedding banquet. Li Cunxiao took the lead in toasting Li Yi.
They also regained their freedom and a new life in Luojiabao. They had to thank Li Yi for all this. Now they have become military officers of the Tang Dynasty's imperial guards, and they also have hundreds of acres of land in the general camp, and a courtyard in Luojiabao built with the help of the emperor.

"I did it, Lang, whatever you want!"

Li Cunxiao drank the 2-liang cup of persimmon liquor in one breath.

Those who were filial, loyal and righteous also lined up to toast, and drank two taels of persimmon wine in one gulp.

The four guys drank until their faces were red, but they were still excitedly shouting that it was delicious and strong.

Mr. Dong doesn't like to drink this wine very much, but warriors like Cunxiao like it very much. Not only them, there are also many Sogdians, Turks and others in Chang'an City, and they also like to drink it.

There are even many Sogdian merchants who have taken the initiative to approach Li Yi, hoping to purchase more persimmons to be shipped to the Western Regions, or sold to the Turks in the north of the Great Wall and the Qiang people in Longyou.

The reputation of persimmon is now polarized.

Some people who like traditional rice wine criticize Persimmon Shao, saying it is spicy, choking and gives headaches. But people who like to drink it praise it highly, saying that Persimmon Shao is strong and powerful, and that it is a wine for real men to drink. Real men have to drink strong liquor.

Although the number of people who like Persimmon Shao is still small, it is enough for Li Yi. Persimmon Shao has gained some popularity and has won the real love of a group of people.

(End of this chapter)