Chapter 27: Sending the Bride

This was also why Tang Xin hadn't planned to reveal from the very beginning that her relationship with Tang's father was already strained. When the time came, she intended to push everything onto Tang's father. Otherwise, if things became truly difficult to explain—even though Li Sheng would become her husband in the future—it would be awkward. After all, how could she possibly tell someone that she'd crossed into a novel, and even more bizarre, that he was merely a cannon fodder male supporting character whose fate was sealed early in the story?

Tang Xin didn't much care for the fabrics of this era, but she wasn't about to let the wedding-issued ration tickets go to waste. Of course, she chose some common cotton and work cloth. Perhaps after marriage, she could make a few pieces of clothing for her husband's family. So far, she'd only met Li's mother, Li Sheng, and Li Xiyue, but judging from the clothes they wore—clean and tidy, yet patched all over—she could guess the situation in the Li household was hardly ideal. New clothes lasted three years, old clothes another three, patched and stitched again and again; Tang Xin suspected the Li family faced even tougher circumstances.

Her original plan was simple: get the marriage certificate, transfer her household registration to the Li family, and live together. But Li Sheng refused to let his wife be slighted and insisted on a proper wedding ceremony. If Tang Xin claimed she wasn't happy about her man's insistence, she'd be lying.

In the blink of an eye, the wedding day arrived for Li Sheng and Tang Xin. The wheat harvest was basically over, and the commune members were no longer so busy. Tang Xin's family couldn't make it, and not wanting her to feel more regret, Li Sheng privately asked the brigade leader for help. The brigade leader gave everyone at the educated youth station a day off, letting them act as family and help Tang Xin get married.

Li Xuewei led the educated youth in cleaning the station from top to bottom, inside and out, and decorated it just enough to bring a festive atmosphere. Originally, Lu Liqin and Meng Jia were the best choices to represent her family and send her off, but Tang Xin refused. She had no desire to face people she disliked on her wedding day. Lu Liqin hadn't shown up at all, and Meng Jia always looked at her with red-rimmed eyes, clearly wanting to say something but holding back, her face practically screaming: "Ask me!" Tang Xin paid her no mind, pretending not to notice.

Without Meng Jia, there were still Li Xuewei and other female educated youths to help Tang Xin dress up and organize her things, plus several male educated youths to handle the heavier tasks. Of course, Tang Xin wouldn't let them work for nothing; she'd already taken some grain from the farm warehouse as supplies for the youth station. The rice and wheat from her space farm had been harvested with a single click, and the warehouse was well stocked. She was just waiting for a chance to use it. Most of the rations distributed at the youth station were coarse grains; to eat better, they had to exchange for fine grains, which was a hassle. Now, Tang Xin took out just five pounds of rice, and everyone at the station felt they'd gained tremendously. The usual rivalry and jealousy among the girls vanished instantly. Nothing mattered more than having enough to eat. In the past, Tang Xin's supplies went only to Meng Jia; now, she was sharing with everyone. The station was delighted, eager to support Tang Xin, and so they all bustled about, helping to send her off in style.

The auspicious hour arrived, and the groom's party came to fetch the bride. Nowadays, things were kept simple, with old superstitions discarded, so there was no elaborate ritual—just lively commotion outside:

"Oh, the groom's family is here!"
"Come out, bride!"
"Yes, yes, come out, let us see you!"

The playful voices of children rang out, and soon a boy who looked barely fifteen or sixteen dashed in, beaming at Tang Xin. "Sister-in-law, I'm Li Kai, here to help!"

A few female educated youths blocked the doorway, determined to give the groom's side a hard time—a tradition to bolster the bride's spirits. Accompanying Li Sheng were his younger brother and sister, Li Kai and Li Xiyue. The main characters hadn't spoken yet, but the siblings chattered away, calling Tang Xin "sister-in-law" with genuine warmth. Their words stunned everyone in the room: Was this what Tang Xin would face after marrying into the Li family—a mischievous brother and sister-in-law?

Especially Meng Jia, who sneered inwardly, certain Tang Xin would never find happiness in the Li household. Rural men were coarse, beat their wives, lacked any tenderness, and were thoroughly chauvinistic. The Li family in particular—Li Sheng's siblings and his elder sister—were notorious troublemakers. That was precisely why Meng Jia had pushed the original Tang Xin to pursue Li Sheng; she knew that being a daughter-in-law in the Li household meant being disliked by the mother-in-law and bullied by the younger siblings.

And then there were the twins, notorious for their mischief; Tang Xin wouldn't survive long in their hands. Seeing the siblings before her, it was clear—even aside from Meng Jia, the others probably thought Li Kai and Li Xiyue were here to intimidate the new bride.

The reason no one had come to propose at the Li house before was that Li Sheng had made it clear: even if he married, he still had to bear the responsibility of supporting his family. His wife had to be good not only to his parents, but also to his brother and sister. With their bad family background and so many dependents, who but the naive Tang Xin would consider Li Sheng?

As for Li Xiyue, neither the original Tang Xin nor her current incarnation had much affection for her. But Tang Xin had read the story; she knew Li Xiyue was simply a spoiled child, not inherently bad. It was only because the family believed the new bride had caused the eldest brother's death that they later acted out against Tang Xin. Now, with Tang Xin—an educated woman from the future—taking the place of the original supporting character, she wouldn't act impulsively, but would help Li Sheng avoid that disaster. If Li Sheng remained unharmed, Tang Xin believed her wisdom would ensure she never suffered as she once did in the Tang household.

As for Li Kai, he was destined to become a future business tycoon. Tang Xin smiled at him; for now, he was just a somewhat impulsive young man.

Until recently, Tang Xin had been dazed by the whole "transmigrated into a novel" concept, wondering how the supporting characters could avoid the tragic fate written for them. But now, seeing Li Sheng's siblings gathered before her, she felt more clearly than ever: they were real, living people, not cold names on a page. People could control their own destinies—why should they simply follow the plot?

Lost in thought, Tang Xin was suddenly swept up as the groom, having finished dealing with the crowd, lifted her in his arms and carried her toward the door. The Li house wasn't far from the youth station, and Li Sheng, strong and energetic, intended to carry his bride all the way home.