Worship tomorrow

Chapter 2 Picking Up the Bride

The next day, the sky was bright.

Luo Qingfeng got up early and put on a brand new wedding robe under Zi'er's service.

Breakfast was eaten in the small courtyard.

A plate of pickles, a bowl of porridge, and a steamed bun.

For the rest of the town, this breakfast was a luxury.

My cousin's family is in the cloth business and can still support the family.

And he vaguely remembered that after his grandmother died of illness, she left a sum of money, which should have been left with his cousin for him to study and marry.

"cousin."

Just after breakfast, a gentle and pleasant voice suddenly sounded at the door of the small courtyard.

Luo Qingfeng turned around and looked.

A girl wearing a pink skirt walked into the small courtyard and said with a smile on her face: "Dad asked me to wake you up, but I didn't expect you to get up early."

The girl has a delicate face, a slender figure, and the gentle temperament of Xiaojiabiyu. The smile on her face and her voice are particularly gentle.

Her information immediately appeared in Luo Qingfeng's mind.

Song Wan'er, the daughter of the Song family, her cousin's daughter, and his cousin.

Zi'er covered her mouth and smiled softly: "Young Master woke up before dawn. He must have been so excited that he couldn't sleep well thinking about going to welcome the bride today."

Luo Qingfeng said: "I had a dream, so I woke up."

Song Wan'er smiled and said, "It must be a dream about Sister Zhao'er, right?"

Yeah, it's just a nightmare.

Luo Qingfeng thought to himself, but didn't say much.

The two talked for a while, and suddenly a man's impatient voice came from outside the door: "What are you still dawdling about? It will be too late if you dawdle any longer!"

A tall young man in a blue robe walked in from the door and said with a sullen face: "Linshan Village is seventy or eighty miles away from here. If you go to the village, you will be delayed. It will be evening when you come back from picking up the bride. It will be dark. What should you do if you encounter a robber? Get married and take a wife yourself, but don’t hurt us!"

Then he snorted and complained: "If dad hadn't forced me to go, who would have been willing to run so far and waste my cultivation time!"

Luo Qingfeng looked at him, and memories of him immediately appeared in his mind.

Song Chuan, Song Wan'er's eldest brother and Song's eldest son.

This eldest cousin has always been dissatisfied with him staying in the Song family. Every time they met, he would mutter something strange and said that it was disturbing his cultivation.

But Luo Qingfeng remembered that he had only been in the Song family for less than half a month, and he had been studying quietly at home.

Song Wan'er quickly persuaded: "Brother, stop talking, let's go."

Song Chuan snorted coldly, turned around and left the small courtyard.

At Song Wan'er's signal, Luo Qingfeng quickly followed behind, thinking secretly: Seventy or eighty miles, is it so far?

The wedding team was already waiting outside the gate.

In addition to a carriage and a sedan chair, a team of gongs and drums and seven or eight guards were also invited.

We have to pass through a long wilderness along the way, and it will be troublesome if there are robbers.

So guards are definitely indispensable.

Luo Qingfeng is a scholar, is weak, and cannot ride a horse, so he can only ride in the carriage with Song Wan'er.

When he climbed into the carriage, Song Chuan, who was riding on a horse, glanced at him with disdain and muttered: "What's the use of a scholar? He's so weak that he can't even ride a horse."

The group left amid the sound of gongs and drums.

After leaving the town, the team became quiet.

Everyone was working hard and hurried on in silence. After all, it was more than 100 miles back and forth, so they had to save their energy.

The morning sun gradually rises from the top of the mountain.

Before I knew it, I had climbed to the sky.

noon.

Everyone finally saw the village not far ahead.

In the distance, green mountains undulate.

At the foot of the mountain, a small mountain village with scattered houses is looming in the thin mist.

In front of the village is a river, winding around the village.

Although the group was tired, they immediately cheered up and quickly accelerated their pace under the matchmaker's urging.

"Everyone, please work harder, we'll be there soon."

"We'll go into the village later, have a rest, have a drink of water, pick up the bride and then we'll leave. We don't dare to delay."

"It's difficult to walk on the road, and it will be even more troublesome if it's dark."

The matchmaker, wearing a bright red dress and heavy make-up, was wiping her sweat with a handkerchief and walking quickly while talking.

Luo Qingfeng looked at the village ahead from the window, feeling secretly surprised.

Why are we almost in the village and still have no memory of the bride?
There is not even a memory of this village.

Could it be that the memory he inherited is fragmented and not complete?

"what……"

At this moment, the carriage suddenly swayed, and Song Wan'er swayed and fell into his arms.

Luo Qingfeng quickly supported her.

The voice of the old man driving the carriage came from outside: "Master, the road ahead is narrow and there are too many potholes, so the carriage can't pass it. How about we stop here? Can Mr. Luo and Miss Er get down and take a few steps?"

Song Chuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said angrily: "Let them come down. It's not far anyway. We'll be there just after crossing the bridge."

Song Wan'er quickly stood up from Luo Qingfeng's arms, with two light blushes on her fair face, and said softly: "Cousin, go down."

Luo Qingfeng stood up and got off the carriage with her.

A river about five meters wide appeared in front, with a simple wooden bridge on it.

Fortunately, the wooden bridge is made of three big trees side by side and is wide enough.

You can go there in a sedan chair.

According to the rules, when picking up the bride, the sedan must enter the house and cannot get off the sedan until it returns to the husband's house.

Therefore, the few big men who carry the sedan chair are carefully selected and must be strong enough.

The group carefully crossed the wooden bridge.

After crossing the wooden bridge, within a few steps, we arrived at the head of the village.

"Pick up the bride!"

The sound of gongs and drums sounded.

The sound of firecrackers also rang.

The village immediately heard the barking of dogs, the bleating of geese, and the excited sounds of children playing.

The group stopped at the end of the village.

An old man on crutches came up with several villagers and said with a smile on his face: "It's Afeng who's back. We've been waiting for you for a long time. Zhao'er has already put on new clothes and is waiting in the house. It's fine, go quickly." Luo Qingfeng looked at the old man in front of him, recalling some memories.

The village chief, Grandpa Wang, is highly respected in the village and has always been respected and loved by the villagers.

He bit the bullet and stepped forward to say hello.

Several villagers followed the old man, and they all talked to him enthusiastically.

Embarrassingly, Luo Qingfeng didn't remember them.

Fortunately, at this time the matchmaker spoke: "Old village chief, we and the groom can just go in. The others are waiting here, so you don't have to bother. The road is too far. We will just pick up the bride." We have to go, otherwise we won’t be able to get home even after dark.”

The village chief nodded and expressed his understanding: "Qingquan Town is indeed a bit far away. I went there several times before, and it was always dark every time I came back. Afeng also wanted to take Zhao'er back to the church to get married, so naturally we didn't dare to delay You guys, just pick me up and leave, and come back as a guest when you have time."

Then he turned to the villagers behind him and said, "Quickly, get some well water to quench everyone's thirst, and then bring all the food you prepared."

Everyone hastily declined.

The villagers couldn't help but immediately went to fetch water and those carrying food to get food.

The old village chief, leaning on a cane, led Luo Qingfeng and others into the village and walked towards the bride's home.

Following into the village, in addition to Luo Qingfeng and the matchmaker, there were also four big men carrying the sedan chair, as well as Song Wan'er.

As Luo Qingfeng walked, he looked at the dilapidated houses in front of him, but they only vaguely evoked some broken memories.

It seems that he did not inherit the complete memory.

Some memories seem to have disappeared.

That's trouble.

If even the memory of the bride disappears, then he will definitely show his flaws.

"A Feng, you are the only scholar in our village. All the girls in the village like you. Your aunts and uncles also like you very much and want to marry their daughters to you. I didn't expect that in the end, you still chose Xiao Zhaoer..."

"Haha, Xiao Zhao'er and his daughter, although they are not natives of Linshan Village, they are kind-hearted and a good family. Xiao Zhao'er is beautiful and sensible. If you choose her, no one will have anything to say..."

"As long as you live a good life, everyone in the village will be happy for you..."

The old village chief kept chattering all the way, his face full of joy.

Luo Qingfeng glanced at him and was about to inquire about something tactfully when someone suddenly shouted at the door of the house in front: "Here he comes! The groom is here!"

"Here we are, Afeng, come in quickly. Xiao Zhao'er must have been waiting impatiently for a long time. He has asked you several times throughout the morning if you are here!"

The old village chief said with a smile.

Matchmaker Wang and the people carrying the sedan chair walked in first and stopped in the middle of the small courtyard.

Luo Qingfeng entered the house under the leadership of a woman and walked towards the innermost room.

There were cries in the room.

The woman leading the way smiled and said, "Mother and daughter are reluctant to part with each other."

Then he pushed the door open and said, "Okay, okay, the groom's officials are here. Let them pick up the bride quickly. It will get dark if we delay any longer."

Luo Qingfeng was a little nervous and followed in.

In the room, quiet down.

A young woman lowered her head and sat on the edge of the bed, wiping tears with a handkerchief.

The bride wore a red hijab and sat beside the bed, her face invisible.

"Bridal officer, hurry up, carry the bride out and put her into the sedan. Remember, you can't leave the sedan on the road, and you can't open the red hijab, otherwise it will be unlucky."

Luo Qingfeng was pushed by several people and walked to the bed, turned around and squatted down.

Soon, a soft and light body lay on his back.

"Let's go!"

Several women surrounded him and left the room.

Luo Qingfeng carried the bride to the small courtyard, then turned around and carefully put the bride into the sedan chair.

"Get up!"

With a shout from Matchmaker Wang, the sedan chair was lifted up.

The group of people surrounded the bride and walked out of the gate without any pause.

Luo Qingfeng turned around and asked, "Don't you need to serve tea to your mother-in-law?"

Several women looked at the sedan with smiles on their faces. They seemed not to have heard what he said and ignored him.

Luo Qingfeng glanced at the room and felt a little strange.

Under the urging of Matchmaker Wang, a group of people gathered around the sedan chair and left the village.

The people waiting at the entrance of the village quickly stood up from the ground and said goodbye to the villagers.

The village chief also came over on crutches, waving to them with the villagers, and a kind smile on his face.

"Everyone speed up and try to reach the town before dark."

Matchmaker Wang twisted her waist and walked quickly in front.

The crowd gathered around the sedan chair and crossed the bridge, met the carriage waiting in front, and then drove quickly.

Just after walking five miles, several horses suddenly ran out of the woods ahead.

Riding on the horse were men wearing fine clothes and swords hanging on their waists, followed by seven or eight men holding weapons.

Everyone was shocked and thought they had encountered robbers.

The guards had just pulled out their weapons, and Song Chuan, who was riding on the horse, said in surprise: "Hey, it's Agent Zhang from our town who's catching them!"

Only then did everyone see clearly that behind the horsemen were several men wearing official uniforms, who were the policemen of Qingquan Town.

Naturally, the other party recognized them immediately.

Song Chuan quickly dismounted, with a puzzled expression on his face.

One of the tall and thin officials came over quickly and said with the same surprise: "Matchmaker Wang, boys from the Song family, are you... getting married?"

Matchmaker Wang was startled. Seeing that he was someone she knew, she immediately glared at him, caressed her chest and said, "Captain Zhang, I'm scared to death. I thought I encountered a robber blocking the road. In this wilderness, , what are you doing here?"

Zhang Zhu opened his mouth and wanted to answer, but immediately held back and asked: "Where are you getting married from? How come you have traveled so far?"

Matchmaker Wang made a sad face. She wanted to complain a few words, but she was afraid of being blamed by the host, so she had to smile and said: "The nephew of Yuan Song's wife is a scholar when he gets married. The bride is from Linshan Village over there, and the groom is an official He also went out from there, the two of them grew up together as childhood sweethearts, and they are happily married today, so congratulations."

As soon as these words came out, Zhang Zhu's expression suddenly changed.

The expressions of the men on horseback also changed, and they all held the handles of the knives at their waists.

Matchmaker Wang noticed something was wrong in the atmosphere and asked doubtfully: "Captain Zhang, what's wrong?"

Zhang Zhu's face stiffened, and his voice suddenly became hoarse: "You...you just went to Linshan Village?"

Matchmaker Wang nodded and said: "Yes, the bride was brought back from there. The people in the village are very enthusiastic. What's wrong?"

Zhang Zhu looked ugly, swallowed his saliva, and said tremblingly: "Have you met the people in the village? And... you also received the bride?"

Wang Po was even more confused and said: "Yes, what happened? Captain Zhang, just tell me if you have anything to do."

At this time, a dark-skinned man behind Zhang Zhu suddenly trembled: "Impossible! All the people in Linshan Village have been killed long ago! Yesterday, a few of us came over and saw with our own eyes that there were people everywhere in the village. How can there be a living person among the dead?”

(End of this chapter)