Fu Xin Ci saw her mother looking caught between a rock and a hard place, her face flushing slightly as she said, "Mother, I just didn't expect it to be so soon."
"Your mother also didn't expect that our Ci'er would be married so quickly," Madam Fang said, reluctant to part with her daughter, but she also understood that her daughter had to get married eventually.
Fortunately, Qi He was someone they had watched grow up, and he had been good to their daughter since childhood. Their courtyard was also close to their own, otherwise, she didn't know how many tears of reluctance she would have shed.
When Fu Xin Ci came out of her parents' room, she started thinking about when she could go to Dragon City to deliver a message to her friends. She was going to be married too, and she wanted to hear their well wishes.
In Dragon City, more than half a day had passed, and the Captain's mouth hadn't stopped moving.
"After knowing each other for so many years, I only just learned the Captain has a canine tooth," Fatty Dun grumbled, revealing his new discovery. He was jealous. Why was it that for the same wedding day, the Captain was about to become a father, and they still had no news?
Thinking of this, he looked towards his wife's belly again.
Xiao Ai was almost going ballistic from his gaze. If not for the crowd, with all her friends present, she would have already thrown a punch at this fool.
Xu Jia Can stood on the Captain's other side and added sourly, "I also just discovered today that the Captain actually has a canine tooth, and it's quite symmetrical."
"Where?"
"Fatty Dun, have you become so jealous that your IQ has also plummeted?"
"Heh heh." Fatty Dun couldn't say it, but he had only one thought now: he wanted to be a father.
When Fu Xin Ci arrived, she saw the Captain showing all eight of his front teeth.
My goodness, this was practically a world wonder.
"Wow, Xin Ci is here."
Xiao Ai was the first to spot the Fu girl arriving amidst the green leaves.
When the Captain heard Xin Ci had arrived, he immediately turned and ran towards her.
"Xin Ci, give me a portion of all the fresh fruits, brother."
Fu Xin Ci: Was this still the Captain? How could it be that apart from his appearance, everything else about him had changed so much?
Fu Xin Ci was feeling somewhat bewildered when she heard Fatty Dun explain with a hint of sourness, "The Captain is going to be a father."
"Really?" Fu Xin Ci also hadn't expected to hear such great news as soon as she arrived.
"Of course, it's true. Otherwise, when have you ever seen the Captain's mouth so wide with a smile?"
"This is the first time I've seen it, which is why I was just about to say: it could be listed as a world wonder."
After murmuring with Fatty Dun, Fu Xin Ci suddenly had a flash of inspiration and looked at the Captain and Yang Xin Jie, "You guys, you guys… ah?"
"It's exactly what you think," the Captain's pearly white teeth were exceptionally eye-catching under the sunlight.
Fu Xin Ci joked, "To see such a set of white teeth in this ancient time is more precious than diamonds."
Seeing her friends starting to make lighthearted remarks, Yang Xin Jie gave her a playful glare, "You're being too flippant."
"I'm not," Fu Xin Ci replied. After saying that, she found a place where they were alone and quietly asked them, "Do you want to pick them yourselves?"
Yang Xin Jie actually had that thought, but after considering it, she gave up.
"You know what I like to eat, just pick some for me casually."
"Alright, I'll come over three times a week from now on to bring you fresh fruits and meat and eggs."
"Mmm, thank you, Xin Ci."
After her friends had finished talking, Fu Xin Ci dropped a small but significant bombshell.
"I'm getting married."
"...? Cough, cough, cough." Fatty Dun almost choked on his own saliva.
Xu Jia Can: "Xin Ci, how old are you?"
"Fifteen this year, and I'll be married next March, exactly sixteen."
"Oh my god, isn't this ruining national seedlings?"
"Here, if a girl isn't married by sixteen, she's considered an old maid by seventeen."
"If we were to go by our age, wouldn't we be grandfathers by now?"
"The Captain is old enough."
When the Captain heard this, his face immediately fell.
Fu Xin Ci didn't tease the Captain any further. After preparing enough fruits and meat and eggs for her friends to last a few days, she bid them farewell and headed back.
The autumn mountain forest was like a silent landscape painting.
Fu Xin Ci wasn't in a hurry to return, so she wandered through the woods by herself.
Her wandering resulted in her harvesting a lot of wild fruits, as well as three wild boars, fifteen goats, and countless hazelnuts, chestnuts, and walnuts.
She returned laden with bounty. The goats were all alive, and she had already decided to leave them for her friends the next time she visited Dragon City.
With the destinations of these items decided, Fu Xin Ci leisurely descended the hillside.
The weather was nice today, and some people were harvesting crops in the fields.
There were also children who had paired up to pick up the fallen grain ears, wheat ears, and corn cobs in the fields.
Near their own courtyard, Ning'er, with little Niu, also had cloth bags hanging on them, picking up wheat ears.
From a distance, their triumphant laughter could be heard.
"Little Niu, I found another one."
"Young Master, Little Niu also found one."
"Grandfather will definitely praise us for being the best."
"Mmm, Old Master will praise us."
When Ning'er looked up and saw his sister returning from afar, he immediately forgot about picking wheat ears and ran towards his sister, dragging his cloth bag.
"Sis, Sis."
"Ning'er, don't run, Sister is coming right over."
Fu Xin Ci, afraid her little brother would fall, quickly used her supernatural ability and floated over like a fairy.
"Wow, the eldest lady is like a fairy."
When they were in Ning Yuan City, Little Niu had often heard people mention the eldest lady, and everyone admired her immensely.
Now that they lived in the same courtyard as the eldest lady, his mother said it was their good fortune.
As the two children and one adult approached their own gate, they heard the cry of a baby.
Ning'er held his sister's hand, his young eyes filled with undisguised curiosity. "Uncle Cheng has been walking with a spring in his step these past two days, and he tells everyone he meets: 'Same joy, same joy.'"
"How does Ning'er know?"
"I've seen it several times. Right, Little Niu?"
"Mmm, Little Niu saw it with the young master."
"Oh." Chatting with the two little ones was quite pleasant too.
As they walked into the courtyard, they heard someone talking to their grandfather.
"Town Chief Meng, the weather is getting cooler. Take a look at this batch of dried seafood; it's better than the previous ones."
"Mmm, this batch is excellent in both color and dryness."
"Mmm."
Fu Xin Ci glanced at the person who was repeatedly glancing towards the kitchen out of the corner of her eye. She nodded to her grandfather after greeting him and went to the back.
In front of the small building, Mama Yang was leading three young maids in doing needlework.
Seeing that each of them had an embroidery hoop, Fu Xin Ci admired them from the bottom of her heart.
Even though Li Xia was the youngest, her embroidered flowers looked quite lifelike.
Chun Yu heard the footsteps and knew her young lady had returned. She put down her embroidery and went to greet her.
"Young lady is back."
"Mmm."
"Young lady," Mama Yang also immediately put down her work and prepared to help the young lady wash up.
"Mama Yang, you continue with your work; Chun Yu is enough."
"Yes."