He could never believe that such a delicate and refined woman could be associated with a fierce warrior on the battlefield.
His deeply ingrained image of a tigress clashed with the appearance of the young lady he had just seen. The immediate thought that sprang to his mind was a colossal waste of talent.
Heaven above, couldn't you play such a joke!
The innocent heart of a young man was thus cruelly extinguished.
If Qi He had known his thoughts, he would have loudly proclaimed, "Good riddance, or I'd have been even more ruthless."
...
With his daughter about to marry, and the Qi family lacking a mistress, Madam Fang took on all the household chores.
There was no other choice. This was the season when Tatars and Japanese pirates most frequently invaded Liaodong. Qi Yuanshan, as the chiliarch, was more vigilant than anyone, spending his days leading his men on patrol within the chiliarch's territory.
He didn't let a single whisper or rustle of grass go unnoticed. To use his own words, his backside never left the saddle.
Even for his son's wedding, he was powerless to help and had no choice but to entrust all matters to the Meng family.
The Meng father and son understood Qi Yuanshan's hardship and readily agreed. They led their family members, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk, organizing everything in an orderly fashion.
Old Jin, being too old, retired after the new year. Zheng Changmin had now taken over his position as a centurion.
Meng Yulian was in high spirits, as one would be when good fortune arrives. She also knew that her granduncle's family was busy, so she brought her younger sisters to help.
With the arrival of the Meng sisters, the courtyard suddenly filled with many children.
This delighted Ning'er immensely. Being the eldest in terms of seniority, he naturally became the leader of the children.
Fu Xinci had not gone anywhere these past few days, staying in her room to finish embroidering the last part of her wedding dress.
When she had started making the wedding dress, Fu Xinci had been very mindful.
She knew her embroidery skills were a weakness, so she planned to compensate with the design.
She almost summoned her cosmic power to replicate a wedding dress design from before the apocalypse, a pattern she loved, and then asked Madam Fang to help with the cutting.
The design was drawn with colored pens. It must be said that with the exquisite color coordination, Madam Fang's eyes were captivated by the wedding dress design her daughter had drawn.
"This, this..."
It was the first time Madam Fang had seen such a novel wedding dress, so different from all those she had seen before.
A slender waist, a wide skirt like waves, not ostentatious, yet memorable at first glance.
Especially the gentle curve that swayed slightly as one walked, making it feel as if one was walking on water.
Madam Fang was certain that this unique wedding dress in all of Daming could compensate for her daughter's less-than-outstanding embroidery work.
Fu Xinci: This was exactly the effect she wanted.
As mother and daughter were sharing intimate words, Meng Yusu's voice was heard from outside.
"Auntie, we still need some cotton here. Can you get it for me?"
"Oh, I'll get it right away."
Seeing that her mother had finally left, Fu Xinci turned and glanced at Little White, who was sleeping by the windowsill.
Ever since it had run away from home once, this fellow had become haughty. These days, it would often stare at the roof, appearing as if it was about to run away again.
Fu Xinci did not indulge it, and with a few rolls of her eyes, Little White was utterly defeated.
It then obediently found an inconspicuous corner and went to sleep.
Seeing that the creature had finally settled down, Fu Xinci continued with her needlework.
With only a little bit left to finish, she had to persevere. Otherwise, she really wanted to cry for help, feeling that embroidering such intricate patterns was not a task for humans.
Fortunately, before the lamp was lit, Fu Xinci's wedding dress was finally completed.
She was so excited she almost shouted, "Hooray!"
Alas, as for others, Madam Fang's heart finally felt at ease, and she would be able to sleep soundly tonight.
The next day, before Qi He went to the seaside, he came to inform Fu Yu.
"Uncle, the furniture over there is almost done. You and Grandpa Meng can go take a look later. If anything is missing or you don't like something, please point it out so the craftsmen can make changes as soon as possible."
"Yes, we'll go over later."
The Huanghuali wood was part of Fu Xinci's dowry, purchased by Grandpa Meng through a traveling merchant two years ago.
At the time, Grandpa Meng had said the wood was excellent and would make the best dowry for his granddaughter.
The styles of the furniture were meticulously drawn by Fu Xinci with the help of Uncle Xu and Uncle Sun. Whether it was the wall cabinets, bookshelves, solid wood bed, dressing table, or chest of drawers, they were all the most popular styles before the apocalypse.
Fu Xinci adored these understated yet elegant designs.
When the drafts were brought back, her grandfather and parents also liked them. Madam Fang had even said, "After our daughter's wedding, we'll also ask the craftsmen to make a set."
As his wife had instructed, Fu Yu naturally agreed wholeheartedly.
Today, when they saw the finished products, Madam Fang was even more enamored, stroking the furniture with delight.
"My heavens, husband, take a close look. These pieces of furniture, once made, look countless times better than the drawings."
Fu Yu repeatedly nodded in agreement with his wife.
"These pieces of furniture, once made, are even better than I imagined."
Grandpa Meng had not expected that the natural wood color would have more visual appeal than painted surfaces.
Fu Yu and his wife held the same opinion.
Madam Fang even declared, "When we have ours made, we'll use the wood's original color too."
"Mm."
Fu Yu readily agreed.
The craftsmen from the chiliarch's office also felt a sense of pride, as such fine furniture was made by them.
Craftsman Zhang found it difficult to describe the simplicity, elegance, and beauty of these pieces, only repeatedly saying, "It's the excellent design brought back by the elder daughter that allowed us to create such beautiful things."
He didn't say: When Miss Fu gets married, if more people see this furniture, they'll be so busy this year they'll be hitting their heads against the back of their skulls.
Heh heh, being busy is good, it signifies more income for them.
The more Craftsman Zhang thought about it, the more his simple smile widened.
Grandpa Meng also understood them. Their families had been craftsmen for generations, passing down the trade, with few ever learning to read.
These craftsmen's skills were beyond reproach, and they were honest people, just not eloquent.
But people like them were good too; if you treat them sincerely, they will reciprocate with sincerity.
Seeing that his father had finished speaking with Craftsman Zhang, Fu Yu discussed with his father, "Father, after Ci'er's wedding is over, let's also replace a couple of sets of furniture in our home."
"You replace yours; I won't change the furniture in my room."
"Father."
"The furniture in my room is still quite good; it was made of good wood back then, so there's no need to waste it."
"Father, it wouldn't be a waste; we can just ask who likes it and give it away for free."
"No, the furniture in my room will remain as it is."
"..." Fu Yu knew that the arrangement of furniture in his father's room was much the same as it had been in Qingzhou.