Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Hearing the laughter outside, Li Qiong stifled a smile with her hand. She looked over at Zhao Nuanyue and said, ”Oh my god, you city folks sure know how to have fun! Are these the usual steps for a wedding in the city?”

Zhao Nuanyue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry hearing a famous internet catchphrase from her past life come out of her good friend’s mouth.

”Actually, there aren’t that many tricks in the city. I just asked Little Red Carp to block the door and give Li Jianjun a bit of a hard time. I never told her to demand red envelopes, and she came up with all these questions on her own.” Helpless, Zhao Nuanyue shot a look at Little Red Carp, warning her not to take it too far.

Little Red Carp pretended not to see. ”Ms. Li Qiong, hurry and answer! Did you not hear him? I’ll have Jianjun say it again!”

At this, Li Jianjun’s handsome face flushed bright red. He had never felt so flustered and thrilled in his entire life.

Li Qiong knew Li Jianjun’s temperament and didn’t want to put him on the spot, so she called out from inside the room, ”There’s no need to say it again! I’m very satisfied!”

”Oh, Ms. Li Qiong is quite satisfied with your answer. You’ve passed this round!” the Little Red Fox said with a mischievous grin, looking as if she were telling him how lucky he was. ”But I have one more question. Listen carefully!”

”What?” Li Jianjun was dumbstruck. He had already given them the red envelopes and answered a question. ’There’s more?’

”Of course! Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. You didn’t think we’d let you take the bride home that easily, did you?” Little Red Carp said, planting her hands on her hips. Looking like a little Lucky Doll, she sent the crowd into peals of laughter.

”Alright, please, Little Red Carp, just hurry up and ask!” Li Jianjun wished he could just get her out of the way.

”Don’t be scared, and don’t be in such a rush, Jianjun. This question is very simple!” Little Red Carp said dismissively. ”Your last answer was about Ms. Li Qiong’s past. Now that you’re getting married today, how will you treat her in the future? You’d better choose your words carefully in front of everyone here. We’re all witnesses, you know!”

”That’s right, Jianjun, you better think hard! You can’t just spout nonsense, or Li Qiong will have your hide later! If she doesn’t let you into bed, you’ll be in a sorry state!” some of the women, always happy to stir the pot, joked without restraint.

”Exactly! Li Qiong is such a smart, capable woman. If you don’t treat her right, we won’t stand for it!” another woman added with a chuckle. After Wang Yuan and Zhao Nuanyue had left Nianqiao Village, Li Qiong had remained, spending the most time with the villagers. Her kindness, straightforwardness, and competence had left a very deep impression on everyone.

It was Li Qiong and Li Jianjun’s wedding day, so everyone was happy to joke around and add to the festive atmosphere.

Li Jianjun inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Little Red Carp’s question. Thankfully, it wasn’t a difficult one. He thought for a moment before replying, ”I treated Li Qiong well before, and now that we’re getting married, I’ll treat her even better. In the near future, we’ll have children and our family will grow. We might face more hardships in life, and we might even argue, but I believe that as long as we share the same ideals and truly love each other, we can overcome any difficulty and become a happy, harmonious family.”

”Wow, Jianjun, that was so well said! Ms. Li Qiong, what do you think?” Little Red Carp nodded. ’Actually,’ she thought, ’those are the kinds of things I wanted to hear Hua Yusen promise about my sister, but I never got the chance to make him say them. Good thing my sister and Hua Yusen are having their own ceremony next February. I’ll have to come up with lots and lots of questions to give him a hard time. Well, not a hard time, exactly. It’s more like showing how much I care. I have to make my brother-in-law understand that my sister isn’t someone you can marry so easily.’

At this, Li Qiong was so moved she was on the verge of tears, covering her mouth with her hands. She knew it was bad luck to cry on such a happy day, but she simply couldn’t contain the overwhelming joy in her heart.

”Hey, don’t cry on your big day, or your makeup will run, and we won’t have time to fix it,” Zhao Nuanyue quickly reminded her. ”Hearing Li Jianjun’s promise, I can finally rest easy seeing you married. He’s a good man, and you’re a wonderful woman. I hope you two will live in harmony, grow old together, and share a lifetime of happiness.”

”Thank you, Nuanyue. Having you here with me at the most important moment of my life... it’s so moving and reassuring.” Li Qiong nodded, then stood up and gently hugged Nuanyue, thanking her for all her care and support.

”You don’t have to say that, you’re being too formal. We’re the best of friends. I wish you a lifetime of happiness, just as I know you wish the same for me,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a light laugh. ”But enough about us. Li Jianjun is still waiting outside for you. Go on, answer him. Are you satisfied or not?”

”I am!” Li Qiong was so moved she couldn’t say anything more.

When the people outside heard Li Qiong’s answer, they erupted into whoops and laughter.

Li Jianjun was overjoyed, his heart filled with warmth. He looked at Little Red Carp without any of the earlier frustration. Thanks to her deliberate prodding, he had been able to declare his promises to Li Qiong in front of everyone.

Those were his heartfelt words, and he would spend the rest of his life fulfilling those promises.

Little Red Carp saw that Li Jianjun was beaming, his expression full of emotion, his eyes even a little misty. She knew her job was done and she couldn’t tease him any longer. Grinning, she said, ”Since Ms. Li Qiong is satisfied, I won’t give you a hard time anymore. The path is clear. Jianjun, you can go in and get your bride now.”

With that, Little Red Carp stepped to the side of the door, no longer blocking the way.

Li Jianjun was ecstatic. As he passed by Little Red Carp, he even gave her a quick hug.

Once inside, Li Jianjun saw Li Qiong sitting on the edge of the bed. She was dressed in a red woolen overcoat, her makeup was exquisite, and her hair had been elegantly styled by Zhao Nuanyue...

For a moment, Li Jianjun simply stared, mesmerized.

He had no idea Li Qiong could look so breathtakingly beautiful when she was all dressed up.

But he was too shy to say it out loud, so he just grinned foolishly at her exquisite face.

”Jianjun, isn’t the bride beautiful today?” Zhao Nuanyue asked with a smile. ’This is all my handiwork,’ she thought. ’Seeing the groom so completely stunned by his bride makes me, the makeup artist, feel very proud.’

”Beautiful. So beautiful. She’s the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen!” Li Jianjun replied with a grin, without a moment’s hesitation.

Seeing him like this, Zhao Nuanyue felt a little shy herself and decided not to tease him anymore. She chuckled, took Li Qiong’s hand, then took Li Jianjun’s hand with her other. Placing their hands together, she said, ”Li Qiong, Jianjun, I hope you will always love each other and always be happy.”