Chapter 28: Discussing Marriage

Brother Hu watched Xu Guang walk toward him step by step, his eyes filled with terror. He had no idea when he had offended such a ruthless man.

Since he began practicing martial arts, Xu Guang’s physique had changed so drastically that Brother Hu failed to recognize him as the fish-selling boy he had bullied for so long.

Watching Xu Guang draw closer, he put on a brave front and stammered, "I admit you’re strong, but my Black Water Gang is the most powerful gang in this area! We even have the backing of—"

"Too loud!" Xu Guang suddenly reached out and clamped his hand around Brother Hu’s throat.

Instantly, Brother Hu felt as if his neck was caught in an iron vise. He gasped for air, unable to utter a single word.

Xu Guang looked at the somewhat familiar figure before him with a hint of amusement in his eyes. This was the very place where he had last seen Brother Hu when they both took shelter from the rain. How nostalgic.

Ever since he started his martial arts training, he had maintained a cautious and low profile to quietly build his strength. He had almost forgotten about all these "teachers" who had "educated" him over the years. However, he was in no rush to kill Brother Hu. Instead, he turned his gaze to the scrawny figure nearby.

"Ji Xiaolu?"

Ji Xiaolu looked up slightly, but lowered her head again in the blink of an eye, remaining cautiously silent. But that split-second movement was enough for Xu Guang to confirm that she was the person he had been looking for.

His tone softened a fraction, though to an outsider, it still sounded cold. "This man was just bullying you. Do you think he deserves to die?"

Seemingly shocked by Xu Guang’s words, Ji Xiaolu didn’t speak for a long time. Xu Guang didn’t rush her; he simply watched her.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps because Xu Guang’s scrutinizing gaze made her uncomfortable, or perhaps because of her own hatred for Brother Hu—she finally replied in a hoarse voice, "He deserves to die!"

Brother Hu’s eyes instantly filled with sheer terror. He strained to look at Ji Xiaolu, his gaze pleading for mercy.

A smile crept onto Xu Guang’s face as he tightened his grip.

CRACK!

"Then he dies."

The terrified, begging look in Brother Hu’s eyes instantly glazed over.

Xu Guang looked at Ji Xiaolu with a gentle smile. "I want to marry you. What do you think?"

In his past life, he had been nothing but a shut-in. His experiences had made him a bit more decisive when it came to killing, but he was still an idiot when it came to romance. Of course, such a statement would have seemed completely brainless in his previous world. Yet in this world, under these exact circumstances, it made Ji Xiaolu instantly snap her head up, a glimmer of light in her eyes.

"Can you set up a tombstone for my mother?" Her tone was anxious as she continued, "We are refugees. We fled all the way here. If it weren’t for my mother, I would have died many times over."

Xu Guang looked at her. "So, would that count as the bride price?"

Ji Xiaolu’s gaze darted away, carrying a hint of unexpected shyness. She never imagined that someone would propose to her in a situation like this. She wondered if marriage proposals weren’t supposed to be arranged by the elders.

"I don’t want a bride price, but there’s one more thing."

Hearing this, Xu Guang frowned, once again feeling a wave of doubt toward the Searcher. He wondered if matters of the heart really couldn’t be resolved with the Searcher.

"You are a capable person," Ji Xiaolu’s timid voice reached his ears. "After I marry you... if there’s ever a chance, could you help me find my older brother?"

Recalling the information displayed on the Searcher, Xu Guang immediately understood. He thought for a moment and said, "I can do that."

Ji Xiaolu immediately tried to stand up, but having sat on the ground for so long, the sudden movement nearly made her collapse. Xu Guang hurriedly reached out to catch her. Instead of any delicate fragrance, a foul, indescribable stench assaulted his nose.

He felt rather helpless. He wondered if this girl was truly the most suitable match for him. However, judging from the temperament she had displayed since they met, she was indeed a good catch.

"Let’s go. Come home with me first. I’ll take you to set up the tombstone tomorrow."

"Mhm." A blush flashed across Ji Xiaolu’s dirt-streaked face. She knew she smelled awful right now, especially since the person supporting her was her future... husband.

With one hand clutching the hem of Xu Guang’s clothes, and Xu Guang carrying the corpse of his future mother-in-law, the two disappeared into the night, one after the other.

Leaving behind a ground littered with... corpses.

***

By the time he brought Ji Xiaolu home, it was already past midnight, yet Mrs. Xu was surprisingly still awake.

"Is that Brother Guang coming back?" Hearing the noise outside, a voice called out from Mrs. Xu’s room, where a kerosene lamp was still lit.

"It’s me, Mother. It’s cold tonight, so don’t come out."

"Who is that behind you?"

Xu Guang was instantly put on the spot. Even though he prided himself on having developed a thick skin over the years, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

To his surprise, Ji Xiaolu spoke up instead. "I am Brother Guang’s wife."

"What?"

That night, after Xu Guang had unknowingly brought home a wife, the household was thrown into quite an uproar.

The next morning, Xu Guang got up to wash his face and rinse his mouth.

Ji Xiaolu had slept in Mrs. Xu’s room the night before. Bright and early, Mrs. Xu ordered him to call over Xu Chun and her family to meet the new bride.

When Xu Guang returned, he was dumbfounded by the sight of the woman standing behind his mother. The pitch-black, scrawny little woman from yesterday had undergone a complete rebirth after being thoroughly scrubbed clean by his mother the night before.

Ji Xiaolu’s appearance stunned him. Although she had fled from a famine, her family had protected her along the way. She was merely a bit thin, entirely different from the stereotypical image of a ragged refugee.

She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen. She had fair skin, delicate features, and large, expressive eyes that made one want to uncover the secrets hidden within them. Her face bore a deeply moving tenderness. Though not exceptionally tall, she stood around 1.67 meters, and what surprised Xu Guang the most was that she was surprisingly well-endowed.

She was wearing clothes from when Mrs. Xu was young—a simple, faded blue padded jacket tied with a coarse cloth sash at her waist, making her look somewhat fragile. The only minor flaw was her long hair, which looked rather dry and brittle—a consequence of their prolonged flight as refugees and not washing it for too long.

Her looks completely exceeded Xu Guang’s expectations and left him pleasantly surprised. Although he fancied himself a man of depth, his future wife’s stunning beauty made him perfectly willing to be shallow.

"Are you... Ji Xiaolu?"

Before Ji Xiaolu could answer, Xu Chun smacked him upside the head. "What is wrong with you? You don’t even recognize your own wife?"

Xu Guang was instantly speechless.

Ji Xiaolu looked at Xu Guang with a blushing face, a sparkling light in her eyes. She never expected to be so lucky—to find someone willing to take her home when she was at her absolute most desperate.

Recalling what Mrs. Xu had told her the previous night, Ji Xiaolu’s face burned crimson, and she couldn’t help but steal a glance at Xu Guang. At that exact moment, Xu Guang’s eyes met hers, and both of them tacitly looked away at the same time.

Xu Guang’s heart was racing even faster than when he had broken through to the Bone Forging stage.

The same went for Ji Xiaolu, though beneath her shyness, she also found Xu Guang’s reaction somewhat amusing. Remembering Mrs. Xu’s words once more, Ji Xiaolu couldn’t suppress a quiet murmur. "Little virgin."

But soon enough, she was dragged away by Xu Chun to try on clothes—perhaps a universal hobby shared by all women.

Xu Guang was thoroughly speechless at this development.

"Erlang, where did you find this girl?" Wang Ming asked, looking at Xu Guang with a wicked smirk.

Xu Guang answered honestly, "I picked her up."

Of course, Wang Ming didn’t buy it. "You son of a bitch, you’re still lying to me. If you don’t want to tell me, fine, but don’t say you just picked her up. Try picking up another one and show me."

Seeing that he didn’t believe him, Xu Guang didn’t bother to explain. After all, Wang Ming would find out about Ji Xiaolu’s origins soon enough.

Sure enough, after the group chatted for more than an hour, Xu Chun was looking at Xu Guang with amusement, Wang Ming was looking at him with a hint of resentment, and Wang Wen was looking at him with sheer curiosity. Everyone in the family had a completely different look in their eyes as they stared at him.

Ji Xiaolu couldn’t help but want to laugh.

For once, Xu Guang didn’t practice his martial arts today. Instead, he borrowed a horse carriage from Wang Ming and took the whole family out of the city to bury Ji Xiaolu’s mother.

Ji Xiaolu wept bitterly. Mrs. Xu, likely reminded of her own family from her youth, cried just as hard. Seeing someone else’s grief evoked their own; everyone’s mood turned somber, even the soon-to-be seven-year-old Wang Wen.

In this mortal world, no one could escape the sorrow of parting and death.

That evening, Ji Xiaolu went home with Xu Chun. According to Xu Chun, since Lu didn’t have a maiden family here, she would take on the role of both her sister-in-law and her maiden family.

Mrs. Xu seemed fully in favor of this arrangement; she was exceedingly fond of Ji Xiaolu.

"Brother Guang, you will still take me, won’t you?" That was what Ji Xiaolu had said to Xu Guang before leaving with Xu Chun.

Xu Guang was a bit slow to answer. He could clearly see the light in Ji Xiaolu’s eyes dimming at a visible rate. Fortunately, although he knew very little about matters of the heart, he finally caught on this time.

"I will."

The words were few, but his tone was incredibly firm.

Ji Xiaolu broke into a radiant smile, as bright and moving as flowers blooming in the warmth of spring.

Seeing the smile on his mother’s face and the care Xu Chun showed toward Ji Xiaolu, Xu Guang felt deeply gratified. After all, his original intention for taking a wife had been slightly unfair to Ji Xiaolu—he had only done it to make Mrs. Xu happy.

But after spending today with Ji Xiaolu, even though they hadn’t exchanged many words, Xu Guang knew that it was no longer his only reason. Her gentleness, tolerance, and maturity made his heart ache for her.

Perhaps, having a wife like Ji Xiaolu would be quite a wonderful thing after all.