Chapter 332: That Man, That Rabbit

Chapter 332: Chapter 332: That Man, That Rabbit

The courtyard emptied, leaving only Ji Huan and Guan Shan.

Neither of them spoke for a long time.

Ji Huan was lost in thought. Guan Shan lowered his gaze to where she was holding his arm, his own thoughts a mystery.

Ji Huan came to her senses and quickly withdrew her hand, feeling a bit awkward.

"Well, uh... just think of it as starting your duties early."

It would be dawn soon anyway.

The wanderer didn’t seem to object to starting his duties early. He just asked, "You’re just going to let them go?"

Ji Huan sighed. "What else could I have done?"

To be honest, she hadn’t been completely sure it was Huang Juncai who had pushed her. It was just that his downturned, triangular eyes and his vicious gaze had left such a deep impression.

She still remembered grabbing for the person closest to her as she started to roll down the hill, but her hand had caught nothing but air.

Most of the person’s face had been covered, which was why she only remembered their eyes.

But that had been over half a year ago, and there had been no witnesses. She could accuse Huang Juncai of attempted murder, but he could just as easily insist that she had been clumsy, or that someone else had pushed her.

It would be a pointless struggle.

She had only brought it up to provoke him into revealing something about Ji Xiu’e.

Who would have thought he’d be so tight-lipped? And Ji Xiu’e’s arrival had been far too timely.

Although she’d caught him in the act of climbing the wall tonight, he hadn’t succeeded in his goal. Besides, Huang Juncai had been bitten badly by Dahuang. If she really took this to the government office, he wouldn’t be severely punished. In the end, it would be Ji Huan who was most affected; even her wedding tomorrow might not be able to proceed as planned.

’When dealing with people like Ji Xiu’e and Huang Juncai, you have to make your first strike count. There’s no point in these little skirmishes that are more annoying than harmful.’

’I’ll let them go for now. They’re bound to slip up eventually.’

Guan Shan’s brows furrowed. "Why would he want to harm you?"

"I’d like to know that myself."

What was certain was that the incident on Chicken Crown Mountain had likely been a chance encounter.

Huang Juncai had been heading up the mountain to take shelter and ran into Ji Huan. She didn’t know him, but he knew her, so he took advantage of the chaotic crowd to strike.

This time, however—climbing over the wall—was clearly premeditated.

Sneaking over on the eve of her wedding—not a day sooner, not a day later. Ji Huan could figure out his intentions with her eyes closed.

"It looks like Huang Juncai and his mother weren’t on the same page."

At first, she thought the mother and son had planned it together, but on second thought, that didn’t seem right.

If they had really planned it, Ji Xiu’e would have made a huge ruckus, calling over everyone she could from the village to catch them in bed.

She wouldn’t have just brought a few people, all of them family.

If Huang Juncai had actually gotten his way tonight, the news would have spread through the entire village the moment people arrived tomorrow morning.

Then, Ji Huan’s plan to bring in a husband would be ruined. Her only options would be to die or resign herself to marrying Huang Juncai.

Ji Huan felt a strange sense of admiration. ’Ji Xiu’e has really raised a potential murderer and rapist.’

’The funny thing is, as much as Ji Xiu’e hates me, she never wanted her younger son to marry me.’

’Huang Juncai, on the other hand, is willing to risk it all. His hatred is so pure.’

Guan Shan’s expression turned cold as he listened to Ji Huan’s explanation.

"They won’t succeed."

Even though she knew he was just being polite, Ji Huan still felt a deep sense of comfort.

"You don’t need to worry about this messy business. Just focus on playing the part of my husband."

Guan Shan looked down at her, his lips pressed together in silence.

It was only then that Ji Huan suddenly remembered. "I haven’t even asked you. Your timing was a little too perfect. What were you doing wandering around so late? Don’t tell me you’ve been standing guard for me every night, have you?"

"..."

Without a word, Guan Shan turned and walked out of the backyard.

Ji Huan mulled it over. ’I didn’t say anything out of line, did I? Is he angry over that?’

’He’s got quite a temper. As if I don’t have one myself.’

Ji Huan pouted. She reached for the back door to close it, but her hand paused just before she touched it.

’We’re supposed to perform the wedding ceremony tomorrow. This isn’t a good time for a cold war. What if he decides to become a runaway groom?’

’Sigh. It’s so hard to rely on others for anything!’

Just as she was debating whether to go after him and smooth things over, something was suddenly thrust into her arms.

Ji Huan looked up and stared at Guan Shan, who had returned. She stood stunned for two seconds before realizing the thing in her arms was moving! And it was furry!

"What the-!"

She yelped and jumped back, throwing it back at Guan Shan without even getting a good look at it.

Guan Shan caught it, a look of resignation on his face. He walked a few steps toward the spot in the courtyard where the oil lamp sat.

Only then did Ji Huan see clearly: it was two rabbits, their legs bound together.

She patted her chest, her heart still pounding.

"Where did you get these?"

As she spoke, she stepped forward and studied them curiously for a moment, even reaching out to flick one of their long ears.

The two little creatures, startled, huddled together in Guan Shan’s arms.

"Snared them."

Ji Huan’s eyes widened. "Don’t tell me you were out so late because you went up the mountain to catch rabbits? We have important things to do tomorrow, and you’re in the mood for a leisurely hunt...?"

Guan Shan said nothing, merely grabbing the rabbits by their ears and offering them to her again.

Ji Huan pointed at her own nose. After confirming they were indeed for her, she dazedly took the rabbits.

Dahuang was calm enough, but A, B, C, and D couldn’t help but jump and hop around at the sight of the live rabbits. Ji Huan had to scold them several times before they quieted down.

"Why are you giving me rabbits?" His behavior was utterly baffling.

Guan Shan glanced at her before turning his face away.

"A man should present wild geese as a betrothal gift when he takes a wife."

Ji Huan knew about this tradition. Wild geese were a symbol of fidelity and were often used in ancient wedding ceremonies.

One reason was their punctuality. Geese are migratory birds, flying south in autumn and returning north in spring, always on time. This symbolized that a marriage should also adhere to its proper time.

Another reason was their devotion. If a goose loses its mate, it will never take another. Thus, geese became a symbol of unwavering fidelity between a man and a woman.

Of course, some also said that geese follow the sun’s path, and using them as a betrothal gift was a way to demand that the wife follow her husband in all things and remain loyal to him.

Beyond that, it also seemed to have some function of encouraging an orderly hierarchy between the old and the young.

There were many good meanings, but what did any of them have to do with rabbits?

Under Ji Huan’s intense stare, Guan Shan could no longer remain silent.

He coughed into his fist. "It’s hard to find geese this time of year. And..."

Even if there were geese, in his current condition, he wouldn’t be able to draw a bow.

Ji Huan understood his unspoken words and was at a loss for what to say.

"You really don’t have to. It’s not like this is a real..." 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

’We’re not really getting married, so why fuss over these little details?’

Besides, only wealthy, high-ranking families treated wild geese as a top-tier gift and followed all the traditional rites. Common folk weren’t so particular and often used domestic geese or other substitutes.

Guan Shan’s long brows knitted together. "Since we are getting married, we should follow the proper procedures."

He paused, then added, "I’ll make it up to you with proper geese later."

Knowing his stubborn nature, Ji Huan didn’t argue.

She knew that in his current physical condition, even snaring these two rabbits must have taken a great deal of effort. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned so late.

Worried he might blame himself for not being able to hunt a wild goose, she tried to comfort him.

"There’s no need. It’s tough for the geese, too. A happy couple flying in the sky, and you have to shoot one of them down? That doesn’t really fit the spirit of a wedding, does it? Rabbits are great. And there are two of them! They’ll be easy to raise."

Seeing her stroke the two rabbits, looking genuinely pleased, the tight line of Guan Shan’s lips relaxed slightly.

Ji Huan did like them. The more she petted them, the more she grew to like them.

"These rabbits are so fat! They must have a lot of meat on them. We can stir-fry them later!"

Guan Shan: "..."

The two rabbits, who were already trembling, now looked like they were about to cry.

Ji Huan sensed the atmosphere was a little off. Her mind raced, and she quickly tried to save the situation. "Ahem, just kidding! Bunnies are so cute, who could bear to eat them?"

The words were so insincere that Ji Huan’s conscience ached as she said them.

’In fact, stewed rabbit, braised rabbit, soft-fried rabbit, spicy mala rabbit, and stir-fried rabbit with ginger, scallions, and chili were all delicious.’

’The key thing is, these weren’t just any rabbits. They were substitutes for the wild geese, which made them significant.’

Ji Huan racked her brain, trying to remember what happened to the geese presented at ancient weddings.

’Were they set free, kept as pets, or butchered for meat?’

’At first, it seemed like they could be eaten as part of the sacrificial rites after the ceremony, but later on, that wasn’t allowed...’

’Oh well. If I can’t eat them, I can’t eat them. It’s not like I’m short on meat.’

"You should get back. You can still get maybe two two-hour periods of rest before tomorrow. It’s going to be a long day."

But Guan Shan didn’t move. "You go to sleep first."

Ji Huan knew what he was worried about.

"Don’t worry. I don’t have that many enemies. No one else is going to be climbing my walls besides them."

At this, Ji Huan was suddenly amused. "I have to say, that face of yours is really effective—better than a talisman for warding off evil spirits. But believe it or not, even though they were scared out of their wits just now, they’re probably feeling pretty happy at this very moment."

Guan Shan played along. "Happy about what?"

"They must think I’m asking for trouble by bringing a monster like you into my home. They’re probably picturing me living a miserable life, maybe even getting beaten every day. How could they not be happy about that?"

The wanderer looked down at her. "I don’t hit women."

Ji Huan stared at him, speechless. It was official: the man had zero sense of humor.

"Anyway, you should go get some rest. It’s fine. After tomorrow, you can officially be my household guardian!"

Her words made it sound like she was treating Guan Shan as some kind of guardian beast for the house.

Sure enough, the moment the words left her mouth, Guan Shan turned and walked away without another word.

Having driven the man away, Ji Huan was left holding the two rabbits, worrying. She still had to find a room for these two distinguished, inedible guests.