There was no warmth in that voice, but it was like a bell striking Xie Zhangfa's heart, making him shiver.
In fact, he did not see the jade pendant clearly. He vaguely felt that it looked like a bird.
There was a saying in the Great Flame Dynasty, "The Mystic Bird of Destiny descends into the flame". The Mystic Bird was a symbol of the royal family. Nobles used different birds to represent their status and identity. The Vermillion bird was the symbol of the king, the peacock represents the noble, the Four-Eye bird represents the Duke, and the Bi Fang bird represents the three provinces and six ministries. However, they were differentiated by color.
What level was the person in front of him at?
It was not important. Any force could overthrow the Xie family.
Suddenly, a loud scream dispelled Village Chief's last thought. "Fire, Fire!"
It was from the village.
Village Chief Xie looked timidly at Zhe Yu. Zhe Yu did not shy away and continued to speak in a voice that the two of them could hear, "This is just the beginning."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound. As expected, the roof of the highest house was filled with thick smoke. Everyone could not care less about Bai Caoshi and went to put out the fire.
Only then did Zhe Yu walk to the cage and untie the knot on it. He stretched out his slender and well-defined fingers.
Just like that, Bai Caoshi crashed into the amber eyes.
**
The wedding date was set for April 1st, Lixia.
There were no three mediators or six betrothal gifts, no bridal escort team, and not even any guests.
This was an extremely shabby wedding held in Bai Caoshi's courtyard.
Madam Bai Li had almost used her life savings to make two sets of wedding clothes. She wanted to give her daughter some dignity during the most important moment of her life.
The officiator of the marriage was called Yang Dali, a simple and honest middle-aged man. He ignored his wife's objections and came to be the witness.
Zhe Yu held a red silk flower and led Bai Caoshi to leap over the brazier.
"The auspicious time has come," Yang Dali shouted at the top of his lungs.
Zhe Yu and Bai Caoshi stood side by side.
"One bow to heaven and earth."
The two of them bowed to the sky.
"Second bow to the parents."
There was only Madam Bai Li. She was so satisfied that she could not stop smiling. Behind her stood Bai Xiaoshu, Bai Caoshi's younger brother. The way he looked at Zhe Yu was a little unnatural. He quickly lowered his head and pinched his fingers.
The couple bowed to Madam Bai Li.
"Husband and wife, bow to each other."
Bai Caoshi turned sideways and bowed to Zhe Yu in excitement.
"The ceremony is complete. Congratulations to the couple on their eternal love."
Throughout the entire process, Zhe Yu's face was as calm as an ancient well.
Next, Zhe Yu held the red silk flower and led Bai Caoshi to the room for her to sit down by the bed.
Before he could lift the veil, Bai Caoshi rolled up the red cloth herself.
"Miss Bai." Zhe Yu stood up straight and made a cross-hand salute to her. This was a very solemn etiquette in the Great Flame Kingdom.
Beautiful things were always pleasing to the eye. Moreover, she had come back from the gates of hell. The corners of her mouth subconsciously curled up. "Sir…"
Before she could finish her sentence, she heard Zhe Yu say, "Zhe Yu is very grateful to Miss Bai for saving my life. Cough cough… but what happened that day was only a temporary measure. Marriage is based on the orders of the parents and the words of the matchmaker. Moreover, Miss Bai and I don't have any affection basis. In a few days, I will leave this place."
He took out a particularly green jade pendant with a blue hue from his sleeve. "This jade pendant is my gratitude to you for saving my life. Ahem… Let's forget about this marriage."
Bai Caoshi noticed the bird totem on the jade pendant. It had four wings, scale-patterned feathers, and a hooked beak. It looked ferocious and awe-inspiring. This jade pendant must be very valuable.
Bai Caoshi reached out and pushed the jade pendant away. Her eyes were extremely clear as she said, "Young Master, I saved you. You've already paid me back in front of Whitewater Beach. Now, we don't owe each other anything. I naturally can't take your valuables."
Zhe Yu's hand froze in mid-air. He was stunned, but after thinking about it, he understood. She had risked her life to save him, so she was naturally not a greedy person. "Just take it as a token of my appreciation."
However, Bai Caoshi changed the topic, "Young Master, can you tell me where you plan to go?"
Zhe Yu gazed at the empty space. To be honest, he hadn't thought it through yet. "The world is vast. I can go wherever I want."
His words were domineering.
Bai Caoshi smiled. "Young Master, when I saved you back then, I never thought of coercing you to repay your kindness, let alone using marriage to bind you. Write the divorce letter to me and you will be free."
A village girl was actually such a righteous woman. This stunned Zhe Yu. Thinking about it, she had gone from a widow to another widow. How difficult would her future be?
He would not know that this was just a little girl's slyness. She was making concessions in order to gain advantages.
In the original work, Bai Caoshi finally escaped from her misery and married Zhe Yu. However, not long after, she was involved in another conspiracy. She then died shortly after. In order to survive till the end, Bai Caoshi quickly made a decision. She will seek the support of the male protagonist.
"It's just that I have a presumptuous request," Bai Caoshi continued. "Young Master, you're still seriously injured and need to recuperate. Why don't you be a fake husband and wife with me for the time being? You can leave after you recover."
Looking around the room, Bai Caoshi noticed that the house was very shabby. The old table legs were padded with rags, and the closet was worn beyond recognition. There were two or three pieces of rough linen inside. The blanket on the bed was washed until it was white. It was not an exaggeration to say that the house was bare. With this condition, Zhe Yu probably did not believe she could help him recuperate.
Unexpectedly, Zhe Yu agreed. "Then, I'll have to trouble you. Take this jade pendant as my food expenses, but…"
At this moment, Zhe Yu had nothing on him. The jade pendant was the only valuable item that he could use as a token of his gratitude. However, he was a little worried that Bai Caoshi would sell it for a living, which would lead to an undeserved calamity. How should he say this? He had seen the situation at home.
This time, Bai Caoshi didn't refuse. She held the jade pendant that carried his warmth and said, "Young Master trusts me, so I'll keep it for you. When you want to leave, I'll return it to you."
**
As newlyweds, even if they had to put on an act, they still had to live in the same room.
Bai Caoshi silently went to spread out the blanket. Then, she took off her inferior wedding clothes, revealing her daily linen clothes. "You sleep first. I'll go wash up."
Zhe Yu grabbed her wrist precisely. "You sleep on the bed. I'll just sleep on the floor."
After all, he was the male protagonist and a gentleman. It was just that Bai Caoshi felt that the climate here was leaning towards the warm and humid subtropical region, so she was afraid that his condition would worsen.
"There's a saying that goes, a guest follows the master's wishes. Either we share the bed, or you listen to me and sleep first."
Without giving him time to react, Bai Caoshi lifted the curtain and rushed out of the room.
As soon as Bai Caoshi left the room, an electronic voice sounded in her sea of consciousness. "Congratulations to the host for binding the Hundred Herb Garden system."