Pearl Light

Part 4

6

When Shi Yu affectionately wrapped her arm around Xie Wu Chen's.

I wasn't actually unhappy.

I counted the number of people in the house; there were three now. Just as Village Chief Li had said, it was a family.

Da Huang couldn't become Li Zhen Zhu, so he had to continue being Da Huang.

When I told Xie Wu Chen and Shi Yu that I hoped the three of us could become a family and live happily in Li Family Village, Shi Yu first widened her beautiful eyes, then laughed until tears came out.

She pointed at Xie Wu Chen, whose face was ashen, and made exaggerated facial expressions:

"Senior Brother, this village girl wants to marry you, hahahahaha!"

Shi Yu misunderstood. It wasn't about marrying.

I wanted a family member, someone to rely on for a long time.

If it could be forever, being husband and wife was also fine.

"Her brain is sick, don't listen to her nonsense," Xie Wu Chen said angrily.

After Xie Wu Chen got angry, Shi Yu didn't dare joke anymore.

Shi Yu sat on the wall, plucking a branch of peach blossoms, and sighed:

"Master said your love tribulation [1] in the mortal realm is harder than anyone else's, so I worried for a long time.

"Others' love tribulations are with princesses or noble ladies, entangled for three lifetimes. How come, as the foremost sword cultivator, you have to..."

Xie Wu Chen seemed insulted, slicing through the wild peach tree outside the low wall with one strike, saying each word deliberately:

"She is not my love tribulation."

I didn't quite understand what a love tribulation was.

But I could roughly guess that Shi Yu was special to Xie Wu Chen.

7

Shi Yu was pretty and smart.

When she curiously went to the market with me, just standing by the stall, the eggs that usually took a day to sell out were gone in one morning.

No one would think to cheat her; they didn't even bargain. Many snacks and sachets were stuffed into Shi Yu's pockets, making her giggle.

On the way back, I carried the empty baskets, but my heart felt heavy.

I felt Xie Wu Chen was right again.

Otherwise, why would they cheat me but not Shi Yu?

"Senior Brother, it's not good to keep this up. Why don't you marry her, pretend to be a couple to fool the heavenly Dao? Otherwise, you won't survive the lightning tribulation in two years." Shi Yu sighed, "Once you ascend, you can give her gold, silver, and jewels as you wish."

Xie Wu Chen was unwilling but had no choice.

Half a year later, I happily bought a length of red cloth, made a set of clothes for Xie Wu Chen, and crafted a veil for myself.

After bowing to heaven and earth, we were considered married.

Shi Yu was overjoyed, saying she saw Xie Wu Chen's "Red Phoenix Star" [2] flash briefly, ensuring he would overcome his love tribulation.

The "Red Phoenix Star" flashing briefly was like a spark in a pile of dry grass in the hearth.

I snuck a few glances at Xie Wu Chen.

All I saw were his cold, indifferent eyes.

He had not a trace of worldly desires, even his fiery red clothes appeared plain.

Like the red lotus flowers in an August pond, no matter how vividly they bloomed, they still kept people at a distance.

After getting married, Xie Wu Chen didn't allow me to get close to him, nor to call him husband.

Fine, husband, I thought silently.

I thought after getting married, we would live in harmony as a couple.

When Xie Wu Chen practiced his sword cultivatorship, I wanted to practice too, so as not to hold him back.

I tried to mimic the way he taught Shi Yu, focusing my energy and tossing the rice as if it were a sword technique.

But my hand slipped, and the chicken feed bowl fell to the ground.

The bowl hit the ground, spinning with a clattering sound.

I hurried to pick it up but ended up tripping and falling.

I patted the dust off my clothes and heard Shi Yu's laughter, seeing Xie Wu Chen's dark expression.

Shi Yu laughed until she was tired, then sighed:

"Zhen Zhu is truly pitiful, she doesn't even make me feel the slightest bit jealous. "

Xie Wu Chen glanced at me coldly. He didn't call me a fool as usual.

But it made me feel even more embarrassed:

"You don't have spiritual roots, don't waste your efforts."

Even then, I hadn't given up on Xie Wu Chen.

I sewed a sword pouch for him and made tassels.

He didn't want them and threw them all away.

I begged him to go to the market with me to sell chickens, thinking his presence would prevent people from bullying me since he had his sword.

Xie Wu Chen refused.

It was Shi Yu who mentioned that she had smelled the scent of the fierce beast Taotie at the market last time.

Only then did Xie Wu Chen accompany me.

He didn't want anyone to think we were associated, so he stayed far away from me.

If any busybodies asked him if he knew Li Zhen Zhu, the chicken seller, Xie Wu Chen would shake his head and deny any connection: "I don't know her."

Countless young women would steal glances at him as they passed by, throwing handkerchiefs into his arms.

Although he remained unmoved, holding his sword, he did not avoid them with the same disgust he showed towards me. 

Footnote:

[1] Love tribulations (情劫) refers to the hardships and challenges that couples face in their romantic relationships. This term is often used in cultivation novels, to depict destined or fateful romantic trials that characters endure as part of their love story.
[2] The Red Phoenix Star (红鸾星) is an auspicious star in Chinese astrology associated with love, romance, and marriage, often indicating favorable conditions for relationships and matrimonial happiness, and it can be used in divination to predict these aspects of life.