"My father passed away early, my mother is still alive, and my elder brother is deceased while my elder sister-in-law is still alive! Marriage is a great matter, and I must obtain the consent of my mother and elder sister-in-law."
At Feilong Mountain stronghold, Yuan Bolong and his men, without prior consultation with Zhou Fugui, had unilaterally decided to marry their daughter, Yuan Meiyu, to Zhou Fugui. Zhou Fugui politely declined, citing the principle of "parental consent and a matchmaker's words."
Yuan Bolong had lived a life of hardship and danger, his sword his constant companion. Only in his middle age did he have a daughter, whom he cherished as a precious pearl. As Yuan Bolong aged, his greatest concern was his daughter, Yuan Meiyu.
Yuan Meiyu, on the other hand, had rather high standards. She had no interest in the petty bandits within Feilong Mountain stronghold, nor in the men from neighboring mountain tribes. Her marriage thus remained unsettled. As Yuan Meiyu grew older, Yuan Bolong became increasingly anxious. It was at this time that Zhou Fugui appeared on his own accord...
Zhou Fugui was young and heroic, capable of wrestling bears and fighting tigers. His martial prowess was beyond question, his speech elegant, and his knowledge extensive. He was a man of both literary and martial accomplishment. What better match could there be than such a groom presented at their doorstep?
Whether Zhou Fugui agreed or not was a secondary matter. Yuan Meiyu was in the prime of her youth and as beautiful as a celestial being. Giving her to him was like dragon incense rising from the ancestral graves of the Zhou family, a sign for them to offer high sacrifices. How could he refuse? At least, that was what Yuan Bolong and his men believed.
"Parental consent and a matchmaker's words?" Upon hearing this, Yuan Bolong still smiled and said to Zhou Fugui, "General Zhou serves the Yan Hu. Do you still uphold the teachings of Confucius and Mencius? Moreover, we are people of the martial world, why be so indecisive? Alas, fine son-in-law, filial piety is paramount. It is indeed most filial to obtain the consent of your prospective mother-in-law. I will not make things difficult for you and will fulfill your wish. Why not have the wedding with Mei'er today? Afterwards, I will send someone to fetch your family to Feilong Mountain, where you and Mei'er can fulfill your filial duties together."
"Afterwards? No, no..." Zhou Fugui's head shook like a rattle drum upon hearing this. He shook his head repeatedly and said, "My dear leader, you... you are too impetuous!"
"Impetuous? Why?" Zhou Fugui's repeated rejections, especially in front of a crowd of guests, displeased Yuan Bolong greatly. He frowned and asked.
"You wish to marry your daughter to me..." Zhou Fugui glanced at Yuan Meiyu, who sat beside him with her red veil covering her face, and said, "Did you not even ask if I already had a family...?"
"What? You are already married?" Yuan Bolong asked, startled.
If Zhou Fugui truly had a family, even children, then Yuan Bolong and his men had indeed been impetuous.
"Yes, I already have a wife and a concubine," Zhou Fugui replied calmly, nodding.
"Zhou Fugui!" Before Yuan Bolong could speak, Yuan Meiyu, who was already filled with shame and anger, angrily lifted her red veil. Placing one hand on her hip and pointing a jade-like finger like a sword at Zhou Fugui, she rebuked, "You already have a wife and even taken a concubine, yet you come to Feilong Mountain to humiliate me? You... you are utterly shameless!"
"Miss Yuan, what do you mean?" Zhou Fugui found himself at a loss for words, unsure whether to laugh or cry. He had seen unreasonable people, but never had he encountered someone so utterly unreasonable. He had stumbled upon Feilong Mountain by accident; he was not here to humiliate Yuan Meiyu! He was here to seek medical treatment, to save Xue Wentai's life.
"Since you have a family, why didn't you say so earlier? You caused me and father so much trouble... You have a family, so why come here? Why not just find a crooked tree and hang yourself!" Yuan Meiyu continued her unreasonable tirade, pointing at Zhou Fugui and raging. Fire seemed to burn in her beautiful eyes, wishing to cut this scoundrel into seventeen or eighteen pieces.
A handsome young man, accomplished in both martial arts and literature, was naturally someone a young woman would admire, even fall in love with at first sight. Especially Yuan Meiyu, surrounded by crude bandits, was not immune to such feelings.
To be united in marriage with such an ideal man, Yuan Meiyu was naturally overjoyed. But now that Zhou Fugui was already married and had taken a concubine, the situation was completely different. Yuan Meiyu wished she could immediately chop this "faithless scoundrel" to death...
Zhou Fugui, hearing this, was rendered speechless...
"General Zhou is so young yet already has a family?" asked Zhu Qing, the strategist of the stronghold, suddenly.
"Yes..." Zhou Fugui nodded. "I dare not hide anything. My wife is of the Murong clan, and my concubine is... of the Qing clan..."
How foolish! As Zhou Fugui reached this point, he suddenly remembered he didn't even know Xiao Qing's surname. They had already shared intimacy, yet Zhou Fugui had forgotten to ask Xiao Qing her surname...
"Of the Murong clan? Xianbei?" Zhu Qing frowned, asking.
"Yes, the daughter of Murong Bole, the Left Virtuous King of Yan," Zhou Fugui replied frankly, not wishing to conceal it.
Speaking of concealment, Zhou Fugui could have easily hidden the matter of Murong Huiying and Xiao Qing. He could have married Yuan Meiyu, consummated the marriage, and then found an opportunity to escape. If he fled to Lin Dong City, would Yuan Bolong and his men dare to pursue him to the heavily guarded Yan border, to Xue Lin City?
By becoming Yuan Bolong's son-in-law, Yuan Meiyu's husband, his status would be even more advantageous for his escape.
As Yuan Bolong's son-in-law and Yuan Meiyu's husband, if he wished to go down the mountain for a stroll, who at Feilong Mountain would dare to stop him?
But Zhou Fugui did not want to do this. Doing so would harm Yuan Meiyu, causing her to be unable to hold her head up for the rest of her life. Thus, he told them the truth.
Would his good intentions be understood by them? Zhou Fugui thought with a heavy heart.
The guests from other mountain strongholds and the bandits of Feilong Mountain stronghold were all in an uproar.
There was a saying that officials and bandits were irreconcilable. Yet, Zhou Fugui was the son-in-law of the Left Virtuous King of Yan. This greatly surprised everyone.
"Father... daughter, daughter,呜呜呜..." Yuan Meiyu, overwhelmed by shame and anger, turned and leaned against her father, Yuan Bolong, weeping uncontrollably.
"General Zhou..." Zhu Qing said, giving Zhou Fugui a cold look. "I do not know if your words are true or false, but are your actions worthy of Miss Mei?"
"Ah? What do you mean by that, Commander Zhu?" Zhou Fugui asked, surprised.
"Why did you come to Feilong Mountain?" Zhu Qing asked.
"To seek medical treatment, to save my friend's life," Zhou Fugui replied.
"Hmm, and what happened after you arrived at Feilong Mountain?" Zhu Qing continued to ask.
"A pig, and a large white bear," Zhou Fugui answered again.
Everyone present burst into laughter. Even Yuan Meiyu couldn't help but find it amusing. She turned to look at Zhou Fugui, tears still on her face, like pear blossoms in the rain, making her look pitiful.
"Can General Zhou truly wrestle bears and fight tigers? You almost lost your life to a bear, didn't you?" Zhu Qing asked, shaking his head slightly.
What Zhu Qing said was true, and Zhou Fugui could only nod.
"In your moment of peril, was it Miss Mei who brought people to save you?" Zhu Qing asked again.
Zhou Fugui could only nod again.
The situation was indeed as described. If Yuan Meiyu hadn't arrived, Zhou Fugui would have already become food for the large white bear, and then been excreted as waste, disappearing without a trace...
"A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring! Even crows know to feed their parents, and lambs know to kneel when nursing... " Zhu Qing then looked at Zhou Fugui and said coldly, "Miss Mei is the jewel of our Feilong Mountain. Her beauty and virtue are renowned far and wide. She is fond of you, yet you repeatedly refuse her, causing her to lose face in front of all the guests. Is this how you repay Miss Mei? The fallen flower has intentions, how can the flowing water be heartless? General Zhou, do you know what methods Feilong Mountain uses against ungrateful people?"
"Impale him!"
"Light the sky lantern!"
"Skin him and stuff him with straw!"
"Strip him naked and hang him on a cliff for heaven to destroy him!"
"... "
The bandits of Feilong Mountain, big and small, were instantly enraged upon hearing this. They all shouted loudly. What's more, many bandits rolled up their sleeves, ready to seize Zhou Fugui and show him the might of Feilong Mountain.
Who was Jin Feiyan Yuan Meiyu? In the eyes of all the bandits of Feilong Mountain, she was like a fairy. Many had long harbored lustful desires for Yuan Meiyu, but Yuan Bolong insisted on marrying her to Zhou Fugui. This had already caused widespread envy. Now was the perfect opportunity to capture Zhou Fugui and torment him. If they performed well, perhaps they could win the favor of Miss Mei...
In the midst of winter, cold sweat broke out on Zhou Fugui's forehead. He remained silent, at a loss for words, anxiously contemplating a countermeasure.
Did he not know the saying, "A drop of kindness should be repaid with a gushing spring"? But repaying with a gushing spring did not necessarily mean offering oneself in marriage...
"How can I forget Miss Yuan's kindness in saving me? I dare not forget!" Zhou Fugui slowly said, under the watchful eyes of the bandits. "But I truly do have a family. What can be done?"
After much deliberation, Zhou Fugui decided to use the excuse of already having a family to refuse.
"Hahaha!" Yuan Bolong burst into laughter. "So what if you have a family? We don't mind. Moreover, you can divorce your wife and dismiss your concubines, right? General Zhou..."
"You..." Zhou Fugui was instantly angered by this.
"Someone, play the music and perform the rites! If we delay the auspicious time and offend the Grand Duke Tai Sui, it will be disastrous!" Yuan Bolong then commanded loudly, ignoring Zhou Fugui.
Thus, within Feilong Mountain stronghold, the sounds of suona, gongs, drums, and firecrackers erupted. The guests all offered their congratulations. Seeing that Zhou Fugui had "yielded," the bandits of Feilong Mountain no longer dared to make things difficult for him. Whether it was true or not, they congratulated Zhou Fugui and Yuan Meiyu on their happy union.
"First bow to heaven and earth! Bowing to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, the stone of three lives holds destiny. Second bow to the essence of the sun and moon, without which all things cannot grow. Third bow to spring, summer, autumn, and winter, for timely rain and wind to ensure abundant harvests."
"Second bow to the honored elders. Water has its source, trees have their roots. Children must not forget the kindness of their upbringing. First bow to the parents who gave me my body, second bow to the parents who taught me my heart."
"Husband and wife bow to each other, and are then escorted to the bridal chamber!"
And so, Zhou Fugui was, in a daze, escorted into the bridal chamber...