Someone was getting married. The wedding procession stirred up the entire capital, with the lively beat of drums and gongs filling the air, accompanied by an air of festivity and a grand pink bridal sedan chair. The procession swaggered its way to the entrance of Diexiang Courtyard.

  Xu Mama had deliberately donned a bright red mandarin jacket over her yellow gold-threaded long robe. Her face was yered with an even thicker application of rouge and powder than usual, as if she were the true star of the day.

  Amid the lively commotion, Xiao Xiang was carried out of Diexiang Courtyard by the matchmaker. Her phoenix coronet and ceremonial red gown accentuated her already graceful figure, making her even more stunning and alluring.

  The matchmaker stepped over a copper basin filled with burning scraps of paper, while Xu Mama stood nearby, muttering, “Once you leave, don’t look back. Only then can you truly reform and become a virtuous wife of a respectable family.”

  Xiao Xiang nodded faintly. Today was supposed to be her happiest day, and yet she couldn’t hold back her tears. They weren’t rge tears, just enough to fall and nd on the edge of the sedan chair.

  The sedan was painted a brilliant red, its brilliance almost blinding. As the bridal curtain was gently lifted by one of the wedding escorts, the matchmaker skillfully carried Xiao Xiang and carefully pced her inside.

  The wedding procession weaved through the bustling streets and alleys. Even the guards stationed at the prison couldn't resist the excitement and came forward for a glimpse.

  At that moment, a foul-smelling basin of water came crashing down from above, nding squarely on the group of guards. Stinking and soaked in filthy water, everyone froze in shock. Even the wedding procession came to an abrupt halt, and the surroundings suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

  “Which bastard did this?!” One of the guards finally broke the silence with a loud curse, followed by a chorus of angry shouts. Everyone's gaze turned upward.

  Ear Duo stood on the 2nd floor of the tavern with a mischievous grin, looking down at the guards below. "Officer, my apologies! I originally meant to spsh that sedan chair but missed my aim and accidentally got you instead. Truly sorry! Oh, and that was my foot-washing water."

  The crowd immediately erupted into uncontrolble ughter. What had already been a lively scene now descended into chaos. The guards’ faces darkened to the extreme—it was btant provocation! Without hesitation, they stormed toward the 2nd floor of the tavern, taking the stairs two or three at a time.

  Meanwhile, the wedding procession resumed its festive rhythm. The gongs and drums started up again as the four sedan bearers, frowning, hoisted the bridal chair and continued forward along the pnned route.

  Mo Bai stood straight in his clean new groom's attire in front of the tea stall, a broad smile on his face. Today was his big day, and he was naturally delighted. The simple tea stall was already draped with bright red silk, but Mo Bai felt it wasn't festive enough, so he had piles of wedding candy pced around—not for people to eat, but to scatter on the ground for others to step on. He enjoyed the feeling of stepping on them.

  Finally, the sedan chair appeared in his sight. Mo Bai hurriedly adjusted his clothes, especially the bright red flower on his chest, which looked particurly sharp and vibrant.

  The sedan came to a stop. Mo Bai took the tea money he had earned with great effort and handed it as a tip to the people who had tirelessly beaten the drums and carried the sedan. The people, understanding his gesture, offered their congratutions and quickly disappeared without a trace.

  Mo Bai cleared his throat, feeling somewhat nervous, and pulled back the sedan curtain.

  "Should I just stand here?" Xiao Xiang gently asked, her voice melodious and tender.

  Mo Bai felt his body grow light and almost weightless. He quickly grabbed a sturdy-looking stool and pced it behind Xiao Xiang, wiping it with his sleeve before saying, "You... please sit."

  Xiao Xiang let out a soft giggle. She found Mo Bai to be quite an interesting person. With a graceful movement, she sat on the stool, while Mo Bai obediently stood by her side, not daring to make a move.

  "Are you really going to let your bride sit there like that, looking so foolish?" Lao Fu finally couldn't hold back and crawled out of the sedan.

  Mo Bai shot Lao Fu a gre, signaling him to mind his own business. Lao Fu let out a few forced ughs, but Xiao Xiang, ever gracious, spoke up, "Since I′ve agreed to marry Mo Bai, I am now his. Whatever he wishes, I will follow."

  Mo Bai scratched his ear, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's my first time, so I don't really know what I should be doing."

  Lao Fu couldn’t hold back anymore. He ughed so hard that he nearly bent over with amusement. He had never expected Mo Bai to be so shy.

  Xiao Xiang reached up and removed her bridal veil herself. Mo Bai was stunned, for he had never seen her before. She was even more beautiful than he had imagined—her clear, radiant face, sharp, defined features, a true beauty.

  Lao Fu was also taken aback, because the Xiao Xiang before him seemed like an entirely different person from the one he had seen at Diexiang Courtyard. The woman he had seen earlier had been heavily made up and flirtatious, but the woman before him now was softly dressed with light makeup, natural and graceful. The former was coquettish and affected, while the one before him was gentle and refined—a seductive temptress on the ground, a celestial Xian Zi in the sky. Lao Fu couldn't help but ment how blind he had been.

  "Master, good day!" Ear Duo, who had somehow appeared, was now squatting to the side.

  Lao Fu looked at Ear Duo, feeling a deep sense of gratitude. If it weren't for him, he would never have escaped that pce, a pce where no human should ever be. Suddenly, he found himself yearning for that food box, especially when he saw his leather pouch and the rge silver scissors, which now seemed even more endearing. He vividly remembered that inside the pouch, besides the phoenix-tail needles he cherished, there was also a piece of paper—one with messy, scrawled writing.

  April 12th, wedding procession before the prison; entering the sedan. The meal contained pickled vegetables.

  Lao Fu recognized that it was Xu Mama's handwriting. He had never imagined that although Xue Qiuqiu had died, it was her pickled vegetables that had saved him, which was why he now stood safely in front of them. As for Zhang Bensan, Lao Fu pnned to secretly make him a phoenix-tail robe as a form of compensation.

  "Fu Zhuo and Chu Mengjun are dead. When they died, they were wearing the newly made robes." This was the st thing Ear Duo had said to Lao Fu that day.