Chapter 638: Peach Blossoms Bloom Brightly
After walking for two days through the mountains, the two finally emerged from the endless range.
As the forest in their view gradually thinned out, the expansive rice fields and wilderness at the foot of the mountain came into sight.
Those rice fields were like enormous squares, neatly arranged in various sizes. In the misty dawn, they reflected colors of varying shades, some green, some orange, and others blue.
Scattered human figures could be seen around the fields; some carried baskets, while others led oxen. The occasional long call echoed in the valley and wilderness.
Looking at the scenery of the valley, this young lady felt a sense of peace and tranquility.
Following the uncle ahead into this dusky world shrouded in light mist, she walked along a path through the fields. The morning dew slightly wet her ankles. The clear waves in the rice fields reflected the clean sky and her own fair and graceful figure.
When they got closer to the village, a flute-like sound came from one side of the road, clear and bright, simple yet joyful.
Glancing over, a group of people dressed in bright clothing was approaching, seemingly a wedding procession. Leading them was a young man in white with red edges riding a large horse, looking back almost every three steps to check on the flower carriage being carried by the crowd behind him.
On both sides of the carriage, there were people playing mountain bamboo flutes. There were about seven or eight of them. After each short tune, someone else would sing a few lines of a unique mountain melody.
Though the young lady couldn’t understand the specific meanings of the mountain songs, she could tell from the crowd following the carriage and the groom’s face that it was meant to convey congratulations and joy.
A little while later, the procession reached the two of them, and it happened to be a crossroads.
Seeing that the group was quite large, the young lady stepped back a few steps, hiding behind Bai Chou, and quietly watched them.
“Come on~”
“Just here~”
The groom, amidst the cheers and encouragement from the wedding party, laughed as he dismounted, responded a few words, then approached the door of the carriage.
Curious about what they were doing, the young lady watched as the curtain of the carriage was lifted, revealing a girl in colorful attire blushing as she appeared before everyone.
This newlywed woman had her black hair braided and coiled around a headpiece shaped like tiles. The woven headpiece was a vibrant red with a fluffy white circle around it, forming a crescent moon shape, and several long white tassels hung down on either side, swaying in the wind.
Amidst the cheers and laughter, the groom picked up the bride and carried her to an open space in front of him. There were two stacks of boxes set up, which were part of the dowry that followed the procession. The boxes were painted with a smooth, shiny finish, indicating good quality.
Thus, the groom carried the bride between the two stacks of boxes, circling a few times, as the wedding party cheered. Then, amidst laughter, he returned the bride to the carriage.
The procession continued forward, and the music that had paused resumed again.
As they approached, the young lady finally saw the instruments being played. They looked like several long tubes inserted horizontally into a gourd, and the musicians blew into the gourd’s mouth while pressing keys at the bottom of the tubes, producing varied and clear sounds.
“These are the Ye Yu clan. It seems they’re having a wedding today,” Bai Chou explained briefly to the young lady.
“Mm, I see.” The young lady nodded slightly. At this moment, a few people from the rear of the procession also came over.
“You two must be guests from afar,” they said, bowing with clasped hands.
“Yes, we apologize for any inconvenience,” Bai Chou replied politely, while the young lady, unsure of etiquette, blinked and hid behind him.
They weren’t annoyed by this; perhaps they understood that the young lady was shy. They chuckled and gestured for the ox cart to stop.
“Please, you two must be thirsty after your journey. Here’s some tea, a token of our hospitality.”
They opened one of the jars and tilted it slightly, pouring the clear tea into a dark red square bowl. Then, they brought the two bowls over.
Both had been walking for a long time and had only occasionally found spring water to drink, so they were indeed quite thirsty.
Bai Chou thanked them and took one bowl, turning to ask the young lady if she wanted some.
The young lady looked at the clear tea, which had a few peach blossoms and leaves floating in it.
“Thank you.” She extended her hands to take the wooden square bowl.
The tea was like fresh mountain spring water, neither too cold nor too hot, sliding down her throat comfortably with a slight sweetness. After drinking the tea, much of her fatigue dissipated.
[Peach Blossom Tea] (Common Wooden Level, Excellent): Made from peach blossoms soaked in extraordinary energy, dried, and brewed with tea leaves, it has a mild effect of refreshing and cooling.
“Common Wooden Level,” the young lady looked at the description on the virtual screen, recalling the strange system’s ratings for items.
The lowest level was Common Wooden, followed by Black Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, then Pearl, Coral, Crystal, and finally Epic and Mythic.
Seeing that the young lady had finished her tea, the wedding party smiled and took the empty wooden bowls, bid farewell simply, then urged the ox cart to follow the procession ahead.
“The Ye Yu clan is very hospitable and often serves their own brewed mountain flower tea to guests, which is refreshingly cool.”
After standing by the roadside for a while, Bai Chou said, “Why don’t we stay in this village tonight? We need to prepare some things for the journey.”
“Okay,” the young lady agreed. They had been camping in the mountains for several days and really needed rest. Besides, she wanted a bath.
“Hehe, let’s go. Maybe we can enjoy a wedding feast,” Bai Chou said, adjusting the meat on his shoulder and setting off again.
Following the path taken by the wedding procession, they slowly caught up and entered the village ahead.
Outside the village, there was a low stone wall, and lively voices could be heard inside.
Upon seeing the two approach, they were asked a few questions and then allowed to pass, with a young man leading them to sit at a table in a corner of the courtyard.
This table was relatively quiet, which was the young lady’s request.
“Please sit here for a while. The wedding feast will be served shortly,” the young man said warmly, not minding that they were outsiders.
“Thank you, young man,” Bai Chou bowed slightly in gratitude.
Once the young man left, the young lady asked curiously.
“Do all members of the Ye Yu clan treat guests so well?”
“Haha, most do,” Bai Chou replied, sharing what he had heard.
“Because this place is deep in Min Ze, entering requires passing through areas filled with poisonous insects and swamps, making it difficult. Thus, outsiders are rare.”
“The Ye Yu clan sometimes need external goods, such as salt and iron, so they welcome merchants from outside. Even if they don’t buy anything, hearing news from the outside world is still enjoyable.”
“According to what the old teacher from the Sky-Cutting Dao said, in ancient times, this place was part of the Xin Country. At that time, the country’s ruler performed a grand ritual to pray to the heavens, pacify the toxic swamps, and unite the tribes in the mountains.”
“However, after the Xin Country collapsed, the dragon veins were no longer worshipped and guided, causing the continuous toxic swamps to recover. As a result, the tribes in these deep mountains became isolated from the outside world, making travel difficult.”
Listening to these ancient stories passed down through generations, the young lady imagined the tumultuous past, when the seas changed and the earth moved. The other guests at the same table, seeing this beauty with a face that could topple cities, were momentarily enchanted.
In white robes and rosy cheeks, she resembled the blooming peach blossoms in the mountains, burning brightly, leaving one unable to forget.
(End of Chapter)
