At the renowned Pin Ye Restaurant, where the rich and the common folk dine in harmony yet distinctly, a group of four men sat near the street on the upper floor, leisurely enjoying their snacks and tea.
“Bie Ye, are you sure you’ll go to the Yan family tomorrow to marry that motionless bride?” Bu Yuchen asked.
“Yes, I’m sure! And I’ll be on time at the Yan’s doorstep tomorrow,” Shang Bieye replied without hesitation.
“Why is she called the motionless bride? And what’s the deal with your marriage contract?” Wu Yangfeng inquired.
“Yangfeng, you’ve been away for a while, so you might not know. She’s called the motionless bride because since her birth, she neither cries, laughs, nor calls out, like a living dead person. Even now at sixteen, she still doesn’t move, and now she’s to be married, people outside call her the motionless bride,” Shang Liqian explained to Wu Yangfeng on behalf of Shang Bieye.
“As for this marriage, it was only recently that my father mentioned it. Originally, the Shang and Yan families were old friends, and there was an unspoken promise made before my brother was even born. The first child of each direct line would be sworn siblings if of the same sex, or married if opposite. But for many generations, there was no marriage until ours.” Shang Liqian took a breath, drank some tea, and continued, “We had all forgotten about it, but then the Yan family sent a letter saying their daughter was of age, and it was time to fulfill the marriage contract. That’s when my father remembered, so my brother got this motionless bride, and I got a motionless sister-in-law.”
“I see,” Wu Yangfeng nodded in understanding.
“Don’t you regret it? Are you willing to give up Tian Yi from Zhiyu Courtyard?” Bu Yuchen feigned regret, shaking his head at Shang Bieye.
“Yuchen, you know what’s in my brother’s mind, don’t you?” Shang Liqian teased.
Bu Yuchen laughed loudly, “Of course, I know what he’s thinking. But with your mother’s nature, she’ll definitely find a concubine for him, otherwise, the Shang family would have no descendants.”
