Translated by Amaryllideae, edited by Ahzinal (helped SO MUCH on this chapter <3)
Luo Fei was thinking about it while he fixed his lapel, something is wrong. If people see him meeting with Zhang Yangfan on the day of his marriage, then, even if he were to jump into the Yellow River, he would never be able to wash himself clean.
With that in mind, Luo Fei called two times in response after a while. These sounds according to the original soul mean: 'You wait! I will go out soon!'
Of course, he obviously wasn't really going to go out. However if he doesn’t go out, then someone else will go out instead!
After a short time, Luo Yi, puzzled scratched his head and went out.
Zhang Yangfan has always been proud and arrogant, but now, as he is staring at the early sky while hiding like a thief in the corner, he looked nothing like a gentleman. If his father knew about this, he would have scolded that all the books he read went to his stomach. However, his father wasn't here. So Zhang Yangfan waited for a long time and occasionally went to the fence to peek for a short time. He didn't have much hope for anything when he came to ask Luo Fei to come out and see him. So when he heard Luo Fei's response, he was really happy.
Because the Luo house is not far from the mountain, fearing that wolves from the mountain would come down, the height of the fence is quite high. Now, the sky was still not very bright, so Zhang Yangfan was not easy inside. Fortunately, he waited and footsteps finally came over.
Luo Yi listened to Luo Fei, and after he came over, he didn’t even get angry. He just said without much emotion: “Zhang Yangfan, you go back. My second brother said that he doesn't want to see you in the future. You hurt his heart, so he doesn’t want to come out now."
Zhang Yangfan saw Luo Yi and was suddenly anxious: “Sibao, you, you go talk to your second brother. I just want to tell him a few words. Let him come out to meet me, ah?”
Luo Yi cursed Zhang Yangfan thoroughly in his heart, drenching him with dog blood, but the words he said came out as if Luo Yi was embarrassed to say them: “It's impossible. This is my second brother's most happy day. You can't let him be sad again. He said that it's enough that he has jumped into the river for you in this life. His feelings for you are already dead."
[TL/Editor Note: The original text was "罗毅在心里把张扬帆骂得狗血临头" and I was so confused because it would mean something like"dog blood befalls ZYF" but I think the author may have made a typo because the idiomatic phrase is "狗血淋头" with a different third character. (They both have the same pronunciation though) Ahzinal did some research and figured out that it was more like "spraying dog blood" on someone. It originates from some ancient superstitions that spraying dog blood onto someone's head could dispel his/her black magic. It has been, and still is commonly used metaphorically to mean 'to curse/scold/yell at someone thoroughly'. ]
Luo Fei took a basket full of of dirt and grass and got closer to eavesdrop. Hearing this phrase, he couldn't help but give his younger brother a big thumbs up thinking in his heart that he was quite reliable this time!
Zhang Yangfan, listening to Luo Yi's words, felt agitated in his heart. His desire to see Luo Fei grew more and more. He kept talking with Luo Yi: "Sibao, just help YangFan-ge once. In the future, when Yangfan-ge has success, I will definitely not forget you!”
Your character is terrible like your grandmother's legs! Shameless! Luo Yi said: “Not possible! I have to go back to the house. You should also go back, my brother said, he will pretend that he has never known you in this life.”
[T/N: About the grandma legs… weird insult that I don't know what a suitable equivalent would be in English. I think because family is such an important part of Chinese culture, insults targeting family members are quite popular to use lol.]
[Editor: lol indeed. Love the stories behind chinese idioms though.]
After he finished saying that, Luo Yi did not wait for Zhang Yangfan to say anything else and ran back. Here, Luo Fei, who was hiding, bent at the waist like a cat, suddenly got up and found the opportunity to throw a clump of grass and dirt on Zhang Yangfan across the fence! After he finished, he also ran away!
[Editor: xDDD our MC is so pity I love it ❤ What streets were he born in? Wasn’t he the grandson of a famous folk artist? no ounce of grace on him lmao]
[T/N: Lololol our LF is spiteful, he grew up in single parent home! Must know how to stand up for himself… except when against Luo Tian ahahaha]
“Who?! Who did this?! Cough, cough, cough! vomit…” Zhang Yangfan cursed, fearing that he was discovered by someone else, his face went red and dark.
[T/N: I think dark meaning angry/gloomy Editor: I think red is for shame and embarrassment also]
Luo Yi went back to the courtyard and saw his second brother coming back from the back of the vegetable garden. He frowned and looked at Luo Fei with a disapproving look: “Second brother, why did you have me tell Zhang Yangfan those things. Also, what were you doing coming from there? Tell me, are you still thinking about him?!”
“Only a dog would be thinking about him!” Luo Fei swatted the back of his brother’s head. “I went to sprinkle some dirt on him, and let him have a stroke of bad luck! Also, what I let you say to him was to leave some remembrance of me. So this way, it is impossible for him and that Jiang Bailian to have peaceful days. It's just to let the two dogs bite each other. That kind of person… Forget it. Even if I say more, you wouldn't understand." With half a foot in the entertainment circle, he has seen and done a lot. To know how to cause those two people to have conflict, he has his ways.
[T/N: About "Jiang Bailian", Bailian means "white lotus" (he’s calling JBN Jiang White Lotus lol) so those of you who are familiar with danmei should be aware of the notoriety of white lotuses… If not, here's a forum thread to explain: It's basically a Mary Sue if we were to find the equivalent in Western literature I guess? But just pure and innocent x100. It's mainly used as an insult, not a compliment, so LF is just mocking JBN again lol]
“Who is Jiang Bailian?”
“It is just Jiang Baining. You rest assured that anyway, this second brother is absolutely not thinking about that surname Zhang. Whoever is thinking about him, let the heavens strike them with lightning!”
“That's more like it. Hurry up now, the water has already been prepared for you!” Luo Yi said, “Xi-ge brought his bathtub here just for you saying that you'd definitely like it.”
“Really?” He could take another hot water bath. Luo Fei became spirited in an instant. “You were so fast at getting the water.”
“Who said it was me? The water was also heated by Xi Ge. Before you even woke up, he was here to bring the bathtub. When you went to the outhouse, he was here with Mom heating water." Luo Yi feels that his second brother is too outrageous.
[Editor: I know LY. Your brother captured a loyal prince tbh. I’m Jelly lol.]
[T/N: TT^TT sameeeeeeeeeeeeeee who cares that he'll reveal his true black belly-ness soon anyway :P]
“Where is he?”
“He's in the house, but you can’t see him. I’ll go take a look first!” Luo Yi ran into the house and came out in a moment: “He left. Mother said that he still has some stuff to do at home saying that he was here just to send the tub for you to use. Xi Ge also put some grapefruit skin in the water to soak.” Luo Yi is almost envious to death, having a hot bath is already not easy enough, but now grapefruit fragrance water! How comfortable would it feel after washing?
[Editor: T.T I’m a single poor dog too. Never in my life have I bathed in fragranced water. I’m gonna add this to my bucket list.]
Luo Fei went in and saw it. The water was very warm in the tub with a light touch of grapefruit aroma. He slowly undressed and sat in it, soaking inside for a while.
He always felt that… Xi Yanqing treated him really, almost too well? He gave him money without any questions, he always prepared him warm baths, he was even afraid that he would be snatched by a bad person so he smudged his face, and he also sent so many bride gifts to his home. In fact, it is completely reasonable to not send so much. To put it bluntly, his reputation was not very good now. Even if he gave a normal amount, the Luo family would not say anything. But he bought so much, especially the pork, he bought six pieces, as if he was afraid that he (LF) was not eating well. If he wasn't thinking about him, how good would it be to just save the money and buy food for himself?
But why? Unless Xi Yanqing likes him? But the like couldn't be so sudden, and there was no sign of it before they transmigrated.
Right! He guarded his head! When the bus fell off the cliff In such a crisis! Maybe it was not an illusion?
When Luo Fei was washing and washing, he was absent-minded, so the water got cold but he did not notice.
Fortunately, he was not in a hurry, but there was someone in a hurry outside.
“Erbao, are you done?” If he was a girl, Li Yuehua would have come in and helped wash. But he was a son, although she was his mother, it was not convenient.
“Okay, okay!” Luo Fei hurriedly wiped his hair and changed into new clothes first. He was afraid of getting his wedding clothes dirty, so he didn’t dare to put it on right away.
Long hair is not good for this reason, it dries very slowly. Luo Fei waited for it to dry for about an hour, and it was still the result of baking next to the heater.
Li Yuehua saw Luo Fei was about finished washing, so she brought a person to come in. This person Luo Fei has only seen in his memory. He is also a ger in Huaping Village. He is in his thirties this year. This person is not originally of the village, but is married over from another village. However, these years in Huaping Village have also been good. They had sons and daughters, and the relationship between the two husbands is also very good. Everyone called him Li-shu, because this person is called Yueli.
“Let your Li-shu comb your hair, sit obediently.” Li Yuehua said, “I am bothering you, younger brother Xiaoyue.”
[T/N: Combing hair is another part of the marriage rituals!]
“Sao-zi is so polite.” Yueli is not particularly good-looking, but will give people a very comfortable feeling like a spring wind. Especially when he laughed like a big brother from next door, he was very gentle, “Erbao really grew into something, Li-shu has never seen such a good-looking child.”
“Li-shu aren't you too good at complimenting others?” Luo Fei beamed. “I have also never seen someone like you, who with one look, anyone can tell you live a happy and fulfilling life."
“If I didn't live a happy life, how could I dare come over to comb your hair?” Yue Li took the comb. “Shu-shu will comb your hair, even if there is an issue you can't interrupt, all right?”
[T/N: So the pinyin for uncle is "shu" but "shu" written as a different character also means to comb hair and the author typed "Uncle will uncle your hair" lol I don't know if that was a typo or an intentional pun]
“Know it.” Luo Fei sat properly.
“Your hair is really so black and shiny.” Yueli gently passed the wooden comb through Luo Fei's hair. “One comb is combed to the beginning, need not worry about riches; second comb combed to the beginning, no worries or illnesses; third comb combed to beginning, to have many sons and daughters. The fourth comb combed to the end, for mutual respect in marriage; the fifth comb is combed to the end, together fly as a pair in union; the sixth comb is combed to the end, and the knots will always be together. Combed through the beginning and the end. Each year for honor and riches… All right, I am going outside to wait for you, put on your wedding clothes, and I will help you put in hairpins.”
[T/N: Ahhhhh man I tried really hard to make the English sound ritualistic like how the Chinese does, but the Chinese rhymes by using 4 word phrases that mean longer things in English and so I didn't want to lose the meaning ugh but this is such a bad translation D; I wish you guys could understand/hear this part in Chinese, it's almost like a nursery rhyme but for a wedding blessing I guess lol. The ritual is an actual thing, I will put links below~ The words of the ritual seem to vary a lot as the author put 6 combings, others have 3 or 4, and the words are changed in some of them.]
Luo Fei knows that after combing the hair they just had to add a hairpin. He didn't need to plait and wrap his hair around like the girls, still in the range that he can accept.
Luo Fei quickly changed his clothes and took a few looks in the mirror. Just to say, this body's condition is really unique. It was such a dry season yet his skin still retained tenderness and moisture, that was quite rare.
In a short while Luo Ru came in with Yue Li, and Luo Ru had some makeup in her hands: “Second brother, come, draw some eyebrows, paint on some rouge!”
Luo Fei was scared and quickly stopped Luo Ru’s hand: "Don't don't don't! I don’t like this, you keep it!”
Yue Li also laughed and said: “I also feel that this is fine. But perhaps you should put a small dot of rouge in between your eyebrows? It will look more festive, or else it will be too plain.”
Luo Fei didn’t want to dot anything, but he couldn’t persuade the circle of people around him, so finally, he made a small dot between his eyebrows. It was just a small red dot, when he was dotting it on, it didn't feel any different, but after the dot was finished, the whole person's temperament became more vivid. It turned out that after the bath, Luo Fei looked particularly pure and spirited, but now with the extra dot of color he became more charming. It could really take away the soul of a human being.
Not even just Zhang Yangfan and Xi Yanqing, if anyone sees him, they wouldn't be able to help but take another look.
“Second brother, second brother. You want for all the girls in other families to have no way to live!” Luo Ru walked around Luo Fei for two laps. "So beautiful! It looks too good!”
[T/N: Luo Ru is basically saying that LF is more beautiful than any of the other girls in the village.]
Notes: A ravishing Luo Fei? Incoming vinegar jar XYQ!