In the end, Han Li still walked into the village, step by step.
The moment he stepped into the entrance, he heard the joyful sounds of musical instruments. As he followed the small path through the village, he didn't see a single villager.
Han Li's heart stirred. This scene and these sounds were the most familiar things from his childhood. This was clearly a wedding celebration for some family, and all the villagers had gone to join the festivities or the crowd.
Han Li gathered his senses and slowly extended his spiritual sense. He discovered that all the old and young in the village were indeed gathered in one spot. But the location they had gathered was so familiar to Han Li... wasn't that where his own home was?
Han Li was greatly surprised.
"Could it be...?" Han Li vaguely guessed something.
He quickened his pace, swiftly circumventing several houses and turning a few corners. His vision suddenly opened up.
He saw several hundred villagers surrounding a dirt courtyard.
Inside the courtyard were several tiled houses that looked much better than the surrounding structures. On the courtyard gate and the doors of the tiled houses, on both sides, were pasted large "double happiness" characters. At the gate, a small troupe of musicians was playing loudly, the atmosphere bustling and lively.
The villagers stood, squatted, and some even shamelessly sat on the ground. In groups of three or five, some whispered amongst themselves, some shouted in arguments over something, while others kept peering into the courtyard with envious looks.
Nearby the villagers were many children, playing and chasing each other around the adults.
Seeing this familiar scene, Han Li felt a momentary daze. It was as if in that instant, he had returned to the past, transformed once more into one of those children, running and playing alongside them.
"Tsk, tsk! The fourth daughter of the Han family is truly blessed. I heard the groom is a scholar from the city—that's a scholarly family with great learning!"
"Isn't that so? She's becoming his principal wife. In one step, she'll be a scholar's lady of status!"
"I heard the dowry the Han family sent along is frighteningly large—dozens of taels of silver!"
"They really have money!"
…………
The clamorous gossip of the village women snapped Han Li from his trance.
"The fourth daughter of the Han family... isn't that my little sister? Could it really be the day my little sister leaves her home?" A wave of indescribable emotions surged within Han Li, churning endlessly.
Driven by some unknown impulse, Han Li quickly hid behind a nearby large tree, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the courtyard gate.
Suddenly, a loud shout came from the distance: "The carriage is here! The groom is here to pick up the bride!"
Hearing this, the villagers stirred! In an instant, the noise of the crowd became a roar!
"The bride is coming out!"
"The new wife is about to appear! Come look, quick!"