Shen Weixun suddenly opened his eyes. The furnishings around him had all changed. The dusty tables, chairs, and beds were all brand - new, clean, and tidy. With a swift movement, Shen Weixun got up from the bed. He nudged the two people still sleeping beside him to wake them up.
"Um? Is it dawn?" Meng Xiaoming opened his eyes bleary - eyed, not noticing the change in the surrounding environment, and asked groggily.
"What? Let me sleep a little... longer?! What's going on?"
Nian Nian rubbed her eyes and asked in surprise.
"It became like this when it dawned."
Shen Weixun sighed, his tone full of helplessness.
Before the three of them could figure it out,
there came a knocking sound from outside. The wooden door was knocked loudly. Shen Weixun got up and carefully opened a crack in the wooden door.
"Uncle Qian, why did you just get up? The banquet is about to start. The bride is already here. My mother told you to hurry up. Otherwise, you'll miss the start of the banquet."
A little boy in a red cloth suit at the door said to Shen Weixun.
"Banquet?"
Shen Weixun simply ignored the way the boy addressed him.
It was quite absurd. He was only in his teens but was being called "uncle".
"Yes. My mother said that the daughter - in - law the village head's son is marrying this time is very beautiful." The little boy said excitedly.
"Okay, uncle will go later."
The little boy's familiar attitude made Shen Weixun have a guess. He casually responded and decided to play it by ear.
Hearing Shen Weixun's answer, the little boy said "Okay" and skipped away from the door.
Before closing the door again, Shen Weixun took a special look at the surrounding environment. Sure enough, not only had the furnishings inside the room changed, but the outside environment had also changed from yellow and withered to lush and green.
"Third Senior Brother, what's going on?"
Nian Nian was still a bit dazed and asked with half - closed eyes.
"We may have been trapped in some kind of illusion."
Shen Weixun thought for a while and came to this conclusion.
"Illusion? Is there such a strong magnetic field here?"
Nian Nian found it unbelievable. People of their level of cultivation like her and Shen Weixun shouldn't be unknowingly brought into an illusion without any awareness.
"Just now, a little boy outside asked us to attend the village head's wedding and called me uncle. I guess this illusion has a fixed plot. We've also been regarded as part of the illusion and assigned roles."
Shen Weixun lay back on the bed again, crossing his legs.
"Shall we go?"
Meng Xiaoming asked, waiting for Shen Weixun to make a decision.
He had always been indecisive, and among them, Shen Weixun seemed to be the most reliable.
"Go. If we don't go, we'll be trapped in the illusion forever. Pack up and let's go to see what's going on."
The three of them simply packed up and went out.
Finally, they saw the whole picture of the illusion.
There were dense forests, clear mountains, and green waters. The warm sun shone on their faces. At the door, a group of people were lined up, beating gongs and drums. In the middle of the procession, a sedan chair was being carried by eight people. Everyone had a happy smile on their faces, and children were running around the wedding parade.
"Aunt Qian, Aunt Qian, do you have any candies?"
The little boy who had just delivered the message to Shen Weixun ran up to Nian Nian and stretched out his hand.
Nian Nian looked at Shen Weixun and Meng Xiaoming on either side, then pointed at her own nose in confusion and said, "Ah? Me? Aunt Qian?"
"Aunt Qian! I want candies!"
The little boy seemed not to notice anything wrong with the person in front of him and tugged at Nian Nian's sleeve, acting coquettishly.
Shen Weixun raised his eyebrows, shrugged, and gave Nian Nian a helpless look. It was really strange for a girl of the same age as a six - year - old to be called "aunt".
Nian Nian felt extremely uncomfortable.
"I don't have any."
Nian Nian remembered what Third Senior Brother had said, that they had all been assigned roles. Although she felt awkward, she didn't refute loudly. She just spread out her hands and replied to the little boy.
The little boy looked at Nian Nian disappointedly, with a somewhat resentful look in his eyes.
Being looked at like this by a little boy of the same age who called her "aunt", Nian Nian inexplicably felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. She quickly grabbed Third Senior Brother and walked towards the wedding parade.
Meng Xiaoming limped and struggled to keep up with their pace.
The wedding parade walked from the village entrance to the village committee, circled twice, and then entered a large courtyard. The courtyard was filled with round tables and was full of guests. As soon as the three of them stepped into the courtyard, a middle - aged woman with a red flower on her head came to greet them.
"Oh, why did you just come? Hurry up and take your seats. We've been waiting for you. Just find a place to sit. The banquet will start soon." The middle - aged woman shouted in a loud voice and pulled Nian Nian.
"Ah, okay. We'll take our seats now."
Nian Nian was completely confused and didn't know how to respond. She stood there awkwardly. Shen Weixun smiled and continued according to the woman's words.
"Go, go. Eat and drink well." The woman waved the red handkerchief in her hand.
Shen Weixun nodded, pulled Nian Nian and Meng Xiaoming, and found a round table with the fewest people to sit down. The women sitting on either side were chattering away. Shen Weixun leaned over and listened carefully, hoping to find some valuable information from their conversation.
"Let me tell you. I heard that the daughter - in - law Liu Gui is marrying this time is very beautiful. Look at her figure, her hips. She looks like someone who can give birth to a son."
"Really? How much did that cost?"
"Surely not cheap. I heard that the bride is a college student from outside."
"Oh, that's amazing."
"Right? My husband has saved a lot of money in the past few years. When Gou Dan grows up a bit, I'll also find a college - student daughter - in - law for him."
The conversation of the women sounded extremely strange. Human trafficking?
Did the money they were talking about refer to the betrothal gifts or the dirty money from the sale?
"The bride is here!"
Just as Shen Weixun was about to talk to the woman beside him, the procession sending the bride entered the courtyard. The bride was tied up with hemp ropes all over her body. Two men dragged her out of the sedan chair. A red veil covered her face, so her expression couldn't be seen. Even so, her sobbing cries could still be heard.
"Tsk tsk. A girl from the city is no good. She has to be tied up. It's still better to have an uneducated one. Beat her a few times and she'll be obedient."
"Whether she's from the city or the village, after she gives birth to a child, she'll have to stay here obediently."
The conversation of the women beside them was chilling. None of the guests present showed any emotion other than joy. The bride twisted her body, trying to break free from the restraints. The groom, wearing wedding clothes, walked out of the main hall. He walked up to the bride and stuffed the red silk satin in his hand into the ropes binding the bride. Then the bride was forced into the main hall.
The big red wedding character pasted in the middle of the main hall looked extremely ironic.
"First, bow to Heaven and Earth!"
The bride was forced to bend down by the strong men beside her.
"Second, bow to the elders!"
Someone kicked the bride's knees hard, and she knelt on the ground.
"Third, bow to each other!"
The bride trembled and completed this wedding ceremony she was unwilling to participate in.
"Escort the bride to the bridal chamber!"
After the ceremony was completed, the villagers cheered and escorted the bride into the room. The groom's parents nodded in satisfaction and drank the tea offered by their son. Then they loudly announced the start of the banquet.