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71.73% Learning To Live As A Cultivator / Chapter 231: Chapter Thirty One - Just who am I marrying?

Chapter 231: Chapter Thirty One - Just who am I marrying?

Leon couldn't help but be startled and automatically rummaged through his memories trying to figure out what had been said.  Just, while he remembered a lot of things involving Russ, did not mean he recalled everything. Plus it was in the nature of children to make promises all of the time, some were kept, some were forgotten, but seldom were any that serious.  It also didn't help his concentration that Jin Li gripped his waist more tightly, mounted together as they were on the back of Wu Ye.

Russ didn't take it to heart, knowing that Leo had become muddled due to whatever accident had turned some of his hair white and began to remind him.  "Ye said ye would ge' yer education then come back t' the village t' take care of ye granda?"

The alchemist didn't recall, but it did sound like something Leo would have said, so he agreed; "En."

"Then d'ye recall abou' takin' a wife?" Russ asked him.

Both he and his Martial Artist felt rising foreboding in their stomachs, but while one was worrying his past words might upset a certain man holding him, the other was wondering just what sort of stupid promise his small alchemist had made and how much trouble was it going to cause him.   "Ah, n-n-not really," Leon stuttered, nervously.

"It's jus' me sister is of age now," he carried on as if there were not a storm brewing in front of him, "an' it's no' like me da' an' grandma care abou' her marriage, so it's up t' me t' make sure she marries well!  An' we always said wouldnae be great t' be real brothers!"

"D-d-did I... d-did I really pr-pr-promise?" Leon asked him, nervously aware that Jin Li was becoming increasingly irritated. 

"En," Russ grinned, brightly.  "O'course ye didnae have t' marry her now, just ge' engaged an' the formalities can be deal' with when ye comes home for good.  Um, how long is tha' anyway?  Ah, i' don't matter, I guess, she's still fourteen and can hold ou' a few more years..."

"Oh she can, can she," Jin Li snapped in a particularly low, angry voice.  Leon swallowed in an attempt to dampen his suddenly dry throat, while wondering how to get out of the tricky situation and not upset his friend too much.

However, it seemed the fates were a little on his side.  "Russ!" The girl was tanned, the sun having blessed her skin as she foraged and laboured growing vegetables for the family all these years.  Leon didn't have much memory of her, only recalling now that she was often at odds with her older brother over certain things.  Just like at this moment.  "Wha' did I tell ye?! I don' wanna marry ye friend!  He's too weak an' too soft!  Wha' am I gonna do with a man like tha'?"

Jin Li snickered, wickedly and murmured into his ear that he didn't mind him being weak and soft, causing him to blush profusely.  Unfortunately, Russ thought he was embarrassed by his little sister's words.  "Taru, ye cannae day things like tha'!  Leo is educated!  How can he compare t' others?"

"Educated, so wha'?  Can he lift a pig beneath each arm and carry them as far as town?" The girl crossed her arms about her blossoming chest.  Her clothes were too tight, her grandmother too stingy to spare them cloth right now, so she wouldn't get new clothes until the spring and then they would be her older girl cousin's hand-me-downs.  But, Rius was fairly flat up top and the boys in the village were becoming more and more aware that Taru was going to be well endowed.  It was Russ' plan to marry her off to a good man as well so those boys didn't get the wrong idea about his sister!  It was just that their opinion on what was a good man differed greatly.

"Taru, ye will marry Leo!  We already agreed t' it!"

"What nonsense!" Leon groaned as a third voice made itself known.  It was female and came from the entrance of home.  Jin Li rolled his eyes as he leapt from Wu Ye's back, before helping Leon to climb off as well.  Aunt Lessa eyed the large, black beast warily before continuing what she had to say.  "Marriage is in the hands of ones elders.  A marriage between your sister, Russ and my nephew has not the approval of myself, my father nor your elders, so it will not happen."  From his rocking chair, Leonard snorted as he listened to her righteous speech, thinking it was ironic that she attempt to use filial rules now when it suited her.  Like she had cared when he had attempted to intervene in her marital decisions.

"R-R-Russ," Leon said softly, as his eyes noticed that the doors of nearby houses had opened a crack as gossipy neighbours watched and listened to the increasing volume between his friends and family on his doorstep.  "I kn-kn-know you want the b-b-best for your s-sister, b-b-but its n-no g-good.  You sh-should listen t-to her."

"I jus' don' wan' me da t' try sell her for a barrel o' wine!" Russ wailed, unhappily.  "An' I though' ye go' on well with her!"

"B-because she is your s-s-sister," Leon smiled, gently as he let him down.  He really could not remember making such a promise, perhaps he had just agreed as he had heard but not listened to his friend talk, while he was thinking about other things.  Going to school and making his grandfather proud had filled his thoughts a lot in the days after they had learned that the recruitment for the Institute would be occurring in the nearby town that year.  Jin Li squeezed his hand discreetly, before removing the saddle from Wu Ye.  The beast shook its large body before entering the side building closely followed by Li Ming.

"Russ," Taru sighed and placed her hand on her hip, before nearing him to murmur beneath her breath only loud enough that her brother and Leo's family could hear.  "I already know da' will try sell me for a drink, so does ma.  So Bral has already se' a barrel to brew."

"Bral?"

"Yeah," Taru's expression became a little flushed and dreamy as she thought of Bral's strong physique and square jawline. 

"But, isn't Bral a bi'... dim?" Russ questioned worriedly.  The young man was a year or so older than them and also had a deep scar that marred his face from brow to cheek, he was even blind in the effected eye thanks to a wild animal attack when he was a little boy.  If it weren't for that, he might have already been married despite his not so great brain.

"Whose dim, your dim, the whole family is dim!" She spat angrily, defending her man.  He wasn't the most handsome and he wasn't the most smart, but he worked hard and without complaint and was very kind to his mother and gentle when it came to her.  His parents and her mother had already secretly come to an agreement.  The bribe of wine would see her father happily agree to it as well.  She glanced at Leo, who seemed equally as relieved and smiled reassured that she hadn't hurt him because of her stupid brother.  She liked Leo well enough, but he really was weak and wasn't what she wanted in a husband.

"Well, you have your head on straight," Lessa said, in an almost approving manner, though not completely.  She knew of Bral, he was a fool, in her opinion and she thought only another fool would marry him.  This girl was clearly only intelligent enough to realise that she did not match her nephew however and that was enough for her.  "Leo would not be able to marry you even had you not, however.  He is already engaged."

"Wh-What?" Leon immediately questioned.  He had absolutely no knowledge about this and could only look inside the house at his grandfather, just that the old man looked equally as confused and also through out the same question.

"What?"

Lessa's cheeks became a little flushed, but she continued with her plan, completely unashamed by her brazenness.  "It was something that Aleora and I came up with when they were little, him wedding my daughter, Siri, when they are old enough."

"Bullshi'!"  Leonard growled, but Lessa did not backdown from her obviously made up claim. 

"I have the engagement agreement right here!" She lied, wavering around a contract she'd had forged the night before and completed this morning.  True it was her maid that provided the second fingerprint and the witness was her husband's small councillor friend, easily bribed by silver, but it looked authentic enough to be real.

Jin Li sneered and gathered his small alchemist to his chest, the action screaming of ambiguity.  Leon did not squirm in his hold either, placing his hands calmly on his man's arm in reassurance and to clarify his position.  "I'd like to see you try to uphold an engagement when the man is already bound and married.  To me."

Just as everyone else did around him, Leon froze due to the words in Jin Li's statement.  "W-What?"


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Ebonsolaris Ebonsolaris

As ‘perfect’ as I thought I had the storyline, I have noticed a few mistakes when going back and reviewing the early chapters, though nothing unfixable. Just I originally said, for example, that Leo was his grandfather’s only grandchild. Oops! So there will be minor amendments happening!

Chapter 232: Chapter Thirty Two - I’m the person who can walk beside him, always

Leon's gem-like eye's blinked rapidly beneath the crystal lenses that enhanced his vision, unable to stop staring at Jin Li due to the audacious claim made by the man still holding him in his embrace.  Jin Li said he was his husband.  A blush painted his cold cheeks and then his lips formed a slight pout that went unnoticed by most others, but not the one who was most conscious of him.  Since when had he married Jin Li anyway?  Not that he was against it, but it would have been nice to be asked and then there was supposed to be some sort of ceremony wasn't there? 

He wasn't really big on the specifics, not from this life nor the last.  He recalled that in this world, the villagers would put out red banners and dress up and there was a lot of food... his aunt had not invited him to his step-cousins weddings and it had not been appropriate for him to attend weddings for three years after his mother had passed and after that... well his small family unit wasn't close to the few families that held weddings since then and before he left for school and he'd never been that interested about it anyway.

But if it was for him and Jin Li... the heat in his cheeks increased.  Lessa noticed the red colour of his face and began to point her finger accusingly.  "I knew I should have made your mother get rid of you!" She began to scream in disgust.  "Your birth was a mistake, raising you was a mistake, you are just a disgusting creature born to bring your family shame!" 

"Lessa!" Leonard growled even as the sharp sound of steel against leather echoed through the air.  Jin Li had adjusted his hold on his lover, tucking him protectively at his side in order to draw his sword.  He would silence the woman by cutting her vicious tongue from her head!  How dare she insult his man!

"Father!  Has he not destroyed your reputation enough?!" She continued, ignoring the old man's warning tone as he approached the open doorway of his home.  "Why do you insist on keeping him on the family register?"

Leonard glared at her briefly, before turning around, his expression softened and he reached for Leon's hand.  It trembled as it settled upon the old man's rough palm.  Leon admitted to himself that he didn't care what his Aunt thought of him, but he'd rather have his grandfather's blessing.  He loved the old man, it had been them against the world for so long until his accident had broken the bond between them temporarily.  But in that time, he'd met Jin Li and despite the rather rocky beginning of their relationship, their fates had entwined to the point that he could no longer imagine life without him there.  Sure he was moody, his tongue was sharp, his nature flawed with obsession, possession, dishonesty, but he had his good points as well.  Such as now, when he would protect him from his Aunt's poisonous words.  Well, drawing his sword was a tad over the top, but the thought was there.  His spare hand tightened about Jin Li's tunic not willing to give him up.  His heart truly beat for Jin Li.

"Leo, my grandson," Leonard's voice was warm, but gruff.  "Are you happy?"

A smile that could compete with the brilliance of the sun on a summer's day appeared upon Leon's face.  "En."

Leonard patted his hand with affection as he was reminded of his dear departed daughter as he'd asked her if her entanglement with that man had been worth it.  She had smiled the same way, answered the same way, before tickling her one year old child, causing his laughter to fill their humble home.  It hadn't worked out for her and that man, cultivating to immortality had been more important to him than his ordinary daughter who had no chance of doing the same.  Aleora had been prideful and not asked him to change his mind when he had left to continue on his journey.  Instead, more than twenty eight weeks (tendays) later, she had packed up her bags and returned to her roots, with the little life that man had inadvertently left behind.

Ah, he clearly was no good at arranging his descendants marital matters, but he'd known years ago that despite his reputation, none of the families in the village wished to marry a daughter to his stuttering grandson.  Even if Leonard knew the boy would have to rely on his brain to live rather than his body in the future, his speech impediment was considered a worst defect to the narrow minded villagers than say Bral's scar.  At least the scar would not by chance be inherited by the man's offspring.

The old man glanced up at the cold expression upon Jin Li's face and suspected that this reflected the man's true nature, but the Martial Artist seldom had such a look or aura about him when he was with his grandson that he'd seen so far. That in itself spoke volumes.  He sighed inwardly.  He never would have chosen his precious grandson to wed a man, such things were taboo in the lives of most ordinary people, but he'd seen a few things in his time and was well aware that the world of a cultivator was different, even accepting of such things.

"As long as you are happy," Leonard patted his grandson's hand once more, before turning to his daughter, who had an incredulous expression etched upon her face.

"Father, are you mad!?" She cried out.

"Lessa, go home," Leonard told her before reentering his home.

"Father!  How can you allow this?!" She tried to follow him in, only to find the door shut in her face.  She stamped her foot, angrily, feeling somewhat thwarted and unable to vent.  Her eyes slid to the object of her disgust, but she was wary of the sharp weapon in the taller man's hand.  She was unable to tell whether he had skill with it or not, but she was not stupid enough to chance it.  Thus she turned on her heel, shoving Russ' sister out of her path with a hefty push.

"Ole cow!" Taru yelled at her, before tossing her hair and returning home.  If her da knew she were out this close to sunset, he'd likely use it as an excuse to beat her and her ma, calling it 'family rules'.  She couldn't wait to marry out of her gross family!  And as soon as her younger sisters were married out, she planned to help her brother get her ma out of there as well.  They just had to bide their time a few years longer...

"Are ye really married t' him?" Russ' jaw had lost tension completely as things had played out before him.  Ah, he'd just thought to marry Taru out to him sooner rather than later, never thought he'd have his three views blown away in the meantime. 

Leon's eyes wandered up to his man, who nodded curtly an affirmative.  Well, he'd clarify it with him later.  For now, there was no harm in agreeing.  At least this would settle other people's marital ideas for him as well as perhaps stop a whole new batch of butterflies swarming around Jin Li.  He'd already seen spring arrive early in the eyes of a few girls who'd ventured out in the cold for various reasons over the last couple of days and he was certain that he was not the one causing it.  Although Sun may have been responsible for a few... he was wealthy after all.

Inwardly he shrugged before he returned his wandering attention to his old friend.  "En," he finally answered.

"This is not an unusual thing," Jin Li declared, thinking of the few yang couples that had formed in school as well as a yin couple, the latter having thrown several amorous young men through a loop.  Their expressions had been a mix of despair and wonder and remained so for a few days, before they turned their attentions elsewhere.  Of course, he did not mention that he himself had only become aware of the existence of same sex couples in the last few months, not long before becoming a part of one.  "It is more important to find a person that can walk beside you always on the unending journey than worry about whether that person is of Yin or yang."

Russ thought about the meaning of his words for a moment, before letting go of his reservations.  Marrying the right person definitely was preferable than the alternative, just look at his ma's situation!  And if Bral was the right person for Taru, then he should be helping her to marry him rather than wanting Leo to rescue her from the family.

"St-still friends?" Leon asked him, cautiously.

The other boy grinned.  "O'course we are!  Bu' I'm a bi' pissed tha' ye didnae invite me to the weddin'!"

"Ha ha..."


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