Chapter 8

Su Hui and Liu Changsheng walked downstairs, where Liu Yiqiang and Liu Meijuan were already waiting in front of the ancestral tablets.

Meijuan was also holding Yiqiang's clothes and pants, and Yiqiang was holding the same little bamboo basket, which also contained a set of red clothes and pants.

When Yiqiang saw Su Hui, his expression turned awkward. So many things had happened so suddenly today. Ever since his parents had proposed either borrowing seed or borrowing a womb, months had passed. He had imagined countless times what Su Hui would look like beneath another man, and of course he had also fantasized about himself rolling around in bed with other women, using every trick in the book.

But he had never expected the result to be this father-son marriage swap.

Yiqiang knew Su Hui had also thought of many ways and many excuses to avoid borrowing seed, but...

The voice Su Hui had just made from outside the window seemed almost like she was calling his father's name. The ritual had reached this final step, and they were about to change how they addressed each other. On the mother's panties in the bamboo basket in his hands, his semen had already been checked by Second Granduncle and shown to everyone present.

Yiqiang very much wanted to throw down the bamboo basket in his hands, but if he did, he and his father, his whole family, would become the laughingstock of the whole village. Not only that, his mother and Su Hui would also be branded as incestuous sluts from then on. If that happened, how could parents who cared so much about face ever live in the village with their heads held high?

Yiqiang especially regretted not firmly opposing it when Fourth Aunt brought up swapping marriages with his father. But back then, looking at his mother, he had even entertained such thoughts. Sigh... When he stripped his mother naked tonight, he had also been excited. That feeling... how should he put it? It was just like when he was eighteen and first slept with Fourth Aunt. Yiqiang could swear to heaven that in that moment he had not looked at the woman on the bed as his mother or as an elder. In that moment, all he saw was a woman, his woman.

Seeing Liu Yiqiang and Liu Meijuan standing respectfully in front of the altar, Su Hui couldn't help asking, "Why are you being so serious?"

"They're waiting for us," Liu Changsheng said.

"Waiting for us? What for?"

"They're juniors. Only after we burn incense can they burn incense."

"Oh."

"Come with me." Liu Changsheng took Su Hui by the hand and led her to his Second Uncle. "Call him Second Uncle."

"Second Uncle." The solemn atmosphere in the room made Su Hui too nervous to act up at all, so she obediently called out to the man she had once called Second Granduncle.

"Second Uncle, please inspect it," Liu Changsheng said, handing over the bamboo basket. Second Uncle looked sternly at the underwear and bra in the basket, soaked with Liu Changsheng's semen, and nodded. "Changsheng's bridal chamber was a success!" The onlookers nearby suddenly burst into cheers, followed by thunderous applause.

Su Hui found it all extremely curious. How could the matter of men and women making love be treated with such sanctity here?

Liu Changsheng held Su Hui's hand and returned to the altar, then quietly reminded her to place the clothes on the altar, to the left of her own underwear and pants, to put the red paper holding the two of them's pubic hair between their clothes, and finally to take the prepared red cloth strip from the altar and lay it over the clothes, binding their clothes and the red paper together.

Su Hui thought to herself, So complicated. Uneasy, she walked up to the altar, and every time she set something down she had to think back over Liu Changsheng's instructions, afraid of making a mistake. Fortunately Fourth Aunt knew she didn't understand, and whispered reminders from the side.

Carefully and cautiously, Su Hui finished the ritual and returned to Liu Changsheng's side, standing respectfully beside him.

Liu Changsheng held the bamboo basket with both hands and placed it in the center of the altar.

He took the incense handed over by a clansman, bowed three times with great respect, inserted the incense, then came back and stood beside Su Hui.

He quietly signaled for Su Hui to step forward and offer incense.

Su Hui followed his example and burned the incense properly. Only then did Liu Changsheng lead Su Hui to stand on the left side of the altar, facing the crowd.

Liu Yiqiang and Liu Meijuan completed the same incense-offering procedure.

Liu Changsheng then led Su Hui, together with Liu Yiqiang and Liu Meijuan, back in front of the altar. Liu Changsheng and Su Hui stood in the first row, while Liu Yiqiang and Liu Meijuan stood in the second row, at the rear sides behind Liu Changsheng and Su Hui respectively. Liu Changsheng then led the four of them to kneel.

"Heaven, earth, ruler, parents, teachers, and all the ancestors of the Jiaoshutang line above," Liu Changsheng began to report to the ancestors once the three of them were all kneeling properly. "This unfilial descendant Liu Changsheng..." Liu Changsheng nudged Su Hui with his arm, and Su Hui quickly continued, "Su Hui." "Liu Yiqiang." "Liu Meijuan."

"The four of us willingly exchange marriages. From this moment on, I, Liu Changsheng, am formally betrothed to Su Hui."

"I, Liu Yiqiang, am formally betrothed to Liu Meijuan."

"From today until the exchange marriage is complete, let the original sun, moon, and stars bear witness."

After Liu Changsheng finished, the four of them kowtowed three times together. Liu Changsheng helped Su Hui up, and Liu Yiqiang helped Liu Meijuan to their feet.

Seeing the rites completed, Fourth Aunt brought over two chairs and placed them in front of the altar. She invited over Su Hui's parents, then brought out two teacups. Liu Changsheng and Su Hui picked up the cups, knelt before Su Fuxuan and Liu Fen, and handed them the tea together, saying in unison, "Dad, Mom, have some tea."

"During this period, be good to my girl. Don't think that because she was exchanged in, you can bully her. If I find out she's been wronged, I won't let you off," Su Fuxuan said to Liu Changsheng.

"Dad, don't worry. I'll treat Su Hui like my wife. I definitely won't look down on her just because she was exchanged in. I promise I'll love and respect her just like Yiqiang does. I'll treat you and Mom like in-laws should be treated, just like a son-in-law would."

After Liu Changsheng and Su Hui finished serving tea, it was Liu Yiqiang and Liu Meijuan's turn to change how they addressed them and serve tea.

Liu Changsheng helped Su Hui sit down in the chair, and Liu Yiqiang and Liu Meijuan knelt before them. "Dad, Mom, have some tea." Liu Changsheng and Su Hui took the tea from their hands.

"Yiqiang, Meijuan, from now on you're husband and wife. Don't let your past relationship give you any strange ideas. If you're husband and wife, then act like husband and wife. When it's time to support the family, support the family. When it's time to raise children, raise children. Don't have any reservations."

"Understood." Yiqiang and Meijuan's faces were both red.

"Yiqiang, be better to Meijuan from now on." Su Hui spoke too, and the moment she did, the originally solemn atmosphere instantly lightened up.

"Honestly, if you look closely, Meijuan is still very beautiful. If she really gets herself properly dressed up, she'll definitely be a great beauty. Yiqiang, take Meijuan out more often, get some beauty and body treatments, take good care of herself, and treat Meijuan well. Meijuan can also go learn some yoga in her free time, get her body in shape, and try to give Yiqiang a big fat son as early as possible."

Su Hui's words made everyone burst into laughter and applause. In truth, the villagers had gathered to watch this father-son marriage exchange for the same reason everyone loves a spectacle: to listen in and see the show.

"Mom, you and Dad need to work hard too, be good people together, and give the Liu family an auspicious child soon," Meijuan shot back without backing down.

Meijuan's counterattack also drew a roomful of cheers.

Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Fourth Aunt brought out four bowls of peanut and lotus seed soup. Under everyone's gaze, the four of them fed each other one spoonful at a time until they finished the peanuts and lotus seeds in their bowls.

"All right, all right, it's very late. Everyone head home now," Fourth Aunt said, beginning to clear the scene and preparing to take Su Hui's parents to her place for the night.

"We still want to see them kiss!" a child shouted, egging them on.

"Right, we still want to see 'kiss,' 'kiss,' 'kiss!'"

The four of them could only exchange a quick kiss to get it over with.

The villagers also made a little noise and excitement, set off some firecrackers outside the gate, and then all dispersed. Su Hui's parents were also taken away by Fourth Aunt to rest.

The once-bustling house was suddenly left with only the four of them. Seeing that it was getting late, Liu Changsheng shut the door, led Su Hui back to the room, and said, "You've been tired all day. Rest early. If there's anything, we'll talk about it tomorrow." After saying that, Liu Changsheng stripped down to nothing but his underwear and climbed under the blanket.

Su Hui took out a nightdress. Too embarrassed to change in front of Liu Changsheng, she hid in the bathroom, put on the nightdress, and didn't even take off the underwear and bra underneath. She carefully lay down on the edge of the bed.

Although the two of them had already done it for real, Su Hui still couldn't bring herself to expose herself proactively in front of Liu Changsheng.

Lying on the bed, Su Hui was so nervous she couldn't fall asleep. She was afraid that after she did drift off, Liu Changsheng would start getting handsy with her again.

She wouldn't resist, but she still worried that Liu Changsheng would want another round. In the dead of night, if there was even the slightest sound, people outside would hear it clearly, and then...

Su Hui kept thinking wild thoughts until she drifted off in a daze.

The next morning, Liu Changsheng's biological clock woke him on time. Seeing Su Hui sleeping soundly beside him, a feeling beyond words surged through his heart.

He sat up gently and gazed at Su Hui's peaceful sleeping face, feeling that all of this was somewhat unreal.

Su Hui's face looked especially soft in the morning light. Her brows were faintly knit, the corners of her mouth slightly lifted, as if she were having a pleasant dream.

Last night before sleeping, Liu Changsheng hadn't dared to appreciate Su Hui properly after she changed into the nightdress. After all, there had been absolutely no emotional foundation between them.

Liu Changsheng knew that most of the reason Su Hui had agreed yesterday was a moment of impulse. Otherwise, how could a girl from a good family possibly agree to such absurd behavior in the eyes of outsiders, no matter how much she loved his son?

Right now, Su Hui beside him was still asleep, which was the perfect chance to take a good look at her.

Su Hui's nightdress was white. The thin fabric clung to her long, graceful body. A white bra strap showed at her shoulder, rising and falling faintly with her breathing, carrying a trace of sexy temptation.

The hem of the dress had been lightly lifted, revealing white lace panties. The delicate pattern traced the lines of her long, beautiful legs.

It looked like Su Hui still kept her guard up around him, otherwise she wouldn't still be wearing a bra to sleep. Liu Changsheng had heard that most women don't wear bras to bed.

In the morning light, Su Hui's graceful figure looked even more alluring and captivating. Her skin gave off a tempting sheen, making Liu Changsheng want to touch her, to savor that intoxicating scent of hers.

Liu Changsheng felt heat rising in his chest, and his body reacted physically in spite of himself.

But Liu Changsheng knew he had to restrain himself. If Su Hui got upset and said she wouldn't go through with the exchange anymore, then he would end up with nothing at all. And if she ever divorced Yiqiang as well, then the Liu family would become a huge laughingstock throughout the entire village.

After all, this kind of marriage exchange had basically always been something that happened within the village. A situation like Yiqiang marrying a girl from outside and then swapping marriages with his own parents had never happened before. At least Second Uncle said last night that this was the first time.

Liu Changsheng quickly suppressed his impulse, carefully shifting his body so as not to wake Su Hui. He hurried into the bathroom, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and worked hard to calm the excitement in his heart.

He told himself that the most important thing now was to stay calm. He washed his face with cold water, trying to settle himself down.

After staying in the bathroom for a short while, Liu Changsheng gently closed the door, trying not to make a sound, and quietly opened the bedroom door.