Chapter 133: The Wedding Ceremony

Bandits came exclusively for food.

In the rugged land of Shandong, when crops failed entirely, ordinary folk fared somewhat better; families that could manage generally had a little surplus grain saved up.

If times grew a bit difficult, neighbors could always lend a helping hand.

Those who truly could not survive would grit their teeth and head northeast to cross the border. In this day and age, a tree moved and died while a person moved and lived; when starvation loomed, no matter how reluctant one was to leave the hometown, a person had to make the journey just to stay alive.

Only the bandits found life truly arduous.

Living by plunder and pillage, they normally acquired food with ease and spent it recklessly.

Whenever a famine year struck, commerce withered and traveling merchant caravans vanished completely. The bandits had nothing left to rob, and the horse thieves had no one left to fleece.

With no business to conduct, they could only sit idly and eat away their dwindling reserves.

Do not be fooled by the menacing aura of this gang of horse thieves carrying rifles and riding horses as if they were formidable figures; in reality, their stomachs had long been plastered to their spines, and their guts were almost numb from hunger.

Otherwise, they would never have made such a grand display over a single picul of grain.

The horse thieves had a clear objective—they wanted grain, yet they dared not push too hard. With empty stomachs leaving their limbs weak and feeble, if they truly drove the villagers to desperation, it was anyone's guess who would finish off whom.

Mother Zhu argued forcefully, while the horse thief yielded not an inch.

Nothing else mattered; they wanted grain. Hand over the grain, and the groom could proceed to marry his bride without the slightest interference.

In the midst of the wrangling, a sudden roar shattered the air, followed by a massive dark shadow plunging down the hillside.

Before anyone could react, the shadow slammed into the horse thieves' formation like a rolling boulder.

The giant black bear weighed thousands of pounds. Bolstered by a short running start and hurtling from top to bottom, this collision delivered a force of at least two tons.

With a dull thud, a horse instantly suffered broken bones and shattered tendons, flying sideways and dragging two other horses and their riders plunging directly down the cliff.

In a single move, three of the five were dealt with. Before the remaining bandits could react, the bear's massive paw came swinging down.

The heavy, roundhouse blow batted a bandit a dozen meters away. Before he could fall off the cliff, his body was already snapped in two, killing him instantly without even time for a scream.

It was only then that the group realized a giant black bear had appeared from nowhere. Terrified out of their wits and with their legs turning to jelly, they turned to flee.

A sharp whistle pierced the air.

The ear-splitting sound forced everyone to cover their ears, waring down in discomfort with furrowed brows.

At that very moment, Gao Ning and the other two siblings walked up leisurely, Gao Ning's right index finger still tucked in his mouth as he intermittently blew the whistle.

Then, sharp-eyed onlookers saw the black bear pause abruptly, obediently lower its paws to the ground, and sit down on its haunches.

It looked just like a dog obeying its master's summons.

The eyes of those in front bulged in disbelief. Mother Zhu and the three Zhu brothers stared blankly at the bear, then turned their stunned gazes to the three Gao siblings, utterly at a loss for words.

Gao Ning chuckled and said, "Don't kill him. With a single swipe of your paw, both man and beast would perish here. Since Brother Chuanwen is getting married today and happens to lack a fine, tall steed, these bandits have come at an opportune moment. Let's spare his life!

"You there, get down right now! What, do you want to test whether the rifle in my hand can still bark?"

A Chicago typewriter had materialized in Gao Ning's hand, while Ye Zimei and Zhang Shaolong each drew a pair of dark, gleaming handguns.

Three muzzles locked onto the sole surviving bandit, backed by a towering black bear standing over two meters tall and baring its ferocious teeth. The bandit's legs were already trembling so violently he could barely stand.

At these words, his hands shook; the rifle he had been clutching dropped straight to the ground. Tumbling and crawling in a panic, he fell to all fours and kowtowed frantically. "Spare my life, My Lord! We only came to fill our bellies; I never intended to harm any of you!"

Gao Ning said, "Cut the nonsense. Today is a joyous occasion, and blood shouldn't be shed, but since you blind fools thrust yourselves into this, consider it your bad luck.

"Get lost right now and return whence you came! If you harbor thoughts of revenge, come find our Longxingsheng Escort Agency. Whether by water or by land, our brothers will take whatever you throw at us!"

The bandit kowtowed repeatedly. "I wouldn't dare! To command a mountain spirit makes you beings akin to immortals; how could a lowly one dare pull a tiger's whiskers?

"Having offended you all today, my crime is unforgivable. Since your magnanimity has spared my life, I will surely return with generous gifts to show my gratitude later!"

Gao Ning laughed. "Such scholarly phrasing—it seems you've studied books for a couple of years. Very well, be on your way. Don't delay our journey here; the bride must be getting anxious!"

With that, he ignored the man, turned to the crowd, and called out, "Lads and elders, strike up the music! Did you all see my giant black bear? That is the undisputed king of the mountains.

"If everyone helps us make this wedding a grand and dignified affair today, I'll have this fellow hunt a deer in the deep forests for us later. I guarantee there will be meat to eat today!"

As he spoke, Gao Ning patted the black bear's arm, and the bear very cooperatively bared its terrifying jaws.

Then, lifting its heavy backside, it took two bounding strides and charged fiercely, rushing right back up the hillside the way it came. The dark shadow flickered and vanished from sight.

Seeing the black bear disappear, the crowd finally breathed a sigh of relief. Recalling the venison Gao Ning had promised and imagining the wonderful taste of meat, their mouths began to water, and the gongs, drums, and suonas struck up once again.

Gao Ning exchanged a glance with Mother Zhu, and both understood each other's intent.

Mother Zhu clearly wanted to ask what the deal was with that bear.

Gao Ning, on the other hand, urged Mother Zhu to quickly have Chuanwen mount the fine steed. Today, everything else was secondary; welcoming the bride was paramount and had to be done with utmost pomp so that no one could find fault.

Mother Zhu, a woman of consummate intelligence and worldly wisdom, caught the look and immediately grasped Gao Ning's meaning.

Turning around, she led over the tall steed left behind by the bandits, brushed it down simply, and hoisted her eldest son onto its back. The wedding procession moved forward once more.

Aside from Zhu Chuanwen trading his old musket for a fine horse, his foolish grin tinged with lingering fright, everyone else looked exceptionally cheerful.

Many people cast frequent glances back at the three Gao siblings.
Before, knowing nothing, no one paid them any heed. Now that they realized elite escort guards were accompanying the wedding party, their safety was thoroughly guaranteed.

Not only did these three siblings possess firearms, but they also commanded a giant black bear. Forget a mere band of outlaws; even warlord troops in small numbers would find themselves getting the worst of it.

Amidst the sound of festive music all the way, the procession arrived at Tan Family Village.

One picul of grain was offered in exchange for a blooming young maiden.

Xian'er wore a padded crimson jacket, sitting shyly upon horseback and leaning gently against Zhu Chuanwen's chest.

Even with her face veiled by the red bridal cloth, one could easily tell how bashful the young woman felt.

Journeying all the way back home, this bride-welcoming expedition was finally brought to a successful close.