Chapter 119 - 116: Drawing Lots
When Su Mo and the others returned to the North Wing, they quickly caused a sensation.
The carriage had just reached the village entrance when it was forced to stop due to the large crowd of villagers that had gathered.
Su Mo lifted the window curtain and saw many familiar faces gathered outside.
Leading the crowd were Ah Nuan and Huang Ming!
’He must have more questions for me,’ she thought, seeing Huang Ming holding the book she had given him.
His confused gaze swept over the carriage, and when it landed on Su Mo’s face, a flash of astonishment appeared in his eyes.
After staring blankly for a few seconds, he looked at Yue Ying in the front and asked, "Excuse me, where is Miss Su?"
Su Mo chuckled softly at him and lowered the curtain.
The crowd outside stood stunned, unable to process what they had seen. Their minds were filled with that fleeting, stunning glimpse.
Only Ah Nuan’s eyes lit up, as if she had figured something out.
She said gleefully, "Witch Doctor, you’re so unobservant! The one who just smiled at you was Su Mo!"
Just as she finished speaking, the crowd saw Su Mo lift the curtain and step out.
She stood gracefully, a gentle smile on her face.
A ray of the evening sun fell upon her, making her look like a figure who had stepped out of a painting. That stunning glimpse in the carriage now seemed both real and illusory.
For a moment, the crowd couldn’t snap out of it, staring dazedly at her face, still unable to react.
Ah Nuan took a step forward, grabbed Su Mo’s hand, and asked curiously, "I haven’t seen you in a while, how did you become so beautiful?!"
Su Mo curved her lips and explained, "I ate something I shouldn’t have before, so my appearance changed. I recently found the antidote, so I’ve recovered."
Ah Nuan exclaimed in amazement, "Heavens, your real face is gorgeous! How can someone be this beautiful!"
A wave of praise and congratulations rose from the surroundings.
The young male Beastmen in the crowd looked at Su Mo with eyes that shone brightly.
Before, they used to mock Mo Xiao and the others, saying it was a case of a beautiful flower stuck in a pile of cow dung.
Now, it was clear they were the ones who had been blind to the true gem in their midst.
Yue Ying keenly sensed the gazes coming from all directions and discreetly glared back.
But despite all his precautions, he couldn’t guard against that Beastman, Fei Yun.
The Little Wolf Man had somehow squeezed his way to the front, his sparkling eyes fixed on Su Mo as he said, "Miss Su, it’s been a long time..."
Yue Ying gritted his teeth. ’He’s one step away from saying "and I’ve missed you dearly!"’
He quickly cut in, "Our wife is tired from the journey. Please make way, everyone. We’re going home first. We can talk about everything else later."
The crowd consciously parted to make way.
Huang Ming looked at Su Mo, his face full of eagerness to learn. "Miss Su, I’ll come by later to ask you a few questions!"
Su Mo nodded. "Alright."
Before their carriage even reached her home, the crowd had already gathered at Su Mo’s front door.
Su Mo first tended to a few people who needed medical attention before starting to address Huang Ming’s questions.
He was truly a natural at medicine. In the short time she’d been gone, his progress had been incredibly fast. He had already read two-thirds of the book Su Mo had given him.
Furthermore, he was able to grasp most of the knowledge within it thoroughly.
Su Mo couldn’t help but sigh internally. ’When it comes to talent, some people are just built different.’
However, the faster Huang Ming learned, the more beneficial it would be for the Beastmen of the North Wing.
After talking with Huang Ming for a long time, most of the people who had gathered around had dispersed.
Only Ah Nuan and a few Beastman neighbors who lived nearby remained.
The auntie from next door handed Su Mo some wild vegetables, smiling as she said, "Little Mo, you must be planning a wedding banquet now that you’re back, right? Cang Lan told us you’re all getting married, didn’t he?"
Ah Nuan sat beside Su Mo and asked with a smile, "How many are you planning to marry this time? Or are you marrying all of them at once?"
Before Su Mo could speak, Yue Ying chimed in with a grin, "All of them, of course."
He didn’t want to wait in line any longer. If he had to wait any more, he’d go crazy.
The auntie at the side said, "That’s good! Marry them all!"
Ah Nuan then whispered, "Who’s going to be the main husband?"
Others couldn’t hear the question, but the several men with sharp hearing all pricked up their ears, waiting.
Su Mo subconsciously glanced at the men standing there and frowned slightly.
Seeing her expression, Ah Nuan lowered her voice again. "Don’t stress about it. Generally, you choose whoever was your first Beast Husband. If you haven’t... been with any of them yet, then just pick your favorite. If all else fails, you can just draw lots to decide!"
Su Mo blinked. "It can be done that way?"
Ah Nuan had a gossipy look on her face. "No way. With a face like yours now, they can all... hold themselves back?"
She never would have imagined that none of Su Mo’s fiancés had managed to seal the deal yet.
"Usually, if no one has had a physical relationship before the wedding, they draw lots to be fair."
Su Mo considered it for a moment, her clear gaze sweeping over the men.
’Maybe before we register the marriage, I should first...’
Yue Ying spoke up just in time. "Let’s draw lots! I like drawing lots! It’s fair and just!"
Cang Lan: "I like it too!"
’If he let his wife choose the main husband herself, she definitely wouldn’t pick him,’ Cang Lan thought. ’But if they drew lots, he still had a chance!’
Mo Xiao said in his deep voice, "I agree as well."
Only Fei Yan remained silent, his clear, gentle eyes fixed on Su Mo.
Ah Nuan said, "The minority yields to the majority! So when are you drawing lots? We want to come and watch!"
"Tonight!"
"Tomorrow morning!"
Cang Lan and Yue Ying spoke out impatiently.
Yue Ying looked at the aunties and said, "You’re all welcome to come too!"
’I need to get more people to come and watch, to stop her from cheating. What if my name is drawn, and she refuses to honor it? If I get everyone to come, she won’t be able to back out.’
Su Mo had already guessed the sly fox’s thoughts, but she already had a plan of her own.
So she said lightly, "The earliest we can do it is tomorrow morning. Ye Yuan isn’t here, after all."
Cang Lan immediately said, "I’ll go get him right now!"
Su Mo nodded. "Then let’s set the time for tomorrow morning."
After this was settled, Yue Ying sent everyone in the courtyard away.
After dinner, Cang Lan left for the East Sea to find Ye Yuan.
「That night.」
Yue Ying, Mo Xiao, and Fei Yan stood in the courtyard and exchanged a look. Their thoughts were aligned.
’No one is getting into our wife’s room tonight. If we’re not sleeping, we’re all standing in the courtyard. No one’s taking any shortcuts!’
Fei Yan stood in the wind for a while, then turned and went inside to sleep. Mo Xiao narrowed his eyes, glancing at his retreating figure.
Since dusk, he had started to feel restless.
Inside the house, Su Mo was lying in bed when Little Nine suddenly piped up.
"Host, who are you going to choose as the main husband? Just tell me, please?"
"Not telling."
"I’m begging you~"
"Still not telling!"
Su Mo rolled over and went to sleep.
「Early the next morning」
She was woken by the noisy chatter in the courtyard.
When Su Mo got out of bed, she saw the room was full of people.
Ye Yuan had also arrived and was looking at her with an excited expression.
The others were all looking at her with anticipation as well.
Su Mo walked over. "Everyone’s here. Let’s draw lots, then."
She raised her left hand, revealing a small trinket—a star-shaped object folded from a leaf.
"I have five of these objects in different shapes in my palm. Once you choose, you can’t change your mind. Whoever picks the one with the number 1 inside is the main husband."
Fei Yan’s placid gaze swept over the object on Su Mo’s fingertip.
Yue Ying’s brow furrowed slightly. He had a feeling his wife was playing some new trick on him.
Mo Xiao’s eyes darkened.
He said in a deep voice, "Alright."
Su Mo spread the five objects out on her palm one by one.
They were all different shapes, each woven with lifelike detail, but Fei Yan immediately spotted the small boat.
It was identical to the one his wife had given him on their last night in the Tiger Clan, just slightly larger.
Su Mo raised an eyebrow. "Let’s begin."
Ye Yuan picked a small basket, and Cang Lan chose a small cat-shaped one.
Fei Yan immediately reached for the small boat, but Mo Xiao seemed to be faster.
Yue Ying’s brow tightened, and his fox tail suddenly materialized as he, too, lunged for the small boat.
The three of them instantly became a tangled mess. The scene descended into chaos, and the onlookers grew nervous along with them.
The crowd watched as the small boat, woven from leaves, was tossed high into the air. Fei Yan leaped up after it.
Suddenly, something fluffy brushed past his outstretched hand.
In that split second, a black shadow flashed by.