The herd of horses had already turned automatically onto the back street. Jack rushed ahead to block them, then walked into the main street, thinking, It should be fine if I just take a look from afar.

The Sullivan Family was the wealthiest family in town. Half the townspeople had been invited as guests, while the other half stood in the street, watching enviously.

Over sixty-year-old Grandpa Bolton shook his head and sighed, “Such extravagance, what a waste. I just feel sorry for Grace. She’s still so young…” He turned and saw Jack with the herd of horses, raised his cane, and pointed at Jack, saying, “You little rascal, what are you doing here?”

“Just looking.”

“If you keep looking, Grace is already The Sullivan Family’s daughter-in-law. Do you think she could still go back with you?”

The neighbors all laughed, shifting their gaze from the distant The Sullivan Family gate to the horse-herding boy.

Eric Lewis was the local troublemaker. Not having been invited by The Sullivan Family, he was quite disgruntled and said, “Jack, why didn’t you have your dad help you propose back then? Now look, Grace belongs to Big Chad Sullivan. Aren’t you going to make a scene?”

Grandpa Bolton struck Eric Lewis with his cane. “You brat, Jack is still a child. Watch your mouth.”

Jack silently jumped onto the chestnut horse, making up his mind.

“Everyone!” Jack shouted at the top of his lungs. His voice was still a bit childish and didn’t carry far, unable to drown out the music from The Sullivan Family, but those nearby all heard him. They looked up in surprise, “Make way for me!”

There was a lead horse in the herd. Jack raised his whip and lashed it hard across the horse’s rump.

The lead horse reared up, neighing loudly in surprise and displeasure. When the second lash came down, it panicked, galloping forward as if its life depended on it. The rest of the horses followed suit, galloping wildly, with only the chestnut horse still under Jack’s control.

Only then did the neighbors understand what Jack meant. Grandpa Bolton dropped his cane, Eric Lewis covered his head and ran, Aunt Emily Thompson scooped up her child, Uncle Clark plopped down on the ground… The main street of Wildwood Town was thrown into chaos.

Jack, riding the chestnut horse, followed the startled herd, racing to the gate of The Sullivan Family under the astonished gazes of the townspeople.

The crowd originally gathered at the gate quickly cleared a large space. The plump Matchmaker Lewis had fallen to the ground, the flowers on her head trembling slightly. The musicians still held their instruments in playing position, but not a sound came out.

Everyone stared at Jack on the chestnut horse, unsure whether this was a prank or a new trick from The Sullivan Family.

Jack even spotted his father in the crowd. Old Jack was dumbfounded, never imagining his eldest son would actually dare to do such a thing. All his previous warnings had been for nothing.

Jack saw the bridal sedan chair, and also the small figure in front of it. He bent down on horseback, stretched out his right hand, and said in a hollow voice, “Come up, leave with me.”

Chapter Three: Granny Wind’s Lonely Lamp

Jack bent down on horseback, stretched out his right hand, and said in a hollow voice, “Come up, leave with me.”

Wildwood Town was like a freshly finished folk painting, suddenly frozen in place. The distant residents snapped out of the panic caused by the startled horses, craning their necks to look toward The Sullivan Family’s gate. The crowd around the bridal sedan was still trapped in disbelief, the sound of hooves echoing in their ears, still not understanding what had just happened.

The small figure in front of the sedan seemed stunned as well, motionless.

A wave of panic began to rise in Jack’s heart. He thought Grace hadn’t heard him, or had heard but refused. If that was the case, he would become the biggest laughingstock in town, unable to live it down for ten years.

If she doesn’t get on the horse, I’ll just run away myself, Jack decided in that instant.

The little figure’s hesitation actually lasted only a moment. Grace threw off the red veil, revealing a face that Jack had no memory of.

He was stunned. The last time he’d seen Grace was years ago.

From that moment, Grace’s movements became swift and decisive. She grabbed her skirt with one hand, stepped onto the sedan’s carrying pole, used the momentum to leap up, grabbed Jack’s hand with the other, and nimbly jumped onto the horse behind him. She straightened her clothes and sat firmly.

“Giddy up!” Jack shouted.

The chestnut horse seemed to know this run was of great importance. It raised its head and neighed, galloping toward the setting sun at the end of the road.

All of this happened in a very short time. Jack had already ridden half a mile before Matchmaker Lewis finally pulled herself up by the sedan, shading her eyes as she looked at the two riders in the distance, saying, “The new bride’s been snatched away.”

Master Sullivan, supported by two servants, finally calmed down a bit and repeated blankly, “The new bride’s been snatched away?”

Matchmaker Lewis turned around and nodded solemnly, “Snatched away.”

The groom, Eldest Sullivan, vaguely realized something was missing. He plopped down on the ground and wailed, “Snatched away! Snatched away!”

Eric, dressed in new clothes, ran to the middle of the road and watched the chestnut horse disappear into the distance. Though he was Jack’s enemy, at this moment he admired him so much he forgot himself. He jumped several feet high, waving his fist and shouting, “Well done, Little Jack!”

Master Sullivan was startled by the shout. He slammed his fist on Eric’s head, rushed across the street in a few steps, dragged Old Jack out of the crowd, and spat as he yelled in his face, “That’s your son, isn’t it? He snatched away my family’s new bride!”

Old Jack was so frightened he was stunned, stammering, “He’s still a child. When he comes back, I’ll give him a good beating…”