Chapter 42 The Grand Wedding (Part 1)

Before dawn, the Xu family's wedding tent was already bustling with activity. Mrs. Ma, Mrs. Wang, and Mrs. Yao all came to help. Miaozhen had already finished bathing and was accompanied by a wedding attendant. There was also a hairdresser who came to do her makeup.

First, her hair was styled into a bun. Then, she put on the gold-threaded bun given to her by the Xiao family. Next, she put on a set of nineteen pieces of red gold filigree butterfly and flower pearl headdress, which included a gold filigree phoenix hairpin inlaid with jewels, a gold-inlaid jeweled hair ornament, a gold and jade full pool of delicate jewels headband, a gold comb back, green eyebrow hair ornaments, a hair covering, a hairpin, a hair ornament, a full crown, and a hairpin.

The old woman couldn't help but praise, "Miss, your hair is so black and shiny, you look so lucky. I've been combing people's hair for so long, and I've never seen so many jewels and ornaments."

"You flatter me," Miaozhen said with a smile.

Mei had slept with her yesterday, and naturally they had said many things that couldn't be said. This was the first time in both her lives that this had happened, and Miaozhen was still a little uneasy. Therefore, she was not in good spirits today. After she finished dressing, she was about to change her clothes when she heard that Granny Chadai was not feeling well. She quickly said, "Where do you feel unwell? If possible, I might be able to take a look at you."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Miaozhen was impressed with herself; she really wanted to make money anytime, anywhere.

The old woman simply said it was a woman's illness, and Miaozhen didn't press for details, since it was indeed inconvenient to talk about such things under these circumstances.

She changed into a bright red brocade robe, a horse-face skirt with horizontal tassels, and a jade belt around her waist, with seven gold-inlaid jade ornaments attached to the belt.

It has to be said that after the whole set, she was so exhausted that she couldn't even lift her head. She looked like a jewelry display stand, but even so, they still wanted to wear it on themselves.

She wore a pair of crystal gourd earrings, a gold bracelet on her wrist, and several rings on her hands.

Just as she finished dressing, Madam Mei came over, smiling. Miaozhen said coquettishly, "Mother, I'm hungry. I want to eat big meat buns."

What can satisfy hunger? Only steamed buns.

Madam Mei actually enjoyed her daughter's coquettish behavior, and said reproachfully, "Yesterday you wanted lotus root buns, today you want meat buns, you're just so good at pestering me."

"Mother~" Miaozhen said with a smile.

Madam Mei hurriedly ordered the kitchen staff to bring meat buns. She was very busy, and she thought about how her daughter used to keep her company whenever something happened at home. Now that her daughter was getting married, she would be all alone, and she felt sad.

But her husband was right. Only if their daughter married into a higher social class could her medical skills not be overlooked. Otherwise, she'd end up like a pharmacy on Yaoxing Street, vandalized by thugs and ending up in jail. Don't think this job is easy; good medical skills are useless without government connections and ability.

Parents shouldn't be so short-sighted as to make their daughters give up their future just for their company. That's no different from raising cats and dogs.

The thin-skinned, generously filled buns were brought over by Jian Ge'er. Miao Zhen asked him if he wanted some, and he shyly shook his head, saying, "Sister looks so beautiful today."

"Oh, you're so sweet-talking today. Here, have some wedding candy to sweeten your mouth." Miaozhen grabbed a handful and put it in his pocket.

Jian Ge'er lowered his head, and when Miao Zhen saw him, the child choked up. Miao Zhen couldn't help but shed tears as well. She was also reluctant to part with her younger brother. The past year or two since she returned home from the Cheng family had been the happiest time of her life.

The wedding attendant said, "Miss, don't cry and ruin your makeup."

Miaozhen stopped crying and patted Jian Ge'er on the shoulder again: "Sister will come back in the future. You must visit sister often, okay?"

Jian Ge'er nodded emphatically: "I know, I will study hard. Father said that when I pass the imperial examination, I will support my sister."

Miaozhen patted her younger brother's head. She knew that her father hoped that he and his sister could make something of themselves. The reason why Da Bao wanted to harm her brother was because Jian Ge'er was smart and studious.

In modern times, we should respect children's interests and freedom, but in ancient times, ordinary families like theirs were simply trying to survive.

After Jian Ge finished speaking, he ran downstairs. Miao Zhen ate another big meat bun, and her mood improved.

But it was only past 11:30 AM, and the matchmaker and the wedding attendant had already gone out. Sweetie gave Miaozhen some fragrant tea to rinse her mouth and some lip rouge for her to touch up her makeup.

Then she put the veil on her head and sat on the bed to wait.

Xu Erpeng's house outside was also packed with guests. He didn't have many relatives, but he had neighbors, classmates, and business associates. Naturally, he also had Miaozhen's connections, such as Mrs. Qin, Wei Wan, the county magistrate's wife, and Mrs. Wu. Those who could come came, and those who couldn't sent gifts.

It was so lively that when Miaolian and Baoshi arrived, there wasn't even room to stand.

Bao complained, "Your second uncle's family are all snobs. They fawn over those of high status and look down on people like us. When it came to sending dowry and setting up the bed, they only sent people from the Mei family and didn't take us seriously at all."

Miaolian couldn't help but purse her lips.

Yin Huan saw the mother and daughter and quickly led them in. She couldn't help but think of the last time Miss Miao Lian got engaged; her young lady had gone to help early in the morning, but the Bao mother and daughter didn't arrive until lunchtime.

Compared to the Xu family, the Xiao family's second branch was celebrating a happy occasion, while the eldest and third branches were providing full support. The eldest branch's matriarch, Madam Chao, along with her daughter-in-law, Xia Xianjie, was entertaining guests. Madam Chao, in high spirits, said to Madam Xiao's second wife, "Today's banquet is a joyous occasion, too numerous to describe. The zither playing is spirited and the new melodies are wonderfully divine."

Madam Chao often liked to nitpick over words and would frequently recite a poem. Although Madam Xiao had been confused by her before, she could only read the gift list and account book. Fortunately, she could tell that this was a compliment, so she said, "I must thank you for your help today, sister-in-law."

"Not at all, it's only right. I'm really looking forward to Shi-ge's daughter-in-law coming into the family. I heard she's a disciple of the talented Qiu, and she can even write articles. It's truly a perfect match," Chao-shi said with a smile.

Standing behind Madam Chao, Xia Xian couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly. She and her mother-in-law didn't get along. This wasn't because her mother-in-law was harsh on her; on the contrary, her mother-in-law wasn't a bad person, just a few things didn't suit her. For example, she couldn't read a single word, yet her mother-in-law always had poetry and songs on her lips, and would even ask her "where do these words come from?" during meals.

Besides these, she also broke up her husband's marriage with Ding Jiaoyu's daughter, and she was afraid of being looked at differently when she entered the house, so she had to pretend to be honest and low-key.

Therefore, she felt tormented every moment she spent by Chao's side.

Fortunately, Madam Han came to call for help. Madam Han was the eldest daughter-in-law of Madam Xiao. Now, according to Madam Chao's words, based on the clan's ranking, Madam Han has gone from being the eldest mistress to the second mistress. When she saw Xia Xian, who was several years younger than her, she still had to call her "elder sister-in-law".

Xia Xianjie was about to leave when she said to Madam Chao and Madam Xiao, "Why don't I go with my sister-in-law to the kitchen?"

"Go ahead," Madam Chao said with a smile.

Xia Xian's dowry was 10,000 guan in cash, not to mention a large estate of six hectares and four houses facing the street. Her dowry was the largest in the entire Xiao family. Therefore, she was talking about Miao Zhen's dowry: "Everyone says her dowry is generous, but I think it's only average. Although the first items are rosewood and sandalwood furniture, the others are not impressive. You know, the chaise lounge is made of white rosewood, and the embroidered stool is made of miscellaneous wood."

"You have a sharp eye; I didn't notice it," said Madam Han.

Xia Xianjie thought to herself that this Han family was just the daughter of a poor military officer, who was always short of money. Last year, for Madam Xiao's birthday, she couldn't even afford a single piece of cotton clothing. Yet she still liked to put on airs. She acted like a noble lady in front of her, but she was actually quite flirtatious.

She learned that Han almost couldn't marry into the family back then. After all, her father died early, and her brother lost the position of commander of a thousand households that he had already obtained. If it weren't for her early engagement, her various attempts to seduce Xiao Jingheng, and her fake pregnancy, she wouldn't have been able to marry into the Xiao family.

Just like her stepmother, who was also from an official family, pretending to be selfless, but had long been at odds with her father, acting all righteous and even withholding her dowry.

However, Xu, who was about to enter the family, was quite ambitious; otherwise, she wouldn't have clung to the Xiao family so desperately. It's a real pity for Xiao Jingshi.

When Xiao Jing was mentioned, Sister Xia couldn't help but ask, "Is Fourth Brother still the same? Is he not very satisfied with this marriage?"

Madam Han said, "What are you talking about? Fourth Brother has already picked out several outfits these past few days. If you ask me, he's always been a bit arrogant and conceited, looking down on everyone, so it's normal for him to be a bit difficult. Besides, Miss Xu is gentle, kind, elegant, and generous; she's not worried about having a hard time."

She knew that Xia Xian was a woman who loved to wander the ghost path, whose temperament was both lovable and hateful, and who was sharp-tongued. She couldn't let her ruin Xiao Jingshi's marriage.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Sister Xia could only say, "Alright, alright, you're a strange person who loves to do good deeds."

Han held back her words, lest she bring up more irrelevant topics.

The two of them went to the kitchen to take a look, and then ordered the opera to begin, with the girls from both families singing. After the luncheon ended, the groom prepared to go to Changmen to fetch the bride. Xiao Jingshi was also wearing a gauze hat with two twin gold hairpins on his head, and a blue satin round-necked robe with red shawl. He was incredibly handsome.

Seeing his brother like this, Xiao Jingtang thought to himself that his brother was a person who often said one thing but meant another. He had changed his clothes almost eight hundred times, yet he walked out with such a nonchalant attitude.

Xiao Jingshi led several attendants out, mounted a white horse, and pulled on a silver saddle and reins. Twenty people carried colorful lanterns in front, and five or six people played trumpets and gongs and drums behind. Two people held umbrellas in front, and several people rode brown horses behind. There were also young boys and girls following behind, making it a very lively scene.

In fact, Dingxiang Lane is only three miles away from Changmen Gate, which is quite close. Otherwise, Xu Erpeng would not have spent one hundred taels to bribe Moni Gu. He just felt that no matter what, his daughter was close to home.

To make a grand entrance, the Xiao family deliberately circled around twice before reaching the Xu family's gate. The storefronts facing the street were closed for the day, but the ceremonial gate was open and decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations on all sides.

Xiao Jingshi is like that. If he doesn't approve, he might find fault and try to sabotage the marriage. But once he decides to get married, he will do his best to make the marriage perfect.

Just like his brother's marriage, one was arranged since childhood, and the other was arranged by his aunt. In a way, there was no difference.

So he entered with a smile and graceful manners. Even when the Xu family tried to make things difficult by closing the door and asking him to compose a poem to urge the bride to get married, he still looked cheerful. He even gave Jian Ge'er a big red envelope, a bright red satin pouch containing a pair of gold ingots. The younger Kun Ge'er received the same, and even Zhang Ge'er from the third branch of the family received a small silver ingot worth five taels.

Miaozhen was unaware of all the affairs of the Xiao family. She was simply a bridegroom, her veil already covering her face. She had no idea what was happening outside. She only heard Sister Tian say to her, "The young master just composed several poems in one go, and everyone around him said they were good."

“That’s excellent.” Miaozhen smiled.

Then the matchmaker said, "Miss Xu, let me help you out."

"Okay." She took a deep breath.

There was a lot of music and commotion outside. Miaozhen could only hear the sounds, including her third aunt Bao's voice and Mrs. Ma's voice as she tried to maintain order. She looked down from under her veil to avoid kicking the threshold.

Miaozhen was unaware of what was happening. Xiao Jingshi saw the bride with her head covered come out and heard the teasing of the people around her. They were then led to the second hall to bid farewell to Xu Erpeng and Madam Mei.

In this scene, Madam Mei had largely accepted her daughter's marriage. Seeing her son-in-law's refined and handsome appearance, she even began to look forward to how good-looking their future children would be. On the contrary, Xu Erpeng, who was usually very calm and restrained, had his eyes redden when he saw his daughter kneeling down.

“Son-in-law, my daughter is never modest. She has saved countless lives and has done immeasurable good deeds. She is about the same age as you, and you are truly a match made in heaven. I hope that you two can be of one mind and grow old together.”

Others usually refer to their wives as "my humble wife" and their daughters as derogatory as possible, but Xu Erpeng genuinely felt that both his wife and daughters were remarkable. Mei was born into a poor family, yet she could read, embroider, and weave. After becoming a wife, she managed to care for twenty or thirty people in the household, allowing her to focus on writing and running her shop. Not to mention her daughter, who was highly talented, diligent, humble, and a natural-born achiever.

Xiao Jingshi rarely saw a man lose his composure like this, and he didn't know what to think. However, he saw Miaozhen beside him burst into tears when she heard her father's reaction.

Old Xu, however, couldn't stand his son's fussy manner and quickly said, "Erpeng, don't let them miss the auspicious time."

Xu Erpeng then said, "Yes, and after Miaozhen bowed four times, he solemnly said, 'Go to your home and be respectful.' Madam Mei also followed up, saying, 'I will think about it day and night and will not disobey your command.'"

The master of ceremonies then had the bride bow four times.

Seeing that Miaozhen's clothes were all embroidered with gold, Xu Sigu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but say to her cousin Fengluan, "I never expected that Second Brother's family had saved up so much money."

Feng Luan glanced at Xu Sigu beside her and said, "Don't you know? Miao Zhen's dowry is worth several thousand taels of silver. They just don't show it off usually."

"They don't seem to be doing it, they're just pretending to be poor so they won't ask us for money," Bao muttered.

Xu Sigu thought to herself that last time she went to borrow twenty taels, her second brother wouldn't lend her any, but he gave her daughter several thousand taels as dowry. It was too much. He didn't treat them like family at all.

Naturally, their jealous remarks wouldn't reach Xu Erpeng's ears, and even if he did hear them, he wouldn't change his ways based on their comments.

In his eyes, every blade of grass and every tree in his home was earned by him. He would help his parents, elder brother, and younger brother whenever he could, but who would help him when his family was in trouble? Take Jian Ge'er being bitten by a rabid dog, for example; not a single relative dared to stand up and say a word of justice. What could he possibly rely on?

In the hall, Miaozhen had already been helped up. She was accompanied by the matchmaker to go out and get into a sedan chair.

The bride got into the sedan chair first, and the groom had to say goodbye to the bride's family. At this time, Xu's relatives and friends came out. These people were usually good at gossiping, but they were not good at formalities. Xu Erpeng and Mei had to come out themselves and say, "Son-in-law, you can go now. We'll drink and have a good time when you come to sit in the tent."

Xiao Jingshi bowed respectfully, mounted his horse, and caught up with the wedding procession.

Meanwhile, inside the bridal sedan chair, Miaozhen felt dizzy and her neck ached. Although there was incense inside, the scent was too pungent. She took out a small jujube from her sleeve and ate it quickly to fill her stomach, which made her feel much better.

Inside the sedan chair, she would recite the recipes for soup to distract herself.

After riding his horse alongside the bride for a while, Xiao Jingshi would have to ride back quickly to the door of his house to greet her. This is the origin of the custom of welcoming the bride.

When the bride's sedan chair arrived, all sorts of firecrackers were set off along the way. Chrysanthemums blooming and peonies opening were so loud that they shook the sky. Miaozhen felt like she was going deaf. Why was getting married so tiring? She couldn't enjoy it at all; it was just torture.

She finally got off the sedan chair, feeling dizzy, but she still had to maintain her composure. She didn't want anyone to see a hunched-over bride; she was very concerned about her image.

Xiao Jingshi was waiting there. When he saw Miaozhen get out of the sedan chair, he had someone help her mount the saddle. After entering the ceremonial gate, they were to first pay their respects to the ancestors. Xiao Xi had already come over. While helping Miaozhen, she reminded her to watch her step and introduced her: "Miss, the Xiao family has now rearranged the order of the generations. The son-in-law is the fourth in the clan. When people call you the Fourth Young Mistress, they will be referring to you."

It's good to have someone on your side. Miaozhen didn't know the matchmaker very well before, so she just did whatever she was told. But Xiaoxi was different. She had come with the dowry-delivering people to make the bed and had been here for several days, so she already knew a lot about the situation.

"I understand. Is someone looking after our dowry?" Miaozhen asked softly.

Xiao Xi said, "Don't worry, Feng Niang is guarding there. Let me tell you, the Xiao family's third branch has already separated. Our second branch occupies the large house with five courtyards in the middle, and there is also a large garden. The courtyards of our second branch's three masters are all built along the lake. The place where the second master and second mistress live is called Banana Garden, you and your son-in-law live in Hibiscus Pavilion on the side of the waterside pavilion, and the sixth master's new house is called Begonia Pavilion. They are all exquisite and large courtyards."

The word "坞" means a place that is high in the middle and low on all sides. Miaozhen asked, "I wonder how big Furongwu is?"

"Right at the entrance is a large expanse of hibiscus. Although it's not blooming yet, I've heard that it's in full bloom every autumn. There's a moon gate at the entrance, and inside, it's lush with flowers and trees. Walking along the central path leads to the main house, which has nine rooms in total. To the west is a wall of hibiscus flowers, and to the east are three side rooms. The backyard has a small covered walkway, a rockery, and a pavilion, all standing alone." Xiao Xi quickly gave a brief introduction.

Miaozhen understood even more after hearing this. In this way, the couple would have their own space and wouldn't have to live in the same environment as everyone else, which was actually a good thing.

Too many people getting involved in family matters is not a good thing.

They didn't know how long they walked, but the place where they were to perform the wedding ceremony seemed especially bright under the veil. When they came out after the ceremony, it was pitch black under the red veil. Fortunately, there were two children carrying fish lanterns in front of them, so they were not completely lost.

This feeling is actually very unpleasant, because you can only rely on the people around you as your guiding light.

They kept walking like this, not knowing how many thresholds they passed, how many turns they made, or how many bridges they crossed, until finally, after passing through a passageway, they arrived at Furongwu.

After Miaozhen entered the bridal chamber, she heard a voice as clear as a nightingale's song: "Oh, the bride has arrived. Quickly help her to sit down." She wondered whose voice it was, but it sounded quite humorous and playful.

Then, Xiao Xi and Tian Jie, two maids dressed in red, helped Miao Zhen sit down. However, they found that the bed was covered with longan or lotus seeds, which were very uncomfortable to sit on. She quickly got up and pushed them aside before sitting down.

The matchmaker handed Xiao Jingshi a gold-handled sandalwood scale: "Please, groom, lift the veil and perform the nuptial ceremony."

Xiao Jingshi took the veil and gently lifted it, revealing Miaozhen, who was dressed in her finest attire. Her eyebrows were delicate as willow branches, her lips like cherries, her nose straight and elegant, and the cinnabar mole between her brows added a touch of divinity. Upon seeing him, she smiled faintly and then turned her head away. He assumed the bride was shy, but little did he know that Miaozhen, having been in a dark room for so long, was unable to open her eyes wide when suddenly exposed to light, and could only smile and turn her eyes away to adjust to the light.

Then the matchmaker instructed Miaozhen and Xiao Jingshi to sit facing each other, and before they sat down, they had to bow to each other. At this time, the groom's attendant placed a food table in front of Miaozhen, while her attendant placed a food table in front of the groom. The attendants on both sides poured wine into a gourd-shaped wine cup, and the two of them drank it down by pulling on the silk thread.

Only then is the nuptial ceremony considered complete.

Xiao Jingshi's maid removed the red cloak from his body, as he was going to the Xu family to meet his relatives and have a banquet. Miaozhen took off her wedding robe and saw several young women standing in the room watching the ceremony. She recognized Han Yueyao, who was still as radiant as ever, but she didn't recognize the others.

As rumored, Han Yueyao was indeed warm-hearted. Seeing Miaozhen rise to greet her, she hurriedly said, "You two are getting married today, so you are the eldest. We will be able to meet tomorrow." After saying that, she pointed to a beautiful and charming young woman and said, "This is the wife of the eldest brother of the eldest branch."

So this was Xia Shi. Miao Zhen bowed to her again, but it wasn't appropriate to address her directly, so she simply said, "Thank you all for your trouble."

Fearing that Xia Xianjie might say something embarrassing again, Han Yueyao said directly, "We've already witnessed the ceremony, so let's go out first and let the bride feel more at ease."

These words made Miaozhen quite grateful to Han Yueyao. She was sweating profusely, then drying, then sweating again, and desperately needed to bathe and change clothes. Besides, she was hungry and worried that they would stay there and she would have to entertain the guests.

Fortunately, Han Yueyao said those words, and Xia Xianjie went out with interest, and the others followed her out.

Only then did Miaozhen breathe a sigh of relief. The moonlight shone through the window lattice, and she wondered if this meant her wedding night had begun!