After consulting the auspicious almanac, the wedding was set for seven days later.
Compared to the average person's six months of preparation, it seems a bit rushed.
Fortunately, they had a good network of connections. The head chef contributed two apprentices to take charge of cooking, Zheng Ruqian was in charge of the fresh vegetables and dried goods, Jiang Sheng took care of the meat, and Xu Mo was responsible for all the decorations.
Even for odd jobs, Wen Zhiyun and Changyan would help out.
Neither side is from Fengjing, and they don't have many relatives or friends. They expect only three or four tables to be enough, which will fit perfectly in the courtyard and the main hall.
However, we need to borrow these tables and chairs. The head manager, unusually kind, stepped forward and said that Youranju would provide them.
Once everything is ready, the wedding will only be a day or two away.
Jiang Sheng and Xiao Zhu pushed Zhang Xianglian to Tiansifang. After trying on three or five wedding dresses, they unanimously chose the one with the highest price.
"It's too expensive, no way." Zhang Xianglian said with heartache, "It's only for one wear, it doesn't need to be that expensive."
"Don't worry, Auntie, we'll give it to you." Jiang Sheng laughed heartily. "My brothers and I will pay for this wedding dress and give it to our beloved aunt."
Zhang Xianglian's eyes welled up with tears, but she still firmly shook her head, wanting the cheapest one.
Jiang Sheng ignored her and gave Xiao Zhu a look.
Wang Xiaozhu immediately pushed Zhang Xianglian to look at other things. By the time the phoenix crown and jewelry were chosen, the most expensive wedding dress had already been sent back to the second courtyard.
The night before the wedding, also known as the "bridal shower night".
The bride's family needs to send over gold, silver, and valuables to be placed at the bottom of the bride's chest, hence the name "bottom chest storage".
Jiang Sheng retrieved her gold bracelet, feeling a pang of heartache for a moment, but it was quickly dispelled by the joyful atmosphere throughout the courtyard.
She walked through the swaying red lanterns, stepped over the flickering candlelight, and entered the bedroom adorned with large red "double happiness" characters.
Sitting on the wedding bed inside was a slender and frail woman. She had traveled from Shilipu Village to Fengjing, and in the more than thirty years she had given birth to four children, but none of them survived.
But she was not alone, because standing outside the door were her children.
"Auntie," Jiang Sheng called sweetly, "we've done your makeup."
Gold bracelets with intertwined threads, gold necklaces, mandarin duck pouches, jade pendants, and land deeds for dozens of acres.
There was also an envelope, given by Changyan, who gently instructed, "Aunt, don't rush to read it yet. Read it on the night of the wedding."
The older brother and younger sister beside him clearly looked at him with disdain: "You think you're so mysterious?"
Changyan chuckled and turned her gaze back to her aunt.
The sudden appearance of a large amount of gold and silver, along with the paper bearing her name, was enough for Zhang Xianglian, even if she didn't know much about gold and silver, to tell her that it was of considerable value.
"You..." she choked up, "You mustn't spend any more money, I can't accept it, you're still children..."
"I hope Auntie can be happy, and I hope Auntie will never be afraid." Xu Mo, as the representative, spoke gently but powerfully, "This is Auntie's home, and we are Auntie's family. Whenever Auntie suffers any grievances, she can come to her family to confide in them."
It's not like spilled water, nor a thrown ball.
You have a family.
Zhang Xianglian broke down in tears. The contrast between her past misery and her present happiness was so dreamlike that it felt unreal.
Warmth is not hard to find. Even if you eat coarse food and wild vegetables, as long as you are loved, as long as there is love.
There was a knocking sound outside, someone hurriedly threw down the latch, and someone else rushed over, their heavy breathing clearly audible.
When the footsteps stopped, the person outside the door was already in tears. "Congratulations, dear sister!"
Zhang Xianglian looked up in astonishment and saw old friends from a thousand miles away. "Cui'er, Qiquan, what happened to you..."
Not to mention her, Jiang Sheng and his sister both stared wide-eyed.
Only Changyan remained serene and composed, a gentle smile on his face.
"Thanks to Xiaosong who sent us the message." Liu Cui walked in and looked Zhang Xianglian up and down. "Qiquan and I rushed over as soon as we received the message. Luckily, we made it in time."
As for the backside that was jolted into eight pieces and the hardship of traveling all night, they were never mentioned.
"It's good that you're here, it's good that you're here." Zhang Xianglian wiped away her tears. "I'll go find you a place to rest. You must be exhausted. Have you eaten? I'll go make something to eat."
"Oh dear, you're getting married tomorrow, and you're still busy with this and that. We've booked an inn, so we won't lack food or drink." Liu Cui pressed her down, "Sister, let's have a good talk and spend some time together."
The bedroom door was closed, and the two sisters, with tears in their eyes and laughter, reminisced about the past few years.
Only Zhang Qiquan, rubbing his aching back and rubbing his rumbling stomach, looked pitifully at Zheng Ruqian and said, "Boss, she's not hungry, but I am."
A courtyard where a banquet is being prepared would certainly not lack food.
The head chef arrived at some point and, after formally meeting Zhang Qiquan, immediately cooked a bowl of salty soup to soak the flatbread in – it was simply divine!
Two bowls were also sent to their bedroom, and I urged them to rest early.
On the wedding day, the bride had to get up before dawn to bathe, invite the Five Blessings Maiden to comb her hair, and prepare the young laborers to carry the dowry.
The betrothal gifts were delivered yesterday, still with the big red flowers untied, and were sent to the Kong residence along with the dowry.
As the sun rose high in the sky, the energetic master chef led his entourage to fetch the bride.
Led by Zheng Ruqian, a group of mischievous boys came up with many bad ideas to obstruct the wedding. They even copied down a lot of pretentious poems for the groom to recite, which made everyone present cringe.
Finally, the groom saw his bride. The head chef was so nervous that he couldn't say a word. The greasy-faced shopkeeper stepped forward and said, "Congratulations, sister-in-law! Congratulations! The auspicious time has arrived. Let's get into the bridal sedan chair."
"Let's go, get in the bridal sedan chair!"
Zhang Xianglian had no brothers, so the strong and powerful Fang Heng carried her on his back and steadily placed her in the bridal sedan chair.
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