Qi Niang kept talking to Shiyi Niang, and they fell asleep in the second half of the night. Just as they were sleeping soundly, Amber woke them up: "Miss Qi, Miss Eleven, the person who combs Miss Wu's hair is here."
The two of them hurriedly got up, and with the help of the maid, they washed and dressed, then ate a quick breakfast and went to Wu Niang's place.
The room was brightly lit. Mother Jiang was sitting with a plump woman in her forties drinking tea. Seeing Qi Niang and Shiyi Niang, Mother Jiang stood up and introduced them: "This is the wife of Zhang Peiyun, the head of Honglu Temple."
I guess it was the person who was invited to comb Wu Niang's hair.
After they exchanged greetings, Qi Niang shouted, "Hey, why isn't Wu Niang here?"
Sui'er, who was holding tea for them, smiled and said, "I'm just about to take a bath!"
"Why is she so slow?" Qi Niang complained, "Be careful not to miss the auspicious time."
"No, no, no." Mrs. Zhang said with a smile, "The groom's sedan chair will be sent out at noon, so he won't be late until the evening. "
"You're here so late!" Qi Niang looked very surprised. "When Fourth Sister got married, I remember she sent her off early in the morning."
"Miss Seven's fourth sister is marrying far away, right?" Madam Zhang said with a smile, "If the bride is marrying far away, the bride's family usually sends the bride early in the morning. For someone like Mr. Qian, we all live in the same city and can arrive in just an hour, so naturally we can send the sedan chair later - just make sure he arrives at the auspicious time of 9:00!"
Qi Niang hummed and said, "My fourth sister married from Yuhang to Fuyang."
"That's it." Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "Every family is different."
Seeing that she was very familiar with all kinds of wedding etiquette, Qi Niang knew that she was a woman who often married wealthy women, so she started to talk to her in detail.
"…What about the journey? It's so far!"
"If we go by water, we can take off our wedding clothes and rest for a while after the sedan chair is on the boat. When we get there, the man's family will find a place for the woman's family to marry their daughter. When the auspicious time comes, we can just send the sedan chair and get married. If we go by land, the bride will have to work harder, because she will have to eat and sleep in the sedan chair..."
As they were talking, the eldest wife and the eldest grandmother came.
The eldest wife wore a royal blue jacket with a gourd-shaped double happiness pattern all over it today, while the eldest grandmother wore a bright red jacket with a hundred butterflies pattern all over it. They both looked refreshed.
Everyone stood up and greeted each other with a smile. Just as they sat down, Wu Niang came out of the bath.
There was a faint blush on her fair face, making her look very beautiful and charming.
"Wu Niang, you look so beautiful today." Qi Niang's praise made Wu Niang's eyes look a little shy.
She stepped forward and bowed to the eldest wife and grandmother.
The eldest wife looked at her with a smile, her expression very relieved: "In the blink of an eye, you are going to get married."
Wu Niang's eyes were a little moist.
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "This is a good thing!"
The eldest wife laughed when she heard this. She, accompanied by the eldest grandmother, burned incense, prayed to the ancestors, and then asked Madam Zhang to comb Wu Niang's hair.
The maids gathered Wu Niang and sat her down in front of the dressing table. Madam Zhang picked up the boxwood comb that she had prepared and combed her hair from head to toe. As she combed, she said auspicious words: "One comb to the end, two combs will make your hair white as eyebrows, three combs will make your children and grandchildren all over the ground." After the ceremony, she served Wu Niang glutinous rice balls with lily, red dates and lotus seeds.
Qi Niang whispered to Shiyi Niang and laughed, "Let's go get a bowl too."
"I see, you don't want to eat..." Eleventh Lady teased her.
Qi Niang poked Shiyi Niang with a red face, and Shiyi Niang smiled and avoided her. The eldest wife suddenly looked over.
The two of them stood up straight with a serious look.
Mrs. Zhang helped Wu Niang change into her wedding dress and comb her hair.
During this time, someone came to report to the first wife that the second and third wives had arrived.
The eldest wife went with the eldest grandmother to welcome them, and Qi Niang followed. After a while, she returned with the second and third wives. Shiyi Niang hurried forward to pay her respects to the two aunts, and everyone sat down with smiles to watch Wu Niang dress up.
Gradually, more people came and the house became noisy.
Wu Niang had finished dressing up and it was noon. Qi Niang and Shiyi Niang accompanied Wu Niang to eat in the house, while the others sat at the table in the outer room.
Qixi Niang and Shiyi Niang went to bed late and got up early. After dinner, they started yawning.
Wu Niang, however, was not sleepy at all. She kept asking Ziwei, "Have I found my pair of shoelaces embroidered with Magu's birthday greetings?" and "Where is my bright red and gold-embroidered handkerchief?" She looked very nervous.
Qi Niang was laughing beside her.
Wu Niang ignored her completely.
After a while, people who had finished their meal came back one after another, and Qi Niang took the opportunity to pull Shiyi Niang back to the house to rest: "...No one will notice anyway."
Eleventh Lady also felt tired, so the two of them fell asleep with their clothes on.
It was unknown how long it had been before Amber came over and called out to the two of them, "…the groom is here."
The two of them got up quickly, asked the maid to comb their hair again, and hurried to Wu Niang's place.
There were only a few scattered people in Wu Niang's room. Qi Niang was startled, and then Shiyi Niang heard a burst of loud laughter coming from outside.
She laughed and said, "I'm afraid they all went to the front to watch the fun."
Qi Niang nodded. Then she saw Zhuo Tao running in with an excited look on her face: "Miss, the master gave us ten riddles, saying that if you can pass them, the door will be opened, and if you can't, the door will not be opened. You are amazing, you answered them all in one go."
"Really, really." Before Wu Niang could say anything, Qi Niang became happy and pulled Shiyi Niang, "Let's go and take a look."
"It's better not to go!" Eleventh Lady said with a smile, "Since Fifth Brother-in-law has answered the question, the wedding party should be here soon..."
Qi Niang couldn't help but feel discouraged.
Zhuo Tao smiled and said, "Miss Qi, go ahead if you want to! I don't think this door will be open for a while."
Everyone in the room was startled.
Zhuo Tao covered her mouth and laughed: "The fourth uncle has come up again. This time he didn't give a riddle, but the Analects of Confucius. He asked the uncle to answer something like 'When three people walk together, there must be one who can be my teacher'..."
Wu Niang couldn't help but said anxiously: "Brother, why don't you keep your word?"
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Wu Niang's face turned red with shame.
Zhuo Tao said, "My son-in-law said so too. In the end, my master said that you have passed my level, but he didn't say that it was only my level!"
Qi Niang found this very interesting and she pulled Shiyi Niang out, saying, "Wu Niang, we'll go check it out for you!"
Eleventh Lady also found it interesting and followed Seventh Lady to the main courtyard.
I saw that the hanging flower door was closed, and there was a ladder next to the door. Yu Yiqing was standing on the ladder and answering someone outside.
"…You barely got this one right. Answer this one again. Governance is based on the Way, and the Way is based on virtue. Those who discuss governance in ancient and modern times must compromise with Confucius. Confucius told the King of Lu that governing is based on the Nine Classics, and the three virtues are the basis. Sima Guang of the Song Dynasty said: There are three great virtues for a ruler: benevolence, wisdom, and wisdom and martial arts. Does this agree with Confucius?"
"This is not a policy paper." As soon as Yu Zhiqing finished speaking, Luo Zhenxing was the first to jump out and object, "Change it!"
Yu Zhiqing burst out laughing and said to everyone, "See? I'm here to help."
There was laughter inside and outside the yard.
Someone shouted, "Mr. Qian, you must not let our master down."
"Don't worry, don't worry." Qian Ming's reply came from outside the door.
After everyone burst into laughter, they all quieted down and listened to Qian Ming's answer.
There was silence inside and outside the door.
Eleventh Lady noticed that Seventh Lady’s hands were clenched into fists.
After a long while, Qian Ming's clear and bright voice came slowly: "What is the great foundation? It is to gather it in the profound and subtle, and reach the intersection of all responses and feelings, to concentrate the mind in the dignified and quiet, and to be integrated without any gaps. What is the great opportunity? To examine the appropriateness of the times, and to push it forward at the time of fortune, to be inclusive and not to be accommodating; to foresee the profound and not to be too harsh; to take a comprehensive and arbitrary view, not to be too harsh; to observe the changes in the wonders of movement and stillness, yin and yang, and to adapt without leaving any trace is oneself..."
This is the standard policy answer.
Eleventh Lady was very surprised.
Qian Ming, you have real talent!
As Yu Zhiqing was testing him, the smile and joking on his face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn look, and Luo Zhenxing was listening attentively.
"…If you want to govern without basing it on virtue, then even if you have some facilities and buildings, they will fall into selfish tricks and be implemented without standards. How can you govern the country according to the principles of heaven and make everything peaceful and prosperous? If you cultivate virtue without using it according to opportunities, then even if you have some plans and wisdom, you will fall into prejudice and lack of knowledge…"
"Good!" Someone suddenly cheered loudly.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice.
Then I saw the master striding down the stairs with an excited look on his face.
"Even if I have built a house, I will still fall into selfish tricks. Even if I have made plans and considerations, I will still fall into prejudice and lack of knowledge!" He stopped in the middle of the courtyard and shouted, "Open the door and welcome my son-in-law from the Luo family!"
Everyone was stunned.
Luo Zhenxing said happily: "Quick, quick, open the door!"
The servant next to him understood and hurried to open the door.
Someone cried out, "I haven't received my red envelope yet!"
When everyone looked, it turned out to be Fifth Master Luo Zhenkai.
The whole yard was filled with laughter again, lively and cheerful.
* * * * * *
The eldest wife, who was sitting in the second room of the west wing waiting for her son-in-law to come and pay her respects, called Madam Xu, "Go, give her another 100 taels of silver."
Mother Xu understood and went to the inner room to open the box and took out a silver note for one hundred silver taels. Adding it to the previous forty taels, a total of one hundred and forty taels, she put it in a red envelope.
After drinking tea three times in the hall, Qian Ming went to pay his respects to the first wife.
The eldest wife smiled and gave him a red envelope, saying earnestly: "Wu Niang grew up under my lap since she was a child. I entrust her to you now. You must take good care of her."
Qian Ming, wearing a bright red wedding gown, was in high spirits. He knelt down respectfully and kowtowed three times to the first wife: "Don't worry, mother-in-law. I will definitely take good care of the fifth young lady."
The eldest wife nodded: "You must remember your words!"
Qian Ming nodded quickly: "I will never go against your words."
The protocol officer invited Qian Ming to the hall to greet everyone in the Luo family - no matter how old or young they were, he bowed respectfully.
Luo Zhenkai watched with his eyes rolling.
After the ceremony, according to the rules, the Luo brothers had to offer Qian Ming horse wine.
Luo Zhenxing had just picked up the wine glass when Luo Zhenkai appeared from somewhere.
He held up a large bowl and said, "Fifth Brother-in-law, I want to toast you too!" Then he raised his head and drank the whole thing, then told the servant beside him, "Go, follow Fifth Master's instructions and pour a bowl of wine for Fifth Brother-in-law."
The boy ran away immediately.
How could a little kid like him drink a bowl of wine like that? It was probably filled with water.
The master couldn't help but frown: "Nonsense!"
Luo Zhenkai was frightened and shrank behind Luo Zhenxing.
Qian Ming didn't care: "Grandpa is still in the cradle. Age doesn't matter when it comes to respect. Since my uncle offers me a drink, there's no reason for me not to drink."
As soon as he finished speaking, the servant came with a bowl of wine.
Qian Ming took it and drank it all without saying a word.
Luo Zhenkai was stunned.
The others cheered.
The matchmaker from the Qian family looked at him and immediately winked at Li Le.
He was well-informed in etiquette and music, so he knew everything. He beat drums and gongs and set off firecrackers, urging people to go and pick up the bride.
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Zhizhi wishes everyone a happy Chinese Valentine's Day! (*^__^*) Hehehe...