Even before that, Qiu Yan, along with her second uncle and aunt, had already meticulously decorated the newlywed courtyard at the Qiu family home.
Inside, bright red lanterns and colorful silks created a lively and bustling atmosphere.
Qiu Yan stayed at her parents' house last night.
Gu Qian, who was alone in his empty room, rushed to the Qiu residence and the room where Qiu Yan was at the crack of dawn.
Qiu Yan: Why are you here so early?
"Let's see if there's anything we can do to help." Gu Qian said, straightening the slightly crooked "double happiness" character on the side and reapplying the paste.
"Everything is ready, just waiting to welcome the bride." Qiu Yan stretched her arms.
These past few days, she's been so busy she's barely has time to breathe, and her mouth is dry from talking so much.
Gu Qian stepped forward and gently patted Qiu Yan's shoulder.
Qiu Yan felt much more relaxed because of his actions.
"Is Yin'er still well-behaved?"
"You're not being good at all. Yin'er cried all night because she couldn't see you, and she only just fell asleep this morning." Gu Qian recalled the scene from last night and really wanted to give this disobedient child a good scolding.
Unfortunately, it's too small.
"It's all your fault for spoiling Yin'er." Qiu Yan said helplessly.
Thank goodness they have children and a lot of maids.
Otherwise, if she were to manage everything by herself while also taking care of the business, she would truly be exhausted.
She now deeply understands the struggles of mothers who raise their children alone while also juggling work, not to mention the academic challenges they face as their children grow older.
Early in the morning, Jiang Liu's anxious voice rang out from the inner courtyard of the mansion. Qiu Yan and Gu Qian immediately came out of the house to greet their guests.
Jiang Liu: "You guys, hurry up, hurry up! Don't just stand there, bring out the candy and snacks..."
As Qiu's second aunt, Jiang Liu had been busy with Qiu Dafu for the past few days, handling all the details of Qiu Xu's wedding procession.
Qiu Dafu was making preparations for the wedding.
"In the blink of an eye, Ah Xu has grown up so much." Just like when Xiao Yan got married, he thought of his older brother and sister-in-law again.
"How old are we, Dafu? Don't forget, you're over forty." Jiang Liu smiled, her heart filled with sweetness.
Before they knew it, their three children were all grown up.
"Liu'er is still so young." Qiu Dafu smiled and stroked Jiang Liu's profile.
Jiang Liu shook her head. "I'm not young anymore."
Looking at her own appearance through Qiu Dafu's eyes, she was thirty-eight or thirty-nine years old. Although she had taken good care of herself, she was no longer the same as before.
"Liu'er is still very young." Qiu Dafu squeezed Jiang Liu's wrist.
"The guests are all waiting, let's go quickly."
Today, Qiu Jingyuan, as the elder brother, led his two younger sisters to welcome guests from afar within the mansion.
Qiu Ling'er and Zhou Zifang sat to the side, cracking melon seeds and discussing today's wedding banquet.
"This wedding banquet is truly wonderful, Ling'er. When we get married, let's have a similar lavish affair," Zhou Zifang said, as he put some freshly peeled melon seeds into Qiu Ling'er's mouth.
Qiu Ling'er chewed as she watched the joyous scene unfold at the Qiu residence.
"OK."
She smiled sweetly, then changed the subject...
"However, I haven't stayed at my parents' home much yet. Let's talk about marriage after I've had my fill of staying there."
“This…” Zhou Zifang shook his head repeatedly.
Seeing Qiu Xu get married, he also wanted to get married as soon as possible.
"Does Ling'er look down on me for not passing the imperial examination?"
"Have you ever taken the imperial examination?" Qiu Ling'er sighed, knowing that Zhou Zifang had been working tirelessly these past few days to achieve his dream of becoming a Jinshi.
She never told Zhou Zifang that she would only marry someone who had passed the imperial examination.
She simply prefers diligent students to spoiled brats.
For example, Zhou Zifang used to spend all his time not studying... uh, no,
Her brother Zifang was not entirely ignorant either.
His paintings received frequent praise from that venerable old man.
"Then why won't you marry me?" Zhou Zifang's voice was dejected, but his eyes shone with a clear light.
"I'll get married? Who said I wouldn't? I just want to stay at my parents' home a little longer." Qiu Ling'er genuinely missed the Qiu family mansion at this moment.
It's a new hospital, after all, and she's still feeling the novelty.
“It’s alright.” Zhou Zifang’s gentle eyes sparkled with starlight. “After we get married, I will live with you at the Qiu residence. Whenever you want to go home, we can go back together.”
"Okay." Qiu Ling'er agreed without hesitation. "It's a deal, no backing out."
"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!" Zhou Zifang was willing to do anything to win his sister's approval.
Qiu Ling'er nodded in satisfaction.
Zhou Zifang continued:
"Ling'er, I heard that your sister-in-law has a bit of a temper. You should try to be more patient with her in the future and avoid getting into conflicts with her."
He only found out later that Sun Wan had 'opinions' about his pestering Qiu Xu to help him with his studies and answer his questions.
Sun Wan isn't even married into the family yet, and she already cares about Qiu Xu, worried that he's overworking himself.
Zhou Zifang was so envious.
His little sister Ling'er is different.
Ling'er wanted to cultivate him into a diligent student, so she wished she could make him read the Four Books and Five Classics eight hundred times a day.
Thanks to his brilliant mind, he has already memorized the Four Books perfectly.
It's because he didn't read enough books, and the ever-changing nature of exams made him realize his shortcomings.
"My sister-in-law has a bad temper? I don't think so." Qiu Ling'er wasn't unfamiliar with Sun Wan.
She didn't think her sister-in-law had a bad temper.
Little did she know that Sun Wan had always kept a low profile in front of her.
After all, she was Qiu Ling'er's future sister-in-law, so Sun Wan tried her best to gain a good reputation in front of her.
As the suona horn sounded, Qiu Xu, dressed in a bright red wedding robe and accompanied by an eight-bearer sedan chair, headed towards the Sun residence, watched by his family.
At the Sun residence, beneath Sun Wan's veil, her beautiful cheeks were flushed with a delicate blush.
She gripped the handkerchief in her hand until it was damp with sweat.
"Qing'er, what time is it?"
"Miss, it'll be quick, don't rush." Qing'er, standing to the side, smirked.
She thought to herself, "Even her young lady gets this nervous sometimes?"
When the young lady got married, she, as a maid who accompanied her in the dowry, was also happy.
"Who said I was in a hurry?" Sun Wan said, her cheeks flushed, as she took small, light steps to ease her nervousness.
Suddenly, she heard the sound of a suona horn, which calmed her down, and she sat up straight on the bed.
Her deliberately serious demeanor made Qing'er unable to suppress a smile.
"The young master has arrived, Miss, it's time to get into the sedan chair..."
With a joyful shout from the matchmaker, Sun Wan got up again and, supported by Qing'er and the matchmaker, moved out of her room.
Outside the boudoir, Madam Sun's eyes were red, and she looked more serious than usual.
"Daughter, remember to come home and visit often in the future."
"Mother, I will," Sun Wan said softly.
Immediately afterwards, she was grabbed by the elbows by three concubines, each of them crying with tears streaming down their faces.
"Our Wan'er is getting married so soon, your aunt is so reluctant to let her go."
"Wan'er, your second aunt is also reluctant to part with you. Wan'er, once you enter the Qiu family, you must live in harmony, just like in our Sun family, and never quarrel with anyone."
"Have you remembered what Third Aunt said, Wan'er? From now on, without your mother and aunt to take care of you, you must take good care of yourself."
Sun Wan was deeply moved by her mother's and aunt's earnest words of advice.
Today is her wedding day, and while her family members have tears in their eyes, she hasn't cried once.
But at this moment, listening to her mother and aunts' admonitions, she wanted to cry, her eyes welling up with tears.
But because of a sudden remark from the second concubine,
"How about we have your second sister accompany you and marry into the Qiu family together?"
She held back her tears.
Third Aunt chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, Third Sister should also marry into the family. That way, Qiu Xu will definitely not dare to bully our Wan'er in the future."
"And then there are Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister. Once they all go to the Qiu family, they will all be Wan'er's family members."
Sun Wan's lips stiffened slightly.
Unexpectedly, several of her half-sisters, who were waiting outside to see if the bridal sedan chair was approaching, also came running over, echoing her sentiments.
"Eldest sister, your aunts' idea is wonderful. We will miss you so much."
Sun Wan kept rolling her eyelids.
However, her face was hidden under the bridal sedan chair, and no one could see it.
"Mother~~~" Sun Wan drawled, trying to get her mother to directly refuse the three concubines and five half-sisters.
Of course, the remaining three half-sisters were too young to participate.
Unexpectedly, Madam Sun's reply to her was...
“Wan’er, what your aunts said does make some sense.”
Sun Wan... her mind went blank.
Who are these people?
"Big brother, big brother, hurry up and carry me to the sedan chair. I don't want to stay in the Sun family anymore!"
After she finished speaking, she covered her mouth.
She regretted it terribly as soon as the words left her mouth.
Today is her wedding day, how can you say such things?
From afar, at the courtyard gate, Minister Sun, along with the Sun family sons—Sun Wan's elder brothers (her third and second, fourth, and fifth brothers)—hearing Sun Wan call out these words,
God knows how expressive their faces were.
Not to mention the rest of their relatives and friends.
They burst into laughter, while Madam Sun and her concubines and half-sisters exchanged bewildered glances.
They were just making a suggestion.
They then joined in with an awkward laugh.
Qiu Xu heard Sun Wan's joking words from afar, and his lips froze.
As he stepped out of the sedan chair, Sun Wan was already being carried closer by her elder brother.
Qiu Xu recovered from his stiff expression and first bowed deeply to the two elders of the Sun family.
"Greetings to my father-in-law and mother-in-law."
"My dear son-in-law, there's no need for such formalities." Minister Sun stepped forward to offer his assistance.
Tears glistened on Madam Sun's face.
"Qiu Xu, you are not allowed to treat Wan'er badly."
"Your son-in-law wouldn't dare," Qiu Xu replied respectfully.
Looking again at Sun Wan, she was already being carried onto the bridal sedan chair by her eldest brother.
Qiu Xu: Surprisingly, it has nothing to do with him?
"Qiu Xu, I'm entrusting my sister to you from now on. If you dare to bully her, the five of us brothers won't let you get away with it," the eldest brother of the Sun family said sternly.
Qiu Xu still respectfully clasped his hands in greeting:
"Remember this!"
The bridal sedan chair rose again, and Sun Wan sat in it, her face burning hot.
The embarrassment she felt earlier made her want to slap herself twice.
When the bridal sedan chair lands again,
Many people rushed to watch, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the bride's beautiful face.
Qiu Xu led Sun Wan into the courtyard, across the brazier,
They proceeded with the ritual of worshipping Heaven and Earth in an orderly fashion.
Because the two elders of the Qiu family passed away early, the elders worshipped at their memorial tablets.
Throughout the entire process, Qiu Yan and Gu Qian watched from the sidelines, smiling warmly as they watched Ah Xu and Miss Sun become husband and wife.
Qiu Dafu and Jiang Liu, Qiu Yumei and Zhao San, Qiu Dazhi, Qiu Jingyuan and his two younger sisters, and Zhao An and his two younger brothers and sisters-in-law all watched from the sidelines, rejoicing along with them.
During the observation, Qiu Yumei whispered a few words to Qiu Dazhi, and also made sure to whisper something to Zhao An and Zhao Yang.
"You two need to hurry up, especially you, An'an, you're three years older than A-Xu."
The two brothers exchanged a glance, and under Qiu Yumei's urging gaze, silently nodded, indicating that they would obey their mother's orders.
After the ceremony of paying respects to Heaven and Earth, the next step was to proceed as usual, including escorting the bride to the bridal chamber and having the guests offer toasts.
Qiu Xu was busy until night fell and the stars began to shine before he finally had the chance to enter the bridal chamber and lift Sun Wan's bright red veil.
The beautiful woman beneath the red veil had a rosy blush on her cheeks and glossy red lips, which made Qiu Xu's heart race. He couldn't help but cover his lips and give her a light kiss.
The touch was so soft it seemed to penetrate to the bone; Sun Wan blushed deeply, responding with both hands, and the two became entwined on the bed...
With the witness of their relatives and friends, Qiu Xu and Sun Wan officially became husband and wife.
In May of the same year, Qiu Ling'er and Zhou Zifang also became husband and wife as they had wished.
On the day of the wedding, Qiu Xu saw them off, and the Qiu family members were all reluctant to part with him.
Ever since her younger sister decided to marry Zhou Zifang, Qiu Yan had been investigating the matter.
She knew both Zhou Zifang and Zhou Shao, and after getting to know Zhou's mother, she readily agreed to the marriage.
In June of the same year, Zhao An and Zhao Yang got married one after the other...
After the baby's first birthday party, Qiu Yan and Gu Qian said goodbye to their second uncle and aunt and boarded the carriage back to Baiyang.
Having been away for a long time, they decided to go back and visit their master and mistress.
Accompanying them were several maids and servants, their child, and Gu Chengyin.
Of course, there's also He Jinran.
Qiu Dazhi also wanted to go back with them. He didn't want to return in glory, but at the very least, he wanted to see his fifth brother.
Over the years, his second and fifth brothers have been supporting him.
But unfortunately, I couldn't get away, so I had to give up the idea.
On the way, He Jinran was as excited as a child.
Little Chengyin was also in Qiu Yan's arms, babbling and waving her arms and legs excitedly.
Finally, Gu Qian hugged her tightly, and her little body instantly calmed down.
Because they had children, their journey was slow.
It wasn't until a morning in late autumn or early winter that they finally arrived in Huaiyuan.
Upon arriving in Huaiyuan, Qiu Yan decided to stay for a day, so she instructed the driver to take her to the Qiu residence in Huaiyuan.
After lunch, Qiu Yan and Gu Qian checked on their businesses one by one.
The next day, passing through Qingyun, Qiu Yan made a special stop for half a day.
Besides the Qiu residence in Qingyun, she also visited Lingxin Academy with Gu Qian.
And he also made a trip to a mountain temple.
Hearing that Master Vera had taken Apu away to preach for more than half a year and had not yet returned, she and Gu Qian devoutly prayed to Buddha and left the place.
After that, she checked Bai Yang's business in turn.
The two also went to Baiyang Xingyue Tower.
Of course, a meeting with my uncle was inevitable.
When Qiu Dayu saw his eldest niece, his sense of warmth doubled compared to before.
He pulled Qiu Yan aside and chattered on and on about the latest developments in his business.
Lu Jia listened with a smile, nodding occasionally.
Throughout the journey, He Jinran had nothing to do but hold and coax Gu Chengyin the whole way.
So much so that when little Chengyin saw him, she would babble and stretch out her arms for a hug.
After spending the night in Baiyang, on the third day, Lingnan Village was just around the corner. The feeling of returning home always brings joy.
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