According to the wedding customs of the Tang Dynasty, the groom is dressed in red and the bride in green. Today, the groom, Lu Wenshan, is dressed in red, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes. He rides a tall horse to greet the bride, and his every move has the air of a military general, which attracts the attention of the mountain spirits.
According to etiquette, the groom's family, led by the groom, will knock on the bride's door to urge her to get ready, while the bride's family will keep their doors tightly closed, meaning "our daughter is precious and not easily given away." At this time, the people brought by the groom's family come in handy, with dozens or even hundreds of people knocking on the door outside, urging the bride to get ready quickly.
More refined grooms would compose a "bridal poem" to urge the bride not to be shy and to hurry up and leave the house.
It was already a novelty for a mortal to marry a fox spirit, let alone to formally marry her and bring her home as his principal wife. This was the first time such a thing had ever happened, and many mountain spirits gathered here, watching the wedding procession and whispering among themselves:
"Look! What a tall and mighty young man! He's sure to be a good son-in-law. Old Hu has really found a good match for his Eleventh Daughter this time!"
"What a menacing aura! I dare not look, I dare not look—"
"Oh! Oh! The mortal young man is marrying the lady of the Hu family!"
"I think those two groomsmen are quite handsome and refined. Why don't you marry off your fox-girls along with them, Mr. Hu? Hahaha!"
The guests who came to the banquet were mostly mountain spirits and monsters, who acted boldly and were quite different from humans.
In front of the Hu family mansion, there was a strange-looking woman with scales on her head, a tree spirit with a hunched back but a baby face, and a ginseng spirit with white hair and beard but wearing a Taoist robe. But most of them were foxes dressed in clothes, waving their hands and shaking their heads like humans. No matter how you looked at them, they were bizarre.
Lu Wenshan, mounted on his horse, tightened his grip on the reins slightly and turned to look at his two close friends accompanying him:
"Xuancheng, Xuanbo, I'll have to trouble you two to go up and knock on the door for me, to welcome my new bride—"
The one called "Xuancheng" was none other than his close friend Wei Ying. Wei Ying was also from a prominent family. His father was Wei Shuyu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and his grandfather was Wei Zheng, one of the twenty-four meritorious officials who entered the Lingyan Pavilion.
The man whose courtesy name was "Xuanbo" also had an impressive background. He was Cheng Chumo, the son of the famous "mischievous devil" Cheng Yaojin. His mother came from the Cui family of Qinghe. He and Lu Wenshan grew up together and were as close as brothers.
“That’s easy. Brother Yuanqi is a man of deep affection and keeps his word. Today, as you are welcoming your sister-in-law into the family, we two will naturally do our part. Xuanbo has brought his household guards. If the bride refuses to come out, I will bring some men to knock on the door for you.”
Wei Ying was born with a pair of charming and amorous eyes, and his features were excessively delicate, even somewhat flamboyant upon closer inspection. His skin was pale with a sickly pallor, and there was always a faint smile on his lips. He was slender, but his demeanor exuded the casual and unrestrained air of a true scholar.
Cheng Chumo, on the other hand, was quite the opposite. Perhaps because he came from a family of military officers, although he was handsome with long, narrow eyes that shone like stars and sword-like eyebrows that almost reached his temples, he was not one to smile. He had broad shoulders, a wide waist and long legs, and a straight chest. With his head held high, he exuded a dignified and righteous aura.
“Yuanqi, marriage is a serious matter. Although you have made up your mind, I still want to ask you: are you really sure you want to marry... this Miss Hu?”
Cheng Chumo looked at the foxes of all sizes and couldn't help but frown: "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts. Are you really sure about this?"
As if remembering something, Lu Wenshan's eyes hardened, and a hint of tenderness flashed across his face:
"Of course, Eleven Niang is truly in love with me. We have long been in love and have sworn never to have any other thoughts. Even though she is a demon, she has never had any intention of harming people. I, Lu Wenshan, will marry no one but her, and she will marry no one but me."
"Oh dear, save your sour remarks for your sister-in-law!"
Wei Ying smiled and said to Cheng Chumo, "Everyone says that fox spirits are gentle, and Yuanqi and his sister-in-law's love is stronger than gold. Don't ruin today's good omen with your coffin-like face. You should quickly bring the guards to knock on the door!"
Seeing Lu Wenshan's resolute attitude, Cheng Chumo didn't say anything more. He whispered a few words to the servant on horseback, and the soldiers carrying the betrothal gifts and wild geese mustered their courage and called out loudly:
"Bride!"
"Bride!"
"The bride is leaving!"
They were all young and vigorous martial artists, and their shouts grew louder and louder until they scared away some of the lesser monsters, who dared not look any further.
"Squeak—"
The gates of the Hu residence were wide open, and Hu Silang, transformed into human form, greeted them with a group of nieces, all smiling broadly.
"My new son-in-law has arrived! Come in quickly and join me for the feast!"
A group of beautiful women joined in, creating a lively atmosphere. Lu Wenshan quickly dismounted, and the family was very affectionate.
Upon hearing this, Wei Ying's face fell, and he complained to Cheng Chumo in a low voice, "I hope it's not some kind of raw flesh and blood food, I'm doomed!"
"Shut up, who told you to get all carried away by the mention of a beautiful woman?"
Cheng Chumo kept a blank face, feeling a little uneasy inside.
I've been to quite a few wedding banquets, but I've never been to a mountain spirit banquet before. I wonder if what they'll serve up later is some raw meat and bones?
...
...
There was quite a commotion in the front yard, and Xu Milu could hear the knocking from the kitchen door.
"How lively! Madam Xu, let's go to the front for a drink after we're done with our work."
Thirteen Sister was busy scaling the fresh fish and frying it in a pot until it was set and set aside. Hearing the commotion outside, she couldn't help but laugh.
Xu Milu was placing a full plate of boiled eggs onto the cutting board:
"What's the point of drinking? We should be entertaining your new son-in-law first. Eighteenth Sister, are the ducks and chickens ready? Make sure to singe off all the fine downy feathers with fire, otherwise they won't taste good. The lamb trotters need to be braised for a while longer. The pork hock can be served first. Set the cooked yams and taro aside for now, don't overcook them—"
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