"Quickly move all these tables and chairs to the threshing ground. Four tables will suffice in the yard."
"Is the tablecloth laid out? Is it bright red?"
"The bowls and chopsticks are all neatly set out! Don't try to save time by leaving them scattered around; make sure they're tidy!"
"A new family has arrived in the village? Oh dear! You there! Go and inform your matriarch and the others!"
On this joyous occasion, the person who should have been helping out at home was Liu Shi, the wife of the family.
But Liu is currently serving as a wet nurse in the city and says she has no time to come back. We can't expect Yue Jiuyue to take care of things herself, can we? She is a ninth-rank Jade Lady! So, this heavy responsibility fell on the shoulders of the eldest grandson's wife of a clan elder.
Lin Village Chief's daughter, Wang, wanted to take on the task, but she had no daughter-in-law and was an elder. How could she possibly compete with a younger person for the job?
Little Wang could only stand aside and enjoy the lemonade, which was bubbling away.
Yue Jiuyue was truly relaxed now that she was free. All her previous tension had vanished. After all, her niece-in-law had taken care of everything, and she was just waiting for the young couple to bow to her. What was there to be nervous about?
The wedding ceremony was held in Lin Chaobei's courtyard on Dongling Mountain. When Yue Jiuyue heard that the groom had brought the bride, she immediately sat up straight on the chair to the right of the table opposite the door of the main room, head held high, chest out, stomach in, buttocks tucked in, knees together, hands folded on her lap, and a kind smile on her face...
She vaguely saw Lin Chaobei dismount from his tall horse at the gate, saw him shoot three arrows at the sedan chair, and then saw him lead the bride, whose head was covered with a red veil, across the brazier with a red silk ribbon in his hand, and then they came into the main hall together.
The officiant was the old clan chief, making this the first such wedding in the village among the grandchildren.
"First bow to Heaven and Earth! Second bow to the parents! Husband and wife bow to each other! Then escort them to the bridal chamber!"
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Yue Jiuyue breathed a sigh of relief.
The wedding was finally over, and she no longer needed to put on airs.
Sitting with your back straight all the time is also very tiring.
Fortunately, it will only last a short while.
The same dishes were served to the bride, but all were in small portions, so Yue Jiuyue went to eat without worry.
She could eat at her son's feast twice more!
In the countryside, feasts are always served in basins, and Yue Jiuyue's feast was definitely the most lavish in the village. Not to mention that her family also raised various livestock and poultry, there was absolutely no shortage of meat, such as pork knuckles, pork trotters, roasted lamb chops, stewed goose, braised pork, roast duck, chicken soup...
Even the refreshing cucumber salad contains chicken breast; not a single dish is entirely vegetarian.
"These are all hearty dishes!"
The villagers were astonished.
Who would dare to go through all this trouble at home for a family event? How much money must that cost!
Oh, Yue Jiuyue's family raises a lot of poultry and livestock, so they don't lack meat.
But to host a banquet for the whole village, with more than a dozen dishes on the table, all of them high-end dishes, this is just too extravagant!
"I heard that although the bride price was only one tael of silver, Chao Bei's mother bought a whole set of silver jewelry for the bride from a jewelry shop!"
Some well-informed women whispered gossip to the people around them.
"Really? A whole set?! How much would that cost?!"
Some people couldn't help but show a pained expression, as if they were the ones who spent so much money.
"He's a ninth-rank scholar, some kind of jade scholar, and he's been rewarded with a lot of money and gifts by the emperor. Do you think he'd be short of ten or eight taels of silver?"
"Even without mentioning the emperor's reward, they still own several shops and so much land. How could they not earn a few taels of silver?"
As the group listed them off one by one, the person who was feeling the pinch couldn't help but agree:
"That's true."
Yue Jiuyue's family is rich and can make money, which is something that no other family in the village can compare to, and is something that they simply cannot compare to.
Before long, people couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
"Oh, by the way, I heard Chao Dong's wife hasn't come back yet?"
"It seems so. We haven't seen her all day."
"If she were at home, would we need anyone else to take care of these things?"
"Sigh! My brother-in-law didn't even come back for his wedding. I wonder what kind of lucrative business she's been doing!"
"What?! I heard it means being a wet nurse for rich families' children, basically breastfeeding their babies!"
"Oh my goodness! They need someone else to nurse this baby? This wealthy family, really, I don't know what to say!"
"I've heard that's how it is in wealthy families!"
"I don't understand!"
"I don't understand either!"
...
Another topic has come to an end.
While they were talking, they were stuffing meat into their mouths and talking about the bride.
"I heard the bride is sixteen or seventeen this year. Luckily, we've exempted taxes here for the past two years, otherwise..."
"Otherwise, she wouldn't have found such a good husband's family!"
"No, it's nothing! I'm thinking that in a couple of years, when one of my family members is a little older, I'll have them meet and see who's the best match!"
"Your niece is only a few years old, still a child! Are you planning to make Chaonan and Chaobei wait for more than ten years?"
"Oh right, there's also one facing south! Why is facing south placed after facing north? Is there some unspeakable problem with it?"
"It doesn't look like it..."
"Some people may look big and burly on the surface, but their 'thing' is actually useless. Isn't that what so-and-so from so-and-so's family is like?"
"Huh? How did you know?"
"It was all because of what that person said..."
...
The topic has successfully veered off course.
A group of old women gathered together, gossiping about this and that, even discussing erotic topics with great enthusiasm. I wonder where they got all that gossip from.
This is how it is on women's desks; it's even more unrestrained on men's desks.
Especially after today's groom, Lin Chaobei, came out.
"Come on, come on, the groom is out! Hurry up and toast everyone!"
The young men of his generation immediately gathered a group of people, preparing to get the groom, whom everyone envied, drunk.
"Groom, come on, let's have a drink, brothers!"
"Groom, I wish you a son soon! Come on, let's have a drink!"
Everyone was trying to get Lin Chaobei drunk, putting a lot of pressure on Lin Chaodong and Lin Chaonan, who were helping to fend off the drinks. They drank like water, and on this joyous day, the two brothers were completely exhausted, vomiting again and again.
However, in order for their fourth son's wedding night to proceed smoothly, they would drink the wine as if it were poison, even if the wine in their cups was poison!
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