Chapter 24 Getting Married
Before the morning light had even reached the vermilion window frames of the Gu family home, a warm yellow light had already illuminated Gu Jinzhao's bedroom.
A brand-new bright red wedding dress was placed in front of the dressing table. The twin lotus flowers embroidered with gold thread shone softly under the lamplight. Next to it, a shawl with pearl tassels hung down, making a soft rustling sound at the slightest touch.
Gu Jinchao sat on the embroidered stool in front of the mirror, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the hem of her dress. Thinking of the person she was to marry today, her cheeks involuntarily flushed, and even the tips of her ears turned pink.
"Miss, the veiled maid has arrived."
Caifu lifted the curtain and led in a nanny dressed in blue cloth and carrying a lacquer box.
The nanny was specially invited by Chen Xuanqing. She was skilled at styling bridal makeup. The lacquer box in her hand contained rouge, face powder, and a peach wood comb for combing hair, each item exuding exquisiteness.
Just as Gu Jinchao was about to get up, he saw Madam Ji walk in carrying a bowl of red date and longan soup. Her face was full of smiles, but her eyes were slightly red.
She handed the soup bowl to her daughter, her voice choked with emotion: "Jinzhao, drink some soup to warm yourself up. You'll be busy all day."
Gu Jinchao took the soup bowl, his fingertips touching the warm porcelain, and his heart felt warm too.
She sipped her soup, watching her mother sit beside her. She reached out and gently stroked her mother's hair, her gesture filled with reluctance and relief: "Jinchao, your mother is so happy... You have found such a good man as Xuanqing. From now on, someone will love and protect you, and your mother will be at ease."
As she spoke, tears fell from Ji's eyes, dripping onto the back of Gu Jinzhao's hand, still warm.
She took her daughter's hand and gently stroked the back of her hand with her fingertips.
These hands have been pampered since childhood. Now they are going to be the young mistress of the Chen family and have to learn to manage household affairs. I wonder if they will be wronged.
Gu Jinchao put down the soup bowl, took her mother's hand in return, and said softly, "Mother, don't cry. Xuanqing treats me well, and I won't suffer any injustice."
She paused, then, remembering Gu Jinrong who was still studying, added, "Now that my daughter is married, you don't need to worry about me all the time. You should teach Jinrong well from now on. He's still young and has a wild personality, so you should keep a close eye on him and make sure he doesn't hang out with those spoiled brats anymore. Also, keep him away from Aunt Song and her daughter."
She also wanted to say that this trip to Jiangnan was probably a trap set by Aunt Song and her daughter. However, she didn't say it out loud for fear of worrying Madam Ji.
Hearing her daughter say this, Madam Ji couldn't help but laugh, wiping away her tears with her handkerchief: "You, you're about to get married, and you're still thinking about your younger brother. Don't worry, your mother knows what to do. Jinrong is just spoiled by me. I will discipline him properly from now on and I will never let him embarrass you."
The nanny, who was cleaning up the mess, smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Madam, please rest assured. The young lady is so sensible, and Young Master Chen dotes on her. Her future days will surely be peaceful and happy. Let's do the young lady's makeup first; it's almost time."
Gu Jinchao nodded and sat back down in front of the mirror.
The old woman picked up a peach wood comb and gently combed her long hair. The black strands flowed between the comb teeth and gradually formed an exquisite bun.
Sitting to the side, as she watched her daughter's face gradually turn red from the rouge, tears welled up in her eyes again.
The magpies outside the window chirped even more merrily, and the morning light made the bright red wedding dress in the bedroom even brighter.
Just as Gu Jinchao had finished having her phoenix crown styled by the nanny, she heard light footsteps outside the door, accompanied by women's laughter.
Aunt Du and Aunt Guo, along with their several half-sisters, entered with smiles, carrying exquisite brocade boxes.
"Oh my, it's only been a short while, and our bride is already so beautiful that we can hardly recognize her!" Aunt Du stepped forward first, her gaze falling on the phoenix crown on Gu Jinchao's head, her eyes full of admiration.
She carried a gilded brocade box, which, when opened, revealed a golden hairpin adorned with kingfisher feathers, its pearls swaying gently with her movements. "This is a dowry gift that your Aunt Guo and I specially chose for you. Do you like it?"
Aunt Guo also stepped forward with a smile, handing over the brocade box in her hand. Inside was a pair of mutton-fat jade bracelets, which were bright white and translucent. She handed them to Gu Jinchao.
Aunt Du held Gu Jinchao's hand and patted it gently, her tone full of sincerity, "Jinchao, we aunts are so happy for you that you've married so well."
The two half-sisters also gathered around. The youngest, Gu Xi, held a small brocade pouch and tiptoed to hand it to Gu Jinchao, her voice soft: "Eldest sister, this is a peace charm I embroidered. Carry it with you and it will protect you on your journey and keep you safe and sound in the Chen family."
Gu Jinchao took the brocade pouch, his fingertips touching the plump cotton inside and the embroidered words "Peace," and his heart instantly felt warm.
"Thank you, Auntie, and thank you, Sister."
Gu Jinchao carefully placed the amulet into the lapel of her wedding dress. "With your thoughtfulness, I feel much more at ease."
Sitting to the side, Madam Ji watched as Aunt Du and Aunt Guo sincerely added to her daughter's dowry, and as the concubine's daughters chattered around her, her smile deepened.
"Jinchao must be very happy that you came to add to her dowry. After Jinchao marries into the Chen family, you sisters should visit each other often and keep in touch."
"Don't worry, Madam, we know," Aunt Du replied with a smile, then turned to Gu Jinchao and said, "If you suffer any grievances in the Chen family in the future, or if you want to go back to your parents' home, just send someone to let us know. We're all here for you."
Aunt Guo nodded in agreement: "Yes, although the Chen family is a prominent family, our Gu family is not easy to bully. Just live your life in peace, we and Madam will support you."
The laughter and chatter in the bedroom hadn't even faded when a sharp, cutting voice suddenly came from the doorway, like a shard of ice, instantly freezing the warmth of the room.
Aunt Song, supported by Gu Lan's hand, walked in slowly. She wore a light purple jacket embroidered with intricate intertwined floral patterns, but it couldn't hide the coldness in her eyes.
She glanced at the kingfisher feather hairpin in Aunt Du's hand, then at the jade bracelet that Aunt Guo had handed over, and a mocking smile appeared on her lips: "Oh, Aunt Du, are you bringing out all your hidden treasures? You dare to say you're backing Jinzhao up?"
She took two steps forward, her contempt undisguised, "If Jinzhao really falls out with the Chen family one day, let alone a mere concubine like you, even our entire Gu family might not be able to withstand the Chen family's power. Trying to put on a brave face without considering your own capabilities is truly overestimating yourself."
Aunt Du's face turned pale instantly, but she didn't dare to refute—Although Aunt Song was also a concubine, she had always been more confident than them in the mansion because of Gu Lan and Gu Dezhao's favor, and she often liked to nitpick.
Aunt Guo couldn't stand it anymore. "Aunt Song, today is Jinchao's big day. Everyone is here to offer their congratulations and help with the wedding. Why say such unlucky things?"
"I'm just stating the facts," Aunt Song snorted, her gaze falling on Gu Jinchao. Looking at the phoenix crown on her head and the wedding dress on her body, the resentment in her eyes was almost overflowing. "Jinchao is fortunate to marry into the Chen family, but she has to be able to keep her fortune. What kind of family is the Chen family? They are high-ranking officials in the cabinet, and their rules are very strict. Don't do anything wrong and implicate the Gu family, and also lose face for yourself."
Gu Lan stood behind Aunt Song, her eyes fixed on Gu Jinzhao's wedding dress, her nails digging deep into her palms.
She was wearing a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), a color she used to love, but now found it glaring.
She gritted her teeth and echoed, "Auntie is right. Eldest sister, you must be careful in everything you do after you marry into the Chen family. Don't break the Chen family's rules, and don't let others laugh at our Gu family for not raising our daughter well."
Sitting to the side, Madam Ji's face had already darkened. She hadn't expected that Concubine Song and her daughter would deliberately cause trouble on her daughter's wedding day and say such discouraging things. She immediately said coldly, "Concubine Song, today is a good day for Jinchao. If you're here to add to the dowry, then show some sincerity. If you're here to stir up trouble, then please leave. The Gu family cannot tolerate someone as ill-mannered as you!"
Gu Jinchao gently twirled the gold tassels on her wedding dress with her fingertips. Aunt Song's barbed words just now felt like a thorn stuck in her heart, but she kept them firmly under control.
She looked up at Aunt Song, her eyes no longer gentle as before, but sharp and clear. Her tone remained calm, but the sharpness in her words was unmistakable: "Thank you for the 'reminder,' Aunt Song. However, Xuanqing has treated me very well, and Old Madam Chen often says that I have a good temperament and am fit to enter the Chen family. In the days to come, I will definitely do my duty in the Chen family and not disappoint my mother and the Gu family. I will also not trouble Aunt and Second Sister to worry about me like this."
As she spoke, her gaze shifted to Gu Lan, whose face was ashen, and a faint, mocking smile curled at the corner of her lips: "Now that I've married into the Chen family, I've achieved my wish. Instead of wasting your energy on me, Aunt, you should be planning your second sister's marriage—after all, I've married a top scholar and entered the Grand Secretary's mansion. My second sister has excelled in everything since childhood, so how could she condescend to marry into an ordinary family? If she marries an ordinary woman, people will inevitably say that the second daughter of the Gu family is not as fortunate as her elder sister, wouldn't that be a disgrace to her?"
These words were like a slap in the face, landing hard on Gu Lan's cheek.
She was already filled with jealousy because Gu Jinchao had married well, and now that her sore spot had been hit, she was so angry that she trembled all over. Pointing at Gu Jinchao, her voice even changed tone: "You! Gu Jinchao, don't go too far! Who asked you to pretend to be kind and worry about my marriage!"
Aunt Song never expected Gu Jinchao to be so sharp-tongued. He used to seem so clever, but today he seemed like a completely different person, deliberately picking on the sore spots of the mother and daughter.
She quickly grabbed Gu Lan, her eyes turning sinister as she looked at Gu Jinzhao: "Jinzhao, you're already so sharp-tongued just before you get married. I'm afraid you won't be able to tolerate anyone in the Chen family! Don't think that everything will be fine just because you married Xuanqing. The Chen family has strict rules, and it's not a place where you can run wild!"
"Auntie is joking."
Gu Jinchao raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone even more sarcastic, "I've been in the Gu family for so many years, and what I've learned is 'propriety.' I would never lose my composure in the Chen family. But Aunt, today is my wedding day, and you've brought my second sister here to say such unlucky things. If word gets out, people will only say that the Gu family's aunt doesn't know the rules, and my second sister will also get a reputation for being 'jealous,' which will only delay her marriage. Aunt, you're trying so hard to 'think of my second sister,' but I hope you don't end up doing something bad."
Sitting to the side, Mrs. Ji watched her daughter handle the situation calmly, feeling both surprised and delighted.
In the past, I always worried that Jinzhao was spoiled and would suffer injustice in the Chen family. But now it seems that she is no longer the little girl who can be manipulated by others.
She spoke at the opportune moment, her tone carrying a hint of authority: "Alright, today is a joyous occasion for Jinchao, so stop with the idle chatter. If Aunt Song does not wish to stay and offer her congratulations, please leave, lest you become an eyesore here."
Aunt Song was speechless, looking at the composure in Gu Jinchao's eyes and then at Madam Ji's cold face, she knew that staying any longer would only make things more awkward.
She glared at Gu Jinchao, then grabbed the still trembling Gu Lan and practically flung the curtain away.
The bedroom was finally quiet again.
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