Chapter 3 Getting Married
The next morning, a large group of maids and servants, led by the third wife whose daughter was not yet married, arrived at Yuehe Garden in a grand procession. They brought gorgeous wedding dresses, various cosmetics and jewelry, obviously for Zhong Cai's dressing up.
The head of the Zhong family also arrived, followed by many servants, carrying a full 120 loads of betrothal gifts from the Wu family.
Zhong Cai had already gotten up and was drinking tea with her adoptive father in the main courtyard, waiting for him. All the women from her father's backyard and all the unmarried children from the fourth branch of the family had also arrived.
Upon seeing the visitor, Zhong Cai stood up to greet him.
The head of the Zhong family first handed Zhong Cai two indentures, and said with a smile, "These are the death contracts of servants that we promised you. See if you are satisfied with them? If you are not satisfied, we can still change them for you." As he spoke, he beckoned.
Immediately, two ordinary-looking young men stepped forward and bowed to Zhong Cai.
Zhong Cai glanced at it and knew it wouldn't be too good or too bad, so he put away the indenture, said "Thank you, patriarch," and instructed, "Zhong Da, it's yours now."
With his command, a dull-looking man emerged from the shadows—these guards, assigned to the direct line according to custom, usually only had yellow-grade aptitude. Their cultivation speed was similar, and they could only appear in public when they reached the twelfth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm. They were generally over fifty years old and were named by the direct line they followed.
Zhong Da, along with his two servants, disappeared into a corner.
·
Seeing that Zhong Cai didn't nitpick about the servants under the contract, the head of the Zhong family smiled and handed Zhong Cai a list, saying, "This is the betrothal gift list. Please count it."
Zhong Cai didn't stand on ceremony; after glancing at the form, she went to check it.
From the very first lift, after verifying each item, they were put into different mustard bags, their movements quite efficient.
Zhong Qiao'er, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but say, "You're really checking this so carefully? Do you think someone's going to steal your 'betrothal gifts'?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "betrothal gifts," partly out of jealousy—the gifts had just arrived, and were actually quite substantial. Many members of the Zhong family had seen the dowry list, and after a rough estimate, their value was at least 500,000 gold coins, with many priceless treasures. Admittedly, the seventh wife of the Zhong family had learned that the Wu family's betrothal gifts wouldn't be much, but what the Wu family considered a "gift" was different from what many in the Zhong family thought, especially for the younger generation; it was truly quite generous.
You should know that in the past, the most dowry the Zhong family's daughters received when they got married was only around 50,000. This is ten times that! Although the three top-ranking Xuan-grade legitimate daughters still do not want to get married, they are still envious of the dowry.
The other, less talented, direct descendants of the Zhong family who came along were even more envious.
If only I had known...
Unfortunately, it's too late now.
·
Zhong Cai secretly curled her lip.
Zhong Qiao'er is really spouting nonsense; of course he needs to verify it. Who knows what kind of situation he'll face after going to the Wu family? How can he not make plans beforehand?
However, she couldn't say that to outsiders. Zhong Cai first pretended to explain, "Only by checking it clearly in front of everyone can we show the patriarch's impartiality and prevent some ignorant scoundrels from making up stories." Then, without giving Zhong Qiao'er any face, she raised an eyebrow and said, "My cousin is already of marriageable age. Don't you understand this simple principle? And your tone is so strange. Are you regretting it?"
The head of the Zhong family smiled and did not reprimand Zhong Cai. He simply instructed her kindly, "The Wu family members are waiting outside. Get everything ready. Cai'er is almost done checking. Don't make sure he's still waiting for you."
The ladies quickly directed their maids and servants, keeping them busy as bees.
Everyone understood that the patriarch was happy to let Zhong Cai check the list, as public confirmation would prevent future trouble. Even though the list contained a considerable amount of items, several hundred thousand gold coins were only equivalent to a few dozen Xuanzhu pearls, not even enough for their Zhong family patriarch to buy a single pill. The patriarch wouldn't stoop to embezzling anything for these items; allowing inspection made him appear more open and honest. On the contrary, Zhong Qiao'er's earlier remark was fussy and annoying.
Zhong Qiao'er quickly understood, shut her mouth, and silently shrank back.
Zhong Cai was fairly satisfied with checking the items and putting them into different mustard seed bags. He thanked the head of the Zhong family again and bowed to the ladies, saying, "Aunties, are you all ready? It's time for your nephew to put on his makeup."
Everyone: "..."
Isn't this a bit too eager to get married?
Zhong Cai smiled broadly, but she was actually quite anxious inside.
What are you all standing there for? Hurry up, his buddy must be feeling really bad right now. How can we leave that guy alone like this?
·
In order not to keep the Wu family's wedding party waiting for too long, the ladies were quite efficient and had dressed Zhong Cai up in a completely new way in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.
The situation was urgent, and there was no time to prepare a wedding dress for a man. Zhong Cai was dressed in a bright red women's gown, adorned with many precious jewels and of an extremely beautiful design. However, perhaps because Zhong Cai was a man, his makeup was not heavy, and the jewelry was simply used as embellishment, only adding a little luster to him.
Zhong Cai stood in front of a dressing mirror as tall as herself, twirled around, and her skirt fluttered. It fit her well, and she looked quite good in it. He simply waved his hand and said, "Come on, put the veil on too."
The ladies: "..."
I've really learned something new. Not only do you not get angry about wearing women's skirts, but you seem to like them?
Zhong Cai took the veil from the maid and covered her face with it.
Tsk, so what if he's a cross-dresser? What's the big deal?
Hurry up and get to work, you're all so slow!
·
The Wu family wasn't exactly kind, but they weren't particularly mean either.
The person sent to propose marriage and accompany the bride is Wu Shao'an, a direct descendant of Wu Shaogan, who is the closest to Wu Shaogan by blood. The two not only belong to the same direct lineage but also share the same direct ancestor, and their respective fathers are even born of the same mother.
Besides the Wu family representative, there were five or six powerful stewards. Wu Shaogan himself did not appear because the destruction of his companion treasure had impacted his soul, leaving him extremely weak and unable to even stand for long, let alone come in person.
At this moment, Wu Shao'an sat in the main hall, holding a teacup, listening with a warm expression to the polite conversation of the Zhong family elders who remained there.
Meanwhile, the Wu family also learned that the person to marry Wu Shaogan this time was not one of the three proud daughters, but a direct descendant, a young man with poor aptitude, who was said to be very fond of Wu Shaogan and willing to give everything for him.
Manager He looked angry and was about to start criticizing him.
However, Wu Shao'an stopped him.
For Wu Shao'an, it would be a waste for a girl with top-tier potential to marry Wu Shaogan. He would much rather take them into his own harem and have them bear him outstanding offspring.
This Steward He works in the Ninth House, where Wu Shaogan came from, and is a confidant of Wu Shaogan's mother, Yang Jingfei. He is also considered Yang Jingfei's representative on this trip.
Although he did not argue with Wu Shao'an in front of outsiders when he was stopped, his expression was very unpleasant.
Wu Shaoan calmly said, "Manager He, please calm down. As the saying goes, forced fruit is not sweet. What you need most right now is a willing heart."
Manager He paused for a moment.
Indeed, although he was heartbroken, he understood that the deposed young master was not a good match, and it was naturally difficult for anyone to accept it willingly. It was also uncertain how useful the Zhong family's Xuan-grade treasures would actually be. However, compared to reluctance, willingness held a greater chance of acceptance.
Even so, the fact that only one of the Zhong family's many eligible direct descendants was willing to marry a woman of the lowest rank still made Steward He very unhappy.
Manager He sneered and mocked, "Young Master Shao'an is right. In our Young Master Shao'an's eyes, there is no difference between Xuan-grade and low-grade."
These words made the Zhong family elders somewhat embarrassed.
However, the Zhong family was indeed unwilling to give away their top-tier Xuan-grade daughters. No matter how good the reasons they came up with sounded, they were just that—sounds. Who couldn't guess the real reason behind it? It's one thing for things to look good on the surface, but it's normal for some people to feel uncomfortable.
If you get a few sarcastic remarks, you can only endure them.
·
Zhong Cai walked out of the room dressed in gorgeous clothes, stepping across the threshold with a red veil on her head. With her slightly slender figure, she looked exactly like a "beautiful bride".
As more and more people entered the main courtyard, they all gasped in shock upon seeing him.
The other wives and concubines couldn't help but look at the people from the fourth branch of the family, whispering amongst themselves in surprise:
"Are all the brothers in your four branches like this?"
"She looks just like a delicate young woman! It doesn't seem out of place at all."
"If I hadn't seen him go in to get dressed, I would have thought some of my sisters were actually getting married!"
The men and women of the four households didn't even have time to feel ashamed or angry—they never expected this!
Although they all share the same father, Zhong Cai was born late, and most of them are much older than him. Those who are closer to his age are all being cared for by their mothers and have hardly ever spent any time with Zhong Cai, nor do they know anything about his personality.
Looking at it now...
His attitude was far too natural!
Everyone felt a little strange.
·
Zhong Cai couldn't see anything, but he felt a man with a strong presence approach him and hand him a box.
He felt a sense of closeness, as if connected by blood, emanating from the box, and he immediately understood that this was the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit he was to take to the Wu family.
The person who delivered the box was undoubtedly his adoptive father.
After all, besides himself, only his own father could help Zhong Cai harvest the Soul-Stabilizing Fruit.
Sure enough, Zhong Guanlin's kind voice rang out, carrying earnest instructions: "Little Liu, take your things safe, live a good life, and remember to come back and visit your father often when you have time."
Zhong Cai held the box tightly, bowed slightly, and said in a clear voice, "Your son bids farewell to Father. Please rest assured, Father."
Zhong Guanlin gently patted Zhong Cai's shoulder, still feeling a little sad.
A married son is like water spilled from a bowl; from now on, he belongs to the Wu family. Whether he lives a good or bad life, it all belongs to the Wu family.
·
Zhong Cai, on the other hand, wasn't sad at all; in fact, she felt that time was passing very slowly.
Surrounded by many members of the Zhong family, Zhong Cai pushed aside the maid who was trying to help him and walked out with the crowd.
They moved really fast.
Everyone: "..."
The Zhong family members who were accompanying the bride quickly caught up with him and told him about the wedding procession.
Zhong Guanlin looked at his son, who was eager to get married, and stroked his chin.
Sure enough, Xiao Liu is just like him; once he makes a decision, he's that decisive.
·
A series of tinkling sounds and footsteps came from outside the lobby.
Wu Shao'an put down his teacup and looked up to see a young man in a wedding dress striding in, followed by a group of people, creating a lively scene.
However, since the boy was wearing a veil, he couldn't see what the other person looked like.
Wu Shao'an paused for a moment, then stood up and said with a smile, "This must be your future 'sister-in-law,' nice to meet you."
Zhong Cai turned to Wu Shao'an, her attitude completely frank: "Nice to meet you, but the situation is urgent right now, and I want to see my future husband as soon as possible. Please don't take offense, future cousin." This idiot's words were tinged with sarcasm; did he have a problem with his friend? It was really annoying.
Wu Shao'an's smile froze slightly.
Manager He was taken aback, and his gaze softened somewhat.
Wu Shao'an stood up and said, "Since we're all ready, let's go. Let's get back sooner so we can treat Shao Gan's injuries as soon as possible."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw that Zhong Cai seemed to lean forward slightly, as if she was looking forward to it... He simply stopped talking and gestured to the other members of the Wu family.
Steward He hesitated for a moment, then said to the Zhong family, "We didn't know it was a young master before, so we prepared a sedan chair. Now that the auspicious time hasn't arrived, we can go and change it to a decorated carriage..."
When Steward He first learned that the top-tier Xuan-level prodigy had been replaced with a low-grade aptitude youth, he was furious and had no intention of rearranging the details of the marriage. However, he now had a good impression of Zhong Cai, so he made this suggestion.
Wu Shao'an said, "Manager He, it's best not to keep Shao Gan waiting."
Manager He was instantly enraged.
Zhong Cai smiled and said in a clear voice, "Thank you for your kindness, Steward He. I also want to see Young Master Shao Gan as soon as possible."
Manager He felt relieved, and his brows relaxed. He thought that although Zhong Cai's aptitude was a bit lacking, he had a good character, was open-minded and generous, and might not be bad to send him to the current young master. If he had previously said that "there is no difference between Xuan-grade and Mo-grade" to satirize the Zhong family, then now he felt that Mo-grade Zhong Cai was indeed better than the Zhong family's so-called Xuan-grade ones.
Wu Shao'an was not in a good mood.
Manager He smiled and said, "Then we should not delay. Your wedding party will come with me."
The head of the Zhong family was also very satisfied with Zhong Cai's performance, and at this moment he smiled and replied, "Please."
·
Although there weren't many members of the Wu family who entered the Zhong residence, there were many attendants outside, quietly waiting while guarding an extremely ornate bridal sedan chair.
A crowd of townspeople had already gathered a short distance away, watching intently. However, the Zhong family was only a second-rate family in the city, and their marriage partner was the renowned young master of the top-tier Wu family. Although everyone was curious, they dared not be too presumptuous, and there was no whispering among them. Especially now that the young master had gotten into trouble, people were even more hesitant to act rashly, fearing that they might lose their lives at any moment.
The group left the Zhong residence in a grand procession, and the townspeople watched as the bride was smoothly carried into the sedan chair, accompanied by music and fanfare, all the way to the Wu family. The scene was quite lively.
They didn't dare follow any further. Only when they could no longer see the team leader did they disperse in twos and threes, whispering among themselves.
"The scale of the event was quite grand..."
"Poor young master, I don't know how he's going to get through this."
"It seems like even their soul is about to dissipate, right? They went to the Zhong family to propose marriage because of this. I just wonder which young lady will be the one to marry into the family."
"She has to be the legitimate daughter, otherwise she's useless."
"The three beauties of the Zhong family are just the right age. They are all top-grade Xuan-level talents. It seems a bit... pity" The word "pity" was not uttered.
·
The removal of Wu Shaogan is indeed a major event. Although the general public opinion is sympathetic to him, some people are secretly happy, especially certain families, who may be gloating over his misfortune.
Of course, this trend will soon disappear, at least people won't dare to talk about it openly anymore.
After all, as shocking as it may be, the Wu family is not one to be trifled with, so we shouldn't expose their weaknesses too much.
·
The bridal sedan chair was spacious and comfortable, but Zhong Cai had no time to appreciate it; she simply counted how long it would take to get there.
The Wu family's residence was located on Wuyang Street, a few streets away. The distance wasn't too far, but the street was wide and long. Even though the sedan chair bearers were highly skilled and walked quickly, it still took them more than half an hour.
Upon arriving at the Wu residence, some members of the Wu family greeted them at the gate. However, while the scene appeared lively, it lacked genuine warmth and was far less enthusiastic than the Zhong family's welcome.
After bringing the person back, Wu Shao'an seemed to have completed his mission and turned to return to his own home. The stewards who had come to escort the bride were also from various households. After finding out the news, they were to report to their respective masters, and they also dispersed.
Only Steward He led the bridal sedan chair all the way to Chongxiao Garden.
The front hall was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the wedding hall had already been set up.
·
As the bridal sedan chair landed, Zhong Cai was helped into the wedding hall by her maid and listened intently.
The surroundings were completely silent, and there was no sign of human presence; it seemed as if there were no guests.
Zhong Cai quickly stood still.
Steward He announced loudly, "Pay respects to our parents—"
Zhong Cai then bowed.
Manager He then said, "Let's pay our respects to Heaven and Earth—"
Zhong Cai was helped to turn around and bowed towards the outside of the hall.
Manager He then said, "Enter it into the family genealogy—"
Zhong Cai waited quietly.
Before long, a silver foil was placed under the veil. It contained the family genealogy of the nine branches. He glanced at it quickly and saw that his name was recorded as Wu Shaogan's principal wife.
At that moment, a dignified male voice said, "Manager He, send the person over."
Steward He replied respectfully, "Yes, Master."
Then, as if a gentle breeze had blown by, there was no further movement around.
The wedding ceremony ended hastily, and the two elders left without lingering.
Manager He whispered to Zhong Cai, "Young Master Zhong Cai, please come with me to see Young Master Shao Gan."
Zhong Cai gave a soft reply and continued to walk, still being helped by her maid.
Beneath the veil, Zhong Cai's face was cold as she mentally blacklisted the so-called "elders."
This is too realistic! His friend was just crippled, and his parents are already being so perfunctory? They didn't even bother to tell him to take good care of their son.
Ha, you gave up so quickly and decisively.
It's as if they're not related by blood.
·
After Zhong Cai was led into the bridal chamber by the maid, the maid left quickly, and he sat obediently on the new bed.
Steward He spoke gently, "Young Master, this is..."
But before he could introduce himself, a weak voice interrupted him.
"Uncle He, you should leave first. I know what I'm doing."
Manager He seemed to pause for a moment, then sighed softly, tiptoed out, and closed the door.
At this moment, the new house became even quieter, almost deathly silent.
Someone slowly moved a few steps closer, standing at a distance that wasn't too far, and said slowly, "I have no intention of being a burden to you, as long as..."
·
Zhong Cai had already recognized the familiar voice, and realizing that there was no one else around, she could no longer contain herself. She suddenly lifted her veil, and a bright smile immediately bloomed on her face.
"Old Wu! Do you want a wife or not?" The tone was incredibly cheerful, with a slight inflection at the end.
Wu Shaogan was caught off guard and saw a face that was all too familiar. His previously weary face suddenly revealed a look that could be described as terrifying.
Zhong... Ah Cai?!
·
Zhong Cai gave Wu Shaogan the nickname "Not Too Much Money," often mocking him for being a spendthrift who throws money around. Wu Shaogan was subtly influenced by Zhong Cai's behavior.
For example, Zhong Cai is very bad at it.
My nickname is Ah Cai.
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