Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Fang Ying and Ji Yanlang walked hand in hand...
When they woke up on the morning of the 25th, the sky was gloomy. After seeing off the men in the family who held official positions and sending away the irrelevant female relatives, Li left Yue Qing'e and Fang Ying to discuss the arrangements for the wedding ceremony tomorrow.
"Tomorrow afternoon, they will go to decorate the bridal chamber. The auspicious time is 7:15 PM. I will have Fu Niang act as the bridesmaid. They will guide you and Liu Lang through the various rituals."
Fang Ying lowered her head slightly and agreed.
"There's something else. I'll let Shuangniang tell you."
Fang Ying thought that the so-called "something else" was where she would do her makeup, wear her wedding dress, and how to enter the bridal chamber. Unexpectedly, after she returned to her room, the Shuang Ma, who was now retired and no longer serving in the mansion, actually brought her two silk paintings.
Shuang Ma was afraid that Fang Ying would be embarrassed, so she didn't rush to open it. She smiled at Lichun and said, "I'll be taking care of Liu Niang for now. You all should relax and sit outside for a while."
Fang Ying vaguely guessed what was going to happen and nodded, "You guys go ahead. I'll talk to Madam for a while."
Lichun and the others withdrew as instructed, and Shuangma Ma said, "Madam remembered that when Liu Niang came home that day, Liu Lang was not there. She was afraid that no one had told Liu Niang about the matters of marital intimacy, so she specially asked this old servant to come and explain them to Liu Niang."
As she spoke, she slowly unfolded the first silk painting. "Don't be afraid, Sixth Lady," she said, "this painting depicts the harmonious relationship between husband and wife. Only by behaving in this way can you have children."
Fang Ying took a look at the painting and saw that it showed a naked man and a naked woman, so she immediately looked away.
Shuang Ma Ma saw her cheeks flushed, and remained silent. She leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words, finally saying, "Leave these two paintings to Liu Niang. Don't be shy. Look at them more. Once you understand them, you will be less afraid tomorrow night, and things will go smoothly. Liu Niang will also feel less pain."
After handing the silk painting to Fang Ying, Shuang Ma added, "Don't worry, Liu Niang, it will only hurt the first time. After that, you and Liu Lang will get along harmoniously, and it won't hurt anymore."
Fang Ying sent her away and couldn't help muttering in her heart: If the relationship is harmonious, there will be no more pain, but what if there is no harmony?
She secretly took out the silk painting and took a look at it. She felt that it was really disgusting, so she rolled it up and stuffed it back into her sleeve. After a while, she remembered the instructions of the two maids and felt that she really had to find out what was going on. She endured the embarrassment and looked at both silk paintings carefully.
After reading it, Fang Ying sat there in a daze for a while. Unable to bear it any longer, she pulled Lichun over and whispered to her, "You know what? Matters between men and women are even more filthy than I thought!"
“…” Lichun had never been married and didn’t know what this meant.
Fang Ying took out the silk painting and showed it to her, "Look."
Lichun took one look and immediately blushed with shame. She hurriedly rolled up the silk painting and stuffed it back into her wife's hands, complaining, "Madam, why are you showing this to me? I'm not getting married."
"Are you really determined not to get married?" Fang Ying stuffed the silk painting back into her sleeve and asked Lichun with a smile.
"Well, I will serve you for the rest of my life and I won't go anywhere."
"Even after you get married, you can come back and serve me."
Lichun shook her head firmly: "Then I have to serve another man. I only want to serve my lady."
Fang Ying suddenly felt a little envious of her - if possible, she would also like to not get married.
It's a pity that not only is she already married, but she also has to pretend to be deeply in love with her husband, and tomorrow night she will have to do the dirty thing in the painting with him.
Fang Ying now only hopes that time can pass more slowly, preferably stop at today and not move forward. However, the sun in the sky does not care about the wishes of mortals. It slowly climbs from the east to the south, and then quickly slides to the west.
Ji Yanlang returned a little later than yesterday. "I went to see Aunt Deng. The idea I gave her last time seemed to have inspired her. Now half of the yard is used to dry vegetables, and the other half is used to store several large vats for pickling vegetables. She also built a chicken coop to raise a few chickens. When she is busy, she no longer criticizes the two maids. She even praises their ability."
"That's great." Fang Ying was in no mood to chat with him, so she replied perfunctorily.
"On the way back, I saw someone selling osmanthus candy, so I bought some for you." Ji Yanlang took out a small paper bag the size of a palm and handed it to Fang Ying. "I didn't know if you like it, so I didn't buy more. Try it first. If you like it, I'll buy more next time I see it."
Fang Ying opened the paper bag, picked up a piece of candy and put it in her mouth. The sweet fragrance of osmanthus immediately filled the air.
Ji Yanlang's eyes lit up as he looked at her. He knew she must like it, but he still asked, "Is it delicious?"
Fang Ying felt that the way this man looked at her was like looking at a greedy child, so she didn't want to answer him. She held the paper bag in front of him and said, "If you want to eat it, just say so."
Ji Yanlang laughed, but didn't refuse. He reached out and took a piece and ate it. He immediately frowned: "So sweet?"
"Don't you like sweet things?" Fang Ying put down the candy bag with a smile, staring at his wrinkled face with a smile, while taking out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe her hands.
"Not really..." Ji Yanlang said, his eyes fixed on Fang Ying's hand, "Do you have a painting on your handkerchief?"
Painting? Fang Ying looked down and saw that the thing she was wiping her hands with wasn't a silk handkerchief, but a silk painting that Shuang Ma had given her! She hurriedly stuffed the painting back into her sleeve, her face burning, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on her body.
Ji Yanlang didn't actually see what was in the painting, but when he saw Fang Ying's face flushed, he realized something was amiss and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you blushing?"
"No..." Fang Ying quickly changed the subject, "Go change your clothes, and then go to mother's place."
"No hurry, it's still early." Ji Yanlang stared at the cuffs of her tightly pressed sleeves, "Did you draw that picture yourself? Let me see."
"What do you mean I drew it myself... I don't know how to draw." Fang Ying stood up and said, "I'm going to change my clothes, you sit here." After saying that, she quickly went into the inner room without waiting for Ji Yanlang to speak.
Ji Yanlang watched her back, which could almost be described as a desperate escape, and smiled before getting up and returning to the east wing to change. Fang Ying went into the inner room, pulled out the two crumpled silk paintings, and stuffed them into Lichun's pockets, saying angrily, "Find a box you don't normally open and hide them in."
Lichun felt it was too hot in his hand. He turned it around twice in panic before opening a large box and stuffing the silk painting into a corner.
It was almost a joke. When she saw Ji Yanlang again, Fang Ying didn't want to talk to him anymore. No matter what he asked, she just responded with one or two words.
Ji Yanlang guessed that she was nervous and afraid because they were going to consummate their marriage tomorrow, but he wanted to talk to her more, actually to ease her nervousness and make it easier for the two of them to get along, so that maybe she would not be so afraid.
Unfortunately, the effect is minimal.
On the last night before the wedding ceremony, the couple, one in the east wing and the other in the warm room of the main house, tossed and turned for a long time before falling into a deep sleep.
When Fang Ying woke up in the morning and saw the red reflection of the morning glow on the window, she whispered to Lichun, "How wonderful it would be if today were the 27th."
"Don't you always say that there are no obstacles that cannot be overcome?" Lichun also replied in a low voice.
Fang Ying gritted her teeth and said, "You're right. There is no hurdle that cannot be overcome. Just grit your teeth and endure it, and it will pass."
Having said that, when the two of them sat opposite each other and had breakfast, she still had less appetite than usual and put down her chopsticks before eating much.
Ji Yanlang looked at her twice and said after careful consideration: "Why don't we change it to the next auspicious day? After all, it's just a matter between us, and we don't need to entertain guests or..."
Fang Ying shook her head: "Today is good enough." If you can't avoid the first day, you can't avoid the fifteenth. It's better to die sooner and be reborn sooner.
"..." Although there was no good intention on her face, Ji Yanlang couldn't say any more. If he said too much, she might think that he didn't want to consummate the marriage, and then make a scene in front of his parents, which would be bad.
He quickly finished his meal, asked his parents how they were, and then went out to the cavalry camp.
Li left Fang Ying here, and when no one was around, she quietly asked her, "Did you understand what Shuangniang showed you yesterday?"
Fang Ying blushed and nodded slightly.
Li smiled and touched her temples, saying softly, "Don't be afraid, it will be fine after it passes."
More than one person had said this to Fang Ying, but for some reason, since Li said it, she inexplicably believed it and her heart gradually calmed down.
As soon as noon passed, Yue Qing'e brought people over and changed the furnishings in Fang Ying's bedroom, decorating it like a bridal chamber, and even placed dragon and phoenix wedding candles.
"Although there won't be a banquet for guests, mother said that the family still has to celebrate. Men and women will sit at separate tables for dinner. After dinner, I'll send you back to get dressed. At the auspicious time, you and Liu Lang will go in through the main gate hand in hand. After you bow to each other, you will go to the bridal chamber to sit and spread the tent." Yue Qing'e said, holding her hand.
The bridal chamber was decorated and the men returned home one after another. The women had a banquet in Li's room, and the men went to the flower hall.
Fang Ying finished her meal without tasting it, and was then escorted back to the west wing of her own courtyard. She was dressed in her wedding gown, a phoenix crown, and had her eyebrows and eyes painted with rouge and powder. When she turned her head in the mirror, a gorgeous face appeared, one that even she herself was unfamiliar with.
She was a little dazed and didn't hear a word her sisters-in-law said. Strangely, when Aunt Fu came in, she only said, "The auspicious time has arrived." Fang Ying heard it and immediately came back to her senses.
Nanny Fu walked forward, extended her hand to help her up and walk to the courtyard. Ji Yanlang was wearing an official hat and a scarlet robe, standing under the lamp waiting. Even Fang Ying could not help but admit in her heart that he was indeed handsome and unparalleled in appearance.
She held Aunt Fu's hand and slowly walked in front of him. Her eyelashes drooped unconsciously, and she only looked at the hem of her skirt, letting Aunt Fu put her hand in Ji Yanlang's palm.
His palm was very warm, and when he held her hand tightly, she could feel the hard joints and thick calluses of a man - his hand really didn't look like that of a nobleman.
Fang Ying's thoughts were in a mess, and she unconsciously walked into the main room holding Ji Yanlang's hand. The two of them first bowed to each other in the hall, and then went into the bridal chamber. Aunt Fu asked them to sit on the bed, and someone else scattered various fruits around them to symbolize unity of heart and the early birth of a son.
Fang Ying had originally felt a little calmer after she sat down, but the person who was spreading the tent started muttering things like "The hibiscus tent is warm for the spring night" and "Mandarin ducks embrace each other in pairs". She soon felt hot in the face and felt very uneasy.
Fortunately, this was quickly finished. Aunt Fu asked them to move to the table and each of them took three bites of the food made from the same plate of pork, cow and mutton. Only then was the wedding wine finally served.
According to ancient ritual, the wedding wine was poured into a gourd, with the newlyweds each holding one half. However, the Ji family had no time to prepare one, so they used a golden cup instead. Fang Ying and Ji Yanlang both took a sip from the cup, then exchanged the golden cups and took a sip from each other's cups. This concluded the wedding ceremony.
After the wine cups were brought over, Nanny Fu asked the couple to undress separately.
Fang Ying sat in front of the dressing table and watched the maids take off their flower hairpins, phoenix crowns, and wedding clothes before she was helped back to the bed to sit down - Ji Yanlang, wearing only a middle layer of clothing, was already sitting by the bed waiting.
Aunt Fu came forward with a comb in hand, combing their hair and tying their hair together, and recited some auspicious words, but Fang Ying did not listen to any of them, because she knew that after tying their hair together, all that would be left was the "dirty things" on the silk painting.
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The author has something to say: I am so useless, I will scold myself first, 嘤嘤嘤
I will try to make up for it tomorrow, and hope that the marriage consummation goes smoothly...
Note: "The hibiscus tent is warm for the spring night" is from Bai Juyi's "Song of Everlasting Sorrow"; "The mandarin ducks necking each other in pairs" is a poem I found while spreading the tent.
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided nutrient solution between 2020-11-27 17:30:23 and 2020-11-28 01:19:01~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: Iron Head Duck ~ 1 bottle;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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