Chapter 108: The Wedding Ceremony

The news that the shopkeeper of Wanglaiju closed the door to welcome guests quickly spread throughout the capital. Curious people heard some information and rushed over to buy snacks for a few coins, hoping to get some secrets from the working children. But before the children, who shared the same hatred for the enemy, could chase the people away, constables who were patrolling the streets nearby grabbed the people by the collar and took them away. In the shadows, the armor of the imperial guards was shining, and they coldly warned people not to make trouble.

Some people guessed that Miss Si went crazy because of the prince's proposal to her, while others guessed that Wanglaiju was developing new products. After all the guessing, no one could get a definite answer, and as time went by, the excitement gradually faded.

Only the noble ladies who received the invitation to Si Li's coming-of-age ceremony were worried, "Should we go or not? Oh, I really envy her, she's the Crown Prince!"

Time passed day by day. Although the shopkeeper was listless and silent every day, the basic sales of Wanglaiju were supported by the teaching materials left by Si Li and Ah Xiang, who was taught by her. In addition, the new snacks developed by Guan Ji and the return of shopkeeper Tang to mix milk tea made the business of Wanglaiju not as popular as before, but the long-term customer base needed for the Beijing restaurant to take root had been formed, and the future team began to take shape.

Among them, Ah Quan, who took the vacant seat when Wang Ting was away, also helped Manager Tang to drive away the Tang family members who came to ask for money. This was one of the few funny things in these days.

Si Li was not really trapped in love and turned herself into a ghost. It was mainly because the timing was wrong. She wanted to calm down and sort out her thoughts before talking to Madam Jian and Jiang Shizhi, and now she wanted to ask Jiang Hengyun to talk. Whether he refused or accepted, there had to be a clean ending. But as soon as she returned to the room and sat down, she heard the system prompt that the task was completed.

[System: "Excellent Chef" mission completed. After hard work, innovation and potential exploration, congratulations to the host for upgrading his cooking skills to Lv.3 (an excellent chef). You have successfully embarked on the path to becoming a chef god. The path of each chef god is different. Please find your own direction in the future and treat your dishes and ingredients seriously. Please continue to work hard. ]

The feeling of upgrading is different from before. If the previous optimization was only carried out within the scope of "people", now Si Li's gaze towards the outside world has undergone a fundamental change. A piece of wood, a piece of paper, a grain of rice, different properties appear in front of her. Her brain seems to be constantly washed by the tide. The familiar yet unfamiliar fatigue of dealing with too many things envelops her, making her very uncomfortable.

But in her previous life, she was working overtime to process data, so why was she doing this now? Si Li was very confused and couldn't find the connection.

Fatigue and sobriety kept alternating. When Si Li got used to this kind of fatigue, she still felt a surge of emotions when she thought of the things that had been deceived before. After she had shed the surprise at that time and re-examined her memory, she could find the panic and determination in that person's eyes, but this did not make her feel afraid. On the contrary, a sense of security filled her heart.

Looking back at her memories from an upgraded special perspective, Si Li could confirm that Jiang Hengyun was serious when he talked about seclusion and proposing marriage. Every blush and strange look of the young man could be captured and laid out in front of her.

Does she like him? Yes. Does he like her? Yes, too.

Si Li finally felt the helplessness of Mrs. Jian when she saw her talking nonsense. If she decided to get married, it would be almost impossible to get a divorce. She had thought about running away to live in seclusion after finishing her work. It might be possible for the prince, but it was impossible for the heir to a throne to abandon his country. If he did, she would look down on him.

But now, whether to refuse or agree, it was too late. Si Li turned her dry eyes and looked at the open door of the chamber. Madam Jian reached out and hugged her into her arms, "Ali, you have suffered a lot. You won't see him until the coming-of-age ceremony the day after tomorrow, okay?"

"Thank you, aunt."

The things needed for the coming-of-age ceremony were ready, just waiting for Si Li to arrive. In the morning, Si Li picked up people from Wanglaiju. After getting off the carriage of the Jian family, Si Li saw several people standing or standing in the hall. Xiao Qi came up to them quickly. The Princess of Yue looked a little embarrassed, and Jiang Rufei, who was hiding behind Meng Taotao, poked her head out, with a guilty look on her face after taking off the veil.

"Miss Si has lost weight." Princess Yue took her hand and said, "That bastard is a worthless person. I have already scolded him for you. If you are upset, just ignore him and don't hurt yourself."

Si Li curled the corners of her lips, "Thank you for your kindness, Princess." The Princess of Yue is indeed a talented person, as she can tell that she has lost weight even though her face has not eaten properly but has seemed to have gained weight from the tonics prescribed by the doctors brought by the Xiao family and Meng Taotao.

"Sister Si." Jiang Rufei was pushed forward by Meng Taotao and stood in front of Si Li. She twisted the corner of her clothes, looking embarrassed and at a loss. "It's all my brother's fault. We are still friends, right?"

After unveiling the secret veil, Si Li carefully thought about what Jiang Rufei had said. Jiang Rufei obviously knew the inside story and had repeatedly reminded herself, but she didn't take it to heart. At this time, looking at the blushing face of this girl who was slowly coming out of her isolation beside her, Si Li couldn't help but soften her heart for a moment, "A Fei is naturally still my supporter."

As for the information that kept popping up in her mind showing the cunning of the girl on the other side, Si Li ignored it.

Is it possible that she would lose her friends because of a liar like Jiang Hengyun? That would be a huge loss.

Seeing Si Li's attitude soften, Princess Yue smiled and took her hand to walk to the back of the hall. The hairpins were added three times for the coming-of-age ceremony, and the prepared clothes and jewelry were all placed on the lacquer tray. Si Li emptied her mind and listened to Princess Yue talking about things that needed attention, mixed with some words of apology for Jiang Hengyun. In general, she just knelt down like an emotionless puppet, and the main people who had to recite the words were the guests and the sponsors.

The sky gradually brightened. Familiar people who came to watch the ceremony were already standing in the courtyard, and the voices at the small banquet set up for outsiders gradually increased. Si Li was helped by the maid of the Jian family to take a bath and change into her pre-marriage dress. She waited until Jian Bingde, who was full of energy, finished his speech outside before she got up and left.

Jian Bingde's eyes were filled with tears. Seeing Si Li's attention, he held back his tears and squeezed out a smile, mouthing, "Don't be afraid."

There was a circle of familiar faces gathered not far down the stairs. Si Li saw Master Di and Liu Weiling, as well as Meng Taotao, who was dressed in green, leading Xiao Que and A Xiang. Behind them stood Steward Wang and Madam Li, whom she had not seen for a long time, smiling at her encouragingly.

Her nose felt a little sour, Si Li suppressed her emotions, bowed to the ground, and knelt down according to the etiquette taught by the Princess of Yue.

"On an auspicious day, the Canadian dollar service will begin..."

The sound of the guqin and the simple and solemn feeling in the ceremony were the coming-of-age ceremony that the original owner had been looking forward to.

There was a burst of noise coming from the small banquet outside the courtyard. Si Li changed into a plain skirt and walked out slowly. She knelt down in front of Jian Bingde and Madam Jian and the tablet of the original owner's mother in their hands. This was what she should do with this body.

"…How dare you!"

A familiar voice outside the yard was shouting, almost shouting at the top of its lungs. After a burst of chaotic footsteps, it soon died down.

Si Li followed the steps of the ceremony with her eyes downcast, not paying any attention to the outside world. However, not long after, the guests at the small banquet noticed that Si Baifu, who was entertaining guests as the host, had a hoarse voice. After complimenting Miss Si, the guests gathered together and winked at each other. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that something was wrong with the Si family.

How could a father not be the host when his daughter reaches the age of 15 but come out to entertain people? I'm afraid that what I heard earlier about Si Jian being victimized by someone and Si Shoufu being the one who was at fault is true?

Speculations arose until the court ceremony was over and the ladies who came to the banquet presented their gifts and left. It can be imagined that for a long time, the Si Mansion would be the source of gossip in the upper circles of the capital.

Until Si Li came out in formal dress, the noble ladies who had not left yet looked at her light blue satin with silver and gold threads embroidered into a starry outfit, which made Si Li look like a fairy on the clouds. They were extremely envious and could not help but look for other people in the Si mansion.

Mrs. Si brought Si Tang to her husband's side. She was not independent as before, but tried to minimize her presence. Si Tang followed his parents and flattered them hypocritically. Si Li didn't bother to guess why, and just sent the three of them out. When they reached the corner, Si Tang finally found a chance to whisper to Si Li, "Sister, when you marry into the East Palace, can you, can you mention me in front of the prince?"

Why else would he mention her in front of his husband except as a concubine? Si Li looked at Si Tang in disbelief, and once again realized her stupidity. The girl had rosy cheeks and bright eyes, and was in her prime. But who would be so well-educated and have a good family background and rush to be a mistress?

"Sister?"

Si Tang thought he had found a good place, but in fact, all his words were heard by the couple walking in front of him. Mrs. Si's lips trembled in disbelief and she couldn't speak. Si Baifu threw his sleeves and said, "Ridiculous!"

The disgust in his father's eyes was something Si Tang had never seen before. His face was filled with anger. "This is the good daughter you raised! She doesn't have to go to school after the winter exam. She should stay at home and find a nanny to control her temper, otherwise she will become immoral and learn from this evil creature!"

Si Baifu openly rebuked Si Tang, but he was actually scolding Si Li. Si Tang was completely rejected by her father. Thinking of what her mother had said about the academy being her last chance, her heart went cold. She stepped forward and tried to pull her father's sleeve to try to change his mind by acting coquettishly, but was waved aside, "You're just crying, what a fool!"

What about Si Tang? Isn't she just following the example of her parents?

"Oh, Lord Si is so majestic." Si Li laughed, and looked at Si Baifu, who was obviously a little angry and incompetent, and could only vent his anger on his obedient little daughter. She raised the corners of her lips and nonchalantly pointed out the curse he had just made, and said softly, "I am a beast, what are you?"

"you!"

Si Tang stumbled and stood steady by holding onto the wall. Her fingers were caught in moss. She didn't realize it herself, but she actually smiled quietly after hearing Si Li's words. She stared blankly at the sister whom she once looked down upon and envied. She was wearing gorgeous clothes, with golden hairpins and extraordinary demeanor. She was completely different from the sister who was criticized by her father.

Did she do something wrong? Shouldn't she work hard to marry the right man like her mother did? Should she really listen to her father's instructions and do things the way her mother did in the past?

She was at a loss for only a moment, and soon her heart, which had put aside all prejudices, was buried under heavy desires. Madam Si took her hand and pulled Si Tang to stand up, looking in the direction where Si Li left, with a gleam in her eyes.