Chapter 232 Gifts Flood the House, Warmth Grows Stronger
The red silk hangings in Shufangzhai grew denser and denser, even wrapping the crabapple tree at the corner of the courtyard. The wind blew, and the red silk and petals fluttered down together, like a festive red snowfall. The crackling charcoal fire in the stove gradually melted the icicles on the windows, and water droplets meandered down the window lattices, drawing tiny streaks on the glass.
"Little table, please quickly put this pair of wedding candles in the main hall!" The little stool held two gold-painted wedding candles with the words "Happy Marriage" carved on the candles. The candle wicks were dipped in newly made red wax. "These are specially ordered by the Empress from Mount Wutai. It is said that lighting them will bring long life together for those who get married!" The little table responded, carefully took the wedding candles, and walked briskly towards the main hall. The jade pendant on his waist jingled with his movements.
Xiaoyanzi was leaning over the table, reading the wedding program sent by the Imperial Household Department. She pointed at the item "jumping over the fire basin" and frowned. "Will jumping over the fire basin burn my skirt? My wedding dress has been modified to be a lighter version. If it burns a hole, Yongqi will definitely laugh at me!" Yongqi gently put his arms around her waist from behind, resting his chin on the top of her head. He said softly, "Don't worry, I'll be there to protect you. The charcoal in the fire basin is smokeless. It's just a formality."
"Yongqi, you're the best!" Xiaoyanzi smiled up at him, the dimples in her eyes just visible to Mingyue, who had come in to serve tea. Turning to Caixia, she said, "Look how much the Fifth Prince cares about Gege. He even picks the charcoal himself." Caixia, holding a freshly brewed cup of Rain Before Longjing tea, said softly, "That's right. I heard yesterday that the Fifth Prince specially sent someone to Jiangnan to buy Gege's favorite sweet-scented osmanthus candy. He filled a box."
As he was speaking, a small mosquito's voice came from outside: "Guaiguai longdidong, the reward from the old Buddha has arrived--" Before he could finish his words, several eunuchs came in one after another, carrying a mahogany box. The leader, Eunuch Zhao, opened the box with a smile. Inside was a complete set of red gold and precious stone head ornaments. The pearls on the phoenix hairpin were round and plump, and the rubies on the earrings gleamed warmly in the light. "The old Buddha said this is a gift for Princess Huanzhu and Princess Mingzhu. She also said that the two princesses should wear it on their wedding day to show their royal style."
Ziwei quickly stood up and saluted, her fingertips lightly brushing the tassels on her golden hairpins. "Please trouble Eunuch Zhao to come and thank the Empress Dowager for her grace on our behalf." Eunuch Zhao smiled and waved his hand, "You're too polite, Princess. The Empress Dowager even said she'd comb your hair herself on your wedding day, saying, 'One comb to the ends, two combs to the eyebrows.'" Xiaoyanzi's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she tugged at Eunuch Zhao's sleeve, "Really? The Empress Dowager can comb hair? I thought she only knew how to recite Buddhist scriptures!"
Eunuch Zhao was amused and laughed: "When the Empress Dowager was young, she was best at combing Jiangnan hair buns. She said she wanted to comb the 'double-ringed fairy bun' for the princesses, which would be perfect with this gold hairpin." He pointed to another box and said, "This was a gift from Concubine Ling. Inside are two Shu brocade quilt covers embroidered with pictures of hundreds of children and grandchildren." When Jinsuo opened it, he saw children on the quilts flying kites or catching butterflies, their eyebrows and eyes lively, and the stitches so fine that no thread ends could be seen.
"Empress Lingfei is so thoughtful." Ziwei touched the quilt, her eyes slightly warm. "I've been so taken care of these days. She even checked the dowry list three times for me." Xiaoyanzi nodded and picked up a purse embroidered with the word "囍". "And the Empress, the pair of jade ruyi sent yesterday are of very fine quality. My mother said it means 'satisfactory and satisfactory'."
As they were talking, there was a commotion at the courtyard gate. Liu Qing and Liu Hong arrived with the children from the compound. Little Mosquito and Little Bug ran in front, holding a large basket filled with tiger-head shoes and patchwork handkerchiefs made by the children. Little Dove held up a freshly picked wintersweet, its petals still covered in snow. "Princess! We have a wedding gift for you!"
"Come in, come in!" Little Swallow came forward with a smile and took the tiger-head shoes from the basket. The tiger embroidered on the shoes was crooked, but it exuded a naive charm. "These shoes are so beautiful! When I have a child, I will make him wear them every day!" Little Mosquito came up and scratched the back of his head. "Wow, long, long, dong! We made these with a lot of thread from hundreds of different families. It's said to ward off evil spirits!" Little Stool chimed in, "I've prepared a new story for Princess. On the wedding night, we'll tell you 'Monk Tang Gets Married' from Journey to the West. It's guaranteed to be auspicious!"
Liu Hong handed Ziwei a red cloth bag containing a tablecloth embroidered with twin lotus flowers. "Jin Suo and I embroidered this overnight. We'll spread it on the table in the bridal chamber to symbolize harmony and happiness." Liu Qing carried a food box and opened it to reveal freshly baked sesame cake. "I know princesses love sweet treats, so this is the newly made 'wedding cake' from the guesthouse. Eating it will bring you prosperity."
Yongqi and Erkang returned from outside, still feeling cold, but each holding a large box. Yongqi opened the box, revealing a silver fox cloak with a soft, snow-white brim. "I just got it from the warehouse. It's going to be windy on our wedding day, so I'll be wearing this to keep warm." Erkang then pulled out a pair of jade hairpins with lotus-shaped tips. "These were handed down from my mother. She said they'd be perfect for Ziwei."
Ziwei took the jade hairpin, gently caressing her cool jade face with her fingertips. She looked up at Erkang, the smile in her eyes like honey: "Thank you, Erkang." Erkang held her hand, his palm warm: "There is still a lifetime to go, thank you slowly."
Xiao Jian and Qing'er soon arrived. Xiao Jian held a peachwood sword, its scabbard wrapped in red silk. "This was blessed by a Taoist priest from Jiangnan. Hang it in your new home to protect it from harm." Qing'er handed over a brocade box containing two scrolls. Unrolling them, they revealed paintings by Xiao Jian depicting the spring scenery of Jiangnan, with small bridges, flowing water, and branches full of peach blossoms. "Thinking of your wedding in winter, hanging a spring scene will bring warmth."
Xiaoyanzi surveyed the room filled with gifts, from a gilded headpiece to a child's embroidered tiger-head shoes, from royal gifts to small folk trinkets, each one radiating thoughtfulness. She walked to the center of the main hall, gazed at the "囍" character on the wall, then looked at the smiling faces around her. Suddenly, her nose felt sore, and her eyes welled up. "I used to think that having a mother and a brother was enough. I never imagined that in this life, I'd have so many people who love me..."
Yongqi patted her back gently, his voice soft, "Silly girl, you're worth it." Ziwei came over and took her other hand, their fingertips touching in a warm warmth. The sunlight from the window just barely penetrated the clouds, casting a shimmering light on the red silk and smiling faces that filled the room. Even the air was filled with a sweet scent, as if all the warmth and anticipation were being channeled into this impending winter wedding.
Xiaodeng cleared his throat, picked up the storyteller's wake-up stick and slapped it, saying in a loud voice: "Listen carefully, ladies and gentlemen. The happy event in Shufangzhai has just begun--" The little mosquito added: "Good boy, long time to go, there are still many good days to come!" Everyone laughed, and the laughter hit the red wall and bounced back, lingering in the warm air for a long time.
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