Chapter 101 The Grand Wedding
After Jiang Ru recognized this godfather, communication regarding the marriage became much more complicated. Previously, the matchmaker only needed to make a symbolic trip to the house, but now she had to run between two places. Jiang Ru also had to frequently go to the Duke's mansion, and delivering a message required going through several people.
A few days later, Pei Wu finished writing the engagement letter between the two and handed it to Jiang Ru to read.
The betrothal letter is more formal than the draft letter. In addition to the family's basic information, it also includes the betrothal gifts and dowry.
Pei Wu's payment note was very clear, including not only the three gold pieces, but also black silk, colored satin, money, horses, tea, and so on.
The same thing happened to Jiang Ru. Pei Wu divided the money they had together into two parts: one for dowry and one for betrothal gifts.
Officials in the Great Xia Dynasty were treated very well, especially Pei Wu, whose official position later rose to a high level and whose salary was quite generous. Therefore, Pei Wu was actually very wealthy and could afford a large dowry and betrothal gifts.
Originally, all their money was kept together, so Pei Wu just needed to divide it up, since it would all eventually come back to them anyway.
She wrote down almost everything she could. After glancing at it a few times, Jiang Ru picked up her pen again and added an item to her dowry: a shop in Bianjing Zhouqiao.
The shop was initially opened with Pei Wu's salary, but all the money earned went straight into Jiang Ru's pocket. Since Pei Wu treated her so well, Jiang Ru wanted to give him something in return.
After finishing writing, Jiang Ru leaned closer to Pei Wu, who was looking slightly surprised, and took his arm. Then, as if whispering, she said, "I have nothing else but this. It's for you."
Pei Wu looked at her and said, "They're ours."
The implication is that even if Jiang Ru gives this to him, the shop will still be jointly owned by the two of them.
Jiang Ru smiled and said, "Ours."
Pei Wu handed the betrothal letter to Song Pingzhang. The next day, the matchmaker delivered the letter to the Duke's mansion. However, when the letter was delivered again, Cheng Hao had added several items to Jiang Ru's dowry.
In fact, their betrothal gifts and dowry were already quite generous. Although Pei Wu had not been an official for long, the salary of the Great Xia Dynasty was sufficient, and they did not have any major expenses, so they had been saving money over the years.
Jiang Ru's beverage shop also brought in a considerable amount of income each month afterward.
Therefore, with Cheng Hao's addition, Jiang Ru's betrothal gifts truly deserved the title of a duke's adopted daughter; the sheer number of items on the list was astonishing.
When Song Pingzhang realized something was wrong—that Cheng Hao was going against him—he immediately added a few strokes to Pei Wu's name as well.
Having served as an official for so many years and been demoted so many times, he naturally prepared a way out for himself. He also had some private property. Pei Wu was his protégé, so the dowry couldn't be less.
The two went back and forth, adding more and more until Pei Wu finally made the final decision, stopping the farce.
After the engagement was finalized, the next step was the arranged meeting between the man and woman. Pei Wu brought gifts to visit the Duke's mansion at a set time. Jiang Ru was waiting at the Duke's mansion in advance. The final step of the meeting was just a formality. Both of them were willing to get married, but they just couldn't be without proper etiquette.
If the two find each other agreeable, the man will put a hairpin in the woman's hair, signifying that both are willing.
After completing the formalities of the matchmaking, without any hesitation, Pei Wu picked up the hairpin and gently inserted it into Jiang Ru's hair.
After that came the betrothal and engagement. All Jiang Ru needed to do was sit at the Duke's mansion and wait for Pei Wu to complete the process.
After everything was settled, Song Pingzhang asked someone to choose an auspicious day for them: the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, which was suitable for marriage.
However, the engagement was not the end of the story. Jiang Ru and Pei Wu still had to undergo their coming-of-age ceremonies and coming-of-age ceremonies, almost one after the other. Pei Wu's side was handled by Song Pingzhang, while Jiang Ru's side was handled by Cheng Hao and his wife, which relieved some of the pressure on Song Pingzhang.
Pei Wu underwent his coming-of-age ceremony first. Song Pingzhang added a cap to Pei Wu's head three times, signifying that Pei Wu had reached adulthood and was now eligible to marry.
Pei Wu drank wine to worship his ancestors, and Song Pingzhang formally gave Pei Wu a courtesy name, "Zhi Miao".
Jiang Ru's coming-of-age ceremony was the day after Pei Wu's coming-of-age ceremony. Since the coming-of-age ceremony had to be presided over by a woman, it was Madam Cheng who stepped forward. Jiang Ru changed her clothes and hairpins three times before the ceremony was finally completed.
Not only Pei Wu needed to have a courtesy name, but Jiang Ru did too. In the Great Xia Dynasty, the names given to women before they reached adulthood were only considered minor courtesy names, and the courtesy name given after their coming-of-age ceremony was their official courtesy name.
Madam Cheng gave Jiang Ru the courtesy name "Li Zhi".
Although Jiang Ru's name is the one she has used since modern times, the characters she currently uses are only minor characters. Even though Jiang Ru thought her original name was formal enough, she still wanted to choose another one.
After the coming-of-age ceremony, Jiang Ru, dressed in a long-sleeved gown, stood there for a moment, looking around. The guests had all left, and soon Pei Wu walked in from outside.
Most coming-of-age ceremonies are for women only, so Pei Wu did not attend. He only came to find Jiang Ru after the ceremony was over and the guests had left.
Upon seeing Pei Wu, Jiang Ru finally smiled. She quickly ran towards Pei Wu, her movements a little clumsy due to the wide sleeves of her clothes.
She used to wear her hair in double buns, which was easy to do. Jiang Ru didn't know how to do updos, so after putting her hair up in buns today, she touched her bare neck a little awkwardly and subconsciously sought Pei Wu's answer: "Do you think it looks good?"
In Pei Wu's eyes, she was beautiful no matter what. If wearing her hair in double buns added a touch of innocence and romance, then putting her hair up in an updo added a touch of elegance. Her long, fair neck swayed in front of Pei Wu, and Pei Wu nodded and said, "Beautiful."
Madam Cheng originally intended to wait for Jiang Ru, but upon seeing Pei Wu arrive, she decided to leave without waiting for Jiang Ru, leaving only Jiang Ru and Pei Wu behind.
Pei Wu used to wear his hair in a crown. Although he did not undergo the coming-of-age ceremony, the official hat of the Great Xia Dynasty was also a crown, so there was not much difference between him wearing a crown now and not wearing one now.
Upon receiving Pei Wu's praise, Jiang Ru returned the compliment, saying, "You look good too."
She was completely insincere, offering perfunctory praise, yet she pressed herself against Pei Wu, her wide sleeves sliding onto his wrist, rubbing against it. Pei Wu glanced down at her but said nothing.
After the engagement, although they were still engaged, Pei Wu rarely crossed the line. On the few occasions they did, it was Jiang Ru who took the initiative. As long as they were not officially married, if Jiang Ru hadn't made the first move, he probably would have continued to treat her with respect and not even hold her hand.
A few days before the wedding, Jiang Ru moved to the Duke's mansion. During these days, in accordance with etiquette, the two could not see each other. Although they were not far apart, they had to avoid each other. Jiang Ru was anxious and missed Pei Wu terribly.
After much deliberation, he couldn't resist and asked his servant to deliver a letter to Pei Wu.
If they can't meet in person, writing letters is certainly an option. Jiang Ru wrote to Pei Wu: I miss you.
She has always been outspoken, saying whatever comes to mind, and now that Pei Wu is her fiancé, she naturally makes no attempt to hide anything.
Pei Wu missed her too. It was rare for them to be separated for several days at a time, and Pei Wu couldn't sleep well at night.
However, for the sake of good luck, he did follow the rules and did not come to see Jiang Ru. Yet, he couldn't bear to part with Jiang Ru, and when he received her letter, he would want to give it to her. He replied to her letter and bought her a lot of food, intending to coax her.
Pei Wu in the letter was not so subtle either. He couldn't speak those straightforward words, so he wrote many poems to Jiang Ru, subtly expressing his feelings.
Fortunately, Jiang Ru came up with this method, which allowed her to write letters to Pei Wu every day. With these letters going back and forth, three days finally passed.
The long wait was finally over, and the wedding day arrived.
The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month was one of the coldest days. The whole city was desolate, and the cold wind was biting. The usually hot and humid weather in Tanzhou turned completely cold. If you went out, the cold wind would make you shiver from head to toe.
Jiang Ru was woken up early. She hugged the hot water bottle and snuggled into the quilt, feeling warm and cozy. She had only managed to doze off for a short while during the night because she was too nervous to sleep due to the upcoming wedding.
The room was warm with a stove burning inside. Jiang Ru stood in the room as the matchmaker directed the maids to dress her. The clothes had been made in time after taking her measurements, and were of high quality, with exquisite and elegant workmanship.
Wearing several layers of clothing, Jiang Ru didn't dare to relax. After putting on the blue and red wedding dress, Jiang Ru looked down at herself.
The wedding dress, bright red with blue accents, was embroidered with gold patterns, probably mandarin ducks or something similar. The gold threads and designs were so beautiful that Jiang Ru reached out and touched it a couple of times.
Immediately afterwards, Jiang Ru sat at the table waiting to be dressed up. Her face was covered with a lot of powder, her hair was braided, and many hair ornaments were inserted into her hair. With the oath growing heavier and heavier, Jiang Ru carefully breathed a sigh of relief, not daring to move.
Wearing this outfit and these decorations meant that she would have great difficulty moving around today, so she should eat as little as possible. Jiang Ru only ate a small piece of pastry.
After the makeup and other procedures were finished, Jiang Ru's shoulders slumped involuntarily. She was happy, but her body was a little tired.
Meanwhile, Pei Wu, who was several streets away, also set off. He was dressed in the same blue and red wedding attire, riding a tall horse, and his wedding procession stretched out in a long line, with drums and music playing in unison.
It took some time to get to the Duke's mansion. Pei Wu gave some gifts upon entering, and was then given a few difficult questions before he could finally get in.
Jiang Ru was helped out of the room. At this point in the process, the two of them had to pay respects to Jiang Ru's "parents" and perform the kowtow ceremony. Only after the crying ceremony could they be considered to be welcoming the bride and getting into the sedan chair to go to the groom's house.
Jiang Ru was extremely well-behaved today. She was led around by others and did whatever they asked until she was seated in the sedan chair. Only then, when she heard the loud gongs and drums outside, could she lean back and rest for a while.
If she perseveres a little longer, she can finally settle things once and for all and truly be with Pei Wu.
As she rode in the sedan chair, Jiang Ru kept track of the time. She knew this road very well and knew exactly which way to go after every turn. The sedan chair finally stopped, and the drumbeats became even more intense, accompanied by bursts of firecrackers. Jiang Ru was helped out of the sedan chair, stepped over the saddle, and walked through the blue cloth strip to enter the gate.
Jiang Ru and Pei Wu, holding hands with the silk ribbons symbolizing their love, first entered the bridal chamber to sit in their new home, then led each other to the main hall, where Song Pingzhang sat at the head of the table, which was also Pei Wu's superior position.
Jiang Ru's palms were sweating with nervousness. The thought of marrying Pei Wu made it hard for her to calm down. Her heart was pounding like a puppet, bowing to heaven and earth whenever she heard the word "bowing to heaven and earth," and bowing to each other whenever she heard the word "bowing to each other."
The veil obscured her entire view, but when Jiang Ru lowered her head, she could see Pei Wu wearing a long robe and mandarin jacket, with red flowers adorning his clothes, which matched her perfectly.
Because her head was too heavy, Jiang Ru got up slowly, so Pei Wu also slowed down to wait for her. After the two bowed to heaven and earth, they were officially married.
Afterwards, Jiang Ru was sent to the new house, and Pei Wu was to host a banquet for guests in the front yard.
Finally able to enter the room, Jiang Ru was so tired that all she wanted to do was lie down. Although she wanted to lie down, she sat upright and waited for Pei Wu.
Pei Wu might not be able to come for a long time. There was a stove burning inside. Jiang Ru had just been given a hot water bottle by Xia, and she was sweating profusely from the heat.
Only one window in the room was open, and a cold wind blew into the room, pattering against the windowsill. Jiang Ru could vaguely hear noises from the front yard, including bursts of laughter and loud congratulations, though she couldn't make them out clearly.
Most of the guests today were Pei Wu's colleagues. After all, they were all Pei Wu's subordinates. Pei Wu was usually a bit cold-hearted, so their antics were moderate and they didn't cause Pei Wu too much trouble.
If that's the case, Pei Wu should be able to find her soon.
Jiang Ru is usually the most unruly person, but today is her big day, and she takes it very seriously. She just sits upright on the bed and doesn't move around. Even though she is very hungry, she doesn't sneak any food.
Everywhere you look in the room are bright red "double happiness" characters. This room was Pei Wu's previous room. Jiang Ru had only been here once before and had never stayed for very long. She really wanted to lift the veil to take a look, but she didn't.
A vase of plum blossoms sat on the windowsill, its fragrance carried on the breeze into the room, a delicate and captivating scent that lingered in the heart.
Tanzhou has not seen a single snowfall this year. It has been frozen for many days, and the plum blossoms have already bloomed, but the snow has been slow to fall. Tanzhou is covered in a vast expanse of white, and frost forms on the doorsteps in the morning. However, this snowfall seems to be waiting in vain.
A cold wind rushed in, colliding with the roaring stove inside the room, causing the flames to crackle and pop. Jiang Ru silently called out Pei Wu's name, urging him to come quickly.
However, Pei Wu had only been in the front yard for a short time, so it was impossible for him to come back quickly; it would take him at least a while.
As Jiang Ru had predicted, Pei Wu was indeed trapped, and the person trapped was none other than his good brother Xie Jun.
Xie Jun has been quite jealous of him lately. You see, he and Song Shu were engaged a long time ago, but because of his accident, the marriage was delayed for several years. They originally planned to get married in Zhen Ding Prefecture, and he had already made arrangements with Song Pingzhang. However, Pei Wu beat him to it and got married before him.
Pei Wu and Jiang Ru had only recently expressed their feelings for each other, yet their progress was already so much faster than his. Xie Ke was both angry and envious. He often made sarcastic remarks to Pei Wu, and now that he had the chance, he was determined to get Pei Wu drunk.
However, he had a good idea, but Pei Wu didn't drink a drop of alcohol. Pei Wu had a low alcohol tolerance; he wouldn't go crazy if he drank, but he would always lose consciousness. Today was his big day, and he couldn't let himself go to Jiang Ru in a drunken state.
He wanted to see Jiang Ru with his own eyes and to do everything with her while sober, so no matter who tried to persuade him, he didn't touch a drop of alcohol.
Xie Jun ultimately couldn't bring himself to be ruthless; he simply delayed Pei Wu a little longer before letting him leave.
Pei Wu didn't linger in the front yard for long. Except for being held back by Xie Jun for a while, he dealt with everyone else quickly. The guests in the front yard didn't really want to drag him along; they were all drunk and staggering. Pei Wu was able to get away and walked briskly towards the bridal chamber.
Just before entering the house, he smelled the unavoidable smell of alcohol on himself, which Jiang Ru would definitely not like. So he quickly took a bath before rushing to the bridal chamber.
Two maids stood guard outside the bridal chamber. When Pei Wu arrived, they opened the door for him.
Pei Wu went inside, and the door closed behind him.
The candlelight inside was bright, and stepping into the room felt like entering a warm spring day. The room was cozy and warm. Jiang Ru was sitting on the bed. Hearing the sound, she moved slightly, being unusually obedient. Even though she was supposed to sit and wait for a long time, she remained so upright.
Knowing it was Pei Wu, Jiang Ru's heart began to race, pounding so fast it felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.
As she approached, Jiang Ru saw Pei Wu's black and gold boots. He stopped in front of her, and Jiang Ru nervously gripped his hands tightly.
Pei Wu took the jade ruyi from the side and used it to lift the mandarin duck veil from Jiang Ru's head. His movements were both hurried and careful. In any case, Jiang Ru's veil was lifted.
Pei Wu looked down at Jiang Ru, and Jiang Ru looked back at him.
With makeup on, Jiang Ru's cheeks were rosy, her lips were as red as cherries, her eyelashes were curled, and she looked up at Pei Wu with her innocent and bewildered almond eyes, not blinking.
Her forehead was decorated with floral patterns, the petals of which were incredibly lifelike and beautiful. Although she had round eyes, perhaps due to makeup, the corners of her eyes slanted upwards, making her look as alluring as a fox.
They wore heavy headdresses and extremely elaborate clothes, including a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, and a wide-sleeved shirt. Pei Wu wore the same, with a round-necked robe and leather belt, a hat with flowers in his hair, and a red cloak draped over his body.
Jiang Ru looked up at Pei Wu, and before she could speak, her eyes were already filled with a smile. Her lips, which were rouged with lipstick, were upturned. Her face was beautiful enough without any makeup, but now it was even more striking.
Despite wearing such a heavy crown, she still subconsciously leaned against Pei Wu while sitting.
Afraid of smudging her makeup, Jiang Ru only dared to lean lightly against Pei Wu, but her hands wrapped around Pei Wu's waist. She held Pei Wu with both hands being equally slender, and her movements were so gentle that she seemed like a small animal nuzzling in his arms.
The crown on her head rubbed against Pei Wu's clothes. She buried her face in Pei Wu's stomach, then looked up at him and said, "I miss you so much."
It wasn't just the longing I felt while waiting in the room earlier, but also the longing I've felt these past few days.
Pei Wu raised his hand. Jiang Ru was wearing a crown, so he couldn't touch her head. Instead, he touched the back of her neck. Jiang Ru's neck was very delicate and smooth to the touch. After touching it a couple of times, Jiang Ru couldn't help but laugh and said, "It tickles!"
She dodged Pei Wu's movement, and Pei Wu's hand fell into mid-air.
Unlike Jiang Ru, who sat indoors with a hot stove and a hot water bottle in her hand, Pei Wu had just taken a bath, and the wind in the corridor was strong when he came over, so his hands were naturally cold.
Jiang Ru grabbed Pei Wu's hand in mid-air and put her own hand inside: "Warm up quickly, your hands are so cold."
The warmth traveled from her fingertips to her palms, gently soothing Pei Wu. Because she wanted to hold Pei Wu's hand, Jiang Ru sat up from his embrace, moving a little further away from him.
Pei Wu held Jiang Ru's hand; it was such a small and delicate hand, he could never get enough of looking at it and holding it.
There was a knock on the door. Jiang Ru trembled. Pei Wu was standing in front of her. She glanced outside warily and whispered to Pei Wu, "Could it be the wedding night pranks?"
Jiang Ru always felt that the wedding night should be a private affair for just the two of them, and that others entering would disturb their time together. Jiang Ru found this very annoying. Without thinking, she pushed Pei Wu to urge him on, and said aggressively, "Get them out of here."
Like a sulking child, she didn't realize it herself. Her cheeks were slightly puffed out and the corners of her lips turned down. She had no imposing manner, but she still had to put on this posture.
Pei Wu waited until she finished being angry before telling her, "It's not for the wedding night pranks, it's for dinner."
Pei Wu said softly, "Wait for me a moment." With that, he stepped towards the door. The maid outside had come to deliver dinner. Pei Wu had been thinking that Jiang Ru hadn't eaten much all day and was worried that she was hungry, so he had someone specially set aside a portion for her.
Pei Wu brought over the food box and, seeing Jiang Ru eagerly waiting on the bed, beckoned to her: "Come and eat."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ru's face immediately lit up with a smile. She sat up from the bed, her jade pendants jingling and her pearls clashing. As Jiang Ru jumped over, her earrings and the beads in her hair kept jingling. She laughed and said, "I knew you cared about me and missed me. I haven't eaten much today, I'm so hungry."
As Jiang Ru was about to pick up her chopsticks, she suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the Heqin wine on the table.
The matchmaker had told her that the first thing to do after lifting the veil was to drink the wedding wine, so how could she eat first?
Jiang Ru put the chopsticks she had picked up back down and pointed to the headboard: "We should drink the Heqin wine first."
Pei Wu glanced at it indifferently: "It's nothing. It's important that you fill your stomach. Besides, drinking on an empty stomach will cause a stomachache."
It's strange that this old-fashioned person, who always values etiquette above all else, would say one day that this is unimportant.
Jiang Ru still felt it wasn't right: "Let's drink first."
She tugged at Pei Wu's sleeve, unusually stubborn, but Pei Wu shook his head: "Eat first."
Jiang Ru was indeed very hungry, and she no longer had the mind to argue with Pei Wu about it. She could drink the Heqin wine whenever she wanted, since she and Pei Wu would be loving and affectionate for the rest of their lives.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ru looked at the table again.
On the table was a bowl of shredded pork congee, along with several side dishes and pastries. Jiang Ru could eat more than enough, and besides, she had been hungry for a long time and couldn't eat much more.
Jiang Ru picked up the spoon, put a few mouthfuls in her own mouth first, swallowed them, and then held the spoon to Pei Wu's mouth: "You eat too."
It was originally meant for Jiang Ru, and only one set of bowl and chopsticks was prepared. Pei Wu was about to refuse when Jiang Ru had already put the spoon to his lips, and he ate it anyway.
Pei Wu barely ate anything at the banquet, his mind only on Jiang Ru. When Jiang Ru couldn't finish her food, he devoured everything she left behind.
Jiang Ru was startled by the empty plate in front of her: "You didn't eat either?"
Pei Wu nodded: "I was thinking of coming to find you as soon as possible, so I didn't eat."
He arrived faster than Jiang Ru had expected. Jiang Ru leaned forward and hugged him, sincerely saying, "You're the best."
After they finished eating and rinsed their mouths, they went back to the bedside.
The wine was placed securely. The two picked up their wines, exchanged a glance, and then, in perfect unison, bypassed each other's hands and drank the wine in one gulp.
The liquor wasn't very strong, but it was good for adding to the fun. It was spicy with a slight sweetness. More important than drinking was the toasting. The two of them rubbed their elbows together, very close. Jiang Ru could see Pei Wu swallowing his Adam's apple as he drank, and every move he made made her breath catch in her throat.
Perhaps it was too hot inside, Jiang Ru's cheeks were like peaches. She drank slowly, and Pei Wu accommodated her, finishing their drinks almost at the same time.
After finishing their drinks, their eyes met briefly before quickly looking away. Jiang Ru didn't like drinking, and neither did Pei Wu. They maintained their pose for a moment before putting down their cups.
According to normal procedure, they should have consummated their marriage at this point, but...
Jiang Ru glanced at Pei Wu furtively, then pursed her lips: "Can you?"
Realizing what she was asking, Pei Wu paused for a moment, but still nodded.
Before the wedding, the matchmaker would give them a booklet with detailed contents. This day would eventually come. In the spirit of learning, Pei Wu read it. Although he didn't read it very carefully, he learned what he needed to know.
Jiang Ru didn't dare to look. She felt embarrassed to openly read erotic books. She used to deliberately skip over the stories and novels she read, so although she had read a lot of books, she was completely clueless when it came to actually doing them.
Jiang Ru's eyes darted around, and she grabbed Pei Wu's sleeve. Even after living three lifetimes, she was still excessively naive about this matter, knowing even less than Pei Wu. Jiang Ru shook Pei Wu's sleeve and said as if discussing it with him, "I'm a little scared."
Pei Wu paused for a moment, then Jiang Ru continued, "How about we just cover ourselves with the blankets and go to sleep without doing anything?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com