Before long, the wedding procession, accompanied by music and fanfare, arrived at the bride's house. A loud firecracker exploded, and Liu Feng's heart instantly tightened.
The woman's vermilion gate was tightly shut.
A pair of bright red lanterns hung high above the doorway, embroidered with large double happiness characters in gold thread. Couplets lined both sides: the first line read "Red candles shine brightly, joy fills the door," and the second line read "Gold and jade fill the hall, blessings abound," with the horizontal inscription "A happy marriage." Everything seemed so festive and peaceful, but behind this joy lay some considerable challenges.
The door was already crowded with the bride's relatives and friends, each with a smile on their face, but with a hint of "making things difficult".
They seemed to be waiting for something interesting. According to local custom, this was called "being turned away," intended to test the groom's sincerity.
Surrounded by his groomsmen, Liu Feng dismounted from his white horse, straightened his clothes slightly, and prepared to meet this special "challenge," intending to knock on the door.
Just then, an elderly man with white hair strolled out from the crowd. He had a smile on his face and a cunning look in his eyes. He was carrying a large bowl of wine and walked straight toward Liu Feng.
"Oh, the groom's here! Today's auspicious day, we must follow the proper etiquette!" the old man said with a smile, then turned and waved to the crowd: "Let's get ready for the feast!"
Before he finished speaking, a burst of hearty laughter erupted from all around, and everyone clapped and cheered, clearly having been looking forward to this drinking game for a long time.
Liu Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief; testing his alcohol tolerance was not a difficult task for him.
After all, the drinking contest is a tradition of the bride's family, and the groom must pass this test before entering the bride's home. The only way to pass this test is by drinking.
Beforehand, Liu Feng had heard Yu Jingya say that her brother-in-law had failed at the drinking game during the wedding procession. The main reason for his failure was that he was too pretentious, thinking he could hold his liquor, and stubbornly resisted all the toasts offered. He would drink one glass and then take a step, until halfway through the procession, when he was replaced with a larger glass. Therefore, Yu Jingya advised Liu Feng not to be reckless when drinking, and to just drink a little and then spill some, for fear that Liu Feng would get too drunk.
“I see the groom is quite handsome, but I wonder how much he can drink?” A burly young man stepped forward, also carrying a bowl of wine. As he spoke, he revealed a mocking smile, “Groom, since you want to marry our Yu family’s daughter, you’d better show us some real skills! Come on, drink this bowl first.”
Liu Feng accepted the challenge readily, but secretly wondered: Weren't we supposed to drink from wine glasses? Why are we using large bowls now? He glanced around and noticed Yu Jingya's cousins and brother-in-law standing in the crowd, their eyes seemingly carrying a hint of "settling a personal score." He quickly understood the reason: Liu Feng had gotten them all drunk before.
"The groom drinks, and joy fills the house!" The relatives around them started to cheer, and bursts of laughter filled the air.
"Drink! Drink! Drink!" The shouts from the crowd grew louder and louder, everyone looking on with amusement, anticipating Liu Feng's performance.
So Liu Feng stopped and smiled as he accepted the wine bowl from the old man. The wine shimmered in the sunlight. He raised the bowl and said loudly, "A toast to everyone, thank you all for your kindness!"
After saying this, he drank the wine in the bowl in one gulp. The spicy taste instantly surged onto his tongue, but his expression remained unchanged. He wiped the bowl clean, smiled, and handed it back to the old man.
"Great!" The villagers who were watching cheered in unison, clapping their hands in approval.
However, the challenge didn't end there. The old man laughed even more heartily: "In that case, come on, have another bowl. You can only enter after you've finished it!"
Liu Feng took the wine bowl again and drank it down in one gulp without hesitation.
A burst of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd. "What a courageous young man! Well done!"
Just when everyone thought Liu Feng was about to pass the test, a new challenge came from the side: "Two bowls left, groom, what, dare to drink some more?" The voice was teasing and provocative.
Liu Feng showed no fear. With his wedding approaching, how could he back down? He raised his wine bowl again, smiling at the crowd: "I'll toast everyone with this bowl of wine again!" He drank it all in one gulp without hesitation.
At this moment, Yu Liang and several bridesmaids inside the gate were observing the situation outside through the crack in the door.
"The groom looks so handsome drinking!" Manli exclaimed. She had been in the entertainment industry for many years and had seen countless handsome men, but the groom at this moment was the one who caught her eye. He was truly "a gentleman as beautiful as jade, unparalleled in the world."
"I'm so jealous. Jingya, that girl, has waited five years for someone. She's really something. If I had a boyfriend like that, I'd be willing to wait five years for him too," a bridesmaid said enviously.
"Wow, look, the best man is handsome too!"
"I've got my eye on one."
"Don't try to take it from me, I've got my eye on the one in front."
They were originally a group of quiet and gentle young women, but now they were like hungry wolves and tigers, completely lacking any ladylike demeanor.
Their judgment was indeed sharp. Liu Fei and Lin Hao were cultivators, possessing both excellent looks and temperament. Coupled with their training at the military academy, they were naturally far superior to ordinary people. The other four groomsmen were also handsome and sunny young men who were both literate and martial; otherwise, they wouldn't have been chosen as groomsmen.
Yu Liang ignored the infatuated bridesmaids, peeked through the crack in the door a few times, and then hurriedly returned to the room to tell Yu Jingya, "Second brother-in-law, he has already drunk four large bowls of wine!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Jingya looked worried and asked in surprise, "Why are you drinking from a big bowl?"
Outside the door, Liu Feng drank another large bowl of wine.
The old man finally smiled with satisfaction: "Good! The groom is indeed a fine man! He has a good capacity for alcohol. In that case, you may become a disciple."
"Wait!" Just then, the eldest brother-in-law came running over carrying a large wine jar...
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