Pei Yunshu laughed and said, "Since my husband parts his hair, and I trim my cloudlike tresses, let’s look for a secluded spot, and tie them together into a united heart knot."
"Tying our hair as one, joining our hair buns!"
Duan Xiaoyan’s voice squeezed through from behind the door, "Hurry, it’s time to drink the Joined Cups Wine now, isn’t it? Why is getting married so complicated?"
He had also specially changed into a jujube red brocade robe today, the picture of youthful innocence. He was the loudest during the wedding rituals earlier. Pei Yunmeng glanced at him, but perhaps due to the crowd, the glance didn’t carry much deterrent power, and Duan Xiaoyan urged, "Come on, what are we waiting for?"
Pei Yunshu then smiled, while pushing Pei Yunmeng, "Ah Ying, it’s time to drink the Joined Cups Wine."
Pei Yunmeng looked at the person in front of him.
Lu Tong sat beside the couch, her head covered with a bridal veil, showing a rare obedience that wasn’t seen on ordinary days. She had been very calm throughout the day, and if she hadn’t almost tripped when stepping over the threshold earlier, you would hardly have seen a hint of nervousness.
He then picked up the wine jug and filled two silver goblets, which were also connected with colored knots. He took one goblet and gently placed the other in Lu Tong’s hand, softly reminding her, "Hold it steady." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
When Lu Tong’s hand touched the silver goblet, his voice was close by her ear, prompting her to subconsciously look up, only to see the dim light blurred by the Golden Bridal Veil.
She felt someone’s arm pass through her elbow, firmly supporting her. Although they were in separate positions, it felt extremely intimate, like the United Heart Knot Handkerchief she held before entering the door; two people who had nothing to do with each other were now inexplicably entangled and became one.
She lowered her head, her lips touching the rim of the goblet. The wine seemed to be honey wine, light and sweet, without any harshness.
After they had finished the Joined Cups Wine in one go, Lu Tong and Pei Yunmeng simultaneously relaxed their hands.
"Thud"——
Both goblets fell to the floor beneath the bed. One goblet faced up, the other lay on its side. Pei Yunshu took one look and immediately exclaimed, "A most auspicious sign!"
Since ancient times, Joined Cups Wine was also called "oracle goblet wine." After drinking, the goblets were thrown to the ground, and their orientation upon landing was used to predict good or ill fortune.
The omen was very good.
Duan Xiaoyan was the first to play along, "Of course, a match made in heaven, a perfect pair, bound to be loving till old age!"
Xiao Zhufeng, holding Treasure Bead, gave him a suspicious look, "How are you so eloquent today?"
The youth mumbled softly, "I gathered a basket of blessings before coming."
With this, all the wedding rituals were concluded. Pei Yunshu drew the bed curtains closed, ushered the merrymakers out of the room, and actually wanted to stay and talk with Lu Tong. But before he could approach her, he was pushed away by Pei Yunshu, who said, "You can’t break the rules; go entertain the guests in the front hall!" Then, turning around, she whispered to Yin Zheng, "You can finally rest a bit now, Miss Yinzhen. Once we leave, let Tongtong have something to eat. It’s been a busy half-day without a break, and she really worked hard today."
Yin Zheng nodded in agreement, and only then did Pei Yunshu leave.
After she left, and with no one else in the room, Lu Tong unceremoniously lifted the veil from her head and took a deep breath of relief.
Yin Zheng wanted to stop her, but seeing her suddenly relaxed expression, thought better of it and let her set the veil aside.
"Indeed, it’s been exhausting," Lu Tong remarked.
To be honest, before the wedding, she dreaded the complex procedures, and so she negotiated with Pei Yunmeng to simplify things as much as possible. Today’s wedding had already omitted many steps compared to Pei Yunshu’s wedding at Prince Wen’s Mansion, becoming much simpler, yet when it actually came to carrying them out, Lu Tong still found it overwhelming.
Or was it that now the residual poison in her body was gradually clearing up, and since living a leisurely and comfortable life at the Benevolent Heart Medical Hall without any worries, her constitution had become more delicate and couldn’t endure even the slightest exhaustion?
Yin Zheng picked up some United Heart Shaped Fruits from the spread bedding and handed them to Lu Tong, "Miss, have some food first, you must be hungry after being busy for so long."
At her mention, Lu Tong felt a bit of hunger and picked some pastries and fruits to eat with Yin Zheng. After eating something sweet, she felt refreshed and sat resting for a while before standing up to survey the room leisurely.
The bridal chamber was decorated with festive joy, with knots of color enhancing every corner. A pair of lotus flower vases on the desk next to the pearwood couch hinted at the wish for sons to come. There was also a statue of the Harmonious Union Immortals, symbolizing marital love.
Lu Tong was closely examining the statue of the Harmonious Union Immortals when unexpectedly, Yin Zheng approached her from behind and said softly, "Miss."
Lu Tong turned around.
Yin Zheng’s cheeks suddenly flushed with embarrassment, and she stammered, "Well, there’s something I want to tell you..."
Lu Tong looked at her, not understanding what was going on.
"You see, for a woman on her wedding night, the joy of the bridal chamber is a first encounter. In the family, when a girl is married off, they have to read some books to learn about it, otherwise they’re completely clueless... I had previously asked Widow Sun for some pamphlets, thinking that Little Lord Pei hasn’t arrived yet, Miss, do you want... do you want..."
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