Chapter 61 Chapter 61 Calling Husband on Wedding Night
Green smoke as thick as a jade chopstick slowly rose into the air, naturally slow and light without any dry smell. Pei Zhiji wiped the incense ash from his mother's tablet, and bowed to the ancestors of the Pei family.
The ancestral hall door quietly slid open, leaving a crack. Chen tiptoed in, took a look around, and then, looking at the bowing Pei Zhiji, said with a smile, "You're getting married tomorrow, and Second Aunt guessed you'd be here. This is a small gift from Second Uncle and Second Aunt, don't think it's too little."
A box of gold ingots, so heavy that the ancestral hall, dangling with real gold and silver, seemed to be a little brighter. Pei Zhiji thanked him and accepted it calmly.
Looking at the lonely figures in the ancestral hall, Chen was moved and said, "You said you are pitiful. You won't even have your parents to pay your respects to tomorrow. If your biological mother could..." She stopped talking here.
"That's okay. I'm happy that someone in this family remembers my mother."
Seeing that he looked normal, Chen continued what she had just said, "Your mother is truly a Bodhisattva-like person. I remember that we used to live in harmony with each other. Who could have known that she had such a bad fate and left you so early." Her tablet was in front, and Chen also lit a stick of incense.
"Look, is there anything else you need to prepare? Your wedding is so rushed that you won't be able to take care of many things."
Looking through the window, I saw a dazzling red light outside, and all I could see was a look of joy and happiness. "Thank you for your concern, Second Aunt. This is great."
He was in a visibly good mood, so Chen quickly took the opportunity to speak, "Zhiji, Second Aunt wants to discuss something with you. Can you wait until you're married before sending the old lady away? Otherwise, the rumors out there won't be good to hear."
"Okay, I'll do as Second Aunt says." There was some tenderness in his eyes, unlike the dark and scary ones the day before. Chen curled her lips. All men in the world are the same. They only smile happily on the day they get married.
On the third day of September, the streets were filled with red silk and brocade, a scene of gorgeous splendor, and the bright rooms of Pei Mansion were illuminated.
Several groups of people came to the palace to give gifts. Su Pingshun read out the emperor's rewards from beginning to end. The gifts from the prince and princess came one after another. Pei Zhiji and Lu Suizhu were only concerned with expressing their gratitude.
There were no parents present, so after the couple bowed to each other, they waited for the evening banquet. Lu Suizhu walked in on the red carpet, her red embroidered shoes embroidered with gold thread, and lotus flowers bloomed with every step. Wherever she stepped, gold and powder fell. When she was about to leave, she heard a familiar shout from outside the door.
"Wait, wait, the gift from Shoukang Palace hasn't been delivered yet--" Tihuo was running panting, and when he got there he took a breath, and the fair skin on his dimples turned red.
He waved his hand, and the eunuch behind him presented a jade and pearl headpiece. Everyone was amazed by its beauty. Ti Huo whispered under Lu Sui's pearl-red veil, "This is a gift from me. As a member of your family, I want to give you some face."
Perhaps because of this word about her family, Lu Suizhu's voice choked a little: "Stay for a drink tonight."
"No, the Queen Mother is waiting for me to serve her." After watching Lu Suizhu enter the bridal chamber with his own eyes, he turned around and went back.
Through the red veil, Lu Suizhu also saw the gorgeous and festive decorations in the room. The table that Pei Zhiji used every day was also wrapped with the same big red flowers as the groom's.
She sat quietly on the couch, feeling the unique tranquility in the midst of joy.
Pei Zhiji, dressed in red, was toasting in the front hall. Everyone knew that he was not in good health so they did not urge him to drink. However, those who could not refuse the toasts from the elders were all blocked by Xu Ruogu. There was a hint of drunkenness in Pei Zhiji's eyes. He put his arm on Xu Ruogu's shoulder and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Hold on a little longer, and get through tonight's case with Marquis Zhenyuan and Concubine Jiang's cousin, and then you won't have to worry anymore."
Xu Ruogu pursed his lips to stifle a smile at such a good thing, and hurriedly called Chen Guyan to cooperate in pushing Pei Zhiji into the bridal chamber. Some officials wanted to take this opportunity to toast Pei Shangshu with a couple of glasses of wine to make him familiar with them, but Xu Ruogu blocked them all. He narrowed his eyes and chuckled, putting his arm around the guests' shoulders: "Come on, come on, I'll drink with you all. I'm sure you'll have a great time today!"
Qin Wuniang also gathered the guests to drink and play pitch pots, trying her best to cheer them up, and she would never let these stinky men disturb Suizhu's wedding night.
In the room, Lu Suizhu was breaking peanuts and putting them into her mouth, being very careful not to smudge her makeup. It was still early and there was no rush. As she was thinking this, she suddenly saw the door open and then close quickly.
It was almost as if a groom fell in.
Then they ate from the same pot and drank from the same cup, going through the wedding process again. The front hall and back yard were all ready so that no one would make trouble in the bridal chamber. Chen was afraid that Pei Zhiji would not be able to hold on and would miss the important event in the evening, so she led the maids and servants to leave early.
Lu Sui's face, covered in rouge and powder, accentuated her beauty. Pei Zhiji pointed at her face, which was a different color than usual, and said, "Red lips and snowy skin set against a golden shimmer, even more dazzling than the morning glow reflected in the sun." Afraid she wouldn't understand, he simply summarized, "Very beautiful."
She pushed him gently, and Lu Sui's rosy face was stained with thick rouge. How could she tell whether Pei Zhiji was sincere or joking?
"lady."
The call made Lu Suizhu lower her head, and a pair of cold hands wrapped around her. Her shoulders trembled slightly, causing ripples in her eyes.
Pei Zhiji wanted to say something but couldn't hold back the urge to cough. He turned around and wiped the corner of his lips with a handkerchief. Fortunately, everything was red tonight. After he had finished coughing, Lu Suizhu quickly wiped a tear from her cheek. He deliberately avoided her and pretended not to see it.
Even behind his back, where he couldn't see, she still tried to smile. Lu Suizhu raised her hand, trembling slightly, and climbed onto his shoulders to take off his coat. She took the initiative to say, "I've been busy all day, and I'm tired. Let's go to bed early."
It is not usually mentioned, but the "rest" on the wedding night has a unique sentiment, which really makes people think about it. Pei Zhiji blushed slightly and shook her hand uncomfortably: "Wait a minute.
Then, despite the huge pressure from the opposite side, he put his clothes back on and properly straightened the collar of his inner garment.
Lu Suizhu: “?”
The frown on her face almost said: Are you not good enough? It's written all over her face.
"I think... let's just sleep like this tonight. If we are unlucky and you become a widow at a young age, it will be easier for you to remarry." Pei Zhiji said frankly, but his heart was broken like a knife cutting himself and it hurt.
"Is it like this tonight, or will it be like this forever?"
Without waiting for him to say anything else, Lu Suizhu hooked her arms around his neck and pecked him, pressing her lips against his. She didn't believe that his heart was as cold and heartless as his words. She put her hands on his chest and with a little force pushed him down between the soft bed curtains.
Lying flat on the bed where red waves were surging, Pei Zhiji was in great defeat, breathing unevenly. The candlelight reflected his shimmering complexion, and his lips were tangled and swollen, as if he had fought a shameful and brutal battle. He stared at the ceiling, and his body was covered with red dates, longans and peanuts that hurt his waist and back.
"Lord Pei is not a young man of eighteen or nineteen anymore. Why do you have to pretend to be noble?" Lu Suizhu half-supported herself and looked down at him, forcing him to face her.
Pei Zhiji lay there without sagging an inch. The alluring red at the corner of his eye contrasted sharply with his calm and composed demeanor. "I'm afraid you'll regret it."
"What if I have been coveting Master Pei's appearance for a long time?
I'm being serious with you."
"What are you talking about being serious on your wedding night? Master Pei is used to being old and frail. Does he think he is not serious enough on a normal day?"
The mandarin duck brocade cup was covered, and the wedding wine also came into play. When they were kissing each other, he was pushed down again with a bit of anger. Pei Zhiji was ashamed. The reaction of his lower body could not be deceived. Forget it, let it be. He gave up on himself. In a blink of an eye, the world was spinning. He had become the host. His jaw was stretched into a line, and his low voice whispered in Lu Suizhu's ear.
"Life is a marriage, but it doesn't involve chaos. Occasionally, we travel together, but we don't indulge in intimacy. I have nothing to offer you. If you find pleasure in this body, with all the sincerity in my heart, then you can do with it as you please."
Lu Suizhu whimpered and shed a tear, "I don't quite understand." Her neck was rubbed so hard that she was sweating.
The wavy shadows of the bed vines reflected the tightly entwined bodies, occasionally rubbing their ears and whispering.
It was already late at night, and Pei Zhiji stroked her hair as she slept soundly: "It's okay, I'll teach you whatever book you want to read in the future."
The hydrangeas, beautiful lanterns, and incense candles were brightly lit all night long. Pei Zhiji was a sleepless person to begin with, and with someone beside him he couldn't sleep at all. He struggled to get up, covered her with the quilt, put on his winter brown cloak, and slowly walked to the ancestral hall.
Jiang Manrui knelt on the futon, clasping her hands together. Her eyes were lifeless and withered, her cheeks sunken from the frustrations of days of running around. After several days of begging Pei Zhiji for permission, she finally came to see him. She knelt before him, her hair turning slightly grey. "I did everything that happened back then. I poisoned your mother to death, and I also poisoned your body. But Huai Shen has nothing to do with these things, and he knows nothing about them. Let him go."
Her face was numb as she said this, digging out words one by one like drawing algae from a deep well. Pei Zhiji squatted down and looked at her at eye level, carefully observing her gesture of admitting her mistake.
He looked like a ghost in his red lining. "When you die, your son will live."
Jiang Manrui bit her lip and raised her head. No matter how hard she tried to calm down, she couldn't suppress the hatred in her heart. Behind her was Jiang Zhihe's tablet, and in front of her was her son, Jiang Zhihe, wearing a red dress and threatening her to atone for his sins.
"Since you've endured it all this time, why do you want revenge? If what happened back then gets out, the Pei family's reputation will be ruined, and you, Lord Pei, won't be able to gain anything." Madam Pei's eyes were red, like a mad woman, and she only wished she could die with Pei Zhiji. "When did you change? You really don't look like your mother at all!"
"You are not worthy to mention her." Pei Zhiji suddenly stood up. Her face was disgusting at first glance.
"My aunt committed suicide. I will find a way to cover up for you. You don't need to worry about the reputation of the Pei family."
Pei Zhiji stepped out of the door with his long legs, and Jiang Manrui shouted at the back: "I can die, but let me see Huai Shen once——"
The sorrowful and miserable voice did not move Pei Zhiji's sympathy. What qualifications did the murderer have to negotiate with him?
"What good will happen to you if I lose today? The position of the eldest lady of the Pei family should have been mine. It was your mother who stole my marriage!" Jiang Manrui fell to the ground, breaking the Buddhist beads in her hand, and blood flowed from her palm.
As the sky gradually brightened, the window panes became increasingly clear. Pei Zhongke was unable to get up from his bed, while Jiang was kneeling in the ancestral hall, chanting Buddhist scriptures.
In Chunhui Hall, there was only the old lady with a resentful look on her face. Pei Yanke and Chen were sitting there waiting for the newlyweds to serve them tea.
When Lu Suizhu offered tea to the old lady, she didn't want to drink it and didn't say anything. Pei Zhiji took it directly from her hand, held it in his own hand, and looked at the old lady: "Grandma, please have some tea."
The cold voice accompanied by the hot tea made the old lady loosen her grip on the cane, and she took it tremblingly, touching the rim of the cup before putting it down.
When offering tea to her second uncle and aunt, the old lady winked at Chen and his wife without saying a word. Chen received the wink and pinched Pei Yanke's waist beside her.
He grumbled in pain, took Lu Suizhu's tea, drank a big gulp, and then put on a smile. "My niece-in-law is beautiful. She looks a bit like our Lan Yi, hahaha!"
Chen was so angry that her teeth itched, but she had no way to disobey her mother-in-law. She looked at Lu Suizhu and said, "My dear niece, please persuade your husband not to let the old lady pass away. From now on, our family will be harmonious. Wouldn't others praise you for your consideration for your grandmother and your filial piety?"
Lu Suizhu withdrew her hand, truly unwilling to get involved in Pei Mansion's family affairs.
"Grandma, please do your duty as an elder in the future, especially don't make things difficult for your grandson's wife. This way, our family can still survive. If you cause trouble again, don't blame your grandson for being cruel and ruthless."
The old lady hummed with her nose. She had tempered herself over the past few days and had to endure it no matter how much she disliked Pei Zhiji. Now that she finally didn't have to go to the manor, she quickly sent Pei Zhiji and his wife away with just a few words, fearing that if she stayed for another quarter of an hour, she would suffer more.
After leaving Chunhui Hall, Lu Suizhu said with a smile, "Master Pei has such great authority."
Pei Zhiji raised his eyebrows: "What's your name?"
"Husband, husband." He had called him husband several times last night. Lu Suizhu didn't know why he loved to hear this word "husband" so much.
Even today she feels that getting married is unreal.
"I'm going to the palace for a while. I have some unfinished business. I'll be back later." Pei Zhiji also felt that it was not good to be so busy right after getting married. He wanted to say something to make up for it, but Lu Suizhu was understanding and didn't give him the chance: "Go quickly, work early and come back early to rest."
Work? It's a rare word to describe him.
After he left, Lu Suizhu returned to her room, still feeling a little worried. She wasn't worried about her mother and brother, but when she was in Fan Xi, they didn't want her to be with Pei Zhiji. If they really knew that she was getting married in such a hurry, they would probably be furious.
Seeing that she had no appetite, Fangdian said, "Miss, you've already done it, why are you worrying now? You should think about how to admit your mistakes more realistically."
Lu Suizhu put down her bowl and chopsticks and couldn't help but argue: "It was Pei Zhiji who apologized, right? What does this have to do with me?"
"Well, if you really have the nerve, you should have asked Lord Pei to rush to Fanxi day and night to apologize to the master and his wife. It's a pity that Lord Pei is so distressed just by a minor illness. Can you bear to let him go?"
As expected, they had known each other since childhood, and Fang Dian could always easily choke her.
After a while, Chunmei, who was beside Jiang Manrui, came over and saluted: "Young Madam, Madam wants you to go to the ancestral hall to discuss something about the eldest son. Please be sure to go there when you are done."
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