Chapter 064 Chapter 64
The Yan family had been celebrating a big wedding these days. The wedding tent had not been taken down, and there were lanterns and decorations everywhere. Yao Niang had finished her bath early in the morning and was being helped by the servants to get dressed. Her skin was as fine as top-grade porcelain, and her white jade-like skin was pink. Although she was only fourteen and a half years old, her figure was exquisite. Although she had not yet reached the stage of having enlarged breasts, a slim waist, a round butt and slim legs, her breasts were so big that one could hold them in one hand, and her waist was so soft that she looked like Chang'e.
When she changed her clothes and came out to dress, Mrs. Liu had already come over, and she had brought her daughter with her. Yao Niang happily took Shan Jie'er's hand and said, "I have sewed a lot of dolls and made a lot of small clothes myself. Do you want to play with them? I'll have someone bring them out for you."
Shan Jie'er is now eight or nine years old, still a little girl. When she saw Yao Niang's cabinet full of dolls, she was envious: "Sister Yan San, are all these yours?"
"Yes, the one on top was bought for me by my father. He used to be the Minister of Rites in Nanjing and had contact with many foreigners. You see, that doll is from Japan, and that one is from Persia. The rest were all sewed by me. The row in the middle is the Twelve Flower Gods, which were sewed based on my own drawings. This small brocade box contains their clothes and jewelry."
When Mrs. Liu heard Yao Niang's introduction, she thought of Minister Yan whom she had met. He did not look like an easy person to get along with. It was said that he was now the only candidate for the Minister of Rites. She did not expect him to treat her daughter so well. No wonder the third daughter of the Yan family looked talkative and smart, but she did not have any fawning or flattering attitude.
Shan Jie'er was also a little girl, and when she saw that she could play with these dolls, her eyes lit up. Yao Niang asked the maid to play with Shan Jie'er, while she sat down and let the hairdresser start to do her makeup.
Mrs. Liu found that Miss Yan San was indeed different from Miss Yan Da. She kept her place tidy and organized, and even when a bridesmaid from outside came, there was no mess at all. Her mother was always coordinating everything.
These may not seem surprising, but they show her daily skills. Besides, that girl's room is a mess.
Just as she was thinking about it, a girl came in from outside. Mrs. Liu took a closer look and found that it was the fourth daughter of the Yan family. She heard that she was engaged to the son of Qiu Guan, the Minister of Justice. It was true that all the daughters of the Yan family married up to higher status and none of them married down.
Yao Niang also noticed that Ying Niang had arrived. Her relationship with Ying Niang had always been ordinary, but she still had to consider her for the sake of face, so she asked her to sit down. Ying Niang felt that it was unfair when she thought of Yao Niang's dowry, but she couldn't say anything. Her father acted as if the third sister had suffered a great loss.
"Third sister." Yingniang sat down beside her.
Yao Niang thought that although Madam Liu was a blessed lady, she was also the wife of the Marquis of Jinghai and the wife of Commander Liu. She would never give such connections to Ying Niang for nothing, and naturally she would not let Ying Niang play with Sister Shan. She just smiled and said to Qing Dai, "Bring out some cakes and preserved fruits for the fourth young lady."
Soon Qingdai brought four kinds of snacks, including sugar-coated molasses cake, mirror-shaped cake, sugar-coated cherry and jade dew ball. Among them, the sugar-coated cherry was especially famous, as it was the most famous dish in Xie's teahouse.
When Madam Liu came over just now, Yao Niang had almost served these snacks. Anyway, any leftovers from the guests could be given to the servants, so these expensive pastries would not be wasted.
Yingniang pretended to be a lady in front of everyone, and even went over patiently to play with Shanjie, but her patience was often not enough, and Yaoniang was not the kind of person who would be snatched away by others.
"Sister Shan, there is a small closet next to it. The most beautiful clothes are in it, but you must not let others wear the Peony Fairy's clothes."
"Sister Yan San, I also like Peony Fairy the most. I won't do that, don't worry."
"So good." Yao Niang said, and then she said to Madam Liu, "I really like your daughter Shan. When I go to the Shen family in the future, I will invite her to play more often."
Mrs. Liu laughed and said, "That's nothing. She just doesn't want to stay at home."
As for how to socialize and build her own network in the future, Mrs. Liu is the best choice. Her family often holds flower banquets and she has a high status. Most importantly, Yao Niang also likes her as a person and she is not the kind of person who is shrewd and scheming.
Yingniang naturally knew Madam Liu's identity, otherwise she would not want to come. Before, Yan Ningxin had someone blocking the door, but this time, for fear of complications, no one was blocking the door, so she did not need to come.
But seeing that Mrs. Liu was obviously on better terms with her third sister and didn't pay much attention to her, she felt aggrieved.
Little did she know that Madam Liu just thought that she was Yao Niang's wife today, so of course Yao Niang was the priority in everything. Besides, Miss Yan San was also talkative and clever, often making witty remarks, and she herself was a very curious person. Shen Linfeng, a cheerful, neat and unrestrained man, suddenly became a dog circling around Miss Yan San.
Such legendary stories, which are like stories from human stories, are much more interesting than those about the Fourth Miss Yan.
Besides, the dolls on Miss Yan San's shelf are so beautiful that even she can't walk. It would be great if Miss Yan San could give a pair to her or her daughter.
It's OK to give it to my daughter, so she can play with it secretly. It's just that Liu Ji is always busy and can't accompany her.
Probably only Yingniang curled her lips when she saw the pile of dolls, thinking that Mrs. Liu would not look down on such little girls' things.
Mrs. Xie came to see Yao Niang, and saw that she was still combing her hair, so she invited Mrs. Liu and others to the table. Shan Jieer didn't want to eat outside, but Mrs. Xie was very easy to persuade: "Then let's eat in Yao Niang's room."
Mrs. Liu felt that she had a strong personality, so she liked people like Xie very much. She also liked to talk to Yao Niang and often had opinions.
There were many guests outside, so Yingniang went out and unexpectedly met her second sister and Zhao Fang. Her second sister already had a hint of superiority on her face, and she was not so polite to Zhao Fang when she spoke.
She walked closer and heard Zhao Fangzheng say, "Yes, my brother is preparing for next year's imperial examination."
"Then you must prepare well. If you have any inconvenience, you can come to me."
When Yingniang saw that her second sister even treated Zhao Xian as a stranger and had no feelings for him at all, she wondered if her second sister really liked Zhao Xian back then?
In fact, it doesn't matter to Yu Qianniang whether she likes him or not. Wen Qilang, the man she married, is a man who can understand elegant thoughts from the sound of music. She is very satisfied with her husband, and Wen Qilang is a good person. He handles the complicated relationships between the first and third wives in her family very well, and he is even more impeccable to her.
In a blink of an eye, Qianniang saw Yingniang and said, "Fourth sister, why are you here? The banquet is about to start. Let's prepare for lunch. The groom will come to pick up the bride in the afternoon."
Zhao Fang came from his hometown. In fact, he heard that the health of the old lady of the Yan family was not very good, and the eldest wife was always looking for supplements, like water flowing. Thinking of the big things that happened in the Yan family, what is this now? The eldest uncle became the younger uncle, the elder sister did not get married, and the younger sister got married again.
It is true that the world is bustling for profit. Thinking of this, she laughed at herself. In fact, she just married her aunt's cousin.
In the past, Qianniang would still boast that her good friends would write to her, but now that she has become the prime minister's daughter-in-law, she seems to be indifferent when people talk to her.
Because the Yan family was married to the Shen family, the Yan family's sons and son-in-law Wen Qilang all helped to entertain the guests. Yan Jingzhao took out a handkerchief and wiped his sweat: "There are so many people here today. I'm sweating in the middle of winter."
Wen Qilang and Shen Linfeng were also quite familiar with each other, so he couldn't help but say, "Shen Gongding is now our brother-in-law, we have to play a good trick on him. When we played polo before, this guy never gave in."
Yan Jingzhao, who was about to laugh, slapped his head. He really forgot that his sister couldn't play polo at all.
So Yan Jingzhao was a little disappointed: "Qilang, don't tease him. It's not easy for him to find a wife."
Wen Qilang thought of the past and said, "You are right. Besides, Third Aunt is still young. If she knew that we were playing a prank on her, she would be very anxious."
Yan Jingzhao and Wen Qilang went to the front hall and saw that someone around Li had brought soup and food over. She also said, "Grandma said that you had a poor appetite this morning, so she specially asked someone to stew sour bamboo shoots and pheasant soup for you."
"Okay." Yan Jingzhao was quite pleased that Li cared about him in every detail and was considerate.
By the time lunch was over, Yao Niang had combed her hair. She looked at herself in the bronze mirror. Her hair was really as dark as clouds, and she was extremely charming and beautiful, like a peony in full bloom.
Mrs. Liu praised: "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen."
"Madam, please don't make fun of me. I think you are the most beautiful person I have ever seen." Yao Niang held the fan, feeling a little shy.
She sat alone on the bed, and Shan Jie'er also went out sensibly. Yao Niang specially selected a pair of rag dolls, Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, for her, and also gave them two sets of clothes. Shan Jie'er couldn't wait to play with them.
I don't know if Shen Linfeng has come?
Of course Shen Linfeng got up early and changed into his wedding clothes. He was still greeting guests at noon. Everyone looked at him with an expression that they hoped the wedding would be a success, but were also afraid of repeating the same mistakes.
Some older people even asked, "Whose family did the eldest son of the Shen family marry?"
"The Yan family, the daughter of the Minister of Personnel, Mr. Yan, and the granddaughter of Mr. Zhushan."
"The Yan family? Why did you marry someone from the Yan family last time?"
These words were of course very embarrassing. Shen Linfeng had originally planned to seal his heart and give up love, and didn't want to get married for three to five years, but somehow he had to get married anyway, especially marrying Miss Yan San, which was the happiest thing for him. She was a person who knew how to fight for her mother's imperial edict at the age of thirteen. She was filial and ambitious, talented and beautiful, and more importantly, she said that he was the only one in her heart, and they would never be separated.
"Brother Feng, get ready to get married."
Shen Linfeng came back to his senses when he heard Mrs. Shen's urging. He smiled and said, "Okay, son will get ready to go now."
Madam Shen Er also joked, "Feng'er, don't miss the auspicious time, and don't be too happy."
"How could that be possible, auntie?" Shen Linfeng didn't care.
Shen Linfeng went to the front hall, where Second Madam Shen was talking with several aunts and Madam Shen's sisters. Unmarried women like Shen Mo and Han Ruhua went to check the new house first, and the two cousins smiled at each other again.
Han Ruohua was currently living in the Shen family, and couldn't help but ask about Yao Niang's character, fearing that she would offend someone in the future, so she asked, "Cousin Shen, what kind of personality does this future sister-in-law have?"
Shen Mo thought for a moment and said, "I have had more contact with her sisters than with her, but she is very pretty, a delicate and young girl."
Han Ruohua thought of Shen Linfeng again, and always felt that she was a little different from the cousin she had in her mind. Because she had always been by Mrs. Shen's side, she accidentally heard the two maids beside her mention that Shen Linfeng knelt down and asked to marry the third daughter of the Yan family, which shocked her.
People like cousin Shen are admired by everyone. Not to mention marrying the daughter of the Yan family, even marrying the daughter of the prime minister is not a problem. He doesn't quite fit the image of a child of an aristocratic family. All marriages of children of aristocratic families are arranged marriages, and it is difficult for them to have true love. This is the first time I have seen such true love, as if a puppet under control suddenly has his own emotions.
But Han Ruohua would not say these. Seeing her like this, Shen Mo smiled and said, "You will be able to see her later. Isn't my brother going to pick her up now?"
Han Ruohua nodded.
Not only is Yan going to marry into the family, but the daughter-in-law of the second wife of the second house, the daughter of Marquis Xinning, is also going to marry into the family. Han Ruohua thinks that by then the Shen family will also become lively.
Besides, Yao Niang didn’t dare to eat too much or drink water at noon because the wedding dress was too complicated. It required the cooperation of several people to put it on, and it was even more inconvenient to go to the toilet.
Fortunately, she is beautiful, and today she looks more beautiful than ever, and that is enough.
Two charcoal braziers were added to the room because they would become cold if one sat for a long time. Yao Niang picked up the love fan and looked at it, and could not help laughing.
Someone outside came in and reported: "Miss, Miss Shen is here."
Shen Linfeng's men must have reached the door. He saw Yan Jingzhao standing at the door and bowed, "Brother-in-law."
"Hey, don't shout like that. You have to pass me before you can go in to pick up the person." Yan Jingzhao said with a smile.
Shen Linfeng thought that he had played the piano last time to pass the three levels, and wondered if he would do the same this time. But he smiled and said, "It's up to you."
Yan Jingzhao said: "I still have to write the makeup poem."
"It should be." Shen Linfeng smiled and recited a few makeup-inducing poems. He was still wondering if Yan Jingzhao was holding back something big. He didn't expect that Yan Jingzhao would wait for him to come in and then place a few targets for him to shoot.
It was so simple that Shen Linfeng couldn't believe it.
When they were almost at the door of the third room, Yan Jingzhao said, "Good brother, for the third level, I'll trouble you to play a piece of "Phoenix Seeking Phoenix". If you play well, my sister will open the door."
Shen Bangyan had followed Shen Linfeng here before. The Yan family was in a very difficult situation that time. They had to overcome many hurdles one after another, but now it seems that they have been completely let off.
"Phoenix Seeking the Phoenix" is a passionate courtship music, and it also symbolizes the shared ideals, noble aspirations, and tacit understanding between men and women. Nowadays, when a man is getting married, he plays this music to express his love for the woman.
Shen Linfeng did not refuse, and Yao Niang, who was sitting inside, was trying to touch up her makeup because she was afraid that her makeup would be smudged. Unexpectedly, she heard a passionate and lingering song, and she was a little stunned. Although she was reluctant to leave home, she was really going to marry into the Shen family today, and she was looking forward to it.
She can be a little girl at home, but little girls always have to grow up.
"Girl, the master said that if you feel okay, you can push the door and leave."
"But I want to hear it all."
When Shen Linfeng first started playing, he thought he played well and wondered if his sister, the Goddess Consort, would play with him. But when the song was about to end, the door didn't open, and he became uneasy. Shen Bangyan, who was standing behind him, also saw that the door hadn't opened yet, and thought to himself that his elder brother's marriage failed last time, so this time...
When he was thinking this, the door opened, Shen Linfeng put down the flute and came out smiling.
Yao Niang was also helped to the door. She covered her face with a fan. Because the skirt of her wedding dress was too long, she specially selected three pairs of boys and girls to help hold it. Not to mention the countless servants and maids standing behind her. For a moment, many people thought it was a princess who had descended to the sky.
They went to bid farewell to Yan Yingqi and Xie. Xie was busy at first, but was called over. When she came, she saw Shen Linfeng and Yao Niang coming in. Her daughter was really leaving today. She was about to cry, but Yan Yingqi said, "Yao Niang spent several hours putting on makeup today. Don't make her cry. It's not good for the bride to cry too ugly."
So, Xie held back her tears, but her voice was filled with tears: "Third girl, be well."
Yao Niang cried for a long time yesterday, and she burst into tears today as well: "My daughter knows."
She stood up and wanted to take another look at her parents, but she heard Mrs. Liu shout, "The auspicious time is coming, and the bride is leaving."
The bride's feet cannot touch the ground when she goes out, so Yao Niang was carried on Yan Jingzhao's back. Last time, Qian Niang was carried on Yan Jingzhang's back. It is said that Yan Jingzhang could not carry her and complained that Qian Niang was too heavy. Yao Niang got on her brother's back, but she said worriedly in Yan Jingzhao's ear: "Brother, is it heavy?"
“Not heavy.”
"Am I as light as a feather?" Yao Niang laughed.
Yan Jingzhao smiled: "That's not the case."
Shen Linfeng, who was walking nearby, couldn't help laughing when he heard the conversation between the brother and sister. He particularly liked this kind of relaxed chatting atmosphere, which was very easy, happy and warm.
The crown on the head is too heavy. This is the phoenix crown that all four daughters of the Yan family have. Yan Yingqi had made it long ago and wrote their respective names on it, waiting for them to wear when they get married.
But the crowns of the four of them were different: Yan Ningxin's was the Biluo Hibiscus Crown, Qianniang's was the Jinhuaxia Colorful Gold Phoenix Crown, Yingniang's was the Goose Double Flower Cuiyun Phoenix Crown, and Yaoniang's was the Double Disc Gold and Silver Pearl Flower Tree Crown.
But in addition to the crown, there is also a gold-inlaid agate headpin, a square flower-shaped hairpin and a precious bun.
Yan Jingzhao was indeed much stronger than Yan Jingzhao. He carried Yao Niang out of the door and directly put her into the bridal carriage.
As soon as Yao Niang sat down, she took out the target mirror and powder puff from her sleeve pocket to touch up her makeup. She didn't even have time to realize that after their team left, Xie held the basin of water and refused to splash it.
There was music and dance all along the way, and she was very happy. This was the second time that Mrs. Liu was a happy wife for both the Yan and Shen families. She was still a little scared, but she wanted to overcome the difficulties and get up from where she fell.
So when the sedan chair arrived at the Shen family's door, Mrs. Liu breathed a sigh of relief.
But she was too happy too early. After the sedan chair landed, the bride had to keep walking, and someone had to change the blankets in front of her, so that her feet would not touch the ground. However, Yao Niang's skirt was too long, so the Yan family specially prepared someone to hold her skirt, but the Shen family didn't know about it and didn't prepare anyone.
Miss Yan San and the Yan family said that it was okay to ask the maids to help, but at this time Shen Linfeng said, "Go and call six little boys over."
Mrs. Liu felt that she was getting angry and hurried forward and said, "Mr. Shen, this is not necessary."
However, Shen Linfeng felt that he had wronged Yao Niang: "Madam Liu, why don't you wait a while? It would be better for a boy to hold the hem of her skirt." This was what they did just now at the Yan family, and it also meant to bring good luck.
But after waiting for a cup of tea, they still hadn't gathered. Mrs. Liu really wanted to go up and order them to leave, but this was the Shen family, and the Shen family would not listen to her.
Fortunately, a female voice was heard at this time: "Let my maid hold the hem of your skirt. The world is not perfect, and even marriages are not perfect. This is beyond human power, so we should not miss the auspicious time."
Mrs. Liu found this very reasonable. Being too perfect is not necessarily a good thing. She also saw that Miss Yan San, who was under the fan, came out to speak. She was not like other women who would hide when faced with problems. She admired this very much.
"Okay, then do as you say."
Shen Linfeng, who was originally arguing with Madam Liu, readily agreed, and secretly thought that although the goddess' sister was young, she had extraordinary knowledge.
Madam Liu laughed and said, "Mr. Shen, you are wasting my breath."
Shen Linfeng quickly apologized and said, "Madam Liu, I was wrong. I was wrong."
Mrs. Liu would not get angry over such a small matter. She just joked, "I dare not say anything to you, or else Madam Yan San will be angry with me."
"No, she's fine." Shen Linfeng helped to explain.
Mrs. Liu thought to herself, "When I talk about him, he doesn't refute me, but when I talk about Miss Yan San, he is even more anxious than I am."
In fact, it was Yao Niang's first time to come to the Shen family. She was holding a fan and there were people around her, so it was difficult for her to observe the situation in the Shen family. She just followed Mrs. Liu's instructions.
The Shen family was naturally very crowded today, because Shen Linfeng was marrying the Yan family again. The Shen family members had lost a big shame last time, so they were all watching the ceremony this time, wanting to see what the Yan family bride was like. There were countless curious people.
Mr. Shen and Mrs. Shen sat at the top. Mr. Shen was fine, but Mrs. Shen was very nervous. She could feel that some people came just to laugh at her, just like the year her eldest son died, those people were laughing at her, seemingly comforting her for the loss of her son, but in fact they were gloating.
The rise of the imperial examination was the starting point of the aristocratic family's decline, but the eldest son, who was extremely intelligent, died young, and the second son was fat and stupid. How could they be capable of taking on such a big responsibility?
This time at their wedding, many people were waiting to see them make a fool of themselves.
"Groom, here comes the bride."
Mrs. Shen seemed to be alerted by the shout and looked at the newlyweds coming in through the door.
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