Chapter 328: Rites Completed

A woman who got along well with An Mu couldn't stand it anymore: "If your eldest sister-in-law hears you say that, she might just kick you out. On such a joyous day for them, you'd better keep your foul mouth shut."

After those words were spoken, no one paid any attention to An Ershu, Fan Yunxiang, anymore.

The family of An Ershu was extraordinarily lazy; not only were the husband and wife lazy, but their three sons were each lazier than the last. The eldest son was already of marriageable age yet couldn't find a match, and in the end, he had to marry a widow just to form a household.

Over these years, they had borrowed things from the eldest son, An Jixiang, countless times. If An Mu, Feng Rongshuang, hadn't been so formidable, they would have long ago ruined the eldest branch to the point where they couldn't survive.

On this side, aside from the dressing table which was carried by people, all the other dowry items were loaded onto a jeep, making onlookers envious.

At this moment, an organizer shouted: "The newlyweds are leaving the house!"

Eldest Brother An carried An Xiaojing, dressed entirely in red, out of the room, while Second Brother An and Youngest Brother An guarded on either side, bringing her directly to the jeep.

As soon as the people got into the car, the sound of firecrackers from not far away rang out.

Qiu Shaocheng bid farewell to his in-laws and, looking full of spirit, boarded the car. The wedding procession headed toward the Qiu family home.

The two families were not far apart to begin with; as soon as the firecrackers went off on this side, preparations began on that side.

Tables were set up in the courtyard, and a portrait of the Great Leader was brought out. Peanuts and candy were placed on the tables, waiting for the new daughter-in-law to enter.

Chuxue's family had been keeping Xia Qiu company in the room. Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Chunxiao couldn't stay put: "Big Sister, I want to go to the courtyard to watch."

Liu Mu feared she might be rash and offend someone: "You can see from inside the room too; don't run around recklessly."

Xia Qiu, however, smiled and said: "If you want to go, go. Just be safe and don't let people push you."

Upon hearing this, Chunxiao grinned and said: "Got it."

Liu Mu was still a bit worried: "Chuxue, your father and I will stay here to keep your sister company. You go out and take a look, and keep an eye on Chunxiao while you're at it."

Chuxue also wanted to see the wedding of this era, so she nodded and said: "Okay."

Xia Qiu actually wanted to go out too, but Liu Mu disagreed: "You haven't stabilized your pregnancy yet; it's better for you to stay in the room."

Soon, the wedding procession returned.

The bride didn't enter the courtyard; instead, the dowry was brought in first.

After Liu Fu and Liu Mu saw the dowry through the window, they felt very uneasy, and a hint of awkwardness flashed across their faces.

Liu Fu, full of self-blame, said: "Xia Qiu, in the future, Father will make it up to you."

How could Xia Qiu not understand their feelings? "Father, every family's situation is different. Shaocheng's father-in-law and his two elder brothers all have jobs on the farm, and since the family has three sons and only one daughter, Xiaojing, when the marriage was discussed, the An family said that the betrothal gifts from the Qiu family would not be kept."

Then, lowering her voice, she said: "Shaocheng's mother-in-law is a woman of foresight; she probably used all the betrothal gifts to purchase the dowry items."

Even though Xia Qiu lowered her voice, Chuxue, standing outside the door, still heard it. She naturally understood An Mu's plan: she probably thought that if the money was brought over and spent, it would be gone, but converting it into goods not only looked good but was practical. If something unfortunate happened in the future, these items could still be taken away.

Although the probability of divorce in this era was extremely low, it was not impossible. If it truly came to that, the dowry items naturally had to be taken away.

Amidst the cheers and firecrackers, the newlywed couple was ushered into the courtyard by a crowd.

The officiant had them stand before the portrait of the Great Leader and bow once, then bow twice to Qiu Fu and Qiu Mu, and finally, amidst everyone's cheering, the young couple bowed to each other three times.

Seeing the ceremony completed, the officiant smiled broadly and said: "The rites are complete."

Immediately, someone shouted: "Send them to the bridal chamber!"

(End of this chapter)