Chapter 608: Still Eating? [Many Thanks! Bowing Again! 42K Chapters Owed]

In the Chai family's rear courtyard,

The procedures of spreading the bedding and rolling the bed had already concluded.

At the location of the bridal chamber,

The female servant from the Lu family who had accompanied Xu Xu Zaijing and Lu Zezong stood at the door, holding the door panels with both hands.

Glancing around at the brand-new wedding curtains, quilts, and other items inside the room, then taking another look at the jewelry box placed on the dressing table filled with precious ornaments, the female servant slowly stepped back and closed the bridal chamber door from the outside.

After locking the door with a copper lock tied with red silk, the Lu family female servant took two steps outward and simply stood there outside the bridal chamber.

Two other female servants from the Lu family were also standing nearby.

They had not stood there for long

when the Chai family's stewardess mother arrived with three Guan Guan Pozi, each Guan Guan Pozi carrying a folding chair in her hands.

Approaching the Lu family female servant standing outside the room, Mother Chai smiled, nodded slightly, and said, "We shall trouble the three of you tonight! Speaking of which, I did this very job back in my day!"

The Lu family female servant performed a curtsy and asked, "When the Lady held her wedding, were you also the one standing guard outside?"

Mother Chai smiled and nodded, saying, "Indeed! At the time of the Lady's wedding, it happened to be the twelfth lunar month."

"Then you must have suffered greatly!" the Lu family female servant said admiringly.

Mother Chai waved her hand and said, "Not at all; back then at the residence in Hejian Prefecture, we simply locked the courtyard gate and kept watch from the gatehouse within the courtyard."

"Oh~" the Lu family female servant smiled.

"Therefore, our masters do not mind whether the three Misses stand all night! When it is time to rest, you should still rest," Mother Chai said with a laugh.

After the three Lu family female servants exchanged glances, the one in charge performed a curtsy and said, "Please leave two folding chairs for us, Mother; the three of us will take turns resting."

"Very well!"

Mother Chai waved her hand to signal the Guan Guan Pozi to set down two folding chairs, then led her people out of the courtyard.

When the sun set over Luoshan,

the courtyard began to grow dim,

and female servants from the Chai family came to hang up the illuminating red lanterns, along with bringing dinner for the Lu family female servants.

When the sky turned completely dark, the temperature dropped, and the night breeze carried a slight chill.

Mother Chai, who had come in the afternoon, returned carrying a lantern and led people into the courtyard again; seeing the cloaks draped over the Lu family female servants, she smiled and said, "Misses, our Young Miss said that it is still somewhat chilly at night and specifically ordered me to deliver fur rugs."

"When sitting on the chairs at night, having these rugs will make you more comfortable."

"This humble servant thanks the Young Miss for her concern," the Lu family female servant said, performing a curtsy.

"Ai! It is only proper; from now on, we are all one family."

After Mother Chai took her leave,

the night grew deeper,

until the end of the Zi hour (around one o'clock in the morning),

when a bright jade disk hung in the mid-heavens,

and surrounding stars in the night sky occasionally twinkled a few times.

On the folding chairs beneath the lanterns in front of the bridal chamber, the two female servants taking turns to rest, wrapped in cloaks, leaned their heads against the chair backs,

"Gu-hu..."

as faint snoring sounds arose from time to time.

'Rustle~'

Hearing the noise, the standing Lu family female servant looked to the side.

"Cough!"

Amidst the sound of footsteps, someone coughed once.

The two female servants on the folding chairs also woke up.

Approaching close,

it was Miss Yun Mu, the personal female servant of Chai Chai Zhengzheng, leading a Guan Guan Pozi carrying a tray, upon which a large bowl emitted rising steam.

Miss Yun Mu smiled at the three and said, "Misses, this is hot soup prepared at the stove; drink a few mouthfuls to ward off the cold."

The Lu family female servants expressed their thanks repeatedly,

and after Miss Yun Mu asked whether it was cold at night and received the answer that it was not, she led her people away from the courtyard.

As the stars shifted and the constellations moved,

dawn arrived,

before the sky had fully brightened,

the entire Chai residence began to bustle with activity.

When the daylight fully brightened,

Mother Chai delivered breakfast to the bridal chamber courtyard again.

While eating their breakfast, the Lu family female servants keeping watch in front of the bridal chamber listened intently to the lively clamor within the residence.

One of them turned her head to look aside and said, "Mother, that courtyard over there shouldn't belong to the Chai family, should it? Why can we hear activity coming from there as well?"

Mother Chai smiled and said, "That is indeed our family's courtyard! Since there are quite many guests arriving today, the Lady took charge some days ago to open the courtyard gate, clean and organize it, keeping it ready to receive guests."

The Lu family female servants nodded repeatedly.

At exactly the Si hour (around ten o'clock in the morning),

the sun had climbed high and shifted toward the south.

Standing in the sunlight made one feel warmly comforted.

The Lu family female servants at the bridal chamber, who had hardly rested well all night, now began to uncontrollably yawn as the sunlight shone upon them.

After yawning, tears involuntarily welled up in their eyes.

It has nothing to do with anything else; I am simply sleepy.

Just as the Lu family maidservant was about to wipe her tears with her sleeve,

"Crack, crack, crack—"

A series of firecracker explosions rang out from the direction of the front courtyard.

"The guests have begun to arrive!"

the Lu family maidservant said.

At the main gate of the Chai residence,

just as the green smoke from the firecrackers had completely dispersed,

a carriage bearing a wooden plaque with the character 'Gu' was pulling aside,

when the Marquis of Marquis Xiangyang, dressed in new clothes and limping, approached the head of the Chai family with his personal attendants, clasping his hands and smiling as he said, "Little Chai! He Xi, congratulations!"

The head of the Chai family, accompanied by his two sons, hurriedly clasped his hands to return the salute, saying, "Brother-in-law, shared joy, shared joy!"

The Marquis of Marquis Xiangyang nodded with a smile, glanced at Chai Jin, and said, "Good lad! So spirited!"

"Thank you for your praise, Great-Grandfather-by-marriage."

The Marquis of Marquis Xiangyang smiled and looked around, asking, "Where is that lad Yuanruo?"

"Replying to Great-Grandfather-by-marriage, Yuanruo has gone to deliver the second batch of today's urging-dowry gifts."

The Marquis of Marquis Xiangyang nodded and said, "Good! Excellent, it seems he is capable of helping out."

Having said this, the Marquis of Marquis Xiangyang waved his hand and said, "You all carry on; I shall go inside first."

"Ah! Brother-in-law, please take care," the head of the Chai family said with a smile.

Subsequently,

the sound of firecrackers at the Chai family's main gate began to ring out incessantly,

and guests flowed into the Chai residence like water,

it seeming that every noble and official in the Eastern Capital had sent someone to the Chai family to offer congratulations.

At the second gate,

Lady Chai, accompanied by Chai Chai Zhengzheng and her personal matrons and maidservants, watched several officially ranked ladies standing before her, dressed in magnificent attire.

Lady Chai, her face brimming with smiles, said, "How has Ruige'er been lately? The wind in early spring, morning and evening, is still somewhat chilly; do take care!"

The Eldest Lady of the Shen family smiled at her daughter-in-law, Zheng Ni, and said, "Thank you, Lady, for your concern; I will surely remind him a few more times!"

Zheng Ni, meeting her mother-in-law's gaze, hurriedly performed a formal bow, saying, "Thank you, Lady, for your concern!"

Having said this, Zheng Ni glared at Chai Chai Zhengzheng, who stood beside Lady Chai covering her mouth while laughing at her.

"You attend to your duties, Lady! We shall go on our own," the Eldest Lady of the Shen family said with a smile.

Lady Chai nodded with a smile.

After the Shen mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had walked a few steps away, the stewardess in charge of receiving guests called out in a loud voice:

"Zhang Zhang Fu Ren of Marquis Lady Ningyuan~"

"Zhang Zhang Fu Ren of Marquis Yongchang~"

"Zhang Zhang Fu Ren of Earl Shoushan~"

"Zhang Zhang Fu Ren of Earl Kang'an~"

"The Eldest Lady of Marquis Marquis Yongyi, née Sheng~ has arrived~"

A moment after the announcement,

a group of noble ladies and wives of officials, fragrant and dressed in brocade and embroidered silks, walked toward Lady Chai.

Walking at the very front were Bai Shi, the Lady of Marquis Lady Ningyuan, and Lady Wu, the Lady of Marquis Yongchang, followed by the daughters-in-law and young ladies of their respective families.

Before they had even drawn near, Eldest Lady Wu called out with a smile, "Sister Cheng, look how much trouble we have saved you by arriving all together!"

Lady Chai smiled and replied, "Sister Wu speaks truly; today I must certainly offer you a few extra cups of fruit wine!"

"Well said, well said!" Eldest Lady Wu replied with a smile.

As they drew near,

everyone bowed deeply to exchange greetings,

and Lady Chai, holding Bai Shi's hand, looked at Xu Pingmei standing nearby and smiled, saying, "Looking at this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair of yours, you appear even more beautiful than the last time we met!"

Eldest Lady Wu standing nearby smiled and said, "Sister Cheng, I said just now that this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair wouldn't admit it, thinking I was speaking nonsense!"

Bai Shi helplessly smiled and gave Eldest Lady Wu a light tap.

After this exchange of laughter and words, Lady Chai looked at the young lady standing beside Gu Gu Tingyi in the crowd and smiled, asking, "Is this Miss Meng of the Huang family?"

Lady Yuan, the Lady of Earl Shoushan, smiled affectionately at her own daughter.

Miss Meng hurriedly performed a formal bow and said with a smile, "Greetings, Lady."

"Good, good!"

Lady Chai nodded repeatedly with a smile.

Xie Rui, who had married just a few days prior, stood beside her own mother-in-law and also exchanged a few words with Lady Chai.

Sheng Hualan, wearing a silver-white silk spring shirt embroidered with light green patterns, had been standing not far from Xu Pingmei with a smiling face since her arrival, happily watching the various ladies and eldest ladies conversing.

When Lady Chai finished speaking with the Lady of Earl Kang'an and looked at Sheng Hualan in the crowd, she smiled and asked, "Sheng Hualan, how has your mother-in-law's health been lately?"

Sheng Hualan hurriedly nodded with a smile and said, "Lady, my mother-in-law is in very good health! A female physician comes to check her pulse every two days."

As she spoke, Sheng Hualan smiled and nodded in acknowledgment to Chai Chai Zhengzheng, who stood beside Lady Chai looking at her with great concern.

Lady Chai smiled and said, "That is good then!"

Miss Meng of the Earl Shoushan family, watching Sheng Hualan speaking and laughing, could not help but exclaim to Gu Gu Tingyi beside her, "Sister Gu Tingyi, Eldest Lady Sheng is truly radiant and beautiful, so poised and dignified."

Sheng Hualan, feeling quite embarrassed, pretended not to have heard these words.

Wu Da Da Niangzi, standing to the side, glanced at Sheng Hualan and laughed, "Of course! My younger sister from the Sun family certainly knows how to pick a daughter-in-law!"

At these words, several Ladies surrounding them burst into laughter.

Zhang Zhang Fu Ren of Earl Shoushan also smiled as she looked at Sheng Hualan, yet in her heart, she felt even more regret.

If only the younger sisters-in-law and nephews' wives from her maiden family, the Yuan family of the original Loyalty and Diligence Earl Manor, had not caused those troubles, such an excellent young lady would have become the Eldest Young Lady of the Yuan family.

A good woman brings prosperity to three generations; the Loyalty and Diligence Earl Manor would not be in its current state.

Seeing Sheng Hualan's embarrassed expression, Bai Shi said, "Sister Wu, stop teasing the younger generation; let us go inside quickly!"

Wu Da Da Niangzi smiled and replied, "How am I teasing? I am merely speaking the truth!"

After a few more jokes, Lady Chai opposite them smiled, turned her head, and said to Chai Chai Zhengzheng beside her, "Zheng'er, accompany these Ladies to take their seats in the courtyard."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng performed a curtsy and said, "Yes, Mother."

On the way to the courtyard, Gu Gu Tingyi looked around and said, "Chai Zhengzheng, this path seems somewhat different from the one I took last time I visited your home!"

Chai Chai Zhengzheng turned back, smiled, and said, "Sister Gu Tingyi is correct; we are not going to the previous location! Since there are many guests today, Mother has opened several courtyards."

"Ah? Courtyards? Several of them?"

Gu Gu Tingyi asked with a surprised smile.

"Mm!"

After Chai Chai Zhengzheng nodded with a smile, she continued leading the group forward.

Wu Da Da Niangzi observed the scenery around them; her gaze paused briefly on an exquisite embroidered tower in the distance before she sighed, "No wonder prominent noble families in the capital previously wanted to buy courtyards near here but could not discover the owners! It turns out this property belongs to the Chai family."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng, walking ahead, turned back with a slightly embarrassed smile.

Soon, everyone took their seats in the main hall of the courtyard.

The Ladies and Eldest Young Ladies who had arrived together,

Wu Da Da Niangzi's husband's family, the Liang family, was a famously wealthy household in the capital,

Bai Shi came from a wealthy family of salt merchants,

and the families of the Lady of Earl Shoushan, Sheng Hualan, and Zheng Ni were also quite well-off.

However,

today, as they walked through the Chai family's villa and took their seats inside this room, observing the materials used for the tables and chairs as well as the surrounding decorations and arrangements, they all secretly clicked their tongues in astonishment.

In short, they knew the Chai family was wealthy, but they did not know the Chai family was this wealthy.

At this moment, the banquet had not yet begun,

and Chai Chai Zhengzheng had already returned to Lady Chai's side.

On the table in the main hall were mostly dried fruits, preserved sweets, tea, and herbal drinks.

Bai Shi sat by the table, listening to Wu Da Da Niangzi's commentary on the room's furnishings, nodding repeatedly.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye at her own daughter, Bai Shi saw Gu Tingyi grab a handful of preserved sweets with her left hand and pop them into her mouth one by one with her right hand, looking utterly bored.

She glanced at the Lady of Earl Shoushan sitting opposite,

then tapped Gu Tingyi's right hand and said, "Still eating?"

Seeing the look Gu Tingyi cast her way, Bai Shi said, "Listen more to what Wu Da Da Niangzi says; you too can gain some knowledge!"

Gu Gu Tingyi nodded: "Oh!"

After speaking, Gu Gu Tingyi's mind involuntarily conjured the image of the jade incense burner near Chai Chai Zhengzheng's bedroom.

Compared to the items in Chai Chai Zhengzheng's courtyard, the things in this villa were truly like a small witch meeting a great wizard; the gap was enormous.

At the second gate,

"Zhang Zhang Fu Ren of Hou Fu Chang has arrived~"

The stewardess in charge of receiving guests shouted again.

Watching Lady Fu Lady Fu Changhou and Rong Rong Feiyan approaching, Chai Chai Zhengzheng stood beside Lady Chai with a smile, her lips moving slightly as she whispered, "Mother, why did the Rong family not arrive together with the Dou family?"

Since morning, most guests arriving at the Chai home had come together by virtue of familial relationships.

This served two purposes: first, it made their own family appear numerous and powerful; second, it allowed the hosts to welcome them all at once, reducing considerable trouble.

Lady Chai shook her head slightly and said, "I am not clear; perhaps the two families live too far apart?"

Chai Chai Zhengzheng: "Perhaps."

While they were speaking, Lady Fu Lady Fu Changhou and Rong Rong Feiyan had already approached nearby.

Chai Chai Zhengzheng, seeing the look of stunned admiration in Rong Rong Feiyan's eyes, bowed slightly and smiled, "Greetings, Lady Fu Lady Fu Changhou! Miss Rong Feiyan, you have finally arrived! Please, come inside quickly."

Although Chai Chai Zhengzheng was a girl herself, upon seeing Rong Rong Feiyan's appearance, she still wished to look a few more times.

After Rong Rong Feiyan smiled and bowed to Lady Chai and her own mother, she waited for the two mothers to exchange a few pleasantries before following them toward the rear courtyard.

Lady Chai followed Rong Rong Feiyan with her gaze for a moment, then glanced at Chai Chai Zhengzheng.

Chai Chai Zhengzheng: "Mother, what is wrong?"

Lady Chai shook her head with a smile and said, "This Miss Rong Feiyan is truly outstanding in beauty! I wonder which family's young man will be able to marry her."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng's eyes turned slightly, and she nodded in agreement: "Indeed!"

Subsequently, another group of women approached,

and without needing the stewardess in charge of receiving guests to announce them, Chai Chai Zhengzheng recognized these people as her maternal grandmother's Cheng family aunts and female cousins.

Once the Cheng family group entered the rear courtyard,

even more women than the Cheng family members appeared in Chai Chai Zhengzheng's field of vision.

"Mother, there are so many people!" Chai Chai Zhengzheng sighed.

"Mm, at a glance, these must be people from the Feng family of Duke Chengguo," Lady Chai said with a smile.

When the large crowd arrived nearby,

because there were too many people, after Chai Chai Zhengzheng performed her bows to the side, she merely nodded repeatedly, calling out to people with indistinct words.

But,

When Chai Chai Zhengzheng saw Wang Wang Ruofu standing in the crowd, she looked straight at her and said clearly, "Greetings, Eldest Lady Wang."

Wang Wang Ruofu, who had blended into the Feng family crowd with Nurse Liu, was also walking forward with a perfunctory smile on her face.

Caught off guard by Chai Chai Zhengzheng's gaze and such a loud greeting, Wang Wang Ruofu's smile immediately became sincere; she nodded repeatedly and praised, "Greetings, Lady Chai! Greetings, Miss Chai Zhengzheng! You have grown so handsome!"

Chai Chai Zhengzheng smiled and said, "Thank you, Eldest Lady, for your praise! By the way, I just saw Sister Sheng Hualan!"

"Oh, oh, oh! That girl Sheng Hualan!" Wang Wang Ruofu replied with a laugh.

Lady Chai smiled, nodded, and gestured with her hand, "Everyone, please come inside. Eldest Lady Wang, please come inside."

"Ai!"

Wang Wang Ruofu smiled and followed behind the Feng family members toward the inner courtyard.

Once the Feng family group had walked far away,

Lady Chai asked in confusion, "Chai Zhengzheng, you recognized Eldest Lady Wang so quickly! As for the others, I heard you didn't recognize a single one!"

Chai Chai Zhengzheng smiled and nodded, "Isn't he studying at the private school of Eldest Lady Wang's husband's family? How could your daughter fail to recognize her!"

Lady Chai helplessly shook her head and, taking advantage of the lack of guests, said, "That Eldest Lady Wang's elder sister, who married into the Kang family, was not seen in the crowd today."

Chai Chai Zhengzheng said, "Mother, with the Kang family's daughter causing such a huge disaster at the Feng family, how could the Kang family have the face to follow along?"

Lady Chai nodded repeatedly, saying, "Heavens! It is fortunate that woman did not come, otherwise we would have had to assign someone specifically to watch her."

Following behind her natal relatives, the Feng family crowd, Wang Wang Ruofu glanced back at Lady Chai and Chai Chai Zhengzheng, then whispered to Nurse Liu, "Nurse Liu, tell me, how did Miss Chai Zhengzheng recognize me at a single glance? She called out to me so clearly."

"Is it because of Sheng Hualan?"

Nurse Liu thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "It should be."

Wang Wang Ruofu pressed her lips together and sighed with emotion, "As long as it is not because of that monstrous scoundrel from my elder sister's family, that is good!"

"Just because of that monstrous scoundrel, I dare not bring Hearing Rulan and the others out, fearing people will mock and sneer at us."

Speaking thus, Wang Wang Ruofu looked at the Chai family courtyard beside her and began to join her relatives in their discussions and praises.

At the second gate,

Amidst the calls of the greeting nurses,

Several daughters-in-law of the Tan family, Duke Anguo, brought their relatives before Lady Chai.

Although she looked down upon the Tan family's descendants, the Chai family held no grudge against the Duke Anguo's Mansion, so Chai Chai Zhengzheng still smiled and exchanged greetings with all the Eldest Ladies.

Upon seeing an Eldest Lady following at the very rear, the smile on Chai Chai Zhengzheng's face became much more sincere, and she said, "Eldest Lady Qin, we meet again!"

Speaking thus, Chai Chai Zhengzheng nodded to the little girl standing beside her.

The young Lady Qin, Qin Qin Yanwen, performed a formal bow to Lady Chai and Chai Chai Zhengzheng and spoke auspicious words of congratulations; the little girl beside her and Nurse Xiang behind her hurriedly bowed as well.

"Previously, many thanks to you, Miss Chai Zhengzheng."

"Eldest Lady need not offer thanks; it was all what Eldest Lady deserved," Chai Chai Zhengzheng said with a smile.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Qin Qin Yanwen followed her sisters-in-law, daughters-in-law of her nephews, and others toward the inner courtyard, heading in the opposite direction from Lady Bai, Eldest Lady Wu, and the rest.

Lady Chai looked at Chai Chai Zhengzheng in confusion and asked, "Do you know her?"

"Mm!"

Chai Chai Zhengzheng briefly explained a few sentences.

Lady Chai sighed and said, "Being a second wife is already difficult to manage! And she is moreover a legitimate daughter of a Hou Fu, alas!"

(End of Chapter)