Chapter 43: The Grand Wedding

The auspicious day for the wedding is set for tomorrow; the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce has only left a rice-selling stall in front of the gate, with prices remaining as usual.

The rest of the people are busy in the residence, hanging lanterns and decorating with colorful silks.

The "Double Happiness" character paper-cuts on the windows and the lanterns strung up with red ropes make everything appear festive.

Because of the Ghost Tide besieging the city, the Chamber of Commerce only sent out notices to some of the prominent figures in the county, and wrote with an apologetic tone that "due to the special circumstances, the banquet will not be held."

Those who received the notices understood.

After all, who would attend a banquet at a time like this?

However, those who received the notices all became curious: where did that kid named Song Cheng pop out from? How was he suddenly taken into the Young Miss's chambers?

Upon inquiring, many people were bewildered.

Song Cheng, seventeen years old, a refugee from Tanghe Village.

A blade-wielder with some potential.

And when he arrived, he even brought a wife with him.

As for his appearance, although delicate, it was not to the point of making a woman fall in love at first sight, especially a woman with as much agency as An Chenyu.

Why? Yet, those who knew of Song Cheng's abilities were actually few and far between; apart from the Young Miss, Ying'er, and Ling'er, there was no one else.

Consequently, those who were interested in paying attention reached a conclusion: the An Family's Young Miss, in order to control the Chamber of Commerce, specifically chose this special period to settle on a candidate for a matrilocal husband, so as to keep everything under her own control.

As for Song Cheng, he was merely a chess piece used by An Chenyu to occupy the position of "husband."

The grand-aunts in the residence, however, felt the young man was quite popular with women.

The Steward and two or three old women sent by the An Family elders felt that An Chenyu did not want to be held back by her elders anymore, so she found a "matrilocal husband" she could control.

Lao Ding and the others felt that Brother Song had good character, and coupled with his potential, a woman as strong as the Young Miss did not want to wait any longer, so she took him into her boudoir.

After a day of busyness, the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce closed its main gate.

In the Young Miss's courtyard, a bright red wedding dress hung on a clothes rack.

But An Chenyu did not try on the wedding dress; instead, she clapped her hands and had Ying'er bring over a clothing box.

"Little sister, try it on to see if it fits." An Chenyu did not explain where the clothes came from, but simply took Tong Jia's hand and opened the clothing box with a smile.

Tong Jia took a look.

It was a pale pink dress, possessing an ethereal quality.

She recognized this as being from the "High-End Clothing Section" of the Wucai Brocade and Embroidery Cloth Shop, the kind of price range that "she and Song Cheng didn't even have the courage to go and take a look at."

Tong Jia held her breath, carefully took the expensive, ethereal dress, then shed her own cloth clothes and put it on.

An Chenyu was a bit taller than her; she stood behind her like a big sister, smoothing out the dress for her, tightening the ribbons, then looking left and right, pressing her hands on Tong Jia's shoulders, and said softly, "Little sister, sit down first."

Tong Jia's usual tiger-like spirit was completely gone; she sat obediently in front of the bronze mirror, staring blankly at herself in the reflection.

'Damn, I've never seen myself looking like this.'

Hu Niangzi couldn't help but curse inwardly.

But immediately after, she felt tamed.

It seemed that being with a cold and elegant woman like An Chenyu, not only her behavior but even her mentality was being regulated.

She looked curiously to the side, only to see the Young Miss An making a selection in an exquisite jewelry box, taking out a graceful plum blossom hairpin, and then coming behind her.

"Let me do your hair, little sister."

An Chenyu's voice was very gentle.

Tong Jia immediately sat up straight; she felt the Young Miss was too feminine, much more of a woman than her. Soon after, she looked into the bronze mirror and saw An Chenyu focusing intently and carefully on fixing her hair.

The strands of hair were coiled round and round, gathered in one place.

The Young Miss's slender and long fingers pinched the hairpin, gave it a light flick, hooked a curve into the base of the coiled hair, lifted it up from the middle, and then held it loosely with her left hand while her right hand grabbed the hairpin and inserted it firmly.

An Chenyu leaned in close, her chin resting on her shoulder, looked into the bronze mirror with her, and then smiled, "Little sister is truly beautiful."

Hu Niangzi was embarrassed and said, "No way! Not at all!"

An Chenyu giggled.

She was cold and elegant on the outside, but at this moment, her approachability was displayed to the extreme.

"Little sister is virtuous, and I am becoming more and more at ease with Little Song.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Little Song stays with someone like you every day; it's good, very good."

Hu Niangzi said, "That's right! My Song Cheng is great!"

After saying this, she felt something was not quite right, so she made a slight modification and repeated it: "Our Song Cheng."

An Chenyu covered her mouth and laughed. Hu Niangzi's face turned red from the laughter, and she said softly again, "Sister, why don't you just be with him for real. He is quite good."

An Chenyu leaned in and said, "In bed?"

If anyone else had asked, Hu Niangzi would have definitely roared "Get lost," along with a follow-up question of "What are you talking about," but for some reason, the Young Miss asking this only made her blush.

Just as she was about to say something, An Chenyu said softly, "Don't really let the secret slip; someone might hold a grudge."

Hu Niangzi muttered, "There's no secret anyway."

The two women chatted happily about other things, the atmosphere harmonious.

How harmonious? That night, when Song Cheng was holding Tong Niangzi while sleeping, Tong Niangzi said, "It's quite boring to always be with you; I want to go find An Jie."

Song Cheng:??? "What kind of love potion did An Chenyu feed you?"

"Nothing! I just feel An Jie is a very good person, very sincere, and talking to her is very happy; I always feel like there are endless things to talk about. Unlike with you!"

"Then, did you tell her about the wandering ghosts?"

"What wandering ghosts, I don't know." Tong Niangzi never intended to tell that secret, and then she added, "Besides, An Jie has also been reminding me to not say anything about you. She said she and you are allies now, and proactively asking about an ally's secrets is a malicious act. She has no malice."

A sense of trust and comfort rose unconsciously in Song Cheng's heart.

He then smiled and said, "Tomorrow night, you won't like her anymore."

Tong Niangzi spat and said, "You are just staying in one room, she isn't sleeping with you!"

Song Cheng: One night passed, the points remained stable at 7, without the slightest decrease.

Clearly, Tong Niangzi truly did not reject An Chenyu.

At noon, Song Cheng was led to the entrance of the Ruyi Chamber of Commerce.

Although the Ghost Tide was besieging the city, festive little firecrackers were "crackling" and popping in front of the chamber of commerce.

The people who came to buy rice watched the excitement, three layers deep; those in the back who couldn't see stood on tiptoes, and some even climbed onto stones to watch.

In front of the door, Song Cheng was wearing a groom's outfit.

And before his eyes was a large bridal sedan chair.

Only brides ever get into bridal sedan chairs.

But a matrilocal son-in-law is the same as a bride. "Son-in-law, please," Ying'er said.

Ling'er watched this scene with a complex expression, her brain in a mess: Why does such a terrifying person have to sit in a bridal sedan chair? My eyes are going to break.

After she was punished by standing for a day and a night, she obediently admitted her mistake and then continued to stay by the Young Miss's side. As for the reason, Song Cheng could actually guess it. Ling'er already knew many of the Young Miss's secrets and also had feelings for the Young Miss; now that Shi Yi, whom she had colluded with, was dead, the danger had actually been eliminated.

"Son-in-law, get in the sedan chair," Ying'er urged the man who had defeated her with a single blade the day before yesterday once again.

The people selling rice outside the door and the onlookers heard the urging and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

A grown man getting into a bridal sedan chair, how rare!

Song Cheng quickly got into the sedan chair, and then the burly men lifted it.

The bridal sedan chair swayed as it headed toward the depths of the residence.

Inside the bridal sedan chair, Song Cheng felt this was also his first time, so for some reason, the many memories since his transmigration began to spin in his mind like a revolving lantern.

Tanghe Village, Yun E, Cripple, the Ding brothers, Nan Hui, Guan Xi—he sighed softly and then clenched his fists.

Not long after, the bridal sedan chair stopped.

The curtain was lifted.

Outside the bridal sedan chair, the bride was not wearing a veil, but was holding a large embroidered ball, smiling at him on the red carpet in front of the fire basin.

He stepped forward to take the embroidered ball and walked with the bride to the end, where two empty chairs sat.

An old aunt in the chamber of commerce shouted, "First bow to heaven and earth."

The two knelt and bowed.

"Second bow to the high hall."

The two bowed toward the empty chairs.

"Husband and wife bow to each other."

The two bowed to each other.

The process was completed, and the banquet began.

Song Cheng and An Chenyu sat at the table, the two looked at each other: from now on, they were the closest of allies.

(End of this chapter)