Zhu Qingshan still could not fully relax after seeing how unconcerned Li Xiyue remained about Zhu Qingsong. In the end, he silently decided that he would simply have to keep a closer watch over her himself.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and soon the twenty-second day of the sixth lunar month arrived.
Zhu Qingshan had already cleaned his house thoroughly from top to bottom. He even moved all the rarely used items into the woodshed to make enough room for Li Xiyue’s dowry after the wedding.
On the afternoon before the ceremony, Zhu Qinghe hurried over to Li Xiyue’s house carrying the wedding shoes she had only just managed to finish sewing in time.
Meanwhile, Zhu Chenggang, Lady Chen, and their two sons had all returned from the county to help prepare for the wedding banquet.
“Does this look straight?” Zhu Qingmu shouted from atop a ladder while holding a large red Double Happiness decoration against the wall.
Standing below and steadying the ladder, Zhu Qingsen nodded enthusiastically.
“Straight enough! Looks perfect!”
At that exact moment, Lady Chen stepped out from the bridal chamber and saw the terribly crooked decorations hanging above the entrance.
Instantly furious, she smacked both sons on the backs of their heads.
“You two can’t even paste a decoration properly! Move aside, I’ll do it myself!”
The brothers immediately surrendered their spots while secretly exchanging amused looks.
For the wedding feast, Zhu Qingshan had invited a famous banquet chef from neighboring Huaxi Village.
The ingredients had all been purchased early that morning. Besides piles of fresh vegetables, there was also an entire two-hundred-pound pig, ten chickens, half a sheep, preserved wild rabbit meat, and dried venison.
The villagers were stunned.
What a lavish feast.
In a countryside where many families still struggled just to fill their stomachs, being able to serve this much meat proved that the Zhu family truly ranked among the wealthiest households in Zhu Family Village.
Still, nobody envied them too deeply.
Everyone knew that escort work was dangerous and exhausting. Zhu Qingshan had earned every coin by risking his life on the road.
The chef quickly got to work.
He butchered the pig, sorted the various cuts, and sliced a large portion into thick pieces before frying them until golden. He also prepared meatballs, crispy fried pork strips, and fried tofu.
The remaining pork and mutton were packed into baskets and lowered deep into the well to keep them cool overnight.
Once all the major preparation work was done, the chef bid farewell and promised to return before dawn the next morning.
Meanwhile, Zhu Chenggang spent the entire afternoon smoothing out the village path with a hoe, kicking away every loose stone along the wedding route.
On such a happy occasion, he absolutely refused to let anyone stumble or trip.
Compared to the lively bustle at the Zhu residence, Li Xiyue’s courtyard felt much quieter.
Technically, she still had maternal relatives, but they might as well not exist.
As for Wang Dani and Zhu Tiezhu, she had no interest in inviting trouble back into her life.
In the end, Second Aunt Li worried that Li Xiyue might know nothing about marital intimacy. So she sent her pregnant daughter-in-law, Lady Yang, over to quietly give the young bride some private advice.
After all, women from the same generation could discuss such matters far more comfortably.
With a deeply flushed face, Lady Yang shyly stuffed a small illustrated booklet into Li Xiyue’s hands.
Li Xiyue instantly recognized what it was.
…Seriously?
As a modern woman, what exactly haven’t I seen before?
Besides, these drawings are so vague and tangled they barely even resemble human beings.
Blushing furiously, Lady Yang coughed awkwardly.
“Tomorrow night… you just follow what’s inside. And if you don’t know what to do… then just let Qingshan guide you.”
Li Xiyue nearly laughed.
Should I pretend to be embarrassed right now?
After Lady Yang finally left, Li Xiyue lay quietly on the bed, staring at the ceiling in thought.
She had only been in this ancient world for around two months, yet she had already adapted surprisingly well.
Perhaps it was because she spent much of her childhood living with her grandmother in the countryside.
Thinking of her grandmother made her chest ache painfully.
She wondered whether the old woman was resting peacefully in the afterlife.
Sadly, her grandmother would never get the chance to see her get married or eventually have children.
Outside, the cool night breeze rustled softly through the leaves while insects chirped rhythmically beneath the moonlight.
Surrounded by the sounds of the mountain night, Li Xiyue slowly drifted into deep sleep.
Tomorrow would mark the beginning of an entirely new chapter in her life.
Before dawn even arrived, urgent knocking sounded at the courtyard gate.
Suppressing her morning irritation, Li Xiyue hastily threw on an outer robe and opened the door.
To her surprise, Zhu Qinghe stood outside.
“Sister Qinghe? Why are you here so early?”
“My brother was worried you’d wake up feeling lonely all by yourself,” Zhu Qinghe explained cheerfully. “So he told me to come keep you company.”
Before she finished speaking, Second Aunt Li appeared carrying an oil lamp.
“I was afraid you might oversleep and miss the auspicious hour,” she said with a smile. “Looks like I worried for nothing.”
Warmth instantly filled Li Xiyue’s heart.
Receiving such sincere kindness in this unfamiliar world felt incredibly precious to her.
After welcoming them inside, Second Aunt Li immediately began checking the dowry items while Zhu Qinghe helped Li Xiyue wash up and prepare her bridal cosmetics.
“Sister Qinghe,” Li Xiyue suddenly said, “I’m craving fermented rice soup with eggs. Could you make me a bowl?”
“Oh right!” Zhu Qinghe exclaimed suddenly. “Third Great-Uncle’s relatives will be arriving soon to escort the bridal sedan. I should make enough for everyone!”
Successfully distracting her, Li Xiyue quickly locked the bedroom door and slipped into her dimensional space.
She immediately began applying a modern bridal makeup look.
As far as she was concerned, the thick white powder ancient brides used was absolutely horrifying.
By the time Zhu Qinghe returned carrying a steaming bowl of sweet rice soup, Li Xiyue had already finished dressing in her wedding robes and completed her makeup.
“Sister Li…” Zhu Qinghe gasped in complete amazement. “You’re so beautiful today… My brother is unbelievably lucky.”
Li Xiyue smiled proudly at her reflection.
“Of course I’m beautiful.”
Then she deliberately teased, “Actually, Officer Shen is the lucky one too.”
Zhu Qinghe’s face instantly turned bright red.
After Li Xiyue finished eating, the sky had already begun to brighten.
Third Great-Uncle was too elderly to wake so early, so only relatives from his branch of the family arrived to accompany the bride.
Since Li Xiyue could not remember everyone’s names clearly, she simply greeted them all politely as “Uncle” and “Aunt.”
Soon, the auspicious hour finally arrived.
A loud string of firecrackers exploded through the village.
Because Li Xiyue lacked close maternal relatives to block the groom’s entrance traditionally, the villagers only put up a symbolic bit of playful resistance before letting Zhu Qingshan inside.
Zhu Qingshan bent down and lifted Li Xiyue onto his back.
As he carried her toward the ox-cart waiting outside, Second Aunt Li stepped forward emotionally.
“Qingshan, we all watched you grow up,” she said earnestly. “There’s not a single young man in Zhu Family Village more capable than you. From now on, you and Xiyue must live happily together. You absolutely must not bully her.”
Zhu Qingshan nodded solemnly.
“I promise. I’ll cherish her properly.”
Li Xiyue sat gracefully atop the ox-cart while Zhu Qingshan led the animal by the reins.
Behind them followed relatives from Third Great-Uncle’s family carrying her dowry items.
The entire road echoed with laughter, chatter, music, and celebration.
By the time the fifth round of firecrackers exploded, the wedding procession had arrived at the Zhu residence.
Amid endless teasing from the villagers, Zhu Qingshan swept Li Xiyue into his arms and carried her across the threshold.
Only after they entered the bridal chamber did the noisy chaos outside finally quiet down.
Zhu Qingshan gently placed her on the edge of the bed.
“The formal ceremony won’t start for a while,” he said softly. “I’ll have Qinghe come stay with you. If you get hungry, just eat something.”
Li Xiyue nodded lightly beneath the red bridal veil.
While waiting alone, she quickly grew bored.
Reaching beneath the blankets, she found peanuts and dried fruits hidden there as fertility blessings.
Soon, empty peanut shells piled up in her lap.
A little while later, Zhu Qinghe pushed open the door carrying a bowl of crispy fried pork strips.
“My brother gave me the easiest task today,” she grumbled happily while chewing on a meatball. “Otherwise I’d still be trapped helping in the kitchen.”
Li Xiyue pointed at the mountain of peanut shells beside her.
“Clearly I’m not starving in here. If I keep eating, I won’t have room for the real feast later.”
As noon approached, nearly the entire village arrived for the wedding banquet.
Shen Zhengming also appeared together with his parents.
Zhu Chenggang and Lady Chen busily welcomed guests and arranged seating nonstop.
Meanwhile, Zhu Qingshan had just returned from greeting his escort agency brothers at the village entrance.
The men were all tall and powerfully built.
The moment they entered the courtyard, the noisy villagers instantly quieted several degrees out of intimidation.
The escorts, however, paid no attention to the stares and quietly seated themselves at a distant table.
“Brothers, forgive me if my hospitality falls short today,” Zhu Qingshan said respectfully with clasped fists. “After the wedding, I’ll personally treat everyone to drinks.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Exactly! Stop being polite and hurry up with the food already!”
“The brothers are starving!”
Laughing helplessly, Zhu Qingshan hurried back toward the kitchen.
The moment the first cold dishes of preserved rabbit meat and dried venison appeared, the courtyard instantly fell silent.
Just the appetizers alone already contained so much meat.
Everyone immediately felt the trip had been worthwhile.
Then came the hot dishes one after another.
Braised pork belly.
Steamed pork with rice flour.
Steamed ribs.
Sweet rice cakes.
Taro chicken.
Mutton soup.
Egg drop soup filled with meatballs and fried tofu.
The villagers were completely stunned.
Many had never seen such an extravagant banquet in their entire lives.
Several impatient children even reached directly for the meat with bare hands, only to get smacked immediately by embarrassed parents.
“Have some manners!”
At that moment, Zhu Chenggang loudly announced that the auspicious hour had arrived.
Holding opposite ends of a red silk ribbon, Zhu Qingshan and Li Xiyue stepped into the main hall together.
“First bow to Heaven and Earth!”
“Second bow to the ancestors!”
“Husband and wife bow to one another!”
“The ceremony is complete!”
Li Xiyue felt completely dazed throughout the entire process.
Everything felt dreamlike and surreal.
Next came the tea ceremony.
Since Zhu Qingshan’s parents had long since passed away, the couple first paid respects before their ancestral tablets.
Afterward, Zhu Qingshan guided Li Xiyue to kneel before Zhu Chenggang and Lady Chen.
“Uncle, Aunt,” Zhu Qingshan said emotionally, “after my parents passed away, the two of you cared for Qinghe and me as though we were your own children. Please accept this tea. I wish you both peace, health, and long lives.”
Lady Chen’s eyes immediately reddened.
“It feels like yesterday you were still running around asking me for candy,” she said tearfully. “And now you’re already married.”
“You and Xiyue must live well together. Don’t quarrel over small things. Be patient with each other.”
She then handed the couple thick red envelopes.
Zhu Chenggang drank his tea calmly before handing over his own wedding gifts with a satisfied smile.
Once the feast officially began, the guests immediately attacked the dishes they had been eyeing for ages.
For quite some time, the courtyard contained nothing but the sounds of chewing, swallowing, and clinking bowls.
Back inside the bridal chamber, Zhu Qingshan gently lifted Li Xiyue’s red veil with a wooden scale rod.
The moment he saw her face clearly, he froze completely.
Several seconds passed before he finally regained his senses.
“You’re unbelievably beautiful today,” he said sincerely.
“Obviously,” Li Xiyue replied without the slightest modesty.
Zhu Qingshan laughed softly.
“What are you laughing at?” she huffed, puffing her cheeks slightly.
“I’m laughing because you’re adorable.”
His voice had become astonishingly gentle.
It was rare to see her acting so playful and childish.
After drinking the ceremonial wedding wine together, Li Xiyue suddenly felt heat rising to her face.
The alcohol must be stronger than I thought…
“Come,” Zhu Qingshan said softly. “Everyone’s waiting for us outside.”
The two changed into lighter red clothing before joining the banquet tables.
At the main table sat Zhu Qinghe, Zhu Chenggang, Lady Chen, Third Great-Uncle, and the village chief.
This table was reserved for close relatives and respected elders.
Li Xiyue ate quite happily while Zhu Qingshan continuously placed the best pieces of meat onto her plate.
Watching the newlyweds together made Lady Chen smile until her eyes nearly disappeared.
Then she glanced toward her own son, Zhu Qingmu.
Mmm… it’s probably time to start finding this boy a wife too.
Suddenly, Li Xiyue noticed Zhu Qinghe looking unusually upset.
“What’s wrong? Did Shen Zhengming anger you?”
“Him? He wouldn’t dare!”
“Then why are you sulking?”
Zhu Qinghe lowered her voice angrily.
“It’s Wang Dani! That shameless woman came to the banquet uninvited! She didn’t even bring a single copper coin as a gift, yet she’s stuffing leftovers into her pockets while eating like crazy. Just looking at her makes me furious. But since today is a celebration, it wouldn’t look good to throw her out.”
Li Xiyue calmly placed a piece of braised rib into Zhu Qinghe’s bowl.
“Just eat and ignore her,” she said with a smile. “Why waste your mood on someone like that? Besides, how many chances do you think she’ll still have to take advantage of us in the future?”