Chapter 459: Completion of Rites

Chapter 459: Completion of Rites
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The two of them entered the bridal chamber. Li Qing helped Fan Mingfang sit on the edge of the bed and lifted the veil with a smile. When he saw Fan Mingfang’s fair face which was covered in makeup, he was stunned.
Fan Mingfang looked at Li Qing with her big eyes, then quickly lowered her eyes. Li Qing looked at Fan Mingfang and smiled.
Li Yu, Madam Gong, Lin Jia, Lin Yi, and some relatives looked at the two of them with smiles and blessed them.
Li Qing’s ears were filled with auspicious words like a match made in heaven. When he looked down and saw the bride’s big red embroidered shoes embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water and her slender fingers on her knees, he suddenly felt his ears burn and his face turn red.
The matron of honor brought in the dumplings. Li Yu looked at the raw dumplings in her bowl and pursed her lips into a smile. She watched as the matron of honor fed the raw dumplings to Fan Mingfang and asked with a smile, “Are they raw?” In keeping with the rites, this question was a play on words. The underlying meaning was to ask if the bride would give birth.
Fan Mingfang took a bite and realized that it was raw. She looked up and saw the smiling Li Qing and the people watching the ceremony in the new room. She hurriedly swallowed the dumpling and said with a red face, “Yes.”
The matron of honor turned to the people watching the ceremony with a smile and shouted, “The bride said to give birth!”
They all laughed.
The matron of honor held the wine cup on a tray again and handed it to Li Qing with a smile. Li Qing took one and so did Fan Mingfang. The two of them drank the wine inside with red faces. The matron of honor took the cups back and threw them out. The cup fell to the ground.
The matron of honor and everyone else smiled and congratulated them. “One facing down and one facing up. It’s a blessing.”
Everyone smiled and blessed them. After the ceremony, Li Qing went out to toast. Li Yu smiled and walked up to hold Fan Mingfang’s hand. “Sister-in-law, are you hungry?”
“Sister, I’m not hungry,” Fan Mingfang said softly. Just as she was about to get up and greet her, Li Yu smiled and stopped her. She pointed at Madam Gong and said with a smile, “This is Aunt.”
Fan Mingfang was about to get up and greet her when Madam Gong smiled and pulled her back. “Ah Qing’s wife. In the first three days of marriage, the bride is the most important. There’s no need to stand on ceremony.”
As she spoke, she pointed at Lin Jia, Lin Yi, and the other relatives watching the ceremony and introduced them one by one. “This is Cousin-in-law, Cousin…&125;” Fan Mingfang nodded and greeted them one by one, silently remembering them.
Seeing a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, Li Yu smiled and said to her, “Go wash up and change into a lighter dress first. I’ll get the old woman to bring you something to fill your stomach.”
“Thank you, Sister, ” said Fan Mingfang with a smile. She was indeed feeling sticky and uncomfortable.
Everyone left, leaving only the dowry woman and maidservant in the house. After the two of them helped Fan Mingfang wash up and change into a light dress, Fan Mingfang felt comfortable.
Old Madam Liu brought in the wine and food and said with a smile, “Madam must be hungry. Eat something to fill your stomach first.”
The little girl quickly took the tray from Old Madam Liu’s hand. “Thank you, Granny.” She handed over a pouch.
“Thank you, Madam.” Old Madam Liu accepted it with a smile, bowed, and left.
Fan Mingfang had just finished her wine and brewed rice balls when Li Qing returned from toasting. He entered the house with a smile and looked at Fan Mingfang, who had already recovered her beautiful appearance. He sat on the edge of the bed and asked gently, “Have you eaten?”
Fan Mingfang glanced at the handsome Li Qing and nodded with a red face. “I’ve eaten. Sister asked the old woman to send something.”
The matron of honor smiled at the two of them and said, “Groom, bride, it’s time to bind the hair.”
Li Qing smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”
The matron of honor picked up the silver scissors with a smile. “No trouble, no trouble.”
The matron of honor asked the couple to sit together with the man on the left and the woman on the right. She carefully cut a strand of hair off each of their heads and hummed a blessing song. She tied the two strands of long hair together and stuffed them under the pillow embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water.
The matron of honor turned around and said with a smile, “The ceremony is over. I wish the bride and groom a hundred years of bliss and abundance.”
“Thank you.” The dowry woman handed a pouch to the matron of honor with a smile. The matron of honor pinched the pouch happily and bowed to the two of them before leaving.
Fan Mingfang’s dowry woman and girl quietly retreated and closed the door.
Li Qing looked at the shy Fan Mingfang with lust in his eyes. ‘Wanwan, let’s rest!” Fan Mingfang nodded shyly.
In the courtyard outside, everyone was busy packing up the tables and chairs and arranging tea sets to move into the storeroom.
As soon as Xiaoyu and Gu Yu walked into the storeroom, Auntie Zhang pulled
Gu Yu back and whispered, “Gu Yu, why don’t I see Manager Cai’s wife today?”
Gu Yu thought for a moment and realized that she had not seen her for the past two days. Thinking about how she had seen Zhizi carrying a bag yesterday and walking in a hurry with her head lowered, she felt that the two of them must have quarreled.
She said perfunctorily to Aunt Zhang, “I heard from Brother Cai that she’s not feeling well. I’ll take a look after I’m done packing.”
“So she wasn’t not feeling well! Go and see if you’re pregnant.” Aunt Zhang smiled.
“That’s a possibility!” Gu Yu smiled and nodded.
After Aunt Zhang left, Gu Yu whispered to Xiaoyu, “Sister Yu, I saw her carrying this bag when I went out yesterday. It seems that she went back to her mother’s house. Sister Yu, I don’t think Zhizi is close to us. When Madam returned from the countryside, she didn’t take the initiative to go to the residence to pay her respects. She only went every time I called her.”
Xiaoyu smiled and said, “After all, she’s a wife who was married from outside of our circle. She’s not familiar with us. She’ll be fine after interacting with us for a while.”
Gu Yu thought about it and felt that it made sense. She nodded and said, “Yes! What you said makes sense.”
After everyone packed up, they came out of the Li family’s house and walked back. When Xiaoyu arrived home, she told Ruyi what Gu Yu had said and said to him, “Find an opportunity to ask Brother Cai what’s going on between him and his wife. Something is going to happen at home.” Ruyi thought for a moment. “Rest first. I’ll go to Zhao Cai to take a look.” Xiaoyu nodded. “That’s good. Try to persuade him.”
Ruyi went to Zhao Cai’s house. After calling for the door to be opened, the gatekeeper looked at Ruyi and smiled. “Second Master is here! My master hasn’t rested yet!”
“Alright, rest first. I’ll call you when I leave.” Ruyi walked straight to the backyard.
“It’s late. Why are you here?” Zhao Cai stood at the door and looked at Ruyi.
Ruyi saw his unhappy expression. “What’s wrong? I’ve been feeling that something’s wrong with you these past two days. Did you quarrel with your wife?”
“Sigh, don’t talk about it…” Zhao Cai glanced at Ruyi and hesitated. Ruyi patted him and hugged his shoulder with a smile. “From the looks of it, you’ve quarreled with your wife. Tell me, so I can help you come up with an idea. Go back and coax your wife.”
“Let me tell you. After we got married, she has to go back to her mother’s house every now and then. I originally felt that she was not used to it since she had just married. However, Master-in-law was so busy getting married and Ji Xiang’s wife went to help even though she was pregnant. My wife still went to her mother’s house every day. I listened to you and didn’t argue with her when I came back. I only said a few words to her before she jumped back to her mother’s house. She didn’t even come back to help Master-in-law get married.”
Zhao Cai looked at Ruyi gloomily.. “Tell me, why does Xiaoyu follow you after getting married? Why doesn’t she listen to her mother?”