FID – Chapter 759

Chapter 759: Wore 100,000 Taels of Silver Notes

On this side, the two men stared at each other in silence, while inside the inner courtyard, bursts of laughter echoed.

From a distance, the teasing voices of the women could still be heard.

With only three days left until the wedding, Qian Wanjin and Shi Xianrou had rushed back. Liu Zhixia also managed to spare a few days to return early and help his younger sister prepare for her wedding.

The Liu Family courtyard was bustling with a large crowd, extremely lively.

As the Liu family’s in-laws, this was the first time the Chen Family and Du Juan’s maternal relatives had seen such a grand occasion at the Liu’s home.

The whole day, the gate to the courtyard remained wide open, with carriages coming and going, bringing gifts, and the guests were constantly arriving.

After sending their gifts, the guests would have a cup of tea and leave, never even seeing the King himself. Yet, these noble families and officials who were rarely seen in everyday life were all smiling, and despite being from a rural family like Liu’s, they treated them with respect and compliments.

Besides these guests, those staying in the Liu’s second courtyard were even more distinguished.

Qian Wanjin, the young master of the Nanling Imperial Merchant family, and the young miss of the General’s Manor.

Having close relations with either of these two individuals would be considered a great honor for an ordinary person, and something to be proud of.

Wang-shi was glaring with envy but, due to Chen Xiulan’s prior warning and her husband’s presence, she refrained from causing any trouble.

The joyful and lively time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the second day of the second lunar month.

On this day, Feng Qingbai did not stay in the courtyard. Instead, he had gone the day before to the newly completed Yunzhou villa, from where he would depart to greet the bride.

Early in the morning, before the sky had even brightened, Liu Yusheng was pulled out of bed by the women in the house. She was still half-asleep, struggling to open her eyes.

The elders ignored her, treating her as if she were a wooden doll, as they began the process of washing, dressing, and styling her hair.

Since the Liu family had not hired a professional stylist to do her hair, Grandma Liu personally took care of it.

The Liu Family had four generations living together, with children in the family, harmonious relationships, and a well-functioning household. Who else could be more fortunate than the grandmother?

As she unraveled the young woman’s long, flowing hair, Grandma Liu took a jade comb and skillfully brushed her silky black locks all the way to the ends.

She spoke words of good fortune as she did so.

Chen Xiulan, Dujuan, Liu Muxiu, and Shi Xianrou stood on either side.

They watched the delicate and graceful woman in the mirror, admiring her as her hair was styled into a bride’s bun by the grandmother’s skilled hands. Chen Xiulan inexplicably felt her eyes redden.

Her daughter was truly getting married—she was leaving home.

It wasn’t until this moment that the feeling hit with such clarity, and the sadness came rushing in.

At first, Liu Yusheng hadn’t noticed, but when the sound of suppressed sobbing reached her ears, she suddenly realized that the three women behind her had all red eyes.

“Grandmother, Mother, Second Aunt, didn’t we agree not to cry today? Even though I’m getting married, I’m still a Liu, and nothing’s really changed,” Liu Yusheng forced a smile, trying to dispel the sudden surge of emotion.

“How can it be the same? Once you’re married, your husband’s surname will come before yours, and you’ll belong to your husband’s family. You won’t be the same as when you were a girl,” Chen Xiulan sniffed, her voice wavering slightly.

“Then should we add the Liu surname in front of Feng Qingbai’s name?”

Before Liu Yusheng could finish her sentence, her grandmother gently tapped her head, “You can’t say such things! Even if Axiu doesn’t mind, others might hear and start gossiping. You can’t be as casual as you were at home once you’re married, especially since you’re marrying into the royal family. You must be more careful with your words and actions, so you don’t cause trouble for yourself, and even worse, for Axiu.”

“Grandma, you’re being biased! I’m your granddaughter, so why are you more concerned about Feng Qingbai?” Liu Yusheng pretended to complain.

“Of course I’m worried! The trouble you cause, in the end, Axiu will be the one to clean it up,” Chen Xiulan spat, “At this rate, once you’re married, us elders will have it easier. We won’t have to worry about teaching you anymore, since Axiu will take over.”

“Women’s hearts are truly fickle. Just now, you were crying because you couldn’t bear to part with me, and now you want to get rid of me as if I’m a hot potato. Grandma, Mother, you’re so hard to please,” Liu Yusheng said helplessly.

“Muqiu, help her with her makeup and make her stop talking. I can’t feel sad when I listen to her talk,” Chen Xiulan said, not wanting to argue with her daughter anymore and directly instructing Liu Muqiu to take action.

They weren’t particularly good at makeup in the family. Back when they were busy working all the time and struggling financially, they didn’t have the opportunity to focus on personal grooming. 

Later, when the family’s situation improved, they were already older and didn’t have the interest in flaunting or enjoying such luxuries, so they never bothered to do it themselves.

That was why Liu Muqiu had to do the makeup for Liu Yusheng.

Her delicate hands were skilled not only in embroidery but also in transforming ordinary faces with makeup.

These fine tasks had nothing to do with Shi Xianrou. She didn’t step forward but instead, along with Du Juan, took out the wedding dress Feng Qingbai had prepared earlier, waiting for Liu Yusheng to finish her makeup so they could help her change into it.

Before dawn, the room was lit by a lamp, its dim yellow light casting a glow on the wedding dress, which still retained all its beauty.

At first sight, Shi Xianrou was completely enchanted. It was rare for her to show such admiration and envy, emotions only women could feel.

“The Prince really has great taste; he even got his hands on the flowing fabric that Yue Court offers as tribute.”

“Flowing fabric?” The other women in the room, including Liu Yusheng, were all surprised, as it was the first time they had heard of such a fabric.

Shi Xianrou withdrew her hand, which had almost reached to touch the wedding dress, afraid her calluses from years of holding a sword would ruin it. “The Yue Court is a very special country on the continent. It’s small in size but incredibly wealthy, famous for producing exquisite fabrics. Among them, flowing fabric is the finest of all. If Liu Yusheng wears this wedding dress, it’s like she’s wearing a hundred thousand taels of silver.”

If she hadn’t managed to maintain some composure, Liu Yusheng would have slipped off her chair.

The others stood in stunned silence, staring at the wedding dress for a long time, unable to speak.

A wedding dress worth a hundred thousand taels? Great, now they were afraid to even touch it…

Outside the window, the sky gradually lightened.

This morning, Xinghua Village was noisier than usual. As soon as the sky began to turn pale, the villagers left their homes, some carrying tables, others carrying stools, all heading toward Liu family’s courtyard.

They set up tables and chairs, placed bowls and chopsticks, and boiled water to brew tea.

It wasn’t just them; even the people from the nearby Xiapo Village came to join in the festivities.

In their eyes, Liu Yusheng was the lucky child of both villages. Although the people of Xinghua Village didn’t admit it, the residents of Xiapo Village had their own way of thinking. They said it was true, and there was no room for argument.

Since they couldn’t help out at the Lius courtyard, they gathered at the village entrance, lining the road with firecrackers. As soon as the auspicious time arrived, they lit them up.

Setting off firecrackers was just one thing. Some shameless families still considered themselves as if they were direct relatives of the Liu family. Without any hesitation, they helped to greet guests and guide them at the village entrance.

The marriage of King of Nanling and Lady Ruyi meant that the guests coming to celebrate the wedding weren’t just from the two villages.

Even before the wedding, the Yunzhou nobles, descendants of prestigious families, and wealthy families had been sending congratulatory gifts non-stop for half a month. Their guests hadn’t even fully arrived yet, so the same bustle was expected today for the wedding banquet.

Who wouldn’t want to attend such a grand celebration?