Chapter 187 – Chen Eldest II – Part 1

 

The autumn sun was bright, and the wedding procession finally arrived at the village where the Yu family lived.

Seeing the densely packed villagers standing outside the village waiting to watch the excitement from afar, Chen Xiaozong smiled and asked the groom: “Are you nervous with so many people watching?”

Chen Bozong had no expression.

Chen Xiaozong: “You have to smile, otherwise the villagers will make up stories that you are not satisfied with this marriage.”

Chen Bozong still had no expression.

It was not until they got closer to the villagers that Chen Xiaozong and Chen Jingzong looked over again and found that their eldest brother raised the corners of his lips. The nineteen-year-old eldest son of the cabinet elder had also engage in some social events in the capital. He just didn’t like to smile. But when he should smile, he could also smile gently and elegantly, making people feel like spring breeze, especially today he was wearing a particularly festive red groom’s robe.

The villagers’ eyes were almost straight!

“The eldest son is so handsome!”

“The two younger brothers beside him are also handsome, especially the one in the middle has a really nice smile!”

“I think the youngest one is the most handsome, but his face is a little dark.”

Chen Xiaozong, Chen Jingzong: …

Amid these enthusiastic discussions, the three brothers led the wedding procession to the Yu family.

The Yu family immediately set off firecrackers. Bursts of white smoke lingered like clouds and mist, and it took a long time to dissipate.

The groom had to have a lunch at the bride’s house and entertain the relatives and neighbors of the bride’s family before he could take the bride away.

Chen Bozong sat at the same table with Father Yu, Uncle Yu and the others, while Chen Xiaozong and Chen Jingzong were arranged next to them.

The two brothers watched those men, young and old, toasting their eldest brother. In such an occasion, if eldest brother did not drink, he would be giving others no face.

Chen Jingzong frowned and wanted to go over to help his eldest brother drink, but Chen Xiaozong flicked his forehead: “How old are you? Dare to drink, then Mom will break the sole of her shoe.”

As he said that, Chen Xiaozong took the wine bowl and went over.

He was only fourteen, and the relatives who were toasting him didn’t want to get a young man drunk. But Chen Xiaozong was eloquent and chatted this and that, unknowingly distracting some people’s attention. They followed Chen Xiaozong in a daze and forgot the original intention of toasting the groom.

No matter how unconvinced Chen Jingzong was, he had to admit defeat to this kind of third brother.

In fact, they didn’t have to worry. How could Zhao shi let her son-in-law get drunk? She specially prepared a jar of wine with only one bowl of wine for her son-in-law. It had the taste of wine, but it would definitely not make him drunk.

Because the two families were far away, this lunch was eaten early and dispersed quickly. If they didn’t leave, they would miss the Chen family’s evening banquet.

Chen Bozong was finally allowed to go to the house to pick up the bride.

A group of children followed behind and stuck their heads in. Chen Xiaozong pushed his fourth brother’s arm: “Why don’t you go?”

Chen Jingzong glared at him fiercely. He was ten years old, he could ride a horse and shoot arrows, how could he be like those children who knew nothing?

In the west room of the Yu family, Yu Xiu sat on the bed, with a red silk veil covering her face, not even revealing her chin.

After Chen Bozong came in, he could only see her hands folded on her lap, with white backs, slender fingers and round fingertips.

Chen Bozong still remembered that when she was seven years old, she held a dozen melon seeds and stretched them to him. It seemed that her hands were not as white as they were now, but they were fatter than now.

A group of people were staring at him, and Chen Bozong quickly put away his memories.

A joy-matron said some auspicious words, and then handed the two ends of the wedding silk to the newlyweds.

Chen Bozong took her to say goodbye to his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

Before he knelt down, Chen Bozong heard soft sobs from her side.

Chen Bozong remembered again that she seemed to be very fond of crying, and would cry when she was wronged. If his tone was a little harsh, she would also have red eyes.

The unfamiliarity of seven or eight years of separation seemed to fade in her crying.

A quarter of an hour later, the wedding procession set out again.

Yu Xiu sat in the bridal sedan, which was far less stable than a carriage. In order to please the villagers, the bearers deliberately rocked the sedan up and down, shaking Yu Xiu’s complex emotions of leaving her parents and marrying into a half-strange Chen family.

She supported herself with one hand, trying to keep her balance.

After an unknown amount of time, the villagers’ booing became quieter, and then she heard someone outside say, “That’s enough, try to walk steadily from now on.”

The voice was clear and not angry, but it had a kind of authority that made people submit.

As soon as the voice fell, the bridal sedan indeed became stable, only slightly shakier than a carriage.

Yu Xiu breathed a sigh of relief.

There were more voices outside the sedan.

“Brother, are you not drunk?”

“No.”

“It seems that you have a good alcohol tolerance, you can handle such a large jar.”

The man did not respond.

Yu Xiu smiled, thinking of her mother pouring water into that jar of wine, and she and her brother were watching from the side. When her father asked if it would be discovered that they only mixed one bowl of wine, and everyone would lose face if they pointed it out, her mother said, “Is face more important or is my son-in-law more important? He is a scholar and only nineteen years old. It’s fine for him to get drunk in our house, but what if he suddenly feeling drunk while riding a horse… Bah, bah, bah, shut up and don’t disturb me, I’m busy.”

As she thought about it, many old things came to her mind.

Aunt Sun went to the capital after the Lantern Festival when she was eight years old. Before leaving, Aunt Sun took him home to say goodbye.

Yu Xiu was reluctant to separate with Aunt Sun. She couldn’t help crying when she was held in Aunt Sun’s arms.

Apart from her mother, Aunt Sun was the best elder to her. Aunt Sun liked to joke and said that she was her mother’s daughter now and would become the daughter of the Chen family when she grew up. Yu Xiu felt embarrassed at that time, but in her heart, she really regarded Aunt Sun as her second mother.

She hated to part with Aunt Sun, nor her little husband. Although he was cold, he was really handsome.

That day, her mother and Aunt Sun found an excuse to let her stay alone with him for a while.

Yu Xiu was just like that. She wanted to see him but didn’t dare to. She couldn’t bear to part but too embarrassed to say it. So she could only lower her head and clench her fingers nervously.

He whispered, “I will write back every year.”

Yu Xiu’s tears fell. Her father said that the capital was more than two thousand miles away from Lingzhou, and it would take two months to go by carriage. They would not be able to see each other for a long time, so they could only write letters.

He said again, “Don’t cry.”

Yu Xiu didn’t want to either. Just as she was about to turn away from him, he suddenly came over, holding her shoulders with one hand and wipe her tears with a handkerchief with the other hand.

Yu Xiu had never been so close to him before. The twelve-year-old Chen Bozong had clear eyebrows and a handsome face like jade.

Yu Xiu could do nothing but stare at him blankly.

He also looked at her, and suddenly kissed her forehead gently and quickly.

Even though Yu Xiu was still young, she knew that it was shameful for boys and girls to do this. The bad boys in the village had long teased her, saying that she would sleep in the same bed with the young husband of the Chen family and kiss each other in the future.

Unexpectedly, he kissed her before she grew up!

Yu Xiu still remembers the feeling at that time, her face felt like it was on fire.

But he was very calm and told her calmly: “Before I come back, there may be some gossip around you. You don’t have to care. You just need to remember that I am a person who always abide by the rules. Since I have offended you today, I will definitely come back to marry you when you grow up.”

Eight-year-old Yu Xiu nodded stupidly.

When she really grew up, she realized that Chen Bozong’s kiss did not have any romantic meaning. It was more like a promise. He knew that the difference between the two families would become bigger and bigger. He knew that the villagers would envy her family and be jealous of her family. When they were jealous, they would definitely deliberately say something like the Chen family would regret the marriage, or they would say something sarcastic that she was lucky to have exchanged her father’s lameness for a good marriage.

Yu Xiu never forgot the promise Chen Bozong made to her, but the older she got, the more she understood the gap between the two families.

If he had stayed in Lingzhou, she might not have been so worried, but he went to the capital. As Uncle Chen’s official position became higher and higher, his status became more and more noble. There were so many young ladies from official families in the capital. Would he fall in love with someone else? Would he want to break the engagement, but it was only because Uncle Chen and her father agreed on this child marriage that he could not do it, and then he would resent her in his heart?

“Let’s take a rest.”

The voice outside the window suddenly interrupted the bride’s thoughts.

The sedan slowly landed on the ground.

Yu Xiu heard Chen Xiaozong take Chen Jingzong away, saying that they were going to sit nearby. The sedan bearers seemed to have left, but they were not too far away, so she could still hear some noises.

Where is Chen Bozong?

Yu Xiu had just thought about this when he asked from outside the red sedan curtain: “Are you thirsty? Is there any water inside?”

Yu Xiu’s heart was suddenly hanging, and she said in a panic: “Yes, there is water, I’m not thirsty.”

In fact, she was thirsty, but she had to sit in the sedan chair for the whole afternoon. Her mother repeatedly told her not to drink water as much as possible, and if she had to, she could take a small sip, so as not to be unable to hold it in halfway and make a fool of herself. There were men all around, and she couldn’t run out to find a place to relieve herself.

“You’ve been sitting this whole time. Do you want to come down and walk around?”

Yu Xiu shook her head: “No, I’m fine.”

After saying that, she felt that her tone might be a little stiff, so Yu Xiu added in a low voice: “What about you, were you really not drunk during the banquet?”

“I also want to thank Father-in-law and Mother-in-law for their consideration.”

Yu Xiu’s face was inexplicably hot.

“The phoenix crown is very heavy. Take it off first. I’ll remind you to put it on when we’re almost there.”

“Yes.”

Yu Xiu responded, but she didn’t dare to move, for fear of accidentally messing up her hair.

Unexpectedly, after a moment of silence, he asked, “Have you taken it off? I didn’t hear any sound.”

Yu Xiu: …

“If it’s inconvenient, I can help you.”

Yu Xiu’s face flushed. How could she let him in with so many people watching? What if there was a misunderstanding?

His ears were so sharp, Yu Xiu didn’t dare to delay, and reached into the veil with both hands, carefully taking off the phoenix crown and the veil together.

The heavy phoenix crown was sent by the Chen family, and it was full of gold, silver and precious stones. As expected, it made some crackling noises when taken off.

Yu Xiu just breathed a sigh of relief, and he spoke again: “It’s a long way, it’s hard on you. Just tell me if you have any problem, I’ll be right beside you.”

“Yes.”

The conversation that made Yu Xiu nervous finally ended.

After starting again, Yu Xiu suddenly felt a strong curiosity and wanted to secretly take a look at him to see what he looked like.

It was indeed much more convenient not to wear the phoenix crown. Yu Xiu quietly moved to the left window of the sedan.

The window was small, Yu Xiu rolled it up very slowly to make a gap, but she could only see half of the horse’s body. She had to roll it up a little more, and then the back of the groom came into view. He sat upright and had a slender figure. Yu Xiu held her breath and rolled it up a little more. This time, she finally saw the profile of the groom. Nineteen-year-old Chen Bozong had a handsome face and a straight nose.

Yu Xiu did not dare to look any more.

When the curtain was restored to normal, Chen Bozong glanced over.

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