Seeking Happiness

Chapter 213 The dejection of the wedding night

The place where they did the ritual kneeling was where the prefectural magistrate usually discussed with Gu Xiran and the others. It had been renovated by his wife and the maids. Even if they couldn’t paste the red joyful words of the wedding, they still hung a red silk in the form of a flower balls everywhere. The sky hasn’t completely darkened yet. The red candles were already lit in the hall. The warm and slightly swaying candlelight revealed a subtle joy.

Gu Xiran was freshly cleaned at this time. He didn’t wear gorgeous clothes. The light green-blue satin long robe still made him look tall and outstanding.

He stood there and watched Shu Huan come to this side under the guidance of the maids. Aside form the joy and excitement in his heart, there was also some nervousness. It was a long-time anticipation of a wish that had been realized, but he was afraid that it was just a beautiful dream.

It wasn’t until he reached out and held her hand, and the real feeling of the warmth and slight trembling of her hand drove away the tension and made him relieved.

When the matron of honor saw him walk to them and held Shu Huan’s hand, she was somewhat dumbfounded. She stuttered, “Young master Gu…this…this is not according to the etiquette…”

According to the etiquette, even if one couldn’t wait to touch the bride’s small hand, one had to wait until after the kneeling ritual and the bride had been sent to the wedding chamber. Otherwise, it was not solemn and frivolous. Fortunately, the elders of Gu household were not here. Otherwise, they would feel that their child was likely to forget his mother after taking a wife and would be unhappy.

The other matron of honor panicked and passed a piece of red silk, “Young master Gu, you have to lead the bride with this.”

This is how they are supposed to walk. Usually the bride has a veil on.

This was leading a bride and not walking a dog!

The etiquette made people speechless. Gu Xiran didn’t abide to them at all. He only smiled a bit at the two matrons of honor and still held Shu Huan’s hand tightly. He walked with her. That disdainful look out of the corner of his eyes didn’t appear overbearing. Also, that free, at ease and unobstructed attitude didn’t make people feel that he was frivolous. They only felt that he was calm and responsible. It made many women present be secretly envious of Shu Huan.

Shu Huan was naturally happy too. The original nervousness was relieved at this moment. Although, her sight was blocked and her steps were slow, but when she knew that the one holding her was Gu Xiran, she walked more and more firmly.

The prefectural magistrate was nearly forty years. He had put on weight. He sat in the hall with a big belly and laughed cheerfully. From a distance, he looked like Maitreya. When he saw them coming in, he stood up and nodded repeatedly. He murmured, “A match made from heaven, truly a match made from heaven…”

• Maitreya: the future bodhisattva

As soon as the words fell, the wife of the prefectural magistrate pulled him and said, “Sit. If you stand, how do you want them to do the kneeling ritual?”

Some maids chuckled.

The prefectural magistrate pulled a long face and sat down. However, when Gu Xiran and Shu Huan stepped forward to kneel to the heavens, the matrons of honor and when it was his turn, he couldn’t restrain himself from wanting to say “you may dispense with curtseying” out of habit. Fortunately, the wife of the prefectural magistrate watched his every move closely and warningly swept a glance over. Only then, did he control his body and sat upright unnaturally.

At this side, Gu Xiran and Shu Huan had finished bowing to each other. The whole hall is filled with congratulations again from the people who came to watch the ceremony. It made the two people feel that it wasn’t easy for them to be together. Gradually, sweetness emerged from their hearts. It was just that their gazes were blocked by the veil and they couldn’t look at each other. They could only quietly hold their hands together again.

Gu Xiran made a small move when no one paid attention.

Shu Huan only felt her fingers tightened. When she looked down, she saw a simple and pleasing looking jade ring in her hand. Her face couldn’t help but redden a bit. When she looked at Gu Xiran’s hand, she saw that he was wearing one of the same style, but the jade ring was a bit larger. She took advantage that the scene was lively at the moment ask in a low voice, “Didn’t you already give me a ring previously?”

Gu Xiran smiled and whispered, “This is different.”

Naturally, it was different. Last time was a ring to pledge their love. Now, it’s a wedding ring! Besides, he bought the previous rings with Gu household’s money after all. The money he used to buy the rings this time was from the salary he had earned from the prefectural magistrate. The meaning was too different. In fact, he had secretly prepared it a few days ago. Every time he thought that he would only be able to put it on Shu Huan after three years, he felt very displeased. Now, that he was able to give it to her sooner, he was very happy.

Because they couldn’t invite guests and the people also couldn’t disturb the privacy of the bridal room, the people who came to watch the ceremony dispersed after the kneeling ritual. Gu Xiran and Shu Huan had been led into the bridal room.

• Disturb the privacy of the bridal room was a Chinese custom where the guests banter with and play pranks on the newlyweds, mostly the groom.

The so-called bridal room naturally had a bed. It was hard on the wife of the prefectural magistrate to set up a bridal room in half a day. Inside of the room was a carved wood bed covered with a thick and soft bedding. The copper hooks on the bed held silvery red canopy. The red candles on the table were lit highly and the warm colors brought joy and warmth.

The wife of the prefectural magistrate followed them inside with the matron of honors and the maids. She handed Gu Xiran a beam and urged him to lift the veil. If it was another room, he may be very nervous now. He would be afraid that the moment that he lifted the veil, he would see an ugly wife who he had to spend his whole life with. However, Gu Xiran didn’t have this anxiety at all. He was even afraid that Shu Huan was bored. The moment he was handed the beam, he lifted the veil.

Under the candlelight, Shu Huan had her head slightly lowered. Her original thin face was now flushed with a bit of redness. Lined with the red dress and white color, it showed a charm of youthfulness.

Gu Xiran was in daze as if he had returned to the night he met her at the beginning after he time-traveled.

He also looked at her like this.

She also had her head slightly lowered like this.

However, at that time, she was skinny like a branch of plum flowers and now, she had become a bright cherry with dew.

One that was slightly astringent with sourness and tempting people to pick it.

It was really not easy to finally be together…

The wife of the prefectural magistrate looked at him and then looked at Shu Huan. She chuckled and urged, “Don’t only merely look at the bride. You should share this nuptial cup also!”

Coincidentally, the white jade cup was filled with a red and bright cherry wine. After drinking the wine, the bright red color flew to Shu Huan’s cheek. There was a little bit of drunkenness in her eyes.

After drinking the wine, the two fed each other some pastries. Even if there was no disturbance of the bridal room, but the auspicious words that the matrons of honor spoke was enough to drown the two of them. At last, Gu Xiran smiled and rewarded them with the money he had prepared. At this time, the wife of the prefectural magistrate said with a profound smile, “Alright, the sky is getting dark. Let’s not stand here inconsiderately anymore and let this young couple have a good talk.”

As soon as she gave this order, naturally everyone left.

On the contrary, under the shadow of the candle, Shu Huan was a bit restless. She first quietly probed and touched the bed. Fortunately, there were no stingy red dates, peanuts, longan and lotus seed. She then looked at Gu Xiran sitting next to her. He leaned slightly over to put his face closer to hers. The slight drunk eyes obviously showed no good intentions. Somehow, she was nervous again and held the quilt tightly. She couldn’t help but to find something to talk about, “So…So strange…why haven’t they talked about having children sooner…?”

• The pronunciation of red dates, peanuts, longan and lotus seeds sounded like have children soon.

Wasn’t this the sentence that was said the most frequently said in a bridal room?

Gu Xiran had been successfully defeated by this one sentence of hers. The smile on his face became bitter. He hung his head and muffled, “Don’t remind me of this…”

Because he had already been ambiguously reminded of this by others. According to the rules, it was fine to wed within hundred days of one’s passing, but a real wedding night wasn’t allowed. Of course, if the husband and wife wanted to do something behind closed doors, others couldn’t see it and also couldn’t control it. However, the suffering was here. It was not allowed to have a child within these three years of mourning!

Today, he suddenly wanted to marry and suddenly went to find the medicinal herbs for the prescription to avoid a pregnancy that Ji Danqing gave him last time. However, he couldn’t find one of those herbs! He couldn’t find the most crucial one!

This was truly the dreadful restraining!

It happened that Shu Huan hadn’t been reminded by others and didn’t know why he was so dejected. She wondered, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, you are right…,” Gu Xiran held her hand. Only tears were missing from his face. He said, “Early tomorrow morning, we will leave for Suhe City!”

Aside from old madam, there were also enough medicinal herbs there!