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Chen Feng sat in the sedan chair, amidst the hustle and bustle, as the chair was lifted and began to move. She thought she wouldn’t cry, after all, she hadn’t considered that courtyard she lived in for just over ten days as her home. Yet, at the moment the chair was lifted, tears welled up in her eyes, turning her vision into a blur of red through the tears.
Over half a month ago, when she left Fengyuan and saw Mrs. Wang, Chen Ming, Dabao, and Lu trailing behind in the carriage, she cried, shedding tears quite intensely.
Back then, it was the reluctance towards her maternal family, and now, could it be the reluctance towards her marital family?
Upon arriving at the Chu Residence, Third Madame Chu helped Chen Feng down from the chair and placed a red silk string in her hand. Then, mounting the saddle, she entered the main hall, paid respects to heaven and earth, and then to her ancestors… not her parents. It seemed that the Chu family had managed things well, preventing the wicked stepmother from spoiling the moment, and even Marquis Chu, Lingxuan’s father, didn’t show up.
Entering the bridal chamber, under the gaze of several women, she sat, lifted the veil, spread the bed curtains, drank the “offspring dumpling” wine… Chen Feng felt like an actress, following the director – Third Madame Chu’s cues. Fortunately, the male lead, Chu Lingxuan, was familiar to her. Although he didn’t speak, the tenderness in his eyes and the smile on his lips helped her relax.
Chu Lingxuan, dressed in red, looked handsome and upright, exuding warmth, quite different from his previous icy demeanor, now with a touch of jade-like gentleness.
Madame Fu teased, “Oh, it turns out Mr. Chu can smile so sweetly. This is the first time I’ve seen it.”
This comment sparked laughter among everyone present.
Another lady jokingly added, “The bride is so beautiful, even if the groom is an ice block, she beautifies him. Besides, Mr. Chu isn’t an ice block.”
This led to another round of laughter.
Chu Lingxuan blushed at their teasing, awkwardly smiling without much to say.
Third Madame Chu remarked, “It seems Madame Fu indeed has a keen eye, bringing this couple together. The young lady is like jade, the beauty unmatched. When they stand together, they are a pair of exquisite individuals.”
…
The ceremony finally concluded, and the room quieted down. The guests headed to the flower hall for the banquet, and Chu Lingxuan softly said to Chen Feng, “You rest first, change into another outfit. I’ll go to the front hall to entertain the guests.”
Chen Feng nodded. She had wanted to change clothes for a while, as the phoenix crown on her head was almost breaking her neck.
In the room were Yu Zhuo and another unfamiliar maid.
Chen Feng said to them, “Bring Autumn here. She knows my habits.”
Jade Bracelet nodded and left, and shortly after, Autumn arrived.
Autumn skillfully removed the phoenix crown from Chen Feng’s head and assisted her in bathing. As Chen Feng sat in the tub, Autumn cheerfully took out two small snacks from her pocket, placed them in Chen Feng’s mouth, and whispered, “I know the young miss can’t bear hunger.”
With her eyes closed, Chen Feng finished the snacks and asked, “What should you call me?”
Autumn realized her mistake and playfully stuck out her tongue, saying, “Oh, I should call you Young Madam.” Despite Old Lady Li’s repeated reminders, she still got it wrong.
As Chen Feng listened to Autumn’s account, she learned that they had arrived with the dowry in the morning, airing it in the yard for a while before many people in the Marquis’s residence came to see it. Later, they moved it into the rear wing rooms. Their clothes and daily necessities had been brought to the main room… The five of them had already eaten and were staying in the rear wing rooms, where the people were treating them fairly well…
Feeling relaxed, Chen Feng took in the room’s decorations. It was spacious, resembling a sea of bright red, with a colorful palace lamp hanging from the ceiling, a red canopy draped over the canopy bed, red sachets hanging from the corners, a red quilt on the bed, and two large red wedding candles on a high table…
There was also a vanity table inlaid with jade carvings, carved cabinets, a circular chair, a warm chamber behind the canopy bed, lattice windows in front of the bed… Each of these areas had red silk decorations or flowers.
The bedroom was in the east wing.
In the east room, by the window, stood a large heated kang with a kang table, a row of kang cupboards at the end of the kang, a row of cabinets to the south, and two round-backed chairs on each side.
Moving on to the living room, there was a high table, an Eight Immortals table, a Grand Master’s chair, a blue-glazed triple-footed incense burner, an antique stand filled with ornaments, a double-sided embroidered screen with the Four Gentlemen, and calligraphy and paintings of famous figures from the era hung on the walls…
The living room led to the west wing, with similar furnishings to the east room, except that the large kang was replaced with a canopy bed. The west room served as a study, housing bookshelves, a writing desk, and an ancient zither.
All the furniture was crafted from rosewood, intricately carved with dragon motifs, gold inlay, and jade embellishments, exuding indescribable luxury and elegance…
As she gazed out the lattice window, the sky had darkened, casting a red glow over the courtyard from the red silk lanterns. The yard was expansive, with only the gardenia trees visible outside the window, the distant scenery obscured.
Jade Bracelet and a maid named Hong fei had already set up a table on the kang table, featuring dishes like ginger-infused whole fish, roasted goose, marinated duck, assorted silver soup, and chicken soup with swallow’s nest…
The two small snacks were no match for Chen Feng’s hunger, her stomach was already aching. The tantalizing aroma only intensified her unbearable hunger. Throughout her life, she seemed to have never experienced the pain of hunger. In the orphanage, she would scavenge when there was nothing to eat. Later, in the impoverished Chen family after her transmigration, she would use the little money she earned to buy food. Yet, now, hungry since morning, she couldn’t eat despite the delicious feast laid out before her.
Understanding her mistress’s priority for food over appearances, Autumn softly reminded, “Young miss – oh, I mean, Young Madam, bear with it. The guests have left, and the master will be back soon.”
Chen Feng shot her a look. Had her hunger been so apparent?
As the words faded, footsteps were heard outside the window, followed by a servant calling out “Young Master.” Chen Feng had noticed that people here addressed Chu Lingxuan as “Young Master”, whereas those from the Marquis’s Residence and Tangyuan referred to him as “Master.” It seemed he strongly disliked being called “Young Master”, as he forbade the servants within his realm from using that title.
Chen Feng stood up to greet him, and Chu Lingxuan had already entered the east room.
His face was flushed, indicating he had consumed quite a bit of alcohol.
Looking at Chen Feng, a tender smile graced his lips, his eyes filled with an unmelting sweetness as he said, “Finally brought you home.”
Chen Feng blushed, staying silent, with several servants nearby.
Chu Lingxuan inquired, “Are you getting used to it?”