Chapter 378: The Bridal Procession

The Quan Furen picked up the comb again and began to style Lan Zhi’s hair, reciting auspicious verses as she worked.

Once her hair was done, the makeup artist carefully applied Lan Zhi’s makeup, then adorned her head with numerous golden hairpins. Heavy gold bracelets were slipped onto her wrists. The vibrant red of her wedding dress cast a rosy glow on her cheeks. She sat there, poised and exceptionally beautiful.

Gu Fei couldn’t help but marvel from the side. "Lan Zhi, you’re so beautiful! I’m almost reluctant to let you marry my second brother."

The Quan Furen chimed in with a laugh, "Indeed. This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a beautiful bride."

The festive sound of suonas faintly drifted in from outside. Fang Fang dashed in from the courtyard. "He’s here, he’s here! The groom has arrived to welcome the bride!"

Lan Zhi smiled serenely as the Quan Furen placed the large red bridal veil over her head.

Since there were no siblings to properly bar the door, Fang Fang and Gu Fei only put up a symbolic resistance before letting the groom in.

Gu Erlang was also dressed in a festive red silk robe today. The outfit made him look much more handsome than usual.

Gu Erlang bowed repeatedly outside the room’s door before the Quan Furen finally helped Lan Zhi into the main hall.

The bride would normally bid farewell to her parents, but since Lan Zhi had no parents, she instead bowed several times to the ancestral tablet in the main hall before leaving for the bridal sedan.

Gu Erlang rode at the head of the procession on a horse draped in red silk. The bridal sedan followed, and behind it came Lan Zhi’s dowry, carried by hired porters.

The procession, with its lively music, wound its way through the streets and alleys before exiting the city.

Meanwhile, Gu Fei hurriedly boarded a carriage and also headed out of the city.

Gu Fei took a shortcut and arrived home first.

The house was already adorned with red banners and colorful decorations. Mrs. Chen was radiant, dressed in a date-red silk outfit with two golden hairpins in her hair.

The old matriarch was also wearing silk today, with a golden hairpin in her hair and a pair of dazzling gold earrings, her face glowing. Gu Fei figured her mother must have bought these for the old lady.

’Her mother was obsessed with appearances and afraid people would call her unfilial.’

A festive awning had been set up in the courtyard. Tables, chairs, and tableware were all laid out—just five round tables in total, nothing too extravagant.

’As for the guests in the courtyard, who could really be called a guest? Eldest Aunt’s family, Youngest Uncle’s family, Eldest Uncle’s family, the village chief’s family—they were all relatives, really. Boss Zhang’s family was also there; they hadn’t set up their barbecue stall today. Liu Zhuangtou was present as well.’

’There were only three unfamiliar faces, who she guessed must be Tie Niu’s maternal uncle and grandparents.’

Gu Fei glanced their way. The old couple had faces etched with hardship, while Tie Niu’s uncle, a short man, had eyes that darted everywhere.

Then she looked again and saw Shanzimama. ’I wonder where she heard the news,’ she thought.

Seeing Gu Fei, Shanzimama hurried over with a beaming smile. "My, Little Fei, you’ve grown so lovely! I almost didn’t recognize you. At first glance, I thought you were a young lady from some great house."

Today, Gu Fei wasn’t wearing her shop uniform but a cherry-pink ruqun made of patterned gauze. As the weather was now hot, the light and breathable fabric was perfect for summer.

Given her outfit and her current appearance, Shanzimama’s praise was actually not an exaggeration.

Although Gu Fei disliked Shanzi, Shanzimama had never wronged her. She smiled back at her. "Thank you for the compliment, Aunt Huang. It was thoughtful of you to come all this way for the wedding feast."

As for how Shanzimama found out about the Gu Family’s wedding, it had happened a couple of days ago. While she was out delivering laundered clothes, she had run into Taotao selling barbecue on the street.

Shanzimama hadn’t seen Taotao in a long time, and the two chatted for a while. When she learned that Gu Fei had taught them how to make barbecue, and had even given every family a grilling rack worth eight maces of silver—not even leaving out the Zhang Laojia—Shanzimama was left with a truly sour feeling.