Chapter 711: Chapter 673: Song Jiao’s Wedding

After Song Jiao left, Wen Wan sat up straight and slowly began to speak, “During the day, I was almost pickpocketed on the street. A heroic-looking female hero saved me. Can you guess who she is, husband?”

Song Wei’s lips revealed a faint smile: “In the entire Capital, one can count on one hand the people who fit your description. I suppose it must be Mrs. Ye, our soon-to-be in-law.”

“You guessed it.” Wen Wan felt a lack of accomplishment, sighed, “It was indeed her. She also took me horse riding during the day. I was almost scared to death by her.”

“She is a female General who has been on the battlefield and killed enemies. You dare ride her horse?”

“Why wouldn’t I dare? Precisely because she is a General, her riding skills must far surpass the average person. That’s why I dared to ride her horse.” Saying this, Wen Wan leaned closer to Song Wei, her hands climbing up onto his shoulders, “Otherwise, husband, why don’t you take me horse riding?”

Song Wei knew this girl was intentionally teasing him with her words. He smiled gently, “Sure, as long as you dare to ride.”

“In that case, I’ll pass.”

Her husband is a civil servant who rides either a carriage or a sedan chair to court daily. He probably only rode a horse on the day he was a third-place scholar and had to gallop through the streets. It is said that he practiced at the stables for half a day before he dared to go onto the streets. Wen Wan was not confident enough to entrust herself to his riding skills.

The couple was still talking when Linglong came in to ask if they should serve dinner now.

Wen Wan just wanted to agree when Yun Xia came over from Rong’an Hall to say Granny had invited them to have dinner there, as there was something she wanted to discuss.

Wen Wan nodded, saying she understood and told Yun Xia to go back first.

She went behind the screen and changed clothes. Jinbao happened to return, the little lad’s nose was red from the cold and he was sitting by the charcoal stove warming up.

Wen Wan raised her hand and gently touched his cold little face, asking if he felt cold.

Jinbao shook his head, “Not cold, just need a little warmth.”

Wen Wan bent over and pulled his hem open to prevent it from touching the burning coals in the stove, saying, “Your grandmother asked us to go to Rong’an Hall for dinner.”

Jinbao pouted, “I don’t want to go, I want to go to the west wing to see Qi Bao.”

The little girl recently learned to roll over, and Jinbao liked to tease her every day after school.

After hearing this, Wen Wan didn’t trouble Jinbao and eventually, it was just the couple going to Rong’an Hall.

Upon arrival, they found Song Jiao was also there.

Wen Wan immediately understood why Granny had insisted on them coming over for dinner.

“Sir, Madam, please have a seat.” Yun Xia cushioned the circle chair with a soft pad.

Wen Wan asked directly, “Is it because of Jiaojiao’s upcoming marriage that mother invited us here?”

Granny Song glanced at Song Jiao sitting beside her, looking concerned, “Yuanbao isn’t around. Who will carry my eldest granddaughter out?”

Wen Wan thought for a moment, then said, “Let the Xie family’s boy do it. He’s not much smaller than Yuanbao, and Jiaojiao is light, he should be able to manage.”

“It’s traditionally lucky to have a brother from the family carry the bride,” Granny Song sighed, “But there’s nothing we can do; Yuanbao has gone to Jiangnan, so we can only ask the Xie family’s boy.”

After speaking, she further instructed, “Go to the Xie Family and notify them in advance. We don’t want to be flustered at the last minute and ruin a perfectly good wedding feast with chaos.”

Wen Wan nodded in agreement, “Okay.”

“Now, we just have the guest list left. Our Old Song Family isn’t close to many relatives in the Capital, so you’ll have to add some acquaintances to liven it up properly for my eldest granddaughter.”

——

On the twenty-sixth of the first lunar month, Song Jiao gets married.

Three days before, Song Jiao went to the West Courtyard to sleep with her mother. On the day of the marriage, before dawn, she was helped by her mother to bathe and then took a carriage over, accompanied by Second Lang’s wife and Song Qi.

First, they went to Qingteng Residence to greet Wen Wan.

Song Wei and Wen Wan had already risen. Song Wei went to the front courtyard and ordered all the gates, the main gate, the outer gate, and the inner gate to be opened, ready to welcome guests. Jinbao didn’t have to attend school today, and with Song Yuanbao not around, he had nowhere to play and could only wander behind Song Wei aimlessly.

In the inner courtyard, after Wen Wan finished her morning routine, the group went to Song Jiao’s boudoir.

The room had already been decorated meticulously by the maids, and Song Jiao sat in front of the dressing table.

Before formal grooming began, the face had to be smoothed.

The one who opens Song Jiao’s face and combs her hair must be a woman with full blessings, whose in-laws are alive, children are complete, and whose marriage is harmonious.

Among the people Wen Wan knows, there are indeed such women. However, there was an unpleasant incident at the Duke Mansion’s birthday banquet before, and Wen Wan didn’t want to get too close to those people again, so Granny Song looked around and decided to let Wen Wan do it herself.

In-laws alive, children complete, harmonious marriage; Wen Wan possesses all these qualities, and it didn’t seem inappropriate. When Granny Song suggested it, she agreed without a second thought.

Wen Wan opened the dragon and phoenix auspicious case box, took out a box of fragrant powder, and carefully applied it to Song Jiao’s forehead, cheeks, around her eyebrows, and lip edges where there were fine hairs. Then, she twisted a double cotton thread into a clip shape and twisted the powdered areas with force, cleaning the fine hairs until the face was truly opened.

The year Song Fang got married, Wen Wan saw the invited blessed woman do it once, but it was her first time doing it herself, and her technique was inevitably clumsy, causing Song Jiao to shed tears.

Song Qi watched, stunned, and asked, “Aren’t you supposed to put makeup on sister? Why are you tormenting her face?”

Second Lang’s wife sneered, “Girls’ matters are not for you to ask about, just watch, don’t speak too much.”

Song Qi pouted, secretly glanced at Song Jiao, saw her eyes red from pain, seemingly felt the same, and touched her own face.

Wen Wan saw this and laughed, “It’s early for you, too. When you graduate from Hongwen Academy at fifteen, there’s no rush.”

Song Qi’s face blushed, her eyes flickered, and she didn’t speak.

Wen Wan took a soft handkerchief to clean Song Jiao’s face, then began to apply makeup.

As the daylight grew bright, the people from the Xie family also arrived.

It seemed they were afraid of missing Song Jiao’s auspicious hour. When Aunt Xie appeared in Song Jiao’s room with two daughters-in-law, she looked a little breathless, white mist puffing from her mouth.

Second Lang’s wife hurriedly called, asking someone to serve tea, “What are you doing, all in such a rush?”

Xie Tao’s wife muttered, “It’s just my mother-in-law. She started urging us before dawn, saying if we were late, we’d miss the hour. The carriage broke down halfway, and we ran over here, making a spectacle for passersby to see.”

Aunt Xie glanced at her, “Staying home all day makes your limbs lazy. I asked you to exercise, and you’re not happy? Let them laugh if they want; I am comfortable myself.”

Xie Tao’s wife wanted to say something, but Yang pulled her hand and gave her a look, so she stopped talking.

Wen Wan listened to the banter between this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and smiled, “It doesn’t matter that your carriage broke down, just don’t forget to bring my nephew, or all my efforts today will be in vain.”

“Feng is here.” Aunt Xie panted and said, “Last night, I kept telling him not to oversleep, and this morning he came with us. Right now, he and his father are meeting Erlang and Third Son in the front courtyard.”

Xie Feng, Xie Zheng’s eldest son, is not much younger than Song Yuanbao; he is fourteen this year. Since Song Yuanbao is not here, it was agreed he would carry Song Jiao out.

Mentioning Xie Feng, Aunt Xie asked Wen Wan, “Has Yuanbao sent you any messages? Did he say when he’s coming back?”

“He sent a letter once,” Wen Wan said. “He mentioned they went from Suzhou to Hangzhou and then to Yangzhou, but didn’t say when they’d return.”

Aunt Xie sighed, “With just two sisters, the younger one isn’t ready yet, and the older one is finally marrying off, but he can’t be here to see her off; it’s really a pity.”

Two sisters? There were clearly three, but one is missing.

Wen Wan listened and instinctively glanced at Second Lang’s wife.

Second Lang’s wife lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

Yang took the opportunity to say, “We’ve been here for quite some time and haven’t seen Aunt yet. Mother, let’s go to Rong’an Hall, sit and chat with her, there’s plenty of time before the auspicious hour, and we can come back when the bridal sedan arrives.”

Aunt Xie nodded, and the three of them stood up, heading for Rong’an Hall in succession.

The inner room quieted down, leaving only Wen Wan, Song Jiao, and Second Lang’s wife mother and daughter.

Wen Wan was still applying makeup for Song Jiao, who sighed softly.

Wen Wan knew why she sighed.

If Sanyang could return, it wouldn’t just be Song Qi as the sister to see her off today. Unfortunately, the girl has yet to recover her memory and probably has feelings for the people at Kangding Bo Mansion.

After applying the makeup, guests arrived one after another. As the mistress of the house, Wen Wan had to go out to greet them, and seeing there was still time, Second Lang’s wife went out to help.

Only Song Jiao and her sister Song Qi remained in the room.

Song Jiao had yet to wear the phoenix crown, but she wore a red wedding dress, sitting on the bed. It was the first time in her life she was dressed so grandly, her face usually with only light makeup now bore blush and her lips were coated with a vibrant red gloss, looking moist and full. There was a sweet and happy spring feeling lingering between her brows. Though she wouldn’t be called a beauty to topple cities, she was indeed like a flower, graceful and dignified. Song Qi clicked her tongue and sighed, “Who would have thought our big sister is such an exceptional beauty? When brother-in-law sees you, he’ll probably be drunk with joy even before he touches the celebratory wine.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep