The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0512 Zijin’s Wedding (2)

This chapter hasnʼt been edited yet.

The 26th day of the eleventh month was the auspicious day for Zijinʼs wedding. On that day, the Yun residence was adorned with lanterns and decorations, creating a lively and festive atmosphere. Even Yun Qing, who usually didnʼt show much interest in such events, made an effort to respect the occasion and didnʼt go out.

Since the bowing ceremony would take place next door, they hadnʼt prepared a bridal palanquin with eight bearers. Zisu asked, ”Madam, how can a girl get married without a palanquin?” It would be too much for a girl to get married without one.

Yuxi replied with a smile, ”Itʼs Zijin herself who doesnʼt want it. This is her wedding. She said to keep it simple, so let it be simple. Letʼs just follow her wishes.” Having lived through two lives, Yuxi felt that the grandeur of the wedding was not significant. What mattered was whether the other person held you in their heart.

Zisu didnʼt quite agree with Yuxiʼs words, but since Yuxi was the mistress and she was the maid, she couldnʼt bring herself to contradict her.

Yuxi added, ”As long as you live comfortably, why worry about what others say?” If one cared too much about what others said, one would lead a very tiring life.

Zisu was taken aback for a moment and then fell into deep thought.

Outside, there was the sound of gongs and drums. Shiliu ran in and said with a smile, ”Madam, Guard Yu is here.” Yu Zhi was now a guard at the Yun residence, a sixth-rank official with a salary. This meant that Yu Zhi now received double the salary, one part from the military camp and one part from Yuxi.

Yuxi playfully challenged Yu Zhi, smiling and saying, ”Let him compose a poem urging the bride to come out, and if he canʼt do it, donʼt let him in.”

Yu Zhi was stunned when he heard Yuxiʼs request. He could still go into battle to kill the enemy, but if asked to compose a poem, he wouldnʼt be able to do it even if he was killed. Yu Zhi begged Han Jianye, ”Third Senior Brother, please intercede with Madam! I really donʼt know how to compose a poem!” He had only studied for two years and never returned to school after that. To him, composing a poem would be an impossible task, even if it cost him his life!

Han Jianye looked at his foolish junior and chuckled. ”You canʼt take back what you said once youʼve said them.” Spoken words were like water poured out; they could not be retrieved.

Yu Zhi sought help from the people around him, but they were all rough men, and very few were educated. It was fine for them to go into battle and kill enemies, but when it came to composing poems, it was better to forget about it because they didnʼt understand.

It had been almost half a shichen, but Yu Zhi still couldnʼt produce a poem. Desperate, he desperately pleaded with Mama Qu, who was guarding the door, ”Mama Qu, please be kind and let us go! If we delay any longer, we may miss the auspicious moment.”

No matter how Yu Zhi pleaded, the door remained firmly shut.

Xu Daniu, the most impatient, said, ”Why go to all this trouble? Why not just kick the door open...” As soon as he spoke these words, several guards standing beside him moved quickly aside.

Yuan Ying chuckled and urged, ”If you have the guts, go ahead and kick it now.” If you dare to kick the door, you wonʼt be able to handle the consequences when the General gets angry.

Xu Daniu shrank his neck and patted Yu Zhiʼs shoulder. ”Brother, there is nothing else I can do.”

Xu Wu looked at Yu Zhi, who was indeed pitiful, and immediately said, ”Yu Zhi, wait a moment. I will go and ask for Mr Chenʼs help.” Mr Chen was accompanying Yun Qing in the front yard!

Yu Zhi cupped his hands in salute and said, ”Brother Xu, please tell Mr Chen that whether or not Iʼm going to get married today depends entirely on him.”

Xu Wu laughed heartily. ”With these words of yours, Mr Chen will surely compose a poem urging the bride to come out that will satisfy Madam.”

Zijin, who was well aware of Yu Zhiʼs limitations, also joined in the plea: ”Madam, Yu Zhi only knows a few characters. How can he possibly compose a poem? It would be better not to have him write a poem. Let him show off his fist skills instead!”

Yuxi burst out laughing and patted Zijinʼs hand, saying, ”Yu Zhi is not a monkey, so why would I want him to do tricks? Donʼt worry. I just want him to know you have someone to back you up. After you get married, he wonʼt dare to bully you.” Yuxi only wanted to make things difficult for Yu Zhi and add some atmosphere.

Zijin replied, ”Madam, donʼt worry, he canʼt beat me.” Since receiving Master Yangʼs true teachings, Yu Zhi was no longer her opponent.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room burst into laughter. Yuxi also laughed aloud and comforted her, ”Donʼt worry, I wonʼt let you miss your wedding, and I wonʼt delay the auspicious time.”

When Zijin heard this, her face turned as red as a monkeyʼs behind.

In the front courtyard, Mr Chen knew that Yu Xi was making things difficult for Yu Zhi, but he did not refuse. He said, ”Let me think about it...” It wasnʼt easy to write a poem after so many years of not doing it. Thinking that Yu Zhi was waiting there, Mr Chen simply borrowed a poem to urge the bride to come out, which would suit the situation.

After Xu Wu left, Mr Chen looked at Yun Qing, who had a smile on his face, and asked, ”General, did you write a poem urging the bride to come out when you married your wife last year?”

Yun Qing shook his head. ”No.” Fortunately, he didnʼt. Otherwise, he would have been even more miserable than Yu Zhi. Yu Zhi had Mr Chen help him now, but he didnʼt have anyone to help him back then!

As soon as Yu Zhi got hold of the ʼThe Makeup Poemʼ, he immediately recited it out loud: ”One bed, two goods missing in the world, how can a good woman find a good husband? The rolled-up curtain of pearls, brightened by candlelight, let the Bodhisattva see through the hemp cloth.” When he had finished, Yu Zhi called out loudly, ”Mama Qu, can you open the door now?”

As soon as the door opened, the crowd surged into the bridal chamber like a tidal wave. Upon entering, Yu Zhi called out to Zijin, who was sitting on the bed, ”Wife, Iʼm here!”

”Haha...” The bridal chamber erupted in laughter. As for Zijin, as the bride, she was refrained from speaking. Otherwise, witnessing Yu Zhiʼs foolish behaviour would surely annoy her.

Yu Zhi performed a deep bow to Zijin, then took her hand and led her out. Once everyone had left, the room fell silent.

Yuxi did not feel much sadness, as Zijin would still be by her side after her marriage. However, as she looked at the empty room, Yuxi couldnʼt help but feel a sense of nostalgia as she thought about how quickly time had passed.

During Zijin and Yu Zhiʼs wedding ceremony, the person sitting in the honoured position on the high dais was naturally Master Yang. When the Master of Ceremonies called for the couple to bow to the high dais, Yu Zhi and Zijin kowtowed to Master Yang. Seeing this display of respect, even the usually composed Master Yang welled up with tears.

After the ceremony in the ancestral hall, Zijin was escorted to the bridal chamber. As the veil was lifted, Yu Zhi was stunned and blurted out, ”Zijin, you look so beautiful today!” Having known Zijin for many years, it was the first time he had discovered her breathtaking beauty. It was as if she had undergone a complete transformation, a truly delightful and unexpected surprise.

As soon as Yu Zhi uttered those words, the crowd erupted in laughter once again. This groom was indeed a lively and entertaining character!

Zijin lowered her head under Yu Zhiʼs burning gaze, her face as red as a ripe apple. Gone was her usual spirited and assertive demeanour. Were it not for the familiar faces surrounding them, Yu Zhi might have suspected that his bride had been switched.

After the ceremony, Xu Daniu dragged Yu Zhi out for a drink. Before leaving the room, Yu Zhi called out, ”Wife, donʼt worry; Iʼll be back soon.” This remark once again drew laughter from the crowd.

The people in the room also gradually left. Apart from the Xiniang, everyone else belonged to the household and had their own duties to take care of. Only Shiliu stayed behind to attend to Zijinʼs needs.

Getting married at the Yun residence, Zijin had none of the concerns that a bride would typically have, such as issues with her mother-in-law or sisters-in-law.

When everyone had gone, Zijin said to Shiliu, who was waiting beside her, ”Shiliu, Iʼm hungry. Can you ask someone to make me a bowl of lamb dumplings?”

Shiliu was a little hesitant. ”Zijin Jiejie, if I go out, there will be no one to serve you in the room.” Mama Qu had instructed her to serve Zijin closely today.

Zijin waved her hand and said, ”Thereʼs no need for you to stay here. I know my way around this place. Go quickly and bring me some dumplings. Iʼm really starving!” She had only eaten a bowl of noodles that morning and hadnʼt had anything else since. After a busy morning of wedding preparations, she was genuinely famished.

Shiliu thought for a moment but finally decided to follow Zijinʼs instructions and left the room.

On this day, not only was the Yun residence buzzing with activity, but the Children Charity Home and the Qingming Hall were also filled with joyous celebrations. For lunch, the school and the Charity Home prepared mutton noodles and white flour buns for the children. Zijin and Yu Zhi covered all the expenses.

Zijin had originally planned for the children to enjoy a meal of lamb dumplings. However, with over 1,600 people from both the school and the charity home, the task of preparing and serving dumplings proved too much. After discussing the matter with Yuxi, it was decided that the menu should be changed to mutton noodles.

On the girlsʼ side of the school, a young girl whom Zijin had taught exclaimed after eating and drinking her fill, ”How wonderful it would be if Zijin Jiejie got married every day!” Everyone now knew the reason for the extra meal today.

A child next to her immediately echoed in agreement, ”Yes! If Zijin Jiejie got married every day, we could eat steamed buns and mutton noodles every day!”

He Ying couldnʼt help but laugh and cry at the childrenʼs remark, but then she let out a soft sigh. Compared to last year, the number of children at Qingming Hall had almost doubled, and the food quality had also deteriorated. Last year, they had meat dishes every few days, but this year there were none. Today was the first time theyʼd had meat this year!

The next day, Zijin brought Yu Zhi to greet Yuxi. Seeing that Zijin was walking unnaturally, Yuxi wanted to laugh but held back for fear of embarrassing her.

After Zijin had finished paying her respects, Yuxi smiled and said, ”Didnʼt I tell you yesterday there was no need to come over today? You should have taken a good three days off and rest. Why donʼt you listen to me?” It was customary to take a few days off after the day of oneʼs wedding. Otherwise, it would be very inhumane.

Zijin shook her head. ”I owe everything I have today to the grace of my master. Today is a special day, and I cannot refrain myself from coming to greet Madam.”

Yuxi smiled. ”I appreciate your kind intentions. Now go and get something to eat, and then go back and get some rest.” Zijinʼs eyes were dark with fatigue, indicating that she hadnʼt slept much. Yu Zhi, on the other hand, looked energetic and lively.

After completing the greeting ceremony, Zijin and Yu Zhi walked out. As they left the courtyard, she scolded him in a low voice, ”This is all your fault! If it werenʼt for you, I wouldnʼt be in this situation!” She had previously believed Yu Zhi to be a gentle and honest man, but now she realised she had been mistaken. He was not a docile sheep at all but rather a wolf in sheepʼs clothing. Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets.

Yuzhi chuckled sheepishly and said, ”Itʼs all my fault, itʼs all my fault. Donʼt be angry anymore.” My wife is so delicious; if I could resist her, would I still be a man?

Following close behind them, Mama Qu coughed loudly. This young couple really didnʼt know how to behave! How could they say such things so casually?

Zijin glared fiercely at Yu Zhi and then returned to their new room. As for their breakfast, Mama Bai had Shiliu and Gancao bring it to them.