The Young Lady of the General’s House

Chu Xiuming had prepared everything before he let Shen Jin know, even the closest auspicious day had been picked as well. There wouldn’t be princess-level regalia as when Shen Jin arrived, but everyone in the border town was invited to the banquet.

The General’s mansion had never been this busy, very very long ‘flowing banquet’ was set outside, that day none of the restaurants in town was open because all the cooks had volunteered to help at General’s mansion.

T/N – Flowing banquet 流水席 = the kind of banquet tables full of food have been prepared in advance, any guests coming can eat right away then move on so the next guests can take the place (as opposed to regular banquets where all guests come at once at a scheduled time and everyone eats together at the same time).

Every family prepared wedding gifts for the General and his lady, even the poor ones gave although it was just something like home-made malt candies.

Everyone at the Mansion wore new clothes, faces full of heartfelt joy. Their voices hoarse from working so hard and ran like wind but the smiles on the face could not be hidden.

Shen Jin was getting married from the Mansion, her palanquin would go make a round in town. She had worn the Moonlight brocade wedding dress, her hair pulled up in a bun with the magnificent headdress on top.

Today Chu Xiuyuan was also in a brocade robe just not a true-red one, he was standing at the entrance yelling, “Saozi, are you ready?”

T/N – Saozi 嫂子 = Sister-in-Law

Shen Jin turned to get a last look at the copper mirror, she lightly touched her face. Zhao-momo gave her a face trim that hurt more than when she had it at the Capital. She could only see a blurry image on the copper mirror, but her face must be red and swollen now.

T/N – Face trim 开脸 = the old tradition of removing facial hair and trimming the hairline of a bride-to-be’s.

On top of the tray that An Ping was holding there was a red headcover embroidered with ‘twin lotus flowers on a stalk’ pattern, four edges of the headcover were adorned with red gems.

Shen Jin fixed her eyes at Zhao-momo who was looking back with confusion. Shen Jin said, “Mother said when getting married better bring something to eat in the palanquin otherwise you can’t stand it.”

Zhao-momo was quite speechless. Shen Jin suspiciously asked, “Momo did you forget?”

Zhao-momo had actually prepared, she thought to secretly pass it to Shen Jin after she wore the headcover. She didn’t expect Shen Jin would asked openly now, so she could only directly giving it to her. Shen Jin hid it in her large sleeve and smiled, “I’ll be back soon.”

This sentence was correct, but still a bit awkward. Zhao-momo let it pass in order not to miss the lucky hour, “I will ask the kitchen to prepare osmanthus silver fungus and lily porridge for Madam.”

Only then that Shen Jin reservedly nodded. She gestured her readiness, Zhao-momo took the headcover with both hands and covered it on Shen Jin’s head. She tidied it up a bit and said, “Young General, can come in now.”

A bride’s feet couldn’t touch the ground otherwise it was unlucky, so she had been sitting on the bed after changing into the new shoes. Shen Jin’s brothers should carry her out, or if there was no brother then some pozi could do it.

T/N – Pozi 婆子 = middle-aged or older woman servant, or wife, or old biddy.

In the Capital that time, Shen Jin was carried into palanquin by her di brother Shen Xuan (Rui Wangfei’s son), then from palanquin to horse carriage was by a pozi.

This time Chu Xiuyuan had volunteered and Chu Xiuming didn’t object. Shen Jin didn’t mind either, they had not followed the rules on many parts already, so a few more didn’t matter.

Shen Jin was on Chu Xiuyuan’s back, he was young but very strong, he walked steadily with Shen Jin on his back. He said, “Saozi, Dage will definitely treat you well.”

T/N – Dage = Big Brother / Eldest Brother.

“En” Shen Jin responded, she said in low voice, “‘A sister-in-law is like a mother’, so I will take good care of you too.”

Chu Xiuyuan laughed but said nothing.

Chu Xiuming had been waiting at the courtyard entrance with his men, he looked even more handsome and elegant in a red wedding robe. On this big day, even the cold loneliness on his eyes had disappeared. Chu Xiuyuan and Chu Xiuming faced each others and smiled, Shen Jin was then placed into the palanquin.

The wedding matron on their side was shouting all sort of auspicious words. Chu Xiuming patted Chu Xiuyuan’s shoulder and led everyone out of the door, the palanquin followed behind.

Chu Xiuming had a new group of white horses today, after Shen Jin entered the palanquin, he turned and mounted his horse.

Sitting in a palanquin wasn’t actually very comfortable. Shen Jin listened to the tune of music outside, her red face was still blushing, her eyes were sparkling. Partly of joy, of shyness, and a young girl’s feeling which was hard to describe.

All along the way people threw happy money and happy candies, and children cheered in joy. It was like new year all over the town, everyone spontaneously hang red ribbons or lanterns around their houses, the atmosphere was full of joy.

Border town people were sincerely welcoming Shen Jin. They had gone through life and death situations together with her, and at the moment of despair she had given the last chance of survival to their children.

Sitting in the palanquin Shen Jin could only heard but couldn’t see outside. At the beginning she was excited but after some time she became a bit bored.

She took out the snack packets Zhao-momo prepared from her sleeve, the snack wrapped in oil-paper were in small pieces about fingernail size in order to not ruin the make up when eating.

Shen Jin put a piece into her mouth, but due to the size it instantly melted in the mouth before she could taste the flavour, so she put a few more in before slowly chewing. Eating this way turned out to be quite satisfying, as she became bolder, more and more were stuffed in the mouth, her bulging cheeks moved as she chewed.

Chu Xiuming saw people on the street constantly calling out for the General’s Madam. Hearing their various words of blessings, his heart moved, he suddenly lifted his hand.

After swallowing the ones in the mouth, Shen Jin excitedly opened the next packet, her eyes narrowed as she tasted. The previous one was peppermint mung bean, and this one was…… her favourite sweet and sour hundred-fruits cake. This was her luckiest day, she greedily stuffed three pieces into her mouth and continued to open the next packet.

Eh, why is it suddenly quiet outside? But the next packet was yam cake, she pinched a piece into her mouth, already forgotten about the quietness outside.

Chu Xiuming felt today was his and Shen Jin’s big day together, so all the glory and honour had to be shared together. He wanted her to also enjoy town people’s heartfelt love and welcome.

Getting off his horse, he walked step by step to the palanquin behind him under the puzzled eyes of the crowd.

In the palanquin, Shen Jin was mixing hundred-fruits cake and yam cakes. Two pieces of hundred-fruits with two pieces of yam cake was good, the combined taste was as nice as expected. After getting back she would tell the cooks to ……

Chu Xiuming pulled open the palanquin door and lifted the curtain. He saw pieces of cakes neatly arranged on the lap, and a pair of small hands being busy.

Her view obstructed by the headcover, Shen Jin didn’t notice him. She was opening the next packet to check the flavour, when a pair of boots and hems of a robe appeared at the ends of the headcover. The hems were red and the material looked similar to her wedding dress…..

Chu Xiuming wasn’t sure if he should cry or laugh.

The crowd outside didn’t know what happened in the palanquin, they exclaimed in surprise as Chu Xiuming opened the palanquin, closely followed with bursts of shoutings and unison blessings.

Chu Xiuming laughed lightly, outside was very noisy, but his laugh reached Shen Jin’s ears very clearly. Like a feather gently tickling, her heart was all tugged not painful and not upset, it was an unspeakable itchy feeling.

“The bride is too anxious.” Chu Xiuming laughingly said.

He bent into the palanquin and picked Shen Jin out. She exclaimed in surprised, the cakes on her lap fell on the palanquin’s floor, some pieces rolled outside. Shen Jin’s one hand securing her headcover, the other hand nervously grabbing things.

Chu Xiuming princess-carried Shen Jin out of the palanquin, the pearls on the embroidered red shoes swayed, looking extraordinarily lovable.

In this border town where women went to battlegrounds, the custom was less restrained than the Capital. Chu Xiuming’s action was met with jubilant cheers from the crowd,

“May the General and Madam’s hearts always united, have a son soon, grow old together never apart!”

Not sure who started, but by the time Shen Jin recovered her reaction, everyone was shouting together in unison, as if someone had directed them.

Shen Jin clutched the things in her hand and tried hard to swallow, but the more anxious she was the harder to get the snack down.

The most devastating thing was Chu Xiuming leaning over and softly whispered on her ears, “Madam, did you hear the voices?”

“No matter where we will be in the future, border town is forever our home.”

Chu Xiuming put Shen Jin on the back of the horse, he himself turned and sat behind her, arms wrapped around Shen Jin’s waist.

“Here you can be carefree without restrictions. We will live and die together, we will go through up and down together. No matter what, I will be your shield. No matter when, we will face everything together. Alright?”

Shen Jin nodded. It is all very good, but if only you would let me swallow first before you said all these, I will definitely melt nicely in your embrace and tell you ‘I do, too’.

“Then I’ll lift your headcover first.” The hand that was around Shen Jin’s waist grabbed hers, the other one took the end of the headcover,

“Let’s see together what they had done for us okay?”

Wait, wait, this is not good at all, let go of my headcover, wait for me to swallow first, we can still be a good couple I won’t make you stew anymore……

One hand that was holding stuff subconsciously clenched not letting go, the other hand was in Chu Xiuming’s palm. Her stuffed mouth couldn’t speak, her body held tightly couldn’t move, Shen Jin could only stared widely as her headcover was lifted.

She was sitting sideways, her left cheek bulging, her round eyes were glaring at Chu Xiuming full of accusation.

Just now Chu Xiuming spoke in order to give her time to clear her mouth, who knew despite him being great at ‘divine strategy and magical planning’ he still couldn’t predict the greedy Shen Jin was holding too many cakes in her mouth to swallow quickly.

Chu Xiuming let out a light helpless laugh, he lowered his head and kissed Shen Jin’s mouth, picked her lips apart and used his tongue to fish out the uneaten cakes in her mouth into his own.

When Chu Xiuming released her, Shen Jin’s eyes were moist as if dripping water, her face and neck all red, the whole person buried in Chu Xiuming’s arms.

Chu Xiuming swallowed the cakes in his mouth, his chin pressed on top of Shen Jin’s head and whispered, “So sweet.”

Not sure if the cakes were sweet, or Shen Jin was sweet.

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