My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 39 Part 2

Ji Yangzong had seven siblings, and today, both paternal and maternal cousins had come. With four of them crowding into the room at once, the atmosphere turned bustling.  

"Tao ger, your wedding robes are stunning! The stitching is so fine, the patterns so unique. I’ve never even seen fabric like this before!"  

Li ger, from the eldest branch of the family, reached out to touch the bright red robes hanging on the rack, his voice full of awe and envy. "Were these custom-made or bought from a cloth shop?"  

"From Shili Cloth Shop. The fabric was newly stocked, only a few feet of this red material came in this time. I happened to get there just in time and bought all of it."  

Ji Taoyu raised his brows proudly. Of course the patterns and fabric were exceptional, they’d been specially given to him by Third Sister Wu. No amount of money could buy them otherwise.  

"If only I could have robes like these for my wedding," Li ger sighed wistfully.  

"Unfortunately, my stepmother already took my measurements two days ago, saying she’d make me a set herself. At the earliest, I won’t be marrying for another two years, but at least the size should still fit by then."  

Yuanhong, a cousin from Ji Taoyu’s fourth aunt’s family, chimed in: "I heard Tao ger’s groom gave a bride price of a full hundred and twenty taels! When my father heard about such an amount, his eyes nearly popped out. He already sets high demands for dowries, but now that Tao ger’s set the standard, he’ll have even more to say."  

She sighed. "At the rate my father’s going, who knows when I’ll ever get married."  

Ji Chun, from the second branch of the family, combed Ji Taoyu’s hair as she said, "I don’t need fancy wedding robes, and I’m not hung up on a big bride price. I just wish I could marry someone who’d let me stay at home like Tao ger. On a wedding day, it’s the men who celebrate, they get to bring someone into the family. But for the bride’s side, it’s a sorrowful affair, losing a daughter or ger, leaving parents with one less child."  

At this, the whole group nodded in shared understanding.  

"How did Sixth Uncle have such sharp eyes to find such a good son-in-law?"  

"Our Tao ger has been blessed since childhood. Whenever I visited, there was never a shortage of snacks, this good fortune is bound to last a lifetime!"  

Seeing his cousins’ envy, Ji Taoyu teased, "Not a word about how I was constantly drinking medicine as a child or forbidden from going out, huh?"  

"Want to trade places with this frail body of mine?"  

"Come on, let’s trade! Whoever backs out is a coward!"  

The room erupted in laughter until Ji Yangzong, rushing past outside, barked through the window: "Enough fooling around! It’s a wedding day! Grown-ups acting like this, outrageous!"  

Only then did the group stifle their giggles.  

Because it was a marriage where the groom moved into the bride’s family, but not entirely so—

the customary rites were somewhat difficult to follow, as they couldn’t proceed in the usual manner.  

Thus, when the time came, Huo Shu still arrived with gongs and drums, and the wedding ceremony was held at the Ji residence.  

By afternoon, relatives and friends from both families gradually arrived, and the spacious courtyard grew livelier.  

Heaven was merciful, it didn’t rain. Though the ground was muddy, the absence of rain made it feel a little warmer.  

When firecrackers burst and the gongs sounded, all the guests stood up from their seats to catch a glimpse of the groom.  

"This young man, even on his wedding day, still wears that stern face, huh."  

"Strict as he looks, there’s no denying his imposing presence, tall on his horse, a fine figure indeed."  

The villagers chattered while enjoying the spectacle and wedding candies.  

Amid the crackling bursts of firecrackers, the couple prepared to enter the main hall where they would soon perform their ceremonial bows - first to Yuan Huiru, then to Ji Yangzong and his wife as part of the wedding rites.

Ji Taoyu, covered by a red veil, was led out from the room. He could only see his own feet and nothing else around him.  

Though it was his own home, his cousin had told him that a brazier had been prepared outside, and he still had to step over it.  

Guided carefully into the courtyard, he walked cautiously, afraid of accidentally stepping into the brazier and becoming the laughingstock of the guests.  

When the clan elder serving as ceremony master announced the crossing of the brazier, he lifted the hem of his robe slightly, ready to step over—but suddenly, his feet left the ground, and the surroundings erupted in cheers.  

Ji Taoyu nestled in Huo Shu’s arms, his face beneath the red veil burning crimson.  

Just moments ago, he had complained that the veil blocked his view, preventing him from seeing Huo Shu on this special day. Now, he was grateful for it—otherwise, he might have died of embarrassment.  

Huo Shu paid no mind to the crowd’s teasing. His eyes were fixed on the ger wrapped tightly in wedding robes. Only after confirming under the veil that it was indeed the right person did he stride confidently into the hall.  

Better not have someone swapped in his place, one must always be cautious.  

Once inside, Huo Shu set the ger down. Worried his partner might stumble blindly, he wanted to hold his hand, but the ceremony master handed them a red silk ribbon instead, each had to hold one end.  

Bound by etiquette, he had no choice but to comply, though he shortened the distance between them.  

Perhaps due to sleeping late, rising early, and washing his hair at dawn, Ji Taoyu felt somewhat dizzy. He followed the ceremony master's commands—bowing to heaven and earth, then to the parents.  

By the time they bowed to each other as husband and wife, he had regained some clarity, glancing down to see Huo Shu’s large feet.  

After the ordeal, Ji Taoyu was sent back to the room.  

Earlier, his cousins had kept him company while he dressed up, but now that the ceremony was over, they had all gone out to chat and feast, leaving the room silent and empty except for him.  

Ji Taoyu sat obediently by the bed for a while, listening to the dishes being announced outside. His stomach growled, and he swallowed hard before lifting the veil himself.