Chapter 128: Getting Married! — Part 1
Her presence was remarkable, carrying an effortless poise that was neither overbearing nor faint—it was just right.
“Auntie Lin, is dinner ready?” Grandma Gu called out toward the kitchen.
Auntie Lin leaned out immediately, a warm smile on her face. “Yes, Madam, everything is ready.”
Hearing this, Grandma Gu stood up and graciously invited everyone to the table. “My dear in-laws, please take your seats.”
Old Master Gu was still chatting happily with Grandpa Sheng. When the call for dinner came, he didn’t move a muscle, completely engrossed in their conversation. “I truly didn’t realize you endured such hardships during the war. Now, the country is growing stronger by the day.”
Old Master Gu felt a wave of nostalgia. He genuinely missed those historic, hard-fought days.
“Yes, the nation is developing rapidly,” Grandpa Sheng agreed warmly. “Our people will undoubtedly lead much better lives in the future.”
“Come and eat now,” Grandma Gu called out again. Only then did the two grandfathers break off their conversation, moving over to the dining table to sit down.
The Gu family had prepared a truly sumptuous feast. Grandma Gu had risen at dawn just to personally verify the menu. The spread featured rich braised pork, braised fish, spicy wild rabbit, stir-fried chicken, savory tomato and eggs, chilled cucumbers, pristine white rice, and a delicate cabbage and tofu soup. Six dishes and one soup, packed with premium meats, made it explicitly clear just how much importance the Gu family attached to their new in-laws.
Old Master Gu unsealed a prized bottle from his private collection, happily pouring a glass to drink with Grandpa Sheng.
“Grandpa, Grandma, please don’t stand on ceremony,” Mother Gu smiled warmly, ladling a generous bowl of soup for everyone before placing a large chicken leg directly into Wanyan’s bowl. “In-laws, eat more. Just treat this exactly like your own home.”
“Thank you, Auntie,” Wanyan murmured.
“Eat up, dear, there’s no need to be polite with me.” Mother Gu beamed, continuing to pile her dish with choice cuts. The soft, gentle voice of her future third daughter-in-law practically melted her heart.
Gu Tingxiao quietly selected the tenderest rabbit legs and premium pieces of meat for her, well aware that the little girl loved this dish. Seeing him attempt to place a large rabbit leg in her bowl right in front of everyone, Wanyan discreetly tugged at the corner of his sleeve. With all the elders gathered at the table, how could he blatantly give all the best food to her?
Sensing her subtle reprimand, Gu Tingxiao tactfully shifted gears, utilizing his chopsticks to serve a few thick pieces of fatty braised pork to the four elders before finally settling down.
The two families concluded the meal amidst a flurry of warm toasts and blessings. By the end of the evening, the two grandfathers and the two fathers had consumed an immense amount of liquor. When it came time to depart, Grandpa Sheng and Father Sheng were thoroughly dizzy, and the two old veterans held hands at the gate, deeply reluctant to part ways.
Grandma Gu pulled Grandma Sheng aside for a quiet chat, and the two matriarchs happily set a date to go shopping together in a few days.
“Wonderful, then it’s a settled plan. We’ll go for a long stroll together,” Grandma Sheng agreed cheerfully.
Since Grandpa Sheng and Father Sheng were stumbling a bit from the wine, Gu Tingxiao and the personal guards carefully escorted the Sheng family back to their courtyard alley.
The long-awaited day finally arrived: June 16th.
Today was her formal wedding day with Gu Tingxiao. At five o’clock in the morning, Wanyan was gently shaken awake by her mother.
The moment she sat up, Grandma Sheng stepped forward with a traditional wooden comb. Although traditional rituals were heavily discouraged as feudal superstitions during this strict era, the family was determined to privately honor the beautiful custom for their only daughter.
“One stroke of the comb, may your life be happy and entirely carefree,” Grandma Sheng murmured, her voice thick with emotion as she drew the comb from crown to tip.
“Two strokes of the comb, may you remain vibrant, healthy, and blessed with long life.
“Three strokes of the comb, may you and your husband grow old together in perfect harmony.”
Grandma Sheng eloquently whispered the ancient blessings, meticulously combing the girl’s hair from head to foot. Wanyan’s dark tresses were exceptionally smooth and straight, allowing the wooden comb to glide flawlessly from top to bottom without catching once.
Meanwhile, over at the military compound, Gu Tingxiao had already mobilized his party to retrieve his bride. He had gathered a group of his closest childhood friends—brothers who had grown up alongside him in the compound—as well as his own siblings. Arrayed in a mighty convoy of six green military vehicles, the boisterous party tore down the lanes to claim the bride.
Wanyan changed into a stunning red dress. Grandma Sheng had painstakingly altered the fabric herself, hand-embroidering a magnificent pattern of blooming peony flowers along the flowing hem. The purely handcrafted embroidery lent a striking, unique elegance to the vivid crimson skirt. Wanyan styled her hair into a classic half-up princess braid, which complemented the silhouette of her dress flawlessly.
Mother Sheng brought her a hot bowl of traditional longevity noodles topped with a perfectly poached egg. The moment Wanyan finished the meal, the tense wait for Gu Tingxiao’s arrival officially began.
The Gu family had hired an auspicious, professional matchmaker early that morning to ensure every traditional protocol was presided over with absolute decorum. When the six military vehicles roared to a halt outside the small courtyard alley, the matchmaker immediately raised her voice, shouting toward the house:
“The groom has arrived!”
Sheng Wanze and Pan Yue exchanged a quick, knowing glance. Pan Yue immediately turned and sprinted back into the bedroom to firmly block the inner door, while Wanze, clad in his crisp military uniform, planted his boots firmly at the front yard gate.
Surveying the six military vehicles and spotting Gu Tingxiao flanked by his five groomsmen, Wanze let out a quiet snort. Trying to outnumber me to steal my sister away? he thought dryly. Gu Tingxiao always loved deploying calculated maneuvers when people least expected it. That tactical mind of his never rested.
Gu Tingxiao stood tall in his immaculate dress uniform and polished boots, a massive, festive red silk flower pinned proudly across his chest.
Curious neighbors swarmed out of their units to witness the grand spectacle. Sensing the crowd, Gu Tingxiao’s groomsmen tactfully produced bulk bags of premium sweets, eagerly distributing them to the onlookers.
“Come, have some wedding candy! Let’s celebrate together!”
Children from all over the neighborhood came sprinting over, their hands outstretched. Each child walked away with five or six pieces of candy—a staggering bounty in an era where securing a single sweet a month was considered a luxury.
“Wow! I got five pieces!”
“I got six!”
“Grandma, look at all the candy I have!”
The children immediately began boasting to their playmates, eagerly counting their treasures to see who had secured the largest haul.
“Brother-in-law, we’re here to take the bride home!” Gu Tinghao, Tingxiao’s younger brother, shouted boisterously toward the gate.
Sheng Wanze merely offered a calm smile, remaining planted like an iron pillar without uttering a word. Seeing that the brother-in-law refused to cede an inch of ground, the groomsmen quickly pulled out thick red envelopes stuffed with cash, shoving them into his hands. Wanze accepted the bribes smoothly, pocketing the envelopes without a trace of shame, yet his boots remained firmly locked in place.
Gu Tingxiao stepped forward, his dark eyes locking onto Wanze with absolute gravity. “I will honor every single promise I made to you regarding her,” he said, his voice ringing with absolute certainty.
Sheng Wanze studied his superior officer’s face in silence for a long, heavy moment before finally speaking. “If a day ever comes where you fail her, I will do whatever it takes to bring my sister back home.”
“Agreed.”
Satisfied, Sheng Wanze finally stepped aside, allowing Gu Tingxiao and his boisterous vanguard to stream into the courtyard. The matchmaker began loudly reciting the extensive list of prestigious betrothal gifts provided by the Gu family, leaving the eavesdropping neighbors thoroughly shell-shocked by the sheer wealth of the presentation.
Once inside the house, the party encountered their next major obstacle: Pan Yue guarding the bridal suite. However, Pan Yue was merely executing the ritual for playful show. After being promptly handed a generous handful of red envelopes, she laughed and swiftly unlatched the door.
Inside the room, Wanyan felt her pulse racing faster and faster as the chaotic footsteps drew near. Gu Tingxiao halted right before the threshold, taking a sharp, deep breath to steady his racing heart before pushing the door open.
The moment he stepped inside, his eyes locked onto Wanyan sitting gracefully at the edge of the bed.
She had always been the most dazzling, beautiful presence in his world, and he had imagined hundreds of times exactly what she would look like draped in bridal crimson. But the second he looked at her, every single one of his past imaginations collapsed. She was infinitely more beautiful than his mind had ever managed to construct, dozens of times more breathtaking than any dream he had chased.
The groomsmen crowding behind him collectively sucked in their breath, a stunned silence falling over the room. In that singular moment, they finally understood why the legendary, stoic Gu Tingxiao had thrown absolute caution to the wind to secure a civilian girl from the south.
With a face like that, nothing else mattered. They had never encountered a young woman this utterly captivating and charming in all of the Capital. More than that, her quiet, regal composure vastly outshone the carefully manufactured poise of any heiress in their elite social circles.
