TIPS – Chapter 9

And just like that, the groom carried his bride away.

The matchmaker followed behind, loudly protesting, insisting that they were breaking tradition and that this was completely improper.

Shen Junxi quickened his pace, intentionally ignoring the matchmaker’s relentless nagging.

“Oh my! Look, the young master of the Song family is coming out!”

The gathered crowd at the entrance erupted in excitement.

Song Jingwei had always enjoyed traveling alone, making him a familiar face in Lihua Town. Many of the young men and women in town knew of him, and now that he was getting married, who knew how many hearts were secretly breaking?

“So this is Xi’er’s spouse?” The villagers from Chashan Village were in shock.

The legendary young master of the Song family was nothing like they had imagined. Not only was he from a wealthy family, but he was also far from ugly…

Some villagers swallowed hard. Not just ‘not ugly’—he was breathtakingly handsome!

Jealous murmurs spread through the crowd.

“Tsk, tsk, Xi’er really hit the jackpot, marrying someone this good-looking.”

Shen Junxi, however, had no time to pay attention to the noisy crowd. He cared even less about the admiration or jealousy directed his way. He carried his newlywed husband straight to the wedding sedan. But just as he was about to place him inside, the matchmaker interjected again.

“No, no! His feet can’t touch the ground!”

She finally squeezed her plump body through the crowd, waving her hands urgently. “Quick, help the groom into the sedan! Hurry up, don’t let his feet touch the ground!”

Shen Junxi adjusted his position, turned his back to the sedan, and carefully lowered Song Jingwei inside.

“Alright! Time to move!” The matchmaker dropped the sedan curtain and hurriedly urged the groom to mount his horse.

With that, the Shen family’s grand wedding procession set off. The musicians began to play, drums and horns filling the air as they made their way back to the village.

At the very front, Shen Junxi rode on horseback, followed by the sedan carrying Song Jingwei. Behind them was a long line of dowry items—so long that it stunned the residents of Lihua Town.

Even the villagers from Chashan Village were utterly shocked. This level of wealth was simply unimaginable.

The musicians were so overwhelmed that some nearly forgot to breathe, and the gong players almost dropped their drumsticks. The young, unmarried men in the procession were particularly shaken. Could they also marry someone this rich and good-looking?

As for the Song family’s escort team, it was made up entirely of servants and stewards. Song Man and Song Jinmei were absent.

Song Man, valuing his reputation, wanted to maintain a dignified image. However, he didn’t think a rural village was worth his presence. Moreover, He San had advised him not to be too accommodating. Everything had gone too smoothly so far, and if the head of the Song family showed no resistance at all, it might seem suspicious.

Thus, He San personally led the escort team instead. As the Song family’s steward, he selected the strongest young men from the household staff to carry thirty-eight chests of dowry. With an air of pride and grandeur, they marched toward the Shen family home.

Despite the absence of any close relatives, the people of Chashan Village did not dare look down on Song Jingwei. If anything, they felt this was only natural—the difference in status between the Shen and Song families was simply too vast.

The wedding procession was so long that it temporarily blocked traffic, drawing an even bigger crowd.

To keep the atmosphere lively, He San had his men toss copper coins along the way, sending the gathered onlookers into a frenzy. Men, women, and children eagerly followed the procession, hoping to snatch a few coins.

Even after leaving the town gates, a number of townspeople continued to trail behind, declaring that they wanted to attend the wedding banquet.

As lively as it was, the villagers of Chashan couldn’t help but feel a little worried. With so many guests, would the Shen family be able to host everyone?

Looking back at the bustling crowd, Shen Junxi, seated atop his horse, secretly felt relieved.

He had anticipated this issue long before today. That’s why he had discussed it thoroughly with his parents, trying to determine just how many banquet tables would be needed. They had concluded that there would be a massive turnout—partly due to the prestige of the Song family and partly because the villagers loved taking advantage of free food.

Now that the Shen family was clearly rising in status, could the villagers really treat them the same as before?

Even if they said they could, the Shen family wouldn’t believe it. They had experienced too many ups and downs to be so naive.

After another half-hour of travel, the villagers who had gone ahead to help were already gathered at the Shen household. Meanwhile, those coming just to attend the feast were arriving in groups, sitting around the courtyard and eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of the new bride.

Shen Dongming, along with several strong young men from the village, had borrowed as many tables and chairs as possible. They had arranged them from the courtyard all the way outside, setting up a total of thirty banquet tables.

Chen Xianggui, who had come early to help, raised a skeptical brow.

“Do we really need this many tables?” he asked, suspicious.

Had Shen Dongming invited the entire village? That didn’t seem likely. The Shen family wasn’t particularly close with most of the villagers, apart from a few families who frequently visited.

And yet, here they were, preparing for a feast of unprecedented scale.

“How could that be? If we were to invite the entire village, we’d need at least fifty tables,” Shen Dongming chuckled. He had originally estimated only ten tables, but who knew how many more would be needed once the Song family’s guests arrived?

“Dongming, we’ve already finished cooking the first three dishes, but there’s no place to put them,” a helper from the kitchen called out.

“Just set them aside for now. The wedding party hasn’t returned yet, so there’s no rush!” Shen Dongming replied. His son and new daughter-in-law still had to complete the wedding ceremony before the feast could begin.

As they spoke, the sound of horns and drums rang out, and the crowd rushed outside to witness the excitement.

“Hey! The bride is here!” the children running around excitedly shouted.

“That’s not a bride! My uncle says he’s a man!” a mischievous child called out loudly from the crowd.

Laughter erupted as people playfully scolded the child for being too blunt, but all eyes remained fixed on the approaching procession.

As the wedding party came into view, the villagers’ initial amusement faded into a mix of astonishment and envy. The sheer amount of dowry accompanying the new spouse was staggering—so much that it made people jealous.

A total of thirty-eight lavish dowry chests passed before their eyes, crowding the entrance of the Shen family’s main house. There was simply no space to store them all.

Shen Dongming and his wife had never expected their daughter-in-law to bring such an extravagant dowry. Like everyone else, they were dumbfounded. Where on earth were they supposed to put all this?

“Master Shen, Madam Shen, this is our young master’s dowry. How would you like it arranged?” He San, the Song family steward, inquired. He glanced at the Shen family’s four mud-brick houses and seemed to realize that there was hardly enough space for everything.

Shen Dongming wiped the sweat from his forehead and stammered, “This much… How can we fit it all?” He could see that there were still over thirty more chests waiting to be unloaded. Dear heavens…

He San sighed in sympathy. “That is indeed a problem. These are all valuable belongings prepared by the master for our young master’s future. They cannot simply be left anywhere.”

The Shen couple exchanged helpless glances, unable to come up with a solution. But just then, the wedding sedan arrived, and their son was waiting to perform the ceremony.

“How about we sort it out after the wedding rites?” they suggested.

He San nodded. “That works. The ceremony must take priority—we can’t afford to miss the auspicious hour.”

Before the bride could step out of the sedan, firecrackers were set off outside. The matchmaker stood to the side, showering the air with auspicious blessings.

Shen Junxi lifted the sedan’s curtain and gently helped his new wife out.

Song Jingwei placed his hand into Shen Junxi’s, stepping out of the cramped sedan. The May sunlight bathed his face, casting a soft golden glow upon him.

There were three things that stood out about him—his stunning face, the gemstone-encrusted golden hairpin, and his luxurious wedding robes embroidered with gold thread.

The villagers of Chashan Village instinctively held their breath. The entire crowd fell into an unnatural silence, too overwhelmed to even whisper.

At that moment, many people had the same thought: So this is the legendary Young Master Song…

And after that, there were no more words. All the rumors and speculations that had once circulated about him seemed to vanish into thin air.

Shen Junxi held Song Jingwei’s hand firmly and carefully led him toward the entrance of the Shen family home.

Yang Shi had already placed a brazier at the door. Shen Junxi guided Song Jingwei over it, lifting the hem of his wedding robe as he stepped across. They then passed through the courtyard, which was packed with tables and chairs, and entered the main hall for the wedding ceremony.

Song Jingwei took a brief look around. The place was simple but neat and clean. A large red double happiness character was pasted on the wall, and the table was adorned with festive decorations. Shen Dongming and Yang Shi sat on either side of the table, looking stiff and proper.

The moment their new daughter-in-law’s gaze swept over them, the Shen couple instinctively straightened their backs, maintaining a rigid posture. They dared not let a single emotion slip onto their faces.

The matchmaker held a red silk ribbon, handing one end to Shen Junxi and the other to Song Jingwei. She continued to recite auspicious words before finally announcing, “It is time for the newlyweds to bow. Esteemed uncles, elders, brothers, sisters, and dear villagers, please witness this momentous occasion.”

Many distant acquaintances had come to watch, but interestingly, none of the Shen family’s close relatives were present. Yang Shi’s family hadn’t come either.

But this was the Shen family’s private matter, and it was their wedding day. The villagers refrained from making any comments and simply observed in silence.

Following the matchmaker’s lead, Shen Junxi and Song Jingwei grasped the red silk ribbon and solemnly performed the traditional wedding bows—to the heavens and earth, to their parents, and finally, to each other.

Unlike the spectators, who were filled with a mix of emotions, the two grooms remained exceptionally calm—even more composed than the parents receiving their bows.

Regardless of what others thought, the wedding was now complete.

“Escort the couple to the bridal chamber!”