My Dear Wife, Please Be Gentle!

Chapter 383: Chapter 386: Laughing too lewdly_1

Halfway through the journey, Joy Grandma suddenly shouted, "Shake the sedan chair three times!"

Qiao Duo’er hadn’t reacted when the sedan chair started shaking violently, toppling her over. She steadied herself by reaching out for the window.

Being in a sedan chair was already bumpy enough, but to shake it three times on purpose—that was just plain torture, wasn’t it? Yet this torment had a pleasant-sounding name: a tradition meant to bring good fortune and ward off evil.

Now she was just relieved she had eaten little at noon, or else she might have vomited from all the shaking.

Afterward, the sedan chair shook another two times, but Qiao Duo’er was prepared this time and didn’t end up in such a disheveled state as before.

When they reached the new house and the sedan chair finally came to a stop, Qiao Duo’er let out a long sigh of relief.

Joy Grandma helped Qiao Duo’er out of the sedan chair and stuffed one end of a red cloth into her hand.

The remainder of the journey was to be led by the groom, her role was simply to remind the bride of the steps.

Before entering the door, they stepped over a fire basin; after entering, they stepped over a saddle, and then they arrived at the main hall where the smoke from the incense twirled and the red candles burned tall—the place for the wedding ceremony.

On either side of the incense table sat two elders, known as Elders Quan Fu from the village.

Both were well into their seventies with many children and grandchildren.

If the groom had lost his parents or had severed ties, the Elders Quan Fu would sit in the place of honor.

If this was the case, the bride need not perform the traditional kowtow, a bow would suffice.

The master of ceremonies guided the couple to stand in the right place, then loudly announced the start of the wedding ceremony.

What followed was similar to what’s seen in TV dramas: first to pay homage to heaven and earth, then to the elders, followed by the couple bowing to each other, and finally leading them into the bridal chamber.

Once they entered the bridal chamber, Joy Grandma passed the balance pole adorned with Red Flower to Tan Zhenghong.

Tan Zhenghong carefully lifted the red veil, and upon seeing his bride, he smiled broadly.

Joy Grandma had Tan Zhenghong sit next to Qiao Duo’er. They each cut a lock of hair, tied it into a lover’s knot, and placed it on the incense table in the bridal chamber.

Next came the scattering of the bed, with Joy Grandma uttering blessings while tossing auspicious items like grains, red dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds onto the bed.

These items weren’t meant to hit anything, but sometimes they could hurt if they hit someone.

Tan Zhenghong then shielded most of Qiao Duo’er’s body behind his, a gesture that even softened Joy Grandma’s heart.

So, she aimed all the items at Tan Zhenghong instead.

After drinking the nuptial cup of wine, the ceremony was deemed complete.

By this time, dinner had already started outside.

Sun Erhu and Uncle Huang were busy tending to the guests, and only after Tan Zhenghong left the bridal chamber could they catch a break.

"Brother Hong, everyone’s waiting for you to give a toast. I’ll be right behind you the whole time. Once you’ve finished your cup, let me pour for you. I’ll make sure you’re lively and vigorous all night," Sun Erhu whispered. He had diluted the wine with water, so there was no way Tan Zhenghong would get drunk.

Unable to contain his amusement, Tan Zhenghong said, "You have such a lecherous smile."

"Hey, I’m doing this for your sake. You two are so shy I’m starting to doubt whether you’ve managed to consummate the marriage," said Sun Erhu in a wronged tone, though some people took his goodwill for granted.

To cover his embarrassment, Tan Zhenghong hurried off to give a toast.

*Cough cough*, could it be that Erhu has seen through his frustration? Could his unsatisfied desires be that evident on his face?

The yard was bustling with noise, but Sun Erhu didn’t notice Tan Zhenghong’s embarrassed face, or else he could have been certain his conjecture was absolutely correct.

Tan Zhenghong quickly went through two rounds of toasting and then couldn’t wait to get back to the bridal chamber, where he concocted a plan to pretend to be drunk.

Inebriating the groom was a sure way to calm down those who wanted to tease him in the bridal chamber.

Sun Erhu and Dàlín carried Tan Zhenghong to the bed and then quickly left.