Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 217 - 7: The Wedding (Part 2)

Also present were Yang Liu, Ning Cui, Bisi, and Ming Yu, who came with Susu, along with Yun Tong and Chun Feng.

After being sent into the bridal chamber, Susu had to wait for Hong Sheng to lift the veil. Fortunately, except for the Wedding Maid, everyone else was familiar, so Susu wasn’t nervous.

Amidst the teasing of his friends, Hong Sheng entered the bridal chamber and took the auspicious scale handed to him by the Wedding Maid. Carefully and with a hint of nervousness and excitement, he lifted the red veil, revealing Susu’s breathtakingly beautiful face beneath the phoenix crown, leaving him dizzy with astonishment.

The room suddenly fell silent. Except for Yang Liu and the others who were accustomed to Susu’s stunning looks and focused more on Hong Sheng’s flustered appearance, even the Wedding Maid froze, forgetting what to do next, not to mention the dazed Hong Sheng.

Susu gave Hong Sheng a gentle tug under the teasing eyes of Yang Liu and the others, bringing him back from his "lost soul, bewildered heart" state.

On the other side, Shuimo nudged the Wedding Maid, who swallowed hard: Goodness, this Grandma Hong might just be a fairy descending to the mortal world! Sharing the same thought was the village head’s wife from Hongshan Village. The sight of those packed dowry chests that couldn’t fit another hand had already dazzled her, and now seeing Susu’s celestial beauty finally convinced her: Hong Sheng was no longer the poor lad feeding on others’ charity! 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

At this moment, the village head’s wife needed to confirm this more than when the news of "Hong Sheng becoming a Fifth Rank Officer" spread through the village.

Rural women lacked knowledge; although Hong Sheng was previously a Fifth Rank Military Officer, a position higher than the County Magistrate, in her eyes, soldiers weren’t suitable matches, let alone soldiers from the harsh Northwest!

In ancient times, soldiers weren’t as popular as modern officers. Nowadays, when mentioning "military brothers," it’s all about good benefits, high salaries, and handsomeness, with girls vying to become military spouses!

In ancient times, if a soldier wasn’t previously engaged or married, nine out of ten would remain bachelors as they aged, with plenty being "old bachelors" in their thirties and forties.

Why was this?

Firstly, the casualty rate for ancient soldiers was unavoidably high. What girl, unless she’s ill, would want to worry about becoming a widow any day? If there are no children, it’s better, as Great Chu encourages widows to remarry to increase the population. But if there are children? It’s certainly a problem!

Secondly, the military pay wasn’t much. Due to the Saint Martial Emperor and the affluent state treasury, the military pay in Great Chu was considered high. A warrior received one tael a month, miscellaneous soldiers got six hundred coins, and ranks were paid accordingly. But this was merely comparable to a wealthy family’s maid’s monthly salary!

Admittedly, some soldiers made money quickly, like Hong Sheng, who accumulated tens of thousands of taels of silver after only two years of service, but he was an exception.

Ordinary soldiers received a share per person, earning a few hundred coins at best each time unless they secretly kept some. However, even then, it was just small gold and silver pieces; risking anything more meant a beating with military sticks, being bedridden for half a month at the least!

Moreover, always hanging their lives on a thread at their belts, if they happened to be ungainly looking, who would marry off their daughter to them!

So, the village head’s wife was only now convinced, "Hong Sheng’s family must have ancestors blessing them!" But those things aside.

The Wedding Maid came to her senses, invited Hong Sheng and Susu to sit side by side, and tied the corner of their wedding robes and clothes, symbolizing "eternal union of hearts," then accepted a bamboo basket handed over by Qi Qiao.

A red silk was tied to the bamboo basket, which contained shared coins and five-colored fruits, for the sprinkling ceremony.

The Wedding Maid sang the sprinkling song while throwing dates, peanuts, longans, chestnuts, and lotus seeds onto Hong Sheng and Susu and into the canopy.

The items, lightly painful as they landed on them, made Susu flinch involuntarily. Seeing this, Hong Sheng wanted to shield her but held back, knowing it was a blessing ritual.

The Wedding Maid sang the sprinkling song:

Scatter to the east, where curtains encircle candlelight’s red glow, prosperity and vitality linger long, in the Painted Hall, it’s spring breeze every day.

Scatter to the west, the brocade tassels hang from four corners, lifting the veil reveals Lady Chang’e’s face, surpassing the heavenly gentleman capturing paired branches.

Scatter to the south, find pleasure and joy in harmonious union, cool moonlight, good breeze refreshing courtyard and house, double garments, belts adorned for auspicious sons.

Scatter to the north, a delightful hue graces the brows, warm lotus bed extends a spring night, moon maiden painstakingly invites the Moon Palace guest.

Scatter above, paired mandarin ducks become twos, from now on sweet dreams preserve heroic descendants, soon to behold jade beads arriving in hand.

Scatter in the center, a pair of lotus blossoms under the moon, as though meeting a goddess tonight, playfully surrounded by clouds descended from the Wu Mountain.