Chapter 14
Wedding Reception (Part 2)
Finished doing the wedding ceremony in the main hall, next would be sending (the couple) out to the bridal room. But many of these guests were from Jiang Hu’s people, everyone would not bother with the wedding customs, they also did not know that type of matter, they raised their heads to look at the bride’s appearance, everyone was responding (in agreement) one after another, and the atmosphere was actually lively.
A middle age person with a mustache seemed to be very familiar with Yi Yun Shu, patting his shoulder, he heckled and said with a loud voice: “Yes ah! I hear that Jiang Nan’s Yu family, in addition to having a top quality sword craftsmanships, the three young ladies are also the outstanding beauties (literal words are national grace, divine fragrance). I do not know if the Yi’s household will be willing to let everyone to take a look at the beautiful face!”
Yi Yun Shu was staring one glance at the middle age man, looking at the excitement from the whole guests, he did not know whether he should agree or not agree, he could not disagree either.
At this time, a laughter that sounded like a silver sweet-sounding’s bell, transmitted out of the bridal veil: “Ladies and gentlemen, your praise is absurd, what pretty and delicate appearances, do not be absurd as saying that Yu Qian is an outstanding beauty.” Her speaking voice had not left yet, her delicate hand already lifted the covering veil up. A beautiful white (from powder) jade carving face was in the presence of everyone. The woman’s skin looked creamy, sweet and charming, with her easy-mannered that was appropriate for the occasion, especially that pair of large and round eyes that showed her own confidence. Murong Shu Qing sighed secretly in her heart, how courageous and straightforward nature of a woman.
After everyone saw clearly the woman’s appearance, they also started praising eagerly, there was another burst of conventional greetings again. Since the covering veil was already been taken off, they did not need to send her off to the bridal room urgently. Among the talk and laughs, some of the guests were presenting their congratulatory gifts, following the other people, everyone presented their gifts one after another. For a moment, the inside of the hall was filled with many treasures, exceptionally magnificent.
Xuanyuan Yi presented a long sword, Pei Che presented a guqin (a long zither with 5 or 7 strings) afterwards, the only one left was Murong Shu Qing.
Since she could not avoid the customs, Murong Shu Qing forced Lu Yi to hand over the small brocade box as a present, then she smilingly said: “One small gadget, for the Madam to play with.”
Everyone was curious, what could be inside this very small brocade box?
Lu Yi slowly opened the small brocade box, it was a small night pearl that was smaller than a fist, the pearl was smooth, round and full. The sky was already gradually darken, the candle flame shone upon, one could already see the extraordinary ray that was flowing from all over the pearl. Looking at it for quite a while, everyone did not understand it, because there were many of these night pearls that were even bigger than this. This pearl, besides it was slightly brighter than the other, and its side halo was gentler, they could not see what so special about this. It was reasonable to say that the Murong’s family would not present this ordinary gift like this ah?!
Among the full friends within the guests, they would not show any disrespect to any person, at this time, an elderly man who was sitting and wearing a bright dress, starting to get up. He walked in front of the small brocade box to examine it carefully, suddenly he cried out and said: “This fragrance, can it be ~~~” The elderly man who had not continued speaking, directly fixed his attention to Murong Shu Qing, until she lightly nodded to him. The elderly man placed his line of sight back to the night pearl, happily nodded, his mouth mumbled to himself: “Best quality ah, best quality!”
At the time that the elderly man was infatuatedly drunk in appreciating the pearl, everyone just realized that there was a faint fragrance in the inside of the hall, it did not appear to be fragrance of flowers, it was also not medicinal herb fragrance either. It was very indistinct, when you tried hard to sniff it, it appeared to float in the far distant air, if you did not pay any attentions to it, it seemed to linger right on the tip of your nose.
Yu Qian was looking at the pearl that was given to her hand, she hesitatingly asked: “This is ~~?”
“The fragrant night pearl from Hai Yu!” Murong Shu Qing’s soft voice that was not loud nor low, faintly spoke out. But it made everyone who was siting, startled, was this a thousand gold fragrant night pearl that was very rare to find? Rumor said it, that this night pearl could disseminate delicate fragrance out, not only that this fragrance could calm your energy, it was also helpful to sleep and could a.s.sist one to fall asleep, one would not have any nightmares. This night pearl could also detoxify and drive our evil spirits. But because this Hai Yu area was an extremely rare place and not many people knew the route to get there, they only knew, that the area was a very dangerous area (literal meaning is nine deaths and one still alive). Therefore, this night pearl was extremely precious, the average thumb size was very rare, let alone like this bigger one, any wealthy people could not necessarily be able to get it either.
Everyone was shocked at the same time, and also sighed secretly, it was really the Murong’s family, they certainly spent money out of the ordinary ah!
Looking at everyone who was praising, sighing and looking at this pearl, Yi Yun Xin took it curiously, and held it on her hand, she felt that it gave an unexpected warmth, incomparable warmth. The appearance of the body of pearl was flickering with a sudden brightness and a sudden darkness like starlight, she fondled it admiringly, and hurriedly asked: “How beautiful oh. I like it also! Do you have any more?”
“Yun Xin, do not act willfully, how can this night pearl be available easily.” Yi Yun Shu looked at this night pearl with a headache, saying that it was priceless, was not an exaggerated (saying) either. If they accepted this today, they would owe Murong Shu Qing one enormous favor, he was afraid that there might be even more inconvenient matters in the future. Giving an excuse on the spot: “Miss Murong, this gift from you is way too precious, we dare not to accept the honor!”
Murong Shu Qing was looking at the gift that was returned in front of her, she was not angry either, but she did not take it, and leisurely and pleasingly laughed and said: “Yi Gongzi, do not need to be polite, I give this small gift to Madam Yu, you do not need to care about this too much either, this is only a small decoration.”
In front of many guests, if he kept making excuses, he was afraid that it would not be effective, it seemed that he could only accept this gift. Helplessly, Yi Yun Shu and Yu Qian looked one glance at each other after, and took back the brocade small box: “Since it is like this, then, we can only thank Miss Murong!”
The gifts were already presented, the congratulatory words were also spoken more or less, next was nothing else but eating and drinking. The thirty days wine and five flavor dishes (an idiom means that everyone has to drink 3 rounds of wine and eat 5 courses of meals), Pei Che and Xuanyuan Yi were drinking the wine with the groom, the masters of each family household stepped forward to toast him one after another. Unable to put up with them any longer, Murong Shu Qing let Lu Yi to deal with those drunk people, and she left this turmoil hall.
Even though the Yi family’s courtyard was not that big, but the middle of the garden was filled with light pink Indian azalea flowers. Stroking the petals, Murong Shu Qing sn.i.g.g.e.red, who would have thought that these masculine and formidable people from the armed escort bureau, unexpectedly planted this tender and soft cuckoo inside of the garden, she did not know whether to ask the happy bride about the new plant, or Yi Yun Shu really had this carefree feeling like this.
Freely lying down on the top of slab among the flowers, a yellow figure seemed to submerge among the light pink Indian azalea flowers. Recalling that she went into hiding in the sea of flowers when she was a child to avoid her older brothers to look for her. But when would she be able to see them again!
Closing her eyes, with the fragrance of flowers, she seemed to chant with a low voice, and looked like she was softly singing:
The beautiful woman (from the Tang Dynasty) was crossing the peaceful bridge. The wind was fluttering, the rain was also miserable.
Flowing the ray that was easy to abandon people, red cherry, and green banana.”
For a long time, there was a sound that came from among the cl.u.s.ter of flowers, that was not too far away: “Good poem!”
“Where does Gongzi think that (the poem) is good?” A gentle but slightly cold voice, that resembled like the man’s feeling asked.
“The artistic mood of the guest who has been in a place far from home for a long time, is good.”
A guest who had been in a place far from home for a long time?! Yes ah, during this different era, her own self was only another guest, nothing more.
Slowly sitting up, lightly swatting the petals that were on her hair, she smiled to look at the dark green figure who was reclining not too far away, she mockingly asked: “As it turns out, Gongzi and I are similar, we both like to hide and lie on the flowers ah!”
“Certainly, it is an elegant activity.” Regarding this kind of mocking, the man did not appear to be too concerned, he also slowly sat up, looked face to face at Murong Shu Qing, and smiled.
“Does Gongzi also want to ask me about the matter about the night pearl?” When Lu Yi opened the small brocade box, those beautiful eyes did not move away from her body. When she stepped out of the hall, he followed her out. It looked like he did not see the night pearl, but it was rather her, it could be a.s.sumed that he cared more about the source of this night pearl.
“Yes.” Did he really show it off clearly like this? But, if she was only an ordinary woman, then he did not need to ask either.
“I obtained the night pearl from Hai Yu half a year ago.”
“You have gone to Hai Yu?” The man suddenly leaned his body forward, spoke with a stir up emotion, his eyes were fully flickering, they showed off his impatient mood.
As it turned out, this man who was as clear and bright as a cloud, there was a time when he could be stirred up emotionally like this, what he really cared, was actually Hai Yu: “No, I have only heard from people who have gone there, it is a very ~~ special country.”
“Do you know how to go there?” Even though he was somewhat disappointed, the man did not give up yet.
“Very little knowledge about it.”
“Is it possible to inform this humble self?!”
“During Mid-Autumn festival every year, the seawater in the East China Sea (Dong Hai) will rise up against the tide for half a shichen (1 hour), if you can seize this time, the water will subsequently float on the current. But within this half a shichen, the seawater will move towards indefinitely, the reefs, the many large waves, if you are not careful, your body will be turned and your bones will be crushed. Following the direction against the stream, you will reach the territory of the Hai Yu’s country, then going towards the east for about 10 days, you will reach the sh.o.r.e of the Hai Yu’s country.”
“Many thanks to Miss, this humble self is Qin Xiu Zhi.” The man immediately got up, raised up from the rain of flowers.
Xiu Zhi, good name. Murong Shu Qing did not get up at all, still sat among the rain of flowers, mildly laughed and said: “Murong Shu Qing.”
“Then, I will leave.”
“Wait a minute.” Maybe because it was that bleak figure, or maybe because he tacitly understood her mind, or maybe because the two people had equally clear, cold and indifferent tempers, Murong Shu Qing called out to him. Taking down a jadeite round carving jade ornament that was on her waist all along, she placed it into his hand: “When you go towards the west, there is a person at Lin Feng Guan, who has gone to Hai Yu. If you want to go to Hai Yu, take this jade girdle ornament and look for him, he will help you.”
“Many thanks!” Qin Xiu Zhi deeply looked one glance at Murong Shu Qing, finally, he raised that clear and calm smile just liked before, and stepped out of this splendid courtyard.
Sian’s notes:
Hai Yu is the forth (maybe last) country that has been introduced in this novel. So far, we have Dong Yu, Cang Yue, Yan Rui and Hai Yu. Hai Yu just happens to mean sea (Hai) area. At first I translated the words to sea area, but to be consistent with the other three countries, I’ll stick with the pinyin words. The author only mentioned a little bit about Yan Rui in the past chapter. There will be more things that will be mentioned about Yan Rui in the future chapters.
Hehehehe… most of you think that the new character is the male lead. He is kind of, unfortunately, not for MSQ. The dark green cheongsam man from the previous chapter aka Qin Xiu Zhi happens to be one of the male leads in book 2 of this destined marriage series. He is actually a Prince from Hai Yu but he was exiled since he was young (most of the time the reason was usually because of a political reason) so that was why he was so interested to know more about Hai Yu, where he was from. Also I’m not sure if you are aware of this, but this book is also a part of a 3 book series. This is the first book. The second book is about one of MSQ’s best friends, who is known as Shang Jun (she pretends to be a man after her family is killed by the Cang Yue’s emperor). Her family was the first general family in Cang Yue before they were obliterated. This book 2 is all about revenge as she’s trying to get revenge for her family. Anyway, book 3 is about another MSQ’s best friends, who happens to be the queen of Hai Yu. Wohoo, a country that has a queen as the ruler. I’m not sure if any of the male leads in book 3 will ever shows up here in book 1. But I’m quite sure that MSQ’s future two best friends will show up in this book. Also another fact that I found interesting from these series, is that Qian Lu, the Author, uses 3 male leads to choose from, for each of the book. Hehehe…. Unlike the mistaken marriage series that has only one male lead whom we know from the start. I mean, yeah, ZQ has Qian Jing, GY has Ao Tian & QF has the head of the imperial soldier, but they really can’t count as male leads #2 to be honest. So in term of who the male lead is, your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, we’ll see who the real male lead is in this novel as we move along.
Jiang Hu is a place where all of the martial arts people usually gathers. While Jiang Nan is a place where Yu Yun Shu’s wife is from.