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In a gleeful mood, Ruan san niang finished uttering those words as she looked at the wholly oblivious bride, a smear of schadenfreude-filled laughter flickering past her eyes.
Give birth to a precious child early?
That would be impossible in this lifetime.
Ruan Xi thinned her lips into a smile. She perceived that small thought that Ruan san niang was harbouring as clear as day. No matter how they looked at it, she was merely under the assumption that she had consumed the infertility medicine, and for figuratively rubbing her hands while verbally wishing that she could give birth to a precious child early, she must have expended a lot of thought and care.
She would let her dwell in her giddiness.
“Congratulations si mei, you are truly beautiful today.” Ruan Xi’s concubine-born oldest sister Ruan Zhen said smilingly.
“Si mei deserves to be called the most beautiful among us four sisters, now that she’s wearing a crimson wedding dress, she is even more dazzling and bright.” Ruan Xi’s second older sister Ruan Qing praised, wearing a complicated expression as she examined her exquisite and elegant wedding dress.
“There has been hearsay that quite a few Furens that are in control of the households are not overly fond of daughters that are too beautiful.”
Ruan san niang could not resist letting out a snort as she said that with visible disgust. Unbeknownst to her, jealousy was spilling out of her eyes.
Wearing the most beautiful wedding dress, and marrying the man they admired in a grand manner, was the most honest and profound, beautiful dream that most noble daughters had.
All the other three sisters present at the scene could wear a wedding dress and marry except for her. It would be weirder if she didn’t have any opinions about it in her heart.
The lip corners of Ruan Zhen and Ruan Qing jerked a little. Their intelligent and pretty third younger sister, who had always been ambitious and proud, was truly thorough in how much her general disposition has changed.
Ruan Xi smiled as she listened wordlessly. Today was her big wedding day. As long as Ruan san niang refrained from deliberately creating a disturbance, she couldn’t care less, lest it ruined her good mood.
On the other hand, Su Yu and Su Zhu could not resist glaring at the Third Young Lady.
At this moment, Lao Taitai walked in with the support of Zhang shi, and everyone immediately offered their seats.
“Si niang has seen Lao Taitai, has seen Mother.” Ruan Xi bowed properly with both hands overlapping in front of her body.
Ruan san niang and her two older sisters quickly bowed as well.
Lao Taitai smiled amicably as she said: “It is si niang’s big wedding day today, there’s no need for such courtesies. The time is getting late, the bridal escorting party from the Wen Family will be here soon, so I took the time to come and see si niang.”
A smear of envy flitted past Ruan Zhen and Ruan Qing’s eyes.
They did not have this special honour when they married out of the family back then, but when they thought about how their fourth sister would be marrying into the second branch of the illustrious Wen Family as the legitimate eldest daughter-in-law, they felt that it was understandable.
Zhang shi was their legitimate mother, and she could not avoid giving her a lecture in front of everyone.
“Si niang, from today onwards, you will become the daughter-in-law and wife in the Wen Family. In the future, you have to be respectful to your father- and mother-in-law, serve your husband, and open up the branches and scatter the leaves for the Wen Family, do you understand?”
As Ruan san niang listened to her mother’s lecture, dark glee seeped into her heart. Their hearts were truly interconnected, her mother and her.
On the surface, Ruan Xi was listening respectfully, but she was sneering in her mind. Zhang shi and Ruan san niang really had godly synchronisation.
One of them wished that she would give birth to a precious child early, the other asked her to open up the branches and scatter the leaves for the Wen Family.
“This daughter will sincerely observe Mother’s instructions.” Ruan Xi nodded her head respectfully. She would most certainly obey Zhang shi’s instructions in a sincere manner by bearing children and raising them for Wen Ting Zhou.
Zhang shi nodded her head in satisfaction.
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At this moment, the sound of festive firecrackers rang out. The bride-escorting party from the Wen Family had arrived.
Everyone roused their spirits and surged out of the room in succession. Zhang shi supported Lao Taitai outside with due haste, Ruan san niang and the rest went outside to watch the commotion in a hurry, while Ruan Zhen and Ruan Qing stayed in the room to accompany Ruan Xi.
“Si mei, Wen gongzi is a giant among men, it can be assumed that the upper and lower rungs of the Wen Family will think of you highly since you managed to marry into the Wen Family.” Ruan Zhen said, though her words were full of hidden meanings.
To ‘think highly’ of her meant that she would have a lot of troubles.
Ruan Qing laughed softly, “Da jie, you’re thinking too much. With Wen gongzi protecting si mei, I’m afraid that si mei will have a life more comfortable and happier than ours.”
性槐 (pinyin: da jie) — oldest sister in this context.
Ruan Zhen chuckled in response, “That is highly likely. Wen gongzi’s back courtyard is absolutely clean, and he has deep feelings for and attaches great importance to si mei. Certainly, there is no need for worries.”
In the capital, who wasn’t secretly envious of their fourth sister’s good luck?
Furthermore, their fourth sister had the confidence: not only was her wedding dowry deep and wide, she even had her secret braised duck recipe which ensured that she would never lack for silvers in the future, unlike them. They had to pinch their dowries tightly and rack their brains on how to earn silvers.
Who could have anticipated that their fourth younger sister, who was extremely mediocre in every aspect apart from her beauty, would have such good fortune?
However, it was also because of their fourth younger sister, and their third younger sister who was going to enter the imperial palace as a Fei soon, that their positions within their families were being raised like floating boats on a rising tide, and their days were a lot better than the past.
Ruan Xi smiled faintly, “Life is lived out by human beings; what we call happiness and bliss, is all within the grasp of a single thought.”
The impression she had of her illegitimate older sisters could be described as decent; they had never done anything bad to the original owner.
“Among us sisters, only si mei would have the confidence to say those words. I hope that after you marry into the Wen Family, you will still have the confidence to say that you are happy and blissful, or else it would be terrible if you slapped your own face.” It was unknown when Ruan san niang had doubled back, since she happened to chance upon Ruan Xi’s utterance, and she could not stop herself from antagonising her with a line.
She was short of explicitly saying that Ruan Xi was not feeling any pain because she was standing up to talk, and it was faintly tinged with the implication that Ruan Xi would not be happy in the future.
The people who made such comments during someone’s big and joyous wedding day were genuinely repulsive.
Su Yu and the other maidservants glared at Ruan san niang again.
Ruan Zhen and Ruan Qing frowned slightly.
“San mei, today is si mei’s big wedding day, take it easy.”
The matron of honour at the side: “

”
Ruan Xi could not be bothered with Ruan san niang. She had always been fond of taking advantage of other people’s weaknesses and climbing all over them.
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At this moment, a jumble of male voices talking rang out from outside.
Ruan Xi’s heart started thumping audibly without a rhythm.
Wen Ting Zhou was here.
The matron of honour quickly took the veil and covered Ruan Xi’s head before stuffing an apple in her hands.
Once the red veil covered her head, everything in Ruan Xi’s frontal vision was red. She could vaguely see someone charging into the room, and the sound of laughter and commotion close to her ears.
Wen Ting Zhou’s deep and sonorous voice travelled inside, but it was indistinct.
“Da ge, er ge, please issue the question.”
Needless to say, Ruan Yu Wen and her second older brother Ruan Yu Wu were definitely blocking the door outside.
A faint red hue coloured Ruan Ruan’s pretty face.
It was unknown when her oldest sister Ruan Zhen had leaned closer to her ear, but she was teasing her mischievously as she murmured, “Si mei, I just went outside to take a look. Wen gongzi is truly the most handsome man I have ever met, and he has suppressed all the men present and pushed them out of the limelight. Your two jiefu need not be mentioned, they have been thoroughly reduced into his foils.”
槐怫 (pinyin: jie fu) – older sister’s husband, used only by the wife’s family.
Underneath the veil, Ruan Xi tightened her grip on the apple in her hands, the corners of her lips curling up. The image of Wen Ting Zhou’s outrageously handsome visage as he was parading the streets as the Zhuangyuan emerged in her mind.
Tonight, she was going to become his wife

Ruan Xi’s cheeks became scorching hot all of a sudden.
“Si mei, Wen gongzi is coming in. It hasn’t been a quarter of an hour yet. Sure enough, no one can obstruct Wen gongzi.”
“Da jie, we should be changing our address from Wen gongzi to si meifu instead.”
曛ćŠč怫 (pinyin: si mei fu) – fourth younger sister’s husband, used only by the wife’s family.
“You speak correctly.”
As Ruan Zhen and Ruan Qing echoed each other, Ruan Xi was both bashful and elated underneath the veil, and there was a hint of restless anticipation.
The moment Wen Ting Zhou entered the room, he caught sight of the girl sitting upright on the edge of the bed, draped in a crimson wedding dress with a red veil covering her head, and her fair and slender hands were holding onto an apple.
That was his Ruan Ruan, his little wife.
Wen Ting Zhou’s heartbeat quickened abruptly. His mouth curled into an ecstatic and gentle smile as he silently recited a line in his heart.
“Ruan Ruan, I’m here.”
When Ruan san niang saw this scene, it became more eye-piercing the longer she looked at it.
The matron of honour placed one end of the crimson silk ribbon in Ruan Xi’s hands, while giving the other end to Wen Ting Zhou.
The pair walked towards the main courtyard under the shower of well-wishes from everyone present. After she had bowed and bid farewell to her parents and elders, Ruan Yu Wen carried Ruan Xi up onto the bridal sedan on his back.
Amidst the festive sounds of suona (Chinese oboe) and the firecrackers, Ruan Xi finally sat on the flower palanquin, travelling towards Minster Wen’s Residence slowly.
Behind her flower palanquin were her maidservants and Mama who were accompanying her in marriage, and chests upon chests of her wedding dowry.
Since the flower palanquin was being lifted by eight men, it was exceedingly stable, and Ruan Xi held onto the apple tightly as she remained seated inside. In her previous lifetime, she had survived to the age of twenty, but she had never been in a romantic relationship, but after arriving here, she was married to someone in three short months.
A dash of excitement and some sweetness mingled in Ruan Xi’s heart, and there was a thread of anticipation for her future new life.
The bridal escort party took a huge circle from Earl Chengyi Residence before they reached the Minister Wen Residence.
After the palanquin landed, and Wen Ting Zhou shot the arrows (at the sky, earth, and lastly the palanquin door, in representation of the Heaven and Earth; and the Yin and Yang), he kicked the palanquin lightly. Subsequently, the bridegroom Wen Ting Zhou lifted the palanquin curtain and extended his hand.
Underneath the red veil, Ruan Xi caught a glimpse of the larger hand that was extending towards her, and she slowly placed her hand on his. Spurred by subconscious reflex, Wen Ting Zhou held her hand tighter.
“Ruan Ruan, follow me later.”
“Mn.”
Ruan Xi hummed softly in response before she was brought out of the flower palanquin by Wen Ting Zhou.
The matron of honour brought over the crimson red ribbon.
They each took one end, sharing riches and honours until they were old and grey.