A young woman dressed in lotus-brown robes smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Your second cousin told me long ago to come early on your wedding day to see if you’d be shy.”

The others laughed along, and the youngest of the brothers, Qin Ran, chimed in: “That’s right! If your third cousin weren’t busy and unable to enter the bridal chamber, he’d be here himself right now.”

Lin Yue cleared his throat uncomfortably. These brothers really held grudges. Was it really necessary to remember this? After all, it was just a few playful remarks during their weddings, and sharing some childhood embarrassments with his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law.

“Second Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law, how could you side with my brothers against me? I’m getting jealous here.”

“Hahaha, we did help you! If we hadn’t, Third Cousin would be here by now. He said he’d have a serious talk with the groom tomorrow when he arrives.”

Lin Yue: Should’ve kept my mouth shut back then. Never should’ve told my brother-in-law about my cousin falling into the outhouse as a kid.

“How could Third Cousin do that? Doesn’t he worry people will hear and refuse to marry me?”

Qin Ran and Lin Yue had played together often as children. Later, he married his cousin, and their relationship remained close. They spoke without reservation. Hearing this, he laughed aloud. “Ha! Who told you to share his embarrassing story when he overheard? You have no idea how long he nagged me about it afterward.”

Lin Yue leaned in to tug at him. “But you insisted I tell you! I said it wasn’t appropriate, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Qin Ran showed no sign of guilt. “I wasn’t that curious originally, but you being so secretive—how could I resist?”

Seeing Lin Yue’s hackles rising, he quickly amended, “Don’t worry, I won’t let your cousin say anything out of line. Really, I promise.”

Lin Yue watched his earnest expression and reluctantly nodded. “You better not lie to me. Otherwise, I’ll tell my cousin about your past…”

“Mmmph mmmph…”

Qin Ran clamped his hand over Lin Yue’s mouth. “I won’t lie! I won’t! Just stop with the magic.”

The two of them wrestled playfully, drawing laughter from those nearby, especially Qin Ran’s sister-in-law, He Qiongfang. “Brother Yue, I’ll help you out. Tell us what little secret Brother Ran is hiding.”

Qin Ran shook his head hastily. “Nothing, nothing! Believe me, Sister-in-law, really nothing.”

Lin Yue’s eyes sparkled as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t break free from Qin Ran’s grip.

The group chatted and laughed in the room for half an hour before He Qiongfang finally said goodbye. “Brother Yue, it’s getting late. We should head out to help with the preparations. We’ll come back first thing tomorrow morning to keep you company.”

Lin Yue felt reluctant to part, but still smiled and said, “Then you must come tomorrow morning, Sister-in-law.”

“Don’t worry. If we’re busy, we’ll take turns coming over. At least one of us will be here to keep you company.”

Lin Yue’s spirits lifted. “Sister-in-law, Brother-in-law, you’re both so kind.”

He Qiongfang waved with a smile. “We’ll be heading out now. Play by yourself for a bit.”

Lin Yue escorted them to the doorway before turning back to his bedside. His interest rekindled, he retrieved the embroidered pouch from the bedside table, intending to attach two tassels to make it less plain.

Time flew when he was busy with a task. By the time Lin Yue finished the tassels, it was already dinnertime.

The Lin family courtyard remained bustling. Over a dozen villagers had come to help, and together with the Lin family members, they set three tables. The meal wasn’t particularly lavish.

Conditions were fairly similar across the village; families who could afford enough food and warm clothing were already considered relatively well-off. Banquets for weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies were never extravagant.

Close relatives from the village would arrive at the host family’s home the day before to help out and share their evening meal. Guests would come early on the wedding day itself, presenting gifts. These gifts weren’t always money; mostly, they offered rice, flour, or eggs.

Taking weddings as an example: the main banquet for the bride’s family was held at noon on the wedding day, while the groom’s family hosted theirs that evening. The hired chef was only responsible for the noon banquet; once the meal was served, the guests were considered to have fulfilled their obligations.

The timing of the main banquet is dictated by tradition: the groom and his entourage must arrive at the bride’s home early in the morning. They dine there at noon, bid farewell to the bride’s parents, and only then can they escort the bride away. Thus, the main banquet is held at noon. Similarly, the bride and her entourage arrive at the groom’s home in the evening, making the evening banquet the main event.

After the evening meal, the courtyard was tidied, and the villagers who had come to help gradually returned home.

Only the Lin family of four remained in the courtyard. Night was falling. After washing up, they retired to their rooms early.

But tonight was slightly different. Zhou Wenlan returned to Lin Yue’s room.

No oil lamp illuminated the room; only a faint glow seeped through the window from the moonlight. Lin Yue sat cross-legged on the bed, watching his mother hesitate, unable to form a complete sentence for a long while.

After much deliberation, Lin Yue finally spoke, his words rushing out: “Mother, I know you were going to talk about marital duties and the Fire-Avoiding Diagram. It’s fine, you don’t need to say it. I already know.”

Zhou Wenlan’s eyes widened instantly: “How do you know? You’re just a child! How could you be so indiscreet? Stop talking!”

Lin Yue replied, “I learned it when Brother Ran got married. They said it must be discussed the day before the wedding.”

Lin Yue’s shocking revelation left Zhou Wenlan utterly flustered. For a moment, she was at a loss for words, wishing she could just shove the Fire-Avoiding Diagram into his hands and let him read it quietly by himself.

The night hid Zhou Wenlan’s expression, and Lin Yue didn’t notice his mother’s change in mood. Seeing her sitting motionless and silent, he grew anxious. He’d hoped to finish talking soon and go to sleep—after all, he had to rise before dawn tomorrow. Whether he could actually get up was another matter, but falling asleep in the wedding palanquin would be disastrous.

“Mother, are you going to say anything? If you don’t, I’ll…“

Zhou Wenlan cut him off. ”You’re not allowed to speak now.“

Her speech then sped up as if infected by Lin Yue’s urgency. Without pausing to think, she rattled off a long string of instructions before pulling the small booklet from her bosom and thrusting it at him. ”You’ll read it by lamplight later. After you’re done, tuck it under the bed. Understood? I’m leaving now.”

Lin Yue said he understood, but really only grasped a couple of words. His mother’s rapid-fire barrage had left him completely bewildered. The booklet in his hands felt like a hot potato—he didn’t know whether to hold onto it or toss it away.

A thought surfaced: Forget it, I won’t read it. 

But then another thought followed: What if I don’t read it, and tomorrow I’m completely in the dark? 

Shen Huaizhi looked like a bookworm, so he probably wouldn’t know either.

It felt like two little people were wrestling inside his head. Eventually, the scales tipped slowly to the other side. Lin Yue tiptoed off the bed, lit the lamp, and held the small booklet under the light, trembling as he opened it.

The moment he saw the illustrations inside, Lin Yue’s face flushed crimson, his hands trembling so badly he could barely turn the pages.

He hastily flipped through several pages, only to find the scenes growing increasingly unspeakable. Unable to bear it any longer, he slammed the book shut, shoved it under the bed at his feet, extinguished the lamp, and buried himself beneath the covers.

The images from the book lingered in Lin Yue’s mind, disturbing him so much that he couldn’t sleep. He had no idea how long it took before he finally drifted off in a daze.

“Young Master Yue, wake up! The full-time attendant is waiting outside to help you get dressed.”

Lin Yue felt like he’d barely closed his eyes before his mother yanked him awake. His eyes wouldn’t even open, and his mother was still whispering in his ear, urging him to wake up—making him even more drowsy.

Suddenly, something cold on his face made him shiver. Lin Yue hissed in surprise as a damp cloth was pressed against his face.

His mother stood nearby, watching him intently, as if ready to do it again.

Lin Yue reluctantly got up to wash and groom himself. By the time he was presentable, the people outside poured in.

Leading the way was Mrs. Quanfu, specially invited by Zhou Wenlan to help Lin Yue with his hair and makeup. Following her were his sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and others who had visited him yesterday, along with two of his playmates. The crowd jostled and squeezed, filling Lin Yue’s room to bursting.

Lin Yue had no energy to greet them, his mind consumed by the stinging pain from the hair-twisting—like being slapped across the face. Why hadn’t he heard about this agony before? Marriage was truly miserable.

After the hair-twisting ended, Lin Yue finally exhaled in relief. Before he could rise, his mother pressed him back down. “Stay seated. We’re not done yet.”

His mother rolled an egg across his face several times. No sooner had she moved aside than Mrs. Quanfu reached for Lin Yue’s head, time for the hair combing.

It must be said, her combing technique was truly skillful. Lin Yue felt no pain, unlike when he combed his own hair and often pulled it out.

All the while, she chanted auspicious phrases. The two worked together with perfect harmony—she’d say “white hair reaching the eyebrows,” he’d respond with “good fortune and blessings.” One phrase promised endless luck, the next promised rolling wealth. Lin Yue’s drowsiness vanished as he listened with rapt attention.

After an unknown span of time, Lin Yue finally sensed the hands no longer lingering on his face and head. A long sigh of relief escaped him—it was finally over.

Rushing to rise, Lin Yue still wore his everyday clothes. The attendants in the room exchanged a few words before withdrawing, clearing space for him to change.

The wedding attire had been hung in the wardrobe long ago. As soon as he opened the wardrobe door, the vivid, dazzling red caught Lin Yue’s eye. The front of the top, the cuffs, and the hem were all embroidered with colorful threads. Running his fingers over the intricate patterns, Lin Yue couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of admiration. This was the most beautiful garment he had ever seen.

After changing into the robe, shoes, and socks and fastening the silver bracelet, Lin Yue called out to the others.

Just as before, a crowd surged in, though this time more numerous—all eager to catch a glimpse of the new groom.

This time, they didn’t linger long. The head chef had arrived early to begin preparations, and they needed to hurry to assist—preparing ingredients, washing dishes, tending the fire, and cooking the rice were all tasks that couldn’t be delayed.

Finally, only Lin Yue and Zhou Wenlan remained in the room, along with Qin Ran and He Qiongfang, who had visited yesterday, and an unmarried young ger named Zhou Lan, one of Lin Yue’s childhood friends.

Zhou Wenlan gave a few more instructions before rising to leave. She was also very busy today with many matters awaiting her and couldn’t stay inside to accompany Lin Yue.

Lin Yue had just heard that the head chef had arrived, but he couldn’t go out at the moment. Curious, he asked Qin Ran, “I heard from my mother that the chef we hired today is the most famous one in all the surrounding villages. He’s young but has amazing cooking skills. Is that true?”

Qin Ran nodded. “Absolutely. I hear he’s only been cooking for a few years, but his skills are exceptional. He’s also very efficient with his work, and so many people want to hire him that you have to book him over a month in advance.”

Lin Yue exclaimed in awe, “Then today’s banquet is bound to be delicious! I’m already hungry.”

Zhou Lan chimed in, “While we were outside earlier, people were discussing how this chef has several signature dishes. We’re in for a real treat today.”

As they spoke, Zhou Wenlan outside had struck up a conversation with the chef. “Chef Shi, thank you for your efforts today. The bride’s party should arrive around the end of the fourth hour. We plan to serve the meal then—will that timing work?”

“Rest assured, all dishes have been prepared exactly as per the menu provided. We’ll definitely serve on time.”

Only then did Zhou Wenlan relax, replying cheerfully, “Then we’ll be looking forward to your culinary skills! Tea is on the table behind you—still warm. Remember to drink some.”

“Thank you, you’re too kind.”

The cooking area was tucked in a corner of the courtyard. The central space was filled with tables and chairs where some early-arriving guests sat sipping tea, now waiting for the groom to arrive for the wedding procession.