She was placed here by Zheng Yu specifically, and there was a young servant outside the door, who looked well-behaved and was probably only fourteen or fifteen years old.
"Does the Master Husband have any instructions?" The young servant squeezed in from Wuji's side and ran to Gu Yi's side.
Master Husband?
Hearing this title for the first time, Gu Yi was a little dazed. He was married now and was the Master Husband here. He could no longer be called Young Master Gu. Gu Yi did not dwell on it and quickly accepted the title.
"When will the Zheng—Family Head return?" Gu Yi, accustomed to calling her Miss Zheng, quickly corrected himself, but did not realize that his current address was also incorrect.
The young servant, however, thought he wanted Zheng Yu to return quickly to accompany him and said with some difficulty, "Master Husband, many of the Family Head's friends from official circles are here today, so she probably won't be back so soon."
"Oh." Gu Yi sighed. Sensing the young servant was about to leave, he quickly called out to stop him, "Wait a moment."
"Master Husband, is there anything else?"
"It's just that I'm a little hungry. Is there anything left to eat in the kitchen now?" Gu Yi asked somewhat sheepishly. He was indeed very hungry, having not eaten much last night due to nervousness. wΑp.kanshu伍.net
"This—" the young servant was a little hesitant. "Master Husband, by rights, the groom is not allowed to eat on the wedding day, and the kitchen probably wouldn't have prepared anything."
"Then alright, you can go out." Gu Yi had no choice and resigned himself to being hungry.
Although Wuji had been at the door, her hearing was astonishing. She heard Gu Yi's question and had a plan. After retreating, she went directly to the main hall and quietly squeezed to Zheng Yu's side, relaying Gu Yi's question to her.
Eat?
Zheng Yu was stunned for a moment and then patted her forehead in annoyance. How could she have forgotten this?
"Come, come, Mayor Zheng, I'll toast you again. I wish you and your husband a happy and prosperous life, and many beautiful daughters!"
"Thank you, thank you." Zheng Yu was unable to get away for a moment and instructed Wuji to find Zheng Chen and have Zheng Chen tell the kitchen to make something for Gu Yi.
Zheng Chen was not in the room. Hearing the young servant, he was told he was in the kitchen.
When Wuji arrived at the kitchen, Zheng Chen was standing at the entrance, directing.
"Wuji?" Zheng Chen was somewhat surprised to see Wuji in the kitchen. "Why are you here?"
"The Family Head instructed me to find you and have you tell the kitchen to make something for the new Master Husband."
Wuji lowered her head, only stating that it was the Family Head's request. She was afraid Zheng Chen would have an opinion about Gu Yi, unaware that Zheng Chen had already come to prepare.
"Does she still need to instruct me?" Zheng Chen said with disdain, even glaring at Wuji. "By the time she remembers, my son-in-law's stomach will have been empty for a long time."
"You can go back. I'll have someone deliver the food once it's ready," Zheng Chen said, giving her a dismissive glance and waving her away.
After the food was prepared, Zheng Chen sent someone to the main hall to confirm that Zheng Yu had not yet returned to her room. He then personally carried the food box to Gu Yi.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Gu Yi thought Zheng Yu had returned and immediately put down the red dates he was fiddling with, sitting up straight.
"Yi'er, it's me." Zheng Chen quickly walked to the table and placed the food box on it.
"Uncle Zheng?" Gu Yi did not expect him to come and immediately stood up, but with the veil covering his head, he dared not move rashly, so he could only stand there in a fluster.
"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous." Zheng Chen walked in front of Gu Yi, placed his hand on his, and led him to sit down.
"I know you must be hungry. I already told the kitchen to prepare food. Go and eat quickly." Zheng Chen took Gu Yi's hand to lead him forward, but Gu Yi tugged at him, not quite understanding. "What's wrong?"
"Uncle Zheng, I'm still wearing the veil, so I can't eat, nor can I eat." Smelling the aroma of the food, Gu Yi's stomach felt worse, and he couldn't help but swallow.
"Why hasn't she returned yet!" Hearing Gu Yi's reason for stopping him, Zheng Chen became even more displeased with Zheng Yu. "Rules are dead, but people are alive. Since she's not in a hurry to return and lift the veil, I'll lift it for her."
"Don't!" Gu Yi was startled by his words and quickly shrank back, saving his precarious veil. "Uncle Zheng, I, it's better not to."
Gu Yi insisted, and Zheng Chen could not say anything more. He turned his gaze to the large, round red dates and longans on the bed. "Why haven't you eaten them yet?"
"Ah?" Gu Yi was stunned by the question.
"Why haven't you eaten the longans and peanuts on the bed yet?" Zheng Chen said, grabbing a handful of peanuts and placing them in Gu Yi's hand. "Don't think about those rules. These things are auspicious, but they only bring good fortune if you eat them. What's the point of just having them here?"
"Just eat them. I specifically picked the best ones yesterday to put on the bed for you to eat. It would be a waste if you didn't eat them."
As Zheng Chen spoke, he reached out and cracked open a peanut, pouring the kernels into Gu Yi's hand.
"Mm, thank you, Uncle Zheng." Gu Yi's eyes couldn't help but turn red, and he nodded heavily.
The gentle Uncle Zheng was very much like his deceased father in personality, but with more of a casualness.
"Silly child." Zheng Chen clearly sensed Gu Yi's emotional change and gently stroked his veiled head. "You should call me Father, or Daddy."
"Daddy." Gu Yi nodded and, following his childhood memories, uttered a word he hadn't spoken in over ten years.
"Eh!" Zheng Chen smiled so widely his mouth couldn't close. "I've always wanted a well-behaved son to call me Daddy. Zheng Yu wanted to call me that, but I wouldn't let her."
As the two were talking, they heard noisy voices from outside the door. It was probably Gu Yitong returning.
"Have another drink!"
"Yes, yes! Let the groom wait in the bridal chamber for a while longer. What's the big deal? Isn't that expected? Why are you in such a hurry!"
"..."
A noisy crowd outside was talking volubly, but Zheng Yu's voice was nowhere to be heard.
"Mayor Zheng is drunk and needs to go back to rest. We'll drink on behalf of Mayor Zheng for the rest." This was Wu Shao's voice.
With a bang, the door was pushed open, and Wuji helped Zheng Yu into the room.
Seeing this, Zheng Chen became furious and immediately stood up from the bed and walked to Zheng Yu's side. Wuji saw this, bowed respectfully, and quickly retreated, praying for her master's good luck.
As soon as the door closed, Zheng Yu's eyes snapped open, and she sat up quickly, a stark contrast to the muddled and rambling person she had been moments before.
"You?" Zheng Chen looked at the clear-eyed Zheng Yu and knew everything. "Since you're back, I won't stay here to disturb the two of you."
Hearing the sound of the door closing, Gu Yi nervously clenched his hands. Zheng Yu's presence beside him grew closer, and Gu Yi felt his breathing become somewhat restricted, perhaps due to being stifled under the veil for too long.
Zheng Yu approached Gu Yi and saw what he was holding in his hand—unfinished red dates. She glanced at the few remaining red dates on the bed and chuckled softly. She then took half of the red dates from his hand. "Eating things from the bed when you're hungry is also a good idea."