The appearance of two gold ingots further improved Leng Si and their prospects. The women with daughters who originally wanted the groom's brothers as sons-in-law were now even more convinced of their intentions.
Everyone appeared calm, but their minds were all calculating. It seemed they needed to find Madam Chen earlier. If someone else got ahead of them, they would lose out big time!
Throughout the day, the groom had maintained a poker face. Even when he occasionally showed a hint of a smile, it was fleeting.
Those who didn't understand the situation would assume he was forced by the Chen family to marry Miss Chen unwillingly.
But looking at him now, his smile was like a spring breeze, and his generous rewards… where was the trace of coercion? He clearly looked delighted, not even bothering to maintain his usual aloof persona.
It seemed the groom had been masking his true emotions all day! Only after seeing the bride and completing the ceremony did he reveal his genuine feelings.
Leng Ren’s lingering smile finally confirmed to the wedding嬷嬷 that these gold ingots were indeed a reward from the son-in-law. Holding the reward money in her hands, her face crinkled with smiles as she repeatedly thanked the newlyweds.
"Thank you, son-in-law, Miss, for the reward! The master and madam are still waiting for me to report back, so I shall take my leave now." With a nod from Leng Ren, the wedding嬷嬷 happily pocketed the money and ran off to the main courtyard.
"Groom and bride, to the bridal chamber!"
"Congratulations, may you have many children soon!"
"Congratulations, may your descendants fill the halls!"
The wedding嬷嬷 led another round of cheers before happily exiting. She needed to quickly go to the courtyards of Master Chen and Madam Chen to report to the hosts.
The others continued to laugh and play in the bridal chamber for a while, but they were all sensible enough not to overstay. When the time was right, the young talents began to leave one by one.
The longer they stayed, the more their hearts ached. No matter how much they looked, they had no chance. It was better to go to the front hall and continue eating and drinking to fill the emptiness in their hearts.
With everyone else gone, Su Muqing and Huo Qiyuan, accompanied by a few others, prepared to return to the courtyard prepared for them by the Chen family. The time was now for Leng Ren to work hard alone; their presence would only hinder his important business!
Originally, Su Muqing had discussed with Chen Wenyi about arranging some modern wedding games to liven up the atmosphere and perhaps tease Leng Ren a bit. Chen Wenyi had thought about it and agreed.
The two had brainstormed many classic wedding games, such as "Sweet Sharing," "Treasure Hunt in the Mist," "Fate's String," and so on.
Among these, "Sweet Sharing" was probably the most common and acceptable in ancient times.
It involved hanging an apple or red dates with a rope. One person controlled the rope, suspending it between the newlyweds. Both had to bite the hanging item with their mouths. The person controlling the rope would pull it, causing the couple to naturally kiss.
As for the other wedding games, the stakes were a bit too high. It would be fine if only their close acquaintances played together, but with too many outsiders, gossip was inevitable.
Moreover, Su Muqing had just seen the way Leng Ren looked at the bride, almost as if he wanted to melt her!
Never mind! She wouldn't torment him further. They could save the games for when Leng Si and the others got married and returned to Huaxia!
The bridal chamber was filled with joy on this beautiful night; a moment of spring was worth a thousand gold coins!
Besides, this group consisted of mostly old men who had been celibate for over thirty years. They couldn't afford to provoke them!
Su Muqing suddenly raised her eyes and glanced at the person beside her, a wave of emotion washing over her. Seeing Leng Ren’s robust physique, she felt that Chen Wenyi would have a strenuous night ahead.
Huo Qiyuan sensed her gaze and looked at her with a hint of danger in his eyes. He squeezed her hand tighter and quickened their pace back to the courtyard.
Su Muqing: Damn it! This guy must be thinking about doing something bad!
As Leng Si and the others left, they also felt something was off. They sensed quite a few lingering gazes on them. The few exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion.
Why were these people staring at them like that? It felt as if they were about to pounce and tear them apart. But they weren't the ones getting married, so they really couldn't understand!
Little did they know, they were currently the sought-after catches in the eyes of the young ladies and noblewomen. Their unseeing progress on the way back was the only reason they hadn't noticed the glistening drool already hanging from the corners of some young girls' mouths…
Master Chen and Madam Chen had already returned to their own courtyard. They were currently seated at the head of the hall, perfunctorily making small talk with the guests who had not yet departed.
The guests remaining in the hall were those with the deepest friendships with the Chen family. Normally, they would have endless conversations when they gathered. However, Master Chen seemed quite uninterested at the moment.
Their gazes kept darting towards the outside of the courtyard. Finally! Just as their necks were about to stiffen from straining, they saw the figures they had been waiting for.
The wedding嬷嬷, beaming with joy, scurried to the hall and curtsied to the two seated above, reporting in a rapid voice.
"Congratulations to Master Chen and Madam Chen, the young lady and the son-in-law have completed the ceremony. The happy couple is very pleased, and the son-in-law even praised my good work and gave me a generous reward!"
"Hahaha! Reward! By all means, reward her!" Upon hearing the wedding嬷嬷’s report, Master Chen burst into hearty laughter, his round belly shaking with his mirth.
Madam Chen also wore a joyous expression. She turned to her personal嬷嬷 and said, "Go and bring out the congratulatory money prepared for the wedding嬷嬷. Remember to also bring the gifts prepared by your master, madam, the young lady, and the son-in-law! Madam Wedding嬷嬷 has worked diligently and deserves to be handsomely rewarded!"
"Thank you, Master and Madam, thank you, Master and Madam." To think that in addition to the son-in-law's reward and the congratulatory money, there were two more rewards.
The wedding嬷嬷 was so happy she didn't know what to say, only repeatedly expressing her gratitude. This time, she had truly struck it rich! From today onwards, she would be the highest-earning wedding嬷嬷 in all of Fenshui Town, and it seemed her future days would be very busy.
With the couple's ceremony completed, the remaining guests also stood up and cupped their hands in congratulations to Master Chen and Madam Chen.
"Congratulations, congratulations!"
"Congratulations, Old Chen, for gaining a fine son-in-law!"
"Among all of us here, it must be said that Old Chen has the discerning eye! He spotted such a good son-in-law at once! Truly admirable!"
"Who could say otherwise! If we talk about good fortune and great luck, it all depends on your Chen family! Not only is your business thriving, but even Heaven shows you special favor. It's truly enviable!"
"Hahaha! Thank you, my dear brothers. You are too kind, making me quite embarrassed!"