Jiang Cheng: "???"

The village chief stood not far away, his face uncertain as he looked over.

Jiang Cheng glared at him, clearly questioning why the situation wasn't as agreed upon.

The village chief spread his hands, wearing a helpless expression that said, "What can I do?"

Finally, Fatty couldn't bear it any longer and winked suggestively at Wu, "Brother Wu, you should help the doctor."

He said with some worry, "You know the doctor's situation. If they really consummate the marriage, and the Great River Goddess isn't satisfied, the doctor is done for."

"He will find a way." Wu showed a rare smile.

Du Moyu sincerely thought the Great River Goddess was a nice person, a woman Brother Jiang could entrust his life to. "Better to tear down ten temples than ruin one marriage. I think we shouldn't interfere."

"Look, Brother Jiang is smiling so happily." Du Moyu was genuinely happy for Jiang Cheng.

Now the task had reached the final stage. It seemed the Great River Goddess was very satisfied with Jiang Cheng.

He didn't even want to think about the consequences of anyone foolish enough to interrupt their happy event.

Under the bride's gentle gaze, Jiang Cheng wore a fake smile, his heart a complete mess.

He knew that as long as he held out until dawn, this mission would be over.

It was still at least two hours until dawn, and he needed to figure out how to get through these last two hours.

The prerequisite was not to anger the ghost bride.

Originally, he thought the paper figures would take a while to clean the room, but he was too naive. These paper figures were tireless and incredibly efficient.

In just a short quarter of an hour, they had transformed the old boudoir into a completely new room.

When the last paper figure came out of the room with its tools, it even gave Jiang Cheng a polite smile.

"Send them to the bridal chamber!"

With a loud shout from one of the paper figures, all the paper figures joined in the clamor.

"Bridal chamber!"

"Bridal chamber!"

…

This bizarre and festive scene almost sent Jiang Cheng away for good.

Fatty, seeing that Wu was not to be relied upon, hardened his heart, rolled up his sleeves, and planned to rescue the doctor himself.

He figured that even if the Great River Goddess wanted to deal with him, Wu wouldn't stand idly by.

If he dragged Wu into it, the doctor would be saved.

But before he could act, he was stopped. "Don't go. You'll only harm him if you go now," Wu said in a low voice.

Then, with a serious expression, he looked at the beautiful figure beside Jiang Cheng. Wu paused and continued, "He has a great opportunity, it just depends on whether he can seize it."

"He can!" Du Moyu nodded fiercely. "Brother Jiang has a clever mind, he can definitely seize it!"

Jiang Cheng was very reluctant, but his body obediently allowed the ghost bride to pull him into the room. Then, the door slammed shut.

Seeing that it had come to this, the village chief had no choice but to instruct the villagers to clean up another room not far from Jiang Cheng's bridal chamber for Wu, Fatty, and Du Moyu to stay in.

The paper figures nearby all stood blankly, their expressions a smile that wasn't a smile, unusually eerie in the night.

The villagers didn't dare to stay long and said their farewells before leaving.

Inside the bridal chamber, Jiang Cheng sat with forced composure at a newly cleaned table, while the ghost bride sat on the soft bed, waiting for her husband to lift the red veil.

After sitting face to face for a few minutes, before Jiang Cheng could react, the ghost bride made a move.

She took her left hand, which had been resting on her knee, and seemed to casually pat the spot beside her before quickly retracting it.

Jiang Cheng felt a jolt in his heart. This meant she wanted him to sit next to her.

Jiang Cheng prepared to hold out a little longer. Dawn was almost here.

But he soon realized that some things couldn't be avoided. The ghost bride's mood was becoming more and more subtle.

He saw the ghost bride's hand change into many different gestures, until finally, she clenched them into two small fists.

Jiang Cheng knew he couldn't wait any longer. He should just do as the ghost bride wanted and lift the veil first.

But even lifting the veil had its rules. How to lift it, when to lift it, who should lift it, and what to use – all had to be done according to custom.

First, the bride's veil could only be lifted by the groom.

The bride couldn't lift it herself, nor could anyone else lift it. Otherwise, it would be disrespectful and show a lack of regard for the bride.

It was especially taboo for any man other than the groom to lift it.

Lifting the veil represented the groom's acceptance of the bride, indicating that from this moment on, they were officially husband and wife.

Therefore, the groom lifting the veil was also called recognizing the husband.

Second, the timing of lifting the veil.

Once the veil is lifted, disaster is sure to follow.

This saying refers to the timing of lifting the veil. It was crucial not to lift the veil midway.

In other words, from the time the matchmaker placed the red veil on the bride, it should not be lifted until after the newlyweds had completed the ceremony and returned to the bridal chamber.

Anything else was considered inauspicious.

Third, the tools needed to lift the veil.

No matter how eager the groom was, he couldn't use his hands to lift the veil. He had to use a *yu ruyi* (jade scepter) or a *xigan* (ceremonial rod), also known as a weighing rod, to lift the veil, symbolizing a future marriage life that was satisfactory and fulfilling.

Fourth, the technique for lifting the veil.

Before the wedding, when the matchmaker dressed the bride, she would have the bride's mother personally place the veil on the bride.

And she would pay special attention to covering it from back to front, preferably in one smooth motion, without adjustments.

This represented the bride severing ties with her previous family life and reintegrating into the groom's family life.

But when it came to the groom, he had to lift the veil from front to back, and he had to pay special attention to the steps, only lifting a portion each time.

First lift: to the bride's mouth.

Second lift: to the bride's nose.

Third lift: to the bride's eyes.

Fourth lift: joy on her face, may they be as loving as husband and wife.

…

Jiang Cheng quickly reviewed all of this in his mind, making sure he hadn't missed anything.

In his opinion, tonight's ghost bride was the most dangerous. If he made a mistake in any step and was exposed, he feared he would be torn to pieces.

"My lady," Jiang Cheng stepped forward, slightly bent his knees, and spoke with excitement mixed with a hint of urgency, his emotions perfectly controlled, "Your husband… is going to lift your veil."

The ghost bride immediately unclenched her fists and quickly placed them on her knees, looking very well-behaved.

Picking up the *yu ruyi*, Jiang Cheng gently lifted a corner of the veil, took a deep breath, and before he could lift it, a gust of ghostly wind suddenly blew.

In Jiang Cheng's desperate gaze, the veil actually slipped off the *yu ruyi* and floated down.

Jiang Cheng: "??!"

A chill rose from the soles of Jiang Cheng's feet, up his spine, and all the way to the top of his head.

He felt like he had been tricked. This was simply not chivalrous!

He clearly hadn't made any mistakes, so how could he have broken a taboo?

He was not willing to accept this, he would not die in peace!

But before he could turn and run, the beautiful scene before him made him lose his mind.