Sima Hong's voice with a smile rang out, "Why are you in such a hurry? Be more restrained, don't scare my wife!"
The crowd laughed even louder, and shouted, "You're protecting your wife right after she came in? You're turning your back on me!"
Mingyu had a red veil on her head, so she couldn't see how many people were around her. But just by listening to the noisy voices, she knew that the room must be full of people. Madam Li carefully supported her, followed behind Sima Hong, and guided her to stand in the right position.
There were still constant sounds of firecrackers and loud gongs and drums outside the door. The master of ceremonies held a ceremony at the top of his voice. First, he worshipped the heaven and earth, and then worshipped the ancestors. Mingyu couldn't see what he was worshipping, but when he thought that the Sima family now had no living elders except Miao who was in the capital and couldn't come, he guessed that what he had just worshipped should be the tablets of Sima Qing and Sima Chang.
Through the bottom edge of the veil, Mingyu could still see the master of ceremonies limping on one leg and leaning on a crutch. He must be the steward Sima Wu who survived the war when Tianshui fell. Although he survived, he also paid the price of losing a leg.
After the couple bowed to each other, Sima Hong led Mingyu to the inner room. A crowd of people followed them excitedly, shouting and yelling. Madam Li kept turning back to scold the men who were making the most noise, "Be quiet! If you scare my new daughter-in-law, I will skin you alive!"
Although she had a fierce mouth, it was a happy day after all, and her face was full of smiles. The men were quiet for a while, but then started to make a fuss again. Madam Li could only shake her head and whispered in Mingyu's ear: Don't be afraid, these people only look fierce, she was afraid that the delicate young lady from the capital would be scared.
Mingyu reached out and shook Madam Li's hand, indicating that she was fine. She had seen all kinds of tricks used by modern people to disturb the bridal chamber, and she didn't believe that this group of people could have more powerful tricks...
After entering the inner room, Madam Li helped Mingyu sit on the bed. Sima Hong took the scale bar tied with a big red cloth from the tray in Baihao's hand and lifted Mingyu's veil.
The light suddenly poured in. Mingyu looked up and met Sima Hong's eyes. For some reason, she panicked and immediately turned away with a red face, not daring to look at him. She had just glanced at him hurriedly and didn't look carefully. She just felt that many people in the room were making a fuss after seeing the bride, shouting that the bride was so beautiful.
Pretty as hell... Mingyu couldn't help but complain in her heart. She had such a thick layer of powder on her face and her lips were painted blood red. All the brides were the same, with the same white face and flaming red lips...
Sima Hong looked at Mingyu with a silly smile, feeling as if he was light and floating, as if he could fly with happiness at any time.
Mrs. Li couldn't stand it anymore and joked loudly, "Don't be too happy, groom. Drink the wedding wine first. You have a lifetime to visit your daughter-in-law!"
Sima Hong was reminded, and couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He took the white porcelain wine glass that Baihao brought over. He handed one to Mingyu first, and then took another one for himself. When he married Mingyu for the first time, Mingyu was still too young, and the two of them didn't even get to the stage of drinking. Sima Hong was afraid that Mingyu didn't know how to drink, so he whispered a few words to Mingyu.
A group of bachelors in the military camp were so jealous of Sima Hong's tenderness and care for his own wife that they almost squeezed water out of her. Their eyes turned red with jealousy. The brave ones shouted, "General, feed her with your mouth. Feed her with your mouth!" The rest of them immediately joined in the commotion.
Mingyu's face suddenly became hot, and the hand holding the wine glass began to tremble slightly.
Sima Hong laughed out loud. He turned around and was about to start scolding, but someone spoke before him. "You guys, stop being so unruly! Today is my eldest brother's big day. If you try to draw lots again, I won't allow it!"
The voice was clear and crisp, and it belonged to a girl. This was the second time Mingyu had heard it today. She couldn't help but look up and follow the sound. In the crowd, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen was tall and had a honey-colored complexion. She stood there with her hands on her hips, scolding the men who were causing trouble.
Wide-sleeved skirts are popular nowadays, and most girls dress like this. However, this girl wore a tight-sleeved outfit, which matched her tall figure and gave her a heroic vibe. Hearing that the girl was angry, the noisy crowd stopped laughing. Sima Hong smiled and shook his head, turned back and sat next to Mingyu, continuing to drink with her. When his face came closer, Mingyu felt the familiar breath and taste again, her face flushed, she closed her eyes subconsciously, and drank the wine in the glass with her head tilted back.
When the wine entered her mouth, she was slightly surprised. This was not wine at all, but water. After opening her eyes, Mingyu saw Sima Hong's smiling face, sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, clear and handsome, and his eyes seemed to be blinking proudly. Mingyu couldn't help laughing, this idiot, she was not so delicate that she couldn't drink a sip of wine.
Her smile made Sima Hong's eyes turn red. He felt itchy inside and wanted to kick out all the troublesome people in the room and leave only him and Mingyu alone.
"Did you see that? Get out, everyone!" Sima Hong shouted, driving the crowd of onlookers out of his and Mingyu's new home. Madam Li walked last and told Mingyu to sit in the room first, then closed the door.
The yard was also filled with banquets, and the feast began after the group of people left. Mingyu listened to the noisy sounds of drinking games outside, but her own room was quiet. She looked around her new room, which seemed to have been newly painted, with bright red wedding characters pasted on it. The curtains were also bright red gauze curtains embroidered with embracing mandarin ducks, and the bedding was also a brand new red satin quilt. On the cabinet not far away, five brand new quilts were neatly stacked, and behind the door was a carved toilet tied with a bright red silk rope. The room was fully equipped with tables, chairs, and dressing tables.
Although this was an extraordinary period, all the necessary things for a wedding were available. Mingyu looked around and couldn't help but smile. Sima Wu had arrived only a few days earlier than them. These wedding items should have been purchased by Sima Hong who had gone to Lintong one by one. It was really difficult for him.
After a while, there was a knock on the door of the bridal chamber, and Li Xiang's voice rang out, "Miss, Miss?"
Mingyu was delighted and asked quickly, "Lixiang, why are you here?"
After Mingyu responded, Lixiang pushed the door open and came in, holding a large bowl in her hand. She smiled and said, "The young master asked me to come over and see you. The marquis said that you haven't eaten yet, young lady. I'll go to the kitchen and ask the chef who's in charge today to make a bowl of shredded pork noodles. Eat it while it's hot."
Although there were wine and food on the table, it was March and things would get cold after a while. There were few vegetables in the northwest at this time of year, and most of the dishes were greasy meat dishes. After getting cold, the oil would solidify into fat. Based on Sima Hong's understanding of Mingyu, she would definitely not eat it.
Mingyu was pulled out of bed by Lixiang before dawn. He hadn't even had a sip of hot water yet, but he could already smell the aroma of the hot noodle soup. He couldn't help but smile, "Lixiang, you still understand me the best."
Looking at Mingyu sitting at the table and eating noodles in small bites, Lixiang couldn't help but sigh and her eyes turned red. This house was not even one-tenth of the Anxi Marquis Mansion in Tianshui. She had inquired about it when she first came. Sima Hong had been living in the barracks before, and now that he was getting married, he cleaned up this small house with two entrances. The furniture and other things were all newly purchased. Not to mention the lack of things, not to mention the servants to serve.
Thinking about the fact that the girl she had raised so pampered would now have to do all the housework on her own even though she was the wife of a marquis, Lixiang burst into tears.
"Why are you crying?" Mingyu asked in surprise after swallowing the noodles.
Li Xiang wiped her face and whispered, "Miss, my son-in-law doesn't even have anyone to serve him. What will we do in the future?"
Mingyu also sighed. If there is no, then there is no. What else can be done? It is too late to regret now. The entire Xi'an Prefecture is a large military camp in a state of war readiness. It is good enough to be with Sima Hong. She saw that Madam Li and Madam Zhang also took care of their own housework. Now they can only start from the proletariat. "This home is just a temporary place to stay. Maybe we will move out in a month or two. It will be better in the future." Mingyu comforted Lixiang. She can wash clothes, make fire and cook. For more, she can only learn slowly in the future.
Li Xiang could only nod, hating that she couldn't stay and continue to take care of Mingyu.
"By the way." Mingyu said to Lixiang with a smile, "When you go back, don't tell my brother and my parents about how hard life is here. It would be bad to make them worry."
"Don't worry, young lady. This is natural." Lixiang's tears fell again. The girl had been married twice and her life was not easy. She only hoped that Mingyu would be able to turn bad luck around in the future and live a healthy and happy life.
When dusk came and the afterglow of the setting sun shone obliquely on the west windowsill, the sounds of drinking and playing drinking games outside gradually faded away.
Mingyu's dowry had been sent to the bridal chamber when she and Sima Hong got married. After Lixiang left, Mingyu spent the entire afternoon sorting out her things.
She put her clothes neatly into the closet, with Sima Hong's clothes taking up one side each. Looking at the closet, Mingyu suddenly realized that she was really married and that she and Sima Hong were husband and wife.
After a while, the door was pushed open and Sima Hong came in with a tray. Seeing Mingyu packing up, he couldn't help but raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Stop busying yourself and come and have something to eat."
On the tray were a bowl of white rice, a bowl of eggs and leeks, and a bowl of stir-fried lamb, all steaming hot and fragrant.
Seeing Mingyu's eyes looking at the food on the plate, Sima Hong couldn't help but get nervous. The Northwest is originally a bitter and cold place, unlike the capital and the south of the Yangtze River. Spring comes late, and at this time of year there is a gap between the harvests. The only edible vegetable is leeks. He was afraid that Mingyu would dislike it and regret it. She came all the way to Xi'an Prefecture, seeing the glory of being a marquis's wife, but what was waiting for her was such a hard life.
"You can use some of it first..." Sima Hong said, his tone flattering, "When the vegetables grow by the end of the month, it will be better to eat."