Chapter 368 Wedding Banquet
After breakfast on the second day, Chen Afu began to prepare.
In this dynasty, when a couple got married, the lunch was at the bride's house, and the dinner was at the groom's house. Some guests went to the groom's house in the afternoon, and the groom also took the bride to her husband's house in the afternoon.
Because Chu Lingxuan and Chen Afu had a special relationship with the Fu family, they would go early to show their support. In the morning, they looked at the dowry, had a lunch, watched the party in the afternoon, looked at the bride, and had a wedding banquet in the evening. The day was fully arranged.
Chen Afu didn't like to be in the limelight, and she didn't like to make friends with any noble ladies. But as Chu Lingxuan's wife, she had to integrate into that circle, even if she didn't like it. She knew that many people in the aristocratic circle liked to talk about her dual identities as an "illegitimate daughter" and a "country girl". This was her first time to publicly participate in a social event, and she had to dress up beautifully to shut up those people.
But seeing the round face and big belly in the mirror, the "pure and refined" she wanted most was impossible.
At this time, she couldn't wear a long jacket or a short jacket, as it would make her belly look bigger and her body fatter. She picked and chose in the closet for a while, but still had to wear the dress she had prepared yesterday.
A short dress with a smoky pink satin front opening, just below her belly, and a long red jacquard skirt. She also put on a translucent light-colored scarf to cover her belly.
A large golden phoenix hairpin with pearls was worn on the center of her head, and a small step-shaking with a jade crabapple pearl flower was inserted on each side. She also wore a jade headband and a pair of emerald green jade bracelets on her wrists.
This time, her makeup catered to the aesthetics of this era, and was more colorful.
Although this body was only seventeen years old, she looked more mature than her actual age because of her pregnancy. She had a beautiful face, and this kind of dress made her look noble and not complicated, as gorgeous as a crabapple flower blooming in the spring sun.
The dress had been fumigated with green leaf agarwood for a night, and the fragrance was light, beautiful and long. Although it is the end of summer now, the weather is still quite hot. This fragrance surrounds me, making me feel more refreshed.
At the same time, today is also the time to "rectify the name" of Miss Chu. Chu Hanyan, the eldest daughter of Chu Lingxuan, the prince of Yong'an Marquis's Mansion, is smart, gentle, quiet, and lovable, not the "crazy girl" in other people's mouths.
Mother Song took her clothes to the main courtyard for her to wear.
The little girl wore a short jacket with a light imperial concubine's color carved silk cross collar, a long skirt with a large hem in aquamarine soft satin, a belt tied around her chest, and a large imperial concubine's color bow tied. Only a few green-calyx plums were embroidered on the neckline and cuffs. The style was simple, unique, and beautiful.
Then, she was given a small Ruyi rabbit bag across her body. The whole bag was a rabbit head, with long ears, round eyes, a vermilion three-petal mouth, and a bow on one ear. There were a few candies and a handkerchief in the bag.
This is the doll and bag series designed by Chen Afu for Nishang Embroidery Workshop. While decorating the little girl, it also allows the little girl to advertise in the upper class.
A small jade fan-shaped hairpin and a few small pearl flowers are inserted on the head of the bag.
Finally, Chen Afu put a little rouge on the little girl's eyebrows.
After dressing up, the little girl looked in the mirror and was very beautiful. She bit her lips again and asked softly, "Mother, is it because my sister bit her lips that her lips are as red as if she had applied rouge?"
The beautiful little girl wanted to apply rouge, but her mother didn't let her. She seemed to have heard some girl say that if you bite your lips, your lips will turn red, so she thought about biting her lips.
Chen Afu smiled and said, "Ah, my daughter knows how to love beauty. Biting your lips can indeed make your lips redder, but it's best not to bite them, as it's easy to damage your lips, and the way you bite your lips doesn't look good. If someone sees you, it will be so ugly. Yan'er is very, very beautiful now, and there is no need to make her lips red."
The little girl didn't think about her lips after hearing this.
Chu Lingxuan was very satisfied to see such a mother and daughter.
At 9:00 p.m., Chu Lingxuan, Chen Afu, and Chu Hanyan set off.
Xiao Lixuan took the animal house to the lake to row a boat, so no one chased them. Dabao knew that they were going to a wedding banquet today, but he knew that learning was more important than a wedding banquet, so even if he wanted to go very much, he did not make this request.
When they arrived at the general's mansion, Chu Lingxuan took the long attendant with gifts to the front yard through the main gate, while Chen Afu's mother and daughter and other female relatives entered the corner gate and took a sedan chair to the inner courtyard.
They were taken directly to the flower hall, where Mrs. Fu was leading her eldest daughter-in-law, Grandma Fu, to greet the guests.
Chen Afu and her daughter walked in, and it was impossible not to attract attention, because they were too eye-catching. Many people stopped talking and looked at them.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the Fu family came up to greet them with a smile. Madam Fu smiled and said, "Oh, Madam Chu is so lucky to be pregnant with twins at once."
A lady who was nearly 30 years old came over and said, "Madam Fu is a good matchmaker." She smiled at Chen Afu, "Madam Chu, you don't know me yet. My name is Qin Jian." Chen Afu had heard of Qin Jian. He was a fourth-rank city gate leader and had a very good relationship with Chu Lingxuan. They were close friends.
Chen Afu quickly smiled and said, "It turns out to be Madam Qin. I often hear my uncle talk about General Qin."
Madam Qin smiled even more when she heard this.
Then, several women really praised Chu Hanyan.
Chu Hanyan was a little scared, but with her mother by her side, she still politely saluted the elders.
Chen Afu was helped by Grandma Fu to pay her respects to the old lady Fu who was sitting on the throne. The old lady Fu smiled and asked Chen Afu to sit down. She also called the little girl Chu who had been holding Chen Afu to her side and gave her a greeting.
The ladies who could sit next to Old Madam Fu were all older or of higher status. Chen Ahfu was not very old, but she was the wife of the son of the Marquis of Yong'an and the wife of a third-rank general. Her status here was not the highest, but it was not low either. She was pregnant, so she also had a seat.
Grandma Fu introduced the ladies here to her. There were the wives of the commanders and deputy generals who came from the capital, the wives of the generals and the wives of the lieutenants who came from the provincial capital, and so on. These were the families of military generals. There were also the wives of the governor of Shuntian Prefecture who came from the capital, the wives of the salt transport historian who came from the provincial capital, the wives of the prefect of Shizhou, and so on. These were the families of civil officials.
Now it is in ancient times. Unlike the past, there were cars. It took more than an hour to get two or three hundred miles. It takes a day's boat ride or nearly two days' carriage ride here. So many ladies can come from afar, which shows how big the face of the Fu family is.
They are all elders, at least in their thirties or forties, and there are even two in their fifties. Chen Ahfu is the youngest and has the youngest generation. She stood up and bowed to them.
These people also included Mrs. He, the wife of Deputy General He, and Jiang.
People like Mrs. Qin, who were not very old and whose husbands were not of high rank, would sit aside or in the side room tactfully.