Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 187

Chapter 187: Sister-in-Law

Meng Jie and An Chengye had gotten up even earlier and were already in the main hall discussing the details of An Xu’s wedding procession.

When they had finished their discussion, An Zhi arrived at the main hall.

“Alright, it’s about time to go out and welcome the bride.” An Chengye patted his son’s shoulder. He hadn’t spent much time raising An Xu, and now, seeing his son about to marry, he suddenly realized how little he knew about him and felt a pang of guilt.

An Zhi escorted her brother outside, whispering instructions along the way: “The Princess is old-fashioned, so just follow the rituals. Also, there will definitely be gatekeepers during the procession. Don’t try to meticulously follow every rule; it’s important to arrive on time. If you encounter unexpected problems, just give them some extra red envelopes.”

An Xu had already heard these words from his father, and now, hearing them from his sister, he felt that getting married was even more difficult than going to war.

Seeing her brother frowning, An Zhi hurriedly said, “Today is your big day. You should smile more.”

An Xu nodded, told An Zhi to go back, and then rode out the gate to meet the bride.

An Zhi stood at the entrance of the An Mansion, turning around to see the brightly decorated courtyard, full of festive atmosphere. She smiled softly. “Mother, my brother is getting married!” When her mother was alive, since An Zhi’s marriage was already arranged, her mother often talked about her brother’s marriage, wondering which girl would marry into their family.

Now that her brother’s marriage was settled, her mother can rest in peace in the afterlife.

On her way back to the main courtyard, An Zhi walked slowly.

The corridors of the manor were decorated with festive banners and red lanterns. Every twenty or thirty steps, there were maids and servants waiting to assist guests. Many of the guests today were unfamiliar with the layout of the mansion, so these people were there to guide the ladies.

However, the An family couldn’t mobilize enough people, so they borrowed many from the Bai family and the An clan.

Today’s banquet wasn’t divided into separate areas; instead, male and female guests sat on opposite sides, with a walkway in the middle.

When guests arrived, they could have tea and chat in the main hall, enjoy the snow and recite poems in the garden, listen to opera in the tower, or play archery in the courtyard.

The first to arrive was the Qian family. Some relatives from their hometown in Huai Prefecture also came, but they had never been to such grand events and couldn’t handle the wedding preparations, so the Bai couple had to help.

Not long afterward, Madam An also arrived with her two children. As a widow, Madam An was not in a position to help with the reception, so she went to the backyard to drink tea. As for the other people in the Li Mansion who had not yet arrived, Li Sihui whispered to An Zhi that they would come in time to check the wedding.

An Zhi didn’t care about the rest of the Li family; frankly, she didn’t have any relationship with them.

After that, more and more guests arrived, and An Zhi became busier than ever. Li Sihui followed her, helping with directions and carrying things. The little girl had become much more mature after the recent changes in the family, and she didn’t complain about being tired at all. When the wedding procession returned, Li Sihui quietly whispered to her cousin, “Cousin, Princess Huiping is so fierce! How will your brother ever be able to handle her?”

Others around An Zhi were also whispering about An Xu and Princess Huiping.

Some thought it was a pity for Princess Huiping, saying that with her high status, she should have married someone with a stronger background than An Xu.

Others worried for An Xu, saying that Princess Huiping was the most headstrong woman in the capital and that with such a wife, he would have to cater to her every whim, making it difficult to even go out.

Everyone gossiped about it.

An Zhi thought they were just meddling; it was their brother’s and the princess’s life, not theirs. Whether it was good or bad, it had nothing to do with them. But since the matter was there, there would be people who would talk about it.

An Zhi turned to Li Sihui and said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask the bride or groom?”

“I wouldn’t dare!” Li Sihui was just curious; how could she possibly ask the princess or her cousin? That would be incredibly rude.

Princess Huiping had no brothers, so her cousin led the way. The bride and groom, each holding one end of a red ribbon, entered the main hall.

An Zhi watched her brother perform the traditional wedding ceremony, deeply moved. She silently prayed that her brother would have a happy and fulfilling marriage.

As her gaze lingered on the wedding hall, she caught a glance of a passionate look from the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw Pei Que standing opposite her.

An Zhi had been busy all day, so she didn’t notice when Pei Que arrived.

Now, as she met Pei Que’s gentle smile, An Zhi felt her face flush. Pei Que didn’t seem to want to look away, staring at her through the crowd.

An Zhi didn’t know that after witnessing An Xu’s wedding ceremony, Pei Que had already vowed in his heart to give her an even grander wedding.

After the wedding ceremony, the bride would be sent to the bridal chamber.

Meng Jie, the mother-in-law, was an older woman, and it wasn’t appropriate for An Zhi, as a younger relative, to directly serve her. So, An Zhi, as the sister-in-law, went to the bridal chamber to keep the princess company.

The ladies and young women stayed in the bridal chamber for a while, offering their congratulations, then discreetly left. After all, the bride was the daughter of the Grand Princess, and no one wanted to overstep their boundaries.

Finally, only An Zhi remained. She poured a cup of hot tea for the princess. “Your Highness, the banquet outside will last most of the day. Please have a sip of tea to relax, and I’ll get you some snacks to tide you over. Otherwise, you’ll be too hungry when my brother arrives later.”

Through the red veil, An Zhi couldn’t see the princess’s expression. After handing her the tea, she turned to tell Binglu to fetch some pastries. Huiping took a sip of hot tea, regaining some energy, and sighed, “Getting married is truly exhausting.”

An Zhi agreed, finding the whole process tiring. From the engagement ceremony to the wedding itself, with all the rituals and traditions, the groom had to entertain guests all day, and while the bride didn’t have to greet guests, sitting around all day in elaborate headdresses and clothing was tiring too.

“By the way, An Zhi,” Huiping smiled suddenly, “you shouldn’t call me ‘Princess’ anymore.”

“Why?” An Zhi asked, then immediately understood what Huiping meant. “I understand. You’re marrying into our family, so you’ll be my sister-in-law.” She bowed respectfully. “Hello, sister-in-law.”

“My dear sister, I’ll give you a big red envelope tomorrow!” Huiping had been looking forward to this day for a long time. Her mother had already arranged everything she needed for her new life in her husband’s family, so she didn’t have to worry about anything.

Binglu entered carrying a food tray with six kinds of exquisite pastries. Since Huiping’s veil couldn’t be lifted until An Xu arrived, An Zhi offered to serve her the snacks.

After Huiping finished eating, An Zhi, who was about to go out to greet guests, told her, “I’ve stationed a maidservant outside the bridal chamber. If you need anything, you can send her to me.”

“Go ahead, I don’t need anything.” Huiping didn’t have anything for An Zhi to do; she was just impatient, eager for time to pass. “By the way, is it dark outside yet?”

“Not yet,” An Zhi smiled. “It’ll be dark in another hour or so.”

“Then… tell your brother to drink less wine,” Huiping said.

“Okay,” An Zhi replied, sensing the joy and anticipation in Huiping’s words. She thought to herself, “How wonderful!”