Chapter 674: Chapter 661: Slapping the Transmigrator (Part 16)
Lu Gui also felt embarrassed.
But he couldnât contradict his mother, and if she gave so much, what could he do?
Lu Gui squatted on the ground, clutching at his hair in silence.
What should have been a day of great joy turned into the couple huddling together and worrying, with not an ounce of festive atmosphere.
That wasnât the end of it; after a while, a few of Anningâs cousins from the other branches of the Xiao Family came looking for her.
These cousins were all married and came to discuss with Xiao Daya about how much to give as wedding gifts.
Their reasoning was that since Xiao Daya is Xiao Yuanâs sister, they would have to consult Xiao Daya on the amount so as not to surpass what siblings would give.
The Xiao Jin Family and Xiao Yin Family might have their differences verbally, but at essential times, they still knew how to handle things clearly.
Plus, all these families were sharp-eyed and could see that Xiao Yuanâs prospects were on the rise; who wouldnât want to cozy up to him a bit?
After all, his family was soon to be counted among the wealthy and noble. If they didnât cozy up now, they might not have the chance later.
Therefore, those cousins wanted to give a larger amount for the wedding gift this time.
Xiao Dongniu, the eldest among the cousins, asked Xiao Daya: "How much are you giving this time? Tell us an amount, and weâll go back and discuss it. We canât surpass what youâre giving."
Xiao Daya was in a tight spot.
She rubbed her hands: "Give whatever you want to give, donât mind me. Over here... thereâs a bit of an issue."
After sending the cousins away, Xiao Dayaâs expression grew even more troubled.
She felt truly put on the spot and at that moment harbored a bit of resentment towards Lu Sanbaoâs family.
There really was no solution, and Xiao Daya didnât dare to bring this matter up to Ms. Ping.
If Ms. Ping found out, she would likely turn the world upside down.
So, Xiao Daya found a moment to look for Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan was also incredibly busy now, with many friends he cultivated coming over, and besides, he had also done a few deals recently. It wasnât only the illustrations, but his storybooks were selling well too; the bookstore owner who knew about his wedding naturally joined in the excitement.
Furthermore, Xiao Yuan had collaborations with Silver Tower besides several independent merchants, all of whom also showed up.
Apart from these, the diverse group of friends he had made would surely come as well.
Just welcoming these people was enough to keep him extremely busy, not to mention the relatives from both the Xiao Family and the Ping Family. From dawn till now, he had been on his feet without rest.
When Xiao Daya pulled him aside, Xiao Yuan, while walking, still reminded Xiao Jin Familyâs son Xiao Lin, who had come to help: "Brother, set up two more tables in the courtyard later, I see we might be running short of seats. Remember to remind the Shopkeeper of the restaurant again, we must treat our guests well."
Xiao Lin waved his hand: "Alright, I got it. You hurry on."
Xiao Daya pulled Xiao Yuan to one side, and before she could speak, her eyes reddened. If it werenât for the thought that crying would be inappropriate on Xiao Yuanâs wedding day, she might have already burst into tears: "A Yuan, my mother-in-law only gave your brother-in-law twenty copper coins, how am I supposed to give a wedding gift with that? I..."
She rubbed her eyes, holding back the tears: "I really donât know what to do. I canât present those copper coins with any dignity."
Xiao Yuan was truly busy at the moment and didnât have the time to ponder Xiao Dayaâs problem. From his wallet, he took out some broken silver and put it into Xiao Dayaâs hand: "Sister, take this for now. Letâs just get through this matter, and weâll talk about it later, alright?"
Xiao Daya nodded: "Okay, Iâll consider this money borrowed and Iâll repay you later."
Xiao Yuan gestured dismissively: "Whether you repay it or not is secondary; the main thing is the other issues. Wait until these few days pass, donât bring your husband, just come over yourself, and weâll discuss it properly."
Xiao Dayaâs mood finally improved a bit.
She thought to herself that her brothers were reliable after all, definitely more so than her husband and son.
Living with someone like Lu Gui was indeed exhausting, constantly giving her heartache, and he was indecisive in everything. She had to consult her family for any matter. Getting married seemed to have made her life even more tiring.
However, with the silver Xiao Yuan gave her, Xiao Daya managed to resolve her predicament.
She discussed with Xiao Dongniu and the others, and in the end, Xiao Daya contributed a gift of two taels of silver, and Xiao Dongniu and the others each gave one tael.
Donât underestimate these one or two taels; in the homes of the wealthy and influential, it might not be much, but for ordinary families, this amount of money was quite significant.
Hustling and bustling, the feast was arranged, and Xiao Yuan went to offer toasts again before he finally had time to head to the bridal chamber to lift the veil.
Xiao Yuanâs friends, along with the younger brothers from the Xiao Family, also followed to tease in the bridal chamber.
Once inside, the young men like Xiao Sen started to clamor, "Hurry up and lift the veil; we want to see what our sister-in-law looks like."
When it was time to lift the veil, Xiao Yuan indeed felt a bit nervous.
His palms were sweaty; he rubbed his hands hard before he picked up the rod to lift the veil.
As the veil was lifted, Anning looked up at Xiao Yuan. Her body was naturally endowed with a peach-like beauty, and today she had made an extra effort with her makeup. As she looked up, her eyes, sparkling like autumn water, with the ends slightly upturned, and her cheeks tinted with rouge, made her look even more captivating and soul-stirring.
At her glance, everyone in the room fell silent.
Xiao Yuan also froze for a long moment before coming back to his senses.
The young men felt their hearts pounding so hard that it seemed they might leap out of their chests, their whole bodies tensing up and breaking out in sweat.
Some were even afraid to look at Anning again, worried that the bride might bewitch their souls.
Xiao Yuan stepped in front of Anning and waved at the crowd teasing the bridal chamber, "Alright, youâve all seen the bride now, time to go, donât be a nuisance here."
Everyone burst into laughter, and no one insisted on playing pranks in the bridal chamber anymore.
Mainly because the bride was so stunningly beautiful, and her presence was so imposing, that everyone dared not to make a fuss anymore, and they felt embarrassed to do so.
Xiao Yuanâs friends, especially Wang Huzi and the others, laughed, "Alright, weâll leave now, everyone leave, let Brother Xiao and the sister-in-law have some intimate time."
Xiao Yuan made a respectful gesture, "Gentlemen, thereâs wine and food outside, please enjoy to your heartsâ content. I wonât be coming out, so please forgive me if thereâs anything lacking."
Seeing that Xiao Yuan no longer knew the way out after seeing the bride, who didnât understand what that meant? Everyone left amidst chuckles and laughter.
In no time at all, there wasnât a soul left in the room.
Xiao Yuan looked at the few maids still standing in the room and waved them off too, "You girls go rest in the side room for a while, your mistress and I have things to talk about."
Moli and the others also retreated, giggling.
Xiao Yuan closed the door, walked over to Anning, and before anything else, he stole a quick kiss on her shoulder.
"Are you hungry? I can go to the kitchen and prepare some dishes for you."
Anning pulled Xiao Yuan back, "Earlier, big sister brought some food over, Iâm not hungry. Sit down, letâs have a chat."
She noticed Wentian Xiao Yuan smelled of alcohol, "Have you been drinking?"
Xiao Yuan smiled and sat down next to Anning, "I drank a little, not too much, donât worry, I wonât get drunk."
Anning relaxed completely, leaning on Xiao Yuanâs shoulder, "Then sit for a while, and Iâll take a quick nap too. I was dragged up in the middle of the night and canât stop yawning now."