The journey of the only child of a peasant family to take the imperial examination

Chapter 994 The New Bride Enters the House

After these questions, the servants had already prepared the meal.

Little Fish interrupted the conversation at the right moment, allowing everyone to take their seats and eat first.

Seeing that he had asked enough questions, Zhang Ping'an led the way to sit down in the flower hall.

After finishing their meal, it was still early, so Xiaoyuer washed up, changed her clothes, and then took the others out for a stroll.

The group returned late at night.

There weren't many people in the Zhang family mansion to begin with, and these people knew how to behave appropriately, so they didn't cause any big commotion.

The next morning, during breakfast, Zhang Ping'an reminded him, "Remember to visit the Li family today. The wedding is coming up soon, and we can't forget the proper etiquette."

Little Fish gently stirred the white porridge in the bowl and casually replied, "Okay, I'll go in a bit."

"Hmm," Zhang Ping'an nodded, then gently raised his chin and pointed to the side courtyard, asking in a low voice, "It's fine for them to stay in the mansion for a few days, but it's not appropriate to keep them here long-term. You know your grandparents and I both prefer quiet. With your vibrant nightlife, I don't want to interfere. It's better to keep it out of sight, out of mind. Besides, when the new daughter-in-law comes in, she'll inevitably have some thoughts when she sees this. It's better to avoid trouble."

"Understood!" Little Fish nodded. "Don't we have a big house in the east of the city? I plan to settle them there, so it will be more convenient for them to do things in the future."

"Okay, it's good that you know what you're doing," Zhang Ping'an said, feeling gratified that his son had arranged everything so well.

Perhaps it won't be long before this family can be handed over to their son to manage, and he can finally relax a bit.

Time passed slowly but surely, and more than ten days went by in the blink of an eye. Xiaoyuer had settled the seven people he had brought back into the house in the east of the city, and had Chibao arrange for people to teach them their words and deeds and how to do things.

Seeing that these people were gradually getting into the swing of things and would definitely become his right-hand men in the future, Xiaoyuer was very pleased. He then went to the Ministry of Personnel to report for duty ahead of time, so that he could go directly to the Hanlin Academy to work after getting married.

……

Finally, the wedding day arrived.

It was already late June, and the weather was getting hot. Little Fish had always disliked the heat, and the various matters and procedures for the wedding were very complicated, which made him very irritable.

After finally overcoming numerous obstacles to bring his new bride back from the Li family mansion, the gate and courtyard were teeming with well-wishers, leaving him no time to catch his breath.

When he was a child, Lazitou successfully became Xiaoyuer's number one lackey. Now he is still very observant. He didn't care about the excitement of the wedding. He took a break and handed Xiaoyuer a few cups of cold tea. Only then did Xiaoyuer suppress his anger and force a smile before leaving.

On the other side of the courtyard, the lavish dowry brought by the new bride was laid out to the side, and the servants were checking and verifying the gift list, making quite a grand spectacle.

The Zhang and Li families are among the most powerful newly emerging families in the court. From imperial relatives and high-ranking officials to local gentry and landlords near the capital, everyone gives them face, and indeed, many people come to visit.

Those whose status was insufficient would leave after offering their congratulations and gifts, while only those with close relationships would remain in the courtyard to chat for a few words.

As soon as Xiaoyuer turned around, he bumped into his cousin from the Qian family, who teased him: "People say that the wedding night and passing the imperial examination are the three great joys in life. You're something else, kid. It's only been less than three months, and you've already experienced two of those joys! Let me tell you, I'm going to make a ruckus in the wedding night tonight, so get ready!"

Little Fish smiled and said, "Sure, let's go!"

Cousin Qian had suffered a lot at Xiaoyuer's hands since childhood, and seeing his malicious smile made his arms tingle with goosebumps. "So generous, I bet you're up to no good! Humph, I'm not falling for it!"

"Whatever!" Little Fish was too lazy to deal with him; after all, he was one of their own.

After patting the other person on the shoulder, he went to his father's side to help with the socializing.

Zhang Ping'an, who has always preferred quiet, is now finding it hard to cope with such a grand occasion. He mainly feels that smiling is mentally exhausting, faking a smile is even more tiring, and he has no choice but to smile.

Seeing her son arrive, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Where have you been, you little rascal? Everyone was asking me where the groom was. How could you leave an old woman like me here to deal with him?!"

Xiaoyuer smiled and returned the greetings from the congratulatory crowd with a dignified expression, while muttering a complaint to his father in a low voice: "I didn't expect so many people to come. What's the point of so many unrelated people coming to congratulate me? It's completely unnecessary. You've had a hard day today, but it's just this once, hang in there!"

After saying that, he looked up and around, and asked, "Where are Grandpa and Grandma?"

“They’re in the main room. It’s so hot, we can’t let the old couple come out. Your grandma just drank her granddaughter-in-law’s tea and she’s very excited right now. It’s like their wish has been fulfilled!” Zhang Ping’an replied in a moment.

The feast did not begin until the sun was high in the sky and the auspicious hour had arrived.

Zhang Ping'an and his son were finally able to catch their breath.

Watching his son navigate the crowd with ease, accompanied by servants and attendants, already behaving like an adult, Zhang Ping'an suddenly felt a surge of deep emotion.

There's also a strong sense of accomplishment!

When I was little, I was just a tiny little bean, but now I can stand on my own two feet. Perhaps this is the meaning of inheritance.

The older he got, the more he understood Zhang Lao Er's feelings as a father.