Chapter 215

　”It looks so good! Is this really for drinking? How much longer do we have to wait? I’m so envious of you guys. It looked so fun! I can’t wait, next time I bring you home, I want to have a blast at your wedding banquet too, and have my junior brother give me a performance!” After receiving the rainbow wine and happily tasting it, Yue Lingshan complained with envy, even urging them to get married so she could experience a similar wedding banquet.

　　”It won’t be that fast. We’ll probably have to match couplets and solve riddles. There’ll be a long wait. But the wedding banquet is really fun. My sister and I have no chance, but Yu Yan or Hai Tang might have a chance. By the way, Ling Shan, are you hungry?” Xue Qianxun, who had come to bring food and drinks, was now accompanying Yue Ling Shan, who was still wearing her red veil, in the new house as part of her dowry.

　　This cover cannot be removed by oneself; it’s considered unlucky. It must remain covered until the groom uses a special wooden stick to pry it open, after which the bride can reveal herself properly. Then comes the nuptial wine ceremony and the wedding night.

　　Of course, the professional term is definitely not “wooden stick,” and it doesn’t necessarily refer to all sticks.

　　In ancient times, marriage usually included a step where the bride’s veil was lifted.

　　The stick used to lift the veil is called a scale beam, also known as a wedding scale.

　　In ancient times, the tools used to lift the veil typically included a steelyard balance and a jade ruyi (a type of scepter).

　　Jade was typically used by the wealthy, while ordinary people used a scale rod to lift the veil.

　　A jade ruyi and a scale beam symbolize satisfaction.

　　At the same time, auspicious words are spoken when the veil is lifted.

　　1. Lift the red veil, and your heart will be intoxicated. Lift the red veil, and we’ll hold hands for life. Lift the red veil, and you’ll never tire of the wine. Lift the red veil, and your sweetness will last forever.

　　2. Lift the veil, and we’ll be happy together. When the veil falls, we’ll enjoy wealth and prosperity, be a perfect couple, and have a son soon.

　　3. On the scales of the six stars of the Southern Dipper, fortune, prosperity, longevity, and happiness gather, auspicious omens descend from heaven tonight, and the beautiful bride is revealed when the red brocade is unveiled.

　　4. Remove the lid, and the loving couple turns white. Get a close look at the couple’s charm. The handsome man holds the golden ruler and the Seven Sages. Open the red brocade to see the peony. Lift the lid of the newlyweds, and the newlyweds will have money and wealth.

　　5. The groom lifts the veil three times: left for good fortune and wealth, right for satisfaction, and middle for a house full of gold and jade.

　　6. The scale beam is golden, the scale beam is bright, the scale beam brings good fortune, the left side brings wealth, the right side brings good luck, and the middle side brings a house full of gold and jade.

　　7. Choose the most beautiful and fragrant, then choose the one that satisfies you, and finally choose the one that brings good fortune and happiness to the wedding hall.

　　8. The small steelyard is black and shiny, used to cover the bride’s head. First be a daughter-in-law, then a head of the household; first be a virtuous daughter-in-law, then a mother-in-law with many children and grandchildren. The steelyard is placed on the ground to buy land, the steelyard leans against the wall.

　　Now, Xue Qianxun is coming in first to accompany the bride, as part of her dowry. Later, Lin Shiyin will come in with Dongfang Bai and Xue Keren, mainly to supervise and execute the subsequent procedures and ceremonies. It can’t be the bride or groom reciting these auspicious words, can it?

　　The biggest difference between wealthy families and ordinary families is that wealthy families have dowries. The dowry helps with the wedding night process. Simply put, it is an auxiliary tool for the newlyweds. This is why the young masters and lords of wealthy families often take their wives’ dowries into their homes and make them concubines.

　　The reason why mistreating a female servant was a serious crime in this era, akin to incest, is precisely because of this.

　　”Brother Lu, that’s enough. If you keep going like this, I’m going to unleash some of my most powerful moves.”

　　”Oh, then I’d like to see what other tricks you have up your sleeve.” Lu Xiaofeng, who was currently making merry at the wedding night and had no intention of letting Zhang Weihai leave, was clearly intrigued. He wanted to see just how powerful this trick was.

　　Xue Bing and Gongsun Lan were watching the spectacle, finding it quite amusing.

　　Xue Bing didn’t appear with Lu Xiaofeng; the two were currently having a falling out. Gongsun Lan was the gift she gave today, ostensibly a sword dance, one of the three wonders of the Tang Dynasty—a truly high-class and generous present.

　　”Brother Lu has probably drunk quite a bit of ordinary fine wine, but I wonder if he has ever experienced ‘Burning Cloud’?” Zhang Weihao had plenty of ways to deal with an old drunkard like Lu Xiaofeng, so he thought of “Burning Cloud”.

　　”Fire clouds, what is that?” Rainbow wine had already broadened his horizons, but what were these fire clouds? They sounded quite unusual.

　　Zhang Weihao instructed Mei Jian to fetch ice, then added the ice to a transparent glass, poured in a Maotai-like sauce-flavored liquor, and finally lit it. The flames, stimulated by the alcohol, began to burn wildly.

　　”This is the Fiery Clouds, also known as the Ice and Fire Double Heaven. Dare to drink it?” Zhang Weihao said, pointing to the burning wine glass in front of him.

　　”Are you kidding me? This stuff is really edible?” Lu Xiaofeng swallowed hard. Even with his extensive knowledge, he had never heard of such a way of drinking it.

　　Zhang Weihao picked up the wine glass, opened his mouth wide, and drank it all in one gulp. He truly drank the fiery wine, and with a look of enjoyment, he let out a long breath. His breath was like an arrow, and the white mist blew out for more than ten meters, like a sharp blade. Ye Gucheng, Ximen Chuixue, and Gongsun Lan’s eyes lit up.

　　”You’re impressive, but can an average person really hold their liquor?” Lu Xiaofeng had always admired Zhang Weihao’s skill and strength, but when it came to drinking, he had never been convinced by anyone in his life. Xiaoyuer had been unconvinced earlier, but now he was lying there unconscious.

　　”The fire isn’t as intense as you might imagine. However, it’s normal to feel a bit uncomfortable in your throat the first time you drink it. But it’s an absolutely delicious experience, and it would be a shame for a wine lover not to savor and enjoy it properly.”

　　”Give me a cup too, I want to see how intense this ‘Fiery Clouds’ is.” As the main force in today’s wedding night festivities, Lu Xiaofeng has a very thick skin, so he really took on the challenge.

　　”Mmm… Hoo… Hoo… Wow… So refreshing… Drinking like this… It’s really refreshing.” Lu Xiaofeng, who was experiencing the fiery clouds for the first time, naturally found it very exciting. And it was indeed as Zhang Weihao said, it wasn’t really hot, and it wasn’t even as exciting as drinking boiling water. The taste was a bit strange, but quite interesting.

　　”Is this really drinkable?”

　　”It’s drinkable, quite refreshing, not as scary as I imagined. It’s not even as bad as boiled water that’s been left to sit for a while.”

　　”It must be put into your mouth as soon as it is lit. It is still dangerous to leave it for too long, and the taste will also deteriorate. It is best to drink it within an hour.”

　　Xue Bing looked at it and still felt a little scared. She pulled her older sister and said, “My sister and I will just drink these rainbow wines and juices. These are delicious enough.”

　　”Yes, I’m glad you like it.”

　　After Zhang Weihao finished speaking, he raised his glass to Gongsun Lan. Although they hadn’t talked much today, they had at least gotten to know each other. After all, she had come to lend a helping hand.

　　Seeing that it was getting late and that the most troublesome Lu Xiaofeng had been dealt with, Zhang Weihao got up to say goodbye and left with Lin Shiyin and the others, intending to complete his wedding night celebration.

　　After all, this was truly his first time consummating his marriage.

　　”Big sister, what do you think of him?” Xue Bing teased her older sister, who seemed distracted and whose eyes never left Zhang Weihao.

　　”Pretty good. That breath control technique he used just now is quite impressive. It was also a warning to us that trying to force him to drink is pointless; he can expel the alcohol from his body at any time, just like he did.”

　　”So that’s what it means. Ling Shan is so lucky.” Xue Bing said, then immediately gave Lu Xiaofeng, who was drinking and trying out a new way of drinking with a group of cronies, a terrifying look that looked like she wanted to kill someone.