Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 530 - 0495: So Anxious to See, Do You Want to Know How Ugly You Are? (2)
Under the curious gaze of the onlookers, Li Yu En and Lou Chengye were surrounded by the Lou Family as they entered the mansion.
Several young men of the Lou Family accompanied Li Xingsheng at the back.
The newcomers had traveled a great distance, so the wedding ceremony did not proceed immediately.
According to the customs of the Lou Mansion, the newlyweds were to rest for a while, touch up their makeup, and then be escorted by the wedding maids to the main hall for the ceremony.
Lou Chengye gently tugged Li Yu En’s hand and whispered to her not to be afraid.
He had to separate from Li Yu En to go rest.
Li Yu En also whispered, "I’m not afraid."
Only then did Lou Chengye release her hand and follow his brothers, taking Li Xingsheng to rest.
As for the dowry of the Li Family, it was guarded by Liu Er and his two sons.
The carriage carrying the dowry had already arrived at the house, but the dowry had not been unloaded.
After the ceremony, it would be carried into the bridal chamber by the wedding maids.
The mules and horses were tied outside the mansion gate.
Li Yu En and Second Lady Liu, along with others, followed Lady Lou into a guest room.
Seated, Lady Lou laughed and said, "This room is filled with women; the bride need not keep her veil on, you may take it off."
Lady Lou had never seen Li Yu En since arriving at the Li Family. They had always kept Li Yu En mysteriously protected.
Lady Lou was curious about what Li Yu En looked like that made her young brother-in-law so insistent on marrying her.
She also wanted her sisters-in-law to have a look.
The embarrassment she suffered at the courtyard gate, she intended to redeem.
To her surprise, Li Yu En did not fall for it.
"Sister-in-law, is this Chengye’s request?" Li Yu En asked.
"N-no, it’s not. I was just worried for you, fearing you would feel stifled under the veil," Lady Lou answered awkwardly.
Li Yu En said, "You, being through this yourself, should surely know whether it’s suffocating or not. Did any of you lift your own veil in your time?"
In prominent families, it was the groom who unveiled, and no one else had the right to do so; the bride certainly couldn’t unveil herself in front of her husband’s family.
The room was filled with Lou family women, and if Li Yu En lifted her veil, she would be ridiculed as being frivolous and ignorant of propriety.
Li Yu En was unaware of the underlying stakes, but she stuck to one principle: following the rules was never wrong.
Her voice was sweet and gentle, seemingly harmless.
Yet her words were astute, leaving Lady Lou speechless.
Lady Lou’s face turned ugly.
Because she saw several sisters-in-law covering their mouths and snickering.
Their expressions seemed to say, look, trying to embarrass the newcomer, you ended up being laughed at, serves you right!
Lady Lou, furious, gritted her teeth.
At this point, Second Lady Liu said, "The bride needs to dress up now, please, ladies, give us a moment."
This was a way of asking them to leave.
Lady Lou, biting her lip, stood up and signaled her sisters-in-law, "Let’s head out and come back at the auspicious time to meet the bride."
"Let’s go."
The other Lou women exchanged looks and followed Lady Lou out into the outer room.
They would return when someone from the great hall came calling for them.
A servant served hot tea.
Second Lady Lou, wanting to irritate Lady Lou, smiled as she held her teacup, "Big Sister, what do you think of our fifth sister-in-law’s temperament?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
Lady Lou glanced at Second Lady Lou and smiled, "Oh, she’s a gentle girl." Whether it’s good or bad, why ask her? What, trying to avoid pitfalls? Dream on, she wouldn’t tell!
No, she doesn’t know either!
The fifth brother said that Second Miss Li was like a glutinous rice ball, with no temper, soft and gentle, but why did she faintly feel she wasn’t easy to deal with?
"Is that so? Then Fifth Brother is fortunate." Second Lady Lou laughed.
The other ladies laughed as well, everyone sipping their tea.
Behind the teacups, though, were glancing eyes, each with their own thoughts.
In the room, Second Lady Liu called Er Niu to stand by the door to listen.
She and San Niu began dressing Li Yu En’s makeup and hair.
Second Lady Liu was clever; although a village woman, she learned a thing or two from watching Great Princess Li Yuwen put on makeup for a few days. Though not a third as skilled as Li Yuwen, and far from Li Yuzhu, she was better than Li Yu En.
Li Yu En’s makeup skills were non-existent, quite terrible to behold.
Li Yu En possessed exquisite features, her brows and eyes like a painting, her skin white and tender. Without makeup, she was as delicate and fair as a lily petal, with makeup, she was like a blushing pink lotus petal, so tempting that one wanted to pinch it.
With today being a joyous occasion, she couldn’t present herself to her husband’s family with a plain white face.
Second Lady Liu opened the cloth bundle she carried, and using the hot water recently provided by the Lou Family, she washed Li Yu En’s face.
She opened the rouge box, carefully applying makeup to Li Yu En, and took an eyebrow pen to draw her eyebrows.
Standing aside to assist, San Niu watched with wide eyes, "Second Miss is truly beautiful."
Li Yu En smiled and said, "Really?"
She never thought she was good-looking. The most beautiful one in the family was her eldest sister, followed by Li Yuzhu, and she considered herself the ugliest.
"It’s true, I never lie. You’re prettier than the other four ladies of the Lou family," said Liu San Niu, rolling her eyes a little. "Each of them either looks dried up or dark and strong, or has a square face with small eyes, or a thin pointy face with a flat nose and yellowish hair. And yet they’re turning their eyes up at Second Miss Li; it’s laughable. Second Miss Li, after the wedding ceremony when you unveil your headcover, you ought to show them up a bit."
But to everyone’s surprise, Li Yu En said, "No, no, getting angry makes people ugly. I should smile. I’ve looked in the mirror; I look better when I’m smiling than when I’m angry."
That’s true. When she smiles, her eyebrows curve gently, and with her round, rosy face, she resembles a festive baby from a New Year’s painting.
Liu San Niu, knowing she is good-natured and hard to teach bad things, simply compromised. "Alright, just don’t lose your presence. When others look down on you, don’t say conciliatory words."
Regarding humility and submission, Li Yu En feared only her eldest sister Li Yuwen and her own parents, not anyone else.
She smiled and said, "I am not afraid of the Lou Family."
Liu San Niu laughed, "Right, we shouldn’t be afraid."
After finishing her makeup, Second Lady Liu redid Li Yu En’s hair, piece by piece adorned her with jewelry, and covered her head with the veil.
After a brief rest, outside the door, Lou Family’s eldest lady called loudly, "The auspicious time for the ceremony has arrived, let the bride and groom come out."
Second Lady Liu instructed Er Niu, "Open the door."
The door opened and Lady Lou, along with several younger sisters-in-law and some wedding maids, approached Li Yu En, "Bride, please."
This time, the Ladies of the Lou Family were no longer needed to support her; instead, the wedding maids would guide her to the ceremony.
Second Lady Liu, with Er Niu and San Niu, followed behind Li Yu En, and everyone gathered around her as they headed toward the main hall.
The open space in front of the main hall was filled with people.
There were servants of the Lou Family and guest’s masters and servants attending the feast.
Celebratory lanterns from the eaves and trees illuminated the surroundings brightly.
Everywhere was filled with a festive atmosphere.
In the courtyard, there were musicians playing joyous tunes.
Lou Chengye and several Mr. Lou, along with Li Xingsheng and others, came from another direction.
The wedding maids immediately grabbed a red silk ribbon, placing one end in Li Yu En’s hand and the other end in Lou Chengye’s hand.
Everyone escorted the couple into the main hall.
The pretending-to-be-sick Lady Lou could no longer keep up the act and unwillingly came to the main hall, supported by her maids.
Inside the hall, Prefect Lou was already seated at a higher position.
Lady Lou sat down on one side.
Li Xingsheng and some Mr. Lou stood on the men’s side, while Second Lady Liu brought her two nieces to stand with the womenfolk of the Lou Family beside Lady Lou.
As the bride and groom took their places, the ceremonial officer hired by the Lou Family began reciting blessings.
First bow to Heaven and Earth, second bow to the parents.
Lou Chengye turned to face his parents, with Lou Family’s eldest lady supporting Li Yu En as she turned as well.
Lady Lou, observing Li Yu En who was half a head shorter than her own eldest daughter-in-law, pursed her lips gently and darkened her expression.
Prefect Lou glanced at Li Xingsheng’s side, quickly adjusted his posture, and looked at Li Yu En with a broad smile.
After the second bow, it was time for the couple to bow to each other, and as the sound of joyful music played, the ceremonial officer recited the blessing, "Send the bride and groom to the bridal chamber."
Lou Family’s eldest lady handed Li Yu En to the wedding maids and stepped aside.
At last, she didn’t have to accompany a country girl anymore.
She needed to catch her breath.
The bride and groom followed the wedding maids as they left.
The onlooking guests and the servants of the Lou Family congratulated Prefect Lou and Lady Lou one after another.
Lady Lou complained about her headache again, instructing her maids to help her leave.
Prefect Lou looked displeased, but he couldn’t lose his temper and had to console kindly, "Madam, you’ve worked hard, rest well."
After receiving the guests’ congratulations, Prefect Lou came over and said to Li Xingsheng, "Li Erlang, you’ve traveled a long way and worked hard. If there’s anything in which our residence has been lacking, please don’t hesitate to say so."
Unexpectedly, the dignified Magistrate was so courteous.
Since he was polite, Li Xingsheng responded in kind, "Sir, you are too kind."
After the formalities, Prefect Lou ordered the banquet to begin.
.
In the bridal chamber, eager to see Li Yu En’s appearance, the ladies and maids of the Lou Family crowded the room tightly.
Lou Family’s eldest lady urged Lou Chengye to quickly use the scale bar to lift the headcover, "May everything be as you wish, Fifth Brother."
The onlooking servants wished for eternal harmony and a life together until old age.
Lou Chengye smiled, took the scale bar handed by Lou Family’s eldest lady, and lifted Li Yu En’s headcover.
Lou Chengye had long remembered Li Yu En’s appearance, prettier than his own sisters-in-law.
Were they in such a hurry to see how ugly she was?
When Li Yu En’s headcover was lifted, everyone was stunned.
Was this a country girl?
This was clearly a fairy!
