How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Chapter 212 Wedding Banquet (2)

Yan Ru went straight to Old Madam Guo and handed over the congratulatory gift. "Madam, it's a joyous occasion for you today. Your grandson is getting married, and I'm sure you'll soon be able to hold your great-grandson."

The old lady couldn't stop smiling. Although she preferred her eldest grandson Guo Zixing, Guo Ziyou was also her own grandson, so she was especially happy today.

"Alright, alright, good child, here you go and take the red envelope."

Song Yuanliang and Xin Wuhui also stepped forward to present their congratulatory gifts and said a few auspicious words, which made Old Madam Guo very happy.

Looking at the first wife with a stiff smile, Yan Ru felt sympathy, but had no choice but to brace herself and deal with the second wife.

"Greetings, Mrs. Guo. Congratulations on your marriage to your son, and may you soon have a son."

The second wife smiled reservedly and didn't say anything. Instead, Guo Huaitong thanked her on her behalf, "You must be Miss Lü Er. I've only met your older sister. She's a very nice person. Thank you for coming to congratulate me today. However, my mother is not well, so I won't exchange any more pleasantries."

Yan Ru naturally didn't mind. "I was the one who bothered you. There are many things to do today for this joyous occasion, so I won't disturb you any longer."

Guo Huaitong watched with a smile as Yan Ru went to find the First Madam, her eyes full of inquiry.

When did such a beauty appear in Sifang City? Guo Huaitong never judged people by their appearance, because she herself resembled the second wife and was not good-looking, so she always boasted about her virtue and abilities. But seeing Yan Ru today, she actually felt ashamed of herself.

Yan Ru, in particular, possessed an elegant and refined demeanor, which naturally inspired a sense of apprehension in others.

However, Guo Huaitong glanced at it a few times and then put it down. After all, Yan Ru had a male companion, but he had just overlooked it and hadn't looked closely to see who it was.

Moreover, her main task today was to help the second wife entertain the guests, so she quickly forgot about the banquet.

When Yanru found the First Madam, she saw that her expression was calm but with a hint of bitterness, and knew that she was not really happy.

After all, Yanru herself was also worried about her sister, so she and the First Madam shared the same plight and quickly hit it off.

It was a pity for Song Yuanliang and Xin Wuhui. Two grown men had nothing to talk about with two women, so they could only stare at each other and drink tea in frustration.

Yan Ru had just glanced around and saw that the inner courtyard alone had at least twenty tables set up, not to mention the outer courtyard—it was truly extravagant. However, the two families involved in the marriage were among the wealthiest in Sifang City, so this kind of pomp and circumstance was quite normal.

After talking with the first wife for a while, the wedding began.

The noisy scene quieted down for a while, and then the newlyweds were welcomed in to perform the wedding ceremony.

However, the moment the bride, Zheng Peilan, appeared, the room fell silent. Zheng Peilan wore a white gown, layers upon layers of sheer fabric, like swirling clouds, embroidered with whole, vibrant red roses. The elegant European court dress design accentuated her slender waist, and the voluminous skirt made her look like a royal princess just emerged from a castle.

Nowadays, fashionable people love to have Western-style weddings, but most of them are held in churches. This is the first time I've seen someone dressed up like this and wearing a wedding dress to the ceremony.

It looked rather incongruous and out of place.

But even though the guests found it strange, no one mentioned it. Instead, they applauded and praised it.

"It's so beautiful and unique. No wonder she's a daughter who studied abroad."

"A wedding combining Chinese and Western elements is unprecedented, and it may set a precedent for something new."

"This material is obviously very valuable and extremely luxurious."

"No wonder she's the daughter-in-law of the Marshal's mansion; she has such unique taste."

...

Hearing these comments, Zheng Peilan couldn't help but feel smug. It seemed marrying Guo Ziyou hadn't been a mistake; look, those who had humiliated her not long ago were now all praising her.

This bizarre wedding was her doing. Just like Zhao Gao pointing at a deer and calling it a horse in ancient times, she was going to try it out today. Now that she was the daughter-in-law of the warlord's mansion, even if she did something outrageous, would anyone still dare to point fingers at her?

As it turned out, she made the right bet. No one criticized her; all they did was shower her with praise.

She almost laughed inwardly, laughing at the guests' skill in flattering her, and at her own pathetic state, how her reputation had undergone such a dramatic reversal simply because she got married.

Isn't this more useful than opening ten art galleries?

Zheng Peilan took Guo Ziyou's hand and walked step by step toward the main seat.

As long as she kowtows to Commander Guo today, she can walk around Sifang City with impunity from now on.

At that moment, Zheng Peilan felt an indescribable sense of pride.

Guo Ziyou also had a smile on his face, but he didn't find the guests' praise pleasant at all; on the contrary, he found it annoying.

He only found out that Zheng Peilan was dressed like this when he went to the Zheng family's door to pick her up. All the clothes and jewelry he had been asked to prepare had been burned. Only then did he realize that Zheng Peilan had tricked him. But when the time came, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and welcome Zheng Peilan into the house.

Therefore, every exclamation of praise from the guests felt like a slap in his face, so how could he possibly smile?

Dressed like that, Zheng Peilan obviously couldn't step over the brazier, so Guo Ziyou had to carry her through each doorway.

The two finally arrived in front of Old Madam Guo. Commander Guo said that he had urgent business to attend to in another place, so Old Madam Guo would preside over the wedding ceremony today.

She was the matriarch of the Guo family, so no one dared to object.

After leading Zheng Peilan to pay respects to Heaven and Earth and their ancestors, the ceremony was considered complete, and the banquet officially began.

Yan Ru, being close by, saw their expressions clearly and felt a sense of unease.

Due to the occasion, he could not say anything, and could only bury his head in his food while watching the song and dance with Song Yuanliang and Xin Wuhui.

After the song and dance performance ended, several acrobatic performers took over.

Guo Ziyou then led Zheng Peilan, who had changed her clothes, out to offer a toast.

Perhaps the two had a disagreement; in any case, although they were smiling, they did not make any intimate gestures, but simply greeted their relatives and friends.

Zheng Peilan had just made a stunning appearance in a court-style wedding dress. Now, she has changed into a dignified bright red cheongsam, and her hair has been restyled into a lady's bun. However, the dress and makeup don't quite match. Although both are beautiful, they are not harmonious.

Even Song Yuanliang found this strange and couldn't help but lean close to Yan Ru's ear and say, "This couple is really strange."

Yan Ruwei nodded almost imperceptibly, then stuffed pastries into Song Yuanliang's mouth.

During the meal, the First Madam did not sit at the same table as Yanru, because no matter what, she was a junior.

The first wife moved to another table. Judging from her appearance, she must be on good terms with the warlord, a pillar of the city.

Guo Ziyou first offered a toast to his elders, including his own, and then he offered the first cup of wine to Master Song.

“Uncle Song, you don’t usually attend banquets, but this time I’m honored to have you here.”

Zheng Peilan added, "Indeed! I rarely see Uncle Song attend banquets; it's truly a rare sight these days."

Guo Ziyou glared at Zheng Peilan unhappily, wondering why she was being sarcastic again.

Actually, Zheng Peilan was motivated by a desire to vent her anger. Her first choice was the Song family, but Song Yuanliang always avoided her, causing her to lose face.

Who would have thought that she was so blessed, and instead of marrying Guo Zixing, she married Guo Ziyou.

Hmph, that's even better. She's two years older than Guo Ziyou, so she's definitely coming out ahead. Besides, no matter how rich the Song family is, they're just merchants. She has no choice but to vent her anger.

Master Song's smile didn't reach his eyes; he simply said, "I wonder why the Commander-in-Chief hasn't arrived yet. Perhaps he's worried about the young master? Oh, I didn't mean to bring it up, please don't take offense."

Who is Master Song? How could he possibly anger Zheng Peilan? He brought up Guo Zixing in an even more sarcastic tone, both to speculate that Commander Guo was dissatisfied with them and to remind the guests that Zheng Peilan and Guo Zixing had once dated.

Zheng Peilan's face darkened upon hearing this, but she quickly regained her stiff smile. "You don't need to worry about our family matters. My father-in-law has his reasons, which are not for outsiders to guess."

Guo Ziyou glared at her, then immediately put on a smile, "Uncle Song, Peilan was in high spirits today and said something inappropriate. Please don't take offense."

Without even standing up, Master Song nodded and said good-naturedly, "Of course, of course. My nephew is right. It's only been three days since the wedding, and I misspoke today. I wish you a happy marriage and many children."

Master Song offered a way out, and Guo Ziyou quickly accepted it.

He hasn't even become a young marshal yet, and Zheng Peilan has already offended people for him like this. This isn't like her at all.

Is there something he doesn't know about?