Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter 366: The Wedding

At the Shen residence, firecrackers crackled and drums resounded above the plaque adorned with embroidered balls, as people came and went in a continuous stream. Shen's father, his complexion ruddy, seemed to have been rejuvenated in a final burst of energy, appearing more than ten years younger. He stood at the entrance to greet the distinguished guests.

Today is Shen Bin's wedding day. He has been looking forward to this day for many years, and he is overwhelmed with excitement. His greatest wish was to withdraw from the court intrigues, and now that it has come true, Shen Bin's marriage has become his source of worry.

Shen Bin was someone he had raised himself, and he knew his temperament best. On the surface, he was gentle and refined, like a refined young man, but in reality, he was full of worries, yet he never liked to talk about them. He was actually an optimistic person, but because he lost his mother at a young age, he appeared somewhat melancholic, which troubled him greatly.

"Lord Shen, your son is having a joyous occasion today, congratulations!" A sudden burst of voices pulled Shen's father back to reality. Several people offered their congratulations, and Shen's father immediately replied, "I share your joy. Thank you all for attending my son's wedding. Please come to the inner room; I am temporarily unable to attend, please forgive me."

"It's alright...it's alright." The people who came to offer their congratulations all said in unison. Father Shen gestured for them to come in properly, and then had the maids in the house make tea and serve them well.

After a bumpy journey, they were almost at Shenfu. Shen Bin couldn't help but worry whether Zhao Ning'er's frail body could withstand the strain. Lifting the curtain, he saw Zhao Ning'er sitting steadily in the bridal sedan chair, her head slightly lowered, seemingly looking at the apple in her hand. Shen Bin didn't know whether to be angry or what.

"The bride is getting off the bridal sedan chair..." At the entrance of the Shen residence, the matchmaker shouted at the top of her lungs towards the inside. Shen's father, who was entertaining distinguished guests inside, immediately got up and walked towards the sound. The guests behind him also got up and walked outside together.

After the matchmaker finished speaking, she helped Zhao Ning'er out of the carriage. Shen Bin couldn't wait to snatch the apple from Zhao Ning'er's hand, but Zhao Ning'er held it tightly. Shen Bin frowned slightly, while the matchmaker sneered and said, "Young Master Shen has no experience in marriage, yet he doesn't even know this custom."

Shen Bin looked at the apple in Zhao Ning'er's hand with some embarrassment, but inwardly he was annoyed at whoever came up with these useless and boring customs, having to protect an apple after such a bumpy journey. Just thinking about it made him angry, and his anger slowly rose.

Mr. Shen hurriedly stepped out the door and saw the bridal sedan chair and Shen Bin standing beside it. His eyes were slightly moist, and he couldn't help but wipe the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, afraid that tears would fall. On Shen Bin's joyous day, he had made a fool of himself by bursting into tears.

Standing beside the bridal sedan chair, Shen Bin saw his father standing at the door. His temples were gray, and his face was pockmarked with the marks of time. A gentle breeze was blowing, and he stood there as if he might be blown away at any moment.

His heart was filled with emotion, but when he opened his mouth, he didn't know what to say. He knew that Shen's father had been waiting for this day for more than ten years, and today it had come true. He no longer had to worry about his marriage.

The matchmaker helped Zhao Ning'er out of the bridal sedan chair. Zhao Ning'er held one hand in the matchmaker's hand, while her other hand tightly gripped the apple. Shen Bin didn't say anything more. Although he was well-read, he wasn't a meticulous person and could be careless at times. However, fearing criticism, he didn't mention the apple again.

The matchmaker helped Zhao Ning'er down, and Shen Bin also reached out his hand, worried that his simple-minded wife might slip and fall while busy with the apples. Zhao Ning'er touched Shen Bin's hand; the familiar warmth reassured her, and she couldn't help but hold it tightly. Shen Bin also gently stroked Zhao Ning'er's palm with his fingertips.

Shen Bin helped her up the steps one by one. When they reached Shen's father, he stopped. As he got closer, he saw that Shen's father's wrinkles were even more pronounced, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. But he still smiled and said, "Dad, it's windy outside. Let's go inside." Shen's father looked at Shen Bin standing in front of him and thought about how the little boy had grown into a seven-foot-tall man. He was filled with emotion.

"Yes, good...good, go in...go in." Seeing Shen Bin and the woman in red beside him, Shen's father was overjoyed, his voice trembling slightly. Shen Bin, seeing his father's reaction, didn't say much, only nodding slightly. Zhao Ning'er, hearing Shen Bin's words, though her veil obscured her vision and she couldn't see her surroundings, still gave a slight bow to Shen's father.

Because the movement was small, Shen's father did not initially realize that Zhao Ning'er was bowing to him. After a while, he realized it and immediately burst into laughter. The guests who followed behind him saw Shen Bin and were first taken aback. Then, seeing the woman in red beside him, they immediately said, "Your son has really grown up. When I first saw him, he was just a child who knew how to cry."

"Yes, yes, your son has grown up so much, and he's become so handsome," the others chimed in. Only a small portion of today's guests were Shen's father's friends; the others were either people from the court, there for their own benefit, or wealthy merchants.

Mr. Shen's father's friends often came to chat with him, practically as frequent guests at the Shen residence. Shen Bin had seen them a few times when he was young, but as he grew older, he saw them less and less, and eventually, he stopped seeing them altogether. Occasionally, his father would ask him about Shen Bin.

Whenever this happened, Shen's father would reply with a smile, but his answers were always rambling and irrelevant, as if he were deliberately avoiding the question. Unbeknownst to everyone, as Shen Bin grew older, his temperament became increasingly gloomy and withdrawn; he would often lock himself in his room for days on end, refusing to see anyone.

The guests were all very happy for Shen's father when they saw that Shen Bin had grown up and seemed to have matured a lot.

The matchmaker led Zhao Ning'er to the bridal chamber and then to the front hall. Many guests had gathered there today—wealthy young men and eunuchs. Shen's father was somewhat displeased; these people all wanted to climb the social ladder, and Shen Fu felt a headache coming on. However, he still didn't want to deliberately ruin things. Since they were already there, they were guests, and besides, today was Shen Bin's wedding day.

"Master, this is a congratulatory gift from Princess Xiangping. She asked me to give it to the young master." A servant walked up and interrupted Mr. Shen's thoughts. Mr. Shen saw the box and envelope in the servant's hand and was a little puzzled, but he didn't care too much. He asked the servant, "Has the princess come? Why didn't she come in as a guest?"

Seeing the congratulatory gift but not seeing the princess is not the princess's style; such an action would only cause dissatisfaction. The servant hesitated for a moment, then said with slight doubt, "Master, we haven't seen the princess. It seems she was sent by a messenger." Shen's father looked at the congratulatory gift in his hand and dismissed the servant.

He was puzzled, wondering if Shen Bin had offended someone in court, or perhaps the princess. Otherwise, why would the princess send a gift but not see the person? The box looked like a valuable item; what was it trying to express?