First, bow to Heaven and Earth.
Second, bow to the elders.
The couple bows to each other. The ceremony is completed.
Li Ying gently placed A Man's small hand into Shi Hu's, with a warm smile on her face. But there was a hint of solemnity in her eyes.
"Shi Hu, A Man is like a dear younger sister to me. Today, I'm entrusting her to you."
"You've been following Lord Lu, traveling far and wide. You're bound to achieve great things in the future. But you must always remember that no matter when or under what circumstances, you must never mistreat A Man."
"My sister is innocent and simple. If you ever let her down and make her sad, I won't spare you."
Shi Hu's face was flushed with joy on this happy occasion. Hearing Li Ying's words, he nodded seriously, his big eyes wide open.
"Don't worry, Boss Li! Even if it's raining knives from the sky, I'll stand in front. If the ground splits open, I'll fill it. I'll never let Miss A Man suffer the slightest bit of grievance! If I do, you can slap me!"
His eagerness to prove his loyalty made Li Ying burst into laughter. She could feel A Man, standing beside her, shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Silly boy. Now that you're married, you should call her wife. Calling her 'Miss' makes it sound so distant."
Shi Hu's face turned even redder. The guests at the banquet were all in high spirits, chatting merrily about this perfect match.
Li Ying sent A Man back to the bridal chamber and then, as the "family member," she had to come out to accompany the guests and drink.
Just as the banquet was in full swing, Hu Qinzhu whispered to Li Ying and motioned with her eyes towards a corner.
At that table sat the dancing girls A Man had taught in the music workshop. They were all beautiful, with bright eyes that caught the attention of the male guests, who kept stealing glances at them.
Those who were close to A Man were dressed simply, not wanting to outshine the bride.
But there were always some jealous ones. One girl, in particular, had painted her eyebrows and eyes heavily, wearing bright red and green clothes. She was flaunting herself with dainty gestures.
Today was A Man's big day, and Li Ying didn't want to cause any trouble. But then she saw a young girl with a peony flower in her hair pick up a pastry from the banquet, take a bite, and a look of sadness flashed across her face.
"A Man is really lucky."
"Seeing her get married so grandly today, I can't help but feel a bit sad. I wonder where my Mr. Right is..."
She looked at her own reflection and shed a few tears. Hu Qinzhu frowned at the sight.
Picking such a time to feel sorry for herself was really bad luck.
A girl in green clothes beside her, probably her good friend, couldn't bear to see her so sad. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and said angrily,
"Sister, why are you so sad? A Man is just lucky. We're all dancing girls. Who's better than who? Moreover, I think sister is so beautiful, so delicate. I'm sure you'll marry a good man in the future!"
Some of the other dancing girls quickly echoed, "Yes, sister. I think the groom, although he seems quite imposing, is actually just a servant of Lord Lu. A dancing girl marrying a servant is nothing to envy."
"Right, sister. Look at these pastries. It's really ironic. A Man is just a dancing girl who performs the peacock dance. She's clearly just a plaything for the noble families. And these pastries are shaped like birds. Could it be that Boss Li and her are not as close as they seem, and she's secretly mocking her?"
They chatted away merrily. The girls who were close to A Man blushed and tried to defend her, but they didn't want to make a scene at the banquet, so they were at a disadvantage for a while.
Li Ying also looked at the pastry the flower - adorned dancing girl had left on the table. A cold smile slowly appeared on her face.
She took Hu Qinzhu's arm and walked over gracefully.
"Are the dishes at this banquet to your liking?"
Hearing Li Ying's question, the dancing girls didn't dare to continue gossiping. They all forced smiles and flattered, "The dishes from Li's Restaurant are always delicious. We're really lucky to have such a good meal."
Li Ying snorted coldly. The smile on her face disappeared completely.
"It's really strange. If the food is so delicious, why can't it keep your mouths shut? Why do you have to spread rumors and be so annoying?"
Just then, they heard Princess Yongning's voice from behind.
"They're just a few nagging and mean - spirited women. Why should you bother with them, Sister Li? Someone, take them all to the princess's mansion. Ask the palace servants who raise parrots in the Beast Garden to trim their tongues. Maybe then they can sing as sweetly as birds."
The dancing girls never expected Princess Yongning to come in person. Hearing her terrifying words, they quickly knelt on the ground.
"Please spare our lives, Your Highness! We didn't mean to offend. We were just happy for Sister A Man's wedding and got drunk. That's why we said some stupid things!"
"Boss Li, we know we're wrong. Please forgive us!"
Seeing that their eyes were red and they were about to slap themselves, Princess Yongning snorted and said condescendingly, "Today is Miss A Man's big day. I'm here to congratulate her. I don't want to see you annoying people. Get out of here quickly!"
The dancing girls thanked the princess repeatedly and quickly scurried away, leaving Li Ying and Hu Qinzhu standing there, stunned, looking at Princess Yongning in disbelief.
She had already sent someone to deliver a congratulatory gift. Now she had even come in person...
Showing so much respect for A Man's wedding clearly meant she was here to support Li Ying, which really surprised her.
"Li Ying didn't know Your Highness was coming. I'm sorry for not welcoming you properly..."
Before Li Ying could finish her greeting, Princess Yongning said indifferently, "What, you're not welcome me? Aren't you going to invite me to the honored seat?"
Seeing that all the guests were looking at them, she just casually glanced at the pastries on the table and said with a smile, "These pastries are quite interesting."
Li Ying understood and quickly presented a plate of freshly baked pastries with both hands.
She had put a lot of effort into these pastries. The layers of flaky pastry were shaped into the body and wings of a swan, with a slender swan neck. Baked over a low fire, the layers were distinct. Each bite of the flaky pastry was crispy, accompanied by a rich chocolate filling, making it extremely delicious.
Princess Yongning picked up a swan pastry and took a small bite. A look of surprise flashed across her eyes, and then she couldn't stop praising, "Such a delicious treat is truly amazing!"
"Boss Li is so skillful. These swan pastries are so exquisitely made. I like them very much. I'm almost jealous of Miss A Man for having such a caring sister like you!"
"Boss Li, please send some swan pastries to the princess's mansion after the banquet so that I can enjoy them to my heart's content."
Li Ying naturally agreed respectfully, understanding the situation.
Her swan pastries were indeed delicious.
But Princess Yongning was used to living a luxurious life and had tasted all kinds of delicacies. A simple pastry with a cute shape would never surprise her so much.
By highly praising the swan pastries in public, on the one hand, she was showing her goodwill towards Li Ying. On the other hand, it was also in response to the sour words of the dancing girls.
They had deliberately misinterpreted the meaning of the swan pastries, saying that Li Ying was mocking A Man as a caged bird. Princess Yongning simply asked for the pastries generously. Since even the princess praised them so much, it was obvious how much effort Li Ying had put into A Man. Naturally, those rumors would be self - defeating.
Li Ying understood her intention but was really confused.
She and Princess Yongning only had a mutually beneficial cooperative relationship. Why did the princess come so grandly today to support her? What did she want?
The princess's personality was really hard to predict.