Chapter 100: The Wedding Procession

By the Xiangjiang River, a temporary high platform had been erected, predominantly decorated in red—red flower balls, red silk ribbons, red lanterns. Anyone passing by could easily guess that a wedding was about to take place, and it was undoubtedly for a prominent family.

Traditionally, the wedding procession would depart from Gucheng County, fetch the bride, and return to Gucheng County. However, since Li Xunshan had decided to settle in Jiangling Prefecture, there was no need for the exhausting back-and-forth journey.

The bride had the same thought. For five years, Li Xunshan had searched for her, yearning for her by the Xiangjiang River. This river carried the weight of too much longing.

Thus, it was only fitting for the river to witness this devoted young man finally uniting with his beloved.

With one incense stick’s time left until the hour of the Dragon (around 7:00 AM), Patriarch Ren stood atop the high platform, gazing into the distance. He chuckled and said, “They’re here. I see the wedding procession.”

Sitting upright in a chair made of golden nanmu wood, Ren Yue, dressed in her wedding gown and covered by a crimson bridal veil, couldn’t help but ask, “How far away are they?”

Hearing her question, Patriarch Ren’s heart ached slightly. He had planned to say, “Still far away.” Yet, when the words reached his lips, he changed his tone. “Not far, not far. Xunshan will be here to fetch you soon.”

Beneath the red veil, tears welled up in Ren Yue’s eyes. She nodded firmly. “Alright.”

Plop!

A large raindrop splashed onto Patriarch Ren’s face. Looking up, he realized that at some point, dark clouds had gathered above the wedding procession.

This was bad—it was going to rain!

On such a joyous day, having the bride and groom drenched like “soaked chickens” would be anything but an auspicious sign.

Madam Ren had noticed this as well. With her sharp intuition, she softly instructed someone to hold an umbrella over the bride. She then pulled Patriarch Ren down from the platform and, moving to the side, questioned him, “Didn’t you say you consulted weather forecasters? How is it still going to rain?”

Patriarch Ren, looking utterly wronged, replied, “Madam, you’re accusing me unjustly! I consulted everyone—practitioners of divination, geomancers, even face readers. They all said today would be a good day with no rain!”

Boom! Boom!

Lightning streaked across the sky, prompting Madam Ren to point angrily at the heavens. “And this doesn’t look like just a drizzle!”

“Please, calm down, Madam!” Patriarch Ren raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Let me think, let me think.”

“Hmph! What could you possibly think of now? Are you planning to make the rain stop?”

“Mother! Is it really going to rain?”

The earlier claps of thunder were loud enough for anyone with ears to hear, and Ren Yue was no exception. However, having yet to feel any raindrops, she hesitated for a moment before asking.

Madam Ren smiled and reassured her, “Yes, it’s going to rain, but it’s nothing to worry about. We brought rain gear in advance.”

“And Xunshan and the others…” Ren Yue started to rise, her concern evident.

Madam Ren quickly ascended the platform, placing a warm hand on her daughter’s shoulder. She smiled and said, “Don’t fret. If the vast Xiangjiang River couldn’t keep the two of you apart, a little rain won’t trouble Xunshan either.”

Feeling the warmth from her mother’s hand, Ren Yue paused and nodded. “You’re right.”

Meanwhile, the wedding procession was far less composed than the bride’s side.

Among the hundreds in the procession, someone would occasionally mutter ominous comments that made Li Xunshan frown repeatedly.

Remarks like, “Rain during a wedding? It’s a sign of a troubled marriage,” or “This looks like a sudden downpour that’ll drench everyone completely,” kept surfacing throughout the group.

If not for today being Li Xunshan’s wedding day, Wei Hai’s temper might have already erupted into a tirade.

Crack!

Lightning flashed again, slicing across the sky. The gathering black clouds seemed to be reaching their limit, with the rain falling faster and heavier.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Strong winds picked up, making Li Xunshan’s steed restless beneath him.

Seeing this, Wei Hai moved closer to Gu Ning’an and whispered, “Mr. Gu, you’re the clever one here. What do we do? Besides the three of us, everyone else here is just hired help—they’re not going to figure out a solution.”

“That Xunshan kid looks so nervous he’s frozen stiff. Clearly, he can’t come up with any good ideas either. We three groomsmen need to think of something quick.”

“Letting the groom get completely soaked isn’t exactly a good omen…”

Gu Ning’an casually caught a slender green leaf blown over by the wind. With his current magical abilities, altering the weather would have been effortless.

But on such an auspicious day, forcibly dispelling the sudden downpour with “brute force” didn’t feel right. It seemed like it would disrupt the joyful atmosphere of the occasion.

“Mr. Gu? Did you hear what I said?” Wei Hai raised his voice slightly.

“Yes, I heard you… The rain hasn’t fully started yet. Who knows? Maybe our wedding procession is so full of joy that the black clouds will disperse on their own.” Gu Ning’an brought the leaf to his lips and gently blew.

In the next moment, a lively, playful tune filled the air, blending its enchanting melody with the surroundings.

Even though the gongs and suonas of the procession were loud, they couldn’t overshadow the beauty of Gu Ning’an’s music.

Those in the wedding procession who had been grumbling earlier found themselves calming down, each returning to their tasks.

“Mr. Gu, you play quite well,” Wei Hai commented. “But shouldn’t we stop relying on luck and think of a solution…”

Before he could finish, Wen Songmo nudged him with his elbow and laughed. “Look! The black clouds are actually dispersing!”

“What!” Wei Hai looked up and saw the dark clouds above slowly splitting apart, retreating to either side.

And with each step the procession took forward, the clouds along the riverbanks retreated further to the sides.

“Amazing! Incredible!”

“Could it be that our joyous energy is so strong it scared the black clouds away?”

Wei Hai laughed loudly. “Auspicious! This is a great sign!”

The members of the procession, who had been complaining earlier, now joined in with enthusiastic congratulations. Meanwhile, Wen Songmo swallowed hard, realizing he might have underestimated Gu Ning’an.

With just a leaf and a tune, Mr. Gu had dispersed the black clouds. Such a coincidence seemed far too unlikely.

Unless someone as gullible as Wei Hai believed it, no one else would!

“Achoo!” Wei Hai sneezed, frowning as he instinctively looked at Wen Songmo.

Feeling guilty, Wen Songmo muttered, “What are you staring at?”

“Feels like you’re cursing me in your head,” Wei Hai said after a pause.

Wen Songmo frowned, ready to retort, but Wei Hai laughed and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Just joking! Today is Xunshan’s big day. How could you possibly be cursing me?”

Swish, swish!

Wei Hai patted Wen Songmo’s shoulder a few times before walking away.

“This Wei Hai… He really has mellowed out today. Maybe I shouldn’t think of him that way…” Feeling a bit guilty, Wen Songmo resolved to keep the peace with Wei Hai for at least today.

Meanwhile, Gu Ning’an continued playing his tune, subtly shifting his position to distance himself from Wen Songmo.

Wen Songmo hadn’t noticed, but Gu Ning’an had. Wei Hai’s hand, the same one he’d used to cover his sneeze, was the one patting Wen Songmo’s shoulder moments earlier.