GTEMP[QT] - Chapter 7 (Patreon)

Gu Wenjing led his bride, whose true appearance he had not seen until now, into the gates of the Marquis's residence, where they would perform the wedding ceremony.

Inside the bridal chamber, he lifted the bride's veil, revealing the face of the wife he had married as the heir of the Marquis's residence in this transmigration.

Cheng Yuhua's appearance wasn't particularly beautiful; one could only say that her features were well-proportioned and her looks delicate, but her temperament was dignified and generous.

Gu Wenjing thought to himself that this was probably the dignified and virtuous type of woman that was idealized in this era!

From a man's perspective, Cheng Yuhua's appearance indeed couldn't compare to Yuan Susu's beauty, nor did she possess the charm that attracted men. However, her appearance was pleasing to the elders.

Even though it was their wedding night, Gu Wenjing's mood remained calm. According to the customs, he drank the wedding wine with shy Cheng Yuhua.

Putting down his wine cup, Gu Wenjing said to her, "I have instructed the kitchen to prepare some snacks. They will be brought here later. If you feel hungry, you can have some to fill your stomach first. I might return a little late."

Cheng Yuhua nervously replied, "Thank you for your consideration, husband."

Gu Wenjing smiled and got up to entertain the guests.

Soon, Cheng Yuhua's personal maidservant, Biyu, entered with a plate of snacks. She said, "Miss, this was brought by Master Gu’s servant Qingyan from the Marquis's side."

The nanny beside Cheng Yuhua looked at Biyu and said, "This is the Marquis's residence. You should call him 'Young Master' and her 'Young Madam'!"

Biyu giggled and corrected herself, "Yes, these are the snacks prepared by Young Master for Young Madam."

Cheng Yuhua blushed as she looked at the delicate and exquisite snacks on the plate. She could tell that Gu Wenjing had put thought into it, and she felt delighted by his considerate gestures.

Biyu then lowered her voice and reported what she had heard, "Miss, I have inquired. Young Master doesn't have any maidservants by his side; there are only male servants attending to him, and there's no primary chambermaid either."

Upon hearing this news, Cheng Yuhua felt a slight sense of relief. The thing she feared the most when marrying someone was having a stable primary chambermaid by her husband's side. It would be difficult for a newly arrived legal wife to win back her husband's heart.

Lady Yuan, the Marquis's wife, ran a strict household, and no one dared to leak any information about the Marquis's affairs. Therefore, Lady Cheng couldn't obtain any reliable information about Gu Wenjing's situation from the Marquis or Lady Yuan's mouths, so she couldn't fully trust their words.

Before Cheng Yuhua got married, her mother had specifically instructed her to inquire about the situation and told her not to get angry or jealous if there was indeed a stable primary chambermaid by Gu Wenjing's side. Instead, she should gracefully stabilize her position and seize the opportunity to bear a legitimate eldest son to secure her position.

Now that she heard that her husband didn't have anyone by his side, she naturally felt happy that her start was going smoothly.

After finishing the snacks, Cheng Yuhua removed the cumbersome jewelry from her head and washed up. Then, she awaited the arrival of Gu Wenjing, who was slightly drunk.

The attendants by their side tactfully left the bridal chamber, leaving the space to the newlyweds.

Cheng Yuhua walked over and spoke gently, "Husband, the hot water has been prepared. Do you want to take a bath now?"

Although Gu Wenjing smelled strongly of alcohol, he hadn't actually consumed much and was still relatively sober. He nodded slightly, "Then I'll take a bath."

He turned and went to the adjacent bathroom to bathe. After changing into sleeping attire, he looked at Cheng Yuhua, who was sitting by the bed with her head slightly lowered. Under the red candlelight, her eyebrows and eyes appeared gentle and serene, making her look much more beautiful.

Gu Wenjing walked towards Cheng Yuhua and said, "Madam, it's getting late. We should rest."

The curtains of the bed were lowered, and the dragon and phoenix candles burned throughout the night...

The next day.

Gu Wenjing woke up on time, as his biological clock was always precise. He glanced at his wife, Cheng Yuhua, who was still sleeping beside him. He moved gently and got up to dress.

Even with such a slight movement, it awakened Cheng Yuhua. She looked a bit confused for a moment before fully waking up. Seeing Gu Wenjing getting dressed, her face flushed, and she quickly got out of bed, saying, "Husband, I overslept."

Gu Wenjing skillfully finished dressing and said, "No rush, it's still early. It's not time for paying respects and offering tea yet."

Cheng Yuhua breathed a sigh of relief. She was genuinely worried that she would miss the proper timing to pay respects and offer tea on her first day in the household, leaving a bad impression on her in-laws.

Gu Wenjing finished dressing first and went out to call Cheng Yuhua's maidservants to attend to her.

After Cheng Yuhua finished grooming herself, she followed Gu Wenjing to the main room to pay respects and offer tea to Marquis Ningyuan and Lady Yuan. It was a necessary process for a new bride.

When the newlywed couple arrived in the main room, Marquis Ningyuan and Lady Yuan were already waiting there, both wearing smiles upon seeing their son and daughter-in-law.

Cheng Yuhua respectfully offered tea to her parents-in-law and then presented the hand-sewn four-color needlework she had made herself. Marquis Ningyuan and Lady Yuan reciprocated with gifts.

Next was the introduction to the relatives. As Cheng Yuhua was the lesser wife of the Marquis's residence, she only needed to meet Gu Wenjing's younger brother, Gu Shaoping, and his three younger sisters and exchange greetings and gifts.

Cheng Yuhua had prepared gifts for her new siblings-in-law, but when she saw Yuan Susu, she hesitated. Why was there another young lady present?

Cheng Yuhua recalled some information her mother had told her about the main household of Marquis Ningyuan, and it seemed there was another young miss in the Marquis's residence. Was this her?

At that moment, Yuan Susu introduced herself, saying, "I have met my sister-in-law. I am Yuan Susu."

Cheng Yuhua felt a bit embarrassed. After all, when a newly married bride meets her in-laws, it's unexpected for another young lady to be present. She hadn't prepared a gift for Yuan Susu and could only hurriedly take off a high-quality sheep-fat white jade bracelet from her wrist and offer it to her, saying, "Please forgive me, younger sister." She didn't say much more, but both Yuan Susu, who accepted the bracelet, and Lady Yuan, who allowed Yuan Susu's attendance, felt a bit awkward.

Yuan Susu lowered her eyes slightly and softly said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Seeing her innocent and aggrieved appearance, Cheng Yuhua felt a bit sorry. She felt that she should have been better prepared.

However, Gu Wenjing, who was beside her, found her innocent and pitiful act quite amusing. But considering Marquis Ningyuan and Lady Yuan's presence, Gu Wenjing didn't say anything and simply turned his head, ignoring it.

After the family had breakfast together, they dispersed.

Gu Wenjing took Cheng Yuhua back to their residence in Rongjinyuan and handed over all the matters in their courtyard to his wife to handle.

In ancient times, it was considered natural for men to work outside the home while women managed the household. If Gu Wenjing insisted on handling the affairs of the inner courtyard after marrying, he would only be ridiculed for not being wise enough to manage domestic affairs.