Chapter 159: The Grand and Lively Wedding of the Eldest Sister

While Du Yun was keeping her older sister company in the room, a sudden commotion arose outside. Hearing people shout that they had arrived, she was then greeted by a string of loud firecrackers going off, signaling the arrival of the groom's wedding party.

Peering out through the window, Du Yun caught occasional flashes of military green among the bustling crowd and immediately knew her brother-in-law had come in full military uniform to fetch his bride.

"Sister, they're here!" Du Yun said with a beaming smile. According to tradition, making things difficult for the groom was an essential part of the welcoming rituals. As the bride's younger sister, Du Yun didn't need to squeeze through the raucous crowd outside; she only needed to stay quietly inside to watch the fun, knowing a generous red envelope would soon be hers.

"Mmm," Du Zhi responded softly. Her dark, bright eyes were glistening with moisture, and her cheeks were flushed, making her look exceptionally shy yet breathtakingly charming.

"Sister, you look so gorgeous, just like a fairy!" Du Yun couldn't help but say, gazing admiringly at Du Zhi. Her sister was already a beauty, but with her peach-blossom complexion and autumn-water eyes, set against the backdrop of festive crimson, she looked simply ethereal.

"You're just talking nonsense!" Du Zhi's face grew even redder at the praise. She glanced anxiously toward the door, watching with a mixture of excitement and nervousness as her siblings and cousins teased the groom, punctuated by bursts of uproarious laughter.

"Sister, quickly, hide your shoes!" Remembering the shoe-hiding ritual, Du Yun scrambled to pick up one of her sister's black leather shoes from beside the kang and slipped it straight into the sewing basket resting nearby.

These black leather shoes had been bought by Du Yun for her sister from Zhan's shop in the county town. Though not overly expensive at fifteen yuan, they were the single pair of leather shoes in the entire Du household, inside and out, making Du Zhi cherish them dearly.

Just as Du Yun tucked the shoe away and turned around, she abruptly caught sight of someone standing not far from the window, watching her direction with a smile. The man was none else than Xiao Yi, best man and fellow soldier of her brother-in-law, Tang Jun.

"Ah, how utterly devious, sending a spy!" Realizing he had been dispatched by her brother-in-law to scout out the hiding place, Du Yun glared at him, hastily snatched the shoe back, and looked left and right, frantically searching for another hiding spot just as the noise outside surged.

"Oh no, a mad dash!" Shouts and laughter erupted from outside. By the time Du Yun realized the situation had changed, Tang Jun had already led a group of people charging right up to the doorway.

"Goodness! They're using the red-envelope strategy!" Du Yun stared blankly at her younger siblings scrambling all over the floor for red envelopes, feeling utterly defeated. Children were just too easily bribed; a few cash-filled envelopes were all it took to conquer them.

"My barrier won't be so easily beaten!" With a roll of her eyes, Du Yun resolved to give the new brother-in-law a proper challenge. With a flick of her focus, the high-heeled shoe clutched in her hand vanished into her storage inventory. Du Yun's lips curved upward; this way, even if Tang Jun and his men tore the entire Du house upside down, they would never find the shoe.

Naturally, Du Yun had no intention of indefinitely barring her sister from leaving—after all, it was her sister's big day. She decided that as long as the groom's performance satisfied her, she would let them through.

"Wife, open the door!" Tang Jun's voice rang out from outside the west room. Hearing the endearment, Du Yun couldn't help but burst into a giggle.

A sweet smile graced Du Zhi's face. Though she remained silent, she gave Du Yun a meaningful look, silently signaling that it was time for her to shine.

"Understood!" Du Yun cupped her hands in a mock salute, strolled leisurely to the door, and called out, "Who's calling at the door?"

"It's me! Tang Jun!" Tang Jun's deep, resonant voice filtered through the thin wooden panel.

"Oh, and what are you here for today?" Du Yun asked, playing innocent with a cheeky grin.

"I've come to fetch my wife!" Tang Jun answered loudly, as if drilling his troops.

"Oh? And who might your wife be?"

"Du Zhi, Du Zhi is my wife!" Realizing after a moment's pause that his sister-in-law was testing him, Tang Jun hurriedly slid two red envelopes through the gap in the door. "Please show mercy, younger sisters, and open the door!"

Seeing the red envelopes, Du Yun picked them up with two fingers and felt them—they were nice and thin. She casually handed them both to Du Yin, gesturing for her to open and inspect them.

"Just handing over red envelopes won't be enough. How are you going to treat my sister from now on?" The earlier antics were just the warmup; this was the main event.

"What?" Tang Jun had spent all his time in the military. The previous questions had been fed to him by the village lads, but this one hadn't even been scripted by the locals, leaving him completely baffled. The moment Tang Jun fell silent, the buzzing chatter of the crowd instantly surged.

"I'll give you a piece of paper. If you agree with what's written on it, just read it out loud!" Du Yun generously passed a slip of paper through the gap. It bore just a few lines of text—Du Yun's highest blessing for her sister's marriage.

"I, Tang Jun, willingly take Du Zhi as my wife. From this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, to be faithful to you until death do us part—" Tang Jun's voice rang out, deep and resolute, yet unconsciously laced with a tender softness.

"Open the door!" By now, Du Zhi's eyes were brimming with tears. She let out a thick sniffle and took several deep breaths to keep the tears from falling.

"Alright then, opening the door!" Having achieved her goal, Du Yun complied gracefully and unlocked the door, signaling the start of the lively shoe-hunting phase.

While Du Yun was thoroughly enjoying the sight of her brother-in-law and his groomsmen sweating profusely as they searched everywhere in vain, the light before her suddenly dimmed as Xiao Yi's tall frame blocked her path.

"Step aside a bit." With the wardrobe at her back and Xiao Yi in front, Du Yun was sandwiched in between, feeling inexplicably trapped and unable to move.

"Hand the shoe over to me. I know it's with you," Xiao Yi murmured near Du Yun's ear. His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, causing her heart to skip a beat and lose its rhythm entirely.

"Take it!" Though she wanted to struggle, her heart hammered wildly against her ribs, and her face burned an intense crimson. Annoyed by her own reaction, Du Yun angrily shoved the shoe into Xiao Yi's hands and hastily retreated several paces.

"Found it!" Xiao Yi curled the corners of his lips as he looked at Du Yun, whose face was as flushed as a peach blossom, a flash of captivated wonder crossing his eyes. Announcing loudly that he had found the shoe, he joined the others in crowding around the groom so he could put it on the bride.

The crowd soon poured out of the room. After bidding farewell to their grandparents, father, and mother, the wedding feast officially began for the fellow villagers who had been waiting long in the courtyard. Holding a bundle of her sister's precious belongings to take along, Du Yun emerged into this lively, bustling scene.

"Let's go!" Xiao Yi stood by the cart, extending a hand toward Du Yun with a bright and tender smile on his face.