Chapter 133: Welcoming the Bride

Liu Liwa and Fatty Wang met at the tavern. Just as Fatty Wang had described, the food there was quite good, though the prices were not cheap. Liu Liwa ate, drank, and even took some leftovers, spending a total of five silver taels, which was equivalent to two months’ wages.

This pricing left Master Liu speechless, but it was indeed the main structure of this society. It was designed to create a situation where the poor were desperately poor and the rich were immensely wealthy. This formed a class hierarchy: the poor relied on the rich for survival, and the rich ruled over the poor. Since the rich were the minority, the imperial court found it easier to control them. In this way, one class pressed down on another, creating social stability.

Though Liu Liwa was now at the bottom of society, thanks to the generous rewards from Young Master Ye, Brother Chun, and Lord Zeng, as well as the command token given by Wen Jun, he was no longer considered poor. Strictly speaking, he had what everyone hoped for: an identity that belonged to the poor, yet secretly living the life of the rich. This was what it meant to make a fortune quietly and enjoy life in a low-key manner!

After Fatty Wang ate and drank his fill, he thanked Liu Liwa and stayed behind at the tavern to learn cooking skills from the chef. Liu Liwa carried his leftover food and headed toward the Intoxication Pavilion. As soon as he turned into the alley, he heard the sound of gongs and drums, firecrackers exploding, decorations being hung, and a massive crowd of people.

Liu Liwa rushed over, squeezing through the crowd until he finally reached the entrance of the Intoxication Pavilion. The firecrackers had just stopped, and the smoke had not yet cleared. Through the haze, a bright red wedding sedan could be seen stopped at the door, adorned with festive red silk. Next to the sedan, a man in formal attire sat atop a tall horse, looking spirited. Many onlookers pointed and chattered about him.

“Is this guy crazy? Coming to a pleasure house to welcome a bride?”

“Is this some kind of performance?”

“Hey, in this world, when the forest is big, all kinds of birds fly. When the bird is big, it dares to fly into any forest!”

People whispered among themselves, but Liu Liwa laughed heartily. Truly, money could make the devil turn the millstone! Wang Erdao’s efficiency was impressive. What pleased Liu Liwa even more was that Wang Erdao had actually brought a bridal sedan to marry Xiuzhu. Regardless of his motives or whether his intentions were pure, he had not forgotten his promise. Even faced with the criticism and insults from so many neighbors, he remained indifferent—a testament to his extraordinary patience.

Clearly, he must have gone to the Fuxiang Bank to verify things; otherwise, he would not have been so eager. Miss Zhao’s efficiency was also quite high.

All the girls from the Intoxication Pavilion came out to watch the commotion, crowding at the entrance with expressions of disbelief. Pleasure houses had existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Though girls from such places had been redeemed and kept as mistresses or even concubines, this was the first time a formal, grand wedding procession had taken place.

Besides disbelief, the girls felt envy. Every girl dreamed of the day a man would defy all conventions, disregard societal norms, and fear no criticism or scorn, acting resolutely for her sake. That was the true hero in a woman’s heart.

As the crowd grew, so did the speculation. Just then, Wang Erdao on the horse suddenly shouted, “Xiuzhu, Sister Xiuzhu, dear Xiuzhu, Brother Erdao has come to marry you!”

Whoa… His shout made many people around him feel nauseated—it was too cheesy.

The onlookers naturally joined in the uproar, with some shouting even louder than he did. Liu Liwa was no exception and shouted along. However, what he shouted was: “Sister Shen Zuijin, your brother has come to marry you… Sister Wu Liniang, come home with your little brother to the bridal chamber!”

After these two shouts, the girls inside the Intoxication Pavilion quickly cleared a path, for Wu Liniang and Shen Zuijin were standing right behind them. At that moment, the two women’s eyes scanned the crowd like searchlights. Fortunately, Liu Liwa hid in time, but his magnetic voice and frequent storytelling made it hard not to recognize him.

Luckily, at that moment, Miss Xiuzhu was helped out by her sisters. She still had not done her makeup and looked disheveled and miserable. Though she had held onto a sliver of hope, she was no longer sure in her heart. Now, seeing the bright red wedding sedan and the lover she had longed for day and night sitting on the horse, gazing at her tenderly, Xiuzhu felt as if she had come back to life. Tears welled up in her eyes uncontrollably.

Her sisters comforted her, saying, “Silly girl, haven’t you been dreaming of this day, waiting for it night and day? He didn’t let you down and even came to marry you with such grandeur. It proves his sincere feelings for you. With our status, if a man is willing to treat you like this, you should be happy. Come, wipe your tears. Let your sisters help you with your makeup and send you off to be married!”

Xiuzhu rubbed her teary eyes and looked closely at Wang Erdao on the horse. She still couldn’t believe it. Her sisters literally pushed her back into the room. Wang Erdao dismounted and waited at the entrance, saying loudly, “Sister Xiuzhu, I will wait right here for you to come out. Once you step through this door, we will leave the past behind and start a new life!”

His words were truly moving. The reason he did not enter to fetch the bride was so that Xiuzhu could walk out on her own, cutting ties with her past. His speech moved the other girls to tears, and they looked at him with admiration. Liu Liwa, hidden in the crowd, secretly curled his lip. This guy really knew how to charm women, especially those with tragic backgrounds. He targeted their vulnerabilities and moved them with emotion. Luckily, he was a gambler with no silver taels. If he had money, perhaps Liuyun wouldn’t have spent last night watching the moon with Liu Liwa.

However, if he truly cared for Xiuzhu, these words were the most genuine expressions of love. If he had ulterior motives and faked sympathy to deceive her, then he was a despicable man who deserved to die a thousand deaths!

Amid the girls’ emotions, another surprise arrived. A loud voice called out from the crowd: “The An Luwei Clothing Boutique, by order of Miss Zhao, presents a set of wedding dresses to congratulate Miss Xiuzhu on her joyous union!”

Before the voice faded, a man stepped out from the crowd—tall, sturdy, ugly, and dark-skinned. He was Miss Zhao’s personal bodyguard. Precisely because of his gorilla-like appearance, the beauty of the wedding dress stood out even more.

It was a fiery red wedding gown, embroidered with golden threads and patterns of dragons and phoenixes, both beautiful and luxurious. Not only the pleasure house girls but even some women in the crowd stared in awe. Such high-end items were not something every woman had the chance to wear.

From the girls’ expressions, it was clear that Miss Zhao’s generosity had not only achieved an advertising effect but also won over the hearts of most of the girls. At that moment, Miss Zhao’s status in the girls’ hearts was undoubtedly on par with Wang Erdao’s. She not only did not look down on or discriminate against pleasure house girls but treated them like family, even gifting such an expensive wedding dress. It was impossible for the girls not to be moved…