Chapter 407: Joy for All
Gao Chuwu overpowered Xing Honglang with one swift move, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and dashed out. His male relatives and friends rallied around him, surging outwards.
Padi Tu had just managed to clamber to his feet at the main entrance, barely uttering a boast, when Gao Chuwu barreled towards him like a locomotive.
In Gao Family Village, no one could win a head-on collision against Gao Chuwu; not even Zheng Daniu could manage more than a draw.
What chance did Padi Tu stand against Gao Chuwu's charge?
With a loud thud, Rabbit-lord went down again.
A large crowd then trampled over him, thundering towards the Solar Car. Gao Chuwu deposited Xing Honglang onto the vehicle and, grinning broadly, called out, "Daniu, time to drive!"
Zheng Daniu quickly hopped into the car, and Zao Ying, the bridesmaid, followed suit. Though officially a bridesmaid, she seemed perpetually at the best man's side—was she accompanying the wrong person or exactly the right one?
The Solar Car headed towards the main fortress.
Zheng Gouzi crouched down again, nudging Padi Tu on the ground. "Still alive?"
Zheng Gouzi scoffed, "Damn it, I look like an idiot worrying you were hurt."
The two immediately broke into a run, catching up with the Solar Car. The boisterous crowd thronged back to the main fortress. With five hundred tables, the banquet couldn't be held inside; instead, it was set up in the open space before the main fortress, allowing all residents of Gao Family Village to join the festivities at any time.
Zhao Sheng, also known as Dian Dengzi, who had rushed back specifically from Heyang County, was teaching everyone auspicious phrases. He taught each person a line, and after hearing it, they would run to Gao Chuwu and loudly declare, "With drums and gongs thundering, the sedan arrives; a colorful canopy welcomes the newlyweds!"
Zhao Sheng then taught the next person, who, after listening, also ran to Gao Chuwu and proclaimed, "Unveiling the sedan's curtain, joy overflows; with both hands, lead out the Jade Immortal!"
After speaking, both felt something was amiss. They turned their heads to Zhao Sheng. "Mr. Zhao," they said, "the bride didn't arrive in a sedan chair; she came by car."
Zhao Sheng was speechless.
On the main fortress platform, Bai Yuan, who had hastened back from Qichuan Ferry, was serving as today's master of ceremonies. This position he had strongly demanded and fiercely contended for, because a wedding was also a matter of "Rites," and among a gentleman's six arts, he was very particular about the 'rites' aspect.
Seeing the bridal couple brought forward, Bai Yuan's face was solemn. "First bow, to Heaven and Earth..."
Normally, when people performed the bow to Heaven and Earth, it was a casual, symbolic gesture. But in Gao Family Village, the step of bowing to Heaven was not to be taken lightly. Everyone looked up at the sky, where the Heavenly Lord's personal cloud floated.
The two newlyweds, composed and reverent, performed a grand bow to the Heavenly Lord.
Li Daoxuan, his divine countenance beaming, chuckled, "Everyone has brought gifts, so I shall bestow one upon you as well. It's for everyone to share and enjoy later."
With a gesture, his golden hand, palm open, slowly lowered a "six-inch" cake. On its surface, a line of cream lettering read: "Wishing Gao Chuwu and Xing Honglang a long and happy life together."
He had ordered this X Ancestor cake early that morning, specifically instructing the bakery staff on the message to be written.
A six-inch cake, with a diameter of 15 centimeters, translated to a colossal, thirty-meter-wide pancake for the tiny villagers. The colorful cream frosting adorning it was a delicacy they had never even imagined, and the crowd instantly gawked in stunned silence.
"As expected of Gao Chuwu! To get married and receive a gift from the Heavenly Lord himself!"
"Just how favored by the Heavenly Lord is Gao Chuwu?"
"What must I do to be favored by you, like a shy, ugly duckling hoping in a corner?"
Zheng Daniu's nose twitched. "One sniff, and I know it's something good. Oh no, I really want to eat it."
Don't you dare touch it! Bai Yuan warned her with a look. The wedding isn't over. No one eats until I say so. Otherwise, the proper rites will be violated, and I won't have 'Rites' struck from my ledger!
Zheng Daniu dared not move.
But Zao Ying, seizing the moment when everyone was distracted, slyly crept to the edge of the giant cake. Turning her back, she deftly scooped a handful of cream frosting with a reverse grip, then stealthily slipped back to Zheng Daniu. "Here, for you."
Zheng Daniu was overjoyed. She devoured the cream in a few gulps. "That's delicious! Oh, wait... you still have some on your hand, don't waste it."
She grabbed Zao Ying's hand and licked it clean!
Zao Ying secretly rejoiced: They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and she licked my hand! How intimate is that? I must be close to marrying her, hehehe.
She lowered her voice. "Daniu! Look, if someone favored by the Heavenly Lord gets married, the Heavenly Lord bestows this celestial pancake again. If you want to eat more, shouldn't you also..."
A lightbulb suddenly went off in Zheng Daniu's head. "I get it! We should get Old Village Chief, Gao Laba, Gao Sanniang, Gao Sanwa... to all get married!"
Zao Ying burst out laughing.
As the two secretly ate cake and licked hands, on the other side, the bows to Heaven, Earth, and ancestors were complete. Bai Yuan's voice boomed, "Bow to each other, husband and wife!"
Gao Chuwu and Xing Honglang turned to face each other and bowed...
Usually, the couples' mutual bow was a harmonious affair.
However, both husband and wife in this pair were exceptionally tall and well-built, towering over ordinary people. As they bowed, their heads collided with a resounding "thud!"
They both tumbled backward.
The crowd erupted in laughter. "Hahahahaha!"
The scene instantly collapsed into chaos.
Bai Yuan's face darkened. "It's the very last step, and you insist on striking 'Rites' from my ledger? Ah, how difficult it is to uphold the Way of the Gentleman!"
Bai Yuan sighed deeply and turned, his flowing white robes swirling elegantly with his movement. He left them with an undeniably handsome back, a figure of effortless poise. Although the Way of the Gentleman might not have been perfectly upheld, his way of making a dramatic entrance certainly remained intact.
Gao Chuwu climbed to his feet. "Honglang, our ceremony is complete! We're officially husband and wife now; you don't have to be shy anymore."
Xing Honglang stretched out her hands. "Chuwu!"
Gao Chuwu also reached out his hands. "Honglang!"
With a soft 'thump,' the two embraced tightly.
"The ceremony is done! Start eating!"
Five hundred tables began to eat simultaneously—what a magnificent sight!
A group of tiny people, more interested in sweets, gathered around the giant cake. The thirty-meter-diameter dessert left them utterly bewildered; they didn't even know where to begin eating.
Li Daoxuan thought to himself: In my world, this single cake would take at least four or five people to finish. Even if everyone in Gao Family Village ate their fill, they'd still only consume a tiny fraction of it. Leaving it all here would be quite wasteful. I might as well share some with people in other places, so everyone can celebrate together.
With a swift motion, he produced a knife, extended it into the box, and, before the tiny people's astonished eyes, sliced the cake into several pieces with a few decisive cuts.
He left the largest piece for Gao Family Village, then picked up the other slices, adjusting his perspective as he distributed them to Chengcheng County, Heyang County, Fengyuan Town, Qichuan Ferry, Quangou Village, Yangzhuang...
Finally, he even placed a small piece inside Huanglong Mountain Prison.
Let joy be with everyone today!
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