Chang’an Small Restaurant Chapter 107 (Part 2)
Last chapter of the main story weee!
Translated by Pure
Chapter 107.2 Married At Last
Shen Zhi's promotion to a capital post allowed ample time, and so the Six Etiquettes proceeded at a leisurely pace. By the seventh lunar month, when the Prince of Wu’s case was concluded and Shen Qian’s wrongful conviction was overturned, the Six Etiquettes had only reached the ‘Presentation of Gifts’ stage.
Shen Zhi led his brothers and nephews in performing a solemn ancestral rite. Gifts were sent by the likes of Li Yue, Chu Di, and Lin Yan. After the ceremony, Shen Zhi, Shen Pu, and Shen Shaoguang all had reddened eyes.
Due to Shen Shaoguang’s meritorious service in protecting the Emperor and her instrumental role in capturing Li Yù, the Emperor not only restored the original lands of the Shen Residence but also granted them twice the amount, including a former estate of Prince of Zhao.
For the first time, Shen Shaoguang experienced the dizzying sensation of sudden wealth.
Shen Shaoguang, imitating the playful tone of a movie heroine, teased Lin Yan, “Sir Lin, I’ll take care of you from now on!”
Lin Yan, now well attuned to her playful nature, responded with a smile and cupped hands, “In that case, I must thank you, my lady.”
However, moments of such lighthearted banter were few and far between. With the affairs of court consuming their time, the couple rarely saw one another before the wedding. Shen Shaoguang now resided with her uncle and his wife, further limiting their interactions.
On the tenth day of the eighth lunar month, an auspicious date, the final stage of the Six Etiquettes—marriage—finally arrived.
It was Shen Shaoguang’s first time marrying in either of her lives, and having spent her early years in the palace, she had never witnessed a traditional wedding. This one opened her eyes, especially to certain customs—like the ritual of xia xu*.
(TLN: 下婿; ‘correcting’ son-in-law)
At her uncle's home, several family friends and their wives brandished wooden staff, ready to give Deputy Magistrate Lin—correction, Magistrate Lin—a proper ‘send-off’.
One of her uncle's wives, known for her straightforwardness, declared, “Don’t hold back, Eleven! ‘A daughter's husband is just a dog to his wife’s family’; he deserves a good beating!”
Eleven was Shen Shaoguang's seniority within the clan hierarchy.
Shen Eleven nodded firmly, “Feel free to strike! If he doesn’t get a thrashing, he won't learn to behave.”
Laughter erupted among the sister-in-laws at her words.
The sister-in-laws were quite excited, having heard that the new son-in-law was tall and handsome, a man of high office donned in a purple robe. Opportunities to hit a son-in-law of this caliber were rare indeed...
Lin Yan maintained his obedient facade in front of the ‘father-in-law brigade’, not resorting to any tricks as the sisters-in-law took their turns at playful torment. When Shen Shaoguang peeked down from the upper floor, she saw his hat askew and hair slightly disheveled, yet his smile remained unchanged.
With a mischievous grin, Shen Shaoguang felt as if he sensed her gaze and looked up, their eyes meeting in a fleeting moment.
But before they could share more, someone called out to Shen Shaoguang, “Eleven, hurry and prepare!”
The makeup process could not be rushed—such was the custom; they had to wait for the groom outside to recite the poetry that heralded for her.
Shen Shaoguang listened from inside, barely able to contain her delight. Although Lin Yan occasionally uttered sweet nothings, he had never before praised her so openly, especially not for her beauty! A twinge of pettiness stirred within her; why not have him wax poetic? Considering his title as a gifted scholar of Hédōng and achievement as a young jinshi, what’s there to fear?
The sister-in-laws chimed in with approval, “Eldest Eleven is quite composed.”
Lin Yan could easily picture Shen Shaoguang's smug expression and simply smiled as he recited one after another—from her hibiscus-like face to her apricot eyes, her cherry lips, pearly teeth, and cloud-like tresses, finally culminating in her graceful demeanor... Indeed, my A'Ji is a true beauty.
After enduring a series of elaborate rituals, the two finally found themselves alone in the bedchamber. By that point, however, Shen Shaoguang had lost any sense of triumph—marriage is so exhausting!
Fortunately, the maids had already loosened her gown, removed the hairpins, and taken off the layers of white powder, indigo dye, huadian, and dimple dot makeup from her face. Shen Shaoguang flopped onto the bed, feeling more exhausted than after an all-night shift in her previous life.
“A'Ji—” Lin Yan called her from the edge of the bed.
Shen Shaoguang turned her head to look at him, suddenly feeling a bit anxious. Right, there was still, ha, that...
She sat up. “My lord, are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?”
“I had them prepare glutinous rice balls, the kind you usually make. They’ll be brought over shortly.”
Shen Shaoguang laughed, “After taking a beating, you still respond with kindness. Truly a gentleman.”
Lin Yan brushed his fingers through her silky hair, merely chuckling.
Shen Shaoguang raised an eyebrow. “What are you laughing at?”
He looked at her with a playful smile. “I’m worried you might not have the energy later.”
Shen Shaoguang: "!!!"
Lin Yan chuckled more heartily, wrapping his arms around her and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You should eat a little. The wedding rituals are elaborate; I’m sure you didn’t have much to eat earlier.”
The maid outside the bedchamber announced that the glutinous rice balls were ready. Lin Yan instructed them to bring it in.
Shen Shaoguang sat at the food table, enjoying the Osmanthus Flavored Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Rice Wine, while Lin Yan simply watched her eat.
Feeling his gaze, she grew a bit anxious. To cope, Shen Shaoguang began recite her eating scripture, “These Osmanthus Flavored Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Rice Wine are quite well-made. The osmanthus is candied, which makes it delicious. The rice wine is also good—did you buy it from the Wang Residence at the East Market? Their wine is exceptional and mellow; it has a richness that others lack, probably due to the quality of the rice…”
"Don't be afraid," Lin Yan softly reassured her, “I’ll be careful…”
Shen Shaoguang: "..."
She set down her bowl and picked up a teacup to rinse her mouth. She then turned to Lin Yan solemnly and said, “Princess Imperial gave me a book. How about we study it first?”
As someone who had collected quite a few gigabytes of ‘learning materials’ in her F Disk, Shen Shaoguang felt confident in her theoretical knowledge, but she thought there was no harm in learning more—especially since the book from Princess Imperial was exquisitely crafted.
Lin Yan smiled at her, then scooped her up effortlessly. “No need!”
“Wait, what? …Is there really no need? I think—”
Inside the bed curtains, Shen Shaoguang’s voice was quickly silenced.
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The author has something to say: Let's set aside the details of married life; the main story ends here. Registration is now open for the barbecue at the Zhongnan Mountain villa and Lin family's dumpling (child) sightseeing tour.
Poor A'Ji, who once flirted too much—today marks a large-scale appreciation event...
—
Footnote:
[1] ‘A daughter's husband is just a dog to his wife’s family’ (女婿是妇家狗) - The author mentioned this was a popular saying mentioned in this work《唐朝穿越指南》. I really couldn’t find anything about it, but the words made sense when taken literally. If anyone knows more, plz lmk in the comments! 🙏🏻🙏🏻
