Seeing He Shi in that state, Lin He recalled how, in her previous life, some women often presented the groom’s family with a long list of demands upon marriage. While Lin He wasn't fundamentally against such things, she felt such requests should always be weighed against the family's actual financial capacity.

If the groom's family lacked the means, yet the bride insisted on having everything, and the groom scrambled to raise funds just to marry her—only for her to end up burdened with the debt after moving in—the in-laws would inevitably look down on her. To endure such hardship just for a fleeting moment of splendor during the wedding ceremony; what was the point?

Of course, this wasn't entirely the woman's fault; if the man couldn't afford it, he shouldn't inflate his ego trying to keep up appearances. Yet, this pattern persisted, both in her past life and here—so many men and women falling into such traps.

In truth, whether a marriage is happy or not isn't determined by the luxury of the wedding itself. The most vital elements are mutual love and affection between the husband and wife after marriage, and maintaining harmonious relationships with the husband’s relatives and elders. These are what truly matter. If both families are ordinary, why strain to covet luxuries that don't rightfully belong to you?

As the saying goes, the amount a person is destined to eat and wear in a lifetime is already fixed. One's capabilities dictate the life they will lead. Do not force things; otherwise, it will invariably cast a shadow over your future life.

Lin He had always lived by this principle in her past life. Consequently, by the ripe age of twenty-seven, she hadn't met anyone who truly suited her, nor was she willing to compromise on marriage for the sake of money or material possessions. In the end, she remained unmarried.

Still, Lin He couldn't fathom what Song Yuemei herself was thinking. After all, marriages at this time were arranged by parents. If the demands originated solely from the Song family elders, it was entirely possible Song Yuemei herself was unaware.

Time flew by, and in a blink, it was the day of Qingshan’s wedding. Early that morning, Lin He’s entire family went to their uncle’s house to help. Everything that needed arranging in the preceding days was complete, and the remaining tasks could be managed by the few womenfolk. Hongxia and Hongyun returned that day as well; their cousin's grand wedding demanded their presence.

They were setting up nearly a dozen banquet tables. The empty ground next to the uncle’s residence was filled with them, while the uncle’s main courtyard was reserved for senior family members, He Shi’s relatives, and those escorting Song Yuemei.

The kitchen was packed: Zhao Shi, He Shi, Huang Shi, Hongxia, Hongyun, Zhou Shi leading Lin He and Yu’er. Lin He and Yu’er were only tasked with stoking the fire; Zhao Shi and He Shi handled the meat and fish dishes, while Huang Shi and Zhou Shi managed the vegetable cutting. The uncle’s family had also hired two extra cooks, and Hongxia and Hongyun assisted them.

The uncle’s hearth was large, equipped with two stoves, so there was no need to borrow space elsewhere; what they had was sufficient.

At this time of year, the vegetables were simple: radishes, cabbage, celery, and potatoes. He Shi managed to assemble ten dishes, incorporating plenty of potatoes as accompaniments alongside several meat courses.

The kitchen buzzed with activity for most of the morning until all the ingredients were finally prepared. Soon after, the auspicious hour arrived. They heard someone shouting from outside that the bride was nearing Linjiacun, just a short while away.

Since close family members were required in the procession, Er Niu took Dabao and Xiaobao, along with Xiaoshan, to meet the bride. The uncle and Qingshan waited at the village entrance. Hearing the shouts, the uncle hastily hoisted a long bamboo pole wrapped with firecrackers and headed toward the village mouth.

Zhao Shi called Huang Shi and Zhou Shi out of the kitchen. Soon the bride would kneel to offer respects to the aunties, and they needed to have their gift money ready.

Huang Shi and Zhou Shi had agreed; they prepared two hundred da qian (large coins) as their offering.

In the main hall of He Shi’s house, an ancestral altar had been prepared, with two cloth cushions placed before the memorial tablets—these would cushion the bride’s knees when she knelt to pay respects. Qingshan stood before the altar, awaiting the matchmaker to lead the bride in.

The sound of firecrackers exploded at the village entrance, gradually drawing closer. Everyone excitedly surged toward the courtyard gate, eager to catch the first glimpse of the bride. In reality, Song Yuemei was merely from a nearby village, someone most people had seen before; they were simply joining in the excitement. Lin He, being short of leg, couldn't push her way to the front, so she gave up, reasoning she would see her soon enough—what was the rush?

The bride quickly entered the house and began the ceremonies. Only family members were allowed inside. Those gathered in the courtyard clustered at the doorway, watching so densely that not a gap remained. Lin He couldn't get in either. She settled down with Xiaobao and the others in the courtyard.

After the bride paid respects to Zhao Shi and the other senior woman and received her red envelopes, it was time for He Shi and Dajiang. When it came time to give respects to He Shi, her expression remained visibly displeased. She hesitated for a moment, but seeing the crowd outside, she said nothing and reluctantly handed over an envelope.

Next were the obeisances to the uncles and elder brothers. Following this, according to local custom, the red bridal veil had to be removed publicly and then given to the unmarried younger sisters-in-law. Lin He and the others hadn't managed to enter, so the veil was given to Yu’er instead. Yu’er, being small, flushed slightly when she took the red veil.

Lin He could only hear the muffled voices inside saying things like, "The bride is so beautiful! Qingshan is so blessed."

Once the ceremonies were concluded, the bride was escorted to the bridal chamber. Everyone tried desperately to squeeze into the room. The young couples engaged in the boisterous custom of 'teasing the newlyweds,' and the crowd surged around the couple as they moved toward the inner rooms. Because the path to the new room required passing through the courtyard, Lin He finally caught sight of Song Yuemei.

An Xiu observed her closely: she wore a short, thin quilted jacket of bright red, plain blue cotton trousers, and shoes faced with red silk ribbon. Her thick, dark braid was coiled at the back of her head, accentuating a slender face, thin lips, and upward-slanting eyes and brows. Lin He subtly raised an eyebrow. No wonder Qingshan had disregarded propriety and honor for Song Yuemei; she was indeed a beauty. However, despite her looks, she had the air of a shrew. It seemed He Shi had finally encountered an opponent who matched her in spirit.

After the couple was settled in the bridal chamber, the revelers dispersed shortly thereafter. Er Niu and Dabao stayed to help entertain guests by drinking and serving trays. Huang Shi and Zhou Shi, taking the children, left first. Hongyun, who hadn't brought her own children this time, returned with Huang Shi’s family. Since they didn't know how late things would run, she bid farewell to Zhao Shi and went home.

On the way back, Huang Shi commented, "Qingshan’s wife is certainly pretty, but by the look of her, she won't be easy to deal with. I suspect the uncle’s household will see more trouble ahead."

Lin He strongly agreed with Huang Shi’s assessment. Little Xiaobao, however, with the wisdom of a much older child, chimed in, "She isn't as pretty as my older sister and second sister."

Lin He smiled and took Xiaobao’s hand, teasing him, "You little imp, you’re so young, what do you know about pretty? Then tell me, what makes older sister and second sister prettier?"

Xiaobao tilted his head, thinking for a long moment, unable to articulate an answer. He finally scratched his head and said, "I just think older sister and second sister are prettier than Qingshan brother's wife."

The whole group burst into laughter at Xiaobao’s words. By the time they arrived home, it was late. The few of them quickly washed up and collapsed onto their beds, falling asleep instantly.