When the bride and groom were escorted into the bridal chamber, the wedding banquet continued. Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi found themselves in important roles, needing to entertain guests and outwardly express their satisfaction with the wedding.
Chinese banquets, in essence, boil down to eating. Whether it's a joyous occasion or a somber one, even housewarmings or academic celebrations, food is always central. The act of eating is deeply ingrained in the Chinese psyche; an event without ample food is often considered incomplete.
Shen Feng’s own tolerance for alcohol was not high. The guests were fond of drinking. Although grain-based spirits were now rare, no banquet was complete without alcohol, and numerous bottles of baijiu adorned the tables. The guests egged Shen Feng on, demanding he drink.
Ultimately, Shen Feng bore the brunt of it. After a few glasses of baijiu, he became genuinely drunk and was taken to the rear, while others continued the drinking contest.
Several of Shen Feng's most promising disciples had also returned. They had previously been deployed to the north, particularly to the Yanjing region, to combat locusts. After the volcanic eruptions, they chose to return and had been idle recently. It was opportune for them to attend the wedding, eat, and drink with everyone, adding to the festivity.
Upon Luo Hui's appearance, Wang Xiran proactively approached him. "Luo Hui, tell me what happened when you were fighting out there, if you have the time!"
Seeing his sister's demeanor, Wang Xiqiang immediately understood. His sister, who never cared about others, was now actively showing concern for someone else. Could it be that she had feelings for this Luo Hui?
"Ahem... Your brother is back. Why aren't you concerned about me?" Wang Xiqiang said at this moment.
Wang Xiran quickly replied, "Because I know you are very strong, I believe you can protect yourself. Luo Hui is different; his legs were severed, and he now relies on prosthetics to walk. Of course, I need to care more about him. Are you going to be jealous about this?"
"Luo Hui, don't let down my sister's good intentions! Do you understand this?" Wang Xiqiang said with a sigh.
Wang Xiqiang was now ready to accept reality. After all, the person his sister liked was a good brother he had grown up with. It seemed he wasn't being "snapped up" by some wild boar. Thus, Wang Xiqiang spoke to Luo Hui about this matter.
Luo Hui, however, lacked emotional intelligence. He instead said, "What are you guys talking about? I don't understand a word. I'm not talking about this with you anymore. I need to find others to drink with. You two siblings should have a good chat!"
After saying these words, he left directly, showing no inclination to continue the conversation.
Meanwhile, after Shen Xingzhi and Zhou Yuyao were escorted to the bridal chamber, the others closed the door. As night fell, the room became somewhat dim. Two red candles were lit on the table, and the entire room was decorated festively. Even the bedding was embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, symbolizing auspicious union.
Zhou Yuyao looked at Shen Xingzhi beside her, knowing that this young man, who was even younger than her, was now her husband. After a moment of silence, she said, "Shen Xingzhi, it's getting late. We should rest!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingzhi immediately replied, "If you're tired, you can sleep on the bed. I'll rest on the chair. From now on, we'll mind our own business. You don't come to me, and I won't come to you. You can live here as you please!"
"But aren't we husband and wife? Why must we become strangers? Since fate has arranged for us to be married, we should accept it seriously, not resist it!" Zhou Yuyao said.
Zhou Yuyao still held a sliver of hope that her husband would treat her normally, allowing them to maintain a semblance of civility. If they truly fell out, it would be embarrassing for both of them and would also affect her future happiness.
However, Shen Xingzhi, despite his young age, spoke with great seriousness. "I will not resign myself to fate. No matter how others arrange things for me, I will not concede. I will resist in my own way! Moreover, I don't like you! I've never felt anything for you."
After saying these words, Shen Xingzhi leaned back in the chair, intending to spend the night there. Although the weather was cold, he did not want to accept fate's arrangement so easily. Thus, he chose what he could do. As long as he could last until tomorrow, he could bid farewell to Zhou Yuyao.
"Perhaps this is my destiny! To marry someone who doesn't love me, and then be despised by him! There will be no better changes for me in the future!" Zhou Yuyao thought to herself.
As night fully descended, the entire room grew cold. It wasn't that there was no heating in the Fengshen Palace, but Chang Jianyi had deliberately arranged it. She intended for her son to be forced into submission by the cold and choose to rest in bed, thus completing their wedding night.
However, Shen Xingzhi was stubborn and slept curled up on the chair.
In the middle of the night, Shen Xingzhi still felt the chill. Although the daytime temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius, at night, with much of the sun's rays unable to reach the ground, the earth became very cold. By night, it was only around seven or eight degrees Celsius. While not cold enough to kill, it made one feel extremely chilled.
Shen Xingzhi began to shiver, his body trembling from the cold, and his teeth chattering.
Seeing this from the bed, Zhou Yuyao felt a pang of sympathy. After all, he was just a young man being subjected to such a cold test. If he fell ill, it would be bad, and he would likely be disliked even more.
So, Zhou Yuyao got out of bed, moved Shen Xingzhi onto the bed, and thoughtfully covered him with a quilt. She herself stayed by the dressing table until dawn, then left the bridal chamber, changed into her preferred clothes, and went out to pay her respects to her in-laws.
Meanwhile, Shen Feng was not at the Fengshen Palace. He had gone to the Three Gorges Dam to check on its progress. If the other party had not met the required conditions, the grain would not be released.
Finally, Zhou Yuyao met Chang Jianyi and Chu Chaoyan. Chu Chaoyan was holding a baby and walking around. The infant appeared very weak, and it was uncertain if it would grow up healthy. So many infants had died in the apocalypse, with some mountains even being named "Dead Infant Mountain," a chilling thought.
"Did you two have a pleasant time last night?" Chang Jianyi suddenly asked.
"Mom, we treated each other with respect last night, and the atmosphere was quite good!" Zhou Yuyao said with a smile, intending to gloss over the situation.
"In that case, you should spend more time together in the future. Although there may not be much affection now, as time passes, feelings will naturally develop," Chang Jianyi said with a smile.
Zhou Yuyao could only nod in agreement. Just as she was about to say something, she suddenly felt a chill and couldn't help but sneeze, a rather ungraceful act.
Zhou Yuyao quickly said, "Mom, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well, and I've made a fool of myself!"
"It's alright. Wear more clothes in the future and avoid catching a cold. Living by the Yangtze River requires careful attention to staying warm, as the humidity is very high. When it rains, the temperature will drop further, and it's easy to catch a cold!" Chang Jianyi smiled.
After paying her respects, Zhou Yuyao returned. Chu Chaoyan took the opportunity to say, "I noticed the child wasn't focused just now. It seems she didn't sleep well last night, and she has dark circles under her eyes, indicating she stayed up late. Therefore, what she said earlier is likely not credible. The situation might have developed in the opposite way to what she described."
"How could I not know that? I saw how haggard she looked just now. Perhaps she didn't sleep at all last night. If time can change everything, perhaps this situation can be resolved in the future. If it really doesn't work out, then she might have to remarry!" Chang Jianyi said with great helplessness.
Chang Jianyi couldn't understand why her child refused to obey her, despite her having made the best choice for her, and insisted on resisting. Although she no longer argued with her, she remained very stubborn.
"Children these days… I don't know how to discipline them. If you're too strict, they lose their freedom; if you're too lenient, they develop their own personalities. It's difficult no matter what you do!" Chang Jianyi couldn't help but sigh.
"As for what my children will become, I don't concern myself with that. My only hope now is that both my children grow up healthy. That is enough. As for their future, we'll see when it comes," Chu Chaoyan said, holding her child.
"Is Jing'er not feeling any better? I heard her cries were very loud at birth, so she should be a strong child. But why has she become like this now?" Chang Jianyi also said with concern.
As Shen Feng's wife, Chang Jianyi hoped that the Shen family would prosper. Unfortunately, raising a child to adulthood was incredibly difficult in these times.