Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 652: Chapter 498 Dying of Laughter in the Boudoir

The entourage from His Highness Prince Mu’s Mansion had barely left the gates when it was stopped by the common people. Not long after, word of it reached the Gu Residence.

Mr. Ban Shan was in the middle of a cheerful conversation with some prominent figures in the main hall when Xiao Song Mu rushed in anxiously. He dropped to his knees and said, ”Forgive my disrespect, Mr. Ban Shan, Old Grand Master, the other family is being unreasonable! The dowry they’ve offered is too meager, and they were stopped as soon as they stepped out!”

The people who were conversing fell silent, exchanging glances. It was Di Wentian who first pointed at Mr. Ban Shan and burst into a hearty laugh, ”You old coot, always so playful. Have you taken a leaf from the commoners and sent someone to check the dowry?”

Di Wentian was a refined elder but mixed within his refinement was a hint of the heroic air from the Itinerant World. Abandoning the pen for the sword, he was always open-minded, which explained why he was still in good spirits attending his beloved disciple’s bride-price ceremony, even though his daughter, Di Lanyue, had been expelled from the Liuzhou Region.

Caught off guard by the remark, Mr. Ban Shan blinked with confusion flashing in his eyes. They had already seen the size of Zhou Mu’s dowry; today was merely a formality. He certainly hadn’t sent anyone to inspect it!

Yet Mr. Ban Shan was well aware of the local customs. Xiao Song Mu’s reaction must have been coached by Uncle Song who stayed at the gate to handle such matters.

Therefore, Mr. Ban Shan slammed the table and feigned uncontrollable anger, ”This is outrageous! Simply outrageous! They can’t even offer a decent dowry, yet they expect to take my beloved daughter home? It’s pure fantasy! Someone go to the backyard and tell my daughter that the other party doesn’t take us seriously; the dowry is too little. We will not be forging this family tie!”

”Yes!” Xiao Song Mu agreed and immediately scrambled to his feet and dashed toward the backyard.

”Ha-ha! Old coot, you’re really getting into this, aren’t you? Is my disciple the sort of man who can’t afford a bride? Look at you, acting all disdainful of poverty and keen on wealth; it’s quite convincing! Ha-ha...” Di Wentian burst into laughter again upon seeing this.

”Drink tea, drink tea! Who knows what kind of measly dowry your disciple has prepared that even the commoners couldn’t stand it and stopped the dowry! Ha-ha...” Mr. Ban Shan replied with a laugh too, ”If the dowry is indeed insufficient, I truly won’t marry off my daughter!”

”You old coot! What am I to say about you!” Di Wentian laughed heartily at the response.

The room, filled with distinguished figures, was well acquainted with this tradition and soon joined in the laughter.

...

In the backyard, Gu Changsheng, dressed to the nines in regal majesty, sat upright, nervously awaiting the ’torture’ of the bride-price ceremony.

After Xiao Song Mu came in and reported what had happened, Gu Changsheng stood up from the chair, speechless, mouth agape, about to speak.

”Madam! Don’t say a word, don’t say a word!” Xiao Cui hurried forward to stop her. Who knew what unlucky words might slip from her mistress’s mouth; it was imperative to keep her from speaking.

Gu Changsheng felt a surge of frustration at being prevented from speaking. Damn it, a dowry stoppage? Since when did this part get added to the script?

In all the bride-price etiquette she studied, there was no mention of dealing with this!

Wasn’t this just looking for trouble out of sheer boredom?

”Oh no! Can the new son-in-law’s family really not afford the dowry? What are we to do? My mistress and the groom’s love is as steadfast as gold; how could the Old Grand Master be so disdainful of poverty and wealth and deny the marriage?” Xiao Cui stomped her foot in agitation as she spoke indignantly.

”Pfft!” Gu Changsheng couldn’t help it any longer and burst into laughter at Xiao Cui’s dramatic performance.

Xiao Cui shot her a sharp glance, and Gu Changsheng immediately composed her expression, though her eyes were brimming with mirth.

The evildoer couldn’t afford a dowry? Her foster father disdainful of poverty and favoring wealth? And she was supposedly deeply in love with Zhou Mu!

What kind of script was this? It was too melodramatic!

The effort to suppress her laughter was so excruciating she was nearly at her breaking point!

A note was surreptitiously passed into Gu Changsheng’s hand. As she glanced sidelong at Si Xi, who was making faces at her, Gu Changsheng opened the note with disbelief on her face.

Reading the contents of the note, Gu Changsheng couldn’t hold back, ”Pff-haha! I’m dying of laughter... Haha...”

”Madam!” Xiao Cui stamped her foot; her mistress just couldn’t help blurting out whatever came to mind!

”Do I really have to say this?” Gu Changsheng looked at the note in her hand, the corners of her mouth twitching as she asked.

It was so overdramatic! She was genuinely getting goosebumps just from reading the words on the note, let alone saying them out loud!

Who would play such a prank?

All Gu Changsheng could think was that the commoners were too good at this game; their idea of fun was certainly unique!

”Madam, the Old Grand Master disdains the small dowry and wants to refuse the proposal. What are your true feelings?” Xiao Cui said as she pretended to wipe away tears, winking at her mistress.

Hurry up and read it! This is a lucky moment; we must seize the good fortune!

Seeing this, Gu Changsheng’s whole face twitched. Damn it, what were her true feelings? Si Xi had already scripted everything she was supposed to feel; what else could she possibly feel?

”Cough, cough... In heaven we’d be birds of a feather, on earth, twined branches on a tree. The... the love between this modest girl and Mr. Zhou is deep as the ocean, unwavering in wealth or poverty. Please tell my father that I will marry no other but Mr. Zhou in this lifetime. If my foster father insists on refusing, this girl will have no choice but to... to dash her head against the southern wall!” Gu Changsheng reluctantly recited the words on the note with awkwardness, nearly biting her tongue multiple times throughout.

”Alrighty! Off I go!”

No sooner had Gu Changsheng finished speaking than Xiao Song Mu kipped up from the ground and scampered out with a face full of smiles.

”Pfft, hahaha! I can’t take it anymore! Please, let me die of laughter right here in the bridal chamber! Haha...” After Xiao Song Mu’s performance, Gu Changsheng immediately raised his hand to pound on the dressing table, laughing so hard he was nearly convulsing.

Darn it, so melodramatic! Such a trap for a sister! It was almost the death of her!

Who on earth came up with this melodramatic plot? A staged interception? Public confession of love? A plea for a declaration of love? This is just... Unbelievable!

”...Haha... You guys tell me, did the evildoer do it on purpose? He must have done it on purpose, right? He planned the script, didn’t he? Was he just waiting for this line? Haha... I’ve had enough of him!” Gu Changsheng couldn’t help but laugh uncontrollably as he asked the people around him.

”My lady, please stop laughing, or your makeup will be ruined!” Seeing this, Si Xi hurried over with a giggly smile, ”How could it be arranged by my master? Didn’t you hear what Xiao Song Mu said? It was the commoners who staged the interception. On such a joyous day, my master couldn’t possibly lose his temper, right?”

”Not him? How could it not be him? If he had just prepared a few gifts for the formality of it, he wouldn’t have been stopped by the enthusiastic commoners, right? Who else would be clearer about the folk customs than him? He did it on purpose! Haha...” Gu Changsheng spoke between laughs, ”This sly, mushy big-tailed wolf is really too much!”

That line... if she had to say it to him, she really couldn’t. It was just too melodramatic and cheesy!

But still, the evildoer dared to use such despicable means! Hehe...

Gu Changsheng could imagine just how shabby his betrothal gifts were, so much so that even the ordinary people couldn’t stand it. How utterly shabby it must have been!

Xiao Song Mu relayed his lady’s words to the forecourt, and Mr. Ban Shan, though reluctant, gave a nod as the makeup artist. Consequently, Uncle Song received the command, and without stopping for a moment, he rushed to Prince Mu’s Mansion to greet the betrothal party.

No amount of Wedding Money could be recalled by Yuan Bao, and though he was all over the place trying to cope, his face was almost frozen in a smile, yet his master remained leisurely, holding two large geese and seemingly taking great pleasure in teasing them!

At this sight, Yuan Bao instantly cast over a look full of sorrow.

Too sly! Way too sly!

Where are the people from Gu Residence coming to meet the wedding procession? He could hardly keep singing! Poor Xiao Song Mu, his little waist was almost spasming from laughter!

At last, Uncle Song, dressed in a long robe with large red flower patterns, came running over.

Zhou Mu caught sight of Uncle Song from afar, and the smile at the corner of his mouth immediately became irrepressible!

”Ah, my son-in-law! What a situation we have here—the betrothal gift was meager, the Old Grand Master is angry and thinking of rejecting it, but our lady said that in heaven she wishes to fly together, and on earth she wishes to grow together, her love for her son-in-law is as deep as the ocean, she will not abandon him for rich or poor, and she will marry no one but him. If the grandpa rejects the betrothal, then she’ll throw herself headfirst against the south wall. So, my folks, please make way, let the son-in-law come to make the betrothal, otherwise, our lady will be heartbroken!” Uncle Song said, bending his eyes with laughter as he delivered the message in one breath.

At these words, Zhou Mu’s eyes also bent, ”She said it herself?”

”Of course, she did. My lady and the son-in-law are as inseparable as gold, the heavens and earth can bear witness!” Uncle Song replied gleefully.

The smile on Zhou Mu’s face instantly became even brighter, ”Good! Very good! Generous rewards for all!”

Seeing this, several of the elders from the Imperial Clan turned dark with displeasure. Although Zhou Mu was their junior, he had a reputation for being cool, aloof, and heartless. In over twenty years, they’d never seen him smile like this.

This Gu Changsheng really knew how to play her cards right! With all these commoners supporting her, and Zhou Mu showing his smiles for her, they had to accept her as a daughter-in-law of the Imperial Clan whether they liked it or not, right?

The onlookers burst into laughter at the scene.

”Oh my, such a romantic couple, truly enviable!”

”Paired as lovebirds in the sky, entwined as branches on earth, look at their inseparable bond!”

”...”

Zhou Mu also nodded with a smile as he acknowledged the cheers of the commoners around him, clearly in an excellent mood.

He never expected to hear such sweet nothings from that woman’s mouth in his lifetime. To have tricked her into saying these things just this once was satisfaction enough for him!

He knew that with Mr. Ban Shan, that stickler for rules around, she could not refuse.

In heaven, I wish to be birds of a feather; on earth, I wish to be branches of one tree; in this life, I shall marry none but you. Very good! Excellent! He liked it!

”Son-in-law, in that case, please proceed to the mansion for the betrothal without delay. Let’s not keep the auspicious moment waiting, it’s only right not to make everyone wait too long!” Uncle Song certainly knew what the son-in-law was thinking, hence his understanding smile.

Zhou Mu nodded in response and motioned to continue on his way, and this time the crowd of onlookers did not stop him.

”Hold on!”