It's hard to quit, but it's the perfect marriage!

The woman leading the way smiled and nodded, seemingly agreeing with Zhou Yinghuai's words.

Zhu Xi was completely confused by what he said, but since she was on his turf, she could only follow his lead.

The three of them walked through the carved corridor and went to the west wing.

Flowers bloom everywhere under the eaves, and green shadows abound.

Zhu Xi felt that the flowers were blooming beautifully and their fragrance was intoxicating.

"This is Master Gu's maternal grandfather's old house," Zhou Yinghuai explained. "Master Gu settled in Suzhou and Hangzhou when he was young, but he hasn't come back much in recent years."

Zhu Xi looked up. "And this time?"

"I came back specifically for our wedding," Zhou Yinghuai said with a handsome smile. "And he even scolded me."

"Scolding you is too lenient; I should have just rejected your order outright."

A strong, resonant voice came from inside, and Zhu Xi then realized that the two of them were already standing at the door.

Zhou Yinghuai shrugged and led her into the room.

"Master Gu".

She followed Zhou Yinghuai and called out, "Master Gu."

Three people were sitting around a round table on the right side of the room.

Zhou's mother, Ms. Guan, and her younger sister, Zhou Lingyi.

The elderly man with gray hair sitting in the very center is Master Gu.

Upon seeing Zhu Xi, he was delighted, his eyes filled with affection.

Zhou Yinghuai whispered, "Wife, there aren't many people who can make Master Gu laugh like that. I knew she must like you."

Zhu Xi smiled and nodded, first greeting Zhou's mother, "Mom."

Zhou's mother smiled knowingly, "Xixi, come and sit down next to Mommy."

As he spoke, he patted the empty round stool.

Zhou Lingyi, who was on the far side, immediately put down the fabric she was holding and came over to take her arm. "Sister-in-law, come and see! This batch of Song brocade that Master Gu brought is truly priceless."

Zhu Xi sat next to Zhou's mother and Zhou Lingyi, and was immediately struck by the beauty of the bright red Song brocade with its dragon and phoenix patterns.

"Mom, Master Gu," Zhu Xi called out again, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

Zhou's mother took her hand and said with concern, "I haven't seen you for a few days, how come you've lost so much weight!"

There's a kind of thinness in the world that only moms think is thin.

Zhu Xi weighed herself when she left the hospital yesterday afternoon.

Thanks to those two boxes of braised pork buns from Lezhishi, she successfully gained three pounds.

"Working in a hospital is so tough, and the food isn't good either. People who were perfectly healthy have become incredibly thin."

Zhu Xi patted her cheek with one hand and replied with a slight smile, "It's alright."

It wasn't to the point of being severely emaciated.

"Is the hospital still very busy?" Zhou's mother scolded Zhou Yinghuai again. "Zhou Yinghuai, stop thinking about making money all the time. You just promised me and your father you wouldn't go on business trips, so where did you go yesterday?"

Zhou Yinghuai couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Zhou's mother patted Master Gu's elbow again, "Give him a good scolding for me. He was so easy to take care of when he was young. How come he's regressed after getting married?"

"His own wife doesn't know how to cherish him; it's bad luck that she married such a fool."

Zhou's mother kept talking, getting Master Gu to scold Zhou Yinghuai, and also getting Zhu Xi to supervise and report to her at any time.

Zhu Xi just smiled, as if to say she wasn't unlucky.

Nowadays, people have so much money they can't spend it all, and they can even bully others with their power, fearing no one.

She caught a glimpse of Zhou Yinghuai's helpless expression as he was being scolded, and she pursed her lips to suppress her laughter.

"Mom," Zhou Lingyi said, "It's better for me to supervise than for your sister-in-law to supervise."

She secretly mocked Zhou Yinghuai's henpecked nature and Zhu Xi's reddened ears, "My brother and sister-in-law are newlyweds, they're of one mind, how could they possibly help you keep an eye on them?"

Zhou's mother smiled gently and kindly, "You think you're so capable!"

"You've always followed your brother around like a shadow since you were little. If he tells you to go east, you'll never go west. Now that I'm handing you over, I'm even more annoyed."

Those sitting around were all his closest relatives and loved ones; Zhou Yinghuai had been empty-handed for too long.

Seeing that he could only be scolded, and there was no place for him at the round table, he could only sit alone to the side.

I glanced at the prepared tea and smelled it.

Zhou's mother went on and on, either scolding Zhou Yinghuai or criticizing Zhou Lingyi.

Neither the brother nor the sister escaped.

Zhu Xi, standing in the middle, must have had a hard time suppressing her laughter.

Master Gu spoke up at just the right moment, "Alright, alright, you didn't come here today to scold the child."

Zhu Xi looked up and happened to meet Master Gu's gaze.

"Let's take his/her measurements first, then let him/her go home and catch up on his/her sleep. Look at those dark circles under his/her eyes, it's really heartbreaking."

Zhu Xi nodded, "I'll listen to Master Gu."

Master Gu got up to get his tools, and Zhou's mother took the opportunity to chat with her.

"You finally got a day off, and I was going to let you sleep in. But Master Gu has something to do in Suzhou and Hangzhou, so he has to go back tonight." Zhou's mother patted her hand. "Today we're just taking measurements. As for the drawings and final orders, Ah Huai will take them to you to see later."

Zhu Xi didn't understand these things at all, "Mom, you decide, I'm fine with anything."

Zhou's mother shook her head and said lovingly, "A wedding may only happen once in a lifetime, so the wedding attire cannot be rushed at all."

"Finalizing the design, taking measurements, and drawing the pattern are the initial steps. Once these are finalized, you need to find a craftsman to embroider it. Dragons and phoenixes soaring, peonies flowing through clouds, twin lotus blossoms—every stitch has its own intricacies."

"If only it were that simple," Master Gu added. "If the three-year term is compressed into one year, I'll have to cancel all my orders for the next year."

Upon hearing about this play, Zhu Xi's first impression was that it would be troublesome.

My second instinct was to say, "Forget it."

Zhou Yinghuai sat alone to the side, saying, "Zhu Xi will only take the measurements; I'll handle the rest. Don't trouble her."

"You," Zhou's mother scolded him again, "you'd better be an idle person too."

"Then you'll have to get Dad out of retirement. It won't take too long, just a year. Once my wife successfully graduates as a senior intern, he'll be free."

Zhu Xi turned around and met Zhou Yinghuai's deep, dark eyes.

Zhou Yinghuai raised an eyebrow at her, got up and replaced the tea beside her with this one, "Drink this."

Taking measurements is a very detailed process.

Many details need to be paid attention to.

At first, Zhu Xi thought it would be like making a custom-made cheongsam, just taking a few measurements.

I didn't expect that they would measure not only shoulder width, bust, waist and hips, but also the arc of raising their arms and the amplitude of the skirt swaying when walking.

On the wedding day, the bride's gestures, such as raising her hand to serve tea, bowing, and turning around, should all be incorporated into the design to ensure that she looks beautiful without restricting her movements.

Because of the long interval, the bride's changes in figure had to be taken into account.

Therefore, we must consider everything and not overlook any aspect.

Based on the initial measurements, hand-draw a meticulous sketch.

This step required seven or eight revisions.

Wedding attire should also have auspicious meanings, with the main pattern highlighting blessings, wealth, and harmony, while also conveying the idea of ​​a stable and long-lasting marriage.

Master Gu measured, and the woman who had just led the way was taking notes.

Pregnant Zhou Lingyi sat in place and took a sip of herbal tea.

"The pattern, the fabric, the thread—just these three things take a whole month to choose," she teased Zhu Xi. "Sister-in-law, your wedding is in August, it'll be hot. The fabric and lining will have to be even more exquisite."

Zhou Yinghuai stood tall and straight, his heart and eyes filled with Zhu Xi.

"Brother, if I were Master Gu, I would also scold you a few more times just thinking about having to rush out a wedding dress that Mom would like in a year."

"But I was really surprised that my sister-in-law agreed to have a wedding." Zhou Lingyi clicked her tongue. "Mom, why don't you let my sister-in-law choose the phoenix coronet you ordered for her today?"