Cultivation Begins with Caring for Sister-in-law

In the early morning, before the sky fully brightens, early birds line up on the courtyard wall, curiously observing the various scenes inside the grand mansion.

Servants and guards of the Wu Family scurry back and forth, as steam rises from the kitchen where the chefs commence their busy preparations, filling every corner with a festive atmosphere.

In the bridal chamber.

"Splash..."

The sound of water splashing echoes, followed by two snow-white wrists draping over the edge of the bathtub, as a personal maid steps forward to place a three-tiered wooden step beside it.

At this moment, aside from Wu Mi's personal maid, all the other maidservants turn their backs simultaneously. The next moment, a figure as if crafted by the heavens, stands upright in the bathtub, stark naked in the bridal chamber.

Wu Mi raises her hand, and her personal maid promptly supports her wrist, allowing her perfect form to step out of the bathtub and stand on the wooden step.

Wu Mi's figure is slender and graceful, with curves in all the right places. Her full chest and round hips, hair flowing like a cascade, and a waist so slender it seems scarcely a handful. Yet beneath her slightly lean frame, there is a hint of supple strength. Her flat, tender abdomen lacks any excess flesh, as clear droplets of water trickle down her jade legs, soaking the wooden step beneath.

The personal maid takes a clean towel and wipes the water droplets from Wu Mi's body, from head to toe.

Afterwards, the personal maid lays the towel flat on the floor, and Wu Mi descends the steps, stepping onto the towel.

The personal maid fetches a set of red inner garments infused with a delicate fragrance, assisting Wu Mi in donning them.

Once that alabaster figure is fully cloaked in fabric, the personal maid clears her throat lightly, prompting the other maidservants in the room to turn back around.

One maidservant lays out a large, red carpet, extending from where Wu Mi stands to the dressing table.

Wu Mi steps onto the red carpet and sits in front of the dressing table, where the copper mirror reflects a face with exquisite features, resembling peach blossoms, round and glossy.

The maidservants gather around, with one kneeling before Wu Mi to put on her silk socks, another drying her hair, and others applying her makeup.

Wu Mi, like a doll, allows the maidservants to tend to her.

When the entire attire is complete, adorned with the phoenix crown and wedding dress, the previously dim sky now glows with a gentle light.

The maidservants all exit the bridal chamber, leaving only the personal maid.

The personal maid retrieves a small booklet from her bosom, blushing as she hands it to Wu Mi, whispering, "Miss, the old madam instructed me to give this to you."

Wu Mi is momentarily taken aback, then discovers it is an erotic booklet.

Were it any other unmarried girl, she might shyly lower her head upon seeing such a thing, or toss the booklet aside.

But Wu Mi remains composed and, rather interested, glances at it, then returns it to the personal maid, saying, "I understand; I don't need this."

During her medical studies, she researched the structure of human acupoints.

She also knows how intimate matters proceed.

The personal maid's cheeks redden further, as she stows away the booklet, then respectfully asks, "Miss, there's still plenty of time before the auspicious Hour. Shall I fetch something for you to eat?"

"Yes."

...

Chen Mo's wedding robe was sent by the Wu Family. When the time arrived, he donned the robe, mounted a white horse, a large red flower adorning his chest, and led a grand wedding procession composed of the Personal Guard Battalion, carrying a bridal sedan chair, heading majestically towards the Wu Family.

The wedding is held at the ancestral home of the Wu Family, so Chen Mo must escort Wu Mi to the Wu Family's ancestral dwelling using the bridal sedan chair.

Half an hour before the auspicious time, Chen Mo leads the wedding procession, arriving outside the Wu Family estate.

By this time, the Wu Family is already adorned with colorful lanterns and decorations. Wu Yanqing, accompanied by his wife, son, daughter, son-in-law, and all the relatives of the Wu Clan, have arrived in succession.

The wedding procedures of the Noble Families are exceedingly intricate. Carrying the sedan chair, crossing the fire pit, and other similar customs are basic components.

Before these, there is the presentation of the dowry, where the groom's family comes to collect the dowry from the bride's family, who display it in the hall for people to view.

Items are draped with red threads, garments are scented with sandalwood, and at the bottom of the boxes, several Copper Coins are placed, colloquially called "bottom coins."

Typically, the presentation occurs the day before the wedding, but since Chen Mo is marrying into the bride's family, this takes place on the wedding day.

However, before the dowry presentation, there is another challenge, an archery contest, to demonstrate the groom's ability to protect the bride, known as "shooting three arrows."

This step is usually a formality, but when Chen Mo sees Wu Changlin, attired in military garb, casting a slightly challenging glance his way, Chen Mo realizes it is more than just a formality.

The nearby Wu Clan members also anticipate a spectacle.

An outsider wishing to marry a Wu Family girl must be tested.

"That will do, it's a joyous occasion; let's not make things awkward," Wu Yanqing whispers to Wu Changlin.

"Don't worry, Father, I know the limits," Wu Changlin replies, walking towards Chen Mo.

Wu Yanqing furrows his brow but says nothing, as this segment is indeed part of the wedding rituals and must be honored.

Wu Changlin comes before Chen Mo, points to the southwest direction.

In the direction he points lies a willow tree, from which three fist-sized peaches are hung by ropes.

Parallel to these peaches, in front, are three Copper Coins.

After pointing, Wu Changlin hands three specially crafted arrows to Chen Mo, saying, "See those three Copper Coins and those three peaches?

The rules are simple: using this fine arrow, shoot through the Copper Coin's hole, and then hit the peach. That's a success. Each person has three arrows; if they miss, the next person shoots. If you hit, continue shooting. After all three arrows are shot, whoever succeeds more times wins. Got it?"

Wu Changlin has Lv Tong bring a Twelve-Stone Strong Bow to Chen Mo.

A one-stone bow equals a 60-pound pull, and thus a twelve-stone bow is a 720-pound pull.

Chen Mo took the strong bow, glanced at the position of the willow tree, about two hundred steps away, and simply tested the bow.

"You're the groom, so let..."

"Creak..."

Before Wu Changlin could finish speaking, the bow in Chen Mo's hand was gently pulled, making a "creak" sound as it broke apart.

"Sorry, it's too light, can I get another bow?" Chen Mo said.

Wu Changlin frowned, waved his hand, and had Lv Tong bring over a strong bow of twenty stones.

As a result, Chen Mo gently applied some force, and it broke again.

"Sorry, it's still too light." Chen Mo showed a harmless smile.

Wu Changlin gritted his teeth and had Lv Tong bring a strong bow of thirty stones.

This time, Chen Mo didn't break it, just said, "Still a bit light, is there a stronger one?"

"Someone, bring me my bow." At this moment, Wu Yanqing spoke up.

"Yes."

Soon, two servants carried a longbow nearly half a zhang in length up to them.

Wu Yanqing received it with one hand, gently stroked it with an affectionate gaze, and then said, "This bow of mine is made from Earth Dragon Bone, and the string is tiger tendon. It is forty-two stones."

After speaking, he handed the bow to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo took it with one hand, simply pulled it a bit, found it slightly unpulled, and began to apply strength. The people around focused their gaze, only to see that as Chen Mo exerted force, the strong muscles under his robes surged up, and his arm girth surpassed that of ordinary adult men by quite a bit.

"Creak creak..."

The bow creaked as if letting out a trembling whimper.

Seeing this scene, everyone around was secretly shocked.

This bow of the Patriarch's, not many in the clan could pull it, and to pull it like Chen Mo did, perhaps only the Patriarch could.

Wu Yanqing saw this scene and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Good bow." Chen Mo sincerely remarked, then looked at Wu Changlin with a smile: "What was it Big Brother wanted to say just now?"

Wu Changlin: "..."

He originally wanted to say that Chen Mo, as the groom, should shoot first.

But now it seemed he could not underestimate the opponent.

Wu Changlin held a Copper Coin, pointing to its two sides: "This side has a pattern, that side has a character. Do you guess pattern or character? Whoever guesses right shoots first."

Chen Mo shook his head and said, "No need for such trouble, you are Mi'Er's Big Brother, elders go first, you shoot first."

Wu Changlin's eyes slightly narrowed, for some reason, he detected some disdain from Chen Mo's words.

This made Wu Changlin feel a bit annoyed, thinking: "Then don't blame me for not giving you a chance."

But said aloud: "Then I won't be polite."

"Please," Chen Mo said.

Wu Changlin used a bow of twenty stones, bent the bow and set the arrow, and began aiming.

Whispers arose among the clan members around.

"The Young Clan Leader is the number one Divine Archer of Jiangdong. Letting the Young Clan Leader shoot first is as good as him already winning, isn't it?"

"Copper Eye Piercing Arrow, that's the Young Clan Leader's specialty. Since the Young Clan Leader is posturing like this, it's clearly to trouble the groom. Didn't expect the groom to walk right into it."

The commotion here naturally was reported to Wu Mi's ears by the servants.

"Miss, the Copper Eye Piercing Arrow, that's the Young Clan Leader's specialty, this aims to trouble the groom," the personal maid said.

Wu Mi furrowed her brow and hesitantly said, "Let's go have... a look."

Wu Mi, followed by her personal maid, quietly came to a tall building, from where they could see the archery site.

And at this moment, Wu Changlin released his grip.

The first arrow shot towards the Copper Coin Eye on the far left.

However, at that moment, Chen Mo also bent his bow and set the arrow, without any aiming, he released his shot.

The people beside were all taken aback.

In a blink of an eye, Chen Mo's arrow quickly caught up with Wu Changlin's, slicing Wu Changlin's arrow in half from the tail, and with remaining momentum, easily passed through the Copper Coin Eye, piercing a hole in the peach tied at the back.

"Hit."

"Gasp..."

Someone made a remark, and in an instant, a series of gasps resounded around Chen Mo.

Wu Changlin's face turned black as he looked at Chen Mo, only to see the latter swiftly release the last two arrows with a "whoosh whoosh," nearly simultaneously passing through the other two Copper Coin Eyes, piercing through the peaches at the back.

"I yield." Chen Mo didn't even look at the result, instead, he smiled at Wu Changlin.