Chapter 157: A Marvel of Construction and Celebration

Just like that.

For a full six days and six nights, the workers operated around the clock with unyielding machinery.

They had managed to construct an architectural twin of the Yellow Crane Tower for Xu Hao—something no other Faux Ancient Architecture Company would even dare to dream of.

Keep in mind, it took nearly a month just to complete Tengwang Pavilion.

“Mingsha Labor—you guys really lack ambition!”

At that moment,

upon hearing Luo Peng’s words, Xiang Anmin said nothing in response; his heart swelled with gratitude as he immediately gave a thumbs-up.

Even as a heavyweight in the construction industry, he knew that assembling such a landmark structure in one week, with the manpower, resources, and funds deployed, was an almost unimaginable feat.

And all of this effort was just to ensure that their guests wouldn’t have to dine in the snow, saving face for the Xiang family.

In such circumstances,

both Xiang Anmin and Xiang Fei were deeply moved.

Most importantly, it wasn’t about saving face anymore—Mingsha Labor had inadvertently boosted their prestige even further!

“President Luo, as per our previous agreement, the company didn’t need to provide new housing. But now that we have, we must pay for it! How much? President Luo, give us a figure!”

Coming back to his senses, Xiang Anmin quickly interjected.

“Xiang, there’s really no need. It’s all part of what Mingsha Labor should do. By the way, once this building is finished, it’ll be named Vermilion Bird Building! There will be signs at the intersection of Qing Brick Avenue. If any of your guests don’t fancy watching the ceremony along the sides of Qing Brick Avenue, they can head straight to Vermilion Bird Building.”

Seeing this,

Luo Peng immediately waved him off.

It was clear that even if he were to demand a fee of several hundred thousand for one night’s stay in that house, Xiang Anmin would have paid without hesitation—business just can’t be done this way.

“Vermilion Bird Building, President Luo—forget everything else, I consider you a friend for life! If Mingsha Labor ever needs any help, Anmin Real Estate is absolutely at your service.”

Xiang Anmin was truly at a loss for words.

In all his years of business, he’d never encountered a contractor as trustworthy and worthy of deep friendship.

“Xiang, you flatter me. Really, it was all decided and arranged by Researcher Xu. If you really want to thank someone, thank him!”

“Researcher Xu?”

Xiang Anmin was taken aback.

“Yes!”

“After the wedding, my family and I will make sure to express our gratitude properly.”

Time ticked by…

Unconsciously, it was already nine in the morning. The drifting snow did not deter onlookers; Qing Brick Avenue was already packed with people, so many that it was impossible to tell guests apart from mere spectators.

Boom! Clang! Crackle! With the sound of gongs and firecrackers,

a wedding procession began its slow journey from the gate of Qixia Town along Qing Brick Avenue.

Leading the way were twenty heralds dressed in traditional attire. The four at the very front, paired up, each carried a large gong, while the sixteen behind held red wooden signs

inscribed with wishes for the wedding and good fortune.

Following these twenty, another sixty people, paired up, carried ornate gift boxes decorated with red silk.

It looked like the groom’s betrothal gifts! After these sixty, two sets of suona players appeared, filling the air with traditional tunes like ‘Hundred Birds Paying Homage’ and ‘Joyful Celebration’.

After the suona teams came Xiang Fei, riding a majestic horse adorned with a red flower and dressed in traditional wedding attire.

Behind Xiang Fei, an eight-person team carefully carried the Wan Gong Sedan Chair.

Adorned in splendid gold, the sedan chair exuded luxury. Accompanying it was an elderly attendant, much like the maidservants who once attended the nobility during weddings.

In short,

the arrival of the wedding procession spurred endless praise from onlookers, with many young female spectators even gasping in delight. They had never imagined a traditional wedding could be so grand, approachable, and yet luxurious.

And that wasn’t all.

By a little past ten, as the procession reached the end of Qing Brick Avenue and the guesthouse where the ceremony would commence, and with the arrival of the bridal entourage, the celebratory atmosphere hit its peak.

On either side of the Wan Gong Sedan Chair, ten maidservants in festive attire quickly joined in.

Following the maidservants were various decorative items,

including complete sets of red-footed buckets, each carried by one person at both ends,

and other smaller wooden buckets, fruit baskets, porcelain vases, and earthenware jars, all arranged in red painted boxes carried by two people.

Every load, every bar, was lavishly painted in bright red and gold, gleaming brilliantly.

Beds, tables, utensils, boxes, and baskets—everything needed for daily life was provided. The wedding dowry included garments, footwear, housing, travel, wedding items, silks, cloth, and even agricultural tools. Everywhere they went, gongs and firecrackers rang out in a magnificent display, stretching out like a red-draped dragon. Coupled with the ancient decor on either side and the falling snow, the scene was nothing short of spectacular—truly embodying the ‘Ten Miles of Red Splendor’ description!

At that moment, the wedding procession strutting down Qing Brick Avenue turned into the equivalent of a star-studded red carpet. Smartphone flashlights from onlookers twinkled nonstop as everyone tried to capture the moment.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast chatroom was ablaze with comments, one after another exclaiming, “Amazing! Truly amazing!”

“Ten Miles of Red Splendor—this is the real deal!”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I say Long Kingdom TV should cover it as a documentary on ancient weddings.”

“This is unmatched—how can any Western wedding compare?”

“Western weddings? Please, even the flashiest sports car doesn’t have a procession like this!”

“And who’s complaining about Mingsha Tourism’s wedding packages?”

“Expensive? Thirty thousand for a wedding like this is a bargain! Besides, in the entire Long Kingdom, only Mingsha Tourism can pull off such an extravagant event.”

“I’m so jealous I couldn’t be there! Imagine if it weren’t for the snow forcing the banquet outdoors—it would have been perfect.”

“Exactly! If it weren’t for the snow, guests wouldn’t have been forced to eat in the cold, which would truly have been the perfect wedding.”

“True, it’s a pity. Many of the high-ranking guests from both families wouldn’t stand this weather. They’d just make a brief appearance, leaving the banquet hall eerily empty. Tsk tsk.”

“Empty? With a scene like this, I bet plenty of uninvited guests would still flock in. Once they leave, so be it—no harm done!”

“Hehe, that’s probably right!”

“After this wedding, I bet Mingsha Tourism’s top-tier wedding packages will be booked solid. Every auspicious or festive day will see a line of couples waiting to tie the knot.”

“And we’ll get another chance to witness it all again!”

“Next time I’m definitely choosing Mingsha Tourism for my own wedding—if the stars align.”

And so, the live chat buzzed with excitement as the viewers watched and typed away.

But around eleven, many viewers suddenly paused as the live feed revealed an unexpected scene: “What’s going on? Weren’t we supposed to be headed to the small square near Tengwang Pavilion? Why did the procession turn a corner?”

They saw that the wedding procession hadn’t gone to Tengwang Pavilion at Oasis 1 as previously mentioned, but had suddenly turned into a side lane of Qing Brick Avenue—a lane that none of them seemed to have noticed before, as if it had just appeared out of nowhere.

“Exactly! It shouldn’t be like this!”

One viewer sat upright, intent on catching every detail.

Just as it happened online,

in real life many guests, especially those accompanying the bride’s side, were equally baffled, not understanding why the procession had taken an unexpected turn.

However, ten minutes later, as they followed the procession to the small square in front of Vermilion Bird Building and took in its overall decoration, their astonishment was beyond words.

“Is this really where the banquet is being held today?”

One guest couldn’t help but ask.

Initially, given the weather, they had prepared themselves to just make a brief appearance in the square before heading back to Yan City, not expecting anything different.

But if the banquet were to be held in this magnificent building, attendance was a must!

“Attention, all invited guests: Please present your invitation to enter Vermilion Bird Building for the ceremony. A staff member will guide you to your seats.”

At that moment, a butler in traditional attire approached and announced the instructions, confirming the bride’s side guests’ suspicions.

“This is perfect! Absolutely perfect!”

Instinctively, several guests gave the butler a thumbs-up, and many quickened their pace.

Both the guests and the live-stream viewers were in uproar over the unfolding scene—so much so that few cared about the wedding anymore.

They were all dying to know when this suddenly revealed, imposing wooden structure had been built. It was as if magic had been performed—simply astounding!

“I just returned from Mingsha Tourism last week. I can assure you that the building wasn’t there before!”

“Exactly, and its design is imposing and grand—completely distinct from Tengwang Pavilion or Tingchao Pavilion. Had I known earlier, I would have visited immediately.”

“So when was this wooden building constructed?”

“Damn, could it be that Mingsha Tourism built it on the fly because there was no venue for the banquet in the snow? If so, they are incredible! I’m simply in awe! The reliability of their reputation is unmatched.”

“Now that you mention it, it really could be—the folks at Mingsha Tourism always do things their own way! They can pull off anything.”

“The more I think about it, the more likely it seems.”

“Wait and see—I’m sure the official Mingsha Tourism website will have an explanation soon.”

“Agreed!”

Humans experience joy and sorrow differently—some were astonished by Mingsha’s wedding spectacle while others remained indifferent, busy with their own affairs.

In Yan City’s Third Ring, in a spacious villa, Qi Haoyong carefully pulled a floor plan from a briefcase and placed it in front of a man in his sixties.

“Chairman, take a look at the layout for our film city and the distribution of the new Ancient Building Courtyard. The scale is perfect for hosting the 35th Film Festival.”

“Oh, but I’ve heard that Mingsha Tourism also has several ancient buildings—two of which even served as sets for historical dramas.”

The man pondered briefly before looking up at Qi Haoyong.

“Chairman, the ancient buildings at Mingsha Tourism are neither large nor fully developed—just two streets and a small ancient city. But our film city is a different story. Look here:”

With that, Qi Haoyong quickly pointed at the layout.