"The wedding procession is almost here." "Don't be too nervous, Phrao. Try to stay calm." Athittaya nodded, following Lada's advice and trying to ease her excitement. Rose had just informed them that the wedding procession was approaching. Page 332 of 402 The Fire by Salmon Sun Yan All of Atchima's cousins had already gone through their weddings, unlike her. Athittaya was about to marry Atchima at the age of twenty-three. After accepting the proposal and wearing the engagement ring, they began preparing for the wedding calmly and without rushing. They had planned the wedding for months, bringing immense joy to Khun Akanee. He was overjoyed to see the two girls he loved like his own daughters finally belong to each other. Khun Phanee, though not as openly enthusiastic as Khun Akanee, had also given her approval and raised no objections. Over the past few months, she had gradually come to realize that love brought smiles to her niece and her bride to be. They decided to hold a warm family ceremony at the main residence of the Watinwanich family estate, following the traditional Southern Thai wedding customs. The sisters-in-law rolled up their sleeves to help and hired experienced event organizers to ensure everything would go perfectly. Athittaya had just discovered that Nam - who was always busy with work - was actually a true wedding-planning expert with hundreds of events under her belt. She had organized every wedding in the family, including hers and Atchima's. "Thank you so much, P'Rose, P'Lada, and P'Blue. You've helped me with everything. If I had to do this alone, I'd probably be so nervous I'd cry." "We're family. It's nothing." Dressed in a magnificent traditional wedding outfit, Athittaya looked at her beautiful sister-in-law Blue, who was smiling at her warmly. The word "family" brought a radiant warmth to Athittaya's heart - someone who had once always felt alone in this world. Other than her late father, she had no relatives left. But now, Atchima's cousins had made her feel like she truly belonged to this big family. Din, Nam, and Lom - Atchima's older cousins - all treated her with great kindness. "We all welcome Phrao into the Watinwanich family." Especially Rose, who always reminded her that from now on, she would never have to be alone again. Beyond Atchima's love and protection, Athittaya was now truly part of the Watinwanich family. . . "P'Rose, please let Fai pass the last gate." "The last gate isn't that easy to get through. Two envelopes aren't enough." "Lada and P'Blue let me pass with just one envelope each. I gave P'Rose two - that's already special treatment." "Do you want to give more? Or do you not want to see Phrao anymore?" Laughter filled the air as Atchima tried to bargain with Rose, the sister-in- law she respected like a mother. She had easily passed Lada and Blue's "silver gates" with one envelope each. But Rose's "golden gate" seemed even harder to overcome than getting Khun Phanee's approval. "Alright then, P'Rose, just take all these envelopes." "Are you really giving them all to me?" "Yes. If it's still not enough, you can go ask P'Din for more. I'm surrendering all my assets to you." Rose smiled in satisfaction as her younger cousin tossed the responsibility over to her wife. She seemed pleased, and finally the last golden gate was opened, allowing Atchima to step into the room where Athittaya was waiting. #4elements #namnuengnoey #englot #thefire #applemim - @thaigl000