Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 61 Betrothal Gifts - Before Turning Back, All is Dream

After learning of this, the old lady instructed Suwen to inform Madam Yun to add 10% to the dowry prepared for the eldest daughter.

"It's alright to stray down a narrow path; what's commendable is being able to realize your mistake and turn back in time," the old lady commented.

The eldest young lady was unaware that her advice to her aunt had inadvertently won the approval of her stepmother and the old lady. She had indeed been depressed for a long time, and it was only on the Mid-Autumn Festival, while playing chess with the second young lady, that she finally saw the light.

That day, the Fourth Miss and Concubine Wen were confined. Madam Yun, along with two concubines, took care of the elderly lady who was in poor spirits. Only the four young ladies remained in the flower hall of Fu'an Residence.

The eldest young lady took the initiative to suggest a game of chess with the second young lady. As soon as she made her first move, the eldest young lady suddenly asked, "How would you feel if my second sister were to marry a military man from Jinan?"

This was the first time the eldest young lady had faced this marriage proposal directly. The second young lady casually picked up a black piece and said, "Let's accept it calmly."

The eldest young lady was stunned, thinking that the second young lady was just making a casual remark to appease her. She smiled bitterly and said, "It was my fault for asking. I was just unwilling to accept it. Please don't blame me, sister. You are the legitimate daughter, so Father would not casually arrange such a marriage for you with someone from a lowly family."

"Elder sister, you've misunderstood. You are Father's eldest daughter. Father has always been known for his wisdom and strategy. Why would he casually arrange a marriage for you? Have you thought about it?"

Aunt Liu's schemes were riddled with errors; she only saw the Qin family's scholarly prestige. But, with all due respect, you're no match for Miss Qin. Even if you succeed in your scheme and marry into the Qin family, you'll only be living a life of misery.

"Besides, although Young Master Qin is a son of a concubine, he will inherit the family business and enter the officialdom where reputation is of utmost importance. He would not marry a daughter of a concubine as the head of the household. Even if you manage to get her, she can only be a concubine. Do you think eldest sister is willing to be a concubine?"

When the young lady was confined, she realized that the Qin family was not a good match for her. However, she did not regret her past scheming. What she cared about was that she had fought for it, even if such a struggle was ridiculed.

"This huge chessboard is actually only a small area," the second young lady sighed.

Then she grabbed the young lady's raised wrist, a white chess piece resting between the young lady's two fingers. "The Qin family is a dead end for you, but with the Song family, as long as Father and Brother are alive, you will be the one holding the pieces in the inner quarters."

The distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children is a rule of the world. Whether one is born a black piece or a white piece depends on the status of their 'birth mother'. Only by standing up for oneself and conquering territory within this small space can one ultimately become the winner.

This was a rare instance where the second young lady didn't use her sharp tongue; she directly and clearly told the eldest young lady that it would be easier for the Song family of Jinan to establish themselves.

After seemingly coming to her senses, the eldest young lady began spending her days with her aunt in the Fuliu Courtyard, learning to embroider her dowry. Upon seeing this, Madam Yun sent someone to inform her that she was exempt from paying her respects. Then, for five or six days in a row, she truly did not come to pay her respects. After learning about the conversation the second young lady had during the chess game, Meng Shu felt that the second young lady seemed to have wasted her breath.

On August 22nd, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

The boat carrying the betrothal gifts from the Song family of Jinan docked at Lin'an Wharf early in the morning. Tang Xian sent his steward and two head managers to greet them. When the head steward, Tang Shi, saw that the first people to disembark were four women with red flowers in their hair, he knew that the Song family was extremely satisfied with the marriage.

The so-called betrothal ceremony, the fourth of the six rites, is the day when the groom's family sends the betrothal letter and betrothal gifts to the bride's family. This is usually to show respect and satisfaction. The groom's family will invite two or four people of good fortune to accompany the matchmaker, bringing betrothal money, betrothal gifts, and other gifts to the bride's home.

It's rare for the Song family to be able to gather all four of them at once, which shows their sincerity.

The people who were actually leading the group were the eldest son of County Magistrate Song and his wife. The two groups gathered at the Lin'an Wharf, and everyone was smiling and complimenting each other. People on the wharf also came forward to clasp their hands and say auspicious words. Song's brother immediately ordered his servant to bring out a large basin of lucky money and scattered it on the spot for a while.

Tang Shi stroked his short beard and nodded to the two head managers beside him. He quickly instructed a servant to send a message back to the mansion on horseback.

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), the gates of the Tang mansion opened wide, with gold-flecked red couplets hanging on both sides of the gate. Countless firecrackers hung high under the large red lanterns, and the plaque at the top was decorated with colorful silk and red flowers. Tang Xian was dressed in a sky-blue satin jacket with gourd and double happiness patterns, and Madam Yun was also dressed festively. The couple, along with a group of stewards, maids, and servants, welcomed the distinguished guests who had come to participate in the betrothal ceremony.

A line of carriages carrying the betrothal gifts and dowry swayed and rattled for more than half an hour before arriving at the main gate of the Tang residence. Firecrackers went off at just the right time. Song's brother, being a junior, got off the carriage and bowed to Tang Xian and his wife first.

After finishing the ceremony, he looked up and saw the Tang family mansion gates wide open. He was already somewhat shocked by the sight of the tall and wide gate. He then glanced at his wife and couldn't help but rub his forehead. She was even more bewildered, as if she were in a fog, her eyes glazed over.

The group entered the gate together, and the front yard suddenly opened up, revealing the elegance of a Jiangnan garden. Inside, there were small bridges, flowing water, rockeries, and covered corridors, all of which were breathtakingly beautiful. After walking through one courtyard after another, it was truly a scene at every turn. The couple and the people who came with them to deliver the betrothal gifts felt as if they had entered a fairyland.

The betrothal gifts were carried into the mansion through the main gate with drums and gongs, and were finally settled in Langya Courtyard. Steward Cui was giving orders with his feet barely touching the ground, yet he was afraid of neglecting the guests. At this moment, seeing that the two second-class maids, Xia Zhu and Luo Mei, seemed to have no backbone at all, he felt a little nostalgic for the time when Meng Shu was still working in Langya Courtyard.

Meng Shu was waiting with the second young lady in the inner room of Fu'an Residence when auspicious words soon came from outside the flower hall. Madam Yun led four blessed people and the matchmaker into the courtyard. Next to the matchmaker was Sister-in-law Song.

Fu'an Residence was extremely wealthy, and she couldn't help but feel a little awkward, feeling that even her own three-courtyard house in Jinan was not as valuable as the jade bonsai displayed at the entrance of the flower hall.

Upon entering the flower hall, the Song family members naturally had to greet the old lady first.

Even on her own daughter's special day, Aunt Liu could not go out to greet guests. She stood behind Madam Yun, her eyes fixed on Sister-in-law Song. After a long while, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The woman in front of him, Sister-in-law Song, was of average age, figure, and appearance, far inferior to his own beautiful daughter.

The eldest and second young ladies, along with the third, fifth, and sixth young ladies, got a clear look at Sister-in-law Song through the landscape screen. This was the eldest young lady's future sister-in-law, and judging from her demeanor and appearance, she shouldn't be an unpleasant person to get along with.

The young lady shared the same thoughts as Aunt Liu. While feeling much more relaxed, she couldn't help but show a hint of disdain. Looking at Sister-in-law Song's attire, she felt that she was even less respectable than the head housekeeper of the Tang family.

Although the hairpins and ornaments look new, their styles are already outdated.

The old lady never peeked into people's lives. She smiled and beckoned Sister-in-law Song over, asking in detail about the family situation. Her inquiries were mostly about whether Sister-in-law Song's mother-in-law was healthy and whether the children had started their education. Only at the end did she casually mention the second son of the Song family.

Although Sister-in-law Song appears simple-minded, she is not. She knew exactly what the old lady was thinking. She was just momentarily stunned by the wealth of the Tang family as soon as she got off the carriage. Now that she has regained her senses, she is responding quite appropriately.

"...Old Madam, Madam, it's not that I, as your sister-in-law, am boasting about our family, but my brother-in-law has practiced martial arts since he was a child. He is extremely tall and heroic, and he has been tempered in the military camp. He has no wicked thoughts whatsoever, and for so many years he has only had one servant to serve him."

He continued, "Our Song family's fortune is not abundant, and we are afraid that our eldest daughter from the Tang family will be wronged."

The Tang family had naturally investigated before arranging this marriage. The old lady smiled and said, "It's easy to acquire a family fortune, but difficult to find a good match. It's clear that our eldest daughter is blessed. Just looking at having such a sensible and well-mannered sister-in-law like you, this marriage is excellent."

Madam Yun had met at least eight hundred or a thousand women, and just by looking at Sister-in-law Song's eyes, she knew that she was easy to get along with. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Aunt Liu behind her say with a smug air, "Our eldest sister has a generous dowry, so naturally she can't stand being wronged."