Chapter 53

Chapter 54: Wedding Affairs (Part 1)

"Right away, right away!" Dongqing hurriedly went to inform Miss Eleven.

Miss Eleven had Amber accompany Ten Miss to pick out some items while she changed into more casual clothes and headed to the matriarch’s residence.

In the courtyard, she ran into Xu Mama.

Xu Mama greeted Miss Eleven courteously, "Are you here to see the matriarch?"

"Yes!" Miss Eleven smiled and exchanged pleasantries, "You're busy!"

This was meant to be a polite remark, but Xu Mama raised the items in her hand, saying, "The matriarch sent me to deliver two hundred-year-old ginseng roots from her storeroom to our eldest miss."

After all that had happened yesterday, the matriarch must be worried.

Miss Eleven smiled at Xu Mama, then lifted the curtain and entered the main room.

The eldest master wasn’t around, and the matriarch was having breakfast alone. A bowl of plain porridge was in front of her, with four or five small dishes on the table.

"Have you eaten?" the matriarch asked kindly. Without waiting for an answer, she instructed Coral, "Bring a set of utensils for Miss Eleven."

Miss Eleven had already eaten… but she couldn’t refuse this kind of intimate gesture from her superior.

She smiled, thanked the matriarch, and sat down. Coral served her a small half bowl of plain porridge.

It was truly a case of "it helps to have connections." Amber and Coral were close, and Coral took good care of Miss Eleven’s household. Knowing that Miss Eleven had already eaten, Coral served just a small portion of porridge, respecting the matriarch’s gesture without leaving any waste.

Miss Eleven smiled gratefully at Coral.

Coral smiled back, understanding that Miss Eleven appreciated her thoughtfulness.

The group ate in silence, and afterward, Miss Eleven followed the matriarch to the large kang by the west window.

The matriarch complained, "This bed isn’t really a bed, and this couch isn’t quite a couch. With the seat cushions, it’s hot; without them, it’s stiff… Nothing compares to our eight-step bed and arhat bed."

Miss Eleven helped the matriarch onto the kang and pushed open half the window. A cool breeze, fresh with the scent of spring rain, rushed in.

"I can make some bamboo seat cushions for you!" Miss Eleven said with a smile, "They’ll be more comfortable."

The matriarch smiled and nodded, "You always think so thoroughly." She then took Miss Eleven’s hand, "Ten Miss is picking clothes in your room, right? It’s a bit of a bother for you."

"It’s no bother at all," Miss Eleven smiled. "It takes a lifetime of good karma to be sisters. In this life, Ten Miss and I are sisters; who knows if we’ll have this fortune in the next? A few clothes and accessories mean nothing compared to our bond."

The matriarch smiled and nodded, "Rest assured, I have a good sense of this and won’t mistreat you." She then called Emerald and Daimao to open the storage chests and took Miss Eleven to look. "I want to reward some clothes to Coral and the others. You have a good eye, so please help me pick."

Miss Eleven was slightly surprised.

This used to be Fifth Miss’s task…

But seeing the matriarch’s smiling expression, she discreetly agreed, "Yes."

The matriarch’s smile lit up her eyes.

The morning flew by as they sorted through the matriarch’s splendid and dazzling wardrobe.

At noon, the matriarch kept Miss Eleven for lunch, and afterward, Miss Eleven helped the matriarch settle down for her afternoon nap. As soon as the matriarch lay down, the eldest grandma arrived.

She hadn’t come during lunch but arrived now… Given that the eldest grandma had returned early the previous day for Ten Miss’s affairs and hadn’t been seen all morning today, she must have had something important to discuss.

Eleventh Miss used the excuse of making tea for the matriarch and excused herself to a side room.

As soon as Eleventh Miss left, the matriarch's face immediately darkened. "Any news?"

The matriarch stepped forward a few paces and whispered, "I confirmed that Wei Yuan Security Escort brought her here. However, they wouldn't tell us who the client was. Despite our inquiries, they wouldn't disclose any information about the insurance fee. In my humble opinion, we'll still need to inquire from within the family. I've already sent someone to Yu Hang yesterday."

"You've done well!" The matriarch's expression softened slightly. "Something may have happened at home... Let's wait until the person we sent returns. In the meantime, make sure to accompany Tenth Miss closely and ensure she doesn’t run off or speak out of turn." She then coldly hummed, "Who are the two maids serving her now?"

"One is named Jin Lian, the other Yin Ping. Both were originally my second-tier maids."

"I'm glad you're here to help me," the matriarch sighed with emotion. "Otherwise, it really would be chaotic."

"You're too kind, Mother," the matriarch modestly replied, "I'm just following your instructions." She then took out a few banknotes from her sleeve and said with a smile, "This is the 1,200 taels you gave me last time. The household expenses were quite high when we first arrived, but it's been around 70 to 80 taels per month since. I've used about 600 taels to cover the household expenses. Here's the rest!" She was about to hand the banknotes to the matriarch.

"Don't be silly; what’s mine is yours," the matriarch refused to take them. "Keep it and buy some rouge, powder, or jade hairpins for yourself."

Just as the matriarch was about to decline, the matriarch said, "I have another task for you."

"Please, go ahead," the matriarch replied sincerely, seeing that the older woman was genuine, and accepted the banknotes.

The matriarch pondered, "You young ones are quick-witted. When you have time, go and check out the new styles at West Gate. Get some new dowry items for Fifth Miss and Tenth Miss."

The matriarch was slightly surprised but obediently replied, "Yes."

The matriarch hesitated for a moment and added, "Limit it to 500 taels per person!" She then asked the matriarch, "Is 500 taels enough?"

Considering the matriarch spent nearly 5,000 taels when she married, excluding land and property, 500 taels wasn’t much. But Fifth Miss and Tenth Miss were different; they were born of a concubine...

She quickly smiled and said, "It's more than enough. It all depends on how you allocate it."

Seeing that her daughter-in-law understood her intentions, the matriarch nodded in satisfaction and said, "Later, let's go over what else we can move from Yu Hang to avoid purchasing more land and property."

The matriarch quickly nodded in agreement. At that moment, a young maid rushed in, announcing, "Xu Mama has returned!"

"Quick, come in!" The matriarch hurriedly went to put on her shoes, but Xu Mama entered, lifting the curtain.

"How is it?" The matriarch asked urgently, "Is Eldest Miss alright?"

Xu Mama squatted down to perform a blessing gesture for the matriarch and said with a smile, "Don't worry, everything is fine. This morning, Elder Madam Xu visited Madam Huang at the Marquis of Yongchang’s residence. She intends to have Madam Huang gauge the Jiang family’s intentions. Just wait for the good news!"

Hearing this, the matriarch clasped her hands together and bowed towards the west, "Amituofo! If you bless our Chun Ge and everything goes as we wish, I will definitely restore your gilded statue."

Both the matriarch and Xu Mama laughed, and Xu Mama added, "Start preparing the gold leaf! I heard from Madam Tao that before the elder madam left this morning, she went to see the eldest young miss and discussed the Jiang family matter with her. The elder madam even asked the eldest young miss which one she preferred."

The matriarch was very pleased and said with a smile, "Of course, the daughter of Jiang Bai's family is the best!"

"The eldest young miss also said so," Xu Mama smiled, "She even reasoned with the elder madam. In the end, the elder madam went to the Marquis of Yongchang’s residence without saying anything."

"She's always been clever," the matriarch smiled proudly, hearing that her daughter could manipulate her husband. She then asked Xu Mama, "Have you eaten?"

Xu Mama smiled and said, "The eldest young miss gave me some snacks, so I'm not hungry. Is there something you need, Matriarch?"

The matriarch asked the matriarch to instruct the kitchen to send some food to Xu Mama and said, "I was just about to settle the accounts with Sister-in-law Xing. Your return is quite timely."

Before she could finish speaking, a young maid came to report, "Matriarch, the master has asked you to prepare a banquet. Brother Xing has arrived with Money Gongzi!"

The matriarch slightly frowned but instructed the young maid, "Go and tell Hang Mama to prepare it as per the previous arrangements."

The young maid agreed and left.

The matriarch looked pensive and asked the elder daughter-in-law, "At a time like this, when we're preparing for a banquet... is there someone who often takes advantage of our hospitality?"

The elder daughter-in-law smiled and said, "Taking advantage might be too strong a word, but he does come often. Every time he visits, he scrutinizes everything in the house. The Li-made armchair, Song Shoumei's brush washer, the wolf-hair brushes on the multi-treasure shelf—he recognizes everything. In conversation, he often discusses which restaurant is grand, which teahouse has the best tea, what new plays have come to Yanjing recently, who the lead actors are, and which prominent families he's visited, what rare things he's seen... He doesn't appear to be devoted to his studies."

The matriarch's expression turned serious—she was most afraid that her son would be dazzled by the distractions in Yanjing and lose his focus on scholarly advancement.

"What's his name? How old is he? Where is he from? Is he a student supervisor or a scholar supported by a stipend?" she asked meticulously.

The elder daughter-in-law seemed to pay attention to this as well and answered fluently, "His name is Qian Ming, courtesy name Zichun, from Yichun, Sichuan. He's two years older than my husband and is a scholar supported by a stipend. Apparently, he has some acres of land at home. From his behavior and mannerisms, he doesn't seem like a poor man. But the way he scrutinizes things makes people uncomfortable."

"A scholar supported by a stipend?" The matriarch was somewhat surprised. "Being able to study at the Guozijian, he should have some talent. You can't judge a person by their appearance and mistreat him. What seems insignificant now might one day become a high-ranking official!"

The elder daughter-in-law hurriedly assured her, "Mother, don't worry. Every time he comes, I treat him with good wine and meat. Last time, he said the crystal braised dish at Chunxi Lou was delicious, so I specially sent someone to buy it from Chunxi Lou to entertain him."

The matriarch nodded in satisfaction and then said, "Since Brother Xing has a guest, go attend to your tasks! I have Xu Mama here!"

The elder daughter-in-law smiled in response and left. A maid brought in a bowl of pan-fried silver fish, a plate of toon sprout stir-fried eggs, and a bowl of white rice.

Eleven Miss saw this and brought two cups of tea inside.

"Has the elder daughter-in-law left?"

Xu Mama was sitting on a small cushion, eating. When she saw Eleven Miss enter, she quickly stood up.

The matriarch then remembered Eleven Miss and said with a smile, "You should go rest as well!"

Eleven Miss was more than happy and left with a smile.

After Xu Mama finished her meal, the matriarch discussed the matter of marriage preparations with her.

"The Huai River region has experienced several floods, and the land has become barren. However, that was part of your dowry..."

The matriarch was straightforward, "I'm not concerned about those anymore. Let's get rid of these unnecessary burdens."

Xu Mama agreed and carefully began to calculate the accounts with the matriarch. "That said, we still have a mountain forest in Yu County, where only some miscellaneous trees can be planted. Last year, we cut down a section and sold it for sixty taels of silver..."

"Include that as well."

Xu Mama nodded and noted it down in the ledger.

Just as they were calculating, Madam Tao, who serves Eldest Miss, arrived!

The matriarch and Xu Mama were slightly startled, and the matriarch worriedly said, "Has something changed?"