Chapter 258: Escorting the Bride

Chapter 258: Escorting the Bride

Time flew by quickly, and with the sun rising and setting day after day, the Zhen Guan Workshop began to bustle with activity. The nine people, including Emilio, who had once been desperate to escape, now lacked even the strength to run. Every day they opened their eyes to dress, eat, and work.

The only comfort was that the meals in the workshop were decent, and they could eat lychees and oranges whenever they wanted.

Despite the heavy workload, none of them lost weight; instead, they all plumped up like fluffy buns.

Moreover—they were actually getting paid!

Although they couldn't leave the workshop, they could ask their coworkers to bring back roasted goose, snacks, tea, and other items. To be honest, except for being confined, life was more comfortable than when they were in Luzon. Regardless of what Emilio thought, the other eight no longer wished to return to Luzon.

The workshop remained busy until October, after which it quieted down, with only orange preserves and orange juice left to produce. The workshop suddenly became much less hectic.

After celebrating his birthday in October, A Yan grew another year older, and then came the annual gathering on the tenth day of the tenth month. Last year's gathering had led to many marriages among the young, and this year, Meng Wan and Song Tingzhou once again set up a stall under the tree, witnessing the increasing and then decreasing number of bamboo plaques on the matchmaking tree—a pretty unique experience.

The first day of the eleventh month was the wedding of Yu Yandong and Tang Jinshuang. The Yu family was wealthy and established, with many customs to follow. Tang Jinshuang, with a past he didn't talk about, was nervous about facing the Yu family. It was only Yu Yandong's sticking with it that moved him; otherwise, Tang Jinshuang would never have gone through with it.

The couple was not allowed to see each other for three days before the wedding. Meng Wan gave Tang Jinshuang time off to prepare for the marriage at his sister's home.

On the night before the wedding, Meng Wan, along with He Niang and Dong Geer from Heshan, visited Tang Jinshuang at Magistrate Zhang's residence.

"This is the dowry my mother-in-law prepared for you. Keep it. Tomorrow morning, she will take A Yan and the others to the Yu family for the feast," Meng Wan said, handing Tang Jinshuang a jewelry case filled with items that Chang Jinhua had bought from gold and silver shops.

You can't say no to a gift from an elder.

Tang Jinshuang accepted it solemnly. "Thank you, madam, for thinking of me." He had only one sister, and marrying from her brother-in-law's home was partly due to his sister's care, but also largely because of the Zhang family's regard for Meng Wan and Prefect Song behind him.

He Niang, Dong Geer, and the others each added their own gifts to Tang Jinshuang's trousseau. Compared to the Yu family's wealth, it was just a drop in the bucket, yet they carried the precious goodwill of these sympathetic souls toward a companion.

Tang Jinshuang and He Niang were the toughest ones in the group, yet even so, they couldn't help breaking down in tears while embracing each other.

Meng Wan comforted them, "After Jinshuang gets married, he will still work at the workshop. If you miss him, just come to Xiwu Prefecture to see him. Don't be sad. Things will keep getting better for everyone."

When Dong Geer got married, Meng Wan not only added a generous dowry for him but also gave him a share of the lotus root workshop's profits.

In fact, to make things easier, Meng Wan had split the workshop's profits equally among everyone during that visit. However, He Niang and Dong Geer each got an extra ten percent. The two of them—one bold and decisive, the other delicate and thoughtful—could hold the workshop together. Even if Meng Wan were absent in the future, they could manage it well.

Thus, the whole lotus root workshop in Heshan County became their safety net.

On the wedding day, there were twenty extra dowry chests in Tang Jinshuang's courtyard. Tang Jinrou sat beside her brother and whispered, "This is from Meng Fulang as a gift. Here's the dowry list. Keep it; they're all good things."

Although Tang Jinshuang had known Meng Wan would give him something, he was still shocked when he saw the dowry list.

He had earned well over the years at the workshop and put together a decent eighteen chests for himself, mostly clothes and furniture. His sister added eight chests, but the Zhangs weren't rich, so these were mainly fabrics and bedding.

Meng Wan's gift was way more generous: Zhuang brocade, jewelry, antiques, paintings, and calligraphy—all carefully picked and a good mix.

Xiwu Prefecture was never as prosperous as the mid-to-upper-tier prefectures of the Yu Kingdom. Although the Yu family had accumulated wealth over generations, it was hard to tell who had more money compared to Meng Wan now.

Meng Wan wasn't short of money, but to save face for the Zhang family, he couldn't give Tang Jinshuang too much. Twenty chests was just right—not too many, not too few, right for a Prefect's Lord adding to his steward's dowry, without embarrassing the Zhang family.

At noon, the Zhangs had guests over. Meng Wan, He Niang, and the others, as Tang Jinshuang's side of the family, stayed to dine with the Zhangs.

Just before sunset, they joined the bridal procession to the Yu residence, had a simple meal there, and then returned with the procession to the bride's home, not participating in the subsequent wedding ceremony.

This was Meng Wan's first time seeing off a bride. Because of who he was, everyone was super polite to him.

Before the wedding procession arrived, Meng Wan handed Tang Jinshuang a jewelry case. "Use this as 'pressing the dowry' later. I'm giving you a ten percent cut of the workshop. From now on, you're now one of the bosses."

Tang Jinshuang took a step back. "Master, you've already done way too much for me. I… I can't take this."

"Just take what's given to you. You've been running the workshop all this time, you earned it." Meng Wan was planning ahead. At the end of the year, Song Tingzhou would go to the capital for the imperial audience, and they might not stay in Xiwu Prefecture much longer. The workshop, as his most important asset, had to be entrusted to someone trustworthy.

People change, and money can corrupt. Making Tang Jinshuang a boss instead of an employee would shift his mindset, ensuring he would work with dedication.

For now, Tang Jinshuang seemed reliable, and the chances he'd turn out ungrateful or dishonest were slim.

Meng Wan watched Xiao Yu arrive all cheerful to pick up the bride, feeling a lot of emotions. Tang Jinshuang had been through so much to get here. He hoped everything would go well for him from now on, with no more hardships.

After seeing off the bride, Meng Wan didn't stick around. He turned down Old Yu's invite to stay for the banquet and went out to find Song Tingzhou.

Song Tingzhou was waiting for him on the street outside the Yu residence. Having a rare day off, the couple took a walk around the streets before returning home, where they just asked the cook to throw together some noodles. By the time they finished washing up, Chang Jinhua had returned with the three children who had attended the Yu family feast.

"Father!" A Yan ran over and hugged Meng Wan.

Chu Ci brought the two younger brothers to see Meng Wan and made a gesture. "They were really good."

Meng Wan patted his shoulder. "You were good too. Go to bed early tonight."

"I want to sleep here, Father." A Yan didn't want to leave, like a little clingy monster, but always failed.

Song Tingzhou picked him up and carried him out. "Go back and sleep with your brother Tong'er. Hurry up."

A Yan pouted as if about to cry, but seeing Song Tingzhou's stern face, he held back his tears and muttered, "Fine, fine. Brother, let's go!"

Chu Ci gave Song Tingzhou a respectful bow, then took the two little brothers away.

Meng Wan watched Chu Ci's upright back. "Xiao Ci will be eighteen next year. If you go to the capital in a few days, you might as well take him along to see his father's hometown."

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow; it's too rushed. I'll take him when I return." Song Tingzhou was naturally steady, but during his two imperial audiences in Lingnan, he had almost always arrived in Shengjing at the last moment, showing how much he disliked going there.

Meng Wan had already packed most of his luggage. They could bring what they could, and buy what they couldn't. They were no longer short of money. "Fortunately, the post road has been extended to Ganzhou Prefecture. From Ganzhou, you can take the waterway to Hangzhou, then head to the capital. That should be faster."

"Mm." Song Tingzhou was not in high spirits.

Meng Wan pulled him back to rest. "Every place has its inconveniences, and Shengjing has its troubles and dangers. But as long as our family is together, there's no need to worry."

Song Tingzhou touched his cheek softly. "I understand."

Chu Ci accompanied Song Tingzhou to the capital. A Yan, perhaps older now, was even more reluctant to part than before, secretly wiping away tears. Luckily, Tong'er was still at home to keep him company.

Song Tingzhou took many people on this trip. Chi Yu was left at home, while Xue Sheng, Na Tuo, and the Three Tao brothers accompanied him to the capital.

After he left, Meng Wan felt a bit down and even went to sleep in Chang Jinhua's courtyard for two nights.

After the wedding, Tang Jinshuang first visited his sister's home for the return visit, then came to the Song residence the next day to kowtow to Chang Jinhua.

Since the master of the house was away, Yu Yandong did not accompany Tang Jinshuang. Chang Jinhua helped Tang Jinshuang up. "I heard the Yu family has many members living together for generations. Are you adapting well to married life?"

Meng Wan listened nonchalantly. Tang Jinshuang had money and talent; the Yu family would have to be blind or foolish to cause him trouble.

"It's fine. My husband is very favored at home, and both his grandmother and mother dote on him," Tang Jinshuang said helplessly.

"That's good. If he's favored, you won't suffer." Chang Jinhua didn't fully understand the intricacies of wealthy families, viewing things through the lens of her village upbringing. For example, their former neighbor, the Tian family—the second son was more clever and articulate than the eldest, so the parents preferred him and Xiao Mei.

Tang Jinshuang smiled in agreement, but his smile carried a hint of weariness. Meng Wan sensed something was wrong and called him to his own courtyard.

"What happened? Did the Yu family give you a hard time?" Tang Jinshuang was capable and not as weak as Dong Dong. Could it be that the Yu family actually bullied him?

Seeing Meng Wan's displeased expression, Tang Jinshuang quickly explained, "Rest assured, husband. No one in the Yu family has given me any trouble. It's just that the grandmother doesn't quite like me, but with my husband around, she hasn't been harsh to me. However, my mother-in-law speaks with a hidden sting. A few days after Yan Dong and I married, she subtly hinted that Yan Dong has a cousin who was raised in the Yu family…"

For a xiaoge (a male wife), having children is difficult. Is Madam Yu afraid that Tang Jinshuang cannot bear children and is anxious to give her son a concubine?

Meng Wan frowned. "What is Yu Yandong's attitude?" He didn't even call him Xiao Yu anymore. Compared to the Yu family, Tang Jinshuang was closer to him, as his right-hand man.

Tang Jinshuang's eyes softened. "My husband said no. He said he'd find his cousin a good match in a couple of days."

Moreover, Yu Yandong didn't just talk. After his mother brought up to them the matter of the Yu family cousin, the young man, afraid that his mother would make things difficult for his husband, neither agreed nor refused at the time. But on the third day after the wedding, when they visited her family, he asked Magistrate Zhang to find a decent scholar from the prefectural school, instructing that if he liked their family's terms, he should propose quickly without needing the elders of the scholar's family to agree; he would persuade his father to agree.

Magistrate Zhang was a straight shooter. Having agreed to his brother-in-law's request, he took it seriously and was indeed earnestly looking for a suitable match for the Yu family cousin.

Since it wasn't Yu Yandong who caused Tang Jinshuang to suffer, Tang Jinshuang was either worried about the mother-in-law relationship or about his own ability to bear children.

The former depended on Tang Jinshuang to handle himself, but for the latter, Meng Wan could help him think of a way. "I'll have a servant go to the Yu family to report that the rain is heavy today, and you are staying at the Song house to rest. Later, I'll have A Xun come to examine you. He is even better than Qing Xing in matters concerning pregnancy and childbirth. In any case, remember one thing: you were married into the Yu family because Yu Yandong shamelessly begged for you. Now you are also the second co-owner of Zhen Guan Workshop. There's no need to lower your stance."

Tang Jinshuang's eyes reddened. He hadn't even cried on his wedding day, but now he almost shed tears. He understood that Meng Wan was backing him up to intimidate the women of the Yu family.

In the evening, A Xun was called to the Song house. He wasn't an outsider. He had dinner with everyone and spent the night in Meng Wan's courtyard, where he took Tang Jinshuang's pulse and examined him.

"There is indeed some constitutional deficiency, but it's nothing serious. Even without medicine, it can recover in a few years, and it won't affect fertility." A Xun was only a year younger than Chu Ci, now sixteen. He had grown from a talkative child to a physician who could handle things independently, and was even quite famous in Xiwu Prefecture.

Tang Jinshuang's eyes were full of surprise and joy. He always felt somewhat indebted to Yu Yandong, and if he couldn't even give him a child, he would probably become depressed.

"Then write a nourishing prescription for Jinshuang," Meng Wan said, voicing what Tang Jinshuang had in mind.

A Xun packed up his medical kit and said to Meng Wan, "Alright, I'll borrow your desk then."

Meng Wan teased, "Oh, A Xun has grown up and learned to be polite like an adult."

A Xun sat on the chair, fidgeting. "Master!"

"Alright, alright, hurry up and write." Meng Wan called Huang Ye to prepare the guest rooms in his courtyard for Tang Jinshuang and A Xun to stay.

What he said wasn't entirely false. The rain today was indeed heavy, and the thunder was frightening. Even though the Miao family wasn't far from the Song house, he dared not let A Xun go home.

In the latter part of the night, Meng Wan was awakened by a thunderclap that shook the heavens and earth. Several lightning bolts cut through the darkness, illuminating the room brightly, and the next moment a series of thunderclaps exploded.

The thunder came swiftly and fiercely, like a thousand cavalry charging across the clouds, rumbling from east to west, accompanied by torrential rain, like a furious dragon rolling wantonly in the clouds, wrapping the whole dark sky in its roar.

Thunder cracked, rain poured, wind howled, and the doors and windows banged loudly.

Meng Wan sat up in bed, his heart hammering nonstop. With a strange, uneasy feeling, he put on a thin cotton coat, got out of bed, stood by the window, and placed his hand on it.

His windows were covered with Xuan paper—soft, tough, and finely textured, with soft light-diffusing and durable. They still looked new even after a year.

But upon closer inspection, several grilles on the window frame had been torn through by the wind.

Meng Wan's brows furrowed tighter. He then walked to the door. Just as he pulled out the door bolt, the two doors in front of him were blown open by the strong wind, with two loud bangs that echoed down the corridor.

"Master, what's wrong?" The light in Huang Ye's room came on, and his voice sounded somewhat distorted as it reached Meng Wan's ears through the wind and rain. Meng Wan looked up at the pouring rain and shouted, "It's nothing. I was woken by the rain. Just go back to sleep, no need to come over."