Volume 1 Chapter 80 Shining (Part 1)

  Not long after eating the Dragon Boat Festival zongzi, Wang's family came to propose a marriage.

  Clothing, betrothal gifts, geese, wine and tea filled thirty-six sedan chairs, attracting the attention of all the neighbors who came out to watch. The mistress felt very proud, and the groom's shoes, socks and clothes were all returned full.

  Waiting for Second Mistress to return from Shandong to drink, Third Mistress couldn't help but sigh with her: "......Xing Ge is a Jinshi, one son-in-law is a Juren, and one son-in-law is the heir of the Duke's mansion. Eldest Sister's fate is truly good."

  The second lady couldn't help but laugh and say, "Our family's Seventh Lady's marriage is not bad either. Of the ten mu of land, nine are from the Zhu family, and of the ten shops, seven are from the Zhu family. Although her mother-in-law is the birth mother of Master Zhu, she was a concubine who rose to become the legitimate wife, so she doesn't have much authority in her words, and there's no younger sister-in-law below her either. It's a good family that's hard to find even with a lantern."

  The third wife couldn't help but curl her lip in disdain.

  Two households are shortsighted. Money is inanimate, but people are alive. A family like theirs will not produce a successful candidate for the imperial examination, and no matter how much wealth they have, it will gradually decline!

  But she also knew that her second sister-in-law was very strong-willed. Saying these things would only offend her. Moreover, Qiuniang's marriage had already been arranged...

  She smiled and invited the second lady to see Shi Nang: "...I heard that no one wants to meet! It's really a woman who changes eighteen times, even someone as fearless as her knows how to be shy."

  The second wife smiled and nodded, greeted the busy first wife who was entertaining guests, and went to the backyard with the third wife.

  On the road, she asked San Niang in a low voice: "There are some things I don't dare ask my sister. I heard that Shiyi Niang is going to marry Hou Ye, is it true?"

  "Even you've heard it!" which is tantamount to indirectly admitting it.

  "What's going on?" The second lady stopped in her tracks and stood with the third lady in the corridor, saying, "Why didn't anyone tell me? I only heard it from our family's old master. He said that the Empress Dowager was going to marry off the eldest daughter of the Yang family of Jianning Hou to the Marquis, but then the Xu family said that they had already made a marriage arrangement with our family's eleventh daughter. The old master was so anxious at the time, and didn't know how it got dragged into our family's affairs, fearing that our family would be implicated in this matter. Just as he was preparing to write a letter back to ask big brother about it, he heard again that there was no such thing after all. It turned out that the Emperor wanted to marry off the eldest daughter of the Yang family of Jianning Hou to the third young master of the Tang family of Zhongshan Hou. Left and right, there's no reliable news. This time when I came back, the old master specifically instructed me to ask big sister about what was going on!"

  Third Lady then told Second Lady what she had heard: “...it was said that the eldest young lady of the Yang family, the Marquis of Jianning, was getting on in years and might not find a suitable match, so Her Majesty the Empress Dowager had taken it into her head to bring together the Yang and Xu families. But somehow, His Majesty found out about it. It was said that although the eldest young lady of the Yang family was indeed getting on in years, there was no need for her to become a secondary wife. The Imperial Clan Office should just keep an eye out for someone suitable. The Imperial Clan Office recommended Third Young Master Tang Shaohua of the Marquis of Zhongshan's household. His Majesty took one look and liked him, and right then and there granted them permission to marry. At first, it was intended that she would marry into the Hou family, but later it was decided that she would marry into the Tang family instead. The Yang family naturally spread rumors that nothing of the sort had ever happened!”

  "So that's how it is!" The second lady suddenly realized and worriedly said, "Then our family's Eleventh Young Lady and the Marquis..."

  Third Aunt covered her sleeve and smiled: "Last time I came to give Eldest Sister a Dragon Boat Festival gift, I asked Eldest Sister. She said that because of the matter with Duke Jingning, it wasn't widely announced. However, it's already been agreed upon with the Xu family, and it's set for May 26th. The engagement date will be decided then."

  The second lady was taken aback: "So, Master Hou has become the son-in-law of the main house again!" Her tone was somewhat sour.

  Third Madame laughed and said: "I don't know if in the future when meeting Master Hou, should I call him 'Big Uncle' or 'Eleventh Uncle'?"

  The second lady didn't find this funny, hummed a few times, and went with the third lady to the west wing to see the bride-to-be Shi Niang.

  In the cold and quiet room of Shiniang, only Yinger, a young maid, was tidying up with another small maid. When she saw Erniang and Sanni, she hurriedly smiled and came over to greet them. Shiniang, wearing casual clothes, lay on the bed reading a book, but merely nodded at them.

  Everyone at home knew she was eccentric and didn't mind. The second lady even pulled Xiang'er's hand and said for a long time: "... Originally, I planned to settle it in autumn, but who knew that the Zhu family would be like they were afraid that our seventh girl would run away, the matchmaker came to the door every day, grinding me until I really had no way out, so I agreed to discuss the matter after returning home."

  Third Aunt smiled and said: "A family with a daughter is sought after by thousands of families, this is a good thing."

  The second lady let out a sigh of exasperation: "I have no choice either." She then said to the tenth daughter, "Your seventh sister is busy with her needlework and can't come. Let me bring you a pair of pillowcases embroidered by her own hands as a gift. I hope you won't think it's beneath you."

  The young lady coldly said: "I've never heard of being busy with needlework to the point where you don't even have time to visit relatives." Her tone was thick with mockery.

  As she is a girl who is about to get married, that's why she doesn't move around randomly... Who would have thought that the tenth daughter would say something like this. She herself is also someone waiting to get married, doesn't she know the rules of this?

  Mrs. Two's face turned iron-green with anger and she immediately stood up: "Seventh Lady, let me take a letter to Eleventh Lady for you." Then she went to Eleventh Lady's place.

  Eleventh Sister was wearing a plain white jacket with a lotus-colored lining, sitting on the heated brick bed by the window doing needlework. Seeing her two aunts arrive, she went forward to welcome them and invited them to sit down on the bed, while Amber poured out some of the best Longjing tea.

  "Why didn't Seventh Sister come with you?"

  The second lady then repeated the reason why Qiuniang didn't come again.

  "...... Let's go see Seventh Sister then."

  The second lady felt somewhat relieved in her heart.

  The three of them chatted for a moment, and Second Lady handed the letter over to Eleventh Sister-in-law before returning with Third Lady to the main courtyard.

  Eleventh girl opened the letter and found that Seventh girl asked her to help make two sets of men's straight trousers. She also said that the people in Shandong needlework class were very stupid, she had made several sets but was not satisfied with them. After thinking about it, she could only ask Eleventh girl for help.

  The eleventh girl couldn't help but laugh.

  Qī Niáng is thinking of letting her help give those clothes as a return gift for Zhū ānpíng, right?

  Looking at the joyful words in Qī Niáng's letter, her mood improved a lot.

  When the fifth daughter got married, the family was bustling with excitement. The fifth daughter would often reveal a shy and joyful expression, which made people smile when they saw it. As for the tenth daughter, not only did she not show the joy of a new bride, but she even put on an air of being completely unconnected to everything.

  She bought a maid to serve her, but she didn't even glance at her; someone was invited to make clothes for her, but she didn't care and continued lying down reading books. Someone was invited to style her hair, but with just one sentence "whatever" she had Old Jixiang's people shut out of the door.

  The lady is busy with the banquet, can't she handle everything?

  Mrs. Xu had no choice but to help her pick out a maid, took out old clothes to measure the size, and made accessories for her...

  When the things were sent to her, she only said a sentence "Really ugly", which made Xu's mother, who always had a smile on her face, furious and let everyone who helped her prepare for the wedding lose their enthusiasm.

  On the day of her wedding, she slept until the sun was high in the sky and refused to get up. Mrs. Xu couldn't care about that anymore, so she dragged Xiangniang out of bed by force.

  The young lady allowed someone to comb her hair and put on a wedding dress, then leaned against the headrest to read a book.

  Mrs. Xu advised her: "Look again later."

  She raised her eyes and gave Mrs. Xu a cold glance: "The wedding sedan hasn't arrived yet, what's the hurry?"

  Mrs. Xu was speechless.

  The fifth daughter of Lai's family pulled the eleventh daughter's hand and said, "She wants to be a loner, it seems that we can't make her complete without us!"

  Yesterday evening, Wu Niang specially went to congratulate Shi Niang, but Shi Niang closed the door and refused to open it no matter what Wu Niang said.

  Still thinking about what happened last night, huh?

  The eleventh girl smiled and took the fifth girl to her own room: "We are sisters for a lifetime, what kind of temperament she is, Fifth Sister still doesn't know?"

  The fifth daughter had a step down, and she was somewhat relieved.

  Just then, the sedan chair for the wedding procession from the Wang family arrived.

  Eleventh girl saw Fifth girl's curious face and smiled: "Fifth sister go take a look! Come back and tell me about it."

  She is now a married woman and has much more freedom than the Eleventh Sister.

  She hesitated for a moment and said: "Are you okay being alone here?"

  "What's the hurry!" Eleventh Sister laughed and said, "With all these maids in the house, are you still worried that I'll go thirsty or hungry?"

  The fifth daughter listened and smiled, said a few polite words, and went to the main courtyard.

  The groom had just pushed open the door of Luo's house, and Luo Zhenxing, Luo Zhenda and others all retreated to the Huahua Gate, ready to give the new son-in-law a warm welcome.

  Qian Ming saw Wu Niang and smiled as he walked over to greet her.

  "Aren't you supposed to be with Shi Mei?"

  Hearing her husband's concerned tone, Wu Niang's eyebrows and eyes were all smiles: "She is accompanied by Mrs. Quanfu and the matchmaker... I'll go take a look at the excitement."

  Qian Ming then instructed her: "You stand on the steps of the main house, lest when the people come to greet us later, they rush in and push you around."

  "Hmm!" Wu Niang responded, her face turning red.

  Yu Yiqing loudly shouted at Qian Ming: "What are you doing standing among the women? Come quickly and help hold the ladder!"

  Everyone in the courtyard looked over.

  The girl's face turned red enough to drip blood.

  Qian Ming felt a bit uneasy, but he quickly regained his composure: "Today is the new son-in-law's arrival, why does Fourth Brother-in-law always have to grab onto me?"

  Everyone burst out laughing.

  Some people even said: "Wang Gongzi is a new son-in-law, and you are also a new son-in-law."

  Another burst of laughter.

  People outside knocked on the door: "Open the door quickly, open the door quickly, don't miss the auspicious time."

  Luo Zhenxing was about to speak, when Luo Zhen suddenly jumped out from behind him. With a "whoosh" sound, he pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve and shouted in a loud voice through the door: "If you want to come in, my young master here has ten riddles for you. If you answer correctly, you can enter; if not, you cannot enter." Then, he recited the first riddle: "A person without credibility cannot stand up. Guess a character."

  Outside, someone responded with laughter: "It's the word 'speech'."

  "Guess again. Metal, wood, water, fire." Luo Zhenkai shouted uncomfortably.

  "Bang!"

  "One side red, one side green, one side happy wind, one side happy rain."

  Autumn!

  ……

  Before long, the ten riddles were all solved.

  Someone outside laughed and said, "Still not opening the door." There was a hint of arrogance in his tone.

  Because the Wang family had solved all the riddles, Luo Zhenkai was already furious, his cheeks puffed up like a frog. Hearing the other party's tone of pride, he almost jumped up.

  Lu Zhenyu, who had been following closely behind him, stepped forward and pushed his brother away. He shouted towards the outside of the door, "If you answer this riddle correctly, we'll open the door." Without waiting for a response, he loudly continued, "A small, furry creature, wearing a purple robe with a red velvet jacket underneath, and inside the jacket is a little treasure. If you answer this riddle correctly, we'll open the door."

  Everyone was stunned.

  What's this riddle?

  A woman standing beside Wu Niang covered her mouth and laughed upon hearing this.

  I don't know who said it, but the thoughts at night and in the morning are completely different. This applies to my writing as well. What I wrote at night, when I look at it again in the morning, wow, so many mistakes! So I revise and revise... Hehe...