Zhao Qingbei was speechless. "Alright, you can all leave now. I'm still shaken from today and need to rest. Don't disturb me."

After chasing the children out, Zhao Qingyi spat out the candied fruit and rinsed her mouth with water again.

The medicinal smell couldn't be masked by a piece of candied fruit.

This is such a rip-off!

Soon, Zhao Qingbei's wedding day arrived.

Getting married is a major event in one's life, and Zhao Qingbei was so excited that she got up before dawn, her face beaming with joy.

They're just waiting for the auspicious time to pick up the bride.

His wife, Ruoshui, must be anxiously waiting for him.

Yuan Ruoshui, the bride-to-be, was sitting in her boudoir, saying goodbye to her mother and younger brother.

Madam Yuan and her sons rushed to the capital from Jiangnan yesterday.

I was so tired that I didn't get to talk to my daughter yesterday.

"Daughter, when you get married in the future, you must be more careful."

You can't just believe whatever a man says.

You're getting married, not being sold to the Zhao family. We just need to be proper in our daily interactions.

Don't take advantage of your large dowry to squander your money.

Our family are business people, and business people are all about gains and losses.

Your mother doesn't want you to forget your own surname because of a man.

If your son-in-law mistreats you, don't feel too wronged. At worst, you can just get a divorce.

As for our family, rest assured, we will never become a handle for others to threaten you.

Ever since you were 12 and we started arranging your marriage, our family has been transferring assets. We've long since hidden our visible assets.

Outsiders only know that our business is shrinking.

In fact, that was a backup plan that your parents left for you and your siblings.

Who knows what kind of man you'll marry or what kind of wife your brother will marry?

We must be on guard.

There are plenty of men who value a woman's dowry.

Just because they hold official positions in the capital doesn't mean they are completely upright and honest.

There is a lot of filth in this world.

Of course, you shouldn't be overly suspicious of what your mother is saying. When getting along with people, sincerity is the most important thing.

Observe more, listen more, and think more.

If your son-in-law is always complaining about being poor, then you need to consider his motives.

Also, if his expenses exceed his income and he asks you for money, then you should be very careful, daughter.

Where did all that money go? Did he use it to bribe his superiors, or to give as gifts to his family?

At that point, you can reasonably suspect that he is keeping your dowry for himself.

A dowry is fundamental to a woman's life in her husband's family.

If a man covets a woman's dowry, he is most likely either a good-for-nothing or harboring malicious intentions.

Currently, the son-in-law has not yet been appointed to an official position, and it is unknown what rank he will attain in the future.

One thing you must be clear about is that you absolutely must not let your son-in-law try to pull strings.

Their family relationships have reached a breaking point.

"Using connections, that's just a pretext, daughter, you have to be careful..."

Madam Yuan went on and on, completely waking Yuan Ruoshui from her slumber.

"Mom, I feel so scared about getting married. Maybe I shouldn't get married."

In the future, I hope my younger brother will have more children, and that my nephews will take care of me in my old age.

Getting married feels like falling into a trap.

Yuan Ruonan looked at her sister with a disappointed expression, "Sister, Mother just gave you a heads-up, and you've already scared you like this."

Even if Zhao's brother-in-law is cunning, he's only one year older than you.

Having spent these years studying, I suppose I haven't experienced too much deceit and treachery.

It's not necessarily true, as Mother said, that he has eight hundred schemes in his mind.

Besides, once you marry into the family, you'll live in your own separate household, and your princess mother-in-law won't interfere with your daily life.

Just because you're afraid of being taken advantage of by your brother-in-law, are you going to stop living your life properly?

You should still manage your business properly. I heard that your brother-in-law has entrusted you with all his assets and has also disclosed all his sources of income to you.

This kind of man is already quite rare.

His wealth might not seem like much to the wealthy and powerful, but to ordinary people, it was a fortune they couldn't earn in ten lifetimes.

She's wholeheartedly devoted to you, so you can't take advantage of her.

As for the future, who can guarantee what will happen? Besides, the Zhao family doesn't allow concubines. No matter how much money you have in the future, it will all belong to your sons and daughters. What are you afraid of?

If you ask me, you've really hit the jackpot. You actually stumbled upon such a wonderful marriage opportunity in the capital.

Even if she had married into an ordinary family, her situation might not have been as good as it is now. She might have had to pay her respects to that disrespectful mother-in-law every day.

What are you doing now? Your mother-in-law is a princess. You don't even need to pay your respects; you're in charge as soon as you enter the family. What a wonderful life!

Stop overthinking and just get married.

Mother, you're really something. My sister is getting married soon, can't you say something auspicious? Look how scared she is, her face has turned white.

We'll be wasting a lot of rouge later; they really don't know how to manage their money.

Alright, I'll go out and get things arranged. Someone will be here to do my sister's makeup soon. Mother, you can stop now too.

Although Yuan Ruonan is younger than Yuan Ruoshui, she is a person with her own opinions.

Sure enough, after he scolded them, the mother and daughter immediately lost their bad mood.

Madam Yuan then remembered that there were still important things she hadn't taught her daughter.

He awkwardly pulled out a booklet wrapped in cloth from his person.

"Daughter, you'll have to go through some things after you get married. On your wedding night, if your son-in-law tries to do something to you, just go along with it."

"Take this booklet out and show it to someone when no one is in the bridal chamber. After reading it, you'll understand."

After saying this, Madam Yuan left with a blush on her face, leaving Yuan Ruoshui alone, dumbfounded.

What was her mother talking about? Yuan Ruoshui was very puzzled.

She leaned close to the candle, opened the booklet—it was illustrated—and read through it page by page. Yuan Ruoshui's face turned red.

However, she was still a little curious: why do married people have to do those intimate things?

Curiosity aside, Yuan Ruoshui quickly put the booklet at the very bottom of her dowry chest to prevent it from being found by some careless person.

The matchmaker who was in charge of doing her makeup also came.

This person was sent by the eldest princess, so naturally he treated Yuan Ruoshui with great humility and tried his best to highlight Yuan Ruoshui's beauty when applying makeup.

They resolutely refused to follow tradition and paint the bride's face as red as a monkey's bottom.

The entire wedding process went very smoothly.

Because of their young age and the fact that they did not consummate their marriage, all the traditional wedding rituals, such as the "teasing each other in bed" ceremony, were cancelled.

Fearing that Yuan Ruoshui would be lonely in the bridal chamber, Daya volunteered to keep her aunt company.

She genuinely liked this aunt, and just stared at Yuan Ruoshui after she removed her makeup.

"Auntie, you're so beautiful. Some people are pretty but not cute, and some people are cute but not pretty."

Auntie, you are so cute and beautiful. You are absolutely perfect.