Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In late spring in March, the setting sun melts into gold, strands of colorful lights have just retreated from the pearl hairpins in the hair, and the bright lights are like star rain, eagerly shining into the heavy doors.

The seven-foot-high pear wood door of the mansion was wide open, and golden light overflowed onto the steps outside. Aunt Cao stood in the light and shadow at the bottom. As soon as the people on the carriage got off, she immediately greeted them with a gauze lantern in her hand, "Second Madam, slow down."

Wen Shuse stood on his heels, still dazed. After three hours in the carriage, his brain was almost shaking.

He stayed there for a while, then looked up. A thin crescent moon was hanging on the branches of the banyan tree inside the mansion gate, but its brightness was overshadowed by the dim red lanterns in front of the gate.

After a shock of joy, he finally regained some spirit. Wen Shuse stepped over the threshold and asked Aunt Cao, "Is grandma okay?"

Aunt Cao smiled and led her to the corridor. "If the old lady knew that the second lady was so concerned about her, she would be relieved."

The house has seven entrances and seven exits, blue bricks and black tiles, and more than a hundred rooms. It rained a few days ago, washing the brick walls spotlessly clean. The carved beams and painted buildings are more and more exquisite as you go in. The black lacquered beams and pillars, the roof is hung with carved clouds and fish, the beams are hung with carved brackets, and the grass is decorated. Because the mansion is going to hold a wedding tomorrow, not only the entrance, but also every place in the courtyard has been decorated. The stone piers and bridge railings are covered with red satin flowers, and the red auspicious lanterns are wrapped around the corridor, one circle after another, swaying gently in the night wind, stretching and undulating, comparable to the stars in the night sky.

Wen Shuse had not been at the previous two weddings in the mansion, so he had never seen such a lively atmosphere. He walked slowly, passed the west wing, and stopped completely. He looked at the sea of ​​lights in front of him and asked excitedly, "Where's the bride? Is everything ready?"

Aunt Cao, who was walking in front of her, turned her head back. The dim red light of the gauze lamp enveloped the girl in front of her, making her look like a lotus covered with a layer of sunset glow, delicate and beautiful.

The three ladies of the Wen family are all good, but the second lady is the most outstanding. No wonder the old lady is worried about her every day.

Aunt Cao urged helplessly, "The old lady is waiting for the second lady, please go over first."

The main house of the house faces north and south and is located in the interior.

Aunt Cao walked faster and faster, and Wen Shuse had to keep up. Her crimson skirt fluttered with every step. She walked around the layers of gates and finally arrived at the front door of the main house.

The light-transmitting straight-lattice door was not closed, but two leaves were opened. A layer of fine bamboo curtains was drawn up inside, and the bright light overflowed like a silver moon and sprinkled into the courtyard.

Old Madam Wen liked to worship Buddha on weekdays. The open door faced the main hall, in the center of which stood a statue of Guanyin. There was incense burning all year round. A few wisps of green smoke were blown into crooked shapes by the night outside the door, lingering on Guanyin's face. Wen Shuse knelt on the cushion a month ago and looked up at this holy face for a whole hour. It was very familiar to her.

She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and then lifted her skirt slightly to go in.

The inner room had no solid walls, only a screen more than one person tall. When I stepped into the door, I heard the voice of the eldest lady inside, "It's not that sixty-four is too few, but the gift book clearly stated that the furnishings and valuables totaled one hundred and twenty-eight. It has been announced long ago, and the people of Zhongzhou know it. Now the things are suddenly reduced by half. I'm afraid it's not just the eldest lady who is embarrassed, our Wen family may become the laughing stock of the whole Zhongzhou tomorrow..."

Madam Wen's voice was quite calm. "Every one of the ladies in my Wen family is a treasure. Not to mention 128 dowries, even 1,000 dowries would be enough for her. Unfortunately, an old woman like me has limited abilities and I can only give 64 dowries."

The eldest lady didn't believe this, "The second master's 64-carriage dowry arrived at the mansion two months ago. It was received with great fanfare. Everyone in the household saw it. They carried it all into her yard..."

As he was speaking, he heard some noise outside. He turned around and saw Wen Shuse behind Aunt Cao. His heart, which had been tormented for days and nights, finally settled down. "Finally he's back."

Unsure whether grandma had gotten over the previous disaster, Wen Shuse did not dare to look up when he came in. He bowed to the person in the upper seat and called out softly, "Grandma."

Madam Wen's eyes had already fallen on her.

Two three-story lotus lanterns illuminated the hall as bright as day. The young lady in front of him was still the same fair and tender girl as before, without a single piece of flesh missing.

Madam Wen's expression relaxed, "Sit down."

Compared to a month ago, the tone was obviously much softer. Wen Shu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked up to see that not only the eldest lady, but also the bride-to-be Wen Suning and the master who was in Dongdu were in the room.

Tomorrow is the eldest lady's wedding, and as a father, Mr. Wen should rush back.

Wen Shuse had heard about the bustle of Dongdu a long time ago. When his uncle went to Dongdu to take up his post half a year ago, he had already envied him. Now that he saw him, his previous tension disappeared and he asked enthusiastically, "When did your uncle arrive home?"

The old man of the Wen family twitched the corners of his mouth that had been stiff for a long time and smiled gently at her, "In the evening."

Aunt Cao went to the side and moved a high stool for her to sit on. Wen Shuse sat down and continued to ask Uncle Wen, "Is the moon in Dongdu really rounder than that in Zhongzhou?"

It was just nonsense spread among the people. The Wen family uncle smiled and shook his head, "It's not true. It is lively and exciting."

Wen Shuse was about to ask what was going on, but was stopped by the old lady's clear cough. He retracted his head in time and sat upright on a high stool. His eyes just happened to meet the bride opposite him.

When it comes to appearance, the second lady of the Wen family, Wen Shuse, is impeccable, even better than Wen Suning.

Especially when he was talking to his father, the joy on his face was so pure and dazzling that even she was stunned. But she couldn't put it into words, Wen Suning just didn't like it.

The Wen family is now on the rise. Whether in the court or the harem, there are countless difficulties and risks. She can't understand why she can still be so carefree.

The moment their eyes met, the lady looked away expressionlessly.

Wen Shuse was not surprised and was not annoyed. Instead, he asked her in detail. This was the first time a girl from the Wen family got married. He had never seen the bride and wanted to take a closer look.

It was past midnight, and the Xie family would come to pick them up in a few hours. The eldest lady at the side had no time to chat, so she leaned over to her and asked directly, "Shu Se, did the second master bring back sixty-four loads of things after the New Year?"

Wen Shuse remembered and nodded, "Yes."

The eldest lady's face lit up with joy. "Thank God, your aunt must have been so worried. That's your sister's dowry. Tell your aunt where it is. I'll have someone go and get it quickly."

Wen Shuse was stunned.

Seeing that she didn't speak, the eldest lady inexplicably felt a bit ominous and asked cautiously, "What's wrong?" But she heard Wen Shuse spit out, "It's gone."

The eldest lady's heart suddenly sank. She didn't quite understand, "No, no?"

Wen Shuse recalled, "Last time when my grandmother celebrated her birthday, my aunt said that my grandmother was afraid of the heat in the summer, so she cleared out a few rooms in the courtyard with the big banyan tree in the west yard. She sent people to ask me for furniture and ornaments, and I asked them to carry them all over."

The eldest lady was speechless. It was true that the old lady's birthday was celebrated because she wanted to show her filial piety, but she was not allowed to use the eldest lady's dowry to fill it.

It's just a yard for summer retreat. You can just buy some ornaments from the market. Is it necessary to put golden nanmu on it?

Since I have already given it to the old lady, I can't move it out again. Even though the ornaments are gone, there are still dozens of bags of valuables. I can find a way to fill it up. "Move out the rest."

Wen Shuse frowned slightly, still shaking her head, "They're all gone. When my eldest sister-in-law returned to her parents' home last month, she said she didn't have any decent jewelry, so she asked someone to come to me to get them. I gave her three boxes. Soon my second sister-in-law came and took three more boxes. Later, in order to save them from having to make another trip, I distributed some to each room. As for the rest, I didn't need them either, so I asked Xiangyun to pawn them." Seeing that the eldest lady's face was gradually turning pale, Wen Shuse didn't dare to say anything more, and muttered, "I just thought that my father brought it back to support my expenses, and I didn't hear that it was my eldest sister's dowry..."

Is there any need to say this? For many years, the first wife of the Wen family was responsible for dealing with officials, and the second wife was responsible for money, and they had always cooperated well.

The master has just been in the capital for half a year. He is an honest official and is unwilling to take advantage of others and be criticized. Let alone two sets of dowry, even if he empties the family assets of the eldest wife, he may not be able to come up with even half a set.

The eldest lady felt chest tightness and was unable to speak.

Madam Wen asked the next question for her, "Where is the silver from the sale?"

Wen Shuse turned sideways to look at the old lady, but did not respond directly. A faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips, and his eyes were full of water and luster. "Grandma, the farm outside the city occupies a good area. It is close to the mountains and surrounded by water. The water in the pool is warm in winter and cool in summer. The only thing is that there are more mosquitoes. I specially asked people to open up three miles of wasteland, cut down all the weeds and trees near the farm, and bought curtains to hang up. When the weather gets hot, grandma will go there to escape the heat. It is cooler than the west courtyard."

She answered the question irrelevantly and spoke with great enthusiasm, but no one present was moved.

Instead, the eldest lady's face became even uglier. All the money she spent was the eldest lady's dowry.

Before the old lady could ask again, the eldest lady couldn't help but speak first, "Where is the cash that the second master brought back?" It should still be there, right?

Wen Shuse turned his gaze back to the eldest lady, "It was only after I went to the manor that I realized that there are more and brighter stars there at night than in the city. Unfortunately, the floor is too low, so I asked someone to build a five-story viewing attic with a wide view and excellent scenery. If you are free next time, you can go and have a look..."

What are you looking at? You're going to kill her. I said, after a trip to the village, she became even more tender.

The term 'spendthrift girl' really does not wrongly describe her.

The eldest lady's head was throbbing with pain, and in desperation, she blurted out, "I really don't know who raised someone like you..." The prodigal son didn't finish his words, realized he had said something wrong, and wanted to stop, but it was too late.

Who else could have raised her? The Second Lady lost her mother when she was a child, and the old lady raised her personally.

Sure enough, Madam Wen's expression gradually turned cold.

Anyway, the words had been spoken, so the eldest lady stood up and knelt in front of the old lady, "Mother, the eldest lady is marrying into the Xie family, the deputy commander of Zhonghe. The future husband is handsome and is a Jinshi. Although he is only a county magistrate now, he will have to return to the capital to serve as an official when his term expires next year. How can my Wen family be looked down upon at this time? Zhongqiao has just arrived at the court and has not yet established himself. If there is someone behind him who can help him, the road ahead will be much easier. When he finds a career path in the future, our family can move to the Eastern Capital, which will also bring honor to our ancestors."

This is the truth.

Madam Wen nodded and said, "To bring honor to our family, we need money and money to pave the way, and we can't lose face and let others look down on us." After a pause, she turned around and asked Wen Zhongqiao, the eldest master of the Wen family, "What position does the eldest master hold now?"

Uncle Wen was stunned. Although he didn't understand why his mother asked even though he knew the answer, he still stood up and said respectfully, "Mother, I am the Minister of the Ministry of Works."

"He is a fourth-rank official, and he has a promising future." Madam Wen turned around and asked Aunt Cao, "Where is the Second Master? Why didn't he come back?"

Aunt Cao lowered her head and reported, "Second Master said that the fishing moratorium is approaching, and we have to catch our last trip. All the boats we have are out to sea. I will stay in Fuzhou with Third Master for the time being and will be back in two months."

The two brothers, one was an official minister, and the other was still fishing in the sea, there was a huge difference between them.

Let’s look at their descendants.

A dragon gives birth to a dragon, a phoenix gives birth to a phoenix, a mouse's son will dig holes in the ground, and the few sons who have a promising career in officialdom are all in the first wife's house.

And in the second house...only Wen Shuse was present.

A month ago, she offended the young master of Prince Jing's family, and I punished her by sending her out of the city. I wanted to temper her temper and let her suffer a little, but now seeing how comfortable she is, has it been effective at all?

In the future, only the eldest son’s family will go to Dongdu, and the second son’s family will still be fishermen.

Noticing the abnormality in Madam Wen's tone, Mr. Wen's expression gradually changed.

Madam Wen's eyes fell on Master Wen again. She smiled but her eyes were full of dignity. She asked him, "Master, do you think that as a mother, I have treated everyone fairly?"

Before Dafeng, the Wen family was considered a wealthy family.

The old man of the Wen family assisted the seven-year-old emperor of the previous dynasty until he grew up, and was promoted to the position of Zuo Pushe. He enjoyed great glory, but the good times did not last long. The emperor was eventually deprived of his throne by his uncle. After the change of ownership, the Wen family was suppressed for a time because of its relationship with the previous dynasty, and old man Wen died of depression. Later, the Wen family's cooking for decades was entirely supported by the old lady. In difficult times, the soup bowls for three meals a day were full of vegetable leaves, and there was not a drop of oil. It was not until Prince Jing became the governor of this place, recruited talented people, and promoted trade that the Wen family was able to turn things around and gradually improved, but it was also seriously damaged. Of the two sons in the family, only one could be sent to a private school.

Madam Wen chose the eldest.

Even though they are biological brothers, this action is already biased towards the eldest brother.

What's more, Master Wen is just an adopted son.

"Back then, I was afraid of being labeled a mean stepmother, so I sent you to school and into the government, giving you better conditions than my own son. Although I did it to impress others, I have never regretted it. Since the day the master brought you home, you have been the heir of our Wen family. As a mother, it is my duty to raise you, but your brother's family doesn't owe you anything, so you shouldn't count them as a bridge to the government. You should judge for yourself how capable you are and how capable I am, and don't count on the second branch anymore."

These words were like a slap in the face to Master Wen. Sweat broke out on his forehead. Regardless of the presence of the younger generation, he knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Mother, I am unfilial."

Madam Wen continued, "I can't gather 128 dowries today no matter what. If you feel that 64 dowries are not enough, then don't marry."

Before the others could figure out what she meant, Madam Wen turned her gaze to Wen Shuse and suddenly called out, "Jiaoxian."

"Jiaoxian" is the diminutive name of Wen Shuse. Like "Shuse", it means a fairy-like appearance. Shuse is very beautiful.

The name was given by her mother, who hoped that she would grow up to be as beautiful as a flower. Now her wish has come true, but it is a pity that her mother did not have the blessing to see her.

When she was six years old, the second wife died of illness, leaving behind her father and three daughters. The old lady felt sorry for her, so she took the child in and raised her by her side, carefully nurturing her into a lady from a wealthy family. However, as she was raising her, she realized that she seemed to have overdone it.

Too pampered.

With her personality like a mouse that cannot keep overnight food, let alone a whole dowry, even if you give her a mountain of gold and silver, she has the ability to make the most of it.

The eldest son's wife was right. The eldest son of the Xie family had always been known for his virtue. He did not seek wealth and fame, but only hoped to have a husband who would tolerate her in the future.

Madam Wen closed her eyes and said with all her heart, "You come and marry me."