Chapter 98 Submitting the Betrothal Gift List

Another day passed. Just as Ji Shu got up, Chunzhi entered the room and whispered, "Young lady, someone from the Marquis's residence has arrived!"

Ji Shu frowned. "What are you doing here at this hour?"

Chunzhi said in a strange tone, "Young lady, why didn't you tell us you were going to marry the Marquis? We only found out when Granny Chang came with the wedding dress."

Seeing Chunzhi's aggrieved expression, she realized that she had been so busy yesterday that she had completely forgotten to tell her and Lian'er about it, and couldn't help but smile awkwardly.

He hurriedly said, "Oh dear, I've been so busy these past few days. You've seen how long it's been since your girl had a proper rest; she's really forgotten about it."

Chunzhi then calmed down and muttered softly, "You mustn't hide it from me anymore." After saying that, she helped her get up and change her clothes.

After dressing properly, Ji Shu ordered Chunzhi to invite Granny Chang and her entourage in. As Granny Chang walked in, she looked around at the furnishings of the courtyard and was secretly surprised.

I thought the furnishings inside the Mountain and Water Residence were already extravagant enough, but I didn't expect them to be even more outrageous outside the mansion. Finally, I composed myself, lowered my head, and steadily entered the inner room.

Looking at the room full of gorgeous wedding dresses, Ji Shu couldn't help but feel a headache. Although she knew that weddings had always been very complicated, she didn't expect them to be this elaborate.

Granny Chang bowed and handed Ji Shu a purplish-red sandalwood box, saying it was a gift list.

Throughout history, marriage has always involved the groom's family presenting betrothal gifts and the bride's family preparing dowry. They would slowly unroll the scroll, only to find that it stretched as far as the eye could see.

Chunzhi and Lian'er each held one end of the scroll, stretching it at least two meters away. Both of them gasped in surprise, and even Granny Chang was stunned.

This gift list was given to her by the Marquis this morning. Even the old lady hasn't glanced at it yet. The list is filled with dense, colorful characters that are dazzling to the eye.

Ji Shu slammed the scroll shut. Although she had only glanced at it briefly, she knew that the specifications were far too extravagant, even for someone as noble as the Marquis of Yan.

"Granny Chang, is this gift list the wrong one?" Ji Shu asked in turn.

With a gentle smile on her face, Granny Chang said, "My lady, don't worry. This was taught to this old servant by the Lord himself this morning, so it can't be wrong."

"But...but this is too extravagant..." This gift list is probably enough to marry three or five princesses.

Wasn't Yanzhou supposed to be barren and impoverished? What's going on here?

What she didn't expect was that although Yanzhou was not as wealthy as other states, the lord's private treasury was full of treasures. He had won countless rare and precious items from years of war.

Any item picked out from the scroll would be priceless.

Suppressing her surprise and doubt, she turned to Chunzhi and Lian'er and said, "Put it away for now. Thank you for your trouble, Granny. Have some tea before you go."

Granny Chang sighed and politely declined, saying, "Young lady, please wait. There are too many things to do in the manor recently because of the wedding. I won't stay today."

After saying this, he nodded to her and led his servants away.

The courtyard was filled with all sorts of rare and precious objects. Lian'er walked closer and took a look, then said softly, "Young lady, what should we do with all of this? We can't fit it all in our courtyard."

Ji Shu looked at all this with a headache, waved her hand casually, and said wearily, "Let's leave it at that for now. I'll ask again when the Marquis arrives."

When Pei Yanzhi returned to Yongning Lane after finishing his official business, it was already getting dark.

When he came in, he saw the courtyard filled with red chests and boxes. He raised an eyebrow, stepped forward, and casually opened one to look inside. He saw that they contained items from his gift list for the day.

A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. Seeing that it hadn't been tidied up for so long, he knew that the people inside were probably quite annoyed.

Looking at the candlelight shining from the inner room, he called over Granny Zhou, "Is there nowhere to put these?"

Seeing this, Granny Zhou nodded and said with difficulty, "There are at least one or two hundred chests. Our three-courtyard house really can't hold them all."

"The next room is still empty, so let's just buy it."

Turning to Wu Yang beside her, she instructed, "Go and buy the house next door, and put Ji Shu on the deed."

Wu Yang agreed and said he would take care of it the next day.

When she opened the door and went inside, Ji Shu was talking to Chunzhi, asking how Qiu Yinong's manpower preparations were going.

Lian'er was the first to notice that Lord Junhou had entered. She hurriedly bowed and cleared her throat, "Lord Junhou!"

"Hmm, where's the girl?"

"The young woman is inside preparing for the shop's establishment."

Pei Yanzhi nodded slightly, put his hands behind his back, and walked in. When Ji Shu saw him come in, she said to Chunzhi, "You can go down first. I'll talk to you in detail tomorrow."

"Yes, my wife."

Lifting the curtain, I saw her wearing a light gauze dress, her legs together, leaning against a soft silk pillow, her delicate face expressionless and extremely cold.

Pei Yanzhi turned and sat down beside her, poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip and felt his thirst quenched, then asked knowingly, "What's wrong? Who offended you?"

Ji Shu paused, glanced at him sideways, then took out the thick gift list from the drawer under the table and threw it directly into his arms.

"Excuse me, Lord Marquis, what is this?"

Pei Yanzhi picked up the gift list scattered in his arms, but did not open it. He had been picking through this list a few days ago, and no one knew better than him what items were listed on it.

Seeing her aloof and unapproachable demeanor, he found it unusual and deliberately asked, "Young lady, are you perhaps illiterate?"

He casually unfolded a thought: "Let me see, what is this jade silk... Seven-jeweled glazed pagoda, jade screen, what's wrong with all of these?"

After saying that, he casually put the scroll aside, held her small hand and asked, "You still feel it's not enough? Then I'll ask Wu Yang to bring some more, but I'm afraid your room will be even more full."

Ji Shu looked at him with mixed feelings. It was nothing more than a transaction, a show put on for everyone to see.

Is it really worth all this fuss? She really couldn't understand it.

"It's not that there's too little, it's that there's too much, my lord. We're just putting on an act. I'll have to return everything later, and it'll be time-consuming and laborious to count it all."

Why bother?

Pei Yanzhi chuckled, finding her naiveté rather endearing. Gazing into her clear eyes, he spoke in a deep, pleasant voice: "I never intended to take back what I gave away. If you feel I've given too much, please be more compliant with me in the future."

"I'd be grateful if you didn't say a few more words to me."

“You…” Ji Shu’s eyes widened, her face flushed with anger. When will this person ever speak in a proper manner!

Pei Yanzhi chuckled twice, then pulled something out of his sleeve—a thin piece of paper—and waved it in front of her.

Ji Shu took it, unfolded it, and was surprised to find that it was a house deed, which was the house deed of the mansion where she was currently living.

Ji Shu's pupils contracted slightly; she naturally knew that this place had originally belonged to him.