Chapter 1: Dowry List: Return to your roots!

"Miss Wei, it's raining lately, you should be careful."

A steady drizzle of rain blanketed Gaochun Town, soaking the bluestone pavement until it shone, reflecting the low black tiles and white walls on either side.

Beneath the whitewashed wall stood a small stall covered in an oilcloth shed, steam rising from a steamer. The stall owner, a gaunt old woman, called out, "Poria cocos cake, hot Poria cocos cake!"

Seeing someone coming not far away, she leaned out and looked at him with concern.

"The summer wild rice is growing beautifully, and my sisters have been clamoring to eat some since morning. I wasn't going to leave, but Auntie Chen's Poria cocos cake is so delicious that it hooked me, so I just happened to pack a few for her."

The accumulated raindrops rolled down the tilted umbrella.

Wei Jinyun stopped in front of the stall.

She wore a lotus-colored jacket and a cucumber-colored pleated skirt. In the bamboo basket slung across her body were a few summer water chestnuts covered with morning dew.

She tilted her head back, smiling. Beneath her dark brows were a pair of almond-shaped eyes, and her nose was small and delicate. Her lips, however, were not rosy, but rather pale, a contrast to the jasmine blossoms tucked between her twin buns.

"You have such a sweet mouth."

The old woman smiled from ear to ear. Her rough hands seemed unfazed by the heat as she deftly picked a few pieces of Poria cocos cake from the steamer, wrapped them in oil paper, and placed them in Wei Jinyun's palm. "That's twelve cents in total. Don't say you're greedy for it yourself; you must be thinking about those two children. Poria cocos cake is perfect for rainy days. You've just recovered from your illness, so have some too."

Wei Jinyun touched the oil paper and noticed that there were two more cakes inside. She took it and thanked him. She thought of her two younger sisters at home, smiled slightly, and hurried home.

"Sister Chen, how come Miss Wei is suddenly so well? I saw white silk hanging at the door of the Wei family a while ago. Her relatives have even agreed on which shop to order the coffin from."

A vendor wearing a straw raincoat and selling amaranth looked at Wei Jinyun's back and couldn't help feeling curious.

“Who can know about this kind of thing?”

The old woman sighed and said, "I think it was Wang Qiulan who prayed to Buddha and burned incense every day to snatch her granddaughter back from the hands of the King of Hell."

"It's so effective! I'll burn a couple tomorrow too. Her temperament has changed. Before, when I saw her, she'd gasp for breath after every two steps, and she rarely spoke to us."

"This family is very poor. People say she is unlucky. Now she is alive, and the Wei Feng couple are gone just like that. How could such a coincidence happen in the world? It's incredible."

Another person hurried to join in the fun and whispered.

The oil-paper umbrella could not block the slanting rain. The fine raindrops drifted onto Wei Jinyun's arm, making her shiver subconsciously.

Her body is still a little too weak, and she should try to take some supplements to recuperate in the future.

Wei Jinyun has been here for more than a month and has the same name as the original owner.

In modern times, she was an orphan adopted by her grandparents. Her grandfather was an old Chinese medicine practitioner, and her grandmother ran an old-fashioned pastry shop. They raised her in the alleys of Suzhou, using a palm-leaf fan to ward off mosquitoes and simmering taro in a clay stove, teetering on rattan chairs.

The two old people were so loving, but unexpectedly, they died one after the other. She finished planning their funerals, and when she was sad, she felt dizzy and fainted. When she opened her eyes, she was here.

A hot and cold snap in early summer took away the original owner who had been bedridden for many years, and fragmented memories could barely piece together the outline of this home.

The original owner's grandfather had passed away long ago, and his parents had been shipwrecked while out on business two months earlier, leaving no trace. Now, the only ones left in the Wei family were his grandmother, Wang, who was still in good health, and a pair of seven-year-old twin sisters.

Her grandmother was kindhearted, and her sister was clever and clever. Since she had taken over the original owner's body, she should help take care of her family.

The Gaochun Town where Wei Jinyun is currently located is under the jurisdiction of Jiangning Prefecture of the Song Dynasty.

However, the Song Dynasty today is somewhat different from what she remembers, and it has finally straightened its back.

Renzong came to his senses and while emphasizing culture, he did not suppress the military. Fan Wencheng's reforms were implemented for a long time, and the court began to focus on military training and stopped the crazy expansion of conscription.

Just by listening to the nursery rhymes passed down by children on the street, she had heard stories of several majestic generals conquering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

Among them are the Xie family of Chen, the Lu family of Fanyang, the Lu family of Wu...

From then on, there would be no more Jingkang Incident.

"Jasmine, jasmine..." The clear voice of a little girl hawking her wares came from deep in the alley, adding a touch of fresh color to the dull rainy season.

"Girl Yun, go check it out! Your relatives are here again!"

The neighbor's grandfather, who went out fishing during the rainy season at the entrance of the alley, saw Wei Jinyun and hurriedly greeted her.

Wei Jinyun frowned when he heard this and quickened his pace.

The Wei family's house was in the small alley facing the river. Wei Jinyun walked hurriedly and saw from a distance that the door was ajar, with two oil-paper umbrellas leaning against the side.

Before she pushed the door open, the sound of a quarrel clearly came into her ears.

"Aunt, you are so inhumane."

A sharp voice, with an aggressive aura, was particularly noticeable in the dull alley. "That shop sits empty in Pingjiang Prefecture, gathering dust. It's not even rented out. It doesn't even make any rent all year round. It's just sitting there, infested with insects. What's the point?"

"That's right, auntie."

A slick male voice followed, laced with false sincerity. "Your uncle passed away early, leaving you an orphan and a widow. Now, Wei Feng and his wife have suddenly passed away. How can we, brothers and sisters-in-law, not worry? These are critical times for the children in the family. The eldest, Jin Ge'er, is getting married, my son is going to school, and Wei Feng has left behind three orphaned daughters. Money is needed everywhere! As the saying goes, you can't write two Wei characters with one stroke of the pen. After all, the shop belongs to the Wei family. It's only right to give it to help them out at this time."

As he spoke, he wailed several times, lamenting the injustice of God and the early death of his brother.

Wei Jinyun was very familiar with these voices; they belonged to his grandfather's brothers. One was his aunt Qin, and the other was his third cousin, Wei Lao San, who was known for his pretentiousness.

On the day she first came here and was weak, they had already had a quarrel, which only ended after attracting the pointing and gossiping of a group of neighbors.

Now, in just over twenty days, she has the audacity to covet her grandmother's dowry.

In the dimly lit main room, Grandmother Wang Qiulan stood with her back to the door. She was wearing a brown, cross-collared long dress, her half-white hair meticulously tied in a plain bun.

Qin stood opposite Wang Qiulan with her hands on her hips, while Wei Lao San rubbed his hands and joined in the conversation, his eyes rolling around with calculation.

Wang Qiulan was annoyed by Wei Lao San's crying. "That shop is my dowry from my parents' home. It has nothing to do with the Wei family."

"Oh my, you can't say that."

Qin's tone rose a few notches, as if she was determined to argue, "Dowry, dowry, once you marry into the Wei family, isn't it the Wei family's property? Besides, Yun girl is a sickly girl, and she needs to see a doctor every few days to take medicine. Sisters Qi and Ling are just a few years old...they will all be spilled in the future. Leaving such a good shop to them will only give it to outsiders for nothing. Aunt, you are confused. Sell it now and get some cash. We can divide it among our families. Life will be better for everyone, and we can also take better care of you and your grandchildren, right?"

Her tone was so frivolous, as if she was doing the Wei family some great favor.

Wang Qiulan turned around. The dim room made it difficult to see her expression, but she heard a cold laugh. "What you call looking after me is coming over here again and again to try to take away the last bit of my life?"

Qin was choked by this momentum, but then she became angry and embarrassed, and her face turned the color of liver.

Wei Lao San also frowned and kept muttering, "Aunt, you are being unreasonable. We have good intentions..."

With a creak, the door was pushed open by Wei Jinyun.

The fierce quarrel in the main room came to an abrupt end, and several eyes turned towards the door.

The rain slid down Wei Jinyun's temples.

Her lips were pale from running, and her body was trembling slightly in the damp and cold air, making her look a little thin.

She calmly placed the bamboo basket in her hand on an old table by the door, her movements neither hurried nor slow.

"Grandma, I'm back."

Wei Jinyun turned to the two faces, nodded slightly, and said in a hoarse voice, "Aunt, hello, Third Uncle."

Several people were stunned for a moment.

Qin was the first to react. She glanced at the few wild rice stems on the table and snorted, "Oh, what a coincidence! You only bought these little things to fill your stomach? Tsk, it shows that your family is really struggling to make ends meet. There's not even any meat to eat."

Her saliva splashed as she spoke, almost spraying onto Wei Jinyun's face.

Wei Lao San pretended to cough, and the corners of his triangular eyes burst into laughter. "Yun girl is back. Are you feeling better? You see, the situation at home is not easy. Alas, we are also worried about your grandmother and your sisters..."

Wei Jinyun ignored Wei Lao San's pretense, protected his grandmother behind him, and his eyes fell directly on Qin.

"My aunt is wrong."

Her voice was steady, but every word was clear. "Song Dynasty law clearly stipulates that 'all land and property that are to be divided shall be divided equally among brothers. Talents acquired by the wife's family are not included in the division.' My grandmother's shop has all the title deeds and land deeds. It was her dowry from the Wang family and has nothing to do with the ancestral property of the Wei family. This is in the official records, and a simple check will reveal it."

She paused, then continued, "As for my family's situation, there's no need for you to worry about it, Aunt. My grandmother manages the household wisely and has her own ideas... If anyone were to forcibly covet this private property, it would be too shameful."

"you!"

Qin was trembling with anger at Wei Jinyun's words "ugly eating manners." She pointed her finger at her and screamed, "This is rebellious! This is outrageous! Just because you're sick, you've learned to talk back to your elders?"

"shut up!"

Wei Lao San also completely tore off his disguise, "Yun girl, who did you learn these rules from? How dare you be so presumptuous? Your aunt and I have good intentions in vain..."

They had never seen Wei Jinyun, who usually lay in bed all year round, dare to speak to them like this.

Now, after a serious illness, his mind suddenly became clear and he even dared to talk back.

Are you going to use seniority to pressure her?

Wei Jinyun just felt that the two of them were noisy and quarrelsome. If they argued with her, then her legal expertise was no joke.

She was weak that day, but now she has recovered a lot and has no shortage of energy for a fight.

She cleared her throat and continued sarcastically, "So what Third Cousin Uncle means by kindness is taking advantage of Grandmother supporting herself alone and my younger sister being young to come and demand a dowry and try to divide the food? Grandmother is still alive, and we sisters are not all dead. What to do is up to Grandmother, and it's not for outsiders to be kind to us."

Wei Jinyun pronounced the word "outsider" very clearly and drew a clear line between herself and them.

"You...how dare you say we are outsiders?"

Qin was completely furious and was about to pounce on him with her teeth bared. Wei Lao San also raised his hands to push him.

Wei Jinyun said clearly what the two of them were thinking. They didn't want to say any more polite words and were ready to attack her.

Wei Jinyun grabbed Qin's wrist, his eyes stern, inches away from her face, not giving them a chance to continue. "For now, I can still call you aunt, but if you keep arguing and wanting our things, why don't we go to the government office together and ask the officials to judge the case. Let the villagers come to the government office to listen to the trial and see how the Wei family treats their brother-in-law and nephew, seizing people's property and bullying the orphans... Well, isn't my cousin going to get married?"

She glanced at Wei Lao San again, with a smile on her face, "Or is it that the academy doesn't require students to cultivate themselves, manage their families, or understand the family reputation... Don't you agree, Third Uncle?"

The key to an argument is to get into people's hearts and choose what they care about most.

After hearing Wei Jinyun's words, their faces turned from red to white and then to blue.

Gaochun Town is not that big. If the matter is reported to the government and the city gets a bad reputation, who would be willing to marry their daughter here, let alone let her go to that good academy?

"Good, good! You two, the grandfather and the grandson, teamed up to bully others. Yun girl has a clever tongue, it's time to find a husband to control her."

Qin, who had wanted to control the grandparents and grandchildren today, had no idea. She stomped her feet hard, pushed away Wei Lao San who was blocking her way, and walked out of the main hall.

Wei Laosan glared at the two of them and said through gritted teeth, "Just wait and see, tomorrow you won't even be able to stay in this room," and followed them out in shame.

After the two of them left the door, the door curtain of the inner room was lifted with a "rustle".

Two little girls, with twin buns and green skirts, dressed identically, ran out. Their faces were pale, and one of them, with tears in her eyes, rushed over and hugged Wei Jinyun's legs tightly, her small body still trembling slightly.

"Grandma, sister... they are so fierce."

Wei Fuling called out softly with tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry."

Wei Fuqiu stood beside her and scolded her with a cold face.

Wei Jinyun squatted down, changing her previous indifference, took Wei Fuling into her arms, and patted her back gently, "Sister Ling, don't be afraid, I'm here."

She comforted him softly and took out two pieces of Poria cocos cake from the bamboo basket, "Sister bought some Poria cocos cake, Sister Qi will have some too."

Wei Fuqiu took the Poria cocos cake and did not answer her. She just stared at Wei Jinyun with a more thoughtful look in her eyes.

The Poria cocos cake was as soft as a cloud, mixed with a sweet fragrance, and melted on Wei Fuling's tongue, but she still had no appetite and continued to hide her head in her sister's arms.

Wang Qiulan stood there, not saying anything immediately. After a long pause, she silently walked over to an unremarkable old wooden cabinet in the main hall. The cabinet was locked, the lock rusted.

She fished out a key from the inner pocket of her jacket. With a soft click, the lock opened.

There was nothing valuable in the closet, just a few half-worn clothes.

Wang Qiulan pushed aside her clothes and fished out a small, carefully wrapped package from the bottom. She unwrapped the cloth layer by layer, her movements slow and steady. After a long pause, she stroked the paper in her hand and turned away.

Her husband had passed away long ago, and now her son and daughter-in-law were also missing. With so many relatives in the Wei family, so many eyes were staring at her and her grandchildren. Even if she drove them away today, they would definitely find a way to make trouble again after a few days.

They couldn't pry the old house away, but if she died in the future, what would happen to her three granddaughters?

Her son had just left, and his household registration would have to be moved to the Wei family's side sooner or later. Jinyun had just recovered from her illness and couldn't stand their noise, and the two children were still so young...

She looked at the three sisters cuddling together, her gaze lingering on them for a long time.

Her shop originally belonged to her Wang family.

"Jinyun."

Wang Qiulan's voice was hoarse. "We can't stay in Gaochun Town anymore. Let's pack up. Grandma will take you back to Pingjiang Prefecture to recognize your ancestors."

The author has something to say:

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I'm going to start writing about the story of Suzhou Water Town. I've prepared 520 red envelopes, which will be dropped daily. I hope my wives will like them!

1. The Song Dynasty, which has some combat power, should take back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

2. Pingjiang Prefecture is not poor, and there are many cakes. The heroine is not the kind who can't find a child.

3. Sweet cookies, same as usual, with some micro-crimes.

Note: "Those who are required to divide the land and houses, as well as the property, shall be divided equally among brothers. The income of the wife's family shall not be included in the division limit." It was first mentioned in "Tang Law Commentary" and continued in the Household and Marriage Law of "Song Criminal Code".