Chapter 19 Engagement
Chapter Nineteen: Engagement
Madam He could not hide her excitement when she received the invitation from the Duke's Mansion.
She couldn't believe it for a moment; that was the Duke's mansion, a true member of the royal family.
She was her husband's boss's boss, and she never expected that one day the Duke's mansion would extend an olive branch to the He family.
The Duke's mansion was very large. Every pavilion, tower, and tree along the way reflected the noble status of the owner.
Madam He followed closely behind the servants, not daring to look around.
They soon arrived at the courtyard of the second branch of the Meng family.
Madam He and her son bowed respectfully to Madam Shen.
Madam He: "Greetings, Second Madam."
He Jinzhou: "Greetings, Second Madam."
"Please get up quickly," Madam Shen said, gesturing for them to rise while looking at the two women in front of her.
The He family doesn't hold high-ranking positions in the court. If the Second Master hadn't mentioned it this time, she wouldn't have known that such a person existed in the capital.
He Jinzhou, the son of the He family, passed the imperial examination a year ago and is now working as a principal officer in the Ministry of Personnel.
Second Master had dealt with him several times and observed that he was upright, quick-witted, and methodical in his work.
I think she's a good candidate, suitable for Tang'er.
That's why we're meeting today.
Before meeting them, Ms. Shen was a little worried, but now that she saw that the two of them were well-mannered and poised, she felt much relieved.
Madam He was also secretly observing Shen Tang, who was standing next to Madam Shen.
She had naturally heard of Shen Tang's reputation. Rumors circulated that she was vain, a social climber, and unsavory, which were ultimately not very positive comments.
Although she was somewhat bothered, Shen Tang had the Meng family's connections to her.
As long as they form a marriage alliance with her, the He family's status will rise accordingly.
Her son's career will also be smoother.
She couldn't let this rare opportunity slip by. Before coming, she thought to herself that no matter what kind of person Shen Tang was, as long as she took a liking to their family, she would treat her like royalty.
Just now, when she looked her over, she saw that every move she made revealed the elegance and poise of a well-bred lady, and her speech was also gentle, not as unpleasant as the rumors suggested.
He felt even more satisfied.
Both Madam Shen and Madam He had a good impression of each other and were eager to get to know each other. The two chatted very congenially.
After the He family mother and son left, Madam Shen took Shen Tang's hand and asked, "How was it?"
Shen Tang had just secretly glanced at He Jinzhou several times.
The man's figure was as upright as a pine tree, accentuated by his moon-white robe with dark floral patterns. He had a handsome face and a faint smile in his eyes.
He was truly a refined and gentle person, with a kind and gentle temperament.
The Second Master was a veteran of officialdom, and not many people could earn his praise, so he must be a very good person.
Shen Tang had no objections and said, "I will leave everything to my aunt's decision."
This meant she was satisfied, and Mrs. Shen was overjoyed.
I never expected it to go so smoothly.
Three days later, the He family brought a matchmaker to propose marriage.
The betrothal gift list was a long page. Madam Shen glanced at it and saw that the gifts were all substantial, demonstrating how much she valued her niece.
The two parties exchanged birth charts and were just waiting to have their horoscopes matched so that there would be no problems.
The marriage was thus settled.
A few days later, it was found that there was no problem with their birth charts. The fortune teller then analyzed their birth dates and times for two hours.
One was more than four months later, and the other was a year later.
Shen was unsure, but the He family had no objections, saying they would leave everything to Shen Tang's discretion.
Shen Tang didn't hesitate much before choosing an auspicious time more than four months later.
The time was actually a bit tight, but fortunately, Shen had previously helped a distant cousin of the third branch with her wedding arrangements, so she was familiar with the process.
Therefore, the preparations were carried out in an orderly and organized manner, without any sense of panic.
Shen Tang's dowry was not generous; her mother had provided her with a shop in her hometown county and a few acres of fertile land in the countryside.
Over the years, she has saved up some dowry for herself.
Although it wasn't a large sum, it was still a decent amount for a small family.
She just hadn't expected the He family's betrothal gifts to be so lavish, which made her dowry seem rather meager.
Shen Tang was somewhat worried, and suddenly thought of the painting that Meng Huaiyan had given her last time.
After much deliberation, I decided to let Ayun take it out and sell it.
Since it's been given to her, she can decide what to do with it.
The painting eventually sold for 4,200 taels of silver, which was added to the dowry, making it look a bit nicer at least.
That day, her aunt brought over a well-prepared wedding dress and also presented her with the deeds to three shops in the capital to supplement her dowry.
She tried to refuse, but Madam Shen was adamant: "This is your aunt's gift. If you refuse, you will hurt your aunt's feelings."
Madam Shen patted Shen Tang's head, her voice choked with emotion: "Our Shen family has wronged your mother. Now that we are about to get married, I am very gratified."
"If your mother could know this from beyond the grave, she would be happy for you."
Shen Tang's nose tingled, and she tried to hold back her tears.
Holding Shen Tang's hand, Madam Shen hesitated before speaking, "Your father..."
"Aunt, I don't want to talk about him."
When her father was mentioned, Shen Tang could not suppress the hatred and resentment in her heart.
She hated her father, who had always stood by and done nothing, even more than her stepmother, who had always bullied her.
Most vows in this world are as fragile as fleeting clouds or as easily broken glass.
The person who once said he would cherish his mother and her for life was also the one who ultimately pushed his mother into the abyss.
Seeing that her face was really ugly, Madam Shen stopped talking and didn't mention it again.
After giving her some more instructions about the marriage, Madam Shen got up and left.
After Madam Shen left, Shen Tang stroked the bright red wedding dress, feeling somewhat dazed.
She still remembers the joy and excitement she felt when she finally married the person she had always longed for in her past life.
Now that she's getting married again, she feels conflicted and can't quite put her finger on it.
Fear? Anxiety?
Perhaps both are true; she no longer wants to expect a relationship where two people understand and cherish each other.
All I ask for in this life is for the two of us to treat each other with respect and live in harmony. It would be even better if we could have one or two more children.
She really... really wanted a home of her own.
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