The first rays of morning light stained the streets of the capital with a faint golden hue. That day, the betrothal procession from the Duke of Zhenguo's residence marched out in a mighty procession, like a long, winding dragon, stretching from the main street to the end of the alley, drawing passersby to stop and watch. Ten large, vermilion-lacquered carts, their sleek bodies gleaming with a luxurious sheen in the sunlight, came to a steady halt in front of the Jiang residence, completely blocking the smooth bluestone pavement and preventing any movement.
The steward at the head of the team, dressed in a black brocade robe and a brown melon-shaped hat, looked incredibly capable. He placed his hands on his hips, raised his voice, and shouted in a piercing tone, "The Duke of Zhenguo's son is betrothing Miss Nianli of the Jiang family. He offers one hundred taels of gold, one thousand pieces of silk, and ten jade ruyi-shaped ornaments—" His words echoed in the morning air, as if to let the entire capital know of the Duke of Zhenguo's generous betrothal gift.
At the Jiang residence's gate, Si Yan squatted on the quaint doorpost, his abacus clacking away, its beads bouncing between his nimble fingers like a unique melody. "Ten cartloads of betrothal gifts, worth thirty thousand taels of silver at market price!" Si Yan calculated rapidly, turning to call out to Nian Li, who had just returned from a ride. "Sister, marry me! This money is enough to open ten bookstores!" His eyes gleamed with a shrewd glint; in his eyes, those ten cartloads of betrothal gifts had transformed into bustling bookstores.
Nian Li was seen riding a maroon horse, looking dashing and heroic. She squeezed her legs against the horse's belly, and the horse neighed loudly before stopping steadily in front of the Jiang residence. Nian Li dismounted swiftly, thrusting the whip into the steward's hand and saying crisply, "Take all these to the South City Orphanage."
The steward was stunned upon hearing this, his face filled with astonishment and confusion. His eyes widened as he stammered, "Miss, this... this is a betrothal gift..." In his opinion, any girl would happily accept such a generous betrothal gift. How could she have such a strange request?
"I won't marry," Nian Li said as she took off the string of brightly colored peppers from her waist and shook them in her hands, making them clatter. "Whoever wants to marry can marry me." After that, she turned around and walked towards the mansion. The horseshoe prints left by the horse left a series of muddy traces on the blue brick road, as if it was her unique "declaration".
At this moment, Jiang Yan had just walked out of his study, holding a cup of steaming hot tea. When he saw the mountain of betrothal gifts piled up in the yard, he was startled. His hand trembled, and he almost dropped the cup. "This is..." His face was full of confusion, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"The prince of Zhenguo wants to marry Nianli," Su Jinli hurried over from the inner courtyard, still holding Nianli's bow and arrow wrist guard in her hand, and explained with a slightly helpless look, "Our daughter has donated all the betrothal gifts."
When Si Yan heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up and he jumped up excitedly: "Mom, donating to the orphanage can offset taxes! At 30%, it can save 900 taels of silver..." In his little head, he was always calculating various interests, as if everything in the world could be measured by numbers.
"Si Yan!" Jiang Yan rubbed his eyebrows with a headache and said helplessly, "Let's go see if your sister is in trouble first." He knew his daughter's temper very well and was afraid that she would do something extreme in the moment of impulse.
Jiang Yan walked quickly into the courtyard and saw Nian Li standing there, wiping her long sword vigorously with a rag. Seeing Jiang Yan come in, she slammed the sword onto the knife rack and said angrily, "Dad, if that prince comes again, I'll break his legs!" Her eyes sparkled, gleaming with stubbornness and determination, and she looked very much like Su Jinli back then.
Jiang Yan looked at his daughter, his heart rippled. He remembered how he had been filled with anxiety and anticipation when he had proposed to Su Jinli, fearing he might accidentally miss the love of his life. He couldn't help but smile slightly at this thought. "It's up to you, but don't actually break her leg. The medical bills are expensive." His tone was doting, and although he knew his daughter was just speaking in anger, he couldn't help but give her some warning.
After hearing this, Nian Li snorted and said, "I know, Dad. I'm not a child." But although she said this, she was still dissatisfied with the Prince of Zhenguo's rash proposal.
Jiang Yan looked at his daughter, feeling a surge of emotion. He knew his daughter had grown up, had her own opinions and ideas, and was no longer the little girl who followed him around and acted like a spoiled child. The Jiang family, with the children's growth, had become more lively and vibrant.
While the Jiang family was busy dealing with the betrothal gift controversy, the Zhenguo Mansion was also in turmoil. Upon hearing that Nianli had not only rejected the betrothal gift but had donated it to an orphanage, the Zhenguo Prince flew into a rage. "How dare Jiang Nianli be so disrespectful to this Prince!" He paced back and forth in the mansion, his eyes blazing with anger.
Seeing this, the staff on the side hurried forward to persuade him: "Prince, calm down. The Jiang family is now well-known, and Jiang Nianli is a strong-willed woman. We should not force them."
The Prince of Zhenguo snorted coldly and said, "Then what do you think should be done?"
The staff member pondered for a moment and said, "Your Highness might as well go to the Jiang Mansion in person to express his feelings. Perhaps he can impress Jiang Nianli."
After hearing this, the Prince of Zhenguo thought it made sense and decided to choose a day to go to the Jiang Mansion.
Back at the Jiang household, Siyan's calculations didn't stop just because his sister refused the marriage proposal. He began to meticulously plan how to use the nine hundred taels of silver he'd saved from the tax deduction. "This nine hundred taels could be used to buy a new batch of valuable books, enriching the bookstore's collection and attracting more readers. Or, it could be used to expand the bookstore, adding a few more shelves..." He muttered to himself, scribbling on paper, as if he could already see the bookstore flourishing with the help of these nine hundred taels of silver.
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