Chapter 202 Wedding

Dou Zhao was very happy to see his aunt and cousin. The fifth and sixth wives came to welcome his aunt and cousin. For a moment, the atmosphere was even more lively than that of the people from the outer courtyard who came to congratulate them.

At night, my aunt and Dou Zhao lay on the same bed and talked privately.

She asked in detail what gifts the Wei family gave to the Dou family during the holidays, who they asked to be the matchmaker, what gifts they sent during the wedding ceremony...all kinds of things, she asked every detail. The aunt was generally satisfied with the arrangements made by the Wei family, but she felt that the gifts given by the Wei family during the solar terms were a bit stingy, so she warned her: "Don't underestimate these trivial matters. It shows that they are a bit stingy in their daily lives, but they are very nice on the surface. They are a family that cares about reputation. You are used to being lavish at home. After you get married, you must be careful about everything. Don't try to be the leader in anything, and don't make decisions. If they drink porridge, you drink porridge. If they eat noodles, you eat noodles. Don't use your dowry to supplement your food. You are kind-hearted, but maybe your mother-in-law will think that you are too delicate and can't endure hardships. You don't know how to be frugal in life. You should be patient about what you want to eat and what you want to wear. Don't take your dowry casually to save face for your husband's family. You must know that this kind of thing will happen again..."

Dou Zhao couldn't help but sigh.

Old ginger is still spicy.

But this time my aunt was wrong.

Wei Tingyu was a very generous man, but he was actually short of money and could not come up with so much money.

In her previous life, the Wei family brought a betrothal gift of thirty-six catties when they married her. After she got married, she realized that most of it was Tian's dowry. In this life, perhaps because Wei Tingyu was doing business with Wang Qinghuai and Gu Yu, the betrothal gift was much more organized.

Dou Zhao was not planning to get married, so naturally she would not explain anything to her aunt. She felt guilty thinking that her aunt had come all the way to see her off, so she nodded and said "yes" with a smile to everything her aunt said, and she dared not say a word more.

After waiting for her aunt to finish her words, the maid helped her to wash up. Zhao Zhangru pouted and complained, "You are a few years younger than me, and you are about to get married, but I don't even know where my marriage is going! I really don't want to stay at home!"

It’s not easy to find a suitable son-in-law.

Dou Zhao broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this, but he was at a loss as to what to do.

In her previous life, she really didn’t know who Zhao Zhangru married.

Fortunately, Zhao Zhangru was cheerful and cheerful. He muttered a few words inspired by his feelings, then put the matter behind him and pulled her to go see her dowry.

Dou Zhao asked Ganlu to light the light and open the warehouse for her to see.

She held the gold-inlaid jade ruyi and praised it: "This inlaid gold pattern is really beautiful."

My aunt's voice came from the door: "That was your grandmother's dowry. When your aunt got married, she gave it to your aunt."

Now it belongs to Dou Zhao.

Zhao Zhangru blinked at Dou Zhao, then quickly put on a well-behaved look and took his mother's arm, calling her "Mom" sweetly, and explained, "I was just curious, so I came to take a look..."

The aunt was not angry. Instead, she picked up the jade ruyi and looked at it for a long time. Then she said to Dou Zhao, "I have seen your dowry list. The Dou family is quite generous. They have kept your mother's things very well. Not a single thing was left out and they were all on the dowry list."

Dou Zhao sneered.

She had instructed someone to write out gift lists for her mother's dowry and the Dou family's dowry early in the morning. If one of her mother's things was missing, the Dou, Ji and Wei families would not be able to escape responsibility!

Dou Zhao gave the jade ruyi to Zhao Zhangru and said to his aunt, "Let my third cousin share in my good fortune. I'll ask them to remove this ruyi from the gift list."

In her previous life, she worked so hard to marry Wei Tingyu. In this life, she doesn't want to get married, but she keeps having affairs with other women. Could it be that this kind of thing also requires one to be strong without desires?

Zhao Zhangru's marriage was not going well, which was a source of worry for his aunt. Upon hearing this, his aunt stopped refusing and asked Zhao Zhangru to thank Dou Zhao, saying, "I'll give you a Ruyi as a reward!"

"No, no!" Dou Zhao said with a smile, "It's rare that my cousin likes my things. If I like your things in the future, you can't be stingy."

Zhao Zhangru chuckled and said, "In that case, I'm getting a great deal!"

The two sisters were chatting and laughing, making a lot of noise.

My aunt, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.

The next day, my aunt took Zhao Zhangru to Huaishu Hutong to pay her respects to the Second Lady.

Su Xin quietly told Dou Zhao: "The Second Madam has sent Ma Jun's family to help Madam Cai."

Dou Zhao couldn't help laughing.

The one from Ma Jun's family is the daughter-in-law who went to Wang's house with Madam Liu to humiliate Wang Xu last time. It is said that she is very eloquent and even Pang Yulou, who grew up in the market, can't get along well with her.

When the Wei family found out that the bride had been replaced, they would definitely argue with the Dou family. It is self-evident what the Wei family's intention was to let Ma Jun's family accompany Mrs. Cai to send off the bride.

The next afternoon, the Wei family came to urge me to finish my makeup.

The 120-load dowry was filled to the brim. Leading the dowry was a Hetian jade three-star statue of fortune, wealth and longevity, which was over a foot tall and looked even more moist and translucent in the sunlight, attracting many passers-by to stop and look.

On the wedding day, because the Second Lady was a widow and could not attend the ceremony, Dou Zhao, accompanied by his Sixth Aunt, went to Huaishu Hutong early in the morning to bid farewell to the Second Lady.

The Second Lady smiled and chatted with her for a while, showing no sadness of parting nor giving her any instructions. When she was about to leave, she suddenly seemed to remember something and asked Madam Liu to bring a pair of flying-winged jade pendants to Dou Zhao to add to his box.

Apparently, everyone knows that the person getting married today is Dou Ming.

Dou Zhao became more calm and returned to Jing'an Temple Hutong to bathe and wash himself.

Wang Xu brought Gao, Pang, Wang Nan and others to attend the wedding banquet.

Dou Zhao used the excuse that she had already dressed and did not go out to meet him.

Gao did not take it as an offense and brought Gao Mingzhu into the house to congratulate her.

Dou Ming was standing beside him, looking downcast.

Dou Zhao couldn't help but stare at her, and then he realized that Dou Ming had also washed up, and her jet-black hair was combed neatly without a single strand of mess.

I got married, and you got married too. I sat in the inner room and accepted other people's congratulations, but you were sneaking around. Comparing the two, don't you feel a little bit touched?

Dou Zhao asked Dou Ming in his heart.

However, Dou Ming didn't even look at Dou Zhao and accompanied Gao out of the room.

As the sun sets, the light gradually dims, and big red lanterns are hung up. Jing'an Temple Hutong is brightly lit, filled with people and laughter.

Dou Zhao was already dressed up.

Mrs. Cai brought in a bowl of lotus seed and lily soup.

Dou Zhao took a sip with his spoon, and in a few sips the bowl of lotus seed and lily soup was gone.

My aunt laughed and said to my sixth aunt who was sitting beside her, "What a silly child! Others only ate a few bites shyly, but you ate it all." She added, "Fortunately, my aunt's house is not far from here, otherwise I wonder what you would do?"

Once the bride gets on the sedan chair, she cannot land until she reaches her husband's home, so the bride usually starts to reduce her food intake a few days before her wedding, and on the wedding day, she can only eat two eggs to fill her stomach.

Sixth aunt also laughed, took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her mouth, saying lovingly: "Eat less, be careful not to get your makeup off." Then she asked Su Xin who followed her into the marriage, "Did you take the purse I gave you? After you worship heaven and earth and move into the new house, you can't eat and drink as you please like you do at home. There are some snacks in it, take them out to fill your stomach when you are hungry."

Dou Zhao laughed and replied “yes”.

Sixth aunt said to my aunt, "Look at how she is laughing. How can she cry later?"

My aunt and sixth aunt looked at each other and smiled.

Dou Zhao's tears fell silently.

Because Dou Ming married off for her, the two elders closest to her were kept in the dark.

My aunt quickly held her in her arms and coaxed her, "Don't cry, don't cry. This is a happy event. Why are you crying?"

Dou Zhengchang's daughter-in-law Han appeared at the door and said, "Mother, the two ladies from Yuqiao Hutong have arrived. Fifth aunt asked you to come over and sit with her for a while."

Sixth aunt hurriedly stuffed the handkerchief into Dou Zhao's hands and said, "Stop crying. When we get there, the people from your aunt's family will want to see the bride. Don't show up with a smeared face." Then she followed Han to the flower hall.

Mrs. Cai sent Su Xin away and said, "Go and see if the young lady has brought everything she wanted."

Most things would go with the dowry, but some common items used on the wedding night were mostly brought by the personal maid.

Su Xin smiled and said, "The young lady asked me to stay at home and go with her after three days."

Mrs. Cai was stunned. She obviously had not expected such a mistake to happen, but she quickly thought of a solution and whispered to Su Xin, "My aunt will have something to say to Miss later. Please come out with me first."

It seems that the situation has changed, and they arranged for their aunt to have a private talk with them.

Dou Zhao secretly glanced at Su Xin.

Only then did Su Xin follow Mrs. Cai out.

Ma Junjia also pulled Zhao Zhangru out.

The aunt then smiled and sat down next to Dou Zhao: "Originally, your mother should have said this to you..." As she spoke, her eyes dimmed slightly and she sighed softly, then she quickly perked up and whispered to her about what happened on the wedding night.

As Dou Zhao listened, his head began to feel dizzy.

She knew that it was the lotus seed and lily soup that worked.

Dou Zhaoqiang perked up and waited for his aunt to finish. Mrs. Cai walked in with a smile: "Aunt, please come out and have a cup of tea. Let our fourth young lady take a breath and think it through."

My aunt had no suspicion and followed Mrs. Cai out with a smile.

Dou Zhao's upper and lower eyelids were fighting with each other.

She simply lay down on the bed with her clothes on.

Someone was calling "Shou Gu" in her ear, the voice sometimes louder, sometimes softer, sometimes farther, sometimes closer.

Dou Zhao knew that those people were worried about her and came to test her.

Duan Gongyi was hiding on the beam in the hall.

She was too lazy to pay attention and fell into a deep sleep.

※※※※※

Dou Zhao was woken up by someone.

She opened her eyes blearily and saw her father's gloomy face.

"Aunt Shou, Aunt Shou, how are you?" Dou Shiying rocked his daughter.

Dou Zhao blinked her eyes and realized that her aunt, cousin, Su Xin, fifth aunt, and Nanny Liu were all surrounding her bed, looking at her with worry on their faces.

There were bright candles in the house, and it was quiet all around, with no sound of stringed instruments or drums.

I guess Dou Ming has already married.

Dou Zhao pondered, shook his head gently and said, "I'm fine!" His voice was hoarse and his head felt as if it was filled with lead, and he felt a little uncomfortable.

I didn't expect this medicine to be so effective.

As Dou Zhao was thinking about it, he saw everyone in the room heaved a sigh of relief.