Chapter 51 "Madam, Lady Li has arrived..."
"Madam, Lady Li has arrived."
"Madam, the Qin family has sent someone to deliver gifts for the Summer Solstice Festival."
Just as Xiao Fuyan was sent away to deal with the affairs of the second wife, Madam Li and Steward Zhao from the front courtyard arrived one after the other.
"Please, Madam Li, go to the flower hall and sit for a while, rest and have a cup of tea." The First Madam instructed the maid to settle Madam Li and her party in. She then asked Xiang Sui, "For the Summer Solstice Festival gifts, you could have just sent someone to deliver the gift list. Why did Old Zhao make a special trip over here? Let him in."
"I saw Steward Zhao bring in a small box. Perhaps Madam Qin received some rare fan or some new cosmetics, which is why Steward Zhao specially brought it in first," Xiang Sui replied with a smile before turning to go out and invite Steward Zhao.
Xiao Yan Hui only realized this after arriving in ancient times. The ancients placed much more emphasis on the rituals of various solar terms and festivals than modern people, such as the summer solstice.
In modern times, this would have been just an ordinary day, at most with some bloggers promoting topics such as "10 things to do in early summer" or "Summer Solstice health guide".
In this ancient time, not only did the imperial court have a special summer solstice holiday, but families also had to worship their ancestors, and close and friendly families would exchange gifts. The customary gifts for the summer solstice were mostly exchanged between family members, usually fans of various colors, fashionable rouge and face powder, and sometimes hairpins and bracelets.
"Mrs. Qin is also a refined and elegant woman. I remember that last year when she sent a summer solstice gift, there was a purple bamboo fan with the Seven Sages carved on the fan ribs very well." The First Madam talked to Xiao Yan about Mrs. Qin in the context of the summer solstice gift.
With her daughter set to marry in a few months, the First Madam has been mentioning the Qin family more and more in conversations, especially the personalities and preferences of the Qin women, so that Xiao Yanhui can be informed and prepared in advance.
"I've heard my mother mention Mrs. Qin several times. She's said to be gentle, discerning, and refined. You rarely praise me like that!" Xiao Yan deliberately feigned jealousy and shook the First Madam's hand.
"You...you silly girl, who gets jealous of their future mother-in-law?" The first wife was both amused and exasperated by her behavior.
"Isn't it because our young lady and Madam are so close that she gets jealous of everything?" Granny Sun, standing to the side, said with a smile, then sighed with satisfaction, "Madam Qin seems to be an easy person to get along with. In the future, if the young lady and Madam Qin get along like mother and daughter, it will be Madam's turn to be jealous."
"No way, I'll always be my mother's little darling."
"If that were possible, I wouldn't just be jealous, I'd be overjoyed!"
The mother and daughter spoke together, each saying something sweeter than the last, and the whole room of maids and servants burst into laughter.
At this moment, Manager Zhao was also called in by Xiang Sui, carrying a rather heavy-looking box.
After bowing, Steward Zhao carefully placed the small box on the table and said, "This is specially prepared for the Third Miss. It is a precious item. I was worried about the clumsy servants, so I delivered it to Madam and Miss myself."
As soon as the First Madam opened the list of gifts showered with gold, she knew why Steward Zhao had made a special trip.
"It's a golden headdress, the Qin family is really thoughtful. Yan Hui'er, to be honest, I'm not very knowledgeable. It was only after this marriage was arranged that I realized there are so many holidays throughout the year where you can give gifts!" After sending Steward Zhao out, the First Madam looked at her daughter and smiled teasingly.
The small box contained what was said to be a separate gift prepared by the Qin family for their daughter, but everyone knew perfectly well who the real gift-giver was.
As time went on, the First Madam became increasingly satisfied with Qin Ji, her prospective son-in-law. Perhaps the two children were truly destined for each other; ever since the young man and the Third Madam finalized their marriage, his attitude had become far more attentive than before.
Even though the Qin family had already sent a holiday gift, he insisted on sending another one by himself.
The Xiao family is quite wealthy, and the first wife wasn't after these things, but the fact that she remembered to send them and was willing to put thought into choosing them shows her attitude and her constant concern for them.
"I didn't take his gifts for nothing, I returned the favor quite a bit!" Xiao Yan muttered to herself, her face flushing slightly from the First Madam's teasing.
"Let's see what style of headdress you are. Since Madam Li is here, let her take a look at the headdress style and make you a few more clothes so that you can easily match them later."
The First Madam pointed to the small box, indicating that Xiao Yan should open it and take a look. On the other hand, she called to the maid, "Go and invite Madam Li and the others over."
"Hiss..." After Xiao Yan opened the small box, the jokes and chatter in the room all turned into gasps of amazement.
Inside the small box, on a black fur mat, glittering gold, shimmering rubies, and lustrous white pearls together formed an extremely luxurious and dazzling pair of golden phoenix hairpins holding pearls.
The main body of the hairpin is a seven-tailed phoenix about to take flight. The phoenix is graceful and its golden feathers are dazzling. It holds a string of pearls and gemstones in its mouth, and the center of each of its seven tail feathers is inlaid with a bright red ruby. It is exceptionally beautiful.
"My God, this is so beautiful!" a maid exclaimed, completely captivated.
Let alone a young maid, even someone like Xiao Yanhui, who came from the information age, couldn't help but feel dazzled by this phoenix hairpin.
Although she had seen countless empress crowns in museums during her modern days, those were still just looking at other people's things through glass cases.
Nothing compares to this moment, when the things belong to her, are within easy reach, and she can play with and use them as she pleases. The sense of satisfaction from this is entirely different.
After being captivated by the beauty of the phoenix hairpin for a while, Xiao Yan's rationality finally returned somewhat.
Her gaze fell on the seven tail feathers of the phoenix, and some common sense about ancient regulations popped into her mind. Then she turned her gaze to the First Madam.
"Mother, isn't this seven-tailed phoenix a bit too much? Can I use it?" In my memory, the nine-tailed phoenix was reserved for the Empress and was the only one of its kind in the world.
Other phoenix hairpins and crowns used for weddings are generally unrestricted for such joyous occasions, and the imperial court doesn't interfere much. However, in common weddings, phoenix hairpins and crowns still mostly use three or five tails. Seven tails, according to regulations, would be considered at the level of a noble concubine or princess, and very few brides would actually use them.
"It's alright. We're not from an official family or any of those noble people, so no one will care about this." The first wife wasn't worried about it at all. She traveled a lot and attended several weddings every year, so she was familiar with these kinds of situations.
"It's a pity that this hairpin can only be used on the wedding day. After one use, it will have to be stored away." Neither family has an official position, so they can have all the taboos on the wedding day, but they can't use such a special item afterward.
With a touch of emotion, the First Madam dismissed her regret and immediately instructed Granny Sun, "Quickly bring the headdress prepared for the Third Miss's wedding, and call Xiangmiao over as well, so she can figure out how to style the girl's hair with these two phoenix hairpins."
"Why did that Qin family child send over the phoenix hairpin so eagerly? Does the Xiao family think that we would wrong our daughter in terms of phoenix coronet and wedding gown?" The First Madam's words sounded like a complaint, but her expression was one of great satisfaction.
At this moment, Xiao Yanhui was also pondering why Qin Ji had suddenly sent her a pair of phoenix hairpins for limited use. Her fingers gently fiddled with the pearl tassels held by the golden phoenix, and she decided to find an opportunity to ask Qin Ji about it.
Speaking of those time-traveling men in books, it seems that most of them are not satisfied with being the richest man or anything like that. Their ultimate aspiration is to be a hero in troubled times and a wise minister in prosperous times. Could it be that Qin Ji is hiding some kind of ambitious ambition?
Putting these thoughts aside for now, the main event of the day is about to begin—Lady Li enters with her wedding dress.
"Be careful, put it down gently!" Madam Li's entrance was quite grand, as she was accompanied by five people. In addition to four strong women carrying the trunk, there was also an embroiderer from Xiao's Silk Shop, which made the already crowded room feel even more cramped.
Fortunately, the strong women put their things down and left.
"Greetings, Madam Li. Greetings, Third Miss." After exchanging greetings with the embroiderer, Madam Li didn't waste any more words and went straight to open the two boxes.
In the afternoon, sunlight filtered through the carved window lattice, casting warm dappled patterns in the boudoir. As Lady Li opened her chest, a faint scent of camphor wood filled the air.
Because her family ran a silk business, Yan Hui's wedding dress was naturally made of the finest materials. As her fingertips gently glided across the dress, it was smooth as water and cool to the touch, with a unique, subtly flowing luster under the light.
As soon as the wedding dress was unfurled, sunlight streamed down upon it, revealing the flowing luster of the silk. The dress was embroidered with elaborate and intricate patterns, and the brilliance of gold threads and pearls blended together to create a unique and dazzling spectacle.
The front of the entire wedding dress is embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, and the cuffs and hem are trimmed with a strip of brocade of the same color but different texture, about an inch wide, with layers of peony petals and winding branches and leaves.
The shoulders were adorned with a delicate shawl made of the same color brocade, edged with pearls and embroidered with a hundred bats. At the waist was a wide belt embroidered with children playing and pomegranate patterns, with a string of exquisite and lovely gold and jade gourd pendants hanging from the side of the waist.
Xiao Yan stood in front of the life-size bronze mirror. The image in the mirror, which was slightly yellow but clear, made her feel as if she were in a dream.
The woman in the mirror wore a magnificent golden crown, with a pair of phoenix hairpins tucked into her hair. She was dressed in an exquisite and elaborate wedding gown. Her fair face was made even more radiant and jade-like by the rich red dress. Under the sunlight, the brocade and gold and jade created a breathtaking beauty.
Looking at the person in the mirror, even Xiao Yan felt a sense of disorientation. Was this really her?
The maids standing nearby stared wide-eyed, too afraid to utter a sound, lest they disturb this dreamlike scene.
After a long while, a round-faced maid couldn't help but whisper to her companion, "My God... the young lady looks just like a fairy who has stepped out of a painting when she wears this dress!"
Another whispered in agreement: "The phoenix hairpin that our future son-in-law sent is a perfect match for the young lady's original crown. It makes her look even more elegant. I think even noble ladies would wear something like this."
......
The first wife stood half a step behind her daughter, her gaze falling on her beautiful reflection in the mirror. Unconsciously, tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe them away.
Watching her daughter put on this gorgeous dress that symbolizes the most important moment in her life, even though it was just a fitting day, a feeling of reluctance welled up in her heart, a mixture of reluctance and pride.
She reached out, her fingertips trembling slightly, and smoothed the beads hanging from the phoenix crown. She then gently smoothed a barely visible wrinkle on the wedding robe on her shoulder. Her voice was tinged with a barely perceptible sob, yet full of tender laughter: "It looks so good. My Yan Hui'er looks so good in this."
“Madam Li, I think the waist could be tapered a little more. When you get back, make another shawl with phoenixes dancing in the clouds. It seems to match this outfit better.”
She said it was great, but that didn't stop the First Wife from being a demanding client.
The wedding dress was meticulously crafted after repeated deliberations and discussions. There were no major alterations, but there were quite a few suggestions regarding the accessories.
Lady Li and the embroiderer beside her wrote all of this down.
After trying on and checking the wedding dress and all the accessories, more than an hour had passed.
......
When Xiao Yan came out of the inner room after changing back into her everyday clothes, she couldn't help but rub her sore shoulders and neck: "This is the first time I've ever felt that trying on clothes is such a tiring job."
"It's tiring, but you only get to be tired once in your life. When we get back to the courtyard, I'll massage your shoulders to help you relax. Your wedding dress and phoenix crown are so beautiful! I was completely mesmerized." The cat chirped on and on.
"Yes, the girl will definitely be the most beautiful bride in our Jiangzuo City." Zhu Yue's face was still dreamy.
"Yes, although I'm tired, I look really beautiful." Recalling how beautiful she looked in her full dress just now, Xiao Yan had to admit that the effort was worthwhile.
"But the rest of the jewelry is right there. Just let Madam Li choose what to wear. Why do you have to try them on?" She was so captivated by the two phoenix hairpins that she didn't notice that there were two layers underneath the small box that the Qin family had sent. The First Madam meant that she should try them all on, but Xiao Yan felt her scalp tighten at the thought of having to comb her hair and insert various hairpins and rings.
“Young lady, you’ve already tried so many, so why not try on the last two sets?”
“Yes, I think that lotus crown is exquisite, perfect for this time of year. And that set of persimmon-themed ornaments would be so fitting when the persimmons are ripe. Besides, that would be perfect for your wedding, Miss…”
"The son-in-law's early delivery of 'May everything go as you wish' is the best possible omen."
Zhu Yue and Mao'er took turns offering their advice, creating quite a lively scene.
With just that one persuasion, he put on jewelry and discussed the style of the new clothes with Lady Li, and another hour passed.
......
"Mrs. Li, you've really had a hard day." Xiao Yan winked at Zhu Yue.
"Thank you for your hard work, Madam Li and Sister Yue Niang. Please have a good meal when you get home today." Zhu Yue handed each of them a generously filled purse.
"Thank you very much, Third Miss." The two of them bowed and thanked her without hesitation.
"Third Miss, do you... remember meeting Yue Niang once before?" At this point, Madam Li and Su Yue Niang should have taken their leave, but after a slight hesitation, Madam Li pulled Su Yue Niang to Xiao Yan Hui's side.
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