After Manju was beaten to death with clubs, all the servants in the Bishui Pavilion dared not even breathe loudly.
Zhenzhu and the others have been very careful in what they say and do these days. Every time they say something, they have to look at Su Qingyu's face.
On the eighth day of May, Su Qingyu called Pearl, Amber, and Jade together.
She sat on the kang by the window and asked the three of them to bring brocade stools and sit down.
"Do you think I'm too cruel? Manju was just confused for a moment. I didn't even give her a chance and beat her to death."
Zhenzhu shook her head and said, "If she can drug the Fourth Young Miss today, she can poison the Young Miss tomorrow. We servants are just... just afraid that the Young Miss won't trust us anymore."
These days, Zhenzhu would tell Su Qingyu before doing anything, for fear of being suspected.
Sometimes, even when Su Qingyu didn't doubt her, she would still recall it herself to see if she had done anything to make the young lady suspicious.
Su Qingyu shook her head and chuckled, "You haven't done anything wrong, so I doubt what you are doing."
"I called you all here today to ask you what your plans are for the future."
"I'm getting married in ten days, and I've arranged for Boss Ma's family and Zhang Shun's family to be my companions."
"Whether you want to take a dowry or stay in the mansion, let's decide today."
Pearl was the first to speak again, "I want to follow the young lady. I won't stay in the mansion."
Amber and Jade also said that they wanted to follow Su Qingyu.
Su Qingyu glanced at the faces of the three people and her eyes fell on Amber.
"Amber, you are one year older than me, and it's time for you to get married."
"Uncle Lin's eldest son is now working as a housekeeper for Mother. He's kind and capable. I'd like Mother to find a matchmaker for you. What do you think?"
"Don't rush to reply to me, go back and ask your parents first."
Amber nodded and said, "Well, I'll listen to you, young lady. I'll ask my parents tonight."
Su Qingyu looked at Zhenzhu and Feicui again, "You two are both one year younger than me."
"You will follow me to the Shen family and stay with me for another two years. I will slowly arrange your marriages, and you will also help me train a few useful maids."
Pearl and Jade also responded yes.
Su Qingyu also instructed Zhenzhu to give twenty taels of silver to the coachman Erxi, return his indenture contract to him, and let him go.
The next day, Amber came to see Su Qingyu and said that her family had discussed it and agreed to meet Lin Er's family.
Su Qingyu asked Amber to serve her first, and after she got married, she would stay in Bishui Pavilion to take care of the maids.
When the marriage is settled, she will prepare a dowry for her and send her off to get married.
Amber knelt on the ground and thanked Su Qingyu for her kindness, but she was actually terrified. She remembered the time she had spoken up for Cheng Rujin last winter. The young lady had been kind enough to keep her and not beat her to death.
On the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month, the Shen family sent someone to deliver the makeup box. In addition to the three kinds of meat and seafood required by the rules, there was also a set of exquisitely crafted phoenix crowns and bridal robes.
Lin was very satisfied with this. Many times, marriage is not about money, but about the attitude of the husband's family.
If a family doesn't care about their daughter before marriage, can they expect her to be good to them after marriage?
The old lady and Su Chengye also had smiles on their faces. Apart from anything else, the Shen family gave them enough face.
These days, Su Chengye walks with his chest held high and his head held high, and his posture is much more upright than before. His colleagues are also much more polite when talking to him.
Su Chengye’s only regret is that the Xu family fell, otherwise his two daughters would have married into the families of cabinet ministers, and he would be more prosperous than he is now.
Thinking of this, Su Chengye looked at Su Shunci with an especially eager look. He was determined to find a good family for this last unmarried daughter.
On May 17th, the Lin family came into the house early to add makeup to Su Qingyu.
Normal betrothal gifts would be jewelry, antiques, calligraphy, or rare books from recent elders. If they were more compassionate, they might even give one or two plots of land or a shop.
But the Lin family’s addition of makeup was different. The servant shouted directly at the gate.
"Madam Lin, please give the eldest daughter some dowry, thirty loads."
"Master Lin's uncle, please give the eldest lady some dowry, ten loads."
"Second uncle of the Lin family, please give the eldest lady some dowry, ten loads."
"The four young masters of the Lin family are here to give the eldest lady a dowry of ten loads."
The entire Lin family gave Su Qingyu a dowry of sixty loads. A wealthy family in the capital would give their daughters sixty-four loads of dowry, while a small family would only give thirty-two.
As soon as the Lin family's dowry arrived at the mansion, it sparked heated discussion among the Su family's relatives and friends. They all said the Lin family was truly wealthy and well-behaved with their married daughter and granddaughter. Looking through the sixty loads of dowry, not a single item seemed perfunctory. Even the auspicious longevity quilt was a rare, top-grade piece of Shu embroidery.
Su Qingyu sat in her boudoir. Many young ladies and wives from aristocratic families came to help with her makeup. This morning, she was practically frozen from smiling.
At noon, when there were no outsiders in the house, the old lady of the Lin family came in with her daughter-in-law.
Su Qingyu stood up to greet them, "Grandma, aunt, you must be tired, right? Come sit down and take a rest."
Old Madam Lin sat down beside the bed, and the two ladies of the Lin family sat on the brocade stool beside the bed to accompany her.
"Qingyu, are you nervous?" Old Madam Lin asked lovingly.
Su Qingyu shook her head. "I'm not nervous, I just... I'm a little reluctant to leave my mother."
After she got married, her mother had no one to rely on in the mansion. She was reluctant to leave her mother in this cold mansion.
Madam Lin held Su Qingyu's hand tightly and comforted her, "After you get married, I will take care of your mother's affairs myself. Just get married with peace of mind and don't think about these things now."
"The old lady of the Shen family is not a mean mother-in-law. Although Elder Shen is in a high position and has great power, he does not look like an unreasonable person. As long as you serve your husband well and treat your mother-in-law well, your life will not be bad."
Su Qingyu couldn't help but think back to her past life. Her marriage to Shen Zhao had been arranged suddenly. It was winter, and her grandmother hadn't come. Later, when her mother died, her grandmother wept over the coffin, regretting she hadn't been able to see her daughter one last time.
Thinking of this, Su Qingyu's eyes suddenly turned red. Afraid that her grandmother might worry, she raised her head and blinked twice.
In the evening, after Lin entertained the guests who arrived early, she also came to the Bishui Pavilion and rested there.
The mother and daughter cuddled together, chatting intimately for half the night. Su Qingyu couldn't remember what they said afterwards. She only remembered her mother's hand gently patting her back, and she fell asleep while talking.
When she got up the next day, Lin had already gone out to work.
Today, Su Qingyu's dowry was to be delivered to the Shen family's west courtyard. The citizens of the capital who came to watch the excitement had a glimpse of what a grand wedding was like.
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