Lin's Mother in the Dream of the Red Chamber 4 Mwah!
Without comparison, there is no harm. Compared to the unruly, arrogant, and domineering Orondai, who was the emperor's eldest son and Tong Guogang's second son, Tong Guogang found Lin Hai, his future son-in-law, more and more pleasing.
After returning home, he said to his wife, Lady Jue Luo, "We should increase Huihui's dowry. Although Lin Hai's family background is not as good as it is now, his ancestors were marquises for generations, and he is also ambitious enough."
The Fujin (principal wife) needs to have a serious talk with Huihui. After marrying into the family, she needs to live a good life with Lin Ruhai and not throw tantrums all the time…
Jue Luo was displeased upon hearing this: "What do you mean by that, sir? Do you think that the daughter I raised is the kind of person who doesn't understand things?"
Tong Guogang's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly changed the subject: "You flatter me, Madam. The daughters you raise will surely be as knowledgeable, reasonable, gentle and virtuous as you are."
I only learned from the Emperor's sigh that Lin Hai's father, Lin Yan, had once saved the Emperor's life, and had been seriously injured in the process. Although he was fortunate enough to survive temporarily, his old wounds eventually relapsed, and medicine proved ineffective.
Lin Yan was the Emperor's study companion, someone he had grown up with since childhood, and had also protected the Emperor, without ever making any demands on him. This bond was enough to make the Emperor treat Lin Hai with special favor.
Upon hearing this, Lady Jue Luo understood that her future son-in-law had made his name known to the Emperor and would surely rise to prominence in the future.
Cao Yin only got the position of Imperial Textile Commissioner in Jiangnan because his birth mother was the emperor's wet nurse and he was the emperor's study companion.
She had already prepared a very generous dowry for Huihui, so she decided to add more. After all, the Lin family's foundation was still weak, so a larger dowry would be beneficial.
Jue Luo prepared 120 dowry baskets for □□, and each basket of dowry baskets was specially made with extra-deep and extra-large boxes.
Although the dowry did not outweigh the dowry of the First Consort, who had only been married for two years, it was clear to anyone with discerning eyes that the dowry was genuine and without any exaggeration.
One can't help but sigh, the Tongjia clan truly lives up to its reputation as the emperor's maternal clan; even marrying off a second daughter, they are so domineering.
What they didn't know was that the deeds to the estates outside the Great Wall, shops in the capital, and manors that Jue Luo gave to □□ as part of her dowry filled a whole box.
Furthermore, there are also a gold-inlaid jade ruyi with dragon and phoenix motifs bestowed by Emperor Kangxi, enamel porcelain, various treasures bestowed by Consort Tongjia, and a hundred bolts of silk specially supplied by the Jiangning Textile Bureau, etc.
Putting everything else aside, as far as Consort Tongjia was concerned, she felt that her cousin had married far too low.
It is said that women from humble families marry into wealthy families, while women from wealthy families marry into high families. Her uncle was a first-class duke, and even if he was suppressing the Tongjia clan for the sake of the crown prince, he shouldn't have gone this far.
Actually, Consort Tongjia truly wronged Emperor Kangxi this time. He was simply acting on a whim, wanting to find a good wife for Lin Hai. After much thought, he felt that his cousin was a perfect match for Lin Hai.
Consort Tong felt that her younger cousin had sacrificed too much for the Tong family, and in order to make up for this debt, she did her best to give her cousin a dowry.
When the rest of the Tong family saw that the Imperial Concubine had bestowed such a large dowry, they realized that they would be embarrassed to do their own dowry without it. So they all followed in the footsteps of Imperial Concubine Tong and spent a fortune.
The Tong family was incredibly wealthy in Liaodong, and the title "Tong Half-Court" wasn't given lightly. As a member of the imperial clan, Jue Luo's dowry was a magnificent bridal procession stretching for miles.
When her eldest daughter, Mingshu, got married, she gave her a portion of her dowry. Over the years, she has accumulated a considerable amount of private savings, which she gave to her youngest daughter even more generously than that of her eldest daughter.
Tong Guogang also subsidized the dowry by opening a private treasury. The sheer size of the dowry put immense pressure on the families who were later betrothed to princes.
Although it was an imperial decree from Emperor Kangxi, all the traditional betrothal and marriage customs were followed. Chen Xia went to great lengths to arrange her eldest son's marriage.
The variety of betrothal gifts was dazzling. The Lin family was a prominent family, and with Chen Xia contributing his private collection, Tong Guogang and his wife were quite satisfied with the Lin family's sincerity.
Time flies by in the midst of busy work. Chen Xia had already vacated the main courtyard and had it completely renovated and expanded, making it perfect for a new house.
Although Lin Ruhai and Tong Jia did not meet often, they maintained correspondence through their brother Orondai, who was biased towards outsiders.
Under Heshen's tutelage, Lin Ruhai became incredibly sweet-talking and adept at handling situations.
Whenever they came across something delicious or fun, they would have it sent to Tong Jia, along with love letters.
As the wedding date approached, Tong Jia couldn't help but feel anxious. Looking at the several pretty maids her mother had carefully selected for her, she felt annoyed.
In a letter to Lin Ruhai, he couldn't help but complain a few times. The next day, Lin Ruhai visited Tong Guogang and explained that his father had set a rule that a son of the Lin family could only take a concubine if he was over forty years old and had no children.
Tong Guogang was very happy. His future son-in-law was very sensible. There would be no maids or concubines to cause trouble after the marriage. He was sure that the relationship between his daughter and son-in-law would not be too bad.
After seeing Lin Ruhai off, he hurried to the backyard. He had felt something was off earlier. Why did that brat Lin Ruhai come to say this all of a sudden?
When Lin Ruhai told his wife what he had said, she was both angry and amused: "Stop guessing, this matter is definitely related to Huihui."
I prepared two carefully trained maids for Huihui, thinking that they could serve her son-in-law when she needed them in the future.
We have the indentures of those two maids and their entire families in our hands, so they can't cause any trouble. Huihui was unhappy about that, and it turns out she even complained to Ruhai.
Since my son-in-law doesn't care, then what kind of bad person am I as his mother? It seems Ruhai is a really good kid; you should definitely promote him in the future.”
She was overjoyed when she learned that Lin Ruhai had personally asked her father to refuse the dowry maid.
Which girl hasn't dreamed of spending her life with the one she loves? She never imagined she would be so lucky to be about to marry such a wonderful husband.
After much anticipation, □□ finally got married. While other girls cried and wailed on their wedding day, she couldn't help but smile foolishly at the thought of spending every day with Lin Ruhai.
Jue Luo's face darkened, and she pinched her hard: "Stop looking at me like that, all eager to get married... stop crying..."
The pinch hurt terribly, and when she got into the bridal sedan chair, she cried her eyes out.
Jue Luo Shi watched as her eldest son carried the □□ onto the sedan chair, breathed a sigh of relief, and then turned to complain to her eldest daughter, Ming Shu.
"His Majesty really made the right choice in this marriage. With your sister's brain, if she were to marry into a prince's household like you, she'd probably come back crying every day. Shu'er, are you doing well at Prince An's residence?"
Tong Jiamingshu's marriage was also arranged by Emperor Kangxi, and she was betrothed to Prince An's son, Marhun, as his secondary consort.
Although Namarhun had been married before, fortunately, his former wife, Borjigit, had not left any children.
However, the Prince An's mansion had not yet been divided. When Mingshu married into the family, she had to serve her parents-in-law and also compete with her sisters-in-law. Life was not easy for her.
Mingshu supported Jueluo Shi: "Mother, you don't know my temper. I will not let myself suffer. Prince An is about to pass away. Once Marhun inherits the title, it will be easy to deal with those clowns. Mother, please don't worry."
Hearing her daughter say this, Jue Luo was relieved. Her eldest daughter was skilled in riding, archery, and managing a household, and could keep that boy Orondai completely under her thumb.
In terms of cunning, none of her sisters-in-law combined could match her; she should be more worried about her spoiled youngest daughter.
Sitting in the bridal sedan chair, she was happily taken to the Lin family's old residence. The Jue Luo family's love for their daughter was profound, and even the ten-mile-long red bridal procession felt inadequate.
Lin Ruhai, dressed in wedding attire and riding a white horse, looked exceptionally handsome. Jia Min, sitting in a private room of the restaurant with her maid, looked at the spirited scholar and felt a mix of emotions.
The dream was so real, so real, that she thought it was her past life. But the time when Lin Ruhai became a scholar in the dream was clearly the thirty-third year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. Why was there such a big difference?
Could it really have just been a dream? But if it was a dream, why do some things in my own family correspond to it all?
Jia Min couldn't understand why she had such a dream. Although she knew about her past life in the dream, in this life she was still just a naive young girl.
She first met Lin Ruhai when he was parading through the streets on horseback; her father had brought her out to watch the spectacle.
Sitting in the restaurant, watching the dashing young scholar riding a white horse, the father couldn't help but sigh, "What a handsome young man! If my son were a few years older, I would definitely find him to be your son-in-law."
Jia Min was young and had been pampered by Jia Daishan and Shi Shi since childhood, so she always got whatever she wanted at home.
Looking at the handsome Lin Ruhai riding his white horse, she really liked him: "Well, he can wait for his daughter to grow up!"
Jia Daishan sighed and shook his head: "A nineteen-year-old third-place scholar, countless noble families are waiting to take him as their son-in-law. His marriage will not delay my son's growth."
Jia Daishan could only lament that his eldest daughter was still too young, and even if he shamelessly went to the palace to ask the emperor for permission, it would be impossible.
Not long after, Emperor Kangxi bestowed a marriage upon Lin Ruhai. The bride was the eldest daughter of the Tongjia clan, the emperor's cousin, and the cousin of Consort Tongjia. This made Jia Daishan lament that his chosen son-in-law had been lost.
Jia Daishan had mentioned to Shi Shi before that he wanted Lin Ruhai to be his son-in-law, and Shi Shi was extremely unwilling at the time. In her opinion, the Jia family was a Duke's mansion, and even if the Marquis of Jing'an, Lin Yan, were still alive, a declining Marquis's mansion was not a suitable match for the Duke of Rong's mansion.
Now that the Marquis of Jing'an is dead, all that's left is Lin Hai and his widow. He's lost his title, so who would be worthy of marrying their precious daughter?
But no matter how unwilling she was, the Jia family was no longer her personal fiefdom. Ever since that vile woman Guo died, Jia Daishan had been wary of her.
Although she was in charge of the inner quarters, Jia Daishan always made the final decisions on important matters. No matter how unwilling she was, she could only endure it.
After her father's death, she had a strained relationship with her two sisters-in-law, and both of her brothers were henpecked. If she really angered Jia Daishan, no one in the Shi family would stand up for her.
Later, Emperor Kangxi arranged a marriage for the Lin family, betrothing his own cousin, Lady Tongjia. She regretted it then, realizing Jia Daishan was right: Lady Tongjia must have been eyeing Lin Hai's talent and was placing her bets early on.
Chen Xia did her best to make Lin Ruhai's wedding a grand and lavish affair, after all, she was marrying the emperor's cousin, and she wanted to show the family's sincerity.
After the wedding ceremony, the bride was sent to the bridal chamber. Lin Ruhai made it clear that he would not take a concubine. The two nannies, four head maids, and eight junior maids that Jue Luo gave to her daughter as dowry were all of ordinary appearance.
Once these people entered the Lin family's gate, the little system affixed them with loyalty tokens.
Even though they were born into the Tongjia family and their parents and relatives were controlled by the Tong family, from the moment the talisman was affixed, their hearts were forever devoted to the Lin family.
Lin Ruhai appeared to have been forced to drink a lot, but in reality, he was only drinking diluted liquor mixed with honey. Fearing he couldn't hold his liquor, Chen Xia even added a few drops of her spiritual spring water to his drink to help him.
Lin Ruhai, swaying unsteadily, was helped back to the bridal chamber by a servant. Seeing him reeking of alcohol and looking dizzy, the maid quickly went to support him, asking, "How much did you drink?"
The servant quickly left, and as soon as the door closed, Lin Ruhai stood up straight: "Huihui..."
Her pretty face flushed red: "You're not drunk?"
Lin Ruhai pulled her into his arms: "Today is our wedding day, Huihui. A moment of bliss is worth a thousand pieces of gold. How can Ruhai get drunk? You must be exhausted today. Did you enjoy the food I had sent over?"
She smiled and shook her head: "The thought of marrying my husband makes me not feel tired at all."
Lin Ruhai kissed her: "We are husband and wife, there's no need to talk like that. Just call me that from now on. I'll call you Madam Huihui, and you can call me Ruhai."
□□ nodded happily, and Lin Ruhai pulled her to sit on the bedside: "Let me wash up first, so that Huihui doesn't smell of alcohol."
When Chen Xia renovated the old house, she converted the side room into a bathroom, making showering and bathing very convenient. Lin Ruhai quickly washed up and hurriedly returned to the new house.
......
The next morning, □□ woke up early and, seeing that it was already bright outside, quickly nudged Lin Ruhai: "Ruhai, you'll be late serving tea and paying your respects to Mother, get up quickly."
Lin Ruhai pulled her into his arms: "Mother doesn't mind these things. It's not too late to offer tea and pay respects at lunchtime."
Upon hearing this, □□ became anxious: "How can that be? If I'm late to greet you and offer tea on my first day, Mother will be unhappy!"
Lin Ruhai sighed and sat up: "Huihui, don't think too much about it. I'm not that kind of person. Uh, to tell you the truth, if you go now, I probably won't be up yet."
□□ looked at him incredulously: "Are you serious?"
"Would I lie to you? Mother likes... to sleep in late!"
“Even if our mother gets up late, we still have to go and pay our respects to her early. This is not a matter of whether our mother gets up early or late, but a matter of whether we are filial or not.”
"Let me tell you, my sister-in-law goes to my mother's courtyard early every morning to establish rules. Hurry up, stop dawdling."
Lin Ruhai took the □□ to Lan Guitang, but to their surprise, Chen Xia had already dressed up and was waiting for them.
She secretly pinched Lin Ruhai, thinking to herself, "This big liar! He tricked me by saying that my mother-in-law loves to sleep in late. I almost fell for his trick."
Lin Ruhai looked surprised: "Mother, why are you up so early today?"
Chen Xia blushed: "When did your mother get up late? You brat, stop smearing your mother."
After drinking the tea offered by the young couple, Chen Xia smiled and took the girl's hand: "Good child, from now on we are family. Your mother is getting old, and you will have to take care of all the big and small things in this mansion from now on."
He was overjoyed to hear this; he had gained control of the household as soon as he entered the house, which was wonderful.
Chen Xia was delighted to see that although □□ was a little embarrassed, she was also eager to try.
He handed her the keys, tokens, and ledgers of the public storeroom, and also gave her the two maids who served him.
"If you don't understand anything about the housekeeping, just ask Granny Li and Granny Zhang. There are few people in our family and not much to do, so as long as you don't overwork yourself, you can manage it however you want."
During the meal, Chen Xia didn't let the servant stand to wait on her. Instead, she pulled her to sit down with her. The two women ate and chatted, and in less than half a day, they became as close as a mother and daughter.
Chen Xia's gift to □□ was a box of silver notes, a set of priceless jewelry, and two shops.
Back in her own courtyard, she was still somewhat incredulous: "Mother just handed over the management of the household to me so easily?"
"Otherwise what? You're her only daughter-in-law. She'll be handed over to you sooner or later anyway, so what's the difference between handing her over sooner or later? Mother always said that once I get married, she can finally take a good rest..."
□□ ignored Lin Ruhai and told him that he wouldn't understand, that this was the power to manage the household.
Her sister-in-law has been married into the family for several years, but she's never even touched the housekeeper's mahjong tiles.
The day after her wedding, her mother-in-law gave her the storeroom keys, ledgers, and a pair of tokens, which was quite unexpected.
After checking the ledgers and checking the warehouse, [the person in charge] was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.
She always thought her family was already wealthy enough, but after seeing the public storehouse, she realized what understated luxury was, and what true wealth was.
The Lin family was already a prominent and influential family. After Chen Xia arrived, Ling Yi went to Jiangnan. Those salt merchants were foolish and rich, and she made a lot of money there using the Western gadgets in her spatial storage.
The Lin family's public warehouse, which was already overflowing with wealth, was now crammed full by her, with dozens of boxes of gold and silver ingots alone.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
