Chapter 224: Dowry Preparation, Hidden Feelings
As the morning sun bathed the dark bricks and tiles of the Fang family's house, the pomegranate tree in the backyard was already bustling with activity. Fang's mother sat on a bamboo chair, holding a piece of red silk embroidered with lotus flowers. She squinted her eyes, examining it closely, a smile never faltering. Several embroiderers gathered around their frames, their needles darting, silver thread sketching lifelike phoenixes across the silk. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, shimmering on the silk, creating a vibrant brilliance.
"This phoenix's tail feathers need a few more strands of gold to be worthy of our Ci'er's status." Mother Fang pointed at the silk, her voice full of affection. The maid beside her held a stack of jewelry boxes and opened them. The gold, silver, jade, and jewels shone brightly, making people dizzy. "These are the old treasures we brought from Jiangnan the other day, as well as the set of Dongzhu jewelry awarded by the emperor. All of them must be packed into Ci'er's dowry box."
"Mother, you're bringing out all our wealth!" Little Swallow came running in from the Moon Gate, still wearing her lilac-colored casual clothes, her hair casually tied up, and holding a freshly picked orange, peeling it as she walked. "I told you not to go to all this trouble. If that brat Yongqi dares to show off, I'll replace his archery target with an embroidery needle!"
"You unruly girl." Fang's mother smiled and patted her hands, but her eyes were as soft as cotton. "A woman's marriage is such a big deal, how can we be careless? Your brother's wedding must also be carefully prepared. Princess Qing is a girl from the palace, we can't lose our manners."
As they were talking, Xiao Jian walked in. He had just gone to the silk shop to pick up some newly arrived Suzhou embroidery fabrics. He was holding several rolls of elegant lake blue and moon-white silk. Seeing Xiao Yanzi, he said, "I just passed by the Fu family. Uncle Fu was directing people to bring the betrothal gifts to the mansion. I heard Yongqi personally picked out a white fox fur and said he wanted to make you a cloak."
"What white fox fur?" Xiaoyanzi raised her eyebrows and paused her hand peeling the orange. "Did he go fox hunting again? How many times have I told him how pitiful the little animals are..." Before she finished speaking, she couldn't help blushing. The orange juice on her fingertips dripped onto her lapel, like a small orange mark.
"Silly girl, that's a token of my love." Fang's mother smiled and shook her head. She picked up a phoenix hairpin with a touch of red gold and kingfisher feathers and placed it on Xiaoyanzi's head. "You may say you don't care about it, but you must be so happy in your heart."
Xiaoyanzi's face turned even redder when she was hit on the heart of the matter. She turned around and ran to the kitchen: "I'll go see if the white fungus soup in the kitchen is ready. It's time for the embroiderers to take a break!" As she ran through the moon gate, her skirt swept across the wintersweets in the corner of the wall, bringing with it a faint floral fragrance.
Xiao Jian looked at his sister's back, smiled helplessly, and turned to Fang's mother and said, "As for Qing'er, I've had someone prepare some Jiangnan specialties, as well as the pair of jade ruyi you mentioned last time. They're all packed and will be delivered to her at the palace later." As he mentioned Qing'er, his eyes softened unconsciously, and his fingers gently stroked the silk in his arms. "She likes simple and elegant colors, and these pieces of Suzhou embroidery are just what she likes."
"That's good of you to be attentive." Fang's mother nodded, her eyes filled with satisfaction. "Princess Qing is a good girl, worthy of you. When you get married, you must treat her well. Don't be like your sister, who is always so unruly."
Elsewhere, at the Fu Mansion, a bustling scene unfolded. Fu Lun sat in his study, holding the gift list sent by Er Kang, his brows furrowed as he carefully examined it. Fu Jin walked in with a bowl of hot tea. Seeing his seriousness, she couldn't help but laugh and said, "It's just some betrothal gifts. Is it worth it for you to be so serious?"
"That's the betrothal gift for Princess Mingzhu, so we can't be careless." Fulun put down the gift list, took the tea bowl, dipped his fingertips in the tea, and gestured on the table. "The calligraphy and paintings must be from famous artists, the jade must be warm and transparent, and the four treasures of the study must be made of the best materials from Jiangnan. Princess Ziwei loves reading, so they will definitely be useful."
"I know you value this marriage." Fu Jin sat down next to him, her voice gentle, "Yesterday, Erkang told me that Princess Ziwei received the poetry collection he sent her and read it under the lamp at night. This child is very thoughtful and always worried about Ziwei being wronged."
"Don't worry, with the Emperor in charge, no one dares to wrong her." Fu Lun looked out the window. The sunlight shone on the magnolia tree in the courtyard, making its branches sparse and clear. "After the New Year and the wedding, their idea of opening a school can be realized, which can be considered as fulfilling Princess Ziwei's wish."
As he was speaking, Erkang came in from outside, still feeling cold, but holding a brocade box carefully in his hands. He walked to the desk and opened the box. Inside was a white jade hairpin with a magnolia bud carved on the head. The jade was warm and smooth, and it shone softly in the sunlight.
"Father, Mother, I had this specially made in Suzhou. Ziwei likes the jade hairpin and says it looks simple and elegant." Erkang's voice was filled with a hint of nervousness and anticipation. "Do you think this... is it suitable?"
Fu Jin picked up the jade hairpin, weighed it in her palm, and said with a smile, "You have good taste. Ziwei will definitely like it. This child is thoughtful and will keep everything you give her well."
Erkang smiled and closed the brocade box carefully, as if he was holding some rare treasure: "I'll put it in the betrothal gift box, and put it on the top so she can see it at a glance." After saying that, he walked out with light steps, the corners of his clothes brought up a gust of wind, and even his back was full of joy.
The hotel was bustling with activity, like New Year's Eve. Liu Qing climbed a ladder, directing the waiters to hang red silk from the beams. The silk fluttered in the wind, suffusing the entire lobby with a vibrant crimson glow. Jinsuo stood behind the counter, account book in hand, but she would occasionally glance up at Liu Qing, unable to conceal her smile. The waiter's wife next to her teased, "Miss Jinsuo, look at your brother Liu's eyes. You're practically nailing him to the ladder!"
Jinsuo blushed, lowered her head and pretended to count the accounts, and drew a crooked circle on the account book with the tip of her pen: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm looking at the accounts."
"Still pretending!" The clerk's wife laughed and pushed her. "Brother Liu has used all the profits from the guesthouse over the past few months to give you a dowry. He said he'd make you a set of the brightest silverware and plant your favorite gardenias in the yard!"
Jinsuo's eyes instantly turned red, and she gently closed the account book in her hand. At this moment, Liu Qing came down from the ladder, sweat dripping from his forehead. He held a newly bought red velvet flower in his hand. He walked up to her and awkwardly inserted it into her hair. "Look, does it look good? The florist said it's the most auspicious thing for a bride to wear."
Jinsuo didn't say anything, but just raised her head and looked at his hair that was messed up by the wind. She reached out and gently helped him tidy it up. Her fingertips touched his earlobe. Both of them shrank their hands as if they were burned, but they smiled at the same time.
In the palace's Shufangzhai, the silver charcoal in the stove burned brightly, filling the room with a cozy warmth. Little Swallow was sprawled on the table, watching Ziwei embroider a purse for Erkang. The stitches were so fine that the silk thread twisted into a tiny orchid on the cloth.
"You embroidered this orchid beautifully! It's even more exquisite than the handkerchief I embroidered for the Emperor last time." Xiaoyanzi poked her purse. "If Erkang dares not cherish it, I will hide his sword manual and he won't be able to find it for three days!"
Ziwei was amused by her. The embroidery needle in her hand paused, and the needle tip gleamed in the sunlight: "He cherishes it very much. It's the first purse I gave him, and he always wears it." She lowered her head and spoke softly with a hint of sweetness, "Actually... I'm looking forward to the wedding coming soon, so that I can be with him every day."
"What a shame!" Xiaoyanzi scratched her nose. "You blush after just a few words. On the wedding day, won't you be crawling under the table?"
Ziwei gently slapped her hand away, her cheeks red as ripe apples. "You're the only one who talks too much. By the way, why aren't you wearing the jade hairpin that Prince Yongqi gave you? He went to several jade shops to find it."
Speaking of the jade hairpin, Xiaoyanzi pulled out a small brocade bag from her bosom and opened it. Inside, a white jade hairpin lay, its head adorned with a tiny, lively swallow. "This jade is too slippery. I'm afraid I'll lose it if I wear it," she carefully touched the hairpin. "I'll wear it on the wedding day. Let him see how beautiful I look wearing the hairpin he gave me!"
As she was speaking, Yongqi walked in, lifting the curtain, holding a scroll in his hand. When he saw Xiaoyanzi, he smiled and said, "What are you talking about? You're laughing so happily."
"I'm saying bad things about you!" Xiaoyanzi hid the brocade bag in her arms and looked up at him. "What are you holding in your hand? Are you trying to coax me into practicing calligraphy again?"
"No." Yongqi unfolded the scroll, revealing a freshly painted crabapple tree. Its branches were vigorous and its flowers were gorgeous. It was the crabapple tree in the courtyard of Shufangzhai. "I've painted a crabapple tree. Once it's framed, I'll hang it in your new home. Okay?"
Little Swallow took a closer look. The petals of the crabapple tree in the painting were still covered with dew, making them look lifelike. She reached out and poked the petals in the painting. "It's a good painting. Finally, all my time studying has paid off." She said this, but her eyes sparkled, unable to hide her admiration.
As the sun set, the bustle of life gradually subsided. The Fang family's dowry boxes filled half the room, their red silk-wrapped quilts exuding a faint scent of soapberries. The Fu family's betrothal gift list filled three pages, each entry shone with solemnity. The red silk in the guesthouse was neatly hung, and the candles in the lanterns were ready, waiting for the day they would be lit.
New charcoal was added to the stove in Shufangzhai. Ziwei sat under the lamp, continuing to embroider her purse. The poetry collection Erkang had sent was spread out beside her, its pages faintly annotated. Xiaoyanzi lay on the table, looking at Yongqi's painting of crabapples, her fingers gently stroking the edge of the scroll. Xiaowenzi hummed a jingle in the courtyard: "Guaiguai longdi dong, red silk hanging with lanterns, the newlyweds smile happily, blessings fill the palace..."
As night deepened, the Forbidden City's lanterns lit up one by one, their warm yellow glow filtering through the window paper, illuminating everyone's smiling face. The bustle and anticipation of the capital paved the way for a grand spring wedding. Even the air was filled with a sweet warmth, as if time itself had slowed down, quietly awaiting the day's fulfillment.
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