Chapter 91 This is outrageous! "Two hundred and fifty thousand taels probably won't be enough..."
Lin Daiyu had just learned a way to control her third brother, and she couldn't help but try it. After thinking for a moment, she said softly, "Third brother, I don't like to eat geese, so please don't go hunting geese."
Mu Chuan couldn't stand this and immediately said, "I'll make it sweet for you."
Lin Daiyu was taken aback, then laughed. With her third brother acting this way, she was no longer nervous. However, since she had only just learned this method, she shouldn't try it too much, lest her third brother get used to it.
She pointed to a chair: "Third Brother, please sit down. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"
Unfortunately, that tenderness lasted only a moment. Mu Chuan sat down beside her and said, "Is there anything else to say? In the end, we are both willing to get married, and with His Majesty as matchmaker, there will be no mishaps."
He thought for a moment and said, "The next step is to ask for your name. I know your name and birth date, but I don't know the time. We'll put our birth charts together later. The man's chart will be placed in my family's ancestral hall, and the woman's chart will be placed in the main Buddhist hall. That's all. Don't you really want to look at the birth chart?"
Mu Chuan asked another question.
These words slightly broke Lin Daiyu's defenses, and her perfect, gentle image cracked for a moment. She thought it was her third brother trying to tease her again, so she called out reproachfully, "Third brother."
Mu Chuan sighed, utterly helpless. He figured that once they left, she would definitely read the Geng Shu (a document related to marriage), and he hoped she wouldn't be so upset that she couldn't sleep at night.
Seeing that Mu Chuan didn't bring up the matter, Lin Daiyu said, "Keep that wooden box safe. I embroidered it myself." Although it's only half, it's still my heartfelt gift. It's just that it's my third brother's birthday, so I need to find something else for him.
Mu Chuan became curious and wanted to open it to take a look, but Lin Daiyu quickly stopped him: "Don't look now, or they won't dare to laugh at you, they'll all come after me."
"I'll shield you."
Lin Daiyu glared at him: "Isn't that coming for me?"
"Then let go of me." Mu Chuan's gaze shifted downwards, and Lin Daiyu realized that her hand was still pressing on the back of her third brother's hand. She quickly moved her hand away and resumed her proper sitting posture.
The warm and soft touch was something I really missed, so Mu Chuan sighed and said, "My hands are sweaty."
Lin Daiyu's face flushed, and she subconsciously rubbed her palms on her skirt. There was no sweat on her face. They were teasing her again.
Third Brother is really annoying.
“Third Brother is truly gifted.” Lin Daiyu’s eyes crinkled, and two more dimples appeared on her face. “In all my life, this is the first time I’ve ever heard of someone sweating on the back of their hands.”
"Would you like to try making your hands sweat?" Mu Chuan asked with ill intent.
Lin Daiyu's lips curled up, and she glanced at him sideways: "I don't want to. Third Brother, go and invite the two ladies back. What's the point of having the matchmaker waiting outside?"
Mu Chuan then said, "Isn't this something we need to discuss? The main courtyard you visited last time still hasn't been named. If you want me to think of one, it should be either 'a profusion of flowers' or 'a riot of colors.' You should come up with the name."
Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "Actually, this name is quite good; it's either very common or very elegant—"
"You call me vulgar?" Mu Chuan retorted fiercely.
Lin Daiyu wasn't afraid of him at all, and giggled again: "I can't think of anything right now, it's just the four seasons or five colors, not as good as you."
The two were chatting and laughing inside, and it wasn't that no one outside could hear them. Madam Song gave Madam Wan a wink, and Madam Wan smiled and said, "Young people are like this, they never say a word about serious matters."
Madam Song laughed, "I thought the Earl of Zhongyong was honest and sincere, but it turns out he's like this when he's with the young lady."
Madam Wan coughed loudly a few times: "I wonder where we're going to have lunch?"
Mu Chuan was definitely in charge of the matchmaker's lunch, but the fact that they said that clearly meant they were urging him to come.
Lin Daiyu glared at Mu Chuan: "Go and invite him back right away." After saying that, she subconsciously tidied her sideburns again.
Mu Chuan sighed, "Why are you getting a haircut? People will laugh at you, and I won't be able to stop them."
"Pah! Hurry up and go!"
Mu Chuan went out with a serious expression. His face was really deceptive. Even Madam Wan and Madam Song, who had just heard them laughing and talking, first doubted whether they had heard correctly, and then pushed all the blame onto Lin Daiyu.
After all, all that could be heard just now was Miss Lin's laughter; the Marquis of Zhongyong was still perfectly fine. Although Miss Lin couldn't laugh even without someone to amuse her, this was the Marquis of Zhongyong, after all.
Maybe Miss Lin just likes to smile from time to time?
Madam Wan smiled and said, "The next time we come will be to ask your name. I estimate it will be around the end of March or the beginning of April. The Imperial Observatory has calculated a few auspicious days, and we will see whichever day has good weather."
Lin Daiyu hummed in agreement, and Mu Chuan said politely, "You two have worked hard. After the Dragon Boat Festival, it will get hot in the capital, so let's take a break in June."
ah?
Lin Daiyu's eyes widened in surprise, and the two matchmakers laughed again.
She glared at Mu Chuan again, but... she still liked him. People in the Rongguo Mansion used to say she was aloof and unpredictable, but now it was all written on her face.
After a couple more casual words, that should be enough.
The two matchmakers got up, and Mu Chuan followed suit. Lin Daiyu saw them out of the courtyard, and after returning, she drank two cups of cold tea to calm her mind.
"Move everything to the side hall and pack it up," Lin Daiyu instructed the maid. She then reached for the Gengshu (a document in Chinese astrology), saying, "Let me take a look at this." Her voice carried a hint of amusement.
Jia Lian led the way until they arrived at the front courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion.
Madam Song smiled politely at Mu Chuan and said, "Since His Majesty acted as matchmaker and the Empress bestowed the marriage upon us, I must report to Her Majesty what gifts we have given in return."
The Emperor had spoken to Mu Chuan privately beforehand, fearing he might not understand, and asked the Empress's sister-in-law to see what the Rongguo Mansion had prepared.
Besides, they said this specifically in front of the Rongguo Mansion, which is clearly a warning. So let's make the warning more thorough.
Mu Chuan then asked Jia Lian, "Do you have any paper and pen?"
Jia Lian then ordered the servants to bring paper and pen, but he felt wronged because they wanted to take inventory of the items on the spot.
Why didn't she take inventory of the Marquis of Zhongyong?
Despite his grievances, Jia Lian dared not show it on his face. He not only had to keep her company, but also had to smile and say, "It was our oversight. Next time, I will ask them to prepare a gift list for the two of you so that Your Highness can review it."
The servants began to check the items against the gift list. The newly copied gift list was very detailed, with not only a simple sketch but also the materials, sizes, and even an estimated price, which was to be taken back to the Empress.
As Mu Chuan looked around, he had also trained in the chieftain's warehouse and had seen many good things, so he could probably figure out some clues.
Except for one new jewelry box, everything else was old.
"Both ladies are from the capital. The banquet I have prepared is Shandong cuisine, made by Zhishanlou. I wonder if there is anything else you ladies would like? I will have someone prepare it."
"Nothing else," Madam Wan said with a smile. "The dishes at Zhishanlou are quite good, but I've heard that Pingnan Town is good at roasting meat, so I'd like to try it."
Mu Chuan nodded in agreement: "This is always on hand."
After thinking for a moment, Song said, "I heard Qingfu and Qinglian say that they have butter tea over there. They crave it but find it too greasy. I'd like to try it."
Mu Chuan agreed and then advised, "I'll ask them to prepare some for you. Take it back and drink it. If you try this first, you might not be able to eat anything else."
The others remained calm, which only made Jia Lian feel more awkward.
As they were talking, Mu Chuan saw a maid coming out of the second gate. She looked familiar; it was Xueyan.
Xueyan walked over quickly, bowed to the group, and said, "Sir, our young lady said there's something she forgot to say, and she would like to ask you to come over."
The two matchmakers laughed again, but Mu Chuan didn't care about that. He nodded calmly and said, "I'll be right back."
"No rush," Madam Wan said with a smile. "You just go and say what you want to say; they still need to tidy up for a while."
Mu Chuan hadn't walked back for long when he reached the second gate, where he saw Lin Daiyu waiting for him.
He laughed and said, "Now that we're engaged, you're actually feeling sorry for me and haven't let me go too far."
Lin Daiyu glanced at her third brother's long legs and thought that if he really ran away, she wouldn't be able to catch up. But she couldn't care less about that at the moment. Lin Daiyu asked, "Why is your age two years younger than listed on your birth chart?"
Although he could have used the traditional Chinese age reckoning to deflect the question, Mu Chuan still told the truth: "I'm tall, and I was conscripted into the army when I was fourteen. It's just that it's not easy to publicize, as it involves many people."
Lin Daiyu understood what was going on with just one sentence. She felt both heartache and sadness, and with red eyes, she called out, "Third Brother."
"Well, it's nothing really. I was already much stronger than Jia Lian when I was fourteen."
The suspicious pause made Lin Daiyu laugh: "You're talking about Jia Baoyu all the time." Now she could speak to her third brother by his name without any restraint.
Mu Chuan was about to say something, but Lin Daiyu was displeased. After all, just thinking about what the two matchmakers had said about her, and what they would tell the Empress later, she wondered what awaited her when she returned to the palace—
"You should go now, I need to go back for dinner."
Mu Chuan sighed, "Before we got married, you looked forward to my visits every day. Now that we're engaged, why are you starting to dislike me?"
His tone was quite mournful, which amused Lin Daiyu: "How could I dislike you? I look forward to seeing you every day now."
Mu Chuan left satisfied.
Lin Daiyu watched his retreating figure, chuckled twice, and then turned back.
Mu Chuan returned to the front yard, where everything had been packed up. The next step was to hold a banquet to thank the matchmaker and to give her a thank-you gift.
After seeing these people off, Jia Lian went to Grandmother Jia's room to report back.
"Reporting to the old lady, everything went very smoothly, and all the people have been sent away."
Jia Lian knew that this wasn't what Grandmother Jia wanted to know, but he couldn't help it; he harbored resentment.
He brought nearly two million taels of silver from Suzhou, and the rest, including some items that were difficult to sell, were stored in the old house, where he would slowly look for an opportunity to sell them.
And what was the result?
In just a few years, it's all gone.
He lost tens of thousands of taels of silver at the time, and when he returned, the old lady said, "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. You should keep some for yourself. I won't ask you for it this time, but you should remember that you will inherit the title, and all these things will be yours in the future."
As a result, all the money was embezzled by the second wife. The seemingly shrewd but actually foolish second wife in his house even used up all her dowry.
Then there's that phoenix egg in the house, which everyone adores, but it's useless and takes up the most space.
The Grand View Garden was his; the old lady had reserved a room for him in the courtyard, and he also had an outer study and an inner study, all of which were larger than his own space.
Why should he? Jia Baoyu doesn't call him "father" anyway. Since the old lady is so biased, then let's just ignore his outward compliance and inward disobedience.
Jia Lian chuckled several times, repeatedly saying "Everything is fine," but Grandmother Jia frowned and said sternly, "What did I call you here for!"
Jia Lian feigned shock, then seemed to suddenly realize something, and said sadly, "I didn't want to tell the old lady. I thought we could handle it, so I wouldn't let her worry. But if I don't tell her, she might misunderstand me."
"They've gone too far! They wouldn't even let me in, treating me like a servant the whole time. They opened all the return gifts right in front of me, then had to count and catalog them, and even give an estimate. What do they mean by this? How can a marriage be arranged like this? Everyone knows Miss Lin has a huge inheritance, and the Marquis of Zhongyong is only here for the money!"
Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia was initially relieved, but then began to worry again.
I'm relieved that the Earl of Zhongyong did indeed cause trouble, but I'm worried about the dowry of 250,000 taels of silver. I wonder if it will be enough.
However, in front of the younger generation, Grandmother Jia still had to maintain her inscrutable image. She said lightly, "I know. Don't take it too seriously. The Earl of Zhongyong is a countryman. They don't know what marriage is all about. They're all thinking about how to get ahead of the bride's family. Just you wait and see. They'll definitely be vying to prepare quilts and asking us to prepare mattresses."
Are you trying to fool me?
Jia Lian quickly lowered his head, trying not to let Grandmother Jia see the expression on his face: "Grandmother, then I'll go back first?"
Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Go back now. I specially instructed the kitchen to steam a bowl of lamb for you. You and Sister Feng have worked the hardest, so you should both have some to nourish yourselves."
Hmph, the hardest-working ones get to eat lambs, while the most useless get to use gold, silver, and jade.
Jia Lian went back and kicked the table. Wang Xifeng glanced at him and said, "What's wrong with you, Second Master? Why are you struggling with the table leg? Are you trying to out-harden it or something?"
Jia Lian sat angrily in the chair and told her everything. Wang Xifeng laughed twice: "Second Master usually advises me to be more open-minded, why can't you be open-minded today?"
"Why are you acting so strangely today?" Jia Lian asked, frowning. "Is something good happening?"
Wang Xifeng hesitated for a moment, then remembered that her family wasn't doing well and that the old lady was clearly trying to control her. She and the second wife were only nominally aunt and niece, so she told the truth.
“I told Ping’er to spread the word that many people have come to my place these past two days, wanting to be part of Lin Daiyu’s dowry.”
She suddenly sighed, "I only found out today how much money the servants in our household have embezzled. Before, when they came to me for errands, they would only give me thirty or fifty taels at most, but for dowries, the most they gave was three hundred taels."
Jia Lian looked incredulous, followed by unprecedented anger; to put it bluntly, this was all his money.
"Three hundred taels? Whose family? If they can produce that much, they must have even more saved up."
Wang Xifeng gave a look, and Ping'er brought the bill to Jia Lian to look at.
"Two thousand seven hundred and fifty taels?" Jia Lian couldn't believe his eyes. "Granny Zhang? Which Granny Zhang?"
Wang Xifeng nodded: "It's her family, Zhang Mama, who is known as one of the four great wet nurses of your Jia family and who nursed the master."
"She wants to accompany Lin Daiyu as part of her dowry?" Jia Lian felt like he was blind. "Don't tell me you're lying to me."
"Bring the silver notes to your second master to see," Wang Xifeng instructed Ping'er, then mocked Jia Lian, "What's so hard to understand? The wet nurse is the one who sees the wind most clearly. How many years has your Jia family not used a wet nurse? There's no use keeping her here."
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