"It might be a bit tacky, but gold, well, sometimes it’s far more effective than those fancy jewels."
Lu Tong looked at the large golden lantern. The craftsmanship was not particularly exquisite; to others, it might even be called "ugly," but it was solidly made, clearly focusing on substantial weight.
She stifled a laugh, closed the box, and asked Yin Zheng to put it away carefully, before sincerely saying, "Thank you."
"You’re welcome," Lin Danqing leaned closer to Lu Tong and said, "However, Pei Yunmeng gave so many engagement gifts, I heard that the proprietor of your medical hall also added to your dowry. What exactly did he give?"
"The dowry..."
As she spoke, Lu Tong’s expression flickered, and she suddenly laughed.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to Renxin Medical Hall under the Li Zishu tree, curious neighbors crowded the door, and Taylor Ge, while cracking melon seeds, asked, "Shopkeeper Du, now that Doctor Lu is getting married, what kind of gifts did you as the boss give her? You didn’t just give a basket of wedding sweets, did you?"
"Go away," Du Changqing angrily retorted, "Do I look like someone petty to you? Even if the Li Zishu tree outside our medical hall were to marry, it would have to be adorned with a couple of golden lanterns!"
"Oh?" Widow Sun asked curiously, "So how many golden lanterns did you hang for Doctor Lu?"
"Shallow," Du Changqing sniffed, "Giving someone a fish isn’t as good as teaching them to fish. What I gave is naturally the best."
As he spoke, his expression was particularly proud.
Lu Tong, having been destitute, served as a medical officer at the medical hall for a year. Aside from the two hundred taels of silver Du Changqing gave her after the spring examination, she hadn’t earned anything and had worked for nothing for a year, which frustrated Du Changqing to the point where he wanted to crack open Lu Tong’s skull to see what she had been doing.
Lu Tong was alone and still penniless, yet Pei Yunmeng’s family was influential, with a significant business in the Imperial City, where he worked. Shopkeeper Du thought left and right and didn’t want to swallow his pride, but if he were to put together a traditional dowry, even if he pooled all the month allowances of everyone from Renxin Medical Hall, it would still fall short compared to the other side. After much deliberation, he came up with a crafty plan.
Shopkeeper Du decided to let Lu Tong become the co-proprietor of the medical hall by virtue of the pharmacy.
On ordinary days, Lu Tong wouldn’t need to contribute any money, just deliver the medical prescriptions on time, diligently attend the clinic, and in the future, she would receive half of every profit Renxin Medical Hall made.
Of course, he wouldn’t admit that he hoped Lu Tong’s prescriptions would help the medical hall flourish.
Shopkeeper Du felt that he was a genius for thinking of such a great strategy.
"This way, Doctor Lu will transform from a resident doctor to the co-proprietor of the medical hall, which sounds much more impressive. Also, giving more silver as a dowry, what if it gets embezzled by some damnable thief? Better to do as I suggest and share the profits monthly. If one day there is a divorce and she’s thrown out impoverished, she’ll still have a place to rely on, instead of begging on the streets. If Pei Yunmeng ever thinks of quarreling with Doctor Lu, he’ll have to think twice since she has the support of her maternal family."
Ah Cheng was speechless, "Boss, Doctor Lu isn’t even married yet, and you’re already cursing her to divorce. Isn’t that bad?"
"What’s wrong with saying that?" Du Changqing didn’t see the issue and lectured with gravity, "A parent’s love involves planning for the long term. You don’t understand."
While they were talking, a red-clothed servant boy arrived to hurry along the makeup application.
A bride must be repeatedly prompted to finish her makeup before departing. The boy said, "Please hurry, Shopkeeper Du, the groom is already on his way."
As a result, Du Changqing frowned and urged the people in the back courtyard several times more.
On the third prompt, there started to be some activity in the courtyard.
"Here they come—" Yin Zheng’s laughter floated from inside.
The neighbors surrounding the medical hall craned their necks to look inside, and they saw Lin Danqing and Yin Zheng helping Lu Tong walk out slowly.
The bride hadn’t yet put on the golden bridal veil. She was dressed in a fiery red embroidered skirt with a golden phoenix pattern, wearing a red frost peizi and a double fish golden peizi pendant, as lovely as a hibiscus in the far mountains, her eyes painted with grace. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
She was naturally beautiful, but with a temperament that seemed slightly aloof. The woman who usually wore plain clothes now dressed in bridal attire was exceptionally striking, like a plain flower unexpectedly blossoming into dazzling beauty—it was unbelievably radiant.
There was a moment of silence at the entrance to the medical hall.
Soon after, children’s joyful laughter could be heard: "Here comes the bride! Here comes the bride!"
Shopkeeper Du hurriedly "shushed" them twice to quiet them down, and Ah Cheng brought over a small bowl of sesame rice balls to Miao Liangfang.
Miao Liangfang sat at the entrance to the side room on a chair, his cane beside him, holding a porcelain bowl and smiling at Lu Tong, "Xiao Lu, eat this bowl of rice balls for a life that’s whole and complete."
On hearing this, Lu Tong’s heart stirred for a moment.
Before a bride departs for her wedding, her mother should feed her a bowl of rice balls herself. Back in Changwu County, she remembered watching the daughters of neighboring families getting married just like that.
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