Zhou Ziyang said anxiously, "Then I'll have a matchmaker come to our house tomorrow to finalize our marriage."
Jin Hua's face flushed red with embarrassment: "My aunt said that even if I were a concubine, I still have to observe proper etiquette. How can you just say 'tomorrow'? What kind of auspicious day is tomorrow? Is it appropriate?"
"Ha, I'm just in a hurry! I can't wait to marry you right now. Let's go find someone to calculate an auspicious date."
With that, he grabbed Jinhua and ran out the door.
Jin Hua felt a surge of sweetness in her heart.
The two went to Liu Banxian's shop in town and chose a date, which was five days later.
Next, Zhou Ziyang took her boating on the lake and flying kites.
They played until evening before finally putting her in the carriage.
"Ziyang..." Jinhua lifted the curtain, "Will Aunt Xie... still agree to this?"
"Yes, I will tell her when I get home, and I'll give you a letter tomorrow. Just stay home and wait patiently for the day you become my bride."
Jin Hua felt a sweet warmth in her heart and nodded with a smile.
When she got home, Mrs. Du rolled her eyes at the fact that she still knew to come back, but then breathed a sigh of relief.
The next morning, Jin Hua received a letter from Zhou Ziyang saying that his mother had agreed.
Jin Hua let out a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of peace in her heart.
At this moment, Madam Du pushed open the door and came in carrying a small box. She placed it on Madam Du's bedside table and said, "Here, this is your dowry."
Jin Hua was taken aback. She opened the box and found a pair of jade bracelets, a gold hairpin and a silver hairpin, and twenty taels of silver inside.
"You know the family's situation now, with building a house. This is all we can prepare. When he comes to propose in a few days, you can take all eighty-eight taels with you as part of your dowry."
Jin Hua's eyes instantly reddened, overwhelmed by guilt: "Mother... I'm sorry..."
"Alright, that's enough. You chose this path yourself... I only hope that it will be a good ending for you, just as you wish." With that, Madam Du's voice choked with emotion as she turned and left the room.
After a while, Ye Caiping came over: "Oh, why are you crying?"
"No, Auntie, you've come at the perfect time. Please have a seat." Jin Hua quickly pulled Ye Caiping over and closed the door again.
Ye Caiping sat down in the chair, and Jinhua blushed as she said, "He... has set the date for the marriage proposal, it's in four days. Auntie will talk to Grandpa, Grandma, and Mom and Dad later."
Ye Caiping nodded: "Hmm. Oh, what's this box...?"
“My mother just came by and gave me some dowry.”
"See? Your parents still love you."
Jin Hua nodded: "It was my fault for being ignorant..."
"Alright. Now that you've made up your mind, don't be sad anymore. Think about something happy!" Ye Caiping picked up a teacup and said casually, "Where were you yesterday? You came back so late."
"We didn't go anywhere, just went boating on the lake and flying kites. Really!" She was afraid Ye Caiping would misunderstand that Zhou Ziyang was a frivolous person.
Ye Caiping chuckled: "What's there to be nervous about? Now that you've settled things, it's not a big deal if anything happens."
Jin Hua was surprised that Ye Caiping was so open-minded, and felt a little embarrassed.
Ye Caiping said, "After the marriage proposal, your wedding date shouldn't be too late. After all, taking a concubine is different from marrying a wife, so there aren't too many formalities. It could be as early as one or two weeks, or as late as three months."
Hearing the words "taking a concubine is different from taking a wife" stung Jin Hua's heart.
Although she had accepted the fact that she was a concubine, hearing such words still made her feel sad.
"While you're still learning the ropes, you and he should go out and have some fun."
Jin Hua was puzzled: "Why?"
"Because once you've entered the household, you'll be a concubine who can't be seen in public. Once his principal wife enters the household, it will be even more difficult for you to leave."
Jin Hua's breathing became heavier; his legal wife...
These past two days, all she could think about was that she was a concubine, a lowly person.
At this moment, she suddenly realized that another woman would be entering the room!
Ye Caiping continued, "I'll teach you some manners now. Otherwise, you might offend your mistress in the future and be punished and suffer because of her."
Jin Hua: "..."
“You love Zhou Ziyang very much now, right? But you have to keep this love to yourself and keep it in your heart. You can’t show it in front of others.”
"On the day he marries, he will go through the wedding ceremony with his wife, and you cannot appear in front of the guests. The next day, you must kneel before them and serve them tea."
Jin Hua's heart was clenching.
Wedding ceremony and bridal chamber...
They sat there, and she knelt before them...
Ye Caiping said, "Jinhua, why aren't you saying anything? Did I not explain clearly? Fine, I'll explain it more clearly. That woman will sleep with your man and beat your children in the future."
"No matter the occasion, she's always by Zhou Ziyang's side, while you're stuck in your room. If you go out in public, people will say you have no manners!"
"You're just a concubine, you're not worthy to stand beside him! Only his legal wife is fit to stand beside him. Do you understand?"
Jin Hua was on the verge of collapse at the thought of Zhou Ziyang being seen with another woman: "Stop talking!"
As she spoke, she suddenly stood up, her face ashen, and looked at Ye Caiping:
"Why are you telling me all this, Aunt? Are you trying to scare me? Actually... you want to break me and Ziyang up?"
Ye Caiping chuckled: "Why would I break you two up?"
"Of course...you don't want me to be someone's concubine?"
"Are you really willing to be someone's mistress? Are you really willing to hide in the shadows and watch him be seen with other women?"
Jin Hua had been forced into becoming Zhou Ziyang's concubine, and she roared, "What if I don't want to? I can't live without him..."
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