The Prince of Zhenbei's mansion was so busy that the maids and young ladies couldn't stop working.
Xiangxiang said that she could only give the Empress Dowager seven more days to live, and that the marriage between Cen Mama and Steward Zhao had to be expedited.
Because the Prince of Zhenbei said that he would not only hold it, but hold it in a grand manner.
Long'er actually understands Cen Ang very well. Their social status is not important. Uncle Zhao and Cen's mother will definitely stay together for a lifetime.
only……
Cen Ang was obsessed with the Crown Princess. She was determined to make sure everyone in the capital saw that the gentle, kind woman who was like a little sun sing her praises at her wedding.
She wants to tell the world that our Crown Princess is the best of the best.
"Uncle Zhao, can Uncle Zhao come up with eighty loads of dowry?"
This time, Cen Ang couldn't arrange his own wedding, so the task fell to He Yi and Madam Hou.
Oh, and Grandpa Wang too.
Long'er lay on the table in front of her mother, worried about Zhao Kai.
He Yi paused for a moment, then realized, "Oh dear, I forgot about that."
They've been together for so many years, Zhao Kai... should be rich, right?
"It's alright, Mom. If you don't have any, I'll get some for Uncle Zhao."
Long'er was quite self-aware; she took out a stack of silver notes from her private stash box and waved them around, showing off to He Yi.
The woman squinted at her daughter, reached out a finger, poked her forehead, and said:
"Can your Uncle Zhao accept it? Can't you at least give him some face?"
The girl pouted and lowered her head, saying:
"That Uncle Zhao is just an accountant. He only gets twenty taels of silver a month because my mother sees that the two of them are having an affair. Eighty loads of betrothal gifts, how many years would it take him to save up that much?"
"Your Uncle Zhao is truly blessed to have you!" He Yi said with a mixture of disappointment and exasperation.
Long'er was still nodding when the girl continued, echoing her mother's words:
"Really, Mom? I think so too?"
The woman nodded. "Yes, you're right."
You are my own child, and it's too late to put you back.
"Stop causing trouble here, go play with Xiangxiang and Dani'er."
He Yi directly told her to stop loitering around, as she was of no help whatsoever and would only annoy her.
"Second Sister was beaten so badly she couldn't get out of bed. She was also beaten by both of her mothers. It was hilarious. Little Sister couldn't get up either. I think Master Xu is very obedient. When Aunt Hou told him to grab Hou Xiangxiang, he grabbed her. He grabbed Little Sister by the collar like he was holding a chick."
"He wouldn't even look away, he was beating his own daughter."
Huo Xiaolong put his legs on the table and started talking about how his girlfriends got beaten up. "Look, this time I was the only one who didn't get beaten up. I'm so awesome."
"Your Highness, if you don't leave soon, your mother will let you experience the feather duster," He Yi said with a harmless smile.
The girl sprang to her feet in one swift motion, opened the door, and left the room.
Great, I've escaped another disaster.
Long'er went directly to Cen Ang's courtyard to find her Uncle Zhao and ask if he had any money. If he didn't, she would give him some; he was practically her godfather, so what was there to be embarrassed about?
Zhao Kai's room was very warm, with several stoves lit. Long'er entered the room, sat down in a chair with a carefree attitude, and asked:
"Uncle Zhao, are you rich enough to marry my mother?"
"..."
Zhao Tanhua, who was painting, paused for a moment, and an ink dot appeared on the plum blossom branch. Zhao Kai, who was over forty years old, did not grow a beard, which made him look younger.
It seems that Zhao Kai hasn't changed much over the years. He still exudes a scholarly air, and standing there, he looks like a learned man whose inner beauty shines through his knowledge.
"Yes, don't worry, Long'er."
"Uncle Zhao, where did you get the money? Did you save it up all these years as the manager of the brothel?" the girl asked curiously.
"..."
"Your godfather is none other than Dajia! Zhao Kai! Zhao Dajia!"
The man, who had just regained his composure, couldn't hold back any longer and placed the pen on the pen holder, speaking earnestly.
What's wrong with everyone?
Zhao Kai stepped out from behind his desk, took down a painting from the wall behind him, pointed to it, and said:
"Long'er, do you know how much this painting costs?"
The painting depicts a snow fishing scene. The paper and ink used are of high quality. The young woman boldly gave a price estimate, then cautiously said:
"One hundred taels!"
"...?"
Zhao Dajia laughed in anger. She shouldn't have been soft-hearted back then.
She shouldn't have stopped giving her appreciation lessons just because Huo Xiaolong didn't like it.
The girl was still roasting persimmons on the stove. Huo Xiaolong looked confident and thought that Uncle Zhao would definitely have to be modest.
“Long’er, your godfather is a master. Do you know what a master means? Although he is not comparable to Confucius and Mencius, there are very few people in this Great Yan whose reputation can rival mine, no more than three.”
"The five hundred taels?"
"Well, everyone's status varies a bit," Huo Xiaolong asked tentatively.
"Fifty thousand taels!"
Hearing this, Huo Xiaolong felt that the persimmon in his hand was no longer sweet.
She works hard for months to earn 50,000 taels of silver, while Uncle Zhao earns 50,000 taels for a single painting. Why bother? She can just stay home and watch Uncle Zhao paint.
She drew three paintings, and she had her military pay.
Feeling great.
"Long'er, after your mother and I get married, come find me every evening after dinner," Zhao Kai said to Long'er as he hung the painting on the wall.
"What do you want, Uncle Zhao?"
"Come to me for a class; I'll make up for the art appreciation class you took back then."
"No, Uncle Zhao, I'm about to become emperor. Whoever I say is good-looking, that's good-looking! Do I need to learn anything?"
Upon hearing that there was a class, Huo Xiaolong started chattering away, almost talking herself to death for the Emperor, as if she could wear a dragon robe to court the next day.
Zhao Kai smiled and used a single sentence to control the Prince of Zhenbei.
"Will our Long'er compliment Xiangxiang's clothes then?"
The girl immediately stopped giggling.
No, I can't praise it at all.
"Give the money to your mother. Use this money to handle the betrothal gifts. If it's not enough, just tell me. I can also make a painting today."
A stack of silver notes. Huo Xiaolong rubbed her nose. If she had known Uncle Zhao was rich, she would have told her mother to confiscate Uncle Zhao's secret stash.
Should I have him teach me?
Go draw!
Even while recuperating at home, Hou Xiangxiang couldn't stay idle, so her mother dragged her to embroider her wedding dress.
The little girl was lying on the bed, her bottom still a little red and swollen. This time she really angered her mother, and the beating she received really hurt.
"Mother, I've already been beaten, do I have to be punished again?"
Hou Xiangxiang looked at Madam Hou pitifully. She now felt that embroidery was a form of punishment, and she didn't know how she had endured it when she was a child.
“Your Aunt Cen is getting married in two days. Where in the whole capital can you buy a wedding dress that is more beautiful than the embroidery of our Hou family? Embroider it. Look at those embroiderers, they are all working late into the night. You just need to embroider the veil.”
Lady Hou's embroidery needle danced up and down in her hands; thanks to muscle memory developed from childhood, she could embroider even with her eyes closed.
Hou Xiangxiang didn't answer her mother. She thought for a long time about how to embroider mandarin ducks.
I forgot...
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