Chapter 127 Wicked Stepmother and Poor Child 20
After listening to their mother's words, Gu Mingzhang and Gu Mingzhu nodded obediently.
Although they had never seen a real example of the term "concubine" in their own homes, they had heard of it in the homes of their playmates.
They vaguely knew that their aunt was there to give their father more younger brothers and sisters, but in their little hearts, their mother was still the closest and most irreplaceable person.
Father may have many sons and daughters, and many people may have children for Father, but Mother only has them.
Just then, a system notification sounded in Shen Ci's mind.
"Ding-dong!"
Trigger a random task: Spend money like water.
Task requirement: Spend two thousand taels of silver within three days.
Task Reward: Ten times the amount spent, and half ownership of Tianxiang Restaurant!
Upon hearing the reward, Shen Ci's eyes lit up! Half ownership of Tianxiang Tower!
That's the most prestigious restaurant in the capital! I won't feel bad about spending money there next time; in fact, I'll wish it were as expensive as possible.
That's all for making money for herself. With this gold mine, she and her children can rest easy about their future. Besides, this business can be left to her children as an inheritance.
As long as the two children don't grow up to be particularly ugly, they can live a life free from worries about food and drink just by relying on this restaurant.
As for how to spend the two thousand taels, Shen Ci's eyes lit up and he immediately had an idea. The system had no restrictions; the money had to be spent on whomever he wanted, as long as it was spent.
She immediately sent people to carry out the task, claiming that she would take a concubine with the highest standards in the entire capital. However, these highest standards only applied to the scale of the wedding procession. As for the betrothal gifts, she would not pay a single cent and planned to ask Gu Hongjian for them directly.
Gu Hongjian got angry as soon as he heard that.
"Shen Ci! As the mistress of the house, why won't you even pay the dowry for taking a concubine? Isn't that too stingy!"
That's just how she is. She has so much money, but she's incredibly stingy when it comes to money. She's always calculating every penny. Once I become a high-ranking official, do you think I'll ever be short of money from her?
Shen Ci spread his hands, looking both righteous and confident.
"This concubine is for you, not for me!"
"Do you expect me to take your place and consummate the marriage with her? It's only fair that whoever enjoys it pays for it!"
She had changed. Since she woke up, she had become increasingly bold and blunt in her speech, and increasingly vulgar and uncouth, completely lacking in manners. Gu Hongjian was speechless and blushed, but he dared not make a big fuss about it. What if Shen Ci suddenly became unhappy and changed his mind and refused to let Zhou Jingxuan into the house?
He could only grit his teeth and put together a decent dowry out of his own pocket. It wasn't generous, but there wasn't anything seriously wrong with it.
It can only be said that it complies with the rules for taking a concubine, but it is impossible to see how much he values this concubine.
Meanwhile, Shen Ci spent a whopping two thousand taels of silver to hire what could be described as the most extravagant wedding procession in the history of the capital.
For ordinary families, taking a concubine usually involves using a small sedan chair made of blue silk. However, this sedan chair, carried by eight people, is exceptionally beautiful.
Two full groups of musicians were hired, all dressed in matching brocade robes, and they played only festive tunes as they went.
At the very front of the procession, someone was holding up a sign that read "Silence and Avoidance," making it as grand as an official's procession.
In addition, 20 nimble boys were hired to carry baskets full of copper coins, candy, and dried fruit. They scattered the coins along the way to everyone they met, regardless of their wealth or poverty. This caused half the city's population to chase after the wedding procession and scramble for the treats, creating a lively and bustling scene.
For safety, they even hired 16 burly men from the most famous security escort agency in the capital. Dressed in brand-new, tight-fitting clothes, they rode on horseback and followed on both sides of the procession, making them look even more impressive.
A lot of money was spent, it was a grand affair, very impressive, but not a single penny went to Zhou Jingxuan and Gu Hongjian.
Almost all of the two thousand taels of silver was spent on this ostentatious display of wealth.
Such a grand display, coupled with the meager betrothal gifts arranged by Gu Hongjian, makes the two seem too disparate and incongruous. With such a grand display, the betrothal gifts should have numbered in the dozens, so why were there only a few small boxes?
"Ding-dong!"
The mission was accomplished with lavish spending.
Reward: 20,000 taels of silver have been deposited into the system space, and the deed to half of the ownership of Tianxiang Tower has been issued.
Hearing the system notification, Shen Ci smiled with satisfaction; this was a worthwhile investment.
Three days later, the Gu family's eccentric wedding procession arrived at the Zhou residence in a grand procession.
The scene was incredibly lively. According to the locals who watched the spectacle, there was music and dancing, and coins and candies were scattered everywhere. The crowd was larger than the number of people watching a beheading at the market!
However, everyone was puzzled as to what was going on with the few rather meager betrothal gifts in the middle of the procession? They seemed completely mismatched with the grandeur of the event!
It was supposed to be a joyous occasion for the marriage, but the Zhou family mansion was closed, and not even a red lantern was hung, so there was no festive atmosphere at all.
Lord Zhou and his wife felt utterly humiliated and were unwilling to show their faces. They only sent out a few respectable maids and stewards, who led the wedding procession through the side gate with expressionless faces.
Zhou Jingxuan, dressed in a pink wedding gown and covered with a pink veil, was sent on a luxurious palanquin that was almost blindingly bright. The palanquin did not cover her properly, and everyone could tell that Zhou Jingxuan was going to be a concubine.
It looked very grand, but everything was done strictly according to the rules for taking a concubine.
The bride cannot wear bright red; she can only wear pink or light purple. She cannot enter through the main gate; she can only enter through the side gate or corner gate.
Without the traditional wedding ceremony, concubines were not entitled to bow to heaven and earth or pay respects to their parents upon entering the household; they were simply sent directly into the courtyard.
Along the way, Zhou Jingxuan sat in the palanquin. At first, she was overjoyed, thinking that this was a grand gesture from Gu Lang to show his respect for her, and she was even smug about it.
But the more she looked, the more something seemed wrong, especially when she heard people around her discussing the meager dowry. Her fingernails dug deeply into her palms, and she felt utterly humiliated.
She had thought she would finally be able to enter the main house and become a grand and glorious wife, but unexpectedly, she was carried in through a side gate—completely different from what she had imagined! Everything had changed!
The procession returned to the Gu residence in a lively atmosphere. The next steps made Zhou Jingxuan feel ashamed and indignant. She still had to serve tea to the mistress, Shen Ci, before her identity would be recognized. She thought that Shen Ci would definitely take the opportunity to make things difficult for her.
In the hall, Shen Ci sat in the main seat, while Gu Hongjian sat to the side, his face contorted with emotion. Seeing this, Zhou Jingxuan felt even more distressed. Was sitting together a sign that they were husband and wife?
She was merely a lowly concubine.
Zhou Jingxuan bit her lip and, at the nanny's prompting, stiffly knelt down, raising the teacup with both hands in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible; even a mosquito's buzz was louder.
"Madam, please have some tea."
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