There is no need to carry the box into the yard, just open it at the door.
This custom has always existed, passed down from our ancestors, and it has a certain sense of showing off, just to show off to the neighbors. If the gift is stingy, you may be ridiculed by the villagers, and when the news spreads, people will say all kinds of bad things.
The Zhao family was generous, and Yun Qiao felt proud to talk about it. After all, this was a fate that he had facilitated. Unlike some families who were stingy and ended up angry after sending the marriage certificate. The smiles on the faces of the girl's parents suddenly fell when they saw that little thing, and they started to blame the matchmaker instead.
Yun Qiao opened the box, her voice even louder than when she knocked on the door, fearing that some people far away might not hear or see. "First, I wish Uncle and Aunt a happy marriage. The Zhao family asked me to deliver the marriage certificate and betrothal gifts. Have a piece of dessert first to moisten your mouth. It's as sweet as honey. If there's anything that doesn't suit your taste, feel free to ask."
The box itself is unexpected enough. It is also a custom to "give sweets" first when entering the door, which means that the couple's life will be as sweet as honey in the future. The usual sweets are just a few pieces of common sugar cakes. It is rare to use Fuxiangyuan's cakes as sweets.
Among the people gathered there were women with children. They had never seen such exquisite snacks before and their mouths were watering with greed.
Zhang Lanzhen and Yang Chaoren each picked up a piece of cake and put it in their mouths, saying happily, "Sweet."
"As long as it's sweet." Even though she knew what kind of answer she would get, she still felt relieved after hearing it in person. Yun Qiao's smile widened as she took the embroidered satin out of the box. "Your brother is of the highest quality in every way. The Zhao family is eager to marry him back. They said they couldn't treat their future daughter-in-law badly, so they cut a piece of embroidered satin for her to make into a new wedding dress. When the time comes, I'll have An Jin embroider a few stitches on it so the Zhao family can see her handiwork."
One piece of material is used to make two wedding dresses, one for her future husband and one for herself.
The boys and girls in the village can do a little embroidery, but they don't rely on it to make a living as they farm in the village. Most of them can sew clothes and make shoes, and they can also embroider flowers, which is pretty good.
When a girl from the village gets married, the embroidery on her wedding dress is not as exquisite as that of the girls from wealthy families, and it cannot have presumptuous patterns such as dragons and phoenixes. Mandarin ducks appear most frequently on wedding dresses. Which unmarried girl or boy doesn't want to embroider a few stitches on her wedding dress by hand? It's just that they don't have the conditions to do so.
The cloth shops in town sell ready-made clothes, but either the fabric is cheap or the heavy embroidery is too expensive. Some men try to save trouble by waiting until two days before the wedding to buy two pieces of similar price and just wear them as a makeshift.
Some girls' families look down on cheap things and cannot afford expensive ones, so they will take the materials home and make them themselves. They can embroider whatever they want according to their skills.
Zhu Cuilan was an experienced person and she understood the thoughts of the young man who was about to get married. She also knew that Yang Anjin had decent embroidery skills, so she specially found some expensive materials. By the time the wedding dress was ready, the wedding date would have arrived.
The embroidered satin is not cheap. A woman who loves embroidery couldn't help herself and reached out to touch it. She turned around and said to the person next to her: "Good material is good material. It feels different when touched."
Some people were jealous and wanted to touch it, but Zhang Lanzhen was afraid that the material would be stained by the touch, so she quickly reached out to take it. It wasn't that she was stingy, but this was a big deal related to her child's marriage. The wedding dress hadn't been made yet, and if it left a mark that couldn't be washed off, it would be a bad omen.
The five taels of deposit were placed at the bottom of the box, wrapped in red cloth. Yun Qiao continued, "Aunt, you know the rules. The betrothal money should be brought along when the engagement letter is issued. The Zhao family paid the five taels deposit first. The remaining fifteen taels, uncle and aunt, don't worry. Wait for it to come along with the betrothal gifts."
Yang Chaoren and Zhang Lanzhen were stunned for a moment after hearing this, and were unable to react.
Even if they had never been to school, everyone knew how to calculate five taels plus fifteen taels, which equaled twenty taels. Some of those who were quick to react gasped, while others who hadn't heard clearly or couldn't believe it pulled the people next to them to ask, "How much? How much did he say just now?"
Yun Qiao knew this would be the reaction. He was shocked when he heard Zhu Cuilan mention the betrothal gift of twenty taels. He wouldn't be surprised if An Jin was a girl, but she turned out to be a boy.
Yang Chaoren and his wife looked at each other with some disbelief in their eyes. However, Zhang Lanzhen was the first to react and accepted the deposit.
She originally thought that no matter how generous the Zhao family was, ten taels would be enough. Many boys could be married home for five or six taels. Now that it was twenty taels, Zhang Lanzhen was shocked but more delighted.
Any amount of money is a token of thoughtfulness, and the more money, the greater the thoughtfulness. It is obvious that the Zhao family has given enough face to Yang Chaoren's family. Although Zhang Lanzhen does not like to show off, she feels a little proud at this moment.
Her brother was the most famous girl in the surrounding villages, and even some girls did not receive such a large betrothal gift. The eyes of those around her were filled with envy and jealousy. Zhang Lanzhen did not show it on her face, but she could not suppress the anger at the corners of her mouth.
"Your uncle and aunt are so thoughtful. Come in and have a cup of wedding tea." Zhang Lanzhen smiled at Zhao Luochuan and turned sideways to welcome him in.
Zhao Luochuan has a good impression of Yang Chaoren's family, not only because they are in-laws, but more importantly, he heard from Yang Donghu that Yang Anjin's family often helped Yang Donghu when he was a child. Although they were all small things, Zhao Luochuan will never forget this kindness.
"Thank you, aunt. The date is well chosen and it is written in the marriage certificate. If uncle and aunt feel it is not suitable, the two families can discuss and change it. If you have any other requirements, feel free to ask." Zhao Luochuan replied with a smile.
Following Zhang Lanzhen's courtesy, several people entered the yard. Zhang Lanzhen took out the crispy candies she had prepared in advance and distributed them to the crowd standing at the door. She smiled and said that everyone should share in the joy. Then she retreated to the yard and closed the door to block out the inquiring eyes from outside.
"Sit down, everyone, sit down. An Jin, go get the tea leaves your brother brought back for me and make some to entertain the guests."
Yang Chaoren asked Yang Anjin to take out the best tea in the box. This was brought back to him by Yang Anchen from the town. He usually didn't want to drink it.
"Hey." Yang Anjin responded obediently and went to the kitchen to make tea quickly.
When Yang Anjin came out, he had a teapot and a bowl in his hand. He remembered that Yun Qiao couldn't drink tea, so he made her another bowl of brown sugar water: "You can't drink tea, drink this, freshly brewed."
Yun Qiao looked at Yang Anjin with a smile, and was satisfied no matter how she looked at him: "That's thoughtful."
There were two men from outside the house, so Yang Anjin couldn't stay for long. After finishing his work, he went into the inner room.
Yang Chaoren raised his hand towards the two men and said, "Try it. This tea is very fragrant and tastes more authentic than the usual ones."
Zhao Luochuan had no knowledge of tea, but he just thought it smelled strong and fragrant. He took a sip and praised it, "It's delicious."
The Zhao family had given a betrothal gift, and according to custom, they were supposed to give a return gift. Zhang Lanzhen took out a red-paper-wrapped wedding gift and handed it to Yunqiao: "This is a small gift from my aunt. Thank you for facilitating this good marriage."
It was hard to refuse the wedding money, so Yun Qiao accepted it: "Aunt, you are so kind. This is what I should do."
The atmosphere was very harmonious. After chatting for a while and drinking tea, Zhang Lanzhen gave Zhao Luochuan a jar of wine and a box of wedding candies that she had prepared as a return gift.
At the bottom of the wedding candy was a handkerchief with spring peach blossoms embroidered by Yang Anjin herself, which was a gift for Zhao Fangyu.
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