The ladies went back and forth several times to unload the car in the yard, but they still hadn't finished moving it. Mrs. Cheng Er kept chanting the Buddha's name without stopping.
Mrs. Cheng's sharp cries could be heard in the room.
"Who wants her things!"
Accompanied by cries, Mrs. Cheng stumbled out of the house and threw several boxes fiercely.
The gold and silver jewelry in the box rolled to the floor, shining brightly in the sunlight.
The servants and girls all over the place rushed to pick it up, but no one was as fast as Mrs. Cheng Er.
Mrs. Cheng fell to the ground crying, closing her eyes and beating her chest.
"This is for buying my son's life!"
"This is buying my son's life!"
Mrs. Cheng Er curled her lips and quickly picked up all the jewelry, regardless of the girls and servants watching.
"Why do you want to buy your son's life? Shiro was obviously killed by a prostitute while visiting a brothel by himself. What's wrong with us, my dear wife?" She muttered, "It's just for nothing that we, my dear wife, were harmed. Otherwise, he would have married into the county prince's family.
The princess of the county should be so beautiful, but now she is in such a hurry and shabby..."
After muttering here, Mrs. Cheng became anxious again. She turned her head and looked at the study room aside. Seeing Mrs. Cheng crying so hard that the girls and servants were all paying attention to her, so she picked up the packed box and turned around.
Just leave.
The two girls standing in the courtyard were stunned.
"Second Madam..." they couldn't help shouting.
Mrs. Cheng Er stopped and stared at them.
"What?" she said, hugging the two boxes in her arms tightly, "These are gifts from our dear mother."
Couldn't she, the stepmother, take it?
The girls didn't know what to say and watched Mrs. Cheng walking away quickly.
In the study room, listening to Mrs. Cheng's cries, Mr. Cheng was also crying silently.
"Master, these are not compensations from our wife to you." Cao Gui said, "This is..."
Master Cheng raised his hand to interrupt him.
"You don't need to say more, I know." He said, crying, "If she was really heartless, she wouldn't urge me to take them back to Jiangzhou. How dangerous the situation she faces in the capital is
It’s difficult, I really understand now, I’m just sad that I can’t help her.”
Cao Gui leaned over and saluted.
"Thank you, sir, I understand." He said, his voice choked with sobs.
"Silang was harmed by others, not by Jiao Niang." Mr. Cheng raised his hand to wipe his tears, "Jiao Niang saved his life and his reputation and future, but in the end he still couldn't escape. This is his fate.
Yeah, the most important thing is that my dear girl, she has to think about it herself and don’t keep it stubbornly in her heart."
Cao Gui kowtowed.
"These..." Mr. Cheng looked at the documents that were pushed in. "She is getting married in such a hurry. The royal family obviously doesn't give her face. Why are you sending all this back? You are trying to put on a show for her in the capital."
Cao Gui shook his head.
"The lady doesn't care about these appearances." He said, "The lady said that since these should be the home, then they are the home. Those who have passed through the clerk's office, how could they not be counted? She only asked the youngest to send the dowry left by the wife.
"
Mr. Cheng looked sad.
What she says must be done, and her deeds must be resolute. She is not joking, nor is she being thoughtful and perfunctory.
"Okay." He took a deep breath and nodded, "then please rest assured, madam, I will definitely not waste these properties and hard work."
Cao Gui responded yes.
"The little one will leave for Beijing tomorrow," he said.
"You all want to go with us?" Mr. Cheng asked, "There are only a few people here, why don't you pick a few more from home and take them with you."
"No need, Madam never employs many people," Cao Gui said.
Being capable.
Such as yourself.
He couldn't help but feel a little proud.
Mr. Cheng sighed and looked outside.
"The wedding date is the day after tomorrow. You can't make it in time for her wedding." He said, "We can't make it either."
"My lady said, you must not go." Cao Gui said hurriedly.
Mr. Cheng nodded solemnly.
"I know that not only will I not go, I will also strictly monitor the children in the family and never leave Jiangzhou." He said.
Before he finished speaking, he heard an old woman shouting outside.
"...What are you doing? Why don't you prepare a car quickly... My charming family is having a big wedding... She is marrying a member of the royal family, how can there be no one in her mother's family..."
"Yes, mother, how indecent is this?"
"You also said that since you, a father, knew that she was going to marry the prince, why did you come back here?"
"Mom, I'm not the eldest brother yet!"
Cao Gui looked at Mr. Cheng, showing some sympathy.
"Then thank you for your hard work, sir." He said as he stood up and left.
Mr. Cheng nodded, stood up, and faced his mother and younger brother with a somewhat solemn and solemn air.
If he can't protect the Cheng family after giving so much money and property, then he, as the head of the family, doesn't have to do it anymore.
After leaving Beicheng, Cao Gui went to the shop to explain again. It was already dark when he returned to Nancheng. Nowadays, many new houses in Nancheng have been built again, and the ground has been repaired. It is not like the previous years when it rained and there was sewage.
Mosquitoes are everywhere, and there are many people taking a break in the summer, and children are chasing each other and laughing.
"Manager Cao."
When I saw him coming over, I kept saying hello to him and even invited him to have dinner with me.
Cao Gui walked by with a smile.
"Cheng Ping." He shouted, looking at Cheng Ping who was sitting under a big tree, surrounded by a group of children, and was frothing at the mouth.
Cheng Ping waved to him.
"I'm busy and I'm getting to the key point." He shouted back.
Cao Gui had no choice but to walk over.
"...Loss is the first source of gain, gain is the source of loss, advancement is the source of retreat, retreat is the root of advancement, blessing is the beginning of disaster, misfortune is the beginning of blessing..." [Note 1]
"To tell a story, you need to tell a passage." Cheng Ping said, "Don't be dissatisfied. This is the essence of what I have learned after reading books for ten years. It is not something that just anyone can hear.
I benefited a lot from hearing it.”
Cao Gui shook his head and smiled.
"Cheng Ping." He said, "Are you really not going to Beijing with me?"
Cheng Ping shook his head.
"I've earned enough one hundred cents. I'm going to study behind closed doors." He said, waving his hands with a smile, "But I will go to Beijing sooner or later. Let's see you then."
Cao Gui curled his lips.
"You can close the door for a hundred coins without fear of starving to death." He muttered, glanced at Cheng Ping who started telling stories to the children again, turned around and walked away.
Walking into the house, although Cheng Jiaoniang did not live here, the lights were on in the main room, and the two maids bowed respectfully.
Cao Gui rushed to the main room to salute, and then the maid washed and changed clothes. As soon as the meal was served, Cheng Ji came over with a few people.
"Let's see if there's anything else I can help with?" Cheng Ji asked.
"No, there's nothing to deal with," Cao Gui said.
Cheng Ji and others looked at each other and pushed a box over.
"What is this?" Cao Gui asked.
"This is our wish for my wife's wedding," Cheng Ji said.
Cao Gui frowned.
"Who asked you to spend money? Don't you know that if you live a good life, you are giving our wife the greatest consideration?" he said.
Cheng Ji smiled and nodded.
"We know." He said, opening the box, "It's not money, it's just a tile made by the few of us."
Wadang?
Cao Gui looked over curiously and saw a tile in the box.
"This is..." He looked at the pattern on it.
"Broken branch lotus." Cheng Ji said, "This is the emblem of the ancestors of the old Cheng family. My wife has not grown up at home. Now she is getting married. She has nothing. We just want to give her a thought and let her
You know, no matter where you go, Lao Cheng's house is her home."
Cao Gui nodded and smiled.
"Okay, you are interested." He said, "My wife must be very happy."
Cheng Ji and others also breathed a sigh of relief and smiled happily.
"Well, the gift for the lady is ready, and now we want to give it to you, Manager Cao." A man said, taking out a bottle of wine and placing it on the table, "Come on, don't go home until you're drunk.
"
Cao Gui laughed.
"Okay, let's put some wine and food here. You won't come home until you're drunk."
This drunkenness made Cao Gui start his journey early, instead of walking in the middle of the day. With everyone seeing him off, he walked out of the south journey, but saw that the streets on the north journey were being swept, with several tables and benches set up, and cars coming and going.
Soon, a straw hut was set up near the corner, and pots and stoves were being repaired.
"What is this?" Cao Gui asked in surprise.
"Uncle Cao, Mrs. Cheng is getting married tomorrow, and Master Cheng is going to hold a flowing banquet to celebrate for three days." A spectator said hurriedly, with excitement on his face, "The best chef in Dexing Building is invited to cook, and he is from Jiangzhou City.
Anyone can come and eat, no need to pay any courtesy."
"Then the cook is exhausted," Cao Gui said with a smile.
"Master Cheng gave me a lot of money for a car, and there are still people who are willing to work even if they are exhausted." Another person watching the fun shouted.
There was laughter from all sides.
Cao Gui also laughed.
Well, it just needs to be lively, even if it’s not in front of you, it still needs to be lively.
He got on his horse and galloped away.
The courtyard of the Cheng family was almost as chaotic as the street. Mrs. Cheng was sitting in the main hall, surrounded by aunts and uncles that Mr. Cheng found from who knows where.
"...The old lady is very lucky..."
"...I said that I dreamed about picking a whole yard of flowers a few days ago. It turned out that I would be rich and wealthy..."
"...The old lady has a grandson-in-law from a county prince..."
Mrs. Cheng's face turned red after being complimented, her eyes were bright, and she spoke loudly.
"...Her grandfather has long known that this child is extraordinary..." she said loudly, "...I spent half a year reading books to come up with a name, but I was not satisfied with the result. I was about to give birth before I could get up, so I went out to try to find a name, and I happened to meet someone.
The great monk who was passing by vomited something as soon as he opened his mouth..."
Mrs. Cheng stuttered when she said this.
What's that fool's name?
"Fang." The maid on the side quickly reminded in a low voice.
"One word." Mrs. Cheng continued, her eyes were gone with laughter, "... What's even more amazing is that the master lowered his head and recited a few words to invite the monk to his home for a meal. When he raised his head, the monk didn't read.
arrive…"
"Oh, that's when I met Lord Buddha!" There was a sudden exclamation of exclamation from all around.
Mrs. Cheng Er, who was standing outside the door, sighed.
"Shameless." She cursed in a low voice, "It's as if you want to be a queen and empress, and you want to pay tribute to Buddha. When you threw people into the urine bucket, you were not afraid of Buddha's curse on you."
Mrs. Cheng Er walked out of the house in a depressed manner and stood in the inner alley to look out. She heard the shouts of rice coming here and vegetables coming there. Several bottles of wine were being unloaded, and she kept chanting Buddha's name in her heart.
"What a waste, what a waste. As expected, anyone with money that is not their own can abuse it."
At this time, the courtyard of the Cheng family in the capital was also bustling with activity.
"Coming, coming."
Several maids shouted, opening the curtain.
Cheng Jiaoniang turned around from the window and watched the clothes hanger being brought in, with a gold wedding dress covered in red and red.
A group of children came in next, leaning against the door, curiously looking at the wedding dress and then at Cheng Jiaoniang.
Mrs. Chen came in personally, took several wives and young daughters-in-law, looked at the wedding dress, praised it and said some auspicious words.
"Come here, I'll say a few words to you." Mrs. Chen was about to pull Cheng Jiaoniang. Before she could sit down, Mrs. Tong's wife was called from outside, and Mrs. Chen became busy.
"I'll talk to you later."
As Mrs. Chen left, everyone in the room dispersed and the room became quiet again.
Cheng Jiaoniang slowly walked to the clothes rack and looked at the wedding dress. The doors and windows were open and sunlight filled the room, making the wedding dress even more dazzling.
"Does it look good?"
Someone outside asked.
Cheng Jiaoniang turned around and saw Chen Danniang peeking her head from the door.
"It looks good," she said with a smile.
Chen Danniang walked in and stood beside her looking at the wedding dress.
"I think it looks good too." She said, while waving Cheng Jiaoniang's sleeves, "Sister, please try it on."
Cheng Jiaoniang smiled, looked at the wedding dress for a moment, and stretched out her hand.
When Zhou Hui walked into the courtyard, he looked up and saw the woman in the hall stretching her arms and turning around. He couldn't help but be stunned.
red…
Bright red, gorgeous red, golden silk thread, coiled flower embroidery.
Naturally, he had seen weddings before, but this moment seemed to be the first time he saw such red.
Such a beautiful red.
Wearing it on the woman who always wears black plain clothes is like a peony blooming in the dark night.
Wearing plain clothes, she is eye-catching, and wearing eye-catching clothes, she still shines.
The only one is her.
“The wedding dress is so beautiful!”
Chen Danniang's charming voice came from the hall, and she circled around Cheng Jiaoniang. With a smile on her lips, Cheng Jiaoniang seemed to be looking at the bronze mirror aside, looking at it, admiring, and expecting...
The wedding dress is so beautiful...
"Mukuro?"
A woman shouted from behind.
Zhou Hui's heartbeat almost stopped, his body stiffened, and he turned around like a thief.
"Your clothes are ready over there, have you tried them on?" Mrs. Chen asked with a smile.
Zhou Hui was the elder brother who was going to see him off, and he also prepared wedding clothes. His parents were away, so Huang took care of it.
Zhou Hao lowered his head and hummed, then turned around and went out.
Mrs. Chen then looked towards the inner room and frowned immediately.
"Oh, you two kids, who asked you to wear them now? Is this for fun? Tanniang, take your hands away and put dirty fingerprints on them. What will happen tomorrow?"
When night fell, everyone in the family dispersed and the peace returned to the past.
The maid and Banqin were still busy in the room, looking at the boxes and bags, checking over and over again to see if they were all packed.
"Don't worry if there is anything." Cheng Jiaoniang said looking at the nervous look of the two people.
Cheng Jiaoniang is the most leisurely person in the family now. After washing, the maid wiped her long hair in front of the window and picked up a book.
"As long as people are here, everything can be possible."
She said, looking at the book in her hand.
"For example, if you don't bring this book, it doesn't matter. Then buy another volume..."
Before he finished speaking, the maidservant came over quickly and reached out to take it.
"If you don't say it, you will forget it." She said, putting away the other volumes on the cases, and asked Banqin to put them in the box.
Cheng Jiaoniang smiled.
"I still want to watch it," she said.
"Don't watch it today. It's like this every day. It's just different once." The maid said, "I'll watch it tomorrow night."
The little maid couldn't help but stare behind her.
Tomorrow is the bridal chamber.
However, the groom can't even go to the wedding hall to welcome his bride to the bridal chamber... The lady really has plenty of time.
It's just a pity that it was the wedding night.
The little maid lowered her head and wiped the long black hair in her hands little by little. Tomorrow, this black hair would be rolled into a phoenix crown and she would become someone else's wife.
The night is deep and the summer insects are whispering.
"Ajing."
A slight call came from the tent.
The chamberlain who was taking a nap on the ground woke up immediately and walked over on his knees before opening his eyes.
"Your Highness, what do you want? But what's wrong with you? Do you want some water?" He raised the curtain and went in and asked.
The dim night light shined through the tent even more dimly, and the person on the couch actually tried to sit up with his hands on his hands.
"The imperial doctor said, don't get up." The chamberlain hurriedly helped and dissuaded him, and then worriedly asked what was wrong.
"I'm fine." Prince Jin'an said, hesitating, "Yes, tomorrow?"
The chamberlain smiled.
"Yes, it's tomorrow." He said.
While sitting on his knees in front of the couch, he told him one by one with his fingers the time Taishi Bureau had planned for him to go out to meet his bride, when he would come in and get off the sedan chair, and when he would go to the church.
"….The Duke of Yongxuan will do the wedding for you, and the eldest princess and Li Hanlin will do the wedding for you..."
Accompanied by the chatter of the chamberlain, Prince Jin'an regained his composure and his breathing eased a lot. Suddenly, he thought of something again.
"Then I'm happy..." he said.
The waiter was stunned for a moment when he was interrupted.
"Does the Duke of Xifu also want to wear mine?" Prince Jin'an asked.
The chamberlain smiled and reached out to lift the curtain.
"Your Highness, yours is here." He said, "The prince of the country doesn't wear it, only the groom wears wedding clothes."
In the dim night, the wedding clothes on the clothes rack standing beside the bed blended in with the night sky and could not be seen in color.
"Okay, Your Highness, don't worry." The chamberlain smiled and said, "Don't worry too much. These are just rituals, and living your life in the future is the most important thing."
Prince Jin'an hummed and slowly closed his eyes.
Wake up, tomorrow is here.
This day has arrived.
***************************************
Note 1: Yan Junping's "Guide to the Tao De Zhen Jing", Volume 8, Chapter 0
I have been busy with the outgoing audit these days, so I can’t update again for the time being. Sorry. (To be continued)
