Sixteen, people feel refreshed when happy events happen
After the painting of "Smell of Spring" was completed, Jiankang City arrived.
Today is the twenty-eighth day of the first lunar month, and the spring is in full bloom. The lively scene of Jiankang people rushing to see Chen Caozhi two years ago has reappeared. From Qingxi Gate to the bank of the Qinhuai River, ladies and gentlemen are all crowding the streets to watch, and they see the ox cart of the Chen family.
There is an endless stream of entourage, and they are very impressive. Chen Caozhi, Chen Zong's uncles and nephews are superb in style, handsome and beautiful. Everyone says that the Chen family of Qiantang is worthy of being a wealthy family originating from Yingchuan. It is indeed a well-established family. No wonder the Lu family of Wu County and
The Xie clan in Chen County were vying to marry their daughters to Chen Caozhi——
Chen Shang, Liu Shangzhi, Gu Kaizhi, and Zhang Xuanzhi welcomed them several miles away early and entered the city with Chen Caozhi. However, the female family members of the Lu family had detoured to Guangmomen and returned to Hengtang Lu Mansion first because they were worried about being watched.
Brothers Xie Yan, Xie Xuan and Xie Shao followed Xie Daoyun's bullock cart on horseback. Due to the crowds of spectators, they were unable to push past to meet Chen Caozhi. Xie Daoyun asked his maid Liu Xu to pass a message to Xie Xuan and the others: "No need."
Come up and meet us, and just follow us for a while.”
Arriving at the Chen family's residence by the Qinhuai River, the people watching the excitement dispersed slightly. The ox carts of Chen Xian, Ding Youwei, Chen Shang's wife and others had entered through the side door. Ran Sheng, who was riding a big white horse, saw Xie Xuan and asked Chen Cao
He said: "Brother, look, Xie Yu is over there——"
Chen Caozhi dismounted and went over to meet them, and exchanged a few words with the three Xie brothers. Xie Xuan pointed to the cattle drive parked on the side of the road: "Zizhong, my sister is in the car."
As soon as Chen Caozhi walked to the oxcart, the embroidered curtains on the window were opened, and the maid Liuxu smiled happily in the car and said: "Happy New Year, Mr. Chen, my wife is here." After that, he turned around.
Staggered, Xie Daoyun's pretty and elegant oval-shaped face is revealed, her slanted eyebrows are very energetic, her eyes are narrow and narrow when she smiles, her upper and lower eyelashes are brushed together, and her pear dimples are shallow, there is a kind of charm in her bones, it is really unbelievable that she is like this
A woman can dress up as a man and become an official!
"Zizhong, is it safe to go back and forth?" Xie Daoyun asked with a smile and deep eyes.
Chen Cao said: "Everything is good, it is helpful to open the book, and it is also suitable for walking."
Xie Daoyun couldn't help but blush when he thought of his clumsy needlework girl. He also remembered that the letter he wrote to Chen Caozhi was addressed as husband. At that time, he felt shy when writing, but now he was embarrassed when they met.
Chen Caozhi looked at Xie Daoyun carefully. The near noon sun shone into the car, which was very bright. Xie Daoyun's face was not as yellow as when we parted last time, but a lustrous porcelain white, and his cheeks were also brighter than before.
Two months ago, he was a little plump. Knowing that his lung disease was on the way to recovery, he was very happy and said, "I will come to visit you again in the evening." Suddenly he realized that this was his home and said, "The east garden of Chen's house has been built. Do you want to do it?"
Go in and take a look - my two uncles, my sister-in-law, Zongzhi, and Runer are all here."
Xie Daoyun has been to Chenjiawu many times, and has had face-to-face conversations with Chen Xian, the old patriarch of the Chen family. He and Ding Youwei, Run'er and others are even more harmonious and affectionate, but at this time, the hairdresser is wearing a woman's dress, and he is about to bow.
How could an engaged person enter the Chen family's house rashly? Wouldn't he be laughed at by others?
Xie Daoyun said shyly: "Zizhong, give my regards to Uncle Chen and Ding's sister-in-law. Daoyun will come to see you again in a few days."
Chen Caozhi nodded and said, "That's fine." He turned to Xie Xuan and the others and said, "How about you three please come to my house for a little tea?"
Xie Yan smiled and said nothing, Xie Xuandao: "Today is too hasty, I will officially come to visit another day." After saying that, Chen Shanggong handed over to Chen Caozhi, and the three brothers followed Xie Daoyun's ox cart along the south bank of the Qinhuai River to Wuyi.
Went in the direction of the alley.
Chen Caozhi entered the house and saw Run'er standing in the hall in a daze. He stepped forward and asked, "Run'er, what's wrong? Do you like the house designed by Uncle Chou?"
Run'er's eyes were blinking, with a mixture of surprise and surprise, and she said: "Run'er had dreamed about this house before. When Uncle Chou showed Run'er the drawing, Run'er wondered when he could live in this house.
, I have had several dreams about this house since then, it is exactly the same, it is so beautiful!”
Chen Caozhi smiled and said: "Come, Uncle Chou will show you this house."
The East Garden covers an area of about twelve acres, accounting for more than a quarter of the homestead. According to Chen Caozhi's design, the Chen House is an exquisite and grand garden building, of which the East Garden is an integral part. However, due to limited financial resources,
We can only build the East Garden first. This East Garden alone cost nearly 5 million yuan from the beginning to the completion of decoration, which greatly exceeded the original estimate of 3.8 million yuan. There were also newly purchased painted beds and small
The total cost of furniture such as seating screens, banquets, tables, screens, mirror stands, boxes and boxes is more than 6 million yuan, and the east and west double-corridor buildings arranged for the two ladies Lu and Xie to live have not yet been furnished, leaving it to the left and right ladies.
Make-up to enrich——
Chen Caozhi led Run'er through three entrances to the outer house - the foyer, the tea room, and the main hall. The buildings are continuous and layered. The outer house is used for receiving guests, wedding events and ancestor worship ceremonies, and then there is the hanging flower ceremony.
The inner house separated by the door is first of all two large wooden buildings with double floors on the east and west, each with thirty-two rooms. The buildings are connected by double corridors, and there are stairs under the corridors, which not only protects against wind and rain, but also separates the master and servant rooms -
—
Run'er pointed to the two double-corridor buildings and asked, "Uncle Ugly, are these two ugly aunts living?"
Chen Caozhi responded: "Yes."
Run'er said with a smile: "There are exactly two buildings, and the formats are generally the same. Did Uncle Chou think of marrying two ugly aunts when he originally designed these double-corridor buildings?"
Chen Caozhi was ashamed. This niece was too smart and asked sharp questions. He replied: "It was originally designed like this for symmetry and good looks."
Run'er pursed her lips and smiled. She stopped asking about this matter because she couldn't embarrass Uncle Chou. She just asked, "Where do Run'er and mother live?"
Chen Cao said: "Come with me, I guarantee Run'er will like it."
Behind the double-corridor building is a winding small pond, about one and a half acres in size. Camphor and magnolia are planted on the bank of the pond, and lotus and water chestnuts are planted in the pond. There is a small building facing the water in the north of the pond, which is also double-story and larger in scale than the double-corridor building.
The building is slightly smaller but has exquisite architecture. Chen Cao pointed to the wooden corridor facing the water from afar: "That's where Run'er and his sister-in-law live."
Run'er looked around and saw the reflection of the water, the scattered flowers and trees, and the wonderful scenery. She couldn't help but feel very happy. When she walked to the north of the pool, she saw that Sister Xiaochan had led her mother Ding Youwei downstairs. They all looked overjoyed.
The beauty of the architecture was something they had never seen before.
Chen Shangqian recruited some stewards, butlers, cooks, and maids in Jiankang. This time he brought more than a dozen maids from Qiantang, which was basically enough for daily dispatch. Moreover, after the two daughters of Lu and Xie were married,
, there will be a large number of dowry maidservants, and I'm afraid they won't be able to accommodate them -
When two elders, Chen Xian and Chen Man, saw Chen Shang and Chen Cao's brothers having established such a large family property in Beijing, they were naturally happy. After lunch, Chen Xian and Chen Man asked Chen Caozhi: "Sixteenth nephew, this Lu Mansion
, which mansion should Xie visit first?"
Chen Cao said: "My two uncles are tired from the long journey. Should we rest for two days first?"
Chen Xian said: "People are in high spirits during happy events. I don't feel tired. Sixth brother, what about you?"
Chen Mandao: "The fourth brother is right. I don't feel tired either. It would be better to finalize the sixteenth nephew's marriage as soon as possible."
Chen Xian said: "Yes, let's go visit first, and then prepare the gifts for receiving gifts. White silk silk, yellow silk, wine millet and other necessary things for receiving gifts have been brought from Qiantang. I'm worried that Jiankang won't be able to buy them in a hurry.
Wild geese, I specially ordered Chenjiawu Cat House to catch two pairs of wild geese and bring them back, and Xidu is still alive."
Chen Man said enthusiastically: "Without further delay, let's go to Lu Mansion and Xie Mansion to visit now. Who should go first?"
Chen Xiandao: "Since Empress Dowager Chongde has granted the title of Mrs. Zuo to the Lu family's daughter, let's go to the Lu Mansion to visit her first. What do the sixteen nephews think?"
Chen Caozhi nodded in agreement and went to make arrangements. Banli, the steward of the Lu Mansion, was waiting in the foyer. When he heard that the two elders of the Chen family were going to visit the Lu Mansion, he quickly ordered his deacon to return to Hengtang to report the news, and he accompanied him.
Chen Xian and others went to——
Ding Youwei and Run'er were already acquainted with Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan because they traveled all the way, so they did not go with them to visit this time. Zongzhi only asked Zongzhi to go with his two great uncles and Uncle Chou to visit Lu Na, the Minister of Civil Affairs.
Lu Na personally went to the door of the mansion to greet him, and went to the main hall where the guests and hosts sat down. After greetings, they discussed the main topic. When will the offer be accepted? Who will be invited to be the matchmaker?
At that time, matchmakers were not as lowly as later secular people. They always hired people with high status to act as matchmakers. "Zhou Li" records that there were also matchmakers at that time who were in charge of people's marriages. Therefore, the higher the status of the matchmaker hired by the man, the more respect he showed for the woman.
——
Chen Xian and Chen Man didn't know anyone in Beijing, so they all looked at Chen Caozhi. Chen Caozhi asked Lu Nadao: "How about I invite Minister Xi to attack?"
Xi Chao had a close relationship with Chen Cao Zhi. Although he was only the minister of the fifth rank of Zhongshu, he had great power because he was Huan Wen's spokesperson in the court. Asking Xi Chao to be a matchmaker was of course very honorable to the Southern people.
thing--
Lu Na nodded and said, "Yes." Then he asked, "Then who can the Xie family ask to attack?"
Chen Cao said: "This junior wants to ask Zhang Shizhong to be the matchmaker."
Zhang Shizhong was Zhang Ping, the elder brother of Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenwan. He was a third-rank official and a member of the third Wu clan. He would never insult the Xie family of Chen County by going to the Xie Mansion for Chen Caozhi.
Lu Na, Chen Xian, and Chen Man agreed that on the first day of February, a matchmaker would come to their door to express their intention to marry, and the next day they would conduct a formal interview. After preliminary agreement, Lu Na wanted to stay with Chen Xian and others for dinner. Chen Xian said bluntly:
: "I still want to visit Xie Mansion."
Lu Na laughed and said, "Then we will entertain the two virtuous men another day." He sent them out of the house in person.
Chen Xian and Chen Man rode an ox cart slowly along the north bank of Hengtang. Chen Xian sighed: "Back then, Qingzhi was appreciated by the Menglu envoy, but I didn't expect that Cao Zhi would become his best son-in-law!"
Chen Man said with a smile: "Marriage with the Lu family of Wu County. If I had mentioned this to others five years ago, I would have been despised and considered crazy!"
Returning to the East Garden of Chen House, Ding Youwei, Runer and her daughter were ready. They brought Xiaochan and Axiu, two maids, in two oxcarts to follow the old patriarch Chen Xian to Wuyi Lane, where they were going to pay a visit.