Seventh Miss’s dowry list had already been sent to the Ducal Residence by the third day of the eighth month.
Though only half a legitimate daughter, the Grand Madam was very generous. The dowry of land, fields, and silver was not at all less than when Fifth Miss married. The Grand Master’s relationship with Seventh Miss had become somewhat distant this past year, but regarding the dowry he was also quite decent. Beyond the Grand Madam’s personal dowry contribution—a treatment reserved for legitimate daughters—and the official family allocation, he privately gave Seventh Miss several deeds for fields and shops. When Seventh Miss examined them, most were properties and shops gradually purchased in the capital over this past year.
When the several concubine-born elder sisters married, the Yang family had only been a Governor-General household, yet their dowries were still thirty to forty thousand taels. Fifth Miss left with over a hundred thousand taels in dowry. Seventh Miss was no saint—naturally she had privately speculated about how much salary she could take from the Yang family. She never expected that when this day truly came, her treatment would be even higher than she’d imagined.
The clothing and jewelry had been prepared early. The Grand Madam had been careful to purchase them while in Jiangnan—now it was merely a matter of transportation. At the time this item cost only around ten thousand taels. After the Grand Madam completed mourning for Fifth Miss, she rushed to supplement another batch for Seventh Miss in the capital. The clothing and jewelry alone amounted to over twenty thousand taels. Compared to Second Miss and Fifth Miss in their day, this was not at all inferior.
Beyond the ten Xianxiu Ward shops the Grand Madam gifted from her own dowry, the official family also provided land deeds worth approximately thirty thousand taels. Though located far away—all in Jiangnan—Seventh Miss would never need to personally farm. Each year she could simply send people to collect rent. When Ninth Brother managed the family business in the future, he would naturally allocate staff to help her oversee it.
Adding the deeds for fields and shops the Grand Master privately gave to anchor the dowry chest, plus the Grand Madam’s five thousand taels of silver for the dowry chest, her dowry already stood shoulder to shoulder with Second Miss and Fifth Miss. Even in the entire capital, such a lavish dowry would be difficult to find.
Seventh Miss accepted it all with composure—this investment was, at its root, to help her quickly establish firm footing in the Xu family. It was her parents’ sentiment, but also their calculation.
What she cared more about were her dowry servants.
Marrying into the Xu family, she could eat and live off the Xu family’s provisions, but to make the Xu family’s servants easy to command—who knew how much effort that would require? How could she manage without several capable maids at her side?
Fortunately, the maids in Seventh Miss’s courtyard were all young. She simply kept them all intact, bringing the six capable managing maids Lixia, Shangyuan, Qiqiao, Zhongyuan, Xiayuan, and Duanwu with her. The Grand Madam additionally gave two maids with pretty faces for Seventh Miss to keep in the courtyard doing miscellaneous work.
The dowry servants—the Zhou family had been reserved early on. Seventh Miss valued how Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou had been cautious and careful in their conduct over the years. Planning to have the couple serve as managers, she had already informed the Grand Madam long ago. The Grand Madam added three more dowry households to make up the auspicious number of four. As for the estate managers and such, since they were employment relationships, after being transferred under Seventh Miss’s name, their staying or leaving would follow her wishes.
First Miss, Second Miss, Third Miss, Fourth Miss, and Eldest Sister-in-law Min all sent small items to add to Seventh Miss’s trousseau. Several daughters from the Li family and various other families also sent gifts through intermediaries. Even Sixth Miss in the palace bestowed a pair of exquisite pouches. Seventh Miss carefully received them all one by one, simply waiting peacefully to be married.
Perhaps because this future was uncertain, or perhaps because this marriage was ultimately not to her liking, she had not a trace of a new bride’s shyness or joy. As if what was being arranged was merely the most ordinary family matter, just grander in scale. Watching this, the Grand Madam was instead somewhat pleased, treating Seventh Miss with even more warmth and pleasant countenance. All day she simply educated her about the origins of the Xu family’s several sisters-in-law and the backgrounds of several branches of relatives, to enable her to manage the household immediately upon entering.
When even the new bride herself didn’t take it seriously, naturally the household’s upper and lower ranks wouldn’t show their joy either. Ninth Brother pouted all day. Coming and going, not only did he show no happiness, sometimes he even showed three parts anger. Seventh Miss saw this and couldn’t help but feel moved.
If she didn’t have Ninth Brother as a younger brother, would her life be somewhat smoother? It was truly unclear.
Yet she had never regretted having Ninth Brother. Despite any shortcomings, he still thought of her wholeheartedly. Even hundreds of years later, how many such brothers could there be?
Having reached this point, in the Yang family only Ninth Brother still thought about whether she was willing or not.
Second Miss came to see Seventh Miss the day before the wedding.
She wore mourning. Though she had passed the major mourning period and would soon remove the mourning clothes, it was still inappropriate to participate in joyous occasions, so she could only come the day before to talk with Seventh Miss. As customary, she had to see the Grand Madam first. After the mother and daughter spoke privately, Second Miss personally led the Young Heir in to visit Seventh Miss.
The Young Heir was four this year, yet already showed measured deportment. He properly paid respects to Seventh Miss, then sat beside her, hands placed on his knees, gaze straight ahead. Instead, this made Seventh Miss quite uncomfortable, uncertain what attitude to take toward him.
She could only find words to praise Second Miss. “Second Sister truly teaches well.”
Mentioning her son, Second Miss’s face took on more softness. “It’s all his father’s doing—a four or five-year-old child, restrained like one of fourteen or fifteen.”
She patted the Young Heir’s shoulder and smiled. “In your grandmother’s home, you needn’t act this way. Go down and play!”
The Young Heir’s small face was tightly drawn. He glanced at Seventh Miss, then looked at Second Miss with slight hesitation before jumping to the ground and looking around, taking on some childishness.
Seventh Miss let out a great breath of relief, hugging the Young Heir with a smile. “Give Seventh Aunt a kiss?” The Young Heir’s face showed helplessness. He kissed Seventh Miss once, then she smiled and had Lixia take him down. “Let him eat whatever he wants—it’s rare he comes to play at Seventh Aunt’s place!”
Though she was not enthusiastic about bearing children, she didn’t dislike children.
Second Miss watched her entertain the Young Heir, her eyes full of warmth yet also revealing a trace of sadness.
She lowered her head to sip tea, then slowly asked, “Have you seen Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master?”
Fifth Miss’s twin sons had been sent to Grand Uncle Qin’s residence when barely a month old. Grand Uncle Qin was a rigid man. Though he himself had been compelled to remain in service despite mourning, normally as soon as court ended he resided deeply within the residence observing mourning. He didn’t allow a single person from the household to go out. When the twins entered the Qin family, it was like entering a prison. Over more than a year, they had only been brought to the Yang residence to see the Grand Madam twice. Usually, only a few select female relatives from the Xu family visited them.
Seventh Miss had only accompanied the Grand Madam on visits and seen the twins a few times. Hearing Second Miss’s question, she shook her head. “Only saw them once in the seventh month. They’ve grown quite sturdy, both quite spirited.”
Second Miss’s features clouded over. “I heard from Uncle that Fourth Young Master is learning to speak somewhat slowly.”
The two children were already two sui this year—in actual age about one and a half. Clever children could speak quite long sentences by one year old. Seventh Miss had seen such cases. However, late developers who only learned to speak at two or three years old weren’t unheard of either.
She was about to speak when suddenly she realized and understood Second Miss’s concern.
“Second Sister means Fourth Young Master’s high fever—”
Second Miss sighed, then in turn comforted Seventh Miss. “Perhaps I’m overthinking it. It’s just that Fourth Young Master’s movements are also somewhat clumsy…”
Seventh Miss sucked in a sharp breath. “Does Mother know about this?”
“Uncle fears Mother knowing would make her sadder. But I think this matter can’t be hidden. Waiting until after you enter the household to speak of it would be even worse.” Second Miss pulled at her lips. “I’m just letting you know so you’re prepared. Fortunately they’re twins—who’s older and who’s younger is actually unclear… I just told Mother—she’s heartbroken now.”
Seventh Miss didn’t know what to say. After a long while she smiled bitterly. “Ai, who knows—perhaps Fourth Young Master is just slow to speak.”
Second Miss responded in a low voice. After keeping her brows lowered for a long time, she said, “Though Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master won’t be any different from your birth children, still, having your own son at your side would be better. Fengjia has been busy these years. In a few years when you’re older, childbirth will be more difficult. After entering the household, don’t be too shy—you must seize the opportunity.”
These words from Second Miss could be called heartfelt.
Seventh Miss’s marriage was already considered late. In modern times, a woman’s life only begins at twenty. In Great Qin, most twenty-year-old women had already experienced childbirth once or twice—naturally, whether they could endure the suffering of childbirth or not was another matter. If Xu Fengjia remained this busy for the next several years, by the time he had leisure to have children, Seventh Miss would likely be nearly twenty-five—in Great Qin, already considered quite late.
She had always been upright and honorable. Even now when Seventh Miss and the Grand Madam’s relationship was already awkward, Second Miss’s words remained open and above board, carrying an air of righteous conviction.
Yet Seventh Miss unexpectedly thought of that package of body-strengthening medicinal ingredients the Grand Madam had sent.
She smiled self-deprecatingly again.
Living long in deep mansions and great courtyards truly made one lose some trust in human nature.
“Second Sister, I’m not unaware of this reasoning…” She let out a long sigh. “But Second Sister also knows Divine Physician Quan’s words. This kind of thing—better to leave it to fate. To force it when there’s no affinity is useless.”
Second Miss’s eyes darkened. She raised her head to look at Seventh Miss, sighed again, and patted her shoulder.
“You’ve been wronged!”
In over a year, this was the first time anyone had said such words to Seventh Miss.
Seventh Miss’s eyes immediately heated up. She lowered them and smiled faintly. “Being wronged is useless… Life still must go on, doesn’t it? Besides, with parents’ arrangements being this way, what can not marrying accomplish?”