The etiquette for aristocratic weddings was extremely complex and cumbersome, and of course, this specifically referred to the marriage of the Xie family’s eldest daughter, Xie Yurou, and the heir of Qing’an Marquis.
After the betrothal ceremony, the two families finally settled on a formal wedding date. Since the coming year was what common folk called a “widow year,” during which marriages were not permitted, but delaying another year would feel like a pointless waste of time for both sides.
Moreover, the heir of Qing’an Marquis was a highly sought-after match. Madam Xie also feared that delays might lead to unforeseen complications, jeopardizing her daughter’s lifelong happiness. Thus, she tacitly agreed to hold the wedding in June of this year.
Xie Yurou was the eldest legitimate daughter of the main branch, the oldest among the Xie sisters. Only after she married could the younger sisters below her be wed.
But compared to Xie Yurou’s meticulously prepared wedding, Xie Linlang was only mentioned in passing when Madam Xie and Lord Xie discussed Xie Yurou’s marriage.
Lord Xie’s tone was dismissive, as if he were not speaking of his own daughter but rather disposing of an insignificant object.
“After all, she cannot jump ahead of her elder sister. Just send her off after Yurou and the Marquis’s heir are married.”
Madam Xie was quite satisfied with her husband’s attitude. She had always maintained a reputation for virtue and kindness, but that was because she knew Xie Yuanshou only valued the legitimate children she bore. If Xie Yuanshou had shown any particular favoritism toward a child born of a concubine, Madam Xie would never have allowed them to live peacefully.
“I sent someone to investigate that Xiao Ji. His family is indeed poor, but fortunately, there are no messy entanglements in his household. Our third daughter can take charge as soon as she marries into his family.
There’s just one thing I’m uncertain about, and I need your decision, husband.”
It was rare for Madam Xie to seek his opinion on household matters, so Lord Xie responded with keen interest.
“That Xiao Ji is, after all, from a humble background, quite different from our manor. I initially thought of sending maids and elderly servants with our third daughter, but I was afraid that bringing them along might make our son-in-law think our Xie Manor is deliberately putting on airs, causing him displeasure.
But if we don’t send anyone, our third daughter, who has been raised in luxury within the manor, will inevitably suffer without servants to attend to her. Yet, sending servants might make the son-in-law overthink, causing trouble for you in dealing with Master Chen.”
Madam Xie wore a troubled expression, one that anyone would praise as that of a virtuous wife and mother.
Lord Xie was indeed deeply moved and, without much thought, waved his hand grandly: “A woman’s duty is to her husband. Since she is marrying into the Xiao family, she should prioritize her husband. She ought to learn to manage household affairs herself. There’s no need to bring servants.”
With his approval, Madam Xie could only say: “Then I’ll prepare more dowry for our third daughter, so she won’t have to worry about food and clothing in the future.”
Lord Xie was even more satisfied.
Confined to Qiushui Pavilion, never stepping beyond its gates, Xie Linlang had no idea that the dowry she had been counting on was now reduced to less than a tenth.
Ever since ridiculing Xie Linlang on New Year’s Eve, Xie Yujing had not visited Qiushui Pavilion for quite some time.
Just as Xie Linlang thought she would no longer come, Xie Yujing arrived gracefully, immediately bustling about and ordering the maids and elderly servants of Qiushui Pavilion around.
Xie Linlang thought that although the sisters did not share deep affection, they had grown up together. After marrying, they would rarely see each other, so she let Xie Yujing do as she pleased.
She could sense that Xie Yujing had changed, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly how. It just felt as though, even though Xie Yujing sat right across from her, an invisible chasm lay between them.
After exhausting herself with the fuss, Xie Yujing would quiet down again, occasionally saying a few inexplicable things to Xie Linlang.
For example: “My mother says my brother has made great progress lately. In the future, he might even take the imperial exams and return as a top scholar. By then, I’ll have a brother to back me up.”
Or: “Mother says everything we have now is given by Madam, and she told me I must serve Eldest Sister well…”
Xie Linlang felt uncomfortable hearing this but could only pretend not to understand what she was saying. She just hoped June would come quickly so she could leave the Xie family as soon as possible.
Though she didn’t know what awaited her ahead, she thought even the worst couldn’t be worse than staying here, constantly worrying about being given away as a gift.
……
Xiao Ji blended into Master Chen’s guard team and made several trips to the hunting grounds outside the city. He actually managed to hunt a few high-quality fox pelts. Master Chen turned a blind eye and let him take them home.
After processing them, he sold them to Jinxiu Ge in the capital. Fox pelts weren’t cheap, and several of them together fetched over two hundred taels.
Upon learning that his wedding to the Xie family’s daughter was set for the end of June, Xiao Ji hurriedly hired craftsmen to renovate the house.
On days when he was on duty, he asked his brothers on leave to keep an eye on the work. Even Han Daren would drop by from time to time. When he returned home, he would tell his wife that Xiao Ji had finally come to his senses and was shaping up.
Han Furen, following her husband’s lead, smiled and said, “Then I’ll take some people to have a look tomorrow. After all, Xiao Ji is a man, and there might be things he hasn’t considered. I can help him sort them out.”
Han Daren praised his wife for her generosity.
Five months seemed long, but to Xie Linlang, it felt like she hadn’t even had her fill of peach and apricot blossoms before June arrived in a rush.
The day of the wedding between the eldest daughter of the Xie family and the heir of Qing’an Marquis finally arrived. The entire Xie Manor was filled with the sound of firecrackers and adorned with festive red silk everywhere. Even someone as composed as Xie Linlang felt the urge to go out and join the excitement.
But Madam Xie had sent word early on: with the eldest daughter’s wedding, the manor was crowded and chaotic. The third young lady should stay quietly in her courtyard to prepare for her own wedding, lest she be jostled by careless servants.
The reason was perfectly reasonable, so Xie Linlang had no choice but to stay quietly in her courtyard. The servants of Qiushui Pavilion had all been called away to help, and even though she was used to being alone, the entire courtyard felt empty and desolate.
The Xie family held three consecutive days of banquets for the wedding, only stopping when Xie Yurou returned with her husband for the homecoming visit.
Naturally, Xie Linlang couldn’t attend the homecoming banquet that day. She only heard from Xiao Qiu that Second Miss had actually dressed as a maid beside Eldest Sister. Behind closed doors, Concubine Hu had pulled Second Miss aside and cried until she was drenched in tears.
Xie Linlang didn’t witness the scene, but just thinking about it made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
She didn’t understand why Daqing had such a custom, insisting on using a family’s own sisters to win over a husband. Wasn’t it disgusting for sisters to share a husband?
Mid-June arrived, bringing Xie Linlang’s coming-of-age ceremony.
Due to the eldest daughter’s wedding, Madam Xie had been feeling down for several days, missing her daughter.
As for what the third young lady was worth, no one in the manor would dare to upset Madam over her affairs.
On the day of the coming-of-age ceremony, the manor only sent some hairpins and other small items as per custom. Meixiang wore an apologetic expression:
“Third Miss, please do not take offense. The Legal Mother is concerned about the eldest young lady’s illness and is currently resting in bed. Given your filial devotion to her, I trust you will not blame her.”
Xie Linlang certainly would not. She was no three-year-old child, still hoping for the Legal Mother to treat her as a true mother. Her mind was now entirely occupied by the dazzling golden hairpin on the tray.