Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 211 - 5: Wedding Preparations (Part 2)

It was said earlier that these men from the Northwest had undergone fierce competition to enter the Capital, and when they stood in front of people, they naturally exuded an imposing aura, making a strong impression. Even before they entered the alleyway of the neighborhood, they drew the attention of the onlookers.

The neighbors only knew that this house had a new owner not long ago, who moved lots of things inside, indicating some wealth, and they all waited for the homeowner to visit, as was the customary practice among neighbors.

However, they didn’t know that Susu wouldn’t stay here for three months before getting married, plus her desire not to draw attention with her appearance, naturally, she didn’t intend to interact much with the neighbors. Those neighbors waited several days without seeing the homeowner visit, only sending an old woman with a box of snacks to close the matter, feeling somewhat displeased.

As the saying goes, "A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor," meaning that even if you have money, it may not always help when things arise. It’s important to know that those living in this area aren’t short of money; although they can’t be compared to the Song Family, some are long-established residents of the Capital, genuine locals.

After inquiring for a long time, they only learned that a wealthy family from Yangzhou bought the house. There were those with loose tongues who spread wild rumors about "mistresses" and "second wives," which infuriated the servants in the Su Mansion upon hearing them.

Susu, however, didn’t mind, thinking that the potential trouble of meeting neighbors wasn’t worth it. Being talked about wouldn’t hurt, and she thought once Hong Sheng delivers the betrothal gifts in a few days, it would be a "face-slap" to the rumors.

And indeed, when the neighbors saw Hong Sheng’s entourage, they indeed felt "face pain." Who would deliver betrothal gifts for a mistress? Moreover, seeing those twenty-something chest-high betrothal chests, regardless of what’s inside, ordinary families couldn’t even afford those twenty-something redwood chests alone.

It was during the peak of winter, and the young man leading the party carried a pair of live geese in his hands, clearly indicating the efforts made.

That day, the Su Mansion finally opened its long-closed doors, welcoming Hong Sheng and his party inside. The official matchmaker entered the inner courtyard, presenting the gift list and the crimson marriage certificate.

As for the inner courtyard, there was no need to mention it; Old Madam and Susu were already well aware of the items on the gift list. Hong Sheng, to marry his bride, seemingly spent every last penny; just the bride price alone was six hundred taels of gold.

And the most precious items were the two chests granted by the current Emperor, among which a pair of jade ruyi deserved a tag that marked them as imperial gifts, a great honor to display at home.

Additionally, there were items Hong Sheng prepared himself, all collected by friends from the Yangwei Escort Agency in various places: Shu brocade from Shu, cloud brocade from Nanjing, Kesi from Hebei Dingzhou, cotton cloth from Songjiang, and various brocade and silk - sixty-six bolts; there were also furs from outside the customs, jade from Xinjiang, spices from the Western Regions, and imported goods from the seas.

There were also eight sets of gold and silver headwear set with gemstones, pearls, and jade, with four sets each using filigree and gold-thread techniques, two pairs of jade bracelets, two pairs of mutton fat jade bracelets, and two boxes of miscellaneous jewelry.

As for the engagement cakes, seafood, the Three Sacrifices, fish, wine, tea, fruit, invitation boxes, incense firecrackers, and golden bracelets, they were abundant. Even Old Madam whispered to Susu in private that Hong Sheng had spent extravagantly. But Susu sighed to herself: "Truly, crime pays!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

In the outer courtyard, the Princely Heir of the Shun’an Earl Mansion, Song Qing He, happened to be on leave, so he brought the inquisitive Sixth Young Master along with the Old Madam. They arrived just in time to act as the "bride’s family" to entertain Hong Sheng and his company.

They greeted each other, and these soldiers, all of whom were good friends with Hong Sheng from the military, were accustomed to the rough men from the Northwest. Suddenly encountering a nobleman from a distinguished family was quite unexpected. They only knew that Hong Sheng’s fiancée was originally a maid in a wealthy household. Hong Sheng feared they might hear some rumors in the Capital and misunderstand Susu, so he had warned them in advance.

These men didn’t care much about the sister-in-law’s (or younger brother’s wife) background, seeing Hong Sheng invest so much and use a significant portion of his fortune for the betrothal gifts. They understood she must be good, given that Hong Sheng was renowned in the army for his divine strength and keen eyes.

These words didn’t praise his eyesight; rather, it was due to him uncovering a spy in the Hami Guard within two days of entering the army; if not for that, how could such a fresh recruit quickly secure a firm footing without anyone daring to snatch his military merit?

Even if there was Prince Ke’s support, it couldn’t be openly acknowledged. The fact that Hong Sheng’s position rose like a rocket undoubtedly had its reasons.