Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 212 - 5: Wedding Preparations (Part 3)

At this moment, seeing Song Qinghe, I realized that Boss Hong’s wife was actually the favored maid in front of the Old Madam at the newly ennobled Shun’an Earl Mansion in the Capital, and that the Princely Heir from the Bo Mansion came to act as the "family member," suggesting her favor was not a simple matter.

Seizing the opportunity while Song Qinghe went out to change clothes, a few soldiers seized Hong Sheng and demanded he confess the truth. Hong Sheng had no choice but to recount the story of how he and Susu had received the "life-saving grace" from the Old Madam, and added, "At that time, she was only seven years old. The Old Madam, moved by her loyalty, brought her close and personally raised her, treating her not as a granddaughter, but better than a granddaughter." The soldiers had never heard of such a story and felt it resembled the tales sung in operas.

After the betrothal gifts, a date had to be set. The wedding date was determined to be on March 6th, after Susu’s coming-of-age ceremony, very tight on time. Fortunately, the wedding clothes for Susu were prepared in advance by the Old Madam, though the rank was yet unknown so they hadn’t embroidered a phoenix on it until now, when five phoenix tails needed to be added. (Susu only now learned there were such considerations!)

The Old Madam had already prepared a dowry for her. Susu took it with her when she left the mansion, even large pieces of furniture were arranged by Grandpa Qiao during Yang Liu’s marriage, but they were too conspicuous and were sent directly to the estate only after Susu left the Bo Mansion.

Besides a complete set of redwood furniture, there were a pair of zitan small tables, a nanmu-framed screen, a huanghuali dressing table, four pairs of black lacquer inlaid mother-of-pearl boxes, and a pair of boxwood carved four-door wardrobes, all exquisitely crafted. Not to mention the estate’s main house furniture was already new; if counted as dowry, Susu’s furniture alone took twenty carriers.

Susu had no family elders. The betrothal gifts sent by Hong Sheng included some food, naturally adding the rest to Susu’s dowry. When Susu transcribed the dowry list herself, she realized there were too many items. She was merely a maid by birth, and what the Old Madam gave was already dignified. Adding her own savings and the gifts received made it a bit too much.

After considering, Susu removed half of her belongings, hid everything her Seventh Sister privately gave her off the registry. Even so, it might still be a hundred carriers, but Susu had long thought it through.

Traditionally, a full dowry was sixty-four carriers. Small families had four, six, or eight carriers. For ordinary wealthy households, having thirty-two carriers when marrying off a daughter was quite respectable. Sixty-four carriers was typical for daughters from families of fourth or fifth rank officials, perfectly suiting her circumstances without embarrassing Hong Sheng.

Now there were too many items, and maximizing space was necessary. Two boxes of jewelry were crammed into one box, doubling fabric originally placed in one trunk, arranging medicinal materials and supplements compactly, filling every dowry box possible, even pre-packing clothes and bedding into wardrobes.

The servants at Su Mansion were baffled by their young lady’s measures, having heard that dowry boxes should be loosely packed, with more boxes looking better, not of cramming even accompanying furniture. What kind of planner was she?

Susu didn’t care about her servants’ thoughts, as long as she conducted herself "properly!"

When Old Madam Song, unable to rest easy, sent Nanny Qin to inspect and Nanny Qin laughed mixed with tears recounting the matter, the Old Madam shook her head, saying, "Ah Xiang, Susu is indeed a smart child. Life is to be lived by oneself, gaining actual benefit is the concern, why care about others’ remarks?"

The third day of the third month, the Shangsi Festival, was also Susu’s birthday in this life, marking her fifteenth year, called "coming of age" in ancient times. On this day, the Su Mansion hosted a coming-of-age ceremony. The Old Madam personally adorned Susu’s hair with an exquisite golden hairpin and gave her the name Yi’an—Yi as in harmony in the family and home, An for peace and health.

After the coming-of-age, three days later was Susu’s wedding day.

On the day before the groom fetched the bride, Old Madam especially invited Susu’s future mother-in-law, Mrs. Sun, to act as the blessed woman making the bed, accompanied by Yang Liu’s mother, Aunt Qiao.

The sixty-four dowry carriers leaving Su Mansion amazed the neighborhood; keen-eyed people recognized these dowry boxes weren’t just for display, noting that each dowry carrier needed four strong laborers, bending the carrying poles.

The presence of Song family ladies at Su Mansion was unhidden, ensuring those nosy enough would see. Some previously saw the Old Madam from afar, realizing the resident was indeed the Old Madam’s favored maid, and now purchasing a home outside the mansion before becoming an official’s wife. Comparing her dowry sparked a small "prefer marrying a great house’s maid than a minor house’s daughter" craze within parts of the Capital.