Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 35 - 18: Wedding Gifts

In September, the Third Madam gave birth to another son, the Sixth Young Master of the Song Mansion. The Old Madam and the Third Master were delighted, rewarding all the servants in the mansion with two months’ salary, while the servants of the Third Master’s quarters received an extra month.

As the first newborn since the Song Family was granted the Earl title, the ceremonies of bathing in three days and the full month celebration were conducted in a manner that added face to the Third Master. In Yangzhou Prefecture, no one failed to praise the Old Madam, the Legitimate Mother, for her kindness; not only did she marry a good wife for the children born to concubines, but the family estate was divided equally with the legitimate son, while also managing sea trade. Mutual respect was evident, with the Third Master showing great filial piety, and the three brothers of the Song family known for their brotherly love and harmony. None of the third generation boys were frivolous. If a lady in the palace were to bless the family with royal offspring, even if just a princess, the Song Family would thrive for three generations in wealth, achieving century-old family status and thereby attracting many families wanting to befriend them.

Susu returned to the mansion and had not forgotten the savior from Hongshan Village. Upon the arrival of autumn, she personally tailored two sets of autumn clothing, two sets of winter clothing, along with shoes, hats, and some food. These were then sent to Hongshan Village Manor Head, who delivered them to Hong Sheng, with the Old Madam preparing a more thorough package, recognizing the importance of the young savior.

In October, the Song family’s merchant ships arrived at the port. The silk, porcelain, gemstones, spices, and special products were carefully selected, with the best transported box by box into the Old Madam’s private storehouse, while the second-tier items were left for distribution to the stores across various regions. Even the third-tier items were kept for rewarding the servants.

Susu now was allocated the role of a top maid, formally receiving numerous possessions. In addition, the Old Madam privately gave a separate package: six gemstones, though only the size of soybeans, but the quality was genuine pigeon blood red, emerald green, and cornflower blue sapphire; along with two bolts of Japanese silk, one bolt of feather silk, and one bolt of Duro cloth.

This feather silk and Duro cloth, previously exclusive for tribute, had now become accessible to wealthy households due to sea transport, with a bolt costing one to two hundred gold ingots. As for some small jewelry, a box full was received.

Once Sister Amber finished organizing the warehouse and registering the inventory, she privately kept a pocket for Susu, left over from making jewelry, which was made of various sizes of gemstone bits no bigger than millet, including tourmaline jade and diamond. "The Old Madam instructed to give this to you, take it!"

Seeing Susu cheerfully accepting it, Amber laughed and said, "You refused to accept the shrimp whisked with the large East Pearl, yet you’re happy to accept these scraps that can’t possibly make grand jewelry. I think you overthink things and are too reserved. When the Old Madam gives us good things, we should take them. No matter how good others give, if it violates our conscience, we can’t accept them."

Susu responded, "I understand what you mean, Sister. It’s not about being reserved, but rather about minimizing trouble. Following the Old Madam, I’ve seen plenty of good things, so I am not naive. For instance, the craftsmanship of the bracelet aside, that large East Pearl is truly remarkable. Such conspicuous things aren’t available to all the sisters. If it’s exclusively mine and stories spread outside the quarters, who knows what they’d say? Moreover, the Old Madam and sisters care about me, and the value of this package might not be much less than that of the bracelet."

Amber appreciated Susu for this, recognizing that Susu sees things clearly and is very knowledgeable and sensible. "I know you’re astute, and this package consists of leftovers from crafting jewelry for the Old Madam. Be quick and deliver it back!" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

After saying this, Amber called Susu again: "Sister Zhen Zhu is leaving the mansion; you little maids should prepare some gifts to add to Sister Zhen Zhu’s dowry, as you don’t want her care for you to go in vain."

"Understood, Sister Amber loves to meddle."

"You little brat! I reminded you all, and now you disdain me? Let’s see if I’ll take care of you afterward?"

Susu playfully replied, "Good sister, I meant that women who worry a lot age quickly. Heaven knows, I’m caring for you!"

In December, Susu, Bisi, Ning Cui, and Yang Liu gathered, a day before Sister Zhen Zhu’s departure from the mansion, to move a large box into Zhen Zhu’s room, cheerfully saying, "Adding to your dowry, Sister."

Recently, Zhen Zhu had been teased nonstop, becoming immune to it, and she smiled: "I have something to leave you all with, this is for memory’s sake. Serve the Old Madam well, and you’ll gain benefits." Then she gave each a pocket she had long prepared, speaking for quite a while. Once more little maids arrived to add to Zhen Zhu’s dowry, the four left the room.

Returning to their room, the four opened the pocket and found four pairs of identical South Pearl Earrings, the pearls had the size of lotus seeds, perfectly round, flawless, and dazzling.

On Zhen Zhu’s end, once all the little maids left, Amber arrived, spotting the large box in the middle of the room, recognizing it was from Susu, "Susu and her friends visited earlier. What good things did they send? That girl may be small, yet she has quite some volume. If the items gifted are thin, I won’t approve."

Zhen Zhu rolled her eyes at Amber: "She’s only been here so short; how could she have many things? You’re here as a mentor putting up a good face for your apprentice?" Amber was speechless, realizing that no one believed her words. Indeed, Susu was a little wealthy lady!

Managing the storehouse, the Old Madam subtly instructed in ways that even Zhen Zhu was unaware of. This matter couldn’t be elaborated further, but there was no need to show formality with Zhen Zhu. They opened the box from Susu and her friends, finding it full of pockets, sachets, and handkerchiefs, all made from high-quality material, along with four small brocade boxes. As Zhen Zhu opened them, they were indeed astonishing and moving.

Amber laughed: "These four silly maids surely picked the best of what the Old Madam had gifted for you. Truly, your care for them hasn’t been in vain."

Susu sent a pair of peony hairpins with palm-sized gold inlay featuring thumb-sized red gemstones. Bisi sent a pair of ice jade bracelets glowing with vibrant green. Yang Liu prepared a box of lotus seed-sized light pink South Pearl bead bracelets. Ning Cui added a pair of ivory combs intricately carved with landscapes, flora, and fauna.

Indeed, both Zhen Zhu and Amber, as chief maids themselves, couldn’t help but praise the value of such items; the thoughtfulness was deeply appreciated.

Sister Zhen Zhu left the mansion with her own clothes and jewelry given by various hosts, plus gifts from all the servants, along with the Old Madam’s reward of five hundred taels of silver, six gold ingots each weighing ten taels, twenty-four bolts of assorted silk, a box full of fur, four sets of gold, silver, gemstone, and pearl jewelry, packed into twenty large redwood boxes. This excludes the old clothing and fabric distributed to the rough maids.

The maids from Sui’an Hall assisted until Sister Zhen Zhu exited the second mansion gate, only stopping when Zhen Zhu was escorted home by her parents and brother. Even the Old Madam felt reluctant, observing the maids’ low spirits, she said, "When your Sister Zhen Zhu gets married, make sure to see her off too." Only then did the maids brighten up.

After Sister Zhen Zhu left, Dong Qing was promoted to fill the top position, Ning Cui advanced to second, moving out of the small shared room. Another rough maid was promoted to third, moving into the room with Susu and the others.

With one close friend gone and one unfamiliar one added, it felt slightly uncomfortable, and the three of Susu’s group spent less time playing around, focusing more on studying and learning calligraphy. After everything was settled, Susu soon greeted the second New Year in this world.

Reflecting on the past year, Susu felt she had been so busy that there wasn’t much time to think back on her past life and present; occasionally only when making clothes for the young boy, she would remember that in the far Northwest, there was a young boy of blood relation, akin in height and same age as Hong Sheng, who was chubbier when leaving but had no idea of how he was now.

Meanwhile, in the Northwest, on New Year’s Eve, Ruan Sixth Son, Ruan Yu, gnawed on a cold mantou, gazing at the starry sky while thinking about his sister, whose whereabouts were unknown, touching the red thread and goldfish on his waist, he believed his sister must be safe.