Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 99 - 22: Rewards (Part 2)

Once the Eldest Young Madam was seated, the Old Madam said, "Each courtyard in our family has its own small kitchen, and we usually don’t eat together. I only ask your mother-in-law and the others to come and greet me on the first and fifteenth of each month. Now that you’re married into the family, it’s the same for you. If you’re not busy, feel free to come by or spend time with your sisters, maybe even help teach them a bit."

The Eldest Young Madam nodded. Her mother-in-law was not easy to get along with and was short-sighted. If she decided to make things difficult for her daughter-in-law, she would have to endure it! But after her grandmother’s words today, it seemed she would have to establish some rules, and her mother-in-law would have to think twice. After all, she didn’t set any rules for herself in front of her own mother-in-law!

Zhao LanZhi now felt that marrying someone like the Princely Heir, with such an open-minded and kind grandmother, made it tolerable even if her mother-in-law wasn’t kind.

After the meal, the Princely Heir and his wife returned to Qingfeng Pavilion. He dismissed the maids in the room and held his lovely wife, asking, "Does it still hurt?" Zhao Lanxi blushed deeply, feeling very shy.

The Princely Heir saw this and chuckled foolishly, but he didn’t want to upset his lovely wife, so he quickly changed the topic. "Shall we see what good things Grandmother gave you?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Zhao LanZhi laughed, "Why should I show you what Grandmother gave me?"

"Oh, come on! We just got married, and you’re already drawing a line between us. Such a rule is unacceptable!"

The two laughed and teased each other for a while before they looked at the gifts received today.

The Old Madam gave a pair of Mutton Fat Jade Ruyi, which, though not as special as those bestowed by the Saint, were still rare and precious. There was also a set of red gemstone headdress and a set of blue gemstone headdress.

The Old Master gave a silver note worth ten thousand taels directly, and the First Madam gave a pair of jade bracelets of icy violet color, which were quite presentable. However, Song Qinghe felt a bit uncomfortable, remembering the dowry jewelry his mother had prepared for his eldest sister, each piece of which was better than this!

Zhao LanZhi, unaware of his thoughts, was secretly amazed at the Song Family’s generosity. Luckily, she had also prepared valuable gifts for her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, saving her from embarrassment. Shortly after, the Old Madam sent someone to deliver what the Second Master sent—a pair of vibrant coral trees, which made the red gold inlaid jewel hairpins given by the Second Madam seem dull in comparison.

.

The Third Master and his wife sent a silver note worth five thousand taels, a straightforward gesture. Song Qinghe laughed, "Third Uncle and Third Aunt are both straightforward people. Giving money directly shows they don’t see you as an outsider!"

Zhao LanZhi also said, "I like Third Aunt’s straightforwardness."

The gifts from relatives were all valuable and extraordinary.

"Wait for a moment!" The Princely Heir said, then went to the study in the front yard, took two boxes, and returned to the room, handing them to his wife.

"Our family is divided into three branches, although our assets are not yet divided. When we got married, the public treasury contributed eighty thousand taels, Grandmother added twenty thousand taels, and Father gave fifty thousand taels as a dowry. This includes one from my personal funds, and another ten thousand taels Grandmother secretly gave, with Father giving another fifty thousand taels. Make sure you keep them safe."

Zhao LanZhi was both surprised and delighted, not expecting that her husband valued her so much that he handed over his personal money right after she entered the family.

"You’ll need money when you’re out. Your intentions are already clear to me."

Song Qinghe laughed, "If I need money, I’ll ask you for it. You keep it. Even if I inherit the title, until our branch is officially separated, this is all we have. Apart from the monthly allowance and seasonal clothing and jewelry, the household won’t provide anything extra. The Song Family doesn’t spoil the boys." Zhao LanZhi finally accepted it.

Afterward, the Princely Heir asked the servants from Qingfeng Pavilion to pay their respects to the Eldest Young Madam. While this was happening, the Old Madam and the Third Madam sent over all the keys and account books from the mansion, asking the stewardesses to come and report.

Zhao LanZhi knew she was supposed to manage the household once she entered, but she didn’t expect it to be this soon.

Song Qinghe laughed, "I’ll have to trouble you, ma’am! Third Aunt and Third Uncle are heading back to Yangzhou in a few days. With Grandmother supporting you, you’d better get a handle on things quickly. Grandmother never liked managing things. If you have questions, just ask Third Sister, Fourth Sister, or Susu in Grandmother’s courtyard. Just one thing to note, although Susu is still with our family, Grandmother has already instructed me to arrange for Susu’s emancipation. Even with her freedom, she will stay here. Grandmother can’t do without her. Her marriage will be decided by Grandmother, so don’t treat her like an ordinary servant."

Zhao LanZhi recalled how she had made things difficult for Susu the day before. Hearing her husband’s words, she felt quite embarrassed. She remembered rewarding Susu with some gold ingots, but decided not to mention it to her husband, making a mental note not to repeat such behavior. However, she felt a bit guilty and just nodded without saying anything!