The Empire will continue to win

A hundred steps or so further in, and you'll reach the inner courtyard.

Along the way, everyone I met, regardless of age or gender, was dressed in new clothes and boots, looking almost otherworldly.

In just a few days since he left, the once somewhat dilapidated Yunqiwei Mansion has been completely renovated. How much money did that cost?

The key point is that the Yunqiwei residence will no longer belong to the second branch of the family, but to the eldest uncle's lineage.

spendthrift dad~

Shen Moqing felt a pang of sympathy.

When we were almost at the garden.

"Qing'er, you're finally back! If you hadn't come home soon, we would have sent people to kidnap you. Tomorrow is your big day. Come on, go try on your clothes and check out the bridal chamber. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, we'll fix it tonight."

Shen Zheng and Madam Wang rushed over like a whirlwind, each grabbing one of their hands without saying a word.

"Dad, Mom, how much will this cost?"

"Never mind that. Anyway, the old lady said, 'Jade is for the hall, gold is for the horses, and silver is just dirt.'"

"No, where would our family get the money?"

"I received gifts from the palace and from relatives and friends, and I spent them."

Is that enough?

"Of course it's not enough, our family borrowed some more from Sihai Bank."

"How much did you borrow?"

"Not much, only 7000 silver dollars."

"well."

Enraged, Shen Moqing took a few steps and suddenly asked, "Father, what do you take money for?"

"Money is a bastard!" Shen Zheng retorted loudly, his neck stiff.

Alright~

They were not ashamed, but rather proud.

What are nobles like?

The hereditary title across three generations is merely a facade.

A true aristocrat is like my father: unproductive, carefree, extravagant, heavily in debt, and spending his days at various dances, poetry gatherings, and social events.

Anyone with even the slightest ambition cannot be considered an old aristocrat.

Looking at her frivolous father and extravagant mother, Shen Moqing felt a tightness in her chest. So, from now on, I'll be supporting the whole family alone?

.........

Married men know that the biggest feeling at a wedding isn't happiness or completeness, but one word—busy.

The first half of the night was busy, and the second half was even busier.

That night, the Shen family mansion was brightly lit, and everyone was busy as bees. Even the pugs kept by the masters were running around happily.

Pearl stood undignifiedly on a chair, looking down at everyone and issuing orders, like a pre-wedding war commander-in-chief.

Shen Moqing stood there helplessly, being manipulated by several pairs of delicate hands, moving up and down, left and right, back and forth, inside and out.

Take a bath to cleanse yourself.

Shaving, trimming.

He changed his clothes and tried on his boots.

"Sir, what brings you here?"

"No matter how important the matter is, how can I feel at ease if I don't come and see for myself?"

The matriarch personally inspected all the wedding utensils that might be used: brazier, saddle, bow and arrow, wedding candles, gold scales, wedding handkerchief, scissors, wine, wine glasses, bed, bedding, and floor tiles.

Then, surrounded by a group of old women, he strode off to inspect the kitchen.

The kitchen is even busier.

Shandong, Guangdong, Huaiyang cuisine, steaming, stir-frying, pan-frying, and deep-frying, including shark fin, fish maw, sea cucumber, and abalone.

The servants in my own residence are simply not qualified. Today, we have invited chefs from the eight most famous restaurants in the capital. These days, every chef in a restaurant has a unique skill. Apart from being expensive, they are perfect.

"Thank you all for your hard work, masters. Zhou Rui's wife, here's a reward~"

"Thank you, Madam Xie."

A group of chubby, short chefs hurriedly thanked the chefs for their generous rewards. Weighing the money in their hands, they thought to themselves, "Wow, the master is so generous! I must show my true skills tomorrow!"

A cook's hands are more accurate than a scale for weighing silver; they can't be wrong.

"You've all worked hard. Everyone will receive a reward the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you, Madam." The kitchen helpers were also overjoyed.

Grand mansions are quite different from private enterprises.

If the master of a large mansion gets promoted and makes a fortune, he will be more generous and will let some of his wealth slip through his fingers to his servants. This is what is meant by a corrupt feudal society.

If a private business owner makes a fortune, he'll be extremely frugal, barely keeping his money within his means. He might get a raise of 150 yuan at most, but he'll still be heartbroken. That's what a civilized business society is all about.

.........

Every married woman knows that the feeling before the wedding can be summed up in one word—nervous.

The night was pitch black.

The southern part of the city was quiet, with the occasional bark of a dog.

Go into an alley outside Chongwenmen Street, and after several twists and turns, you'll reach a large courtyard in Shoupa Hutong, which is the home of Du Fengzhi, a scholar from Shaoxing Prefecture.

Having lived in Beijing for over a decade, I've gone from living in a single-family dwelling to sharing a courtyard house with two other households, and now to living in a large, crowded tenement.

They came full of ambition, but now they are disheartened.

He, who was over fifty years old, was sitting under a dim oil lamp copying "Rules for Women," reading aloud as he copied.

Women's faults are nothing more than laziness, jealousy, and perversion. Laziness leads to pride, which diminishes filial piety; jealousy leads to meanness, which breeds calamity and harm; perversion leads to indulgence, which corrupts virtue and morality.

"Lan'er, what is meant by laziness and sloth?"

"Disrespectful to parents-in-law, disrespectful to husband, and neglecting household chores."

What is jealousy?

"She tried to prevent her husband from having children and attempted to monopolize his love."

The father and daughter engaged in a serious question-and-answer session.

Even if Cheng Yi or Zhu Xi were reborn, they wouldn't find a single fault with it.

"Lan'er, your father doesn't have much gold or silver, so please take this 'Rules for Women' as your dowry. After you marry into the Shen family, you must strictly abide by the virtues of a woman and never bring shame to your father."

"My daughter understands."

After that, there was silence.

I could only hear someone coughing occasionally from next door; the living conditions in this tenement courtyard were definitely not soundproof.

Du Yulan couldn't help but ask, "Father, did you make any progress at the Ministry of Personnel during the day?"

With graying temples, Du Fengzhi let out another long sigh:

"So close, so close to being next. God, I'm 55, it should be my turn by now, right?"

"Father, why don't we ask Shen Lang for help?"

"No, absolutely not."

"A daughter doesn't want her father to waste his life, his great ambitions unfulfilled."

"No, no, I, Du Fengzhi, have always followed the teachings of the sages and the rules of the court. I have never overstepped them or been disrespectful to them. How could I possibly lose my integrity in my later years? Lan'er, losing your life is a small matter, but losing your integrity is a great matter."

"Besides, if I were to shamelessly come begging for an official position, my son-in-law might look down on you. Let's wait for the Ministry of Personnel's general selection. In any case, I trust the imperial court!"

Old Du is an absolutely honest man.

Both were successful candidates in the imperial examinations, but he and Gu Hongming made completely different choices: one remained loyal and unwavering, while the other was rebellious.

As they were chatting, a servant from the Shen household suddenly arrived.

Two old women knocked on the door and said, "Madam, the phoenix coronet and wedding gown have arrived. We are here to help you change."

Through the dilapidated wooden door~

Du Fengzhi stood up, coughed twice, and put his hands behind his back: "Come in." Then he went out to get some fresh air.

.........

The two old women were slightly shocked when they entered the house.

The lady's family was so poor; marrying into the Yunqiwei family was truly a step up for her.

There was nothing that could be done about it. Old Du had been working in Beijing for more than ten years, first spending all his savings, then exhausting the hopes of his family and relatives. In addition, his wife died young, so he could only give a volume of "Rules for Women" as his dowry, which was extremely meager.

"Madam, please open your arms."

That day has finally arrived!

The newlywed bride was extremely excited, but her face remained calm. She stood up, spread her arms, and let the experienced old women remove her old clothes, dressing her in a magnificent phoenix coronet and embroidered robe made of brocade and gold.

But her slightly trembling arms betrayed her.

With her wedding just around the corner, which young woman isn't nervous?