Do you know: I should be fat and you should be thin!

"How did it go? Did it work?"

Zhou Ning was surprised that Gu Tingye actually went to the Sheng family, but then she realized that it made sense, since Yu Yanran had been proposed to by her.

Although Gu Tingye is wealthy, he is not yet a newly favored official or a prominent figure, and his reputation is already well-established...

Yu Yanran shook her head and said, "No, it was almost done, and Lord Sheng had already agreed. But his mistress went to the Sheng family and tried to force Sister Rulan to drink the concubine's tea, so it didn't work out."

"As expected, it's still the same. Is there anything else important?" Zhou Ning asked.

"The second son of the Sheng family was supposed to marry the eldest daughter of the Hai family. The two families had almost reached an agreement, but because of this incident, it seems to have been postponed. I don't know if it will still happen," Yu Yanran said.

Zhou Ning asked anxiously, "Is Brother Changbai angry?"

This idea seems to have come from me to Gu Tingye. He should be loyal enough, right?

Yu Yanran shook her head and said, "I don't know about that."

"The Dragon Boat Festival is in five days. Are you happy, sister?" Zhou Ning changed the subject.

This was the wedding date set by the two families in Beijing.

Unexpectedly, Yu Yanran suddenly burst into tears, startling Zhou Ning.

"What's wrong? Don't cry!" Zhou Ning took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

Yu Yanran choked up as she said, "My father spent all of my mother's dowry, and couldn't even scrape together a dowry of one thousand taels. It was my grandfather who felt sorry for me marrying so far away and took out his own savings to help me, which allowed me to scrape together a dowry of one thousand five hundred taels..."

Zhou Ning understood; she felt her dowry was too small and was afraid he would look down on her.

After all, while this amount might be considerable for ordinary people, it was considered relatively low among the noble and aristocratic circles in the capital. Even the wedding of the eldest daughter of the Sheng family was of a much higher standard.

"Sister, you're overthinking it. Minister Yu has been an incorruptible official all his life, which I truly admire. I still have ten thousand taels of silver left over, and I'll add another five thousand taels to the betrothal gifts in the next couple of days. You can add that to your dowry list, making it a total of 128 loads of dowry. Although it still won't be a ten-mile-long dowry, it will be quite impressive. After we get married, you can use all of this to support yourself," Zhou Ning said with a smile.

Money is worthless, come find me to earn more when you're done!

Gu Tingye: "...Don't touch me!"

Yu Yanran said, moved, "How can this be? I can't accept it. Before leaving the capital, Minglan told me that money can't buy a husband's love and respect. I know you have this sentiment, and that's enough to make me happy."

"It's settled then! The Grand Tutor was honest and upright his whole life, and I don't want him to suffer in his old age. If Sister Yanran really wants to repay him, perhaps..." Zhou Ning stared at her pink lips and swallowed.

Yu Yanran didn't understand, but seeing Zhou Ning staring at her face, and remembering what had just happened, she hurriedly said, "You promised..."

"Never mind then, let's talk about something else!" Zhou Ning sat back down, her unhappiness practically written all over her face.

Yu Yanran was a little worried. She had never experienced anything like this before, but she didn't want her future husband to hate her.

She thought that in five days she would be his wife, and they would be intimate with her just the same. It was only a few days earlier than expected. After a moment of internal struggle, she closed her eyes and said, "Just... just a little while! Only a little while! We're not married yet. If word gets out, I... I won't be able to face anyone."

Zhou Ning almost burst out laughing. Seeing that no one was around, he hugged the beauty again, demanding her domineeringly, his hands also becoming quite restless.

"I...I can't breathe, please don't, please don't..."

......

next day!

Early in the morning, Wei Zhi prepared the necessary crowns, robes, and utensils for the three appointments, and arranged for the attendants and best men to perform their respective duties, and had Zhou Ning greet Grand Tutor Yu outside the county government office.

Grand Tutor Yu arrived, and in front of the people, he combed Zhou Ning's hair from a boy's hair into a bun and placed a headscarf on his head. After offering his congratulatory remarks, he removed the headscarf and placed a gauze hat on Zhou Ning's head. After offering his congratulatory remarks, he removed the gauze hat and placed a turban on Zhou Ning's head.

Zhou Ning already held an official position. After changing into his official robes, he bowed to the onlookers to express his gratitude.

"Neighbors and fellow villagers, please spread the word that I will be getting married on the Dragon Boat Festival in four days. All the people of Tianchang County are welcome to bring their own bowls to the county government office to enjoy my wedding feast!" Zhou Ning invited.

We don't have that many bowls, so you'll have to bring your own. One bowl of wine per person, but we can afford it!

Congratulations, sir!

Congratulations! I'll definitely come!

The registrar, county magistrate, and other officials under Zhou Ning all prepared congratulatory gifts, indicating that they would definitely attend.

Zhou Ning gratefully accepted the gift and left all matters to Wei Zhi to handle. After seeing off the Grand Tutor, he began to hold court to deal with official business.

When Wei Zhi learned that Miss Yu's dowry was so small, she was also saddened and immediately began to arrange for an increase in the dowry. The items were carried into the mansion box by box, and the courtyard was filled in just two days.

Both families hung up tall red silk banners in advance, and even the lanterns under the eaves were changed to the shape of the character "囍" (double happiness).

Happy Dragon Boat Festival!

Today is the county magistrate's wedding day, and the whole county can enjoy a celebratory feast!

The crowd of onlookers, each holding a bowl, had already packed the roadside to watch the spectacle.

Zhou Ning, dressed in a bright red auspicious robe, rode the imperial horse that had been transferred from Bianjing (Kaifeng), carrying betrothal gifts that stretched for half a street, and directed a procession with music and fanfare as they set off for the Yu residence to welcome the bride.

Seeing that Grand Tutor Yu personally blocked the door, Zhou Ning handed over the letter of welcome. The two went back and forth, exchanging sharp words, which drew applause and cheers from the onlookers. In the end, the Grand Tutor withdrew!

This retreat would mean handing over the granddaughter.

Zhou Ning was very pleased to see Yu Yanran dressed in a wedding gown adorned with twin lotus blossoms, wearing only a crimson gold headdress and two velvet flowers tucked into her hair, resembling a lotus emerging from the water.

When saying goodbye to her grandparents, Grandma Yu, with tears in her eyes, repeatedly gave Yu Yanran instructions, and tears kept falling down her face.

All the words he wanted to say were condensed into a trembling "Go," as he gently pushed her toward Zhou Ning.

After leaving the Yu residence, Zhou Ning rode a tall horse at the front, followed by a swaying sedan chair, with the dowry stretching as far as the eye could see.

Back to the inner hall of the county government office!

Zhou and Ning, holding the same red and green love knot, bowed side by side to heaven and earth, to the ancestral tablets, and finally turned to bow to each other.

Xiao Ma scattered the prepared gold and silver fruits onto the large bed, chanting as she did so: "May my husband have many blessings and longevity, and may he soon give birth to a noble son to bring glory to our family."

With everyone as witnesses, the two each cut off a lock of their hair and braided it into a love knot, thus becoming husband and wife, their love unwavering.

We will share the meat from the same pot, and from now on, we will share both joy and sorrow.

Two people split a gourd in half, each holding one half to drink from. After they finish drinking, they put the gourds back together.

Just as the two gourds were joined together to drink from the same cup, and the broken gourd was returned to one, the two families were thus united as one.

After completing all the formalities, Zhou Ning went outside the county government office to greet the guests and the local people.

Yu Yanran sat obediently in the room, waiting for Zhou Ning to return for their wedding night.

She was very nervous because she knew nothing about the wedding night. Without her mother's picture books to teach her, her grandmother naturally couldn't teach her this either.

Outside the county government office!

Congratulations, Your Excellency! May you soon have a son!

Few of the common people are well-educated, and when they line up to receive the wine, they mostly offer this blessing.

Zhou Ning personally poured wine for them, and the empty wine jars kept piling up.

"Sir! It's terrible, sir! A dozen or so bandits are killing and looting in the east village! Li Er! Where are you? Your wife has been violated by them!" A villager cut in line and shouted.

Zhou Ning was startled. Forgetting about the wedding night, he directed the people to hide in the county government office and kept mobilizing manpower!

The armed forces in the county mainly consisted of local militia, village militia, outpost soldiers, and archers, used to apprehend thieves and maintain local security. They were just a few bandits, not enough to frighten him.

"Pengqi! Lend me your horse! You go to the bridal chamber, I'll deal with the bandits for you!"

......