Zhan Chun

Kapitel 35

Xiao Yuan hurriedly told Cai Lian to bring a few more boxes for Aunt Chen to take back, saying, "If you say it's from your daughter, then there's nothing to worry about." She then asked about Aunt Chen's adoption and learned that the Xue family was not insisting, which put her at ease. She then ordered the kitchen to stew tender minced meat and eggs and invited her and Xiao Yu Niang to stay for lunch.

Aunt Chen declined, saying, "You have so many things to do at home, it's cheaper for me to eat at home." Xiao Yuan did have a lot to do, so she didn't insist on keeping them. She ordered someone to give them cakes and cookies to take with them and sent a sedan chair to take them home.

Seeing that the guests had left, A-Yun ran in to report: "Young Madam, the Third Madam of the He family sent someone specifically to ask if there's any more of that Honey Sweet Soup." Xiao-Yuan was watching A-Cai calculate the auction accounts when she looked up and asked curiously, "What good stuff is it that she likes? Why didn't she ask me for it in person yesterday?" A-Yun smiled and said, "I asked the messenger the same thing, and he said that the Third Madam has to follow the rules and can't ask for it in person, since it's a welcome tea and a farewell soup."

Xiao Yuan laughed, "People who aren't family don't enter the same door. Third Sister-in-law is also being particular about etiquette, just like Third Brother." Cai Lian, who was listening to their conversation, quickly took a bunch of dried licorice, put it in a box, and handed it to A Yun to deliver.

Xiao Yuan checked the accounts with A Cai and remembered that she wanted to send Cai Lian to learn how to make cakes, so she called her over to give instructions. Since all the cake makers were cooks, Cai Lian didn't think twice and readily agreed. She turned around to teach a few children, telling them to be diligent and clever when she wasn't around.

Cheng Mutian returned home after finishing his business. He saw a large pile of clothes in Wu Ge's room and was quite satisfied: "The lottery was good. It should be held often." Xiao Yuan, holding a leftover lottery ticket, was jealous of her son: "You only care about your son. You didn't even ask me what I won." Cheng Mutian glared at her: "How old are you? How old is he?" After the servants left, he felt he had been too rude. He added, "What did you win?" Xiao Yuan thought for a moment: "I won a gold-embroidered shirt for Wu Ge."

Cheng Mutian was taken aback. Then he burst out laughing, pounding the table. Xiao Yuan realized what he meant and couldn't help but laugh too: "Luckily, my stepmother gave me a few boxes of ointment. Otherwise, I wouldn't have any to use." Cheng Mutian seized the opportunity and asked, "You didn't have any for me?" Xiao Yuan didn't give him a chance to be jealous. She rolled her eyes at him: "Everyone who came was a woman. Why would anyone sell men's things?"

Gan Shier's voice came from outside: "Who said there are no things for men? Didn't I sell a maid?"

Xiao Yuan quickly told Cheng Mutian about how Madam Qian had won over the young widow and given the land to Aunt Cheng. Then she pushed him out to teach Gan Twelve.

Cheng Mutian was quite pleased that the young widow who had caused his personal servant to be beaten had been sold. He praised Gan Shier a few times before asking him what brought him here. Gan Shier took out a small carved box and handed it to him, smiling, "At yesterday's market fair, I saw that Third Sister was only selling and not buying, so I bought a few things for her. I wonder if she likes them."

Xiao Yuan overheard them talking about Cheng San Niang from inside the room. She came out to look. Inside the box were four hairpins, each shaped like a peach, lotus, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom. She took the hairpins in her hand, smiled, and called A Yun in. She said, "Tell Young Master Gan what was sold at yesterday's market." A Yun counted on her fingers, "Clothes, ointments, face powder, trinkets, and San Niangzi's needlework."

Even Cheng Mutian looked at Gan Shier and laughed, "Shier, it seems you don't sell jewelry. Where did this hairpin come from?" Gan Shier had been in Lin'an for so long, and this was the first time she felt embarrassed, but she didn't blush. She scratched her head and said, "You don't sell jewelry? Perhaps I've got it mixed up. Sister-in-law, this hairpin is made according to the famous flowers of the four seasons. If you put all four of them into your crown, it will be called 'A Year of Scenery'."

Xiao Yuan said, half-jokingly and half-truthfully, "I remember Third Sister didn't have a crown." Gan Twelve wasn't stumped and immediately replied...

"I'll buy one for her." The carefree Gan Shier also had a thoughtful side. Cheng San Niang didn't have money to gamble, so she specially sent a gift. Xiao Yuan was very pleased with this younger sister. She asked Gan Shier to lightly carve the character "Gan" in the box, put the hairpin inside, and then called A Cai to deliver it to Cheng San Niang.

Gan Shier thanked the couple, and a few days later, another crown was indeed sent. Xiao Yuan personally took it to Cheng San Niang, chatted with her for a while, and then returned to her room. She noticed that there were also four "Year-Old Scenery" on her own desk and hurriedly asked whose it was.

Cheng Mutian entered the room while dismissing a maid, poured himself some tea, and casually replied, "A friend recently opened a jewelry shop, so I bought a few items to support them." "Oh, so it was for the occasion." Xiao Yuan tossed the hairpins aside; the table was too slippery, and one of them was about to roll to the ground. Cheng Mutian rushed over and caught it, angrily saying, "Be careful, this hairpin is very thin; it will break if it falls."

Xiao Yuan exclaimed, "Oh! I only bought this land to support my friend, what's the rush?" Cheng Mutian, afraid she would throw it around, said coyly, "Gan Shier is such a boor, yet he knows to buy hairpins for Third Sister. I'll buy you a few too." Xiao Yuan smiled and took the hairpin, inserting it into her hair. She sweetly scolded, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I dare not wear it out. If Gan Shier and Third Sister see it, they will surely laugh at me." Cheng Mutian blushed and reached out to pull out the hairpin she had just put in her hair. "I forgot about that. I'll change it tomorrow and get you a hairpin with a swallow's beak."

In early March, the results of the imperial examinations were released. Gan Twelve, bold enough to conceal the truth from even his father, asked a fellow examinee to send a letter back to Quanzhou, claiming that he had unfortunately failed and was unwilling to accept it, wanting to stay in Lin'an to study hard for another three years. Since only a few could pass the exams on their first attempt, Gan's father, upon receiving the letter, didn't scold him much. Seeing his son's strong desire to stay and study, he naturally agreed. He personally wrote a letter, which was sent to Gan along with a shipload of betrothal gifts. The letter stated that Gan Twelve would have no one to care for him while studying in Lin'an, and suggested that he first take Cheng San Niang back to Quanzhou to get married, and then the couple could return to Lin'an together.

Gan Shier held the letter, beaming with joy. He first sent it to Master Cheng and Madam Qian, then to Cheng Mutian and Xiaoyuan, and finally asked Acai to send it to Cheng Sanniang as well. Xiaoyuan laughed and scolded, "Are you crazy with joy? Are you afraid others won't know you're getting married?" Gan Shier shook his head repeatedly, "I'll get married sooner or later. It's not for this reason. Didn't you see what my father said in his letter? He's allowing me to stay in Lin'an for a long time."

Xiao Yuan took the letter and read it again, then asked in surprise, "It clearly only granted you three years, could there be a secret letter?" Gan Shier patted his chest and said, "Passing the imperial examination is difficult, but failing is easy. As long as the exam starts, I'll fail, and that means I'll stay indefinitely."

With Gan Shier around, there was much more laughter. Xiao Yuan adjusted the hairpin in her hair and went to discuss Cheng San Niang's dowry with Madam Qian. Madam Qian was puzzled: "What's there to discuss? Just prepare a dowry list based on Sister Cheng's dowry list, isn't that enough?" Sister Cheng was Master Cheng's darling, while Cheng San Niang was a neglected weed. How could these two sisters be compared? Xiao Yuan carefully replied: "Master originally thought that San Niang was going to live in Quanzhou, so he only had some furniture made. Now that they are married and will be coming back, shouldn't we prepare more dowry?" In fact, the furniture was made from fir wood that she had dragged down from the mountain. Master Cheng hadn't contributed a single penny to Cheng San Niang's dowry, nor did he want to.

In the Song Dynasty, people would go bankrupt to marry off their daughters. It was probably extremely rare for someone like Master Cheng to only give furniture as part of the dowry. Madam Qian felt sorry for Cheng San Niang and sighed, "Although the cedar furniture is quite valuable, it's still not presentable. I've been her mother for a few days, so I'll add some to her dowry." Xiao Tongqian brought over a money box, and Madam Qian didn't even count it before giving it to Xiao Yuan: "Take this and buy something for San Niangzi. If she really only brings a few pieces of furniture with her when she gets married, I'll be too embarrassed to go out."

Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "How much is in here, Mother? Aren't you going to count it?" Madam Qian laughed, "Who cares how much it is? I care about everything, but I don't care about money. You can't take it with you when you die." Little Copper Coin also laughed, "If you exchange the coins inside for iron coins, it's probably either twenty or thirty thousand. If it's not enough, come and get more." Master Cheng had long regarded this money as his own. If he knew that so much was being used to prepare a dowry for Third Sister Cheng, he would probably be furious. Xiao Yuan hesitated and asked, "Isn't this a bit too much?" Little Copper Coin said, "Our Madam gave ten thousand for Thirteenth Sister's dowry. Isn't Third Sister even closer to her?"

When Master Cheng returned from his study, he happened to hear this and stormed in to question Madam Qian: "You actually took our family's money to subsidize your niece?"

Chapter 101 Envelope

When her father and mother-in-law started arguing, Xiaoyuan's first instinct was to run away. But as soon as she lifted her long skirt, she heard Madam Qian protesting, "Thirteenth Sister is not only my niece now, but also my daughter-in-law's second sister-in-law. Even if I don't care about my own family, I have to consider my daughter-in-law's family."

With just one sentence, her daughter-in-law was dragged into the mess as well. Xiao Yuan slowly hid by the door, not daring to move any further, and helplessly rubbed her forehead. Following Madam Qian's gaze, Master Cheng looked at Xiao Yuan and asked, "Daughter-in-law, did you also add to Qian Shisan Niang's dowry?"

Xiao Yuan quickly stood up straight and replied, "How could we not give a dowry for my second brother's wedding? I had Erlang bring a whole box of toys from our toy store." Master Cheng nodded in satisfaction and let her go, but still went to scold Madam Qian: "Is your niece from your maternal family closer to you or your second sister-in-law? Even your wife knows that we should only send a box of toys, but you actually took out ten thousand strings of cash, ten thousand strings of cash!"

Ayun quietly tugged at Xiaoyuan's sleeve: "Young Madam, there's nothing more for us to do, let's go." Xiaoyuan also desperately wanted to escape the "battle" to avoid being caught in the crossfire, but when she thought of Cheng Sanniang, she couldn't move her feet: "Poor Sanniang, if she doesn't have a good dowry, not only the Gan family, but even our own relatives will look down on her." Ayun stamped her foot: "So Young Madam is doing this for Sanniang, what's so difficult about that? Call my eldest sister over."

Xiao Yuan chuckled and tapped her head: "With Cai Lian gone, you're a bit more clever than usual." Having received her permission, A Yun ran to the door and told the servant to go to the Jin family to fetch Sister Cheng. Sister Cheng was a doting sister and favored by Master Cheng; she would surely be able to secure a dowry for Third Sister Cheng. Relieved, Xiao Yuan lifted her skirt with one hand and supported A Cai with the other, quietly slipping back while the two elders were arguing heatedly, to await news from Sister Cheng.

Before long, a grand procession of carriages arrived at the Cheng family's gate. Cheng's eldest sister jumped down from the lead sedan chair, a four-person sedan chair, and directed the servants to move the many trunks and boxes from the carriage into Madam Qian's courtyard. Master Cheng, exhausted from arguing with Madam Qian, was drinking tea to soothe his throat when he suddenly saw so many trunks and boxes being brought in. He cursed Madam Qian in a hoarse voice, "So you acted first and informed me later! The dowry was already prepared before I even knew!" He then rushed into the courtyard and loudly ordered the servants to take the dowry away and return it.

As the servants put down the last box and tossed down a handful of reward money, Sister Cheng stepped forward and said, "Father, since you have no money to prepare a dowry for Third Sister, then take mine." Master Cheng was startled and went forward to examine it closely. Sure enough, there was the character "Cheng" that he had personally carved on the bottom of the box years ago.

When Sister Cheng got married, Master Cheng pitied her for losing her birth mother, so he not only gave her half of his family fortune, but also personally checked every single stitch and thread. Now, seeing her bring back his hard work exactly as it was, he felt a pang of heartache and said angrily, "Nonsense! It's not that I didn't want to prepare a dowry for Third Sister, but with prices soaring these days, I didn't want to waste money, so I kept it simple. Besides, no matter how much dowry I prepared for her, she couldn't take it to Quanzhou, so why waste money and effort?"

Madam Qian knew that Third Sister Cheng would still be living in Lin'an after her marriage, but she was willing to pay for it but not to take the lead, so she kept quiet. Eldest Sister Cheng, however, was unaware of this and thought that Master Cheng's words made sense. She went forward to apologize and had her dowry transported back in a grand procession.

She saw the convoy off. Still somewhat resentful, she came to find Xiaoyuan. She said, "Since she's marrying far away, it's alright if her dowry is meager. We, as her elder sister and sister-in-law, can each contribute some money to help her."

As expected, her mother-in-law cared about everything except money. Xiao Yuan chuckled softly, "Didn't your stepmother tell you? Gan Shier received a letter from home. Master Gan allowed him to stay in Lin'an with his wife to study?"

Cheng San Niang was going to stay in Lin'an to make a living? Sister Cheng felt like she'd been tricked by her father and stepmother. She slammed her hand on the table and stood up, determined to confront them. Xiao Yuan advised her, "Your stepmother is willing to give you her dowry money. You just need to persuade your father."

Sister Cheng had never failed to get anything from Master Cheng before. She nodded and went to find him again. Unexpectedly, Master Cheng, who always indulged her, refused to budge on this matter. He only said, "The money must be left for Brother Wu." Sister Cheng was so angry that she smashed his room to pieces: "Even Fourth Sister doesn't care about this little bit of money. Yet you insist on leaving it for him!" To appease his eldest daughter, Master Cheng had Madam Qian bring a string of cash and gave it to Sister Cheng, coaxing her, "My dear girl, take this money and buy a tulip-dyed yellow skirt. Don't argue with your father. Your sister is married off, and we're from two different families. Why bother with all this?"

Sister Cheng, holding the money, was both amused and exasperated. She returned to the small round room and described her argument with Master Cheng to Xiao Yuan. Upon hearing Master Cheng mention Brother Wu, Xiao Yuan smiled bitterly, "Father keeps saying it's for my son's sake. Then I'd better avoid him." Sister Cheng pointed to the hanging money on the table and also smiled bitterly, "It's as if I'm using this as an excuse to ask for money. I dare not go there again."

The two women exchanged a bitter smile. They were both helpless against the miserly Master Cheng. Sister Cheng couldn't help Third Sister Cheng either. Then she remembered Madam Qian and complained, "My stepmother is really not kind. She knew Third Sister was going to stay in Lin'an but didn't tell me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have moved my dowry back."

Xiao Yuan tried to comfort her, saying, "She's doing quite well; not many stepmothers are willing to use their own dowry to add to their stepdaughter's bedding." Sister Cheng replied, "Her money, the Qian family's land and money, are truly things you can't take with you when you die. Naturally, she has to spend it all while she's still alive." Xiao Yuan quickly asked what this meant, and Sister Cheng patiently explained. It turned out that in the Song Dynasty, there were two ways to manage the inheritance of a family without heirs: one was "establishing an heir," meaning if Old Master Qian died before Madam Xin, the heir would be adopted from within the clan.

The first option is to have a son adopted by Madam Xin; the second option is "by mandate," meaning that if both Mr. Qian and his wife pass away, they will still have to adopt a son, but he will be placed under the name of an elder relative.

Xiao Yuan, having gained some new insights, asked, "So, whether they like it or not, they have to adopt a son to inherit the family property. Then why did Madam Xin send Qian Shisan Niang's parents back when they came to Lin'an clamoring for adoption?"

Sister Cheng laughed and said, "You seem quite capable at managing the household, yet you're completely ignorant of these principles." It turns out that an adopted son cannot inherit the entire family property, and a daughter without a lineage also has inheritance rights. This is divided into two situations: an unmarried virgin can inherit three-quarters, and a stepson can inherit one-quarter; if the daughter without a lineage has married, the family property must be divided into three parts, one-tenth goes to the married daughter, one-tenth goes to the stepson, and the remaining one-tenth is confiscated by the government.

After listening to her explanation, Xiao Yuan felt enlightened and secretly admired the wisdom of the Qian family. Madam Qian's huge dowry seemed to be for the sake of appearances, but in reality it was for the transfer of assets. The Qian family's lax spending was not due to family tradition, but rather because they did not want to leave money to their stepson.

She only understood these principles now, but Sister Cheng had already figured them out long ago. She said, "Now do you know why Madam Xin sent Qian Shisan Niang's parents back? The two of them wanted to spend all their money quickly, and use the rest to support their daughter, leaving her as an empty shell for the clan to adopt."

Xiao Yuan repeatedly said she "learned a lot," but these were just other people's family affairs, and she could only listen to them as gossip. After listening, she still had to discuss the dowry of Cheng San Niang with Sister Cheng. Sister Cheng was favored by Master Cheng and was also a married daughter, so she acted without restraint and insisted on bringing the dowry directly. Xiao Yuan, however, was still going to be someone's daughter-in-law and could not openly go against her father-in-law. So she secretly took out a share of the toy store's shares, secretly handed the deed to Cheng San Niang, and told her not to make a fuss.

Madam Qian loved to add flowers to brocade but was unwilling to help in times of need. After being scolded by Master Cheng, she became timid and hesitant, pretending not to know anything and not asking a single question about her stepdaughter's marriage.

Every time Cheng San Niang went to the main hall to pay her respects, she would go to the small round room and cry: "Sister-in-law, it's not that I'm greedy, it's just that in our Great Song Dynasty, when a daughter gets married, there's an unwritten rule that the groom's family has to give back an even larger dowry. If my dowry is less than the dowry, I might as well end my life with a white silk ribbon."

Xiaoyuan wanted to help her sister-in-law, but unfortunately, her dowry shops were only enough to make a good impression; the actual money she received wasn't much. Sixty percent of the shares in the cake shop and cotton bag shop went to Aunt Chen; the toy shop's shares were split equally between Sister Cheng and Aunt Chen; and while off-season vegetables could earn some money each year, it only lasted a few months. Looking at the damp handkerchief in Cheng Sanniang's hand, she said, "How about I give you an extra ten percent of the toy shop's shares?" Cheng Sanniang quickly shook her head: "No, that's impossible. All the relatives only took ten percent; I didn't contribute anything, how can I take more?"

Everyone said they were from a wealthy and powerful family at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. Who would have thought they would have such a bitter time? They were not as good as those from humble families who, although they had no money, were willing to spend all their wealth to dote on their daughter.

Sister Cheng was not good with her words. The fact that Master Cheng only gave Third Sister Cheng a few pieces of cedar furniture as part of her dowry spread from her to all the relatives. Even Gan Twelve knew the news and ran to Xiao Yuan, beating his chest and stamping his feet: "If I had known that I would make things so difficult for her, I would have kept half of the dowry a secret."

Cheng Mutian scolded, "Nonsense! The dowry is her face, but isn't the betrothal gift also important?" Xiao Yuan glanced at him secretly. Back then, she had secretly complained that he had chosen so many betrothal gifts to benefit his stepmother. It turned out that he was doing it to save face for his wife.

Gan Shier regretted his actions in front of his future brother-in-law, but it didn't solve the problem. So he secretly borrowed several thousand strings of cash from him. He used half of the cash to buy jewelry and clothes, and packed the other half into several boxes. He then brought the boxes to Xiao Yuan under the cover of night, saying, "Sister-in-law, the practice of 'dangguo' has existed since ancient times. I'll do it once. I beg you not to tell San Niangzi."

What is "dowry"? It refers to a situation where the bride's family is poor or both parents have passed away and they are unable to afford a dowry. In such cases, the groom's family would provide additional money during the betrothal ceremony to serve as the bride's dowry, so that she would not be ridiculed by others for having a meager dowry when she gets married.

She was a young lady from a wealthy family living at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, yet she ended up in such a sorry state. Xiao Yuan felt a pang of sadness and almost shed tears for her. She quickly used the excuse of checking her dressing case to dab her eyes with a handkerchief.

Chapter 102 Third Sister's Marriage

The "baggage" from Twelve was a great help, saving face for Cheng San Niang. The ten trunks from Sister Zai, the ten percent of the toy shop from Xiao Yuan, and the cedar furniture together barely made up a decent dowry.

Xiao Yuan had been busy for her sister-in-law for several days and finally had a chance to rest. She took the cake that Cai Lian had made and subtly inquired about her impression of Ren Qingsong, but to little avail. Cheng Mutian laughed at her for being too impatient: "When the time is right, Ren Wu will naturally come to pay the betrothal gifts for his son. Does it have to be a private vow of eternal love first?" This is the difference between love in ancient and modern times. Xiao Yuan smiled self-deprecatingly and put the matter aside.

Cheng Mutian also took a piece of cake and coaxed Wu Ge to call him "Daddy." Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "He's still so young, you're being too hasty." Cheng Mutian handed his son to Sister-in-law Yu and told the servants to go out and play with Wu Ge. He walked to the table where Xiao Yuan usually did the accounting, patted the abacus, and asked, "Is there one card left from the last auction?" Xiao Yuan nodded, "Yes, there are two strings left. I had someone exchange them for eight hundred coins and put them away." Cheng Mutian asked whether it was put into the public account or the private account. Xiao Yuan thought he was going to scold her and argued, "You have to follow the stupid rule of 'not keeping personal wealth while parents are alive,' but I can openly save money for myself. That money is all in my dowry."

Cheng Mutian wandered around the room, rummaging through things, before finally speaking, his face flushed, "Wife, do you have any extra money to lend me?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "So you want to borrow money. I thought you wouldn't let me save up. How much?" Cheng Mutian was very happy that his wife was so generous and held up nine fingers. Without saying a word or asking what he needed the money for, Xiao Yuan immediately opened the small box where she kept her pocket money, took out twenty-three strings of cash and gave it to him: "Take it. Exchange it for iron coins. You'll have nine strings left over."

Cheng Mutian's outstretched hand froze in mid-air as he awkwardly said, "It's not nine strings of cash, it's nine thousand strings." Xiao Yuan first smiled, "So you're a businessman, how come you don't even have nine strings? It's nine thousand strings." Then she exclaimed in surprise, "Why do you need so much money? Did you lose money in your business?" Cheng Mutian replied helplessly, "Is your husband so incompetent in your eyes? Gan Shier borrowed this from me a few days ago. I couldn't come up with that much money right away, so I borrowed nine thousand from the shop. I wanted to borrow it from you to cover the public accounts first, so that Father wouldn't have to worry about it."

Xiao Yuan smiled and said, "I didn't expect Gan Shier to be willing to borrow money for the sake of Third Sister's reputation. She's lucky. Don't make Gan Shier pay it back. Just let him work at my toy shop to pay off the debt." Cheng Mutian understood that she wanted to give the money to Gan Shier and nodded, saying, "Third Sister's reputation is the reputation of the Cheng family. Consider it an addition to her dowry." Xiao Yuan was very happy that Cheng Mutian wasn't as greedy as Master Cheng. She personally closed the door, dragged a box out from under the bed, counted out nine thousand strings of coins, and handed it to him to fill in the public accounts.

As soon as Cheng San Niang's dowry was prepared, Gan Shier couldn't wait to set off: "Go early and come back early, I don't like staying in Quanzhou." Xiao Yuan laughed at him for being in a hurry to get married and suggested that he talk to Master Cheng. Master Cheng was indifferent to his daughter Cheng San Niang, so he naturally had nothing to say. So Gan Shier asked Cheng Mutian to book a boat to Quanzhou and set off three days later on an auspicious day.

With Cheng San Niang's wedding approaching, the whole family was overjoyed, but Xiao Yuan was troubled. That day, after consummating her marriage with Cheng Mutian, she poked his bare chest outside the covers and asked, "Second Brother, San Niang is about to get married. Who will teach her about bedroom matters?" Cheng Mutian, preoccupied with catching her fidgeting hand, casually replied, "With a stepmother around, it's not your place to worry about that." Then he noticed Xiao Yuan looking at him with a half-smile and realized that his poor stepmother was still a virgin herself, not even knowing the pleasures of the bedroom, how could she possibly teach Cheng San Niang?

Regardless of who teaches, when it came to him, Cheng Mutian showed no embarrassment whatsoever, patting Xiaoyuan's face and saying, "As the eldest sister-in-law, you should teach her."

If this were her own daughter, it wouldn't be so bad, but her sister-in-law hadn't grown up with her since childhood. Even though Xiao Yuan prided herself on being generous, she didn't know how to bring it up. She glared at Cheng Mutian with great dissatisfaction and said, "It's easy for you to talk when you're not in my shoes. I can't bring myself to say those things. Eldest sister and Third Sister are closer. Why don't you let her do it?"

Cheng Mutian went back: "This isn't proper. Besides, with her loud and boisterous personality, are you sure you want to take care of her?" Teaching sexual matters has something to do with personality? Xiao Yuan couldn't figure it out for half a day. She could only attribute it to his old-fashioned mentality. She racked her brains and thought again, but couldn't find a second suitable candidate. Helpless, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it herself.

Speaking of which, Cheng San Niang is only fourteen this year. She's a year younger than Xiao Yuan when she got married. She hasn't even grown up yet, and she's already getting married. Xiao Yuan looked at her sister-in-law's slightly thin figure with great concern and said, "You've grown a bit taller than when I first came into the family. But you're still thin. I should have forced you to eat more."

Cheng San Niang was puzzled: "I'm not feeling unwell anywhere. Why eat so much? Getting fat will make people laugh." Xiao Yuan opened her mouth, unsure how to explain. Should she tell her, "You're only fourteen. Your body is too frail to withstand much strain"? Oh dear, just thinking about it made her blush. She hesitated for a long time before finally blurting out, "A strong body is good for bearing children." Embarrassed, Cheng San Niang turned and left.

She herself blushed deeply. Grabbing Third Sister's hand, she said, "Don't be angry. I'm even more embarrassed than you." Third Sister glanced over. Sure enough, her sister-in-law's face was even redder than her own. Since both of them were embarrassed, she felt a little better. Holding Xiao Yuan's hand, she softly asked, "Sister-in-law, what exactly do you want to say?"

Xiao Yuan leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Do you know what marriage is all about?" Cheng San Niang smiled, "So that's what you wanted to ask, sister-in-law. As for blushing, I already know all that." Xiao Yuan was both surprised and delighted to hear this. It turned out she was self-taught. She quickly asked what she knew. Cheng San Niang thought her sister-in-law was testing her, and confidently replied, "At home, obey your father; after marriage, obey your husband; rise early to serve your parents-in-law..." She explained the Three Obediences and Four Virtues thoroughly, almost as if she could write an article. Xiao Yuan was stunned and speechless, so speechless that she wanted to find a block of tofu to bang her head against.

Seeing that her sister-in-law's expression was getting worse, Cheng San Niang hurriedly said, "Where did I say something wrong? Please enlighten me, sister-in-law." Xiao Yuan groaned weakly, no longer caring about being shy, and locked the door tightly. She then began to explain to her in detail, starting from the physiological structure of the human body.

About half an hour later, Cheng San Niang rushed out of the small round room, her face flushed, knocking over three maids in a row. A-Yun was so startled that she exclaimed, "San Niangzi is possessed!" Xiao Yuan quickly covered her mouth and said, "San Niangzi is getting married. She's happy. Don't make such a fuss."

When Cheng Mutian learned that she had completed her sex education, he asked her to explain it to him as well. Xiaoyuan was both amused and exasperated: "You already have a son, why do you need to listen to this?" Cheng Mutian thought for a moment, then picked her up and said: "That's right, I know all of that. Let's practice it."

The couple successfully completed their practical work, and a satisfied Cheng Mutian fell into a deep sleep, while Xiao Yuan still had much to do. Since the dowry trunks couldn't be taken to Quanzhou, she made a detailed list and had Cheng San Niang take it to her parents-in-law for review. She also took a thousand strings of cash from her own savings to give to Cheng San Niang, lest she arrive at the Gan family without even a tip. Cheng San Niang, having already received a share of the toy shop for free, felt embarrassed and declined the money. Xiao Yuan advised her, "Before the wedding ceremony, you're still a member of the Cheng family. How can you use the Gan family's things along the way? You don't want to be looked down upon."

Cheng San Niang suddenly understood, and sincerely kowtowed to her, thanking her for taking on the role of mother and teaching her so much. Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Gan Shier, extremely excited, came to say goodbye, taking Cheng San Niang with him as they boarded a ship to Quanzhou to get married.

After Cheng San Niang left, there were several extra maids in the house. A Lai asked Xiao Yuan how to deal with them. Xiao Yuan thought to herself, "I can't afford to give them money as dowry, but I can afford to give them people." So she told A Lai to keep the maids and send them to Cheng San Niang when she returned.

Meanwhile, Li Wuniang and the others who participated in the auction that day heard that Xiaoyuan had married her sister-in-law and had some free time, so they planned to hold another auction. Madam Jiang was worried about not having a way to make money, and when she heard the news, she also wanted to come and have some fun. Seeing that Li Wuniang's house was too small, she set up a large hall in her own courtyard and invited many relatives and friends to participate in the auction.

That day, Xiao Yuan and Madam Qian, along with several maids, went to the He residence to show their support. They won several boxes of goods and returned to their rooms to rest. This time, Xiao Yuan also sold some items, so she asked A Cai to use an abacus to calculate how much she had earned and how much she had spent.

Just as they were having a good time, Ayun came in from outside carrying a few trinkets. She said happily, "Madam specifically called me over, saying that she just won some toys and asked me to bring them back for Brother Wu to play with. When I saw them, I realized that they were the things that our toy store sold. I was afraid she would be angry, so I was too embarrassed to say anything. I held back my laughter for a long time in front of her. It was quite a struggle."

Ayun told this as an amusing story, but Xiaoyuan pondered: Was her mother-in-law's behavior unintentional or deliberate? If it was unintentional, then so be it; but if it was deliberate, she was probably hinting to her daughter-in-law that she wanted a share of the toy store. She didn't mind giving her mother-in-law a share, but with Master Cheng's instructions in advance, she didn't want to lose her share and offend her father-in-law.

She was extremely reluctant to rack her brains for such a thing, but if she didn't figure it out, she was afraid her mother-in-law would make things difficult for her. So, during the greeting, she deliberately brought up the toy store business first. Madam Qian called over the little fourth daughter who had just learned to walk and sighed, "Master is reluctant to spend money on the dowry for the third daughter. I wonder if the one I raised will have a good dowry when she grows up."

Xiao Yuan understood. Her mother-in-law, having no hope of having a son of her own, treated Xiao Si Niang as her own daughter; her own dowry was being watched and untouchable by Master Cheng, so she had no choice but to set her sights on her daughter-in-law. Aunt Ding, unaware of Madam Qian's intentions, thought Xiao Si Niang was too young and that Madam Qian was worrying too much. Madam Qian glared at her fiercely, muttered "fool" under her breath, and chased her away.

Chapter 103 Madam Qian vs. Aunt Ding

The aunt was oblivious to romance, but Xiao Yuan was quite perceptive, saying, "Mother, don't worry about Xiao Zhuang. I'll inform Father and give her ten percent of the toy store's shares."

Madam Qian was taken aback: "That's your dowry shop. Do you need your father's permission to give away shares?" Xiao Yuan smiled and said: "Filial piety comes first in everything. A daughter-in-law always informs her father before doing anything. Otherwise, why didn't you say anything when I gave two shares to a relative?"

The reason why Master Cheng turned a blind eye to his daughter-in-law giving shares to his birth mother was entirely because his most beloved eldest sister, Cheng, also benefited. Madam Qian was not stupid; after a little thought, she understood that Xiao Yuan wanted to give money to her birth mother, using Cheng as a pretext, and it had nothing to do with filial piety towards her father-in-law.

She understood all the ins and outs, but dared not ask any more questions, lest Xiao Yuan retort with "If you don't believe me, go ask your father," and she would truly be asking for trouble.

She had been planning for many days and going through many twists and turns to get the shares today. She used toys to hint at things and words to give advice, but she never expected that her daughter-in-law would be more effective at deflecting her anger by bringing up Mr. Cheng.

Seeing her lower her head and speak, Xiao Yuan added, "It just so happens that I haven't paid my respects to my father yet. Why don't we go and talk to him now and give Xiao Si Niang a ten percent share of the toy store?"

How could Madam Qian dare to let Master Cheng know about this? She hurriedly waved her hand and said, "I appreciate my daughter-in-law's kindness, but Fourth Miss is still young, there's no rush."

The mother-in-law was indeed clever. She had clearly asked for the shares, but she deliberately didn't say so. When they arrived, she even claimed it was her daughter-in-law's "kindness." In this way, the matter had nothing to do with her, and she wasn't afraid even if someone complained to Master Cheng. Xiao Yuan sincerely admired her in her heart, got up, took her leave, and withdrew from the battlefield.

When Cheng Mutian returned from his boxing match with Master Cheng, he noticed his wife's unpleasant expression and quietly asked, "Did your stepmother make things difficult for you?" In the past, being a man of filial piety and propriety, he would never have asked such a question. However, ever since Madam Qian tried to force Ji Liu Niang into his room, he had developed some resentment towards his stepmother. Xiao Yuan knew that it wouldn't matter if she spoke ill of Madam Qian in front of her husband, so she confidently replied, "My stepmother's words implied that I should give Xiao Si Niang a tenth of the toy store's shares as her dowry."

Cheng Mutian's face darkened: "With all the elders still alive, should we be worrying about Fourth Sister's dowry? At most, we can send a few gifts to add to the dowry." Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Actually, I also gave Third Sister a ten percent share of the toy store." Cheng Mutian said, "When we were on the mountain the year before last, she helped us a lot by tipping us off, and she also kept an eye on Aunt Ding for you at home. She also put in a lot of effort in the matter of Qian Shisan Niang and Ji Liu Niang. It's only right that you give her a ten percent share to thank her."

Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "My mother-in-law doesn't know this. If she knew that I gave shares to Third Sister but not Fourth Sister, she would tear me apart." Cheng Mutian said, "We don't care about her dowry. But don't even think about taking anything from you. If your dowry is all gone, Father will definitely be angry with you."

They were childhood sweethearts, after all. Their thoughts were pretty much the same. Xiaoyuan smiled at him, saw him off to the dock, and then went back to her room to do her chores.

Now, let's talk about Madam Qian. She had clashed with her daughter-in-law many times, and had never won. Furious, she locked herself in her room and found a pretext to berate Aunt Ding. Aunt Ding was already used to her gentle demeanor outside the door, but her fierce and glaring manner behind closed doors. She silently waited for Madam Qian to tire herself out. Then, she went to Master Cheng's study and complained, "Fourth Miss is only a little over a year old, and Madam is already worrying about her dowry. She's really busy with nothing. If she's going to worry, fine, but if she doesn't get any money, she takes it out on me."

She was someone who had wronged Master Cheng. How dare she complain about his first wife to him? It turned out that ever since Master Cheng learned that Madam Qian had secretly used her dowry money to add to her niece's dowry, he had been disliking her. With the first wife "out of favor," Concubine Ding seized the opportunity. Using all her charms and some helpful items, she managed to keep Master Cheng sleeping in her room for several nights.

With this connection established, and given that Master Cheng, suffering from a hidden illness, relied heavily on Consort Ding's "methods," he inevitably showed her some favor. He inquired with concern what had upset her. Consort Ding replied, "She was afraid I'd hear, so she chased me out. Luckily, I'm quick-witted; I pressed my ear to the door and overheard a little bit. It seemed she was asking the young mistress for some shares as part of Fourth Miss's dowry." Having regained Master Cheng's favor, she desperately wanted Fourth Miss to be closer to her, and thus couldn't bear to see Madam Qian treat Fourth Miss well. She added, "In my opinion, she's not really asking for Fourth Miss's dowry; she's probably more concerned with herself. With Master Cheng here, is Fourth Miss worried about not having a good dowry in the future?"