Lady Zhou glanced at her younger sister. An Chang'e understood the cue and smiled sweetly. "Following the old tradition: one pair each of gold bracelets, gold bangles, and gold pendants. For the eight-color gifts, twenty bolts each of silk, satin, brocade, and gauze; ten jade pieces; twenty jars of ceremonial wine; twenty trays of wedding cakes; and one pair each of goat and wild goose."
Yan Liangrong asked, "What about the betrothal money and the land?"
Lady Zhou's smile didn't fade, but her tone sharpened like a needle hidden in silk. "Between a man and a woman, what matters is mutual consent. Most importantly, once they marry, they become family. In a family, those with money contribute money, those with strength contribute strength, and running a thriving household is what truly counts. Don't you agree, Mrs. Zheng?"
The meaning was clear: not a single coin more beyond the basic betrothal gifts.
An Chang'e chimed in, "Sister, back when Eldest Miss Yan married Lord Zheng, she understood his poverty, valued only his heart, not his wealth, and asked for little betrothal money. Now, who doesn't praise them as a perfect match in the capital, their marriage harmonious and enviable? Mrs. Zheng should best understand that reasoning."
Yan Liangrong was trying to defend her own daughter, but others had reopened an old wound. Chen Meirong felt she had to restore Yan Liangrong's face, so she immediately spoke in a syrupy tone. "How wonderful. I hear Sister Chang'e's daughter is currently negotiating a marriage with—was it the son of the Vice Minister of Rites? Tomorrow, I'll send over a visiting card, pay them a visit, and pass along that same reasoning."
"Auntie, what good is it to gossip behind people's backs?" Yan Tongshu spoke unhurriedly, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. "Lady Zhou makes a good point. When love is real, even water can fill a man. Wealth doesn't matter."
Chen Meirong wasn't pleased. She widened her eyes and shot Yan Tongshu an agitated look, silently scolding: What's gotten into you today? Taking the outsider's side and undermining your own aunt?
Yan Tongshu gave her a steadying glance, then suddenly changed his tone. "If the betrothal gifts aren't enough, our Yan family can still make up for it. How about this: we'll supplement the three golds and eight colors to make it six golds and sixteen colors, and welcome Young Master Zhou into our family in a grand, honorable manner. What do you say?"
Chen Meirong brightened immediately. "Great! I'll have my husband throw in some more—an extra twenty acres of prime land, so the young couple can collect rent and never worry about food or clothing."
Lady Zhou's face instantly darkened, twisting into an ugly expression.
Yan Tongshu held a third-rank official post, so she dared not scold him. Instead, she turned on Chen Meirong. "Chen Meirong, you are impossibly vulgar."
Chen Meirong rolled her eyes dramatically.
Lady Zhou was about to lose her temper further when Lady Yan spoke slowly, maintaining a composed smile. "Lady Zhou, mind your manners."
Yan Liangyu couldn't bear it anymore and was about to stand up and shout that she wouldn't marry at all. But Yan Liangrong grabbed her quickly and whispered, "Listen to Mother. Don't act rashly."
Yan Liangyu's body stiffened, and she slumped back down.
She bit her lower lip hard, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, dripping onto the back of her hand with soft pats.
She sat rigidly, feeling like a piece of meat on a chopping block, being weighed, scrutinized, and haggled for a good price.
Seeing Yan Liangyu in tears, Zhou Zhengxun panicked and could no longer hold back. He blurted out urgently, "Mother, I know our family is short on money. I still have two shops from my grandfather, and I can offer them all as betrothal gifts to Liangyu."
Then he turned to Lady Yan, bowed deeply, and said with earnest sincerity, "Please grant this, Lady Yan."
Lady Zhou shot Zhou Zhengxun a sharp glare, as if cursing him: Worthless son, falling for a woman at the first sign of tears.
Seeing the situation circle back to the starting point—two young people in love, two families at odds—Lady Yan sighed, as if resigned to fate, and spoke. "Since the young gentleman is so sincere, our Yan family will double the terms: double the three golds and the two shops, plus an additional dowry of one hundred bolts of silk, two sets of rosewood furniture, twenty outfits for each season, ten sets of silk bedding, several servants, and three thousand strings of cash as bottom-of-the-chest money. Lady Zhou, what do you think?"
Lady Zhou smiled. "Most generous, Lady Yan. I'm quite satisfied."
"Then," Lady Yan continued, "let us set the wedding date..."
"Hold on," Lady Zhou interrupted suddenly.
Lady Yan asked, "Have we overlooked something?"
Lady Zhou sipped her tea unhurriedly and exchanged a glance with An Chang'e. An Chang'e immediately understood and smiled as she replied, "Zhengxun is currently waiting for a government appointment and needs to grease a few palms."
Yan Tongshu lifted his eyes and looked between Lady Zhou and An Chang'e.
The blade was finally drawn from the sheath.
The dowry Lady Yan had offered was generous—far more than what Yan Liangrong had received back in the day. But it was calculated.
The shops were doubled only because Zhou Zhengxun had offered his two properties. The rest were all personal items for Yan Liangyu. The actual cash wasn't much—about one year's salary of the late Master Yan.
The shops were registered under the Yan name. Even if given to Yan Liangyu, they were bound by a three-year transfer restriction, so she wouldn't fully own them until three years later. In the short term, she could only collect profits, not the deeds.
This was the standing rule—protecting a new bride's dowry from being misappropriated by her husband's family.
In other words, the Zhou family couldn't get their hands on Yan Liangyu's shops or force her to sell them.
As for the clothes, silks, and furniture—selling them would take time, and selling precious fabrics in the capital would be obvious and shameful.
The only money the Zhou family could touch was the three thousand strings.
Clearly, that was far too little to grease the wheels for Zhou Zhengxun's appointment.
An Chang'e said, "The legal mother has given her dowry. Shouldn't the birth mother contribute too?"
She looked at Chen Meirong. "What do you say, Mrs. Qian? Your husband is the big boss of a silk and satin shop, so surely he won't shortchange his own stepdaughter.
"I think they've already given plenty of shop deeds, clothing, and furniture. Why not give Liangyu a bit more cash? In the end, when Liangyu and Zhengxun join forces, Zhengxun's career will soar, and Liangyu might even earn herself the title of a noble lady."
Your Zhou family has never produced a noble lady, and now you're dangling that title as bait?
Chen Meirong's inner self nearly rolled its eyes out of her head, but she held back.
All right.
After all, if Zhou Zhengxun married Liangyu, he would be her son-in-law. A son-in-law was half a son. Even if she did shell out money to grease his path, it would benefit her Zhou family—and her daughter would reap the rewards.
Suppressing her resentment, Chen Meirong said, "I'll go back and discuss it with my husband."
Lady Zhou smiled. "What's there to discuss? Everyone knows Boss Qian dotes on Mrs. Qian dearly..."
Her gaze traveled over Chen Meirong's dazzling display of wealth. "I think, as Mrs. Qian just suggested, twenty acres of farmland, plus the silk shop on the east end, and ten thousand strings of cash—that should do nicely."
Chen Meirong gasped. "Ten thousand strings means ten thousand taels of silver. Do you think I'm a bottomless money pouch...?"
And the silk shop on the east end was the Qian family's most profitable establishment.
The Zhou family's two shops brought in little and spent much—heaven knows if they even turned a profit. And they dared to ask for the Qian family's goose that laid golden eggs?
Chen Meirong gritted her teeth and swallowed the curse words she wanted to say.
Yan Tongshu couldn't help but shoot the Zhou family a sideways glare.
So, the Zhou family was planning to pay not a single coin and leave all the bribery money for Zhou Zhengxun's promotion to be covered by the Yan family and Boss Qian. What a well-calculated scheme they had.
Lady Yan spoke up: "Lady Zhou, ten thousand strings of coins is too much to ask."
Lady Zhou replied: "Then eight thousand strings."
Lady Zhou waved her hand grandly, as if she had made a huge concession.
Chen Meirong was furious: "You—"
Lady Yan signaled Yan Tongshu to hold her back, and said, "Lady Zhou, our two families have known each other for many years."
Lady Zhou lifted her eyelids and looked at Lady Yan.
Lady Yan softened her voice as much as possible: "Back when my husband was alive, you and Lord Zhou often came to visit the Yan residence, and I always treated you with courtesy. At that time, Lord Zhou and my husband were quite close, calling each other brothers, and my husband even recommended Lord Zhou. Otherwise, Lord Zhou would still be just a seventh-rank civil official today."
Lady Yan spoke kindly to Lady Zhou, recalling their past friendship and history: "The Zhou family has been rising fiercely in recent years, always moving upward. My son Tongshu is now a third-rank official as well, so it could be said that our families are of equal standing."
Lady Zhou smiled and said: "Lady Yan is right. Back then, my husband truly benefited from Lord Yan's patronage. But I'm saying this for the sake of our children. Tongshu works at the Xianlin Hall; if no one gives him a push, how can he get out?
Once Liangyu marries into the family, the Yan and Zhou clans will be one household, meant to help and support each other. If you give in a little now and provide Liangyu with a larger dowry, isn't that also seeking a return in the future?"
No matter how nicely Lady Yan spoke, Lady Zhou refused to budge, and the two sides were at a stalemate.
The tears on Yan Liangyu's face had already dried, and her entire body was trembling.
Yan Liangrong held her in her arms, gently comforting her.
Lady Yan watched, her heart aching deeply, and finally lowered her posture even more: "Lady Zhou, back when we accompanied the late Empress to the Western Mountain Temple for prayers, you had a fall, and I twisted my foot trying to help you. It hurt for three days. Do you still remember that? Could you, for the sake of that incident, give your sister some face? I'm begging you as a sister."
Lady Zhou laughed it off: "Oh, that was so many years ago. Lady Yan, tomorrow I'll send my doctor over with a few more doses of medicine for you."
