Su Xian did not push the door open. Instead, she turned to Duoduo.
With a gentle smile, she said, “Duoduo, why don’t you open it yourself?”
Duoduo hesitated for a moment. From the look in Su Xian’s eyes, she could see the encouragement there.
Truthfully, Duoduo was a little curious too.
She raised her hand and gave the door a gentle push.
With a creak, it swung open.
Duoduo’s gaze was immediately drawn to everything inside.
The room was filled with shelves of all different heights, and every shelf was piled with things.
She looked at Su Xian in disbelief. “Mother, are all these for me?”
Su Xian nodded with a tender smile. “Of course!”
“Some of these were prepared by your father, and some were arranged by me.”
“From now on, we’ll prepare new things for you every year, all the way until the day you marry.”
Su Xian took Duoduo by the hand and led her inside.
“Look, this is the finest sandalwood. Your father found it himself.”
“When the time comes, we’ll use it to make your canopy bed. It will be beautiful and sturdy.”
“Your father said we should keep it for now and see whether we can find even better wood.”
“He isn’t very satisfied with this piece.”
“He said that if we find something better later, we can use this to make a dowry chamber pot instead.”
As she spoke, Su Xian covered her mouth with her hand and laughed.
“Tell me, what family uses sandalwood to make a chamber pot?”
Duoduo slowly made her way along the rows of shelves.
She was too short to see what was on the highest shelves.
Still, she could see that they were covered with all kinds of jade ornaments.
On the level within her reach were all sorts of jade jewelry—bracelets, pendants, rings, earrings…
The pieces came in a wide variety of styles, and every one of them was exquisitely made.
At a glance, it was obvious that her father had commissioned skilled craftsmen to carve them with great care.
Besides the jade, there were also all kinds of gold ornaments, each arranged in complete matching sets.
The styles were the latest as well.
Following Duoduo’s gaze, Su Xian smiled, her lips curving upward.
“These are the things I prepared for you. I think these styles are nice enough that they won’t go out of fashion in the next few years, so I had some prepared ahead of time.”
“When you marry, if the styles are no longer fashionable, you can keep them to reward people or give them as gifts.”
“When the time comes, I’ll prepare new ones for you!”
Duoduo’s gaze came to rest on a small box.
She rose onto her tiptoes and took it down.
When Su Xian saw the box, a smile appeared on her face.
“Your father had this made especially for you. He said you were sure to like it!”
Duoduo looked at what was inside, her eyes shining.
It was a complete set of gold acupuncture needles.
There were large and small needles, thick and fine ones, long and short ones, arranged in two layers.
The more Duoduo looked at them, the more she liked them.
“Mother, can I take these with me?”
Su Xian covered her mouth, her eyes crinkling with laughter.
“What? After I prepared so many things for you, you don’t like any of them?” she asked, deliberately pretending to be displeased.
Seeing the teasing look on her mother’s face, Duoduo felt a little embarrassed.
“Mother, I like everything!”
Su Xian deliberately shook her head, her expression stern. “I certainly haven’t seen that.”
“Look, I prepared a complete set of embroidery tools for you. They aren’t made of gold, but I still haven’t heard you ask to take them with you.”
She took a small box from the shelf above and opened it.
Sure enough, inside was a complete set of embroidery tools.
There were not only embroidery needles, but also a pair of petite, exquisitely crafted scissors and a gold thimble…
Duoduo stared at the things in Su Xian’s hands, her expression conflicted.
Her embroidery skills were merely passable.
But she did not like embroidery at all!
How had her mother thought to prepare this for her?
And why have it made of gold?
Seeing the struggle in Duoduo’s eyes, Su Xian burst out laughing.
“You silly girl!”
“Every young woman must have a set of embroidery tools prepared.”
“Your set is only for show! You aren’t actually expected to use it!”
“Look, even this embroidery frame is made of gold.”
“This is to guard against the possibility that your future husband might treat you badly. If that happens, all these things can be melted down and used.”
Only then did Duoduo understand.
From Su Xian’s words, she had already grasped the meaning of a dowry.
It was meant to provide for every aspect of a woman’s life—from eating, drinking, and sleeping to the day she grew old and died. Her family would prepare everything for her.
Even the dowry chamber pots came in all sorts of sizes, and there were many of them.
There would be enough to last her until her hair had turned completely white.
That was why a woman’s dowry was the foundation of her standing in life.
As long as the woman herself did not agree, her husband’s family could not touch a single item.
Even in the event of a divorce, she was allowed to take all her dowry with her.
Duoduo looked around the room. It was already nearly full.
According to what Su Xian had said, by the time she married, several rooms might be packed full.
How much money and effort would that take?
An indescribable feeling welled up inside Duoduo.
She moved closer to Su Xian, raised her arms around her mother’s waist, and buried her face against her chest.
Su Xian stroked Duoduo’s hair.
“What’s wrong?”
Duoduo sniffed, then lifted her head and gave Su Xian a radiant smile.
“Mother, has the entire princely residence been emptied out for me?”
Su Xian was amused. She cupped Duoduo’s face and saw that the corners of her eyes were slightly red.
“Don’t worry. Your father said that the entire princely residence belongs to you.”
Duoduo gently stroked Su Xian’s belly. “What about Little Brother, then?”
“Didn’t you say you would raise him?” Su Xian teased.
Duoduo nodded emphatically.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I keep my word!”
“I’ll be responsible for all of Little Brother’s expenses.”
Su Xian smiled and nodded.
“Good!”
Duoduo let go of Su Xian and looked around once more.
“Mother, I remember you saying that Father wanted me to take a husband into the family.”
“If I do that, then I won’t need all this dowry, will I?”
Su Xian froze for a moment.
“Technically speaking, no.”
Duoduo took Su Xian’s hand. “Then do Father and Mother want to marry me off?”
Su Xian stared at Duoduo. After a moment, she laughed.
“You little rascal! So this is where you were trying to lead me!”
“How could your father and I want to marry you off?”
“You’re still young. Once you grow up, your thoughts may change.”
“What if you fall for someone one day and insist on going with him? We couldn’t possibly tear two lovers apart, could we?”
“A girl’s dowry is prepared from the time she is young.”
“Fine wood for furniture cannot be found overnight.”
“That’s why these things have to be prepared in advance.”
“When you grow up, you can do whatever you want!”
A glimmer of light flashed through Duoduo’s eyes as she looked at Su Xian.
She hugged Su Xian around the waist again and rubbed against her affectionately.
“Thank you, Mother! And Father too!”
Su Xian smiled and gently patted Duoduo’s head.
“Silly child, we’re family. There’s no need to say thank you.”
Su Xian did not know that a certain plan in Duoduo’s heart had already begun to change.
