Chapter 56

In the eyes of wealthy families, it's just a matter of marrying off a distant relative and the betrothal gifts are nothing special. But for the Song family, they thought they were already considered wealthy, yet for those wealthy families, it was just the same.

The list of betrothal gifts alone included two pairs of pure gold and gemstone headpieces, fifty acres of good farmland, two hundred acres of mountainous land, six pieces of fine cloth in six different colors, six pieces of fine silk in six different colors, six pieces of brocade in six different colors, six celadon vases, a pair of double-sided embroidered screens, a pair of eight-panel screens, and two shops in the county town.

In addition, there were five hundred taels of silver notes given separately, with the messenger saying it was for the third Miss to prepare her dowry.

Song Dingxiang looked at the silver notes for a moment, then returned them to the messenger, saying with a smile, "After all, we are marrying off our own daughter, we can't let the groom's family spend money. Don't worry about the dowry, although it may not be as extravagant as what you prepared for Master Li, it will certainly not be embarrassing."

The messenger hurriedly replied, "It's not that, it's just that these betrothal gifts are the usual amount from our hometown, the master and madam were concerned about the burden on the third Miss's family, so..."

Song Dingxiang smiled, "We understand this situation, but marrying off a daughter is indeed a big event, and we won't cut corners. Please rest assured Master and Madam."

Seeing that Song Dingxiang refused to accept the silver notes, the messenger put them away and went back to report.

Zhang shi leaned against the wall and said, "This is truly a heavy burden, how much stuff do we need for the dowry... Not to mention, just presenting one copy of that betrothal list in our village would be considered excellent. What should we do..."

She wanted to marry off her daughter in a grand manner, originally thinking it was just a distant nephew. Since he set his eyes on her daughter, it was a good thing; at worst, she could use all the silver they had saved over the years to make a pretty decent dowry.

However, after looking at the list of betrothal gifts, she felt extremely upset.

Song Zijin was also visibly nervous, saying, "Or, maybe we should just forget about it... Where does our family have so much silver..."

She was not unaware of her family's situation; it seemed prosperous with several workshops earning a good amount of money every month, but the labor costs were not insignificant, and it was all physical work. It was really difficult for them to put together an equivalent dowry.

Song Dingxiang reassured her, "It's not as difficult as it seems. We may not have much silver, but we have skills. Originally, there were six sets of bedding in the dowry, we can double it to twelve sets. Uncle can go to the village to see the new house, if it has a raised platform, we can quickly buy wood and make a set of raised beds. If it has a heated platform, we can make a good wardrobe and two good kang cabinets, a set of couches, the cost of the wood and craftsmanship will still be manageable."

Song Zhicheng nodded, "Alright, I'll go and take a look."

Li shi said, "Our family can contribute some silver to make a set of jewelry for our third daughter, but it won't be much. The majority will have to come from you all, the older siblings."

Zhang shi quickly agreed, saying, "Consider it as borrowed. I'll slowly repay it once our third daughter is married off."

Li shi nodded in satisfaction.

Song Dingxiang added, "And there's my skill in embroidery. I haven't taught it to anyone else yet, only our family knows. We can choose some fine wool thread, dye it, and embroider twelve shawls with floral gods, twelve door curtains with floral gods, twelve bed curtains with golden carps, and make twenty-six pillowcases. It will also be something of value."

Jin Qiao'er quickly said, "I can make more of these."

Bai shi said, "I'm not skilled in crocheting, but I can go to town and buy about ten small jade rings. I'll make twenty-six loops for hanging curtains, they will look nice when hung. I'll also add some ear of grain motifs, whether for hanging fans or anything else, it should work."

Zhao Di also said, "I can crochet flowers with Jin Qiao'er, we can discuss and work together to make things faster."

Qiao Liu, unwilling to be outdone, smiled and said, "I can't do much heavy work right now because of my pregnancy, so I'll embroider some handkerchiefs, buy a few silver ornaments to hang, it will look nice."

As they were discussing, Sixth Grandaunt and Fifth Grandaunt entered, arm in arm.

Fifth Grandaunt smiled and said, "I've been thinking with Sixth Grandaunt, since our Zijin is getting married, we should add some adornments. We don't want to add anything randomly and risk you not liking it, so we thought we'd ask you what you need, so we old ladies can help out."

Li shi hurriedly had the two sisters sit on the kang, and said with a smile, "Ah, we were just worrying about this matter. The other family is of good standing, but their status is a bit higher. The betrothal gifts they've given are said to be a fixed amount from their side, but it's still quite a lot for us. I want something nice but we probably can't afford something fancy... Do you have any ideas?"

Fifth Grandaunt thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we put together two boxes of silk flowers, handkerchiefs, and such. It's said that wealthy families also give gifts to others, so we can take them along to give as gifts."

These items are considered delicate ornaments for the village folks, but for wealthy families, they are just gifts to give away, not really worth much.

Li shi laughed and said, "That's a great idea, but it's taking up your time."

Sixth Grandaunt said, "What are you talking about? In the coming years, we'll still be counting on your family, won't we? Besides, we're all sisters-in-law, so there's no need for formality."

Song Dingxiang discussed with Fang shi and Song Zhiyuan, then turned back and said, "I think we should let Zijin take care of the canned goods business."

Zijin was shocked and quickly said, "No, no, second sister, the canned goods business is a big deal, I don't want it!"

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "Now that you're getting married, you need something to rely on, and I know there are plenty of fruit trees on your estate, and even the servants there buy from you. It's actually more convenient for you to make these than for us. And here, even without canned goods, we have other things we can make, so don't worry."

Qiao Liu also advised, "If I'm not in a hurry, why are you? Take it, take it, with this you won't have to worry about food and drink in the future, and you'll stand on your own two feet."

Song Dingxiang continued, "Look at my eldest sister, she has all sorts of recipes for cooking, and you have a canned goods recipe. I'm just here for the profit share, so it won't be a loss for me."

After being persuaded several times, Zijin finally nodded.

Song Dingxiang counted on her fingers and said, "Now that the dowry includes furniture, clothing, and workshops, it's not much different from the betrothal gifts. I'll write a list for everyone to see, and if it works, we'll go with that."

She wrote out the list, and everyone was reassured after looking at it. In the end, the actual cost was only around one hundred taels of silver. Song Zhiyuan paid eighty taels himself, the elders each contributed ten taels, and the same-generation relatives put in five taels each, which added up to a substantial amount.

Once everything was settled, everyone started busying themselves with the dowry. Song Zijin stopped running around and focused on embroidering her wedding dress at home. The silk for the wedding dress was a high-quality red silk bought from the county town, needing beautiful flowers embroidered on it, and even the bridal veil had to have mandarin ducks embroidered on it.

With only three months left, time was running out.

As spring passed, the weather started to get hot.

For some reason, the rain this summer was particularly abundant, causing the river in the distance to swell up, and there were no longer people fishing in the water pools. The lotus pond was almost submerged, and even the small bridge on top could barely be seen.

Song Xingyi stood at the door, looking at the water curtain outside, feeling worried and muttering to himself, "It seems like there's going to be a disaster..."

"Grandpa," Song Dingxiang walked over and said, "My dad asked if we should slaughter a few pigs? It keeps raining intermittently, and there might not be enough food for the pigs."

Song Xingyi sighed, "We can slaughter the pigs, but what about the meat? We can't preserve it in this weather, and it's a waste to eat it ourselves..."

In the pigpen, there were a few two-year-old pigs, but more of them were half-grown pigs. It would indeed be a pity to slaughter them at this time.

"Grandpa, do we still have enough food at home?" Song Dingxiang asked again.

Song Xingyi thought for a moment and said, "We have enough, but if a disaster really strikes, things might get chaotic."

Song Dingxiang whispered, "Grandpa, I'm thinking if we have floods this summer, there might be a drought in the autumn. I remember reading in my younger uncle's book that severe droughts could lead to locust plagues."

Song Xingyi nodded and said, "That makes sense. I experienced a locust plague when I was young, and the locusts ate everything in sight, causing many people to starve. At that time, your great-grandpa had the foresight to store some grain in the mountains. Though we couldn't eat our fill, at least none of us starved... Ah, I know what you're going to say."

Song Dingxiang said, "Yes, I was thinking whether we should store some grain. It would be best to buy some herbs and keep them just in case. Even if we don't need them, it would give us peace of mind."

Song Xingyi replied, "Isn't it just a month until the harvest? We still have enough food left to eat. Once this batch of grain is harvested, we won't sell it and will store it all in the mountains. Ah... Let's just hope there won't be any disasters."

The heavy rain continued for a few days, then stopped for a few days. The farmers who relied on the weather for their livelihoods ran to their fields every day, fearing that the standing water might spoil the almost ripe crops. Finally, when the wheat was ready for harvest, the skies cleared a bit, and everyone rushed into the fields to start the harvest.

Due to the fact that the ground was softened by the rain and not suitable for drying grain, many people started clearing out their own kang bed platforms at home to dry the grain. This resulted in a group of people crowding into the house, unable to enter, and having to sleep in the courtyard at night.

Most of the Song family's land had been rented out, but Song Xingyi still made trips to the fields, helping to harvest the ripe wheat wherever it was ready. After all, this was the grain, the fruit of the labor of the farmers, and any mishap was unacceptable.

The pigs at home had become thin and hungry, so Song Dingxiang and Song Zhiyuan discussed and cleaned out a room in the back yard that was not being used, nailed some shelves inside, and took advantage of the sunny weather to gather a lot of pine and cypress branches from the mountains.

Song Dingxiang planned to make smoked meat, which could be stored for a longer period of time and gradually consumed. In addition to smoked meat, they could also make smoked sausages.

Any surplus could be taken to the town shop to be stir-fried as a side dish, at least to have something to accompany the wine.

When the Song family slaughtered a pig, other households with pigs also sighed. However, those in the village who had a bit of money were happy; with the hot weather making it difficult to buy meat, they could now purchase some meat to stew for their families during the busy farming season and add some richness to their meals.

The unsold pork was cut into pieces, hung on racks with straw ropes, and began to be smoked with pine and cypress. The room was in a shaded area without a kang (heated brick bed), making it a perfect place for smoking meat.

As for the leftover bones and internal organs, they were cleaned and sent to the town's eateries, where Song Yulan would use them to make soup and stir-fries.

The free big bone soup, along with a handful of buckwheat noodles and some cabbage for just three cents, became very popular.

The landlords in the fields were almost finished with the frantic harvest when the heavy rain came down again, before they could even breathe a sigh of relief.

Two days later, in the quiet night, suddenly there was a loud bang, a rumbling sound coming from a distance, making the house tremble.

People were frightened, rushing into the yard with their clothes, standing in the rain without knowing what to do. After waiting for a long time without hearing any more noises, they all went back to their rooms, boiled and drank ginger soup, and went back to sleep.

The heavy rain continued for another two days before stopping again. The sun hung in the sky like a furnace, as if wanting to heat up all the water on the ground, boiling it until it stopped.

The Song family's workshop also temporarily stopped, spending their days boiling mung bean soup with kelp to dispel heat, and occasionally drinking a bowl of herbal soup, which was extremely bitter.

After some time, the carts carrying sheep's wool from the north arrived.

"I wonder if we can catch up..." Song Dingxiang sighed as she looked at the carts of wool, "There was heavy rain a few days ago, and many people's crops rotted in the fields. This summer is flooded and the next winter may be dry, who knows if there will be enough manpower for work."

The merchant said, "Second Lady Song, don't worry. I'll talk to the old general later. He's a reasonable person, he won't pressure you."

Song Dingxiang nodded, loading the gloves and knee pads she had made during that time onto the cart, along with some pickled vegetables and sauces, "Still no news from my husband?"

The merchant smiled and said, "The old general sent a message with me, and before I came, I received a secret letter from General Zhou saying that he's alright. But I don't know the specifics of the situation."

Song Dingxiang sighed heavily again.

After thinking for a moment, the merchant continued, "If there really is a disaster, send a message to the old general and then head north to avoid the disaster. I heard that several decades ago, there was a drought and locust plague here, causing many deaths. Families with some money were even looted..."

Song Dingxiang replied, "Thank you for the reminder, I will be careful."

After the merchant left, Song Zhiyuan hurriedly ran in from outside, sweating profusely. "Oh, you know why there were loud noises a few nights ago?"

Song Xingyi asked anxiously, "Was it because the earth dragon flipped over?"

Song Zhiyuan shook his head and said, "No, it's because of the landslide on the southern side of our mountain, dozens of miles away at Jaogouzi. Several villages below were buried, and they can't even dig out a single person now..."

"Oh my god..." Li shi's fingers trembled slightly, "They were all buried?"

Song Zhiyuan said, "Exactly, every household over there relies on charcoal burning for a living. The trees on the mountain have almost been cut down completely. With this heavy rain, how could they withstand it? Half of the mountain has collapsed, completely buried. And with two more days of rain, I'm afraid not a single survivor will be left."

Everyone who heard this turned pale. Several villages with hundreds of people each were completely wiped out on that night. How could it not be terrifying?

Song Zhiyuan comforted, "Mother, don't be afraid. Our side of the mountain is safe. Our village doesn't rely on charcoal burning, and we replant small trees after cutting down large ones to prevent landslides."

In fact, people living on the mountainside know that trees should not be indiscriminately cut down. After cutting large trees, small ones must be replanted.

However, the villages near Jaogouzi may have been extremely impoverished, and due to the quick income from charcoal burning, they indiscriminately cut down trees, depleting the once lush mountainside. This also caused conflicts with nearby villages while cutting trees on other mountains.

Song Xingyi sighed, "People, they need to have some restraint in everything they do. When people are pushed to their limits, they can resort to violence. Let alone cutting down the entire old mountain, would the mountain god be pleased? Ah..."

Song Zhiyuan added, "There's no solution. Isn't that area next to the entire county? The county magistrate has talked about it multiple times, but it's still ineffective."

After harvesting wheat, they would plant corn, soybeans, sweet potatoes, and potatoes for the upcoming season.

However, Song Xingyi was concerned about a possible drought in the next half-year, so he specifically visited several tenant households, advising them to plant drought-resistant crops like sorghum and buckwheat as much as possible, so they could at least have some food reserves in case of a drought.

As for sweet potatoes and potatoes, they were discouraged from planting as they are susceptible to waterlogging and may not yield a good harvest.

The tenant farmers were understanding, but some still believed there would be no issue and continued to plant a significant amount of corn, sweet potatoes, and other crops.

However, this could not be blamed on them, as sorghum and buckwheat don't taste good and don't fetch a good price, and the harvest is mediocre. They also had to consider the rent they had to pay in the fall.

*

Song Zijin blushed and entrusted someone to pass a message to Li Yunsheng, saying that this year's autumn might be dry, so they should try to plant drought-resistant crops. Li Yunsheng personally wrote a letter in response, acknowledging the message, and even included a beautiful bookmark, causing Song Zijin's face to turn even redder.

The summer finally passed amidst the gloomy face of the heavens, and on the sixth day of the sixth month, a grand red sedan chair arrived at Song Xingyi's doorstep.

Many people from other families in the Song village came to help, but due to the severed relationship with the Zhu shi, they did not attend.

Song Jiaoxing also didn't come, as her family arranged for her to marry a young man from a neighboring village who came from a relatively wealthy background. As there were no other male heirs in his family, and with several elder sisters to help, Song Jiaoxing wouldn't have much burden if she married into his family.

Due to Wu Shi's changed attitude, although she still valued money, she couldn't bring herself to sell her daughter for money or engage her daughter with someone else's fiancé. Also, due to the incident with the fake Li Yunsheng, Song Dingxiang had some goodwill towards them, and the Wang family even sent a headpiece as part of the dowry for Song Jiaoxing, which was more than enough.

Song Zijin's dowry and betrothal gifts amounted to over twenty dowry chests, each adorned with red silk, making them incredibly eye-catching.

Zhu Shi stood at the gate, looking on with jealousy. When she turned around, she caught sight of Song Jiaoxing on the other side of the fence and suddenly said, "Oh, Jiaoxing, I have to say you and that young man from the Li family were the most suitable match. If you had stuck with that Li young man back then, you would now be in the same position, riding in the grand red sedan chair, with so much wealth and land."

After hearing these words, Song Jiaoxing's face alternated between red and white. She tightly pursed her lips and continued hanging clothes to dry, choosing to ignore Zhu Shi.

Zhu Shi walked to the edge of the fence and said, "If we talk about being blessed, it should be our daughter who is blessed. My daughter is marrying the county magistrate, so you should also find someone from a similar background. I think you and that young man from the Li family are quite compatible. If you had insisted on marrying him back then, would his family have refused? After all, he is a handsome young man."

Just then, the procession carrying the dowry passed by the gate. Zhu Shi counted them one by one, exclaiming, "Twenty-eight palanquins! My goodness, look at that land, the store, and that golden headpiece. I heard they only compensated you with a few pieces of cloth and some jewelry? That's too stingy, isn't it? And even if he's the foster son of a wealthy family, so what? I heard that the foster sons in affluent families are treated just like the young masters. Even if you were to marry into that family and become a concubine..."

"You're the concubine!!" Song Jiaoxing suddenly exploded, picked up the water basin nearby meant for washing clothes, and splashed it at Zhu Shi, "Let your daughter be the concubine instead, pah!"

"Hey, you little brat, you..." Zhu Shi was splashed with water all over her face and clothes, jumping in anger. But Song Jiaoxing had already entered the house and slammed the door shut, disappearing from view.

After standing in the house for a while, Song Jiaoxing found herself alone. Wu Shi and her father were all out helping, making the usually lively house feel desolate.

She walked into Wu Shi's room, opened the storage cabinet, and took out a box. Upon opening the box, a dazzling silver headpiece almost blinded Song Jiaoxing's eyes.

However, she knew it was just silver, while Song Zijin's dowry included two golden headpieces adorned with gemstones.

Why didn't she stick with Li Yunsheng when he bullied her? If only she had stood her ground, the lady Wang could easily give her a gold ring, which looked stunning.

She gritted her teeth, feeling bitter.

She resented her parents for not being like Song Dingxiang's parents, who could make money by raising pigs and selling fruits from their orchard. Even Song Dingxiang, who was half-dead, managed to find a man who gave her over a hundred taels of silver.

If only that money was given to her! And why was she less fortunate than Song Zijin? She thought she had found a good family, but it turned out to be...

She still resented Li Yunsheng, clearly a young master, but dressed like a servant! Otherwise, how could she have misjudged and ended up with that foster son?

She thought she wouldn't be as reckless as Song Taohong and could marry into a good family and live a good life. But now it seems that's not the case.

Why is it that Song Jiaoxing's luck is so bad?!

Why?!

The festive sound of suona from outside grew distant, but the group of guests nearby was still noisy.

Song Jiaoxing pushed open the window and looked into the distance. The people coming and going in Song Dingxiang's house, several carriages parked at the entrance.

Those were carriages, only wealthy families had carriages! She had never ridden in a carriage her whole life!

She also saw Song Dingxiang, a married woman left behind by her husband dressed so well, smiling so happily. Shouldn't she without a man be locked up in the house weaving or sent to the ancestral hall to grind grain?

Why should she?!

And her sister Song Yulan, who was sent back to her family, still able to run a restaurant in town, earning a lot of silver every day, why?!

She didn't want to marry that peasant, she didn't want to suffer anymore. Why couldn't her mother understand that a woman can only live a good life with money?

What's wrong with being a concubine?

Which rich man doesn't have several concubines, those concubines live better than the legitimate wives!

Why, as women, can they live extravagantly while she can't even take a complete headpiece with her?

Song Jiaoxing bit her lip fiercely, tears streaming down her face without her realizing.

——— Author's Note:

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