Chapter 172, high bride price and dowry
In the middle of the twelfth lunar month, the National Women’s Prison began to have a holiday. Because the weather was too cold, Shi Fuxin received patients who went to Sai Huatuo Residence to seek medical treatment at night, and she wanted to lie in bed and sleep late during the day.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Shi deprived her of this dream.
Because Shi Fuyue was accused of being chosen by the Seventh Prince as a servant, during this time, the mansion was busy preparing her dowry.
Every morning, the girls of the Shi family were called to Yixiangyuan to watch how the dowry was prepared in the mansion.
"You are a girl's family, and girls are going to get married. You will have to go through these things in the future, so watch carefully."
According to the usual practice, when a girl from the Bo's mansion gets married, the public will only give five thousand taels of silver, but Shi Fuyue entered the prince's mansion after all, and the dowry is too shabby, not only will she lose the dignity of the Bo's mansion, but it will also make the seventh prince feel neglected, right? Therefore, with Mrs. Shi's consent, the mansion took out 10,000 taels of silver for Shi Fuyue to purchase a dowry.
A dowry of 10,000 taels of silver is not bad, but just like this, Mrs. Shi Wu still felt that it was not enough, so she added a lot of land shops.
Shi Fuxin did some calculations in her heart, these farms and shops converted into silver would cost 10,000 to 20,000 taels of silver.
Adding in the 10,000 taels of makeup from Mrs. Wu's natal family, Shi Fuyue's dowry was nearly 40,000 taels of silver.
Seeing such a rich dowry, Shi Zheng and his family were a little silent.
Shi Dinghao was a little bit tongue-tied: "Wouldn't it be so expensive to marry a daughter and a daughter-in-law in the capital?"
Shi Fuxin: "Ten miles of red makeup, do you think it's just a joke?"
Shi Dinghao lost his face: "If this is the case, my brother and I will not be able to marry a wife, because our family can't afford so much dowry."
Shi Fuxin glanced at him: "Look at your prospects, can't you think of ways to make money?"
Shi Dinghao showed embarrassment: "It's very troublesome to earn money. Let's talk about the teahouse opened by the elder brother. The daily income is not as big as his expenses."
"Second brother's bookstore business is not doing well either. The last time he treated guests, he quietly borrowed money from third and fourth brothers."
"The eldest brother and the second brother are not bad. They got married and the mansion gave them some property. Like us, there are only a few taels of silver per month. Even if we don't eat or drink, we can't get together tens of thousands of taels of dowry. .”
"Marrying a daughter-in-law is so difficult!"
Shi Fuxin was a little speechless: "You are thinking about getting a wife now, isn't it too early?"
Shi Dinghao's eyes widened: "It's getting late, we'll be thirteen after the new year, Zhao Shenghao is only a few months older than me, Mrs. Zhao is already helping him to meet people."
"Zhao Shenghao said that a good daughter-in-law is hard to come by, and you have to see her there early, lest someone else give you a quick start."
"In terms of choosing a daughter-in-law, I'm far behind Zhao Shenghao. The Zhao family is a big family, so the dowry must be a lot. I can already predict that my future daughter-in-law may not be as good as Zhao Shenghao."
Shi Fuxin looked at his silly younger brother with sullen brows and drooping eyes, and suddenly said: "Our family business is not as good as that of the Zhao family, but we can marry a wife by virtue of charm."
Shi Dinghao was puzzled: "Charm?"
Shi Fuxin: "That's right, you and brother are both good-looking, you can definitely rely on your looks for a living."
Shi Dinghao's eyes widened: "Wouldn't that be a softie?"
Shi Fuxin: "It's your ability to eat soft rice."
Shi Dinghao looked suspicious: "Really?"
Shi Fuxin nodded her head: "Looking good is also a value. People like good-looking people. When they see beautiful women and men, they feel good. When they are in a good mood, they are ready to do anything."
Shi Dinghao touched his face, and began to think seriously.
Shi Fuyin watched from the side, stared at Shi Fuxin speechlessly, and then patted Shi Dinghao on the head again: "Manly man, what's the point of eating soft rice, study hard, and when you pass the exam, Wouldn't it be better to rely on talent to marry a wife?"
Shi Dinghao touched his chin: "But I think eating soft rice can show my unique charm."
Shi Fuyin: "."
Shi Fuxin saw through the stupid brother's desire to get something for nothing at a glance: "Eating soft food also requires a talented belly. No matter how beautiful the skin is without the support of an interesting soul, it will get boring after watching too much."
Shi Dinghao didn't take it seriously: "Sister, you and the third sister don't talk about me, you should think about yourself, I am a man, and I can afford to wait to get married later, but you are different."
"There are so many brothers and sisters in our mansion. When it's your turn to get married, the mansion probably won't be able to spend so much money to buy you a dowry."
"Without a good dowry, you won't be able to hold your head up in your husband's house."
Shi Fuyin and Shi Fuxin looked at each other, and then Qi Qi glared at Shi Dinghao.
A few houses in Bo’s house belong to their family with the worst background, and this money cannot be earned in a short while.
Shi Fuyin said quietly: "I just want to find an ordinary family, and the family doesn't need to prepare so much dowry."
Shi Fuxin is not worried about the dowry issue. Shennongtang has begun to take shape in the northwest, and the nine border towns under the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Governor's Mansion already have branches of Shennongtang.
It was only because of too much preparation this year that no money came into the account. After the first two years, with the various prescriptions in her hands, it will be a matter of time before she makes money.
Now she is still thinking about opening a branch of Shennongtang in Beijiang, but unfortunately, she has not found a suitable person in charge.
Because she cannot participate in the direct operation, the choice of the person in charge is extremely important.
Xue Quan has trained a group of medical apprentices and female doctors. As long as the steward in charge of the northern Xinjiang area is found, the northern Xinjiang can start to open a branch.
The biggest problem she faces now is that there are too few talents available.
Time passed, and it was the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, the day when Mr. Zhao got married.
Because Shizheng and his family had contacts with the Zhao family and the Wuchang uncle's mansion, and the uncle's mansion also accepted the invitation from the Zhao family. Early on, under the leadership of Mrs. Shi, all the Shi family went to the Zhao family for a banquet.
In the Zhao family, Shi Fuxin and Shi Fuyin were once again shocked by the bride's generous dowry.
Shi Fuyue's nearly 40,000 taels of dowry silver, they already thought it was enough, but compared with the ten-mile red makeup of Zhao's bride, Shi Fuyue's dowry was not enough.
Shi Fuxin pulled Shi Fuyin and whispered: "The nobles in this capital are too rich, no wonder the emperor likes to raid homes."
Shi Fuyin was also very tongue-tied. Through the comparison of the dowries of Zhao's bride and Shi Fuyue, it also reflected the defeat of Bofu from the side.
It is also the same uncle's house, and the same girl came out of the cabinet, but the pomp is not comparable.
"I found that even if you marry into an ordinary family, you have to prepare a dowry for yourself."
Seeing the guests pointing at the Zhao family's bride's dowry, and the satisfaction on the Zhao family's face after seeing the bride's dowry, Shi Fuyin felt a little worried.
The world attaches too much importance to the bride's dowry. If the dowry is too little, the husband's family will really despise it.
"There is a trading company in the Women's College of China. It says it specializes in helping students learn business. As long as they get the license of the trading company, they will also provide shops. When the school starts next year, I want to go and see. If I can open a shop, I can save some dowry. OK."
When Shi Fuxin heard this, she also became interested: "I know this too, when the time comes, we will be together."
While the two sisters were talking, they saw Shi Dinghao running to the backyard, and quickly stopped him: "Why did you come to the backyard?"
Shi Dinghao: "I'm here to see the dowry."
Shi Fuyin: "Where's brother?"
Shi Dinghao: "Brother is outside to accompany Brother Zhao." He said, lowering his voice, "Brother Zhao is very happy today, I am not very happy to see him."
Shi Fuyin glared at her younger brother: "Don't say that casually."
Shi Dinghao twitched his lips: "It's what it is, the smile on Big Brother Zhao's face is very forced."
Shi Fuxin said lightly: "The emperor ordered this marriage, maybe Brother Zhao and the bride have never met, let alone whether they have feelings for each other."
"If you can't make decisions about your life's major events, who will be happy?"
Said, sighed.
"It's not easy for everyone to make a living in the capital. Go up, it's not good to be too conspicuous, and it's easy to be seen by the people at the top."
"The people above, in order to demonstrate their power, like to disregard others' wishes and force others to do things they don't like, and they call it close and important."
"But if you don't climb up, those who have no power and power can step on their own heads, and they have no dignity at all."
"The Zhao family is also quite difficult."
Shi Dinghao nodded fiercely: "Brother also said, Brother Zhao is actually quite difficult."
"Why are you here, I finally found you."
Zhao Yuyan came over suddenly, and Fuyin walked towards the main courtyard when she pulled her up: "There are too many guests, I'm too busy, you have to greet me."
Watching Shi Fuyin being pulled away, Shi Fuxin urged Shi Dinghao to leave the backyard: "The backyard is not where you stay, go to the front yard and play with Zhao Shenghao."
When Shi Dinghao left, Shi Fuxin glanced at the courtyard full of people, and walked towards the place where there were few people.
Passing through the rockery corridor, Shi Fuxin was about to sit in the pavilion. As soon as she entered the pavilion, An Ran behind her hurriedly grabbed Shi Fuxin, and kept looking towards the northeast corner of the pavilion.
Shi Fuxin followed An Ran's line of sight, and her eyes lit up.
Because of the cover of the rockery, there is a pavilion hidden in the northeast corner of the pavilion.
At this moment, in the pavilion, Chu Yao in a white fox cloak was lazily sitting on the railing, holding a wine glass in his hand, quietly looking at the snow outside the pavilion.
Looking from the pavilion where Shi Fuxin was located, I happened to have a panoramic view of her profile.
The perfect outline of the face, the melancholy eyes, even after several meters, the broken feeling shown by Chu Yao is still clearly reflected in Shi Fuxin's eyelids.
"This **** broken feeling, I can't help but feel distressed after seeing it."
Shi Fuxin shook her head tut-tsk.
Behind An Ran and Xiao Fang looked at each other, then quickly lowered their heads.
The girls in their family are always like this. The language is not amazing and endless.
Chu Yao noticed someone coming from the pavilion next door early in the morning, but he ignored it until he felt a line of sight on himself, and then he glanced lazily behind him.
Heh, he said who was so brave enough to keep staring at him, it turned out to be the round pomegranate.
"You're staring at me like that so hard not to make me think you're up to something bad."
"Can I have any bad ideas? Even if I have, are you afraid?" Shi Fuxin replied with a light smile.
Listening to the sound of music playing in the distance, Chu Yao was not in a good mood, and couldn't help but think of all the bad words he encountered after Dongfang Yunrong was accused of being given to the sixth prince.
"Do you think I'm a joke too?"
It may be because she has been aggrieved for too long, or it may be because she feels that Shi Fuxin has nothing to do with her to vent her emotions. Chu Yao asked Shi Fuxin such words out of the blue.
Shi Fuxin asked back: "Then are you joking?"
Hearing this, An Ran and Xiao Fang lowered their heads even lower.
But Chu Yao smiled, took a deep look at Shi Fuxin, turned his head, raised his head and drank the cold wine in his hand, and then, with a 'swish' sound, a wine glass shot straight at Shi Fuxin.
Shi Fuxin hesitated for a moment, but still stretched out her hand, and firmly caught the wine glass.
Chu Yao raised his eyebrows when he saw it.
Feeling the chill from her fingertips, Shi Fuxin glanced at the burning stove in the pavilion: "Isn't there a stove, why don't you drink the wine after it's hot? It's such a cold day, it's better to drink a hot bar."
It was a very common casual remark, but Chu Yao's eyes flashed, as if no one had asked him to drink hot wine in winter.
(end of this chapter)