mtl008 Chapter 347 The Best Book in the Box
Chapter 347 The Best Book in the Box
Manager Meng: "There's no mistake, it's sixty taels of silver."
Li Shuchen understood immediately. Changning must have told him something, which was why he only accepted the principal. Oh well, he wouldn't make things difficult for Manager Meng.
"Grapes, give me the money."
"Yes, miss"
After paying, Li Shuchen, holding the brocade box, said, "Manager Meng, you're busy, I'll head back now."
Manager Meng saw her to the door: "Take care, Miss Li."
on carriage
Grape asked, "Miss, what are we going to buy next?"
Li Shuchen: "The dowry always starts with a red bed and ends with a coffin. Let's go buy these two big items first."
Grape: "Miss, you've prepared everything perfectly."
Li Shuchen: "Yu'er has no mother or father to prepare these things for her, so I had to come. Let's go, let's buy the red bed first."
Grape shouted loudly, "Yes, Miss!"
Wood Pottery Workshop
Li Shuchen stepped inside and went straight to the canopy bed section. After strolling around for a while, he spotted a mahogany canopy bed carved with cloud patterns and touched it.
"Young lady, you have a good eye. This canopy bed is our best-selling model. It's perfect for a woman's dowry or for personal use. It's only thirty taels of silver."
After the shop assistant finished speaking, Li Shuchen circled the mahogany bed, touched the dust on it, and deliberately rubbed it together, saying, "Young man, you're not being honest. This bed is covered in so much dust; it doesn't look like a best-selling item at all. Ten taels of silver, if you think it's acceptable, I'll buy it."
The shop assistant, somewhat embarrassed, rubbed his nose with his index finger and said, "Miss, this bed is made entirely of the finest rosewood; it will cost at least twenty taels of silver."
Li Shuchen crossed his arms and said somewhat impatiently, "Fifteen taels of silver is the highest price I can offer. If not, I'll go look elsewhere; there are plenty of beds for sale on this street."
After saying that, he pretended to leave, but after taking only two steps and not even stepping out the door, he was stopped by the shop assistant.
"Hey, young lady, please wait! I'll sell you to you."
Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen smiled and turned around: "Please deliver this to the Happiness Inn for me, thank you."
"no problem"
Grape paid and followed Li Shuchen out of the shop.
"Miss, you're a great bargainer!"
"It's not that I'm amazing, it's just that this bed is only worth this much. Let's go buy a coffin."
"Yes, miss"
Shoucaipu
Li Shuchen went inside and took a liking to a mahogany coffin. The shop assistant initially asked for twenty taels of silver, but with her silver tongue, she managed to negotiate it down to ten taels.
Grape paid
The two then moved to a department store to continue shopping.
Since this was Li Shuchen's first time preparing a dowry, she was only clear on the details of buying a red bed and a coffin. So she politely went up to a woman for advice.
"Hello, auntie. I'd like to prepare a dowry for my daughter, but I'm unsure what to include. I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me."
As he spoke, he slipped an ounce of silver into the woman's hand.
The woman weighed the silver in her hand, grinned broadly, and stuffed the silver into her bosom, saying with a smile, "Young lady, you don't look that old. Why are you preparing a dowry for another girl?"
Li Shuchen explained, "It's my good friend getting married. She lost her mother, so I'm preparing for it."
The aunt nodded upon hearing this: "I see, good child, a woman's dowry must include six major items and seven minor items."
Li Shuchen: "Excuse me, ma'am, what are the six large items and seven small items?"
Auntie: "These six items are makeup boxes, which are women's makeup cabinets."
The cabinet is named for the hidden compartments under the drawers. The drawers and hidden compartments are used for storing items, while the cabinet surface can be used to hold and display items.
Camphor wood chest: When a girl reaches marriageable age, her parents would buy camphor wood and ask a craftsman to make a camphor wood chest. However, since she has no parents, the girl can just buy a ready-made one.
The last item in the trunk, cough, is a special dowry for the daughter;
Finally, there is the "Offspring Treasure Bucket," which consists of three items: an offspring bucket (toilet), a wealth bucket (water bucket), and a treasure basin (foot basin). It symbolizes the wish for many children and grandchildren, abundant blessings, and longevity, and is indispensable.
Li Shuchen nodded upon hearing this: "I've already bought the canopy bed; the other five major items need to be purchased."
The older woman was very enthusiastic upon hearing this and pulled Li Shuchen to buy them one by one.
Everything else is normal; it was bought when it was at the bottom of my drawer.
The aunt handed Li Shuchen a booklet. Curious, Li Shuchen flipped it open and immediately blushed. The two little figures on it were doing all sorts of suggestive things, which startled her so much that she quickly closed the book.
The older woman, seeing Li Shuchen blushing, teased, "You're not married either, are you, young lady?"
Li Shuchen stammered, "No, no."
The older woman laughed heartily upon hearing this: "You'll understand once you're married."
Li Shuchen patted his flushed face and asked, "What are those seven small items?"
Auntie: "A spittoon can be used as a container for descendants, symbolizing a house full of children and grandchildren."
Red ruler: can be used as a ruler for descendants, and signifies vast fertile land;
Vase: symbolizes wealth and prosperity;
The copper plate and shoes symbolize growing old together in harmony and mutual affection.
A wallet and belt: implying great wealth;
Dragon and phoenix quilt, bed sheets, and pillows: a blessing for the newlyweds to be loving and affectionate;
Dragon and phoenix bowls and chopsticks: symbolize abundance and prosperity;
These are all essential.
Li Shuchen nodded: "I've got it. Thank you, Auntie."
I wandered around the shop a few times, bought everything I needed, and had the owner deliver it to Happiness Inn.
He got into the carriage and headed home.
"Grape, how much silver do you have left?"
"Miss, there are still one hundred taels of silver left."
Li Shuchen nodded, already understanding the situation. When he returned to the inn, he saw the canopy bed and coffin being carried to the backyard.
Xiao Feng cheerfully directed, "Put it here, slowly, don't break it. My young lady knows martial arts, and she can fight!"
Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen slowly replied, "Xiao Feng."
Xiao Feng scratched his head awkwardly: "Miss, you're back. Don't worry, I made sure all your dowry was properly stored away. It's definitely not damaged, and Cheng Jieyuan certainly won't use this to find fault with you."
Li Shuchen frowned upon hearing this: "What does this dowry have to do with Scholar Cheng?"
Xiao Feng was stunned: "Miss, you and Cheng Jieyuan are in love and will be engaged and married soon. Everyone in Weijing knows this. Aren't you preparing your dowry?"
Li Shuchen was speechless upon hearing this: "If there's a dowry to prepare, it's my parents who will prepare it for me."
Xiao Feng looked incredulous: "Master and Madam are oblivious to everything around them. Even their own money comes from Miss. Where would they get extra money to prepare a dowry for Miss?"
Li Shuchen fell silent upon hearing this. Xiao Feng's words made perfect sense; her parents truly had no money. How embarrassing!
"Ahem, aren't you and Yu'er getting married?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng smiled sweetly and said, "Miss already knows."
Li Shuchen: "These are the dowry I prepared for Yu'er."
"what?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng was dumbfounded, staring at the canopy bed and the coffin, unsure of what expression to make.
After a long while, he ran to the well, filled a basin with water, took out a clean handkerchief, dampened it, and carefully wiped the dust off the canopy bed.
Grape leaned closer to Li Shuchen and said with a smile, "Miss, look, Xiaofeng is wiping Yu'er's dowry."
Li Shuchen crossed his arms and smiled, "It's good that you care about Yu'er."
"Excuse me, is Miss Li here? Where should I put these items?"
A group of people stood at the back gate carrying a pile of red things.
These were the five large items and seven small items that Li Shuchen bought at the department store.
Li Shuchen was about to give instructions when he caught a glimpse of Xiao Feng dashing over.
"Carry it in, put it here, slowly, if it gets damaged, we'll need to make a replacement."
Alright, she doesn't need to give any instructions anymore; Xiao Feng has arranged everything quite clearly.
"Grape, let's go upstairs."
"Oh? Miss, are we just going to abandon this? We've spent so much money!"
"Xiao Feng will arrange things better than I can."
Li Shuchen went upstairs, returned to his room, and put away the house deed and the gold-plated mask.
I washed my hands and sat down at the table to drink tea.
Grape handed the one hundred taels of silver note to Li Shuchen.
Li Shuchen glanced at it and said, "Exchange it for silver ingots of ten taels each."
Grape: "Miss, these hundred taels of silver ingots are also part of Yu'er's dowry. Miss asked Grape to exchange them for ten ten-tael silver ingots. Is this to symbolize that Yu'er's marriage will be perfect?"
Upon hearing this, Li Shuchen smiled and said, "Clever, Grape's cunning has grown!"
"Hehehe, it's not even a fraction as good as Miss's. Grape will go exchange it for silver ingots now."
Grape ran off happily, and Li Shuchen looked out the window with a faint smile on his lips.
September 28th, sunny, auspicious for marriage.
Yu'er, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, sat in front of the dressing table in the Sanbao Hall.
Li Shuchen is applying makeup to Yu'er.
Grape: "Yu'er's wedding dress is so beautiful, was it made at the Flower Dress Pavilion?"
Yu'er smiled sweetly: "Xiao Feng ordered it from the Flower Dress Pavilion."
Grape: "Xiao Feng is so good to Yu'er. If he's not as good to you in the future, I'll definitely beat him."
Yu'er: "Okay, I'll hit him too, we'll do it together."
"We should do it together too."
Zhao Yuling and Zhao Lingyu also came in.
"Miss, we're closing today. Yuling, would you mind attending Sister Yu'er's wedding banquet?"
Li Shuchen: "Of course! We're closing today so you can have the wedding banquet. How can we miss such a joyous occasion? Have you prepared the wedding candy and wine?"
Zhao Lingyu: "It's all prepared. As Miss instructed, a set has been sent to each guest room, and quite a few have been reserved in the main hall as well."
The sound of gongs and drums rang out.
Grape peered out the window and saw Xiao Feng sitting confidently on his white horse.
"Miss, the groom has arrived."
At this moment, Li Shuchen finished the last step of her makeup, applying red lipstick.
"Yu'er, I'm going to put a red veil over your head now."
Upon hearing this, Yu'er obediently lowered her head to facilitate Li Shuchen's actions.
Once the red veil was placed over her head, the bride was ready.
The groom, Xiao Feng, was already waiting in the reception room, beaming from ear to ear.
Li Shuchen led the bride steadily to the groom and began to speak.
"Today, I entrust Yu'er to you. If you treat Yu'er badly, I know martial arts, and I will fight."
All staff at the guesthouse: "We can too."
Li Shuchen: "On this auspicious day and at this auspicious time, may you grow old together in happiness and never be separated."
All staff members of the inn: "May we grow old together, never to be separated."
Li Shuchen: "Congratulations on your marriage! I'm giving you a month of paid leave for your wedding. Wishing you a sweet and happy life together, and a lifetime of love."
All staff members of the inn: "May you be sweet and loving, and forever united in heart."
After Li Shuchen finished speaking, he handed Yu'er's hand to Xiao Feng.
"You two should live a good life together."
Xiao Feng and Yu'er nodded in unison.
Manager Xu began reading the bride's dowry list.
"Bride's dowry: "
A new house in the east of the city
A set of gold jewelry and headdress,
One hundred taels of silver
One rosewood canopy bed
……
A redwood coffin,
"Gift list read out"
Upon hearing this, Yu'er burst into tears, looking up in disbelief. She had thought the dowry was prepared for her by her young mistress, but it turned out it was for her.
Everyone at the inn kept it from her for a long time.
Xiao Feng sensed Yu'er's emotional state and gently patted her back, saying, "Yu'er, we wanted to give you a surprise, that's why we kept it from you."
Yu'er faced Li Shuchen and knelt down.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Feng quickly knelt down.
"Yu'er is deeply grateful for your great kindness, Miss. You are like my own family, and I will be filial to you for the rest of my life."
"bang"
He kowtowed deeply.
Xiao Feng followed suit and kowtowed.
"Don't worry, Miss, I will definitely take good care of Yu'er and live up to your expectations."
Li Shuchen felt a slight tightness in his throat: "Okay."
The groom and bride got up and walked out the door together.
Manager Xu's voice was deep and powerful.
"Li Jiayu'er is getting married!"
Firecrackers went off in unison, and wedding candies were scattered all over the ground.
The staff of Happiness Inn escorted the newlyweds as they left in a lively atmosphere.
Li Shuchen stood at the entrance of the inn, watching their departing figures, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
As long as they are happy, that's all that matters.