Four Seasons Brocade – CH 171

Chapter 171 ☆、

“Your Highness, Nanny Hao has arrived,” Zi-Shan reported to Ah Wu as she entered.

Ah Wu put down the inner garment she was sewing for Chu Mao. “Please let her in.” Ever since witnessing the execution at Hongyao Villa, Ah Wu and Nanny Hao had only maintained a superficial relationship, rarely interacting.

“Greetings to Your Highness,” Nanny Hao curtsied.

Ah Wu accepted the full courtesy while seated. Although Chu Mao treated her with respect, Ah Wu did not intend to reciprocate. Her previous respect for Hongyao Villa had given Nanny Hao the impression that she could be easily manipulated; Ah Wu no longer intended to give Nanny Hao that kind of respect.

“Please sit, Nanny. Zi-Shan, go make some tea. I remember you like Yunwu tea,” said Ah Wu.

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“Thank you for remembering my preferences, Your Highness,” said Nanny Hao with a stern face. After waiting for a while without Ah Wu responding, she finally said with a serious expression, “I’ve come today to ask Your Highness for your guidance on how much silver should be allocated for Xiangsi’s dowry.”

Ah Wu glanced at Nanny Hao. She had entrusted Xiangsi’s marriage to Nanny Hao. As for the dowry, Ah Wu was not stingy. Since Nanny Hao managed the inner courtyard, she tacitly agreed to let Nanny Hao arrange it herself.

Over the years, Nanny Hao and Xiangsi had probably saved a considerable dowry. Even if she stayed in Prince Qi’s mansion as she wished, a young lady needed a substantial dowry to have any say in the matter.

However, since Nanny Hao seemed to be asking impartially, Ah Wu had no choice but to consider the issue of Xiangsi’s dowry money with a headache. “His Highness has always regarded Xiangsi as his own sister. We do not have many young ladies in our household, and this is a rare joyous occasion. She’s marrying far away, so naturally, we should cherish Xiangsi. However, we should not be too extravagant. I think Xiangsi’s dowry should be comparable to that of Princess Hezhen. What do you think, Nanny Hao?”

Princess Hezhen was the daughter of Princess Jingduan, and her ten-mile-long red bridal procession was the envy of everyone. If Xiangsi, as Nanny Hao’s adopted daughter, could afford such a dowry, no amount of gossip would reach Ah Wu, her sister-in-law.

Nanny Hao had not expected Ah Wu to be so generous. “Is this not a bit too much? How can Xiangsi compare to Princess Hezhen?” Princess Hezhen’s dowry was thirty thousand taels of silver.

Ah Wu sighed inwardly. Nanny Hao, however, was truly concerned for Xiangsi. “Nanny is right,” she said. “The Bai family is a scholarly family and does not place much importance on a daughter-in-law’s dowry. However, a young lady needs a substantial dowry to stand tall and speak with dignity. I think the dowry should only be thirty-two cartloads. We can use silver notes to keep the rest for her dowry. Would that not be more convenient?”

The Bai family was a scholarly family and did not want people gossiping that they were only trying to climb the social ladder for the Prince’s sworn sister’s dowry. Ah Wu’s words satisfied Nanny Hao. Privately, Nanny Hao had to admit that this Princess was elegant and poised, though sometimes a little harsh in her words, but her heart was truly good.

That evening, Chu Mao returned to Yulan Hall for dinner. Ah Wu told him about Nanny Hao’s inquiry regarding Xiangsi’s dowry that day. He simply said, “You arrange everything. If it’s not enough, just take it from the estate’s profits.”

Speaking of the estate, Ah Wu thought of her own hot spring estate on the outskirts of the capital, which she used for growing vegetables. It was originally set up to compete with Nanny Hao and also for her own small kitchen. However, now that Nanny Hao was sidelined and Matron Hua was so obsequious to Yulan Hall, those vegetables were no longer needed. She then pondered what fresh vegetables she could grow to eat.

As Ah Wu pondered, she unconsciously confided in Chu Mao, “Your Highness, please give me some advice.”

Chu Mao, of course, knew Ah Wu was not short of money. “Since it’s a hot spring estate, find some craftsmen to build a greenhouse, grow some melons and fruits, and raise some warm-water fish. It will be nice to have something new to eat in winter.”

“Your Highness makes it sound so easy. What kind of melons and fruits, and what kind of fish to raise? I am completely clueless, and I do not have anyone suitable to help me.” Ah Wu had considered these things as well.

“Wu Hanyong has a few people skilled in agriculture. Ask him to send someone to your estate to take a look. If they are useful, you can keep them,” Chu Mao said.

Ah Wu smiled and thanked Chu Mao, then said, “I am planning to stroll around North Street in a couple of days. I’d like to get a set of jewelry made for Xiangsi. My elder brother is getting married in the fifth month, and I was thinking of getting a set for my new sister-in-law too.”

Chu Mao not only listened patiently to Ah Wu’s trivial matters but also said, “I’ve heard that Baosheng Hall’s jewelry is quite good. I will go with you the day after tomorrow. I promised to take you to Jufang Garden for a meal, so we can go together.”

Ah Wu’s eyes lit up at the mention of “Jufang Garden.” She thought Chu Mao had forgotten. “So soon? Can we get a reservation at Jufang Garden?”

Chu Mao laughed. “It’s an honor for Princess Qi to go. How could they not have a seat? We will conjure one up.”

Ah Wu playfully spat at Chu Mao. A few months ago, she would not have dared to imagine having such a casual conversation with Chu Mao. Even now, no matter how busy Chu Mao was, he would still come home every day to have dinner with her. As they spent more time together, their conversations became much more casual, and even Ah Wu herself felt they were starting to resemble a married couple.

Two days after, Ah Wu wore a light white silk dress embroidered with pink peach blossoms and woven with gold thread. Chu Mao personally helped her put on a white veil, and the two boarded a carriage together and headed to North Street.

Steward Ai of Baosheng Hall immediately recognized them as distinguished guests, especially Chu Mao. His white jade crown and gold-embroidered robe exuded nobility and elegance, his refined and handsome appearance like a radiant pearl beside him. Even women would feel inferior to such a man; who could possibly be worthy of him?

Only when Ah Wu slightly lifted the white veil covering her face did Steward Ai, under Chu Mao’s intimidating gaze, dare to look away and quickly lower her head, thinking to herself, “What a perfect couple.”

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Steward Ai quickly ordered tea to be served and then brought a small table to the couple, displaying Baosheng Hall’s most expensive and distinctive jewelry, along with two catalogs of designs.

Ah Wu glanced indifferently at the jewelry on the table, then began flipping through the catalogs. Unsure of what to choose, she leaned over to ask Chu Mao. Chu Mao’s advice was very insightful and thorough, which pleased Ah Wu greatly. She ordered a set of gold-inlaid gemstone jewelry and a set of gold-inlaid jade jewelry from Baosheng Hall.

After leaving Baosheng Hall, Ah Wu did not intend to look around anymore, but Chu Mao said, “Since you’ve come all this way, why not look at a few more shops and pick out a couple of outfits for yourself?”

As a woman, Ah Wu naturally loved clothes and jewelry. Since she rarely went shopping, she naturally wanted to browse around as much as possible. That was her original plan, if Chu Mao had not insisted on coming along. But hearing Chu Mao say this, she happily replied, “Alright, I am just afraid Your Highness will find me annoying.”

The two then went to several more jewelry shops. Chu Mao carefully selected the jewelry and patterns the shopkeepers brought out for Ah Wu. And indeed, Ah Wu could not find fault with anything that Prince Qi had chosen. The trip cost two or three thousand taels of silver, making Ah Wu’s hands tremble slightly, while Prince Qi still looked like he had not had enough.

On their way to Jufang Garden, Chu Mao took Ah Wu to pick out clothes at the clothing shops and fabric stores on East Street.

The clothes at Qianjin House were incredibly expensive, costing a fortune each; ordinary people would not even dare to enter. Even Third Lady Chun, who was used to seeing wealthy young men, could not help but beam with joy, saying, “In all my years of running this shop, I’ve never seen anyone dote on their wife more than Master Lin. I’ve seen plenty of lavish spenders, but I’ve never seen anyone personally choose colors and styles for their wife and coordinate them so well. Those men, even when they do choose, it’s just a perfunctory job. Your wife is truly blessed.” Although Third Lady Chun was speaking to Ah Wu, her voice was loud enough for Chu Mao to hear clearly.

Third Lady Chun had been running Qianjin House for seven or eight years and had long since developed a discerning eye and a knack for saying one thing to one person and another to someone else. This time, however, he did not utter any lies, though it was clear that Master Lin enjoyed hearing such words.

Chu Mao smiled faintly. Third Lady Chun had been a widow for many years and had several lovers with status and background, but seeing him, her heart could not help but pound. Leaving aside Chu Mao’s wealth and unparalleled handsomeness, his gentle and considerate manner towards his wife alone made Third Lady Chun’s heart itch uncontrollably. She could not help but throw a few flirtatious glances at him while recommending clothes.

Third Lady Chun was actually not very old this year, only about twenty-five or twenty-six, a few years older than Chu Mao. Like a ripe peach, the skin so tender it seemed to ooze juice, she was incredibly pleasing to the eye. Many men around her did not like unripe, sour fruit; they preferred her, a woman in the prime of her beauty. Several men who accompanied other women to Qianjin Fang to buy clothes had been seduced by her.

Third Lady Chun was most fond of refined and considerate men like Chu Mao. Overwhelmed by passion, she could not resist pressing her ample bosom against him. Although this Lady Lin, the wife of Master Lin, looked like a celestial being descended from heaven, in Third Lady Chun’s eyes, she was still an unripe fruit; her breasts, for example, were no bigger than small peaches, incomparable to her own.

However, before Third Lady Chun’s ripe fruit could even touch him, she was pushed far away, landing awkwardly on the ground.

Ah Wu looked back at Chu Mao in surprise, then at Third Lady Chun, already understanding what had happened.

Third Lady Chun, however, still could not believe it. What cat did not steal fish? Although Master Lin seemed very considerate to his wife, for Third Lady Chun, that did not prevent them from having a fleeting affair. Besides, even if he did not like her, there was no need to treat the beauty so brutally. She was truly blind to his true nature, thinking he was gentle and considerate, only to find that his seemingly refined appearance masked a brute.

“Oh dear, Master, what are you doing?” Third Lady Chun stood up, rubbing her chest as she rose in anger and embarrassment.

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