Bai Dalang glanced around, seeing no one else except them, and then coughed lightly, saying in a low voice, "Of course I want to, but it’s just the rules..."
Manbao said, "It’s not a rule that must be strictly followed, otherwise how did you have dinner together last night?"
"We didn’t sit together, there was a screen between us, separating the male and female guests," Bai Dalang defended, "I could only see her hair."
Bai Shan said, "Just answer if you want to see her or not. It’s just a eting, not asking you to do anything inappropriate. Besides, they say it’s not good to et before the wedding, but that’s on the eve. You’ve still got a long ti before your wedding."
For example, no one told him and Zhou Man that they couldn’t et as an engaged couple. Instead, they enjoyed more freedom after the engagent, even holding hands in public, and no one found it improper.
Bai Dalang hesitated for a mont and then quietly said, "But in the Cheng Family’s eyes, the Second Miss is already given in marriage. It’s just because of our family’s situation that we chose another date to hold the ceremony in the capital. Right now, it wouldn’t be good for us to et while the Second Miss is in the process of getting married."
The Cheng Family didn’t just bring the dowry and their daughter directly. Back then, Old Master Bai made three trips on behalf of his son to propose, giving the Cheng Family enough face, and then went on behalf of his son to greet the bride.
Originally, the bride and groom were from separate locations. The bride could first enter the Qili Village, then be escorted to the capital for a simple ceremony with Bai Dalang.
However, firstly, the Cheng Family didn’t want to wrong their daughter, and secondly, Old Master Bai didn’t want to wrong his son.
After all, it was both their first marriage, and with her being the eldest daughter-in-law, they’d rather go through trouble than be too simplistic with so rites.
Therefore, when Old Master Bai visited to greet the bride on behalf of his son, the Cheng Family held a grand wedding feast, and the Second Miss Cheng wore her wedding dress as she was sent out of Mianzhou City.
It was because of the heat that the Second Miss Cheng changed out of her wedding dress midway, but for these twelve days, she wore red clothes and never changed to another color.
Now they’re just waiting for Old Master Bai to buy a house. Once preparations are complete, they can welco the eldest daughter-in-law on an auspicious day.
If being an engaged couple ans you’ve got one foot into marriage, then Bai Dalang and the Second Miss Cheng are only separated by a heel.
At such tis, etiquette must be observed even more.
Bai Dalang hesitated for a long ti before gritting his teeth, closing his eyes, and refusing Manbao and Bai Shan’s temptation. He then carefully selected in the garden, stretched out his hand to pick a fine branch of roses, and handed it to Manbao, "Deliver this to the Second Miss for ."
Although sowhat unexpected, Manbao happily took it and stopped urging him to et the Second Miss Cheng.
Manbao handed the book to Bai Shan, asking him to take it back, and then went with the flower to the guest courtyard to find the Second Miss Cheng.
Walking along, sothing felt off. She glanced at the flower in her hand and couldn’t help but ask Keke in her heart, "Is this flower mine?"
Keke replied, "It’s the host’s."
Manbao said, "Senior Brother Bai is really stingy."
When handing over the flower to the Second Miss Cheng, she still leaned close and whispered, "Senior Brother Bai spent a long ti in the garden picking this out, and he specially asked to give this to you."
The Second Miss Cheng blushed, accepted it, found a vase in the room to place it in, and with a flushed face, said softly, "Thank him for ."
Manbao asked, "Thank him for what?"
The Second Miss Cheng blushed even more, and after a while, said softly, "Thank him for being thoughtful. Just, just say I really like it."
Manbao smiled and agreed.
Mrs. Cheng had just finished washing up and heard that Zhou Man had co, so she hurriedly tidied her hair and walked over, "Has Miss Man co?"
In just one night, the way she addressed her had changed, making it feel a bit more intimate.
The Second Miss Cheng couldn’t care that they weren’t familiar, and quickly grabbed Manbao’s hand, silently pleading.
Manbao then smiled and said to Mrs. Cheng, "I’ve brought a flower for the Second Miss. Now that I’ve delivered it, I’ll be off as you’re busy. I’ll go back to have breakfast."
Mrs. Cheng hurriedly tried to keep her, "Stay and eat here."
Manbao declined and dashed back to Bai Shan and the others’ Songbai Courtyard. Sure enough, food was already laid out in the hall, and Old Master Bai was already sitting at the table.
Seeing Manbao, he waved with a smile, "Perfect timing, co quickly for breakfast."
Manbao sat down, and Bai Shan handed her a set of bowls and chopsticks, asking, "I thought you were going to eat at your house."
Manbao replied, "Sis-in-law is tired, and today’s breakfast was made by the Fourth Sister-in-law."
Bai Shan and the others understood.
Mr. Zhuang routinely admonished her, "You’re too picky with food."
Manbao chuckled, sheepishly admitting her fault, probably not planning to change anyti soon.
Bai Shan changed the topic at the right mont, "I put your book in the study room."
Mr. Zhuang imdiately said, "After breakfast, I’ll conduct a text recitation."
Bai Erlang had a chill down his spine and lowered his head to eat his porridge.
Bai Shan and Manbao also tensed up, replying weakly.
Bai Dalang glanced at Manbao several tis, feeling disappointed when she didn’t catch his hints, then lowered his head in disappointnt.
After breakfast, Manbao went with Bai Shan and Bai Erlang to the study to read with Mr. Zhuang, while Bai Dalang followed his father to busily prepare for the wedding.
Although there wasn’t much he needed to do, he still needed to give his opinion on things like the wedding clothes and the guest list.
Old Zhou rarely had a good sleep, waking only when the sun was high.
Ms. Qian was up early, and upon slling dicine, she and Junior Ms. Qian followed the scent to the front, finding Ms. Lu and others brewing dicine.
She paused and asked, "Is this dicine for your father?"
Ms. Lu quickly stood up, "No, my sister-in-law said Father-in-law’s dicine should be taken after als, and he hasn’t gotten up yet, so it hasn’t been prepared. This is ointnt we’re making for the household."
Ms. Lu explained the origin of the ointnt, "Right now, this ointnt sells very well, especially the whitening cream. Lijun even gave a small jar to the Second Miss Cheng yesterday."
Ms. Qian thought, that’s why the child was acting so mysteriously yesterday, leaving the Second Miss Cheng’s room so joyfully.
Ms. Qian, holding Junior Ms. Qian’s hand, sat on a small stool and asked, "Are these dicinal materials expensive?"
"Quite expensive," said Ms. Lu, "A jar of ointnt, not counting firewood and labor, costs nearly one tael of silver."
"How much do you sell it for?"
"A jar can be divided into two porcelain jars, and one porcelain jar is two taels of silver," Ms. Lu said as she saw Ms. Qian frown. She imdiately explained, "The porcelain jars are very expensive too. Lijun insists on engraving a ’Zhou’ character on them, so the porcelain jars have to be custom-made. The glaze has to be good, so each jar costs about one hundred and fifty wen, more expensive than the bowls and dishes we have at ho."
Is it not expensive? The household uses earthenware, but here it’s porcelain.
Ms. Qian looked at the three dicine stoves emitting smoke in the kitchen, and after a while, said, "That’s good too. You all have sothing to do in the capital."
Ms. Lu breathed a sigh of relief and responded with a smile.
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