Madam Jiang entered the Chunhui Hall’s main room, which was as warm as spring and sumr, with a chill clinging to her. Seeing that Song Ci and the others were engrossed in conversation, she stood by the fire to warm herself and smiled, saying, "What are you talking about with such enthusiasm, you grandparents and grandchildren?"
Song Ruqian replied with a smile, "Just family matters and trivial affairs." She stood up, bowed to Madam Jiang, and said sincerely, "With mother unwell, it’s hard on you and Third Aunt to manage the household affairs."
"We’re all family here, talking like this would be a slander to your second aunt, don’t you think? But managing the household is indeed tough and troubleso, especially as the year draws to a close with so many things to handle, it’s been hard on your mother managing for over ten years."
After warming herself, Madam Jiang walked over, picked up her own dear daughter, and kissed her several tis, calling her honey-heart, saying how much she missed her, and so on.
Song Ruqian chuckled softly, "No wonder Grandmother says you’re a daughter-lover, the way you dote on Fourth Sister is no less than so families dote on their sons."
At first, she didn’t understand what ’daughter-lover’ ant, but once Song Ci explained, she got it imdiately and found it quite fitting.
"What’s so great about those boys? Rough-skinned and thick-fleshed, nowhere near as fragrant and soft as little girls," Madam Jiang said as she kissed her daughter again.
"With you so unwilling to part with Sister, you can’t let her marry far away in the future; you have to find a son-in-law nearby, otherwise, you’ll surely not bear it."
Madam Jiang wholeheartedly agreed, "I’m certainly not going to let her marry far away, I’ll find her one in the capital, preferably one from a family of vast wealth and with deceased parents. If he’s good-looking but poor, that’s fine too, the best would be if he can move in with us, since her mother has wealth, and her dowry will ensure she never wants for food and drink her whole life. Her maternal grandfather recently wrote to say that he has opened an account for her at the Great Qing Bank, saying starting now he will deposit a thousand taels of gold bars every year as her bottom drawer silver."
Song Ruqian: "..."
I am envious of such wealth and power.
Could the Jiang Family’s maternal grandfather use another granddaughter?
She wouldn’t mind at all!
Song Ci remarked, a dozen grandfathers like that for , I could handle it!
"Who would have thought our Fourth Sister is already a little rich lady?" Song Ruqian gently pinched her little sister, nearly young enough to be her daughter.
Song Ci said, "Madam Jiang, don’t you think of aligning soone as an in-law with Yuanyuan, she has two brothers above her and they’ll need to marry wives into the family; if Yuanyuan also marries an in-law here, the family dynamics would beco chaotic, and sibling and sister-in-law relationships might turn sour over such small gains."
Interests can corrupt a person.
Madam Jiang awkwardly said, "Mother, I’m just joking, I wouldn’t dare do such a thing, as long as the person cares for her, it’s enough."
"Even so, what needs to be taught you can’t refrain from because you can’t bear her suffering. What she needs to understand, you must teach well. Saying foolish people have foolish luck, unless truly foolish, who really gets that?" Song Ci patted her little granddaughter’s few stray hairs and said, "For this girl, don’t hope for her to be too shrewd, but she must have a clear heart, understand courtesy and reason, only then can she live well. If she’s pampered blindly, she will indeed suffer losses, as she can’t hide under your protection for a lifeti, you’ll age before her."
"You see, didn’t Qi’er suffer losses?"
Madam Jiang and Song Ruqian straightened up in unison and said, "Mother (Grandmother), I understand."
Being won, and mothers of daughters themselves, they naturally understood the aning behind Song Ci’s words, no matter how strong the backing, it can’t replace living life oneself, and personal wisdom can always help avoid so unnecessary troubles and filth.
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