After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 1140 Dowry
Haitang's dowry was gradually packed.

Today was the day to pack and seal all the books she brought as a dowry. She specially put the forged "Notes of the Past" into the bookcase, along with two other books related to the Jiangnan weaving industry and looms.

Originally, she just asked the spies who ran errands for her family to help her find books related to weaving in various bookstores and printing houses in the capital, in order to further convince outsiders that she was indeed very interested in "looms". With this preparation, when she married into the Jin family in the future and got the palace's collection of books related to this, it would be more credible to "research" a new loom.

She was not afraid that the loom drawings she would bring out would overlap with the research results she left in the palace in her previous life, making people think that her contribution was discounted. In her previous life, she worked with others to develop a new loom. She compromised on the design of some parts and accepted her companions' suggestions to make the silk patterns woven by the new loom more gorgeous and complex, and more suitable for the palace. In fact, she wanted to promote this new loom among the people, so she hoped to simplify some parts. But she couldn't get over the collaborator's intentions, so she had to take a step back. In this life, she will design the new loom completely according to her own ideas, which will be different from the research results of her previous life. For the similarities, others will only think that she referred to the same books of her predecessors, and will not misunderstand that she plagiarized anyone.

In this way, this new loom is completely the result of her research. She wants to use it as capital and form a joint venture with the Kangwang Mansion. Who can find fault with her? Even if the Kangwang Mansion doesn't like it, she can build a loom and open a workshop by herself, hire people to weave silk and sell it, and no one can find fault with it. Maybe it will be easier that way!

In order to make her "development of a new loom" more credible, she not only forged the notebook, but also planned to buy several related books to further prove that she was indeed quite accomplished in this area. But in fact, it was just a cover. Nowadays, people don't care about the development of industrial machinery technology, but only take it as a side topic. How can there be so many textile books for sale in bookstores?

However, the young men from spy families who ran errands for the Hai family were really too smart and clever. After they figured out what Haitang wanted, they somehow persuaded the shopkeepers and clerks of several large bookstores, and got a list of books in the bookstores from them and gave it to her. She selected according to the list and actually picked out two related books. One was the life story of a famous weaving master and his own unique pattern patterns, and the other was the history of the development of weaving tools. The latter also came with a large number of patterns, including detailed drawings of looms from different eras and clear large pictures of the various parts of the looms. The former was fine, Haitang could use it as a leisure book to amuse herself and refer to the patterns, but the latter provided her with sufficient information to "develop" a new loom. Even though the price was very expensive and she spent more than ten taels of silver, it was worth it.

From then on, two more books were added to her dowry. While she was in a good mood, she did not forget to speak well of the sons of the spies who had made great contributions and recommended them to her brother Haijiao. It would be a pity if these young men followed in their father's footsteps and continued to be spies who were not allowed to see the light. Haijiao needed such smart and adaptable talents. His subordinates were smart and capable, and they made great contributions, so he, as the boss, would also be proud, right?

The ten boxes of books were all sealed and transported to a specially vacated warehouse for storage. There were only two books left in Haitang's boudoir, which she would use to entertain herself in the days before her wedding. She would put them in her carry-on luggage and take them to the Jin family. But the sealed boxes could not be opened again.

After the book boxes were sorted, Haitang took Xiangcao to pack up her jewelry and some more valuable gadgets, such as seal stones, tea sets, and stationery items.

As her wedding date drew near, dowries from relatives and friends arrived one after another. Although the Zhou family's Cheng'en Marquis Mansion had limited friendship with the Hai family, it also sent valuable dowries for the sake of the Zhenguo Mansion. In addition, there was the Zhou family's third room where my aunt Zhou Ma lived, and the Zhou family's fourth room where Zhou Yijun and Zhou Xuejun lived. The Wu family of Cheng'en Marquis Mansion had the new wife of Cheng'en Marquis Zhang Yingfeng personally come to the door to deliver a complete set of headwear, and also presented a pair of jade hairpins on behalf of her sister-in-law Wu Qiong. The wife of the Tao family sent her trusted nanny to deliver dowries, and the old students of the Wu family who had been favored by the Hai family sent their own women to add dowries. The three elders of Ming Shutang personally went to the jewelry shop to pick out the gifts they liked and gave them to Haitang, who had grown up with them...

With these additions, Haitang's dowry of various ornaments has increased to two large boxes. She is a little worried that if her dowry continues to increase, it is very likely to reach 128 pieces, which is twice the size of the dowry of Zhang Yingfeng, the wife of Cheng Enbo, and only slightly less than the future Princess Kang. Will it be too conspicuous? By then, everyone in the capital will know that the Hai family is rich. Can my grandfather Hai Xiya, a fifth-rank official in the capital, bear this pressure?
Of course, her dowry also included ten boxes of books and dozens of pieces of silk fabrics of various colors, which accounted for a considerable proportion. Perhaps it could divert people's attention a little?
While Haitang was daydreaming, Haijiao brought her another letter and gift from Jin Jiashu. The gift was two large boxes of various seal stones and jade materials, which were the rewards Jin Jiashu had just received from the palace. He didn't have time to play with them now, but he thought his fiancée might be interested, so he sent them to her. She could put these seal stones and jade materials into her dowry and bring them back to the Jin family. When outsiders saw them, her dowry would seem more generous and her family would have a stronger aura of scholarly virtue...

Haitang looked at the two boxes of seal stones and jade materials and couldn't help but sigh: "It seems that my dowry will really have to increase to 128 loads."

"What about one hundred and twenty-eight dowries?" Hai Jiao was very dissatisfied with this. "It's okay if the number is more, even if it exceeds that of Lady Cheng'en, it doesn't matter. Everyone knows that Zhang is from the second branch of the Zhang family, and the direct branch of the Zhang family withheld the dowry of the daughters of the family. The gossip is all over the place. If your dowry is not inferior to Zhang's, how can she appear pitiful and wronged? I have mentioned this to Wu Ke a long time ago, and he didn't take it as an offense at all. He only felt more pity for his virtuous wife. Don't worry, you will have many opportunities to deal with Zhang in the future. With my ability, I can coax her back. If you have to complain, it should be that her natal relatives are mean and heartless."

The world does not know the family background of the Hai family, but the Zhou family, Wu family, Tao family and a group of Wumen students who have dealt with the Hai family all know it. Without a rich family background, how could they support so many exiled officials? As long as these acquaintances know how the dowry of the Hai family's granddaughter came from, a few gossips from outsiders will not have any impact. What's more, Jin Jiashu is the only younger generation of Empress Dowager Xu's natal family. He only married the granddaughter of a fifth-rank official, which is low-key enough. What's wrong with the bride's dowry being richer and the show being bigger? Doesn't the empress dowager's niece-in-law deserve this show? !

Haijiao didn't take this matter to heart, and only reminded his younger sister: "Xiao Jin wrote to you specially, asking you to reply to him, and I don't know what it is about. You should open the letter and take a look."