The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 172

"Chunnuan's dowry is finally settled."

Madam Xu was very satisfied with the large huanghuali wood bed and other items that had been delivered. Such a large item would be presentable even in the capital.

As the eldest daughter-in-law of the main branch, Xu Shi, who had been in charge of the household for many years, handed over the power to manage the household affairs to Chun Nuan when she went to Shu. However, she still cared about Chun Nuan's dowry.

She knew that Madam Xu had always been a person who didn't compete or fight for anything.

After arriving in Sichuan, her son and daughter both proved to be capable and quietly took on the heavy responsibilities of the family, while she remained silent.

Her silence doesn't mean she doesn't know what's going on.

Everyone has seen and appreciated Chunnuan's efforts for the Xiao family at this crucial moment.

The preparation of Chunnuan's dowry could not be taken lightly; this was something Madam Xu had secretly resolved to do.

She even discussed it with her eldest daughter-in-law, Zhu Lingling, and if all else failed, they would use the tens of taels of silver from the embroidery workshop's sales to fill the gap, making sure that things looked presentable no matter what.

Unexpectedly, when Chun Ning went to Shu to prepare her dowry, Zhao Minghua would think of giving Chun Nuan face.

Those exquisite calligraphy and paintings, along with this set of tasteful furniture, all demonstrate how much Zhao Minghua values ​​Chunnuan.

Even more unexpectedly, the eldest daughter, Chunyu, still remembered her younger sister and sent Chunnuan a bolt of cloth and a thousand taels of silver from the capital.

"Chuning, inquire again. If it's suitable, buy a manor and a courtyard for Nuannuan in the town and Changzhou respectively as her dowry."

Xu knew that the estates and courtyards in these places were not expensive; usually, a few hundred taels of silver could get things done.

"Okay, Aunt, Chun Ning will get this done as soon as possible."

“Let’s also set up another shop,” Madam Xu said. “We need to have everything we need; we can’t let Nuannuan suffer.”

"Thank you, auntie."

Chun Ning thanked her aunt on behalf of her elder sister.

He was also very gratified. His aunt's willingness to part with his older sister represented the Xiao family's affirmation of the heavy responsibilities she had shouldered and showed that they had not forgotten her contributions.

"This is what Nuannuan deserves, no need to thank me."

Xu told Chun Ning to handle the arrangements.

Zhuangzi's courtyard and shop were things I never dared to dream of before, when I had no money.

Since Chunyu has sent money, we should give it to Nuannuan within our means.

"Sister-in-law," Huang said, holding back her words, "Sister-in-law, besides Nuannuan, Chunyan and Chunshu are about to get married, and Chunning and Chunqiang will also get married and have children in the future. Should we follow Nuannuan's standard for all of them?"

Xu was taken aback for a moment, then gave Huang a meaningful look.

She knew that some people could share hardship but not happiness.

Huang is truly blind. Who was it that held up the Xiao family when it fell into ruin?

If it weren't for Nuannuan, it's questionable whether the Xiao family would still be alive today.

Madam Xu vividly remembered the old lady's words to her: Of the three daughters-in-law of the Xiao family, the one she worried about the most was her youngest daughter-in-law, Huang. She was usually quiet and reserved, but she kept everything to herself. She was generally silent, but when she spoke, she could be incredibly hurtful. As the eldest daughter-in-law and the matriarch of the household, you should make your own decisions and not worry too much. If things really don't work out, then separate from the family.

"Are we going to follow Nuannuan's standards?" Madam Xu smiled gently. "I don't know what standards you, Chunshu, will follow, but for Chunyan, I will determine her based on the Xiao family's situation and her husband's family's status when she gets married. After all, Chunyan doesn't have Nuannuan's abilities. If she can't shoulder heavy responsibilities, she shouldn't expect to receive the same treatment."

Xu, who remained silent, glanced at her sister-in-law and thought to herself that there was a reason why her mother-in-law had chosen Xu as the eldest daughter-in-law to manage the household affairs.

Look how fair she is. She never favors Chunyan just because she is her biological daughter. Her sister-in-law's words are very clear: whether it is Chunyan or Chunshu, they have to take a backseat to Chunnuan.

“If the Xiao family were still the Xiao family in the capital, and all the young ladies were sheltered and rarely left their homes, with their elders taking care of everything, then the dowries of the girls would definitely be based on Chunyu’s standards.”

Chunyu was the eldest grandson of the Xiao family's main branch, and her dowry when she married into the Wu family was quite respectable.

Following Chunyu's suggestion is not bad either.

"However, the Xiao family has grown from nothing. In the past two years, everything the Xiao family has to eat, wear, and do has been arranged by Nuannuan and earned by Chunning through her hard work."

Xu meant that Chunnuan deserved such treatment because she had made a contribution.

Unfortunately, Huang didn't understand the meaning behind the words.

"The silver sent by Chunyu..."

That's a thousand taels of silver. We won't argue about the cloth, but is it really necessary to spend all the silver just for Chunnuan?

It can be considered public property of the Xiao family after all.

Among Chunnuan's dowry, the calligraphy, paintings, and furniture were said to have been purchased with Zhao Minghua's money.

However, right now, the money for the manor, courtyard, and shops is all scrambled from the silver sent by Chunyu. Instead of spending the money on everyone, it's all being spent on Chunnuan. Huangshi feels that this approach is inappropriate.

Chunnuan is not the only unmarried daughter in the Xiao family.

"The letter from Chunyu clearly states that the money she sent was for Nuannuan's dowry."

Madam Xu was somewhat angry, and placed Chunyu's letter on the table: "You can take a good look at it."

In fact, everyone has read this book.

Yes, Chunyu explained it very clearly.

The fabrics that were sent included some brightly colored ones, which were for the younger siblings to wear after their mourning period; the other fabrics were new goods from Jiangnan this year, which were very popular in the capital, and Chunyu said they were for Chunnuan to use as part of her dowry.

The silver was also given to Chunnuan as part of her dowry.

"This is Chunyu's dowry for Nuannuan. She didn't say it outright because she wanted to save face for the Xiao family, but instead had me arrange shops, estates, and courtyards for Nuannuan, as a dowry from the Xiao family to give her confidence." Madam Xu glanced at Madam Huang: "We can't keep a single thing that belongs to Nuannuan; we can't afford to lose face!"

"You mentioned the marriage of Chunyan and Chunshu. The Xiao family will provide whatever dowry they can afford," Madam Xu said. "As for how much dowry Chunyu is willing to add, that's up to her as the eldest sister. We can't control her, much less impose it on her."

Xu's slap in the face was very direct, and Huang's face stung with pain.

"Chunyu is indeed a woman who has become a general's wife; she is very generous to her younger sisters." Finally, with no way to back down, Madam Huang took the opportunity to say, "Chunyan's dowry will definitely be generous in the future. After all, the general's wife is her eldest sister. Perhaps Chunyan will be able to marry back to the capital and into a good family."

Who wouldn't want to marry into a good family? The question is, can a girl from the Xiao family really marry into a good family these days?
In Changzhou, Sichuan, what kind of family is considered a good family?

Will she marry back to the capital? With no foothold in the capital, will the Xiao family ever have a chance to return?

Or rather, is the capital still able to accommodate them?
“Chunshu has a good maternal family, so perhaps we can look forward to it.” Madam Xu was unusually calm: “Our Xiao family is currently in Shu, and the Xu family has also cut off ties with me. I don’t expect her to marry into the capital. It would be fine if she could find a good family in Changzhou.”

She knew that Huang had never given up her dream of returning to the capital.

You can't blame her for that. After all, she's a daughter of the Huang family, so it's understandable that she's a bit proud and arrogant.

"Sister-in-law, you're joking. You may not need the Xu family, but you have Chunyu. She is the wife of General Huaiyuan and is favored by the general."

"Third sister-in-law, General Xia is marrying a wife, not a concubine. It is love and respect, not pampering."

The word "favor" makes Chunyu look so bad.
Xu's face immediately darkened; this Huang was truly clueless.

The Huang family had produced great scholars, and she was a well-known talented woman in the capital back then. How come she can't even speak properly?
Or is it that jealousy can completely change a person?
Listen to the hint of sourness in her words.

So, you think that Chunyu, who was divorced by the Wu family and still has a daughter, can still marry into a good family, so Chunshu can also have some expectations?

Chunyu didn't see any of the thorns that lined the road she was on.
When the Xiao family got into trouble, the Wu family took advantage of their misfortune and almost caused Chunyu to lose her life.

Chunyu, barely out of confinement, dragged her frail body to file a lawsuit against the emperor, risking her life to finally gain peace. Her marriage to Xia Guangcheng was also full of the emperor's calculations. Fortunately, Chunyu wrote back saying that life was really good, and that both Madam Xia and the general liked Panpan and treated her sincerely. Only then did Madam Xu's heart, which had been breaking with worry, finally find some relief.

I felt that Chunyu's journey had been difficult, and neither the Xiao family nor the Xu family had provided any assistance whatsoever.

She walked this path without anyone helping her, and when she found herself in the crowd, she didn't want anyone to envy her. Xu Shi didn't want anyone to try to climb on her laurels or hold her back.

Yes, the Xiao family has lost all its value in the capital. Anyone who wants to marry a daughter of the Xiao family at this time is undoubtedly doing so with the intention of befriending the Xia family.

Xia Guangcheng is a loyalist in the capital, and if he becomes involved with any relatives by marriage, there is a risk that something might go wrong and put them in danger.

The Xu family would absolutely not allow such a thing to happen.

Therefore, she never considered sending Chunyan to the capital.

Since you've obeyed the emperor's orders and settled in this remote corner, then stay put in Shu and Changzhou. Don't go around causing trouble for Chunyu anymore.

"Sister-in-law, please calm down. It's your sister-in-law who doesn't know how to speak properly."

Seeing that Mrs. Xu was angry, Mrs. Huang quickly apologized.

Well, she was a bit emotional and spoke without thinking today.

Yes, Huang believed that Chunnuan's dowry far exceeded the scale of Chunyu's dowry on that day.

In wealthy families in the capital, there are rules regarding dowries. Generally, they cannot exceed the dowry of the eldest granddaughter of the eldest son, unless she marries a member of the imperial family, in which case it is a different story.

The thousand taels of silver that Chunyu brought was a generous dowry in Huangshi's eyes, even if only five hundred taels were given to Chunnuan. However, her sister-in-law planned to spend it all on Chunnuan. What would happen to the dowries of Chunyan and Chunshu in the future?
Moreover, she was prepared to marry her daughter back to the capital.

A dowry is a source of confidence for the bride's family. If a woman marries into a wealthy or influential family in the capital, what can she do if she doesn't have a decent dowry?
She was also very aggrieved. When she married into the Xiao family, her dowry was no less than that of her elder sister-in-law, Xu, and it was all of high quality. The calligraphy and paintings were genuine works that money could hardly buy. Unfortunately, they were all confiscated in the end.

With his daughter growing up and getting married, he realized he no longer had the small storeroom and couldn't prepare a dowry for her.

Now that Chunnuan's dowry is so generous, how could she not have any thoughts about it?
"You've never been a talkative person. I understand why you've said so much today."

What Ms. Xu actually meant was that if you can't speak properly, then don't speak at all. Saying such sarcastic and mean things here makes people very uncomfortable.

Mrs. Huang knew perfectly well that she didn't want her children to study medicine and wanted them to be scholars, which was perfectly understandable.

Unable to shoulder heavy responsibilities, yet desiring to enjoy excellent treatment, truly wanting both.

“Our Xiao family is one. What Chunyan has, Chunshu will also have; what Chunning has, Chunqiang will also have.” Madam Xu stated directly: “However, what Nuannuan has, they may not all be entitled to.”

That is to say, the warmth of spring is unique.

Xu glanced at her sister-in-law, who was still the same sister-in-law she knew. She spoke without any politeness, directly and domineeringly, nipping Huang's idea in the bud.

how to say?

Ms. Xu felt very relieved.

Huang is too petty and calculating.

The reason why the sisters-in-law can get along to this day is because of the decisiveness of the eldest sister-in-law, Xu, and Huang's own accommodation. Most of the time, Huang would let her do what she wanted, but at the critical moment, the eldest sister-in-law would make the final decision, leaving Huang no room for other ideas.

Huang didn't say anything more and silently got up and went back to her room.

"Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law."

Even though she had received a good deal, Xu still had to pretend to be virtuous.

“You,” Madam Xu smiled, “I know you’ve never been one to fuss or fight for things, but when it comes to what’s rightfully Nuannuan’s, I won’t favor anyone.”

"Thank you, sister-in-law. I thank your aunt on behalf of Nuannuan."

"We should thank Nuannuan," Madam Xu said. "From the day the Xiao family collapsed, it was Nuannuan who held the Xiao family up. Now she is wholeheartedly teaching Chun Ning, increasing revenue and reducing expenditure for the Xiao family, and trying every possible way to keep the Xiao family going."

In fact, Madam Xu understood very well that Chunnuan not only made sacrifices for the Xiao family, but Chunyu in the capital also enjoyed Chunnuan's protection and support.

In her separate letter to Nuannuan, Chunyu also mentioned that she owed her success to Nuannuan's support, especially her recovery, which was due to the timely delivery of medicine by Nuannuan.

And then there was that time I was in danger; if it weren't for the medicine powder that Nuannuan gave me, I wouldn't be here today.

Therefore, Chunyu was extremely grateful to Chunnuan.

Having saved her daughter, Madam Xu naturally felt a special affection for Nuannuan.

“Nuan Nuan is the daughter of the Xiao family, so it is only right that she does all this for the Xiao family.”

“That’s right, but we should also remember the kindness.” Madam Xu said, “I’ll say it again: don’t expect the same treatment if you don’t take on the same responsibility.”

These words were meant for Huang's ears.

Madam Huang did understand, but she was not convinced. She wanted to use the help of the Huang clan to marry Chun Shu back to the capital.

I wonder what my mother and the others at home will think after they see this letter?