The Red Mansion

Chapter 114 Madam Yuanchun
The Daqing ritual system was strict, and since Yuanchun became a fifth-rank lady when she got married, a series of ceremonial activities had to be completed the day after the wedding.

However, Jiang Nian had neither parents nor relatives, which made Yuanchun much less trouble and worry, but there were still some ritual activities that needed to be completed.

Checking the Yuanpa in the morning is only the first etiquette on the second day of the wedding.

By this time, Yuanchun had finished dressing and washing. She was wearing a dark blue jacket with a phoenix-shaped pattern, the attire of a fifth-rank lady. Madam Quanfu had tied her hair into a bun, pinned her hair with a wish-fulfilling hairpin, and donned the silver-gilt headdress of a fifth-rank lady. This reflected that she was no longer a girl from the Rongguo Mansion, nor was she Jia Nushi, the Empress Dowager's attendant, but had become a fifth-rank lady of the Jiang family.

According to etiquette, Yuanchun was supposed to greet her parents-in-law and offer them "jujube and chestnut soup" (a homophone for "early establishment of a child") and "腶修" (dried meat), a reference to the "woman holding jujubes, chestnuts, and 腶修" (dried meat) in the "Book of Rites: The Meaning of Marriage" (酶修, meaning "marriage"), which reads: "The woman presents the bride with jujubes, chestnuts, and 腶修." The parents-in-law presented them with a copy of "Nei Ze" (Inner Rules) or "Nu Jie" (Instructions for Women), which instruct them on women's duties such as "attending sacrifices and tending to household chores." In return, they presented the bride with a jade bracelet or silver hairpin, symbolizing their acceptance as a member of the family.

The Jiang family had no parents-in-law, and Jiang Xuelian's grave was far away in Jiangning. Therefore, Yuanchun just followed Jiang Nian to burn incense and pay homage to Jiang Xuelian's spirit tablet.

After the worship, the ceremony should have been followed by a ceremony to inform the ancestors and include them in the family tree, so that they could officially join the clan. Because the Jiang family did not have a family ancestral hall, ancestral tablets, family tree or clan leader, this ceremony was kept simple.

After a brief tribute to the ancestors, Yuanchun would then preside over the ceremony of feeding the guests.

According to etiquette, the bride must personally prepare a soup, such as lotus seed and lily broth, and serve it to her parents-in-law as a token of filial piety. Although the actual preparation is often performed by a maid, the bride merely makes a small gesture, demonstrating her respect. During meals, the bride must sit below her aunt and sister-in-law, using only her chopsticks to indicate when eating and refraining from making any noise or talking, as a sign of respect.

Yuanchun can be spared from this section.

Then it is time for the bride to be greeted by the younger generations. The younger generations in the family bow to the bride and call her "Aunt" or "Uncle". The bride then presents her with a purse filled with gold and silver ingots as a greeting.

The Jiang family also has no younger generations, so Yuanchun was exempted from this section.

So, Jiang Nian and Yuanchun accepted the gifts from the Jiang family servants and Yuanchun's dowry servants.

At this moment, Jiang Nian and Yuanchun were sitting together in the main hall.

The twelve servants of the Jiang family, including He Yun, Meng, Xiangling, He Zhong, Meng Xiong, Feng, Qi'er, Qin'er, and the four members of Dong Liang's family, led by He Yun, bowed to Jiang Nian and Yuanchun, and introduced themselves to Yuanchun. The Jiang family servants still addressed Jiang Nian as "Master" and Yuanchun as "Grandma," meaning "Grandma of the Master."

Yuanchun gave out gifts as a greeting. He Yun and Meng Shi received gold ingots, and the others received silver ingots.

In Daqing, "imperial edicts" were divided into five grades: the first and second grades were "Madam", the third grade was "Shuren", the fourth grade was "Gongren", the fifth grade was "Yiren", and the sixth grade and below were imperial decrees.

Although Yuanchun was only a fifth-rank concubine, everyone in the Jiang family could still respect her as "Madam". One reason was because she had an imperial edict, and the other was because she was the mistress of the family.

The same situation happened to Mrs. Wang of Rongguo Mansion.

However, neither Yuanchun nor Lady Wang are true imperial consorts. Only when Jiang Nianguan reaches the second rank or above can Yuanchun become a true imperial consort.

Jiang Nian and Yuanchun were still young, and if they were asked to be addressed as "Master" or "Madam" by the servants, it would seem old-fashioned.

What's more, Jiang Nian actually has a father, who is Emperor Taishun. In this case, it is even more inappropriate for him and Yuanchun to call each other "Master" and "Madam".

After the twelve servants of the Jiang family paid their respects to Jiang Nian and Yuanchun and received the greeting gifts, it was the turn of Yuanchun's dowry servants to pay their respects to Jiang Nian and Yuanchun.

In Daqing, when a daughter of a wealthy official gets married, the number of people who will accompany her as a dowry is a key concern.

The Daqing Code stipulates that when a prince marries his daughter, the dowry can include up to sixty households!

When Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng married into the Rongguo Mansion, they both brought a number of servants with them as dowries, demonstrating the Wang family's power and prestige. These servants also became the foundation of their foothold in the mansion. The pros and cons of this are self-evident.

However, Yuanchun's dowry was not large. Firstly, Jiang Nian was only a fifth-rank official, without any prominent parents or elders, and the Jiang family mansion was not as grand as the Rongguo Mansion. Secondly, some of the servants in the Rongguo Mansion did not want to accompany Yuanchun to the Jiang family, believing that they would be better off staying in the Rongguo Mansion.

Yuanchun's dowry this time mainly consisted of four maids - Baoqin, Xique, Jinchuan and Yuchuan.

There are also Zhang Ruojin and his wife, Wu Gui and Duo girl, and the Bai family.

Zhang Ruojin is Baoqin's brother.

Wu Gui is Qingwen's cousin.

The Bai family is the relative of Jinchuan and Yuchuan.

Everyone filed in, bowed to Jiang Nian and Yuanchun, called them "Uncle" and "Grandma", and introduced themselves to Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian gave gifts as usual, all of which were silver ingots.

Among the crowd, Jiang Nian was most concerned not about Xi Que, but about Wu Gui and Duo Girl, and his gaze stayed on these two the longest.

Wu Gui was not good-looking and had a red nose, but his wife Duo was a girl with a unique charm. Although she was wearing servants' clothes, she was very pretty and her eyes were charming.

According to the original book:
Qingwen had no memory of her parents in her hometown. She only knew that she had a cousin named Wu Gui, nicknamed Duohunchong, who was a skilled butcher.

After Qingwen married Lady Jia, she asked the Lai family to buy Wu Gui into the Rongguo Mansion, where he became a cook. The Lai family also gave Wu Gui a beautiful maid, named Duo.

Once Wu Gui found peace and security, he forgot his poverty and indulged in drinking. His wife, a beautiful and frivolous woman, loved to flirt with women and "recruit heroes and talented men" everywhere. Wu Gui didn't argue with her, simply letting her mind wander as he had wine, meat, and money.

And now, Wu Gui and Duo Girl, as relatives of Xi Que, have come to the Jiang family as dowry.

The arrival of this couple once again proved that Xi Que is Qingwen in the original novel!
As Jiang Nian looked at Miss Duo, he thought to himself, "I wonder if Miss Duo will return to her old ways after arriving at the Jiang family?"

After the Jiang family servants and Yuanchun's dowry servants had paid their respects to Jiang Nian and Yuanchun and received their greeting gifts, Jiang Nian said to Yuanchun, "There are still two people in the family who have not yet paid their respects to Madam."

Upon hearing this, Yuanchun's eyes flickered slightly. The jade bracelet on her wrist touched the red sandalwood armrest, making a clear sound. She opened her red lips and said softly, "But is it the sister of the Xue family?"

The ending tone of the word "妹" rises slightly, which actually has a bit of mischievous meaning.

She had long known that Xue Baochai was staying here. Jiang Nian nodded and said, "It is Miss Xue and her maid Ying'er."

Yuanchun smiled, the smile spreading from the corners of her eyes and then gradually spreading to her lips, just like the layers of a peony opening up at the first moment of its bloom. She said, "I should meet her. After all, she and I are cousins."

Jiang Nian then ordered Xiangling to go to the west wing to invite him.

Xiangling, holding up the hem of her apricot-yellow skirt, walked through the corridor and arrived at the west wing.

Xue Baochai was doing needlework with Ying'er in her room, but her mind was actually on the main hall of the house. She knew that Jiang Nian and Yuanchun were summoning everyone.

Suddenly, she heard Xiangling say, "Master and Madam, please come over to see me," and Xue Baochai's jade fingers trembled slightly, and her fingertips were almost pricked by a needle.

Ying'er was busy trying to fix Xue Baochai's hair and clothes, but she saw Xue Baochai had already walked to the dressing mirror, looking in the mirror, and smoothing a strand of hair on her temples. When Ying'er came forward to help Xue Baochai fix her hair and clothes, Xue Baochai couldn't help but tighten the apricot-yellow handkerchief in her hand.

Jiang Nian and Yuanchun waited for a while before they saw Xue Baochai and Ying'er coming slowly.

Xue Baochai was wearing a lilac-colored double-breasted shirt and a moon-white silk skirt today. She was already feeling awkward and depressed. When she walked into the main hall, she saw Yuanchun sitting there, wearing the clothes of a fifth-rank lady. She looked so extraordinary that she felt a surge of pressure.

Xue Baochai took a deep breath and clenched the apricot-yellow handkerchief in her hand a little tighter. On the surface, she maintained a dignified and reserved demeanor. She stepped forward and bowed to Yuanchun, saying, "Greetings, Grandma."

Seeing this, Yuanchun hurriedly stood up to help her. She took Xue Baochai's hand and said with a smile, "Sister, please stand up quickly. You and I are close relatives. When you first came to the capital, you were still a little girl, and now you have grown into such a beautiful woman." As she spoke, she looked at Xue Baochai carefully and saw that she was beautiful and had a graceful demeanor. Her appearance and temperament were somewhat similar to hers. She couldn't help but sigh, "It is truly fate that you and I are meeting here today, sister."

Xue Baochai smiled and said, "It is a pleasant surprise to be able to meet with elder sister here."

Jiang Nian watched quietly from the side, not surprised. He had asked Xue Baochai before, and learned that Xue Baochai had come to the capital as a child and had met Yuanchun once, but Yuanchun was still a young girl at that time, and Xue Baochai was a few years younger than Yuanchun.

Now that the two have reunited, they are in such a situation. What a twist of fate...

Xue Baochai, despite forcing herself to appear dignified and calm, was filled with mixed emotions. She was originally the daughter of the Xue family, but now she was living in the Jiang family as a future concubine. Meeting Yuanchun, the principal wife, she felt awkward and suffocated, despite Yuanchun's friendly attitude and gentle words.

In front of Jiang Nian, Yuanchun and Xue Baochai chatted about some family matters. Yuanchun asked about Aunt Xue, and Xue Baochai inquired about the people in the Rongguo Mansion. They talked and laughed, and seemed quite harmonious. They both deliberately talked only about family affection, and tacitly swallowed the question of the status of the mistress and concubines.

After Xue Baochai and Ying'er had left, Jiang Nian smiled and said to Yuanchun, "Now that you are the mistress of the household and have had experience under the Empress Dowager, you will be able to handle everything. You will take care of the registration of wedding gifts, the thank-you invitations, and other matters, and the like. Housekeeper He and his wife will assist you. I will go to the study to study."

Yuanchun smiled and said, "Master, just focus on your studies. These trivial matters are my responsibility."

Jiang Nian nodded and turned to go to the study.

Seeing this, Yuanchun, far from being displeased, thought with admiration, "The day after our wedding, Master has already diligently studied. No wonder he's so promising at such a young age. He has a bright future."

He Yun and Meng came to Yuanchun and assisted her in registering the gift list, classifying the gifts, checking whether they exceeded the regulations, and preparing thank-you letters and return gifts.

According to the Daqing etiquette, from the third to the fifth day after their wedding, Jiang Nian and Yuanchun had to present gifts such as the four treasures of the study, silk, etc. to their colleagues and gentry, along with thank-you notes. The total value of the return gifts should not exceed one-fifth of the gifts received. On the seventh day, they had to deliver thank-you notes and symbolic return gifts to high-ranking officials, such as rubbings and new tea. If the other party was a teacher, a handwritten "Poem of Thanks" should be attached.

The delivery method is: delivered by the butler or staff and handed over to the other party's butler in person.

Meng smiled at Yuanchun and said, "Before the wedding, Master had already prepared a large quantity of study treasures, silks, new tea, and the like, to be used as return gifts after the wedding."

Yuanchun nodded and said carefully, "This thank you letter and the return gift must not be taken lightly. The return gift must be considered according to each person's status. It should not be presumptuous, nor should it be disrespectful."

He Yun and Meng both nodded in agreement, secretly thinking that this young mistress really had the demeanor of a lady from a noble family, worthy of being the eldest daughter of the Rongguo Mansion and having worked as a female historian to the Empress Dowager.

By the time Yuanchun had finished preparing the gifts, it was already noon.

She knew that the Jiang family's dietary rules were different from those of other families. They had three meals a day, with breakfast earlier, dinner later, and an additional meal at noon.

After straightening her clothes, Yuanchun walked to the study, knocked lightly on the carved door, and said softly, "Master, it's me."

Following a voice saying "Come in" from inside, Yuanchun Fang gently pushed the door open and walked in.

Yuanchun smiled at Jiang Nian, who was sitting at the desk, and said, "Master, lunch is ready."

Jiang Nian nodded slightly and said with a smile: "Just right, I'm hungry."

Yuanchun paused for a moment, then continued, "I've been thinking, since Sister Xue hasn't done the formalities yet, why not have her dine with us for now? We can then perform the formalities of becoming a concubine when she's officially married."

Yuanchun also knew that before she got married, Xue Baochai had always eaten at the same table with Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian smiled when he heard this: "Madam, you are very thoughtful. This is very good."

Immediately, Yuanchun ordered Baoqin to go to the west wing to summon Xue Baochai for dinner.

The rosewood eight-immortals table in the main hall is neatly decorated: there is a plate of pickled goose feet, which are made from fat goose feet weighing three pounds, pickled in aged wine dregs for three days, and seasoned with cinnamon, cloves and other ingredients, which melt in the mouth; next to it is ham and fresh bamboo shoot soup, the soup is clear with a few golden oil stars floating on it, and the ham was pickled last winter; there are also nourishing dishes such as wolfberry sprouts fried with oil and salt, and steamed duck with fermented rice wine; there is also green glutinous rice porridge on the table, the rice grains are crystal clear like jade, and the fragrance floats in the steam, which makes people's appetites whet.

Jiang Nian took the seat at the head of the table first, and Yuanchun followed suit. Turning to see Xue Baochai still standing nearby, she smiled and waved, "Sister, please don't be so formal. Come and sit with us."

Xue Baochai, hearing Yuanchun's invitation, quickly declined, "How can we allow the master and the lady to sit down at the table? It's our job to serve them."

Seeing this, Yuanchun stood up and pulled Xue Baochai to sit down, saying with a smile, "Sisters are like this, so it should be like this."

Seeing she couldn't refuse, Xue Baochai excused herself and took her seat. She was pleasantly surprised, and couldn't help thinking to herself, "When I first met this elder sister, I was still very young, and I only caught a fleeting glimpse, leaving her with a faint impression. Now, judging by her behavior, she truly seems to embody the qualities of virtuous, filial, talented, and virtuous. It seems I was overthinking things before."

(End of this chapter)