Ordinary clear day

Chapter 216
First is the furniture.Originally, this was to wait for the wedding to be done, and then go to the new house to measure the size of the house, but now the wedding is obviously going to be held in Xinbeizi's mansion, but this mansion has just started construction, and I don't know when it will be completed.However, with the detailed plans of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, most of the furniture can be prepared in advance, and there is time to carefully arrange them.

Speaking of furniture, the most precious material is of course red sandalwood. I heard that in the dowry given by Erfang, almost all the furniture is made of red sandalwood.But red sandalwood is so rare now that it is almost monopolized by the palace, that is to say, people with connections in the Ministry of Internal Affairs like the second uncle Xingbao can find so many.Tong's careful attention in the past two years has collected a small piece of red sandalwood and a few boards of huanghuali.It's just these, just enough to make a bed or a cabinet, and good huanghuali wood is now less and less.

Shuning disagreed with using these two materials, it was hard to find and the price was very expensive.Although my family's income is good now, it is still far behind those rich families.So she suggested: "It is very good to use nanmu. The material is expensive and easy to get. The furniture in the bedroom is made of nanmu, and the rest should be rosewood. I remember that black rosewood is very similar to red sandalwood, and it may be able to bluff people." Woolen cloth."

Tong was a little hesitant: "There are not many craftsmen who are good at making rosewood in the north, right? Then I have to go to the south to buy it." She paused, and said: "Then just go to the south to buy it, it's still early. Guangzhou It's easy to find good materials, and it's cheap, and don't you really like the two-entry step-up bed?"

Shu Ning thought for a while, nodded and said: "That's fine, but the furniture in Guangzhou is too gorgeous, I still like the simplicity and elegance of the Su style. Why don't you ask someone to buy wood from Guangzhou and transport it to Suzhou? I remember that there are also nanmu in the south of the Yangtze River."

Tong agreed: "Okay, let's ask Huo Comprador to help with this matter. Simply ask him to handle other things together, he is familiar with it." Shu Ning asked suspiciously: "Apart from furniture, what else? We already have jade carvings and vases." Tong Shi nodded her forehead and said, "Silly girl, how can that be enough? We also need to prepare some jade stones. In addition to accidents, it is fashionable to add a pair to the dowry in Beijing in recent years." The more expensive the bonsai, the better. In Wufu Jin’s dowry, there is a pot of multicolored jade ganoderma and a pot of coral peony. We can’t compare, so we have to think of other ways. Jade is easy to find in Guangzhou, and some medium-sized ones It doesn’t cost much to make a green bamboo bonsai. Another pot can be made of agate stone.”

She took a sip of tea and smiled slightly: "Also, don't many people in Beijing like to buy clocks and watches as a pretense? In Beijing, a small pocket watch costs thousands, and a clock costs 5000 taels. Let's go to Guangzhou to buy them. The clocks and watches there are many and good. With your sister-in-law's natal family, I think we can save a lot of money."

Mom made a good plan...

Shu Ning admired her very much, but she was a little worried whether Huo Comprador would be willing to help with these things. After all, the two parties had only maintained a general relationship in the past few years, which was not close, and there was no benefit for him from her family.But Tong dispelled her worries: "He just wrote a letter a few days ago, saying that he wanted to set up a Zhenbao Pavilion in Beijing, and asked us to help take care of it. He is a foreigner, and it is not easy for him to gain a firm foothold in Beijing." , we can ask your uncle to say hello to the city guard, and then say a few words to Shuntian Mansion, and it will save him a lot of trouble."

Yuheng has been in Shuntian Mansion for many years, and he is still very influential among the petty officials. Zhang Bao gets along with him, and knows a few people. This kind of thing is really just a matter of effort, but the future business of Huo Comprador depends on himself It's up to me.

The mother and daughter discussed for a while, and decided on the regulations. Tong's also added an additional pearl purchase.Because I heard that there are also people who raise pearls in the south. Although they are not as valuable as those outside the customs, the quality is good and the price is not high.These beads can't be used for much use, but they are very suitable for decoration.

Just as he was talking, Suyun reported that Nalashi had come.Tong Shi and Shu Ning didn't know what was going on, they got up and greeted them, exchanged some pleasantries, and Nala Shi just said what he wanted.

It turned out that Xu Xu, who married into Prince Kang's mansion, was eight months pregnant and was about to give birth.He was in Shandong, and he planned to go to Beijing to take care of his daughter. Unexpectedly, his son Asen fell ill suddenly. She couldn't escape, so she had to write to her mother's family for help. My daughter-in-law wanted to borrow some.

Tong quickly agreed, saying that he would send two people to Kang Wang's mansion, and it would not be too late to return when the child was one month old.Nala was a little hesitant: "Prince Kang is our master, so why not send two people there? Brother Duan's daughter-in-law and Brother Ming are both in good health, and the people around them are also knowledgeable, so it doesn't matter if there are fewer people?"

Shu Ning frowned slightly when she heard the word "Master", but quickly lowered her head and drank tea to cover it up.

Mrs. Tong said indifferently: "There must be a mother who takes care of pregnant women in the palace. The relatives of the mother's family sent too many people. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for the palace? Two people are enough. Besides, didn't Shu Mulu's family send someone to report yesterday I wrote the letter, saying that the eldest girl is pregnant? She has been in the family for two years, which is an important matter. His family has a small population, so I thought about sending someone there. As for the other one, Brother Ming is not yet a year old. You have to have someone around you to wait on you.”

Nala's face was a little unnatural: "It's still the third younger sibling who is thoughtful. I still think that girl Fang is only two months old, so I have to stay close to girl Xu first." Say goodbye early.

On the way back to the room, she couldn't help feeling sore.Fang Ning is older and married early, so that's fine; but Xu Xu is younger and is about to have a baby; the third-bedroom Shu Ning is preparing a dowry recently, and she thinks she will leave the cabinet within the next year.These girls all had good results, but there was no good news from Wanning's side.Since her husband gave the order, she has only visited her daughter in person during the Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year and Lantern Festival.Although the daughter has a lot of security, the fourth elder brother has never been alone with her, only a few times when he was with other female relatives, the two had a few conversations that were neither salty nor dull.If this continues, what should Wanning do?Especially when I heard that Sifujin is about to give birth, and next year is the year of the draft.

She went all the way back to the bamboo courtyard in distress, but saw her daughter-in-law Li holding Man Rui, standing in front of the courtyard with her mother, waiting for her.Mrs. Li took a step forward and said, "Emiang, Brother Man is spitting up milk again, what should I do?" Nala almost said the words "to find someone from Meiyuan" reflexively, and suddenly remembered Tong Just now, he sighed secretly, stretched out his hands and said, "Let me have a look."

But he said that after seeing off his sister-in-law just now, Tong turned around and saw that her daughter's face was a little unnatural, so she asked her what was wrong.Shuning couldn't say that it was because Nala said that Prince Kang was the master of their family, so she changed the topic and said, "It's nothing, it's just that cousin Xuxu is pregnant. We only heard about it during the Chinese New Year. It's been eight months, but I didn't hear any rumors before, could it be that Prince Kang's mansion has strict rules and has always been in charge of the people in the mansion not to wait for news from outside?"

Tong thought she was worried about Xuxu, and said with a smile: "The rules of King Kang's Mansion are stricter, and ordinary people can't easily come in, but I heard that your cousin-in-law is very kind to his wife, so don't worry too much. And after you get married, you can I'm going to visit the door openly, and then go see your cousin again."

Shuning smiled, and continued the topic that was interrupted just now: "What kind of furniture does Er Niang think should be made first?" Tong Shi said: "I think the box-top cabinets, bookshelves, Duobaoge museum shelves and so on will wait for the house to be repaired. It won't be too late to measure the serious size, and you can find a good craftsman in Beijing. Others, such as the Babu bed, the Arhat bed beauty couch, the three cabinets, the tables and chairs, the hangers and the screens must be laid as soon as possible. There are embroidered round stools..."

She suddenly remembered something, clapped her hands and said, "I almost forgot, I should have bought the chair covers, bed curtains, door curtains, etc., as well as silk materials and large embroidery... We're going to Suzhou, let's do it together."

Shu Ning was a little hesitant: "Didn't you say that Sister Qiaoyun and the others are leading people to do it?" Tong said with a smile: "Most of what they make are purse quilts and the like, not enough. Your dowry clothes, besides the ones made by yourself, are also It’s better to go to Suzhou to buy some good ones. The materials and embroidery there are better than those in Beijing, and the cost is less. That’s it.”

The mother and daughter negotiated one after another, wrote the list, and thought about the style and style of the furniture to be printed, and the types and patterns of clothing materials. It took two days before the final decision was made.

However, they were worried about who to send to arrange it.The most ideal is of course Changfu, but Mrs. Tong planned to go back to Baoding to accompany her husband in a few days. There is no reliable housekeeper in Beijing, who will take care of the housekeeping?They don't trust the stewards in the house.Changgui is not bad, but he is too busy.

In the end, Jin Bao helped out. Among the clan's children, he selected two experienced and reliable clan nephews, one named Fu Ning and the other He Ning, to help San Fang buy Shu Ning's dowry.Fu Ning went to Suzhou, and He Ning went to Guangzhou.The Tong family sent Chang Gui and Zhou Zhoulin to follow, and asked them to bring 3000 taels and 8000 taels of banknotes and a letter to Huo Comprador respectively, and set off southward.

Mrs. Tong left within a few days. Before leaving, she asked someone to compile a booklet of what her sister-in-law had learned for a few months, and even a few medicinal recipes for pregnant women and safe childbirth charms, and quietly sent them to Sibeile Mansion , and explained a lot to her daughter.

Zhenzhen gradually took over the task of housekeeping, and before Shuning could take a breather, she began to prepare for the wedding, while rushing to make various needlework, such as wedding dress shoe uppers and purses, while doing skin care, beauty and body care. At the same time, we must pay attention to the preparation process of various dowry items, so busy that we are dizzy.She thought she had plenty of time, but for some reason she seemed rushed. If it wasn't for Zhenzhen and Ermo who ordered her to sleep for four hours a day, she really wished she could split one day into two.

Until one day, when she inspected and accepted all kinds of daily-use porcelain, hair combs and toilet utensils, placed orders for boxes, boxes, and mirrors, and together with Zhenzhen arranged gifts for Sibeile Mansion to celebrate the elder brother's full moon, Only then did I hear the news that Galdan committed suicide and his daughter led the crowd to surrender.The sister-in-law and the sister-in-law were happy that Duanning would be back soon, but the servants suddenly sent a letter, which was written by Su Wanda from Shandong, saying that his term of office was about to expire and he would arrive in Beijing soon.

Shu Ning was a little dazed, had it been three years?How time flies.So, Dad is almost at the end of his term?She thought about it, it turns out that there will be another draft next year, and the only ones she can get along with are the two cousins ​​of the Tong family, right?I really don't know what will happen.

However, there was not much time left for her to sigh, she ordered someone to notify the family members staying behind in the small courtyard of the Su family to clean the house, and then she got busy again.

In mid-May, Shengjia's class teacher returned to the court.Soon, Prince Jane's Mansion sent someone to ask about Shu Ning's clothes size and her childhood.Zhenzhen came forward to receive her, and hurriedly sent a letter to Baoding to inform Tong.

A month later, the Ministry of Rituals set the date of the wedding on September [-]th, and then sent officials, represented by a clan member of the clan's mansion, to accompany the people from Prince Jane's mansion to the baron's mansion. Over the Dading ceremony.

There are rules for Beizi to accept coins, so the dowry is not a lot. There are six gold rings, seven colorful silk clothes for the bride, five satin quilts, plus 400 taels of silver and a horse. The part stipulated by the etiquette system.In addition, Prince Jane's Mansion also prepared four boxes of gold and silver jewelry, double geese and double wine, leg of lamb, pork knuckle and various steamed food, dragon and phoenix cake, crystal cake and various pastries, red dates, peanuts, longan, chestnuts Four dried fruits, and four fresh fruits such as apples.There are twelve salutes in total.

Xianning undertook the heavy task of unpacking the box. Following his mother's instructions, he made three bows to the gift box, and patted the box three times with his hand. Then he tore off the seal in front of everyone, and got a small silver box full of it. A red satin embroidered purse for ingots.

Prince Jian was headed by Fujin and Tong, and both families had relatives and female relatives to attend the ceremony.Shu Ning still sat quietly by the bed as she was when she was a child, letting Mrs. Borzigit put a gold ring on her, and listening to her say some auspicious words, her heart was full of joy.

On behalf of the family, Duanning returned half of the double geese, double wine and other items to Prince Jane's mansion, and then distributed the wedding cakes and snacks to relatives and friends.All relatives and friends "added boxes" for Shuning one after another.Some give rouge palace pink clothes, some give handkerchiefs, purses, sweat towels and fans, some give pastels leisurely colored porcelain, some give gold and silver necklaces and gold ear digs, some give gold earrings and gemstone earrings, and some give gold bracelets and strings of pearls Or gemstone rings, everything is available, and the weight is quite large.Tong, Duanning, and Zhenzhen smiled and thanked the gift givers one by one, and the former ordered his subordinates to display the gifts in the Rongqing Hall and assigned special personnel to guard them.

After Dading, Beizi Mansion was finally completed.Tong hurriedly sent people to measure the size of the house, and sent people to make cabinets, shelves and other things.Good news also came from Suzhou and Guangzhou.Thirty percent of the embroidery work on Funing's clothing has been completed, and he even bought rouge powder and the most famous toilet water in Yangzhou.On He Ning's side, after purchasing the wood, he unexpectedly met a group of Suzhou carpenters who came to make furniture for an official who was going to marry his daughter. Unexpectedly, the daughter of that family suddenly died of a sudden illness, and the family was heartbroken. Yu had to send them away.They didn't have the travel expenses for the return trip, and they didn't know what to do.He Ning saw that their craftsmanship was good, so he wanted to save some time, and found a yard in Guangzhou City, so that these craftsmen could make furniture nearby, and he also had more time to wait for the jade craftsman to finish the bamboo bonsai.

Su Wanda released the Fuzhou Tongjuan, but he was quite satisfied.Before he left, he didn't bring any expensive gifts, only a box of the Four Treasures of the Study, but among them was a box of purple jade ink made by Cao Sugong himself.Shu Ning personally wrote a letter to express her thanks, and carefully put away the ink.

Tong's family also did a lot of things in Baoding, collecting almost all the medicinal materials and spices.Duanning sent someone to send a letter to Fengtian's friends, asking them to help get some furs to make big woolen clothes for her sister as a dowry.As the dowry is getting ready day by day, the wedding day is getting closer day by day.

September is here in the blink of an eye.

(I always feel as if I missed something and didn't write it...)
(End of this chapter)