When Yang Qingrui returned, he saw the mistress and maid staring blankly at the dowry.
It took quite a while for them to notice his presence.
"Hmph, they dared to short me two loads, I will definitely make them return four loads to me," Ms. Zhang said angrily.
"Was it really your dowry that was short?" Yang Qingrui finally spoke up.
Ms. Zhang turned around and saw him, a mix of anger and embarrassment washed over her, the kind that comes from having a secret exposed.
"Your father took it?" Yang Qingrui knew Ms. Zhangâs father all too well. Thankfully, he was marrying one person, not the entire Zhang Family, or else he wouldnât have it.
Ms. Zhang nodded with some embarrassment.
After a moment she added, "Did you have people supplement these two chests?"
"No, it must have been my sister who arranged it," Yang Qingrui said. "I wasnât home at the time, I surely wouldnât have noticed these, and besides, the carriage was from the Ye Family. The items here clearly belong to my sister."
"Oh, Iâll thank my sister later and return them to her after some time."
Ms. Zhang nodded upon hearing this. She had a good impression of her older sister-in-law and thought that once she reclaimed her own dowry, she would return these two chests, or alternatively repay with silver. She couldnât take advantage of someone elseâs generosity.
Moreover, she was a proud person. How could someone else make up her dowry? A dowry must be prepared by the brideâs family to be deemed a proper dowry. How else could it be called a dowry? That being said, she was promised twelve loads, and twelve loads it must be, not one less. She had worked hard for her family over the years. They didnât give her extra for her dowry, and now even deducted from it, it was preposterous.
"Return it?" Yang Qingrui was stunned for a moment. Then slightly bemused, he said, "If she sent it over, she wonât want it back, you better keep it."
"No, it must be returned. Things need to be clear and straightforward, I canât take this advantage," Ms. Zhang was very stubborn about the matter of dowry.
Seeing her stubbornness, Yang Qingrui didnât try to persuade her any further.
After washing up and snuffing out the candlelight, they nestled behind the warm red silk curtains. The spring night was brief, but its worth was immeasurable.
Meanwhile, Yang Chuxia was dragging Yangyang, who was hanging onto her, back home.
"Mom, Mom, I havenât made a ruckus in the bridal chamber yet, I donât want to go home."
"What nonsense are you talking about, child? Go home and sleep," Yang Chuxia thought to herself. Qingrui, the Eldest, was no longer young. It took him so long to get married, how could she let this youngster ruin it?
In order to ensure that Qingrui had a smooth wedding night, she had brought out several bottles of the purest fruit wine from home and successfully got his schoolmates drunk. She couldnât let this tyke create a scene now.
"Mom, youâre discriminating against children, thatâs not right." Yangyang clung to her arms, kicking furiously against the ground, refusing to go home.
Seeing his little antics, Yang Chuxia bent down and picked him up. "So what if I am discriminating against children, what are you going to do about it?"
It had been a long time since she had held him like this, and he felt somewhat shy, struggling with his legs to get down.
"Arenât you shy, being held by Mom," Yang Chuxia teased as she playfully pinched his cheek when she saw his eyes darting around.
"Talking nonsense, I, Iâm not shy at all." He wrapped his arms tightly around Yang Chuxiaâs neck and said, "Iâm a big kid now. If Mom keeps holding me, my little brother and sister will laugh at me."
"Donât worry, Mom wonât tell them," Yang Chuxia said, fearing that if he got down, he would head back to the Yang Family to cause a disturbance in the bridal chamber, so she carried him all the way home.
"Sigh, considering that Mom held me all the way home, I wonât make a ruckus in the bridal chamber," he said once they got home.
"Thatâs right. Your uncle and aunt are going to have a little cousin for you. If you go there, how are they going to manage?"