The next day was the wedding ceremony. The bride’s sedan chair was carried from Wanping to Tongzhou. The Ji family residence resounded with firecrackers and drums. Ji Can shot an arrow at the sedan door after the chair crossed over the money and grain basin, and the bride stepped down. Then came the ceremony of bowing in the ancestral hall, where the master of ceremonies guided the bride into the bridal chamber.

Jin Chao could only hear the festive sounds of gongs and drums from a distance, as she was not permitted to attend the banquet. She could only stay in the east wing courtyard, conversing with Madam Xu and Miss Xu. Xu Jingyi had a pleasant temperament and was more knowledgeable than typical sheltered young ladies from noble families. She also enjoyed tending to flowers and plants. Jin Chao and Xu Jingyi found much in common. When Xu Jingyi looked at Jin Chao, there was always a sense of shared suffering in her gaze, making her especially gentle toward Jin Chao.

Shortly thereafter, Madam Tong came to find Jin Chao, saying that Madam Xu from Daxing had sent a letter.

Jin Chao went to the western side room to read the letter.

In the letter, Madam Xu wrote that Jin Rong was doing very well and could converse with the young masters of the Yu family. He had sufficient winter clothes and bedding. Once the Yu family school closed for the term, he would come to Daxing. However, Concubine Song, who was staying in the Tingtao Pavilion, had become thin and spent her days ignoring everyone, muttering incoherently.

Jin Chao thought that even if Concubine Song wasn’t truly insane yet if she continued like this, she would eventually go mad for real.

The Gu household was peaceful as they entered the twelfth lunar month and began preparing for the New Year. Madam Song had visited once more, bringing many gifts for Gu Lan. Madam Xu specifically mentioned Gu Lan in her letter. Her maid, Mujin, had once taken an unusually-styled small box from a side door. The gold-painted, red-lacquered box was exquisitely made. She had inquired about it specifically and learned that such boxes were unique to Cuiyun Pavilion and contained rose cream.

Rose cream was made from the essence of roses and was extremely expensive. It could be applied to the lips, had a sweet fragrance, and gave a rosy color better than rouge.

Gu Lan’s monthly allowance was only ten taels, which also had to cover her daily expenses. Where would she get the money to buy such cream?

It couldn’t have been from Madam Song either. If Madam Song wanted to send something now, she could simply have someone deliver it directly.

Since it wasn’t from Madam Song, then who was sending it to her?

Jin Chao thought of that young master from the Yao family.

She smiled, threw the letter into the stove to burn, and then returned to the flower hall.

Gu Dezhao had only one cup of wine before leaving the banquet to find Jin Chao in the east wing courtyard. Jin Chao saw him holding a bright red sachet with “four happiness” patterns, looking around, so she called out to him. When he saw Jin Chao, he walked over and gave her the bulging sachet.

Jin Chao opened it to find it filled with dried longan fruit, and asked her father: “What did you bring these to me for?”

Gu Dezhao’s eyes crinkled with a smile: “Father brought them for you. You used to enjoy dried longan from the banquet table when attending weddings…”

Jin Chao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Between her two lives, she was nearly forty years old, yet her father still tried to please her in such ways.

Seeing that Jin Chao wasn’t particularly delighted, Gu Dezhao asked: “Don’t you like dried longan anymore?” He seemed anxious, afraid he had misremembered his eldest daughter’s preferences. “I thought you liked them, and dried lychee too…”

Jin Chao said: “Daughter does like them… Did you come here specifically to bring me these?”

Gu Dezhao nodded and smiled again: “I thought since you couldn’t attend the banquet, Father would bring you some…”

As they were talking, someone approached with light steps and spoke in a gentle voice: “Miss Chao, why haven’t you returned for so long?”

It was Xu Jingyi, who had come looking for Jin Chao after waiting for some time.

Before she got close, she saw a handsome man in a navy blue straight robe standing opposite Jin Chao, and she hesitated to approach.

Jin Chao asked Gu Dezhao to leave first, then walked toward Xu Jingyi and shared the dried longan from the sachet with her.

Gu Dezhao nodded and smiled at Xu Jingyi before leaving the east wing courtyard. Xu Jingyi’s face turned slightly red as she quietly asked Jin Chao: “Who was that man, and why was he in the east wing courtyard? I saw him at the banquet in the west wing yesterday…”

Jin Chao remembered taking Xu Jingyi to the west wing courtyard yesterday. Noticing Xu Jingyi’s flushed cheeks, she felt somewhat surprised by her unusual demeanor. However, her tone remained casual: “That was my father. He’s quite amusing, especially taking dried longan from the banquet to bring to me. He should have been helping in the west wing yesterday. Did Miss Xu see my father there?”

Xu Jingyi nodded: “I wanted to return to the east wing but didn’t know the way. He asked a servant woman to escort me back… I had no idea he was your father.”

Xu Jingyi put a dried longan in her mouth and said no more on the matter.

Jin Chao made a mental note that Xu Jingyi had referred to Gu Dezhao as “he” rather than “Uncle,” and her gaze seemed evasive. Jin Chao remembered that Xu Jingyi was typically straightforward and composed—even on the day her husband died in a courtesan’s bed and the Luo family brought the body back, she faced everyone’s inquiring gazes steadily as she handled her husband’s funeral arrangements.

Could this Miss Xu… have some feelings for her father? Her father was handsome and refined, and not old either.

Jin Chao felt somewhat uncomfortable but also recognized that this was normal. If Xu Jingyi truly had any intentions toward Gu Dezhao, it would be impossible—at most, it was just a slight attraction. Such things were common, and besides, both had maintained proper etiquette without exchanging a single word.

Nevertheless, Jin Chao kept this matter in mind.

The next day, just after five in the morning, the new sister-in-law came to serve tea to Madam Ji Wu.

Chen Xuan wore a magenta satin jacket embroidered with “happiness and union” patterns, her hair arranged in a neat, glossy phoenix-tail bun, adorned with a pair of gold hairpins inlaid with agate plum blossoms. She looked both dignified and beautiful. Ji Can stood beside her, and despite being married, he appeared nervous and awkward. When it came time to serve tea, he only knelt after a servant woman pulled his sleeve to remind him.

Madam Ji Wu laughed: “You’ve taken a wife, yet you’re still acting like a fool!”

Madam Song said: “The Fourth Young Master is dazed with happiness!”

Ji Can scratched his head and smiled. He was indeed somewhat dazed with happiness; yesterday, An Songhuai had nearly gotten him drunk.

As the new bride, Chen Xuan wasn’t supposed to speak unless addressed, but hearing these words, she pressed her lips together in a smile. Jin Chao glanced at Chen Xuan. In her previous life, when she married into the Chen family, Chen Xuan had already been married to the Ji family, so she had never met this concubine-born daughter. However, Chen’s Second Master’s wife, Madam Qin, was the legitimate daughter of a Jiangnan weaving commissioner, from a prestigious family. She had many methods for raising concubine-born daughters, making each one as obedient as a kitten.

Madam Ji Wu first sent Ji Can out, then helped Chen Xuan to her feet and gently asked: “Are you adjusting well?”

Chen Xuan replied softly: “Grandmother, your daughter-in-law finds everything satisfactory.”

Madam Ji Wu quietly asked Madam Song if the couple had consummated their marriage the previous night. When Madam Song confirmed they had, Chen Xuan’s face turned as red as blood. Madam Ji Wu teased her: “What is there to be embarrassed about? Our Can is waiting for you to bear him a chubby son! As a wife now, you must know how to manage the household and be steady. Take care of Can’s meals and daily needs. Visit your second sister-in-law frequently; she has more experience than you… Can has two chambermaids who have been taking medicine. If you show your mettle and bear a son for our Can in the first year, that would be the best possible outcome…”

She then had Madam Song bring a cloisonné box containing a gold hairpin inlaid with rubies and sapphires. By its appearance, it must have weighed about five taels—a valuable item.

Madam Ji Wu was also sending a message to the new bride. When a woman marries into a husband’s family, the most important thing is to continue the family line. If she couldn’t conceive after two or three years, Ji Can’s two chamber maids could stop taking their medicine, bear children, and even be elevated to the status of concubines.

This was always the way in wealthy households. Jin Chao thought to herself, then heard her grandmother calling her name, bringing her over to speak with Chen Xuan: “This is your aunt’s eldest legitimate daughter, the Gu family’s cousin.”

Jin Chao greeted her with a curtsy, and Chen Xuan hurriedly returned the greeting: “I’ve long heard of Cousin’s reputation; meeting you today, I see you are indeed a beauty.”

She had earlier heard from her nanny that this Gu family cousin was the apple of the Old Madam’s eye, so she must be sure to flatter her.

Madam Ji Wu, however, frowned slightly. Jin Chao’s reputation was truly poor… Chen Xuan might not have intended it that way; she was merely trying to flatter Jin Chao. But regardless, it showed she wasn’t very clever.

Jin Chao had Qing Pu bring a brocade box containing a pair of gold grasshopper hairpins with gold picks to present to Chen Xuan.

Soon after, First Aunt, Second Aunt, Eldest Cousin Sister, and Third Sister-in-law all came to bring gifts for the new bride.

The room grew lively with conversation.

Wanting some fresh air, Jin Chao left through the western side room. As she walked out, she saw Ji Yao hesitating in the covered corridor.

After a moment’s hesitation, she decided to take a detour back to the East Pavilion.

However, Ji Yao called out to stop her.

Jin Chao didn’t know what he wanted but turned with a smile, curtsied, and asked: “…Second Cousin, do you need something?”

Ji Yao didn’t speak. Jin Chao felt there was something strange about the way he looked at her.

After a long while, Ji Yao finally took a brocade box from his sleeve and placed it in her hand: “You gave your bracelet to Chun… This is for you.”

Jin Chao weighed it slightly and guessed it was also a bracelet. She smiled wryly: “Second Cousin, I am also Chun’s aunt. You don’t need to be so particular about this.” Ji Yao was being excessive—did he need to replace a bracelet just because she had given one to Ji Anchun?

Ji Yao couldn’t bring himself to say that he had spent a long time selecting this bracelet, choosing what he thought was the most distinctive style. It wasn’t meant as compensation for her bracelet at all… But his usual eloquence seemed to have deserted him, and he could only say stiffly: “…Just keep it!”

Then he entered the main hall.

Jin Chao found Ji Yao’s behavior rather puzzling.

She could only accept the bracelet and return to the East Pavilion.

Ji Yao had been busy with Ji Can’s wedding these past few days and hadn’t yet discussed his decision with Madam Ji Wu. He came to find her specifically to talk about this matter.

Just as Chen Xuan and the others were leaving, he saw Ji Yao approach, and Madam Ji Wu called him over to sit.

“…It’s rare to see you come here on your own. Do you have something to ask me?” Madam Ji Wu smiled.

She remembered when Ji Yao first started managing the family shops, he would run to her daily in a fluster, seeking advice. Once he got the hang of it, he stopped coming altogether.

Ji Yao sat down and realized he felt somewhat nervous. “No, I’ve come to tell you… I’ve decided to marry Jin Chao.”

Madam Ji Wu didn’t react immediately, looking at him with great surprise.

A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he said: “Please help me find a matchmaker…” After a pause, he added, “I hope it can be done as soon as possible.”