The Zhu Residence.

Lady Zhu watched as these processions of betrothal gifts continued to be carried in one after another, already feeling somewhat numb. Having managed the household for many years, she was not someone with shallow vision. Though these betrothal gifts appeared imposing in scale, they were nothing compared to the transfer deed for Jin Man Lou that left her truly shocked.

A’Qiong had registered Jin Man Lou under Yanyan’s name – this was the Lu family’s true betrothal gift to Yanyan.

Lady Zhu knew this was A’Qiong’s way of reassuring her, but the gesture was far too grand. Though A’Qiong had previously mentioned that Thousand Cliff Mountain’s Flying Qiong Stronghold wasn’t really a bandit stronghold, and that the Lu family had formerly been wealthy merchants, she had never imagined that Jin Man Lou, which could be described as earning buckets of gold daily, actually belonged to the Lu family.

With the Lu family’s wealth and Lu Zhuxi’s feelings for Yanyan, Lady Zhu became increasingly certain that her initial decision had been correct.

Just as she was thinking this, she looked up to see Master Zhu approaching.

“Master, you’ve returned.” Lady Zhu concealed the mockery in her eyes, smiling gently.

“What… what is all this about?” Master Zhu asked.

Lady Zhu lowered her gaze. “Yanyan’s marriage has been arranged. These are the betrothal gifts for Yanyan.”

“Arranged with which family?” Master Zhu’s eyes widened as he asked.

Hah, this man – Yanyan’s birth father who had shown no interest in his daughter for ten years, now he comes asking?

Indeed, as they say about the stench of copper, though copper may stink, there’s never a shortage of those who chase after its smell.

“It’s arranged with the Lu family, Scholar Lu’s elder brother.” Lady Zhu replied with a smile.

At this moment, Scholar Lu’s reputation proved quite useful.

After all, Scholar Lu was the tutor for the second branch’s Zhu Li, and was highly regarded by the Old Master.

Sure enough, upon hearing it was Scholar Lu’s elder brother, Master Zhu nodded with great satisfaction. “The child has suffered these years, but she’s one with good fortune ahead.”

Master Zhu spoke as if deeply moved.

Lady Zhu lowered her eyes, the coldness and mockery in them nearly impossible to conceal.

Master Zhu was satisfied, but when Old Master Zhu heard this news, he felt somewhat regretful.

“Keji, didn’t I hear earlier that it was your teacher who was arranging a marriage with your elder sister? How did it become your teacher’s elder brother instead?” For the first time, Old Master Zhu interrupted his grandson’s studies as he watched the boy practicing calligraphy with single-minded focus.

Zhu Li stopped, blinked, and replied with an innocent expression: “No, it’s always been teacher’s elder brother who was arranging marriage with elder sister.”

“Is that so?” Old Master Zhu looked at him somewhat doubtfully.

“Yes.” Zhu Li nodded without batting an eye, his gaze clear and showing no signs of guilt or evasion.

Old Master Zhu felt somewhat disappointed and walked away with his hands behind his back.

Zhu Li watched his grandfather’s retreating figure, rubbed his nose, and continued practicing calligraphy.

In the blink of an eye, it was May, and the weather grew warmer day by day.

Summer was approaching.

Having completed the process of the Three Letters and Six Rites, Zhu Yanyan was truly going to be married.

Since Zhu Yanyan was marrying far away, Shi Fa Ke naturally couldn’t accompany her all the way to the Lu family for the wedding ceremony. Though she was eager to try, her parents and three brothers strongly opposed it – after all, though she was a matchmaker, she was still an unmarried young maiden! What would it look like for her to travel such a long distance… Therefore, the Lu family engaged another matchmaker to serve as the groom’s matchmaker, accompanying Zhu Yanyan to the Lu family.

Shi Fa Ke felt somewhat disappointed by this.

Indeed, as a matchmaker, it would be more convenient to be a married woman… This thought only flashed through her mind briefly before being set aside due to busyness. As the bride’s matchmaker, she remained busy as well.

Soon, the day of the wedding procession arrived.

After several months of recuperation, and with the joy of the happy occasion lifting her spirits, Zhu Yanyan in her wedding attire was breathtakingly beautiful, leaving Shi Fa Ke staring in amazement.

Zhu Yanyan blushed. “A’Ke, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Big Brother Lu is truly blessed.” Shi Fa Ke answered tangentially, sighing with deep feeling.

Zhu Yanyan shyly gave her a light tap, then grasped her hand. “A’Ke, thank you.”

“Thank me for what? I’m getting a matchmaker’s red envelope.” Shi Fa Ke said with a grin.

Zhu Yanyan was amused by her. “You’ll definitely get your matchmaker’s red envelope.”

“It needs to be thick and generous.” Shi Fa Ke pushed her luck.

“I know.” Zhu Yanyan obediently agreed.

Shi Fa Ke thought she was too well-behaved and couldn’t help wanting to pinch her cheek, but since her makeup was done, she couldn’t do so, which was quite regrettable.

“Here, this is for your trousseau.” Shi Fa Ke handed her a box.

Zhu Yanyan opened the box to find the jade phoenix hairpin that had been custom-made at Jin Man Lou. “So beautiful!”

“Mm, though compared to Big Brother Lu’s betrothal gifts, it’s nothing much – after all, the entire Jin Man Lou now belongs to you.” Shi Fa Ke smiled mischievously.

As the matchmaker, she naturally knew about Jin Man Lou being transferred to Zhu Yanyan’s name. Zhu Yanyan had even given her a Jin Man Lou VIP card that offered fifty percent discounts on jewelry purchases. This VIP card system was Shen Qing’s idea, and later many shops in Bronze Gong Town followed suit. Her own second brother greatly admired this Manager Shen, and when he heard that he might no longer work at Jin Man Lou, he lamented that if only their own shop weren’t too small to afford such a great talent, he would have wanted to poach him for their family business.

Zhu Yanyan was made even more shy by her teasing, shrinking into herself like a sensitive plant.

She had already heard from Linxia about the grand spectacle of the betrothal gift procession that day, but nothing compared to the shock of that Jin Man Lou transfer document…

Thinking back to that night when she had babbled incoherently while grabbing his arm, saying something about… having saved up some private money, and that if they were frugal it would be enough to spend, and such things, Zhu Yanyan turned as red as a cooked shrimp. She had even hesitantly told him not to go robbing and pillaging!

Ah, she seemed to have acted foolishly again…

“Miss Shi, please spare our young lady! Stop teasing her, or you’ll make her cry and ruin her makeup.” The wet nurse at the side, seeing her young lady had become as shy as a sensitive plant, hurried forward with arms outstretched to shield her charge.

After the madam had agreed to the Lu family’s proposal, she had actually felt quite apprehensive – after all… that was a bandit stronghold. How could they let their young lady, who had lived in luxury since childhood, marry into a den of thieves? Later, when the madam patiently explained the situation of Flying Qiong Stronghold to her, and she saw that the young lady’s health had improved day by day after the madam agreed to this marriage, with visible signs of recovery, she felt reassured.

She then focused wholeheartedly on nursing the young lady back to health and helping her prepare for marriage.

The madam had entrusted her to accompany the young lady as part of her dowry, but even without the madam’s instructions, she had originally planned to accompany the young lady in marriage… Though the madam trusted that lady from Flying Qiong Stronghold and was willing to marry the young lady there, she still harbored doubts. How could she let the young lady marry into such a place alone? What if the young lady suffered any grievances there and had nowhere to turn? So she was determined to accompany the young lady. She had already made up her mind that if anything unfortunate were to happen, even if it cost her this old life, she would definitely protect the young lady’s wellbeing.

Just as the wet nurse was strengthening her resolve as a loyal servant, firecrackers suddenly began crackling outside.

“Quickly, quickly! The groom is coming to receive the bride.” Shi Fa Ke hurried to help Zhu Yanyan sit properly, adjusted her clothing, and checked her makeup. Seeing Zhu Yanyan’s eyes suddenly widen with a nervous expression, Shi Fa Ke smiled and gently squeezed her hand. “Don’t be nervous. You will definitely be happy.”

Zhu Yanyan’s eyes curved in a smile.

Shi Fa Ke lowered the red bridal veil for her.

As the bright red veil slowly fell before her eyes, Zhu Yanyan’s heart pounded like drums. She instinctively raised her hand to gently grasp the pendant hanging at her chest.

It was the one her mother had returned to her.

After a long while, footsteps could be heard approaching.

A pair of warm, large hands took hold of her hands.

Zhu Yanyan’s heart, which had been restless and anxious all along, suddenly settled into place. She finally felt certain that this marriage would face no more complications, and that the man beside her would be her good husband for life.

As A’Ke had said, she would definitely be happy.

Zhu Yanyan was absolutely certain of this.

Though absolutely certain, when it came time to bid farewell to her parents, Zhu Yanyan still cried like a fountain of tears.

Master Zhu spoke many emotional words, even wiping his eyes when moved to deep feeling, but Zhu Yanyan didn’t hear a single sentence. She only gripped her mother’s hand tightly, tears falling uncontrollably.

“Enough, it’s a joyous day – don’t cry and ruin your makeup.” Lady Zhu patted her hand without shedding a single tear.

Lady Zhu had all the betrothal gifts sent by the Lu family prepared as dowry for Zhu Yanyan to take with her, plus what she had saved over the years – it could almost be called a ten-li red dowry procession.

Master Zhu had considerable complaints about this.

Though the Zhu family was a wealthy household, it couldn’t withstand his somewhat expensive hobbies – for instance, he had recently taken a fancy to a painting by Master Linyuan or something… Unfortunately, his usually gentle and understanding wife had suddenly become stubborn about this matter and even brought it before the Old Master, causing him to receive a harsh scolding from the Old Master.

This angered Master Zhu so much that he stayed at his concubine’s quarters for several consecutive days.

Of course, Lady Zhu didn’t mind this at all.

She only wanted her daughter to marry in glory and live smoothly all her life.

It wasn’t until her daughter got into the bridal sedan that Lady Zhu stood at the entrance of the Zhu residence, watching from afar as the sedan disappeared from her sight, that her vision slowly began to blur…

That little girl who had babbled in her arms, that little girl she had supported as she learned to walk with unsteady steps… her well-behaved and caring daughter had finally become someone else’s daughter-in-law.

She hoped she could live smoothly all her life, be loved, and live without fear or worry, carefree.

“You really are cold-hearted and unfeeling. Such a big occasion as your daughter’s wedding, yet you don’t shed a single tear.” Master Zhu watched the wedding procession depart, thinking of how their daughter had cried uncontrollably earlier while Lady Zhu hadn’t shed a single tear, and spoke somewhat mockingly. Just as he finished speaking, he turned around to see Lady Zhu gazing at the departing sedan with tears faintly glimmering in her eyes, and couldn’t help but freeze.

“This is a joyous occasion – what tears are there to shed?” Lady Zhu snorted softly and turned her head away.

Master Zhu touched his nose, feeling somewhat awkward.