Chapter 276: The Marriage Proposal
After two days of rest, Jinchao no longer lazed about in bed.
Having moved very little during those two days, she felt her bones had grown soft. Rising early, she took several brisk walks along the stone path outside Osmanthus Hall until she broke into a sweat. After bathing, she felt much more refreshed. Dressed in a dark red silk jacket embroidered with interlocking branches and wearing her hair in a Fallen Horse Bun, she made her way to Sandalwood Mountain Courtyard.
Luo was helping Madam Chen trim her nails, filing them smooth and even.
Madam Chen had a servant bring a stool for Jinchao and said with a smile, "This morning, I had Red Date and Job's Tears Porridge. The kitchen made it quite delicious—too bad you can't have any while pregnant." (Pregnant women should avoid Job's Tears.)
Jinchao handed over a jar of scented balm with a smile. "Luo serves you so well—it's rare to find someone so attentive."
Madam Chen applied the balm evenly and sighed. "She's been with me for eight years now. Soon, it'll be time to let her leave the household. I heard Qingpu, your personal maid, is getting married? She’s your closest attendant—what’s the groom’s family like?"
Jinchao replied, "The groom is also from my dowry entourage. He’s honest, dependable, and quite reliable."
Hu Jin had come to see her two days prior.
Likely because he was meeting her, he had dressed up for the occasion—though not very successfully. He wore an ill-fitting round-collared robe in sandalwood color with floral patterns and black boots splattered with mud from the recent rain. He was large-framed, with big hands and feet, clearly a man of considerable strength.
Though not as handsome as Lin Yuanshan, he had a square-jawed face with regular features and a pair of thick eyebrows.
Jinchao had Qingpu hide behind a curtain to observe him in secret.
She asked him, "I hear you’re already nineteen in nominal age—why haven’t you married yet?"
Hu Jin scratched his head sheepishly. "My family used to be poor, so no one wanted to marry me. Only after my father became estate manager two years ago did matchmakers suddenly come knocking. But my mother thought they were just after our money, so she turned them all down."
Jinchao pressed further, "Have you ever seen Qingpu before?"
Hu Jin answered, "Once—when my father and I came to pay our respects to you. Qingpu served us tea… though she probably doesn’t remember. I recall she was wearing a green dress that day."
Jinchao exchanged an amused glance with Granny Sun before asking her final question: "Though Qingpu is my head maid, she doesn’t care much for saving money. She never accepts gifts from me, so she won’t have much of a dowry. If you need time to reconsider, you’re free to think it over."
She worried the Hu family might be pushing for this match solely for Qingpu’s wealth—as Jinchao’s personal maid, her dowry would typically be substantial.
Hu Jin fell into thought before replying, "Originally, my mother and I thought highly of Qingpu, especially since she served you. But my father was hesitant… Marriage is a serious matter. If you’d like me to reconsider, I’ll go back and discuss it with him."
Though disappointed, Jinchao showed no outward reaction and dismissed Hu Jin.
Later, she tried to console Qingpu, who merely smiled and said, "It’s alright. If I never marry, I’ll serve you for life. When I grow old, just grant me a room, and I’ll live out my days alone."
Gu Jinzhao, of course, couldn’t let her end up lonely and began planning to find another suitable match.
Unexpectedly, the very next day, Hu Yongchang arrived with a matchmaker to formally propose to Qingpu.Everyone was overjoyed. However, since the family was preparing for a wedding on the fifth day of the tenth month, to avoid any conflicts, Jinchao decided to schedule Qingpu's wedding for November after discussions. Hu Yongchang left with the matchmaker to make preparations.
Upon hearing this, Madam Chen nodded and instructed Luo to open the chest. She retrieved a pair of Hetian Jade Hairpins as a gift for Qingpu.
This pair of Hetian Jade Hairpins was worth ten times the value of gold hairpins.
Qingpu immediately knelt to express her gratitude.
Madam Chen waved her hand with a smile. "You're a quiet girl, and I've always liked that about you. Consider this as an addition to your dowry. Wear them when you go to your husband's home, and they'll treat you well."
Blushing, Qingpu accepted the Large Cinnabar Filigree Lacquer Box and stepped aside.
Jinchao smiled and said, "You're too generous." She thought Madam Chen's gift was perfect—the high value of the Hetian Jade Hairpins would allow her to supplement Qingpu's dowry without restraint.
"These are just worldly possessions I no longer need," Madam Chen replied. She then took out a Buddhist scripture, flipped through it, and handed Gu Jinzhao a red booklet wrapped in silk. "This is the guest list your second sister-in-law and I drafted. Take it back and discuss it with Third Master Chen to see if any additions or deletions are needed. Once finalized, send it to the Affairs Office so the invitations can be dispatched tomorrow."
Jinchao glanced at it. Having managed household affairs in her past life, she was familiar with the Chen Family's social connections. Many names were instantly recognizable... She handed the booklet to Granny Sun for safekeeping. "I also wanted to discuss Seventh Young Master's wedding with you. Although I'm pregnant, I shouldn't leave everything to Second Sister-in-law. Perhaps I could handle the banquet for the female guests to avoid overburdening her."
These were the most laborious tasks of the wedding feast, especially preparing the meals, which required rising before dawn to oversee the kitchen's steaming and stewing.
Madam Chen had initially worried about Jinchao's inexperience and pregnancy, not wanting her to overexert herself. Otherwise, Chen Xuanqing's wedding would have been her responsibility. Having Madam Qin assist was a concern, as it might undermine Jinchao's authority among the household stewards in the future.
Though Madam Chen didn't favor one branch over another, the future matriarch of the Chen Family would undoubtedly come from the third branch.
"You're so thoughtful..." Madam Chen sighed softly. "You've managed the third branch impeccably, and I'm very pleased. I was thinking that in a few years, after the child in your womb is born and reaches his first birthday, I'd like you to take over household affairs. By then, your second sister-in-law won't have to work so hard."
Madam Chen indeed intended for the third branch to hold power over household affairs.
Jinchao reflected that even in her past life's recklessness, Madam Chen had been willing to support her, let alone now.
Gu Jinzhao wasn't pursuing the status of matriarch for its own sake but recognized it as an unavoidable responsibility as Third Master Chen's wife.
As they were discussing, the second branch arrived to pay their respects.
The room immediately filled with children's laughter as Xian Ge'er and Zheng Ge'er competed for Madam Chen's attention, with Xian Ge'er eager to recite the Dizigui for her. His halting, childish recitation was endearing.
Madam Chen was delighted and tapped Xian Ge'er's forehead. "You're so young, yet you can already recite the Dizigui!"
The eldest grandson's wife, Madam Zhuang, humbly said, "I taught him, but he's not very good yet. He just loves showing off!""In another two months, Xuanfeng will be returning from Gaochun County. He’ll surely be delighted to hear that Xian Ge’er has learned the Disciples’ Rules ," Madam Chen said, patting Xian Ge’er’s head. But the boy grew restless and wanted to go play with his aunt.
After passing the provincial examination, Chen Xuanfeng had not pursued further exams and instead became a county magistrate in Gaochun County, Yingtian Prefecture. In a few days, when the Imperial Academy dismissed for the holiday, Chen Xuanran, Chen Xuanrang, and Chen Xuanyu from the sixth branch would return. By New Year’s time, Chen Xuanfeng and Second Master Chen would hurry back to Beizhili. Only then would the Chen Family truly become lively.
Madam Chen, now elderly, longed to see her family gathered under one roof and looked forward to the New Year with great anticipation.
Taking advantage of the moment, Gu Jinzhao brought up Chen Xuanqing’s marriage arrangements with Madam Qin, whose expression stiffened slightly.
It wasn’t that she particularly wanted to handle Chen Xuanqing’s wedding, but she had grown accustomed to managing all household affairs and the respect that came with her status as the matriarch. Hearing that Gu Jinzhao’s pregnancy was unstable, she felt a flicker of satisfaction, secretly hoping Gu Jinzhao would prove to be one of those delicate young misses who couldn’t bear any strain—so she wouldn’t have to relinquish control. Madam Qin smiled faintly. "With your pregnancy, it must be tiring for you to oversee everything. Why don’t I assist you? It’s easy to feel lost without experience."
Gu Jinzhao didn’t refuse. "Then I’ll trouble Second Sister-in-law."
She knew exactly what kind of person Madam Qin was.
The household began decorating with lanterns and banners, and the crisp autumn weather made everything feel just right. The wedding preparations commenced in high spirits.
Third Master Chen and Madam Chen discussed and settled on a betrothal gift of two thousand taels of silver. The dowry items were selected jointly by Jinzhao and Madam Qin. Though Jinzhao had excellent penmanship, her strokes lacked boldness, so she pleaded with Third Master Chen to personally transcribe the Betrothal Gift List. After reviewing it, she smiled. "This list alone is worth a hundred taels, so our total betrothal gifts amount to twenty-one hundred taels."
Third Master Chen set down his brush and teased her, "You’ve fallen into the money pit."
Jinzhao tugged his sleeve. "Once the Seventh Young Master’s wedding is over, you’ll be leaving early and returning late every day. Why don’t you teach me calligraphy in the meantime? I’ve always wanted to learn clerical script but couldn’t find a teacher." She had always admired the weightiness of clerical script.
"My clerical script is only passable," Third Master Chen replied. His expertise lay mainly in the Academy Style, and the true masters of clerical script were the great scholars of the Imperial Academy. But seeing Jinzhao’s expectant gaze, he relented. "Though it should suffice to teach you."
He spread out a sheet of Chengxintang Paper, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote out The Second Ode to the Red Cliff . "Clerical script copybooks are hard to come by. I’ll write one for you to trace first. After twenty tracings, I’ll teach you how to wield the brush properly."
Jinzhao took the copybook and thought to herself, This is what he calls ‘passable’?
She picked up the brush he had just used, placed another sheet of paper over it, and began tracing.
Third Master Chen sipped tea nearby, quietly watching Gu Jinzhao. She wrote with great focus, her fair wrist adorned with a string of red agate beads and a lucky knot dangling from it, making her wrist appear especially slender and graceful. Her concentration lent her an air of serene gentleness.
When Jinzhao glanced back, she suddenly noticed an unusual stillness in Third Master Chen’s expression—different from his usual calm, as if he were observing her with complete impassivity. She wondered if she had imagined it, for he soon asked, "Finished?"
Jinzhao handed him the page she had completed. "What do you think?"Third Master Chen glanced over it briefly, then shook his head with a smile. "If I were your teacher, I'd make you rewrite this twenty more times. Fortunately, I'm your husband, so... it's not bad. Keep working at it, and you'll improve eventually."
Gu Jinzhao wasn't discouraged by his remark. "I've never had much talent," she said. "As a child, I was often struck on the palms by my teacher, and even now the sight of a ruler frightens me. But diligence can compensate for lack of skill." After all, she wasn't studying to take the imperial exams—she could learn at her own pace.
Yet the faint unease in her heart didn't fade. She was certain Third Master Chen had something on his mind.
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