Chapter 784: 327 Mingzhu Gets Married (Part 1)_2
Yueyao shook her head and said, "I’m not lonely."
Mingzhu, moving the hair that had fallen onto Yueyao’s face behind her ear, said, "You are only sixteen now, so naturally you don’t feel lonely, but when you’re in your fifties or sixties, all by yourself, will you still think you’re not lonely? When that time comes, will you still be able to pass the days with just your paintings?"
Yueyao fell silent.
Mingzhu continued, "Yueyao, I know you enjoy painting, but painting doesn’t conflict with getting married. After you are married, you can still paint, you can still become a Great Painter like Mr. Yu Shan."
Yueyao gave a bitter smile, "It’s not that easy, after getting married, a lot of energy gets diverted."
Mingzhu did not reply to that, instead, she asked Yueyao, "Yueyao, you like children so much, haven’t you ever thought about having one of your own, with your own bloodline?"
Yueyao suddenly remembered that unborn child which had not had a chance to form, and a pang of pain twisted in her heart. To prevent Mingzhu from noticing her distress, Yueyao closed her eyes.
Worried she had said too much and might cause Yueyao’s disdain, Mingzhu said, "Yueyao, you really need to think these matters through carefully."
Yueyao smoothed out her mood and asked with a smile, "And what will happen if I think them through?"
Seeing that there was no unusual expression on Yueyao’s face, Mingzhu cheerfully said, "Once you’ve thought it through and are no longer stubborn in your views, I naturally need to find you a suitable husband."
Yueyao pulled up the brocade quilt, covering Mingzhu’s delicate hand, "Let’s talk about this later. It’s late, let’s sleep!"
Mingzhu was not ready to drop the subject, "Yueyao, you might not know, Mr. Yu Shan will go to Jiangnan after a while, and he will eventually settle there. Do you know why Mr. Yu Shan is going to reside in Jiangnan?"
Yueyao nodded, "Mr. Yu Shan’s daughter is in Jiangnan."
Mingzhu laughed, "I thought you didn’t know! Mr. Yu Shan is settling in Jiangnan because his daughter is there. When he goes to Jiangnan, even if he doesn’t live with his daughter and son-in-law, he can still have his grandchildren stay with him. Yueyao, now you won’t marry for the sake of painting, but what if, when you’re successful and famous, it’s too late to think of marriage?"
Yueyao was somewhat upset by Mingzhu’s words.
But Mingzhu did not stop, "Yueyao, getting married might divert your attention, but with your determination, I believe that even after marriage, you can still become a person like Mr. Yu Shan."
Yueyao laughed, "You have so much faith in me?" She didn’t even have confidence in that, and yet Mingzhu made it sound so certain.
Mingzhu happily said, "Of course. Yueyao, once the blooming apricot period is over, and all the good candidates have been chosen, you’ll regret it if you miss out."
Yueyao tapped Mingzhu’s forehead, "Who has been putting these ideas in your head today?" Yueyao didn’t believe Mingzhu would come up with this on her own without someone’s suggestion.
Mingzhu indignantly replied, "I thought of it myself, alright! You really underestimate people." How could she admit that it was Xiang Wei who had suggested these ideas to her? It would be too embarrassing.
Yueyao had always known that Marquis Jingning’s Residence wielded great influence in Capital City and had many marriage allies, yet it had never really impacted her. But in the past two days, the significance dawned on her. People coming to add to Mingzhu’s dowry had not stopped from the fourth to the fifth day. Even the least generous of visitors brought gifts worth hundreds of Silver.
Yueyao, looking at all the gifts that Mingzhu had received, joked, "Just these additions alone could fill several carriages."
Mingzhu laughed and said, "If there’s anything here you like, feel free to take it." Mingzhu wore only the jewelry given by the Empress Dowager and Luo Shao, her closest kin; she never wore the items given by others. Simply put, Mingzhu didn’t use things others had worn.
Yueyao had no intention of accepting Mingzhu’s gifts, "It seems my gift was the most modest." A painting, though worth a thousand Silver outside, felt insignificant compared to the depth of their friendship, leading Yueyao to think her gift was too light.
Mingzhu scolded laughingly, "What nonsense are you talking? Among all the gifts I have received, yours is the most valuable." No matter how valuable other gifts might be, none contained the thoughtfulness of Yueyao’s; after all, who else would fast and bathe for a month to paint for her, and recite a thousand prayers?
On the evening of the fifth day of June, a messenger from the palace arrived. The Empress Dowager had bestowed a gift, followed by the Empress, and all the concubines each sent their gifts as well.
The Empress Dowager’s reward was a ruyi scepter, crystal clear and exquisitely crafted, truly a rare treasure. The Empress bestowed a jade and coral bonsai, also of inestimable value. As for the gifts from the concubines, naturally each one was quite costly.
Looking at these gifts from the palace, Yueyao remarked, "Just these alone would support you for a lifetime." Not counting what others had contributed, Mingzhu had already received tens of thousands of Silver worth of goods.
Mingzhu did not much care, "These things are all inanimate, the most useful things were those given by my brother." Luo Shao’s dowry for Mingzhu was extremely generous. There were three thousand mu of first-rate farmland, and the properties and shops were all top-quality.
Yueyao laughed, "Wealth shows power, but this is quite good."
When the Niu Family had offered their betrothal, the Luo Family had already agreed that whether it was the main house or the side rooms in Niu Yanghui’s marital home, the furniture would be prepared by the Luo Family, right down to the toilet basin. Normally, one day was enough for the bridal trousseau setup, but given the Luo Family’s substantial wealth, it took four full days to complete. Also, all the furniture provided by the Luo Family was made of Yellow Pearwood; just the furniture alone was worth tens of thousands of Silver.
Mingzhu’s face lit up with a brilliant smile, "Yueyao, among the dowry my brother has prepared, there are quite a few antiques and paintings. Right now, I cannot decide on them, but once I’m married, I’ll make the decisions. If there’s anything you like then, just pick it."
Yueyao thought of the painting that Madam Ping had casually given her before, which was a treasure, so it was certain that the dowry from Luo Shao to Mingzhu would not be inferior. Yueyao didn’t play coy with Mingzhu, "Fine, if there really are any treasures among those paintings, lend them to me for a few days to study." She certainly wouldn’t accept such valuable gifts, but borrowing them to study for a few days would be acceptable.
Mingzhu didn’t plead, "Being so formal with me, really."