boyutpedia Chapter 267 Porcelain Goose
Chapter 267 Porcelain Goose
"Nephew Cui, you are too kind. She is just a little more clever than others and does not deserve such a high reputation. On the contrary, your Jiulang has already made a successful career at a young age. He is not only a man of both civil and military talents, but his whole demeanor is pleasing to the eyes. Such a talented and beautiful man is hard to find even if you turn the whole city of Chang'an upside down... Auntie, please come and pay your respects to the two uncles." Old Lady Xia waved her hand gently, asking Jiang Shangxian to pay his respects to them formally.
Old Lady Xia was relatively skilled in the mutual promotion of businessmen, not to mention that Cui Bianxu had always held a very high position in her mind, so it was easy for her to praise him.
"Greetings, my two uncles." Different from the crossed-arm salute in the yard just now, this time Jiang Shangxian performed a simplified version of the solemn bow, which was "bow slightly and sit down." The formal version of the solemn bow is usually only used when meeting parents-in-law for the first time, or when offering sacrifices to ancestors, or when meeting the king or queen.
Old Madam Xia held Jiang Shangxian's hands with her warm, dry palms and said with a smile, "Look, this is my aunt. This child is very thoughtful and skillful. Look, she prepared all the meals today. You two nephews of the Cui family should try them later."
Cui Xiao and Cui Rui were very quick-witted and immediately laughed out loud, "We smelled the food as soon as we walked in. The banquet outside is very tempting. We're really hungry after walking all the way here."
They were invited to be messengers not without asking around. They also knew that the eldest lady of the Jiang family worked as a cook in Lexianlou. However, their salary was just enough to support their family and visit their superiors during festivals and holidays, so they seldom went to places like Lexianlou.
They only went there four or five times a year. After all, they were from the Cui family, so someone would always treat them. But since it was someone else's treat, they couldn't just order whatever they wanted. Therefore, they weren't sure if they had ever tasted Jiang Shangxian's cooking before.
"You go and do your work first, we are here." Old Madam Xia waved her hand and sent the younger generations away. It would be enough to just meet them once. The younger generations should not be present for what will happen later.
Jiang Shangxian nodded meekly and walked out with her younger brother and sister. Outside, the servants of the Cui family were standing quietly in the yard drinking osmanthus tea, and they saluted her when they saw her come out.
They all knew the rules. They wouldn't even sit on the stools until the main event was over and the host said they could take their seats.
She saw many familiar faces, and Old Fan was smiling at her from the crowd. She smiled back and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Please wait a little longer, we will be able to eat soon."
"Thank you, Miss Jiang." Everyone responded.
Inside, Cui Xiao handed the marriage certificate and the betrothal gift list to Old Lady Xia, then had someone lay out the nine essential items for the betrothal gift: albizzia julibrissin, golden wheat, donkey-hide gelatin, cattail, red reed, double stone, cotton wool, longevity thread, and dried lacquer. "Old Lady, Madam, these are the betrothal gifts. Please review them."
(The information I found mentioned "betrothal gift", not the modern "bride price", so I will use the word "betrothal gift" here.)
These items are symbolic, but their actual value is relatively modest. For example, the acacia tree symbolizes love and harmony between men and women, while the Jiahe tree represents thriving rice. The Shuangshi tree is a pair of pebbles of similar shape and color.
As for donkey-hide gelatin, it's made from water from the A-well in Dong'e, Shandong. Nine-seed cattail is a plant used for good luck and fertility. Longevity thread is a woven, multicolored ribbon, nicknamed "longevity thread," "extending life thread," "repelling military forces silk," "five-colored silk," and "red rope."
These nine things together probably mean that the couple is in love, affectionate, tolerant of each other, sharing happiness, and unwavering love.
The rest of the valuables didn't need to be displayed one by one. They should have been placed inside the courtyard gate for people to see. This was also Jiang's mother's favorite part, as she could show them off. However, Old Lady Xia directly ordered Old Fan to put all the things away.
A tall tree attracts the wind. Because of this marriage, her family has become quite famous in Chang'an City. Whether for safety or to avoid being gossiped about, they should keep a low profile.
After all, if there is no independent male in the family, it would be bad to attract villains.
Cui Xiao personally took out an exquisitely carved wooden box and opened it to display. Inside was a pair of palm-sized porcelain geese. He wore an awkward smile, laughing a few times before explaining to Old Lady Xia and Jiang's mother, who were looking at him with puzzled eyes, "Although a pair of geese was given during the betrothal ceremony, Jiulang heard that the geese would be released, so he had this pair specially ordered, saying it was to please the bride."
It is actually really not easy for a person to force himself to explain when he is speechless. Cui Xiao is in this state now. He doesn't even dare to recall the expression on his face when Cui Bianxu handed the box to him.
He was truly impressed. How could young men these days be so attentive to love and affection? Back when they were married, they just accepted whatever was prepared by their families. How could he have ever worried about anything?
If he applied this seriousness to officialdom, it wouldn't be that Cui Bianxu has no friends in officialdom until now, right?
"I said Jiulang was thoughtful and considerate. He even considered this so thoroughly. It's really a blessing for my aunt..." Old Madam Xia was very calm. One more thing is one more thing. After all, it was someone else's thoughtfulness.
Cui Rui also gave the geese a reason: "In the future, they will surely be together forever like these geese."
"That's absolutely right. This is a rare good start, all thanks to Jiulang."
Old Madam Xia looked at the list in her hand and became more and more satisfied. She then handed it to Jiang's mother, whose face was flushed with excitement. After she finished reading it, she took out the marriage proposal that she had prepared long ago and handed it to Cui Xiao. The marriage was then settled.
"You two have worked hard all morning, and it's almost time now. How about we eat and chat at the same time?" Old Lady Xia invited Cui Xiao after seeing him carefully put away the marriage letter.
Cui Xiao and the others naturally could not refuse such an established rule. Moreover, the Jiang family was not big, and no one knew what was going on in the kitchen. The fragrance wafted over here in waves, so overbearing that it penetrated every corner. They were already starving.
"Go tell them that the food can be served."
"Yes." Jiang's mother walked with joy, her whole body filled with excitement that was extremely difficult to suppress. She really needed to have some fun right now.
Madam Xia stood up and led them to the table. "My aunt is quite creative with this meal. It's fine for family meals on ordinary days, but whenever there's a banquet, eight cold dishes must be served first."