"Uncle, have you brought the divine physician to our mansion? Quickly, let him in to treat the master! He's been in pain all night and hasn't been able to sleep a wink." Madam Xing's eyes were brimming with tears, though it was unclear whether she was genuinely heartbroken or feigning it.
She was Jia She's second wife.
Although the eldest wife of the Jia family, her position was awkward and inferior to that of her sister-in-law, Madam Wang.
She was stubborn and foolish by nature, only knowing how to flatter Jia She. Her husband controlled all the affairs of the household.
When money passed through her hands, she would embezzle it excessively, greedily taking what was hers; she didn't rely on any of the children or servants, and they wouldn't listen to a word she said, thus she was very unpopular.
As the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jia family, she failed to gain the favor of her mother-in-law, Grandmother Jia, and the power to manage the household. Her constant flattery of her daughter-in-law, Wang Xifeng, greatly displeased Grandmother Jia and Madam Wang.
"Sister-in-law, brother. I just returned from outside the city. Governor Lu demands that Yingchun be given to him as a concubine; otherwise, he won't come to treat you. This is a serious matter, so I had to return to inform you, sister-in-law and brother, and ask you to make a decision." Jia Zheng had no right to decide this matter, nor did he want to; he wouldn't gain anything from it.
Besides, he was happy to stall for time. He had made the best of a show. Whether his brother could hold out was not his concern. Perhaps it was an unintentional mistake; in any case, although he was anxious, he didn't act rashly or lose his composure.
Madam Xing was also somewhat troubled upon hearing this. She was greedy for money but not intelligent, and had no power.
Even as a daughter born of a concubine, she had no right to decide on such a major event as marriage.
So she turned to look at Jia She, went forward to wake him, and shook his arm.
"Master, Master, wake up! The Second Master is back!"
Jia She was in excruciating pain, having not slept all night. The pain made sleep impossible, and the sleeplessness combined with the illness left him extremely exhausted.
He tried to close his eyes to sleep, but the pain woke him.
Trying to open his eyes again, he felt utterly weary and had no energy left.
He was caught in a dilemma: to sleep or not to sleep. He was in great distress and filled with regret.
"Has the Prefect arrived?"
"Yes, Master. The Prefect says he will only come to treat you if Yingchun marries him as a concubine. What should we do, Master?" Madam Xing looked sorrowful. She already had little status, and if anything were to happen to Jia She, her future would be even more difficult!
She wasn't worried about Jia She himself, but about their future wealth and status!
"You scoundrel! What are you waiting for! Send Yingchun over, quick! Second brother, go and send Yingchun over. Tell her the cost of the governor's medical treatment for me is included in my dowry. Go, hurry! Ouch, it hurts so much!" Jia She, this selfish and self-serving man, originally thought this was an olive branch extended by Yuan Shi, never imagining it was actually a trap!
There's no such thing as a free lunch. Yuan Shi couldn't even defeat Lu Ming in Luoyang; she even slept with Yuan Wei's wife. And him?
Just a good-for-nothing playboy with a title and a sinecure, what capital, what qualifications did he have to fight Lu Ming?
Grandmother Jia's expression was somewhat astonished, even somewhat disgusted with her eldest son. Even though she had carried him for ten months, seeing her son, now a grandfather, still so dissolute, so unruly—it could only be described as awful.
For her own selfish reasons, she sent her daughter away, to be a concubine!
Although she was born of a concubine, she was still her own flesh and blood, a talented girl who had received her education in calligraphy and painting under her care. And now she was being sent away like this?
"Hmph, Yuanyang, let's go!"
The marriage was arranged by the parents and the matchmaker; even Grandmother Jia couldn't say much.
She felt increasingly disappointed in Jia She. Shaking her head, she left. Fortunately, she still had a son to rely on; otherwise, things would have been incredibly difficult. How could the Jia family possibly survive?
Madam Xing hurriedly sent someone to call Yingchun over, telling her to pack some clothes. She hadn't even given her a dowry; only three personal maids, a few rough-working women, some clothes, and a carriage—it all looked rather shabby and rushed.
There was no gold or silver jewelry whatsoever; the greedy Madam Xing hadn't even given her a bracelet.
Grandmother Jia, however, couldn't bear to see Yingchun marry off as a concubine to Lu Ming because of Jia She's mistakes and his need for medical treatment. It felt like a way to settle a debt.
She took a box of her own jewelry—two jade bracelets, a gold hairpin, and two pairs of decorative ornaments—to at least ensure Yingchun's wedding wasn't too shabby.
She could already foresee Yingchun's fate after the marriage; women without a dowry rarely fared well.
However, with three personal maids, especially the head maid Siqi, things might be a little better.
Siqi was beautiful and charming, tall and robust, decisive and efficient, with a "heroine" air about her.
She was very different from Yingchun, who was honest but incompetent, timid and cowardly, nicknamed "Second Blockhead."
Not only was she inferior to her sisters in poetry and riddles, but she also only knew how to yield and let others bully her.
A dowry, also known as "bridal trousseau," "dowry baggage," or "bridal entourage," refers to the wedding items and valuables prepared by the bride's family and brought to her husband's family. A dowry has been an indispensable part of weddings throughout history.
In ancient times, wealthy families would specially brew wine when their daughters were born, burying the wine in a pit.
On the day of their daughter's wedding, the wine would be dug up and used to entertain guests.
A dowry symbolized the bride's family's status and wealth; the larger the dowry, the higher the bride's family's social standing.
In ancient times, the size of the dowry also determined the woman's status in her husband's family. Without a dowry, she would be looked down upon by her husband's family.
The husband's family felt that the woman lacked the support of her own family and was easily bullied, leading to her suffering many grievances.
Therefore, to ensure their daughter's better life, the bride's family would generally prepare a dowry.
Furthermore, the bride's family would also provide financial assistance to their daughter, ensuring her a better life and preparing for unforeseen circumstances.
Watching the departing carriage, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but shed tears. "Now that Second Sister is married, I'm afraid her future will be difficult. Alas, what a tragedy!"
Yingchun's marriage was so sudden that the women of the Jia household were caught off guard.
Some mocked, some gloated, and some were filled with lingering fear.
They had all lived carefree lives in the Jia household, studying and learning music, calligraphy, painting, and chess, so they could better communicate with and please their husbands.
Moreover, they were sensible and understanding, so they wouldn't be bullied after marriage, and they could educate their children.
It must be said that Grandmother Jia was very successful in educating her granddaughters, but her education of her grandsons was less successful.