Chapter 395: 395: Do you want the bridal chamber? Xu Jiuru spits out blood
In the wooden box, there laid a marriage docunt.
The elder, holding that wooden box, trembled slightly due to his age, his hands covered with age spots: “Accepting this gift box ans you are now half a part of the Lu Family.” The old man’s eyes were kind, and he smiled as he asked, “Have you thought it through?”
Jiang Zhi and Lu Jingsong both stood behind their elders, dressed very formally.
Zhou Xufang glanced at Jiang Zhi, who was smiling back at her, also wearing a rare red tie. She averted her gaze, her ear tips flushing as she nodded.
The elder’s chin bore silvery-grey stubble, his eyes gentle and kind: “Go ahead and take it.”
Zhou Xufang reached out awkwardly to take the box, clumsily cradling it in her arms: “Should I hold onto this the entire ti?”
Lin Qiunan laughed: “Bixi, take Xu Fang inside.”
Yao Bixi then pulled Zhou Xufang inside.
She was still holding the box, not finding it too heavy.
Yao Bixi took the box from her and placed it on the bed: “Normally, this task should be done by your mother, but since she’s not here, I’ll do it on her behalf.” She pulled Zhou Xufang to sit on the bed and untied the red silk ribbon on the wooden box.
Inside were eight exquisite little wooden boxes, each engraved with patterns, gold-plated within the grooves.
Yao Bixi took out the middle small box: “These are the rings, a pair of jade ones, a pair of gold ones, symbolizing a house full of gold and jade.”
“Jiang Zhi has asked for the sizes, they should fit, and the style was chosen by Grandma Jiang Zhi.”
The style was very simple, without any fancy patterns, pure Da Fang.
Yao Bixi opened another wooden box: “A pair of Dragon and Phoenix Bracelets.”
The bracelets were made of gold, with lifelike carvings of dragon and phoenix.
“Betrothal gifts and ornantal gold in their respective boxes.”
Inside were gold and jewels, along with jade ornants.
“Four bottles of wine, four varieties of dried fruits, symbolizing rich affection and prosperous descendants.”
The boxes for the wine and dried fruits were slightly larger; among those dried fruits, Zhou Xufang could only recognize peanuts.
“Back when Jingsong brought the wedding docunt to my house, it also contained these items. I rember thinking, ‘What kind of tradition is this? It’s so old-fashioned.'” Yao Bixi’s eyes crinkled with faint wrinkles as she smiled tenderly, “He said it was from his mother’s side, that his father also had to offer betrothal gifts when marrying his mother.”
Zhou Xufang touched the patterns on the wooden boxes, feeling very joyful inside.
“There should also have been a bridal outfit in here, but there wasn’t enough ti to prepare it, so your grandma said that after the child is born, she’ll take you to get asured.”
Zhou Xufang nodded.
Yao Bixi took the red paper from the bottom of the box, revealing a yellow satin booklet beneath: “Right at the bottom is the wedding docunt, written by the eldest elder from the Lu Family’s side, as requested by the Old Madam. Open it and have a look.”
She handed the docunt to Zhou Xufang.
The booklet was written in classical Chinese, and Zhou Xufang, ever honest, said: “I don’t understand it.”
Yao Bixi couldn’t help but smile: “I don’t understand it either.” She glanced over the characters, recognizing most of them, but they were awkward strung together. Fortunately, Lu Jingsong had told her a few key points in advance, “In essence, it ans our family Jiang Zhi favors you and wishes to welco you into the family, and then it inquires about your willingness and alike.”
Zhou Xufang held the docunt and looked it over again and again; she might not have understood the text but searched through the paragraphs for Jiang Zhi’s na.
“Should I reply?”
“You need to provide your birth date and wedding date,” Yao Bixi carefully closed each wooden box, replaced them in the larger box, and covered them with the red paper, “Your uncle can write with a brush; he will co over after the broadcast and can reply with your birth date for you. As for the wedding date, that’s not set yet. Once you and Jiang Zhi have agreed on a ti, let us know.”
“Okay.”
After Yao Bixi left, Zhou Xufang heard the sound of electronic firecrackers.
The elder who brought the wedding docunt didn’t stay for dinner; after Jiang Zhi presented the prepared thank-you gifts to Lin Qiunan, and after having so tea, Lu Jingsong escorted the guest back ho.
Dinner wasn’t ready yet, and Lin Qiunan and Yao Bixi took so wedding candies upstairs to distribute, giving a joyous package to every adult and child that passed by.
Fang Lixiang was so happy that she posted on her social circle, but the news that Zhou Xufang was still very much alive was kept secret, so it was only visible to Xue Baoyi.
Around eight o’clock, Zhou Qingrang ca over and replied to Zhou Xufang’s date of birth on the wedding docunt.
Jiang Zhi offered him a cup of tea, took back the replied wedding docunt, and kept it for Zhou Xufang.
After dinner, Jiang Zhi sent the busy Lin Qiunan and Yao Bixi back to the Lu Family. When he returned and after taking a bath, he entered the room to find Zhou Xufang earnestly poring over the wedding docunt, still wearing that small Xiao Jin ring on her finger as she lay on the bed.
Jiang Zhi, drying his hair, walked over: “Didn’t you say you couldn’t understand it?”
“I don’t need to understand all of it.” She sat up, showing the docunt to Jiang Zhi, “The ‘esteed son’ here is you.”
Lu Jing Yuan’s courtesy na was Zhaowen.
“Zhou Group’s daughter Xu Fang, that’s .” She pointed at two characters on the docunt, “I can still make out this phrase, ‘joyful heart.’ She grinned, her eyes shining like they were filled with stardust, “Your heart rejoices for .”
“Mm, my heart rejoices for you.”
Jiang Zhi kissed her, picked her up, and moved her to the side, flipping back the blanket to gather the small wooden boxes she had laid beneath it into the chest.
This silly girl, was she planning to sleep with these wooden boxes?
While Zhou Xufang let him collect everything else, she clung to the box with the rings, taking out the golden ring inside: “Jiang Zhi, give your hand.”
Jiang Zhi extended his hand.
She slipped the gold ring onto his ring finger, which was pale and slender, making anything look good on it. She kissed his hand and then continued to read the folded docunt, “Grandma said to set the wedding date and write it down here, and send it to your family. On the wedding day, you bring the marriage docunt to marry .”
She touched the seal engraved with Jiang Zhi’s na, holding it fondly.
“Then you must keep it safe and not lose it.”
“Mhm, mhm.”
Jiang Zhi teased her, “You also can’t tear it, my big aunt said that tearing it ans you want a divorce.”
Zhou Xufang got startled by the word “divorce” and hurriedly folded the marriage docunt neatly, placed it in a wooden box, locked it with a spring lock, and moved it under the bed.
She perford every action with agility.
Still not quite at ease, she said, “Jiang Zhi, let’s buy a safe.”
The girl wasn’t intentionally flattering, but he indeed felt lightheaded from her pampering, utterly relaxed; he pulled her down onto the bed with him, “Alright, I’ll buy one for you tomorrow.” He flipped over, propped himself up with one arm, and leaned over her, “Zhou Xufang, we’re engaged now.”
“Mhm.”
Jiang Zhi moved his face closer, “Do you want to consummate our marriage?”
She whispered sothing into his ear.
Jiang Zhi turned off the room’s ceiling light, leaving only a small lamp by the bed, “I’ll teach you.”
These two days, the finance and economics section of the news was basically dominated by the Jiang Family; the dia exposed the bribery of public funds by the second branch of the Jiang Family, using very sharp words that directly pointed to the corruption and darkness behind the noble family.
The entire city was abuzz, and public opinion had placed Jiang Weili on the cusp of the storm.
Xu Jiuru had tried to reach out to all the people she could find, visiting them at their hos or contacting them by phone, but the answers she received were all sorts of pretexts, excuses abound.
“Old Lady Jiang, if your daughter-in-law hands over the evidence, even if I had great abilities, I couldn’t keep the entire prosecutor’s office quiet.”
This person had once accepted a Golden Card from the Jiang family at their grandson’s first birthday celebration.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help, it’s just that I’m truly powerless.”
This one had a son who had killed soone in an accident, and it was the Jiang family’s hospital that helped clean up the aftermath.
“I’m in a tight spot myself; people from the prosecutor’s office have co to invite several tis.”
This person…
“For the ti being, please don’t contact , Old Madam.”
“Your daughter-in-law should be handled properly, don’t let her talk nonsense.”
“At this ti, anyone who cos forward will be suspected, Old Lady Jiang, I’m really sorry.”
“I am still overseas and won’t be able to return until next month.”
“How could I not answer your call, I just didn’t have my phone on .”
“Old Lady Jiang, our director hasn’t co back yet.”
“The deputy governor isn’t here, do you need to relay a ssage on your behalf?”
“…”
One by one, they all avoided the Jiang family like the plague, having completely forgotten that they too had once relied on the Jiang family.
Xu Jiuru slamd down the phone, “Look at the true colors of these despicable characters. They act like close friends on normal days, but at the first sign of trouble, each one cleans his hands of the other.”
Jiang Chuan picked up the phone, “Isn’t that just how the world is? When taking money, everyone’s family. When it cos to prison, everyone’s enemies.” He poured a cup of tea for Xu Jiuru, “Don’t ruin your health over this.”
At that mont, Jiang Weikai returned from outside.
Xu Jiuru imdiately asked, “How did it go?”
He shook his head, “If this matter hadn’t been exposed, it could have been handled, but the Zhou Group had the dia get involved. The public’s voice is too loud; it’s difficult to manipulate from within. If we’re not careful, it won’t just be the second branch, the whole Jiang family might get involved.”
The ironclad evidence given by Luo Changfang to the prosecutor’s office made quietly resolving this incident currently impossible.
Xu Jiuru pondered for a long while, “Don’t get involved in this matter anymore.”
Getting involved too much would bring the fire onto oneself.
“But what about the second brother?”
“What can be done? We can’t let the whole Jiang family go down with him.” Xu Jiuru breathed a sigh, her face worn and tired, “If you have the audacity to commit cris, but no ability to prevent discovery, who else is there to bla?”
“Old Madam,” the Gui Family’s mber entered the room, “the detention center sent a ssage; Mr. wants to see you.”
Xu Jiuru shook her head, her body fatigued and leaning weakly against the back of her chair, “What good would seeing do, I don’t control the skies of Imperial City alone.” She waved her hand, “Weikai, you go ahead and get busy. Let Xiaolin keep a close eye on the company. You guys shouldn’t be involved in this anymore.”
Jiang Weikai replied affirmatively and turned to leave the room.
As soon as he left, Xu Jiuru could no longer hold back and covered her mouth with a white handkerchief, coughing violently.
Jiang Chuan was about to call soone in when Xu Jiuru stopped him.
There was blood on the handkerchief.
Jiang Chuan gasped, “Old Madam!”
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