Chapter 262 - 261: Protection (Monthly Ticket 80+)
When Sister Yi was first born, her wrinkled skin smoothed out, becoming fair and tender. Her eyes resembled those of Du Yunru and were full of life.
Mrs. Zhen was overjoyed, calling her dear and sweet, and carried Sister Yi to Anhua Courtyard.
Du Yunluo heard this and pouted, saying, "Dear and sweet, aren’t those meant for me?"
Du Yunru laughed so hard she couldn’t straighten her back.
Mrs. Zhen was both amused and exasperated, pointing at Du Yunluo and saying, "Oh, your thick skin! You’re an aunt now and still getting jealous of your niece. My dear Nannan, today is your coming-of-age ceremony, not a full moon celebration!"
Du Yunluo couldn’t stop giggling.
Mrs. Tian Wu approached with a smile, seeing how adorable Sister Yi was, fair and chubby, she couldn’t help but praise her, and then took off the bracelet from her wrist as a meeting gift for Sister Yi: "What’s her name?"
Du Yunru thanked her for the gift and said, "Sister Yi, Shao Xingyi."
Mrs. Tian Wu then said to Mrs. Zhen, "I know the second son of the Shao family; truly, with good-looking parents, their child is bound to be charming. Yunluo is also a pretty girl, and the Princely Heir is dashing; their future children will surely make others envious!"
Everyone likes to hear compliments, and Mrs. Zhen was overjoyed, feeling surrounded by charming children calling her "grandmother" and "maternal grandmother" nonstop, until someone from the Miao family called for her, and she went forward to attend to the business.
Du Yunru saw her younger sister hanging her head and went over to her, saying, "What’s wrong? Even your thick skin knows how to feel shy now?"
Du Yunluo gave her a sidelong glance, "Elder sister, your figure is more enchanting than before, and there’s a smell of milk..."
Du Yunru seemed to remember something, and her face turned red instantly. She gave Du Yunluo a playful hit and said, "You’re not allowed to talk nonsense!"
Shi Qingyu and Yunuo came over together, teased Sister Yi for a while, and when the auspicious time arrived, accompanied Du Yunluo to the Flower Hall.
Mrs. Tian Wu was very familiar with the coming-of-age ceremony, but still got interrupted during the process.
The Cining Palace’s rewards arrived.
The Empress Dowager and Imperial Consort added gifts for the ceremony. Du Yunluo kowtowed to thank them for the reward, and the Du family gained great prestige, causing everyone to be happy.
The guests were invited to drink, and Shi Qingyu and Yunuo accompanied Du Yunluo.
The topic quickly shifted to the wedding date.
Shi Qingyu whispered, "I heard from Mother. A few days ago, she went to Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, and Madam Wu meant to hold the grand ceremony in spring next year."
Du Yunluo was not surprised by this.
In her previous life, she also got married in the spring, regardless of whether there was a war at the frontier, the Marquis Mansion had already prepared for the spring wedding reception.
If not for the months of December and January being in between, she wouldn’t have gotten married in the fourth month after her coming-of-age ceremony.
The information from Shi Qingyu was correct.
The day after the ceremony, Mrs. Tian Wu brought an invitation, seeking a date.
Old Mrs. Xia had poor eyesight, so she asked Mrs. Zhen to check the almanac, confirming the dates one by one with Mrs. Tian Wu, finally selecting five, sending them to Dingyuan Marquis Mansion for further consideration.
A few days later, the two families finalized the wedding date, setting it on March 12.
Less than three months was not rushed for the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion and Du Mansion, who had been preparing for a long time.
Du Yunluo married into the Marquis Mansion as the heir’s wife, and her dowry was much richer than that of Du Yunru and Du Yunying. The Miao family was somewhat envious, but it was reasonable and there was no dissatisfaction.
In Anhua Courtyard, Jin Ling had already packed her belongings, as she was marrying out from her own home and needed to go back and prepare.
Du Yunluo added many items to Jin Ling’s betrothal gifts.
Jin Ling originally didn’t want to take them, so Du Yunluo said seriously, "Without taking these things, how will you confidently ask Yun Qi for a betrothal gift? Even if Yun Qi’s family background isn’t abundant, the Young Master will surely supplement quite a bit, so accept it all."
Jin Ling was stunned by her words, but it was Jin Rui who couldn’t help herself, laughing until she was out of breath, and stuffed everything into a bundle for Jin Ling, "Afraid you can’t carry it? I’ll have Jin Lan help you take it back."
Du Yunluo rested her chin and nodded repeatedly, "I’ll have Jin Rui and Jin Lan go to the feast on the actual day."
Jin Ling couldn’t utter a word, her eyes reddened, and in two or three steps, she knelt in front of Du Yunluo, sobbing as she cried.
Du Yunluo, seeing her tears, felt her nose tingle and she too began to cry.
The two of them hugged and cried for a long while.
Jin Rui brought in water and hoarsely said, "It’s not like we won’t see each other again; my lady is getting married in the spring."
Jin Ling wiped her tears and said, "I’ll wait for my lady at the Marquis Mansion. Don’t worry, I’ll surely accomplish the tasks you’ve entrusted to me."
Du Yunluo held Jin Ling’s face, looked straight into her eyes, and said, "Listen to me, I’ll tell you again. Find out as much as you can, don’t rush, take your time. Nothing is more important than your own safety. Remember, don’t alert anyone, don’t let anyone become suspicious."
Jin Ling’s tear-soaked eyelashes trembled.
Du Yunluo then looked up at Jin Rui, "The same goes for you, all of you are the same. There are so many things I need you to do this lifetime, I assure you, you won’t be able to finish them in ten or twenty years, so don’t think of achieving instant success, like pulling out a whole bunch of locusts with one string. I fear you’ll fall in more than having no leads."
Jin Rui was already holding back tears, and after hearing this, she couldn’t restrain them anymore, putting the water basin on the table, she covered her face and cried.
Jin Ling nodded heavily through her tears, "I’ll make sure to take good care of myself."
She must take care of herself because only then can they protect the lady.
After crying, Jin Ling helped Du Yunluo clean her face and apply fragrant ointment before reluctantly leaving, accompanied by Jin Lan, to return home.
When Jin Lan came back, she said that Jin Ling’s family was prepared, and Mrs. Duan, though her eyesight wasn’t good, had supportive neighbors, and there was a young maid at home, so the wedding would certainly proceed smoothly.
Du Yunluo felt much more at ease hearing this.
On the actual day, Du Yunluo gave Jin Rui and Jin Lan the day off.
Jin Rui worried about leaving Du Yunluo without anyone to serve her and was reluctant to go.
Du Yunluo persuaded her with a smile, "You only get to host a wedding once in your life. Since Jin Ling is marrying from outside the mansion, it won’t be as lively as in the mansion. If you don’t go to support her, others might think our mansion doesn’t like her."
Jin Rui couldn’t argue with that reasoning, and since Du Yunluo was in Qinghui Garden that day, she and Jin Lan went together.
A maid’s wedding doesn’t follow many rules; it’s all about the merriment.
The yard was too small to hold a banquet, so they set up tables in the alley, inviting neighbors to eat and drink.
Mrs. Duan, her eyes filled with tears, sent forth Jin Ling to the sedan chair, and said to Jin Rui who was supporting her, "My eyes are blurry, I cannot even see my girl at her most beautiful clearly."
That one sentence brought tears to the eyes of the familiar mothers and aunts nearby.
Jin Rui too turned her back to wipe her tears; Mrs. Duan treated Jin Ling much better than Mrs. Xue Si had treated her and Xue Ping’er. At the very least, Mrs. Xue Si would never be willing to host so many tables for a daughter’s marriage.
Bitterness is bitterness, but today remains a joyous day.
People exchanged pleasantries and after some persuasion, everyone dried their tears and went to enjoy the banquet.