Several women exchanged glances with Mrs. Lin, all smiling as they said, "In that case, we'll take advantage of Zheng'er's good fortune."
"Oh, Grandmother, look! Aunties are teasing me again!" Bai Zheng pouted coquettishly at her grandmother.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Amid the merriment, Mrs. Lin's personal maid walked into the room with a beaming smile and reminded her, "Madam, the auspicious time to carry out the dowry has arrived."
When it came to the dowry procession, the mother was supposed to oversee it in person.
Mrs. Lin quickly got up and replied, "The auspicious time is here? Then send someone to carry it out!"
She and Bai Yinan had been so busy with the dowry that they hadn't had a good rest for several days.
It was because the couple wasn't very well - off. Over the years, they hadn't been able to save much for their children.
Although Bai Yinan was once the second young master of the General's Mansion, since the family split, everyone in the Bai Mansion had been living on his monthly salary as a third - rank official. The life was just bearable, but far from being wealthy.
Mrs. Lin was no match for the noble ladies in Yongding City. Her natal family was just a small household in Ning City. She didn't have much of a family fortune herself, so she was powerless to add more to her children's dowry.
Since ancient times, the amount of a dowry symbolized the status of the bride in her natal family. If the dowry was rich, the bride could hold her head high in her husband's family.
Many years ago, because of her humble family background, Mrs. Lin's family had to set aside part of the generous betrothal gifts from the General's Mansion for her brothers to marry.
As a result, after much scrambling, she only had ten loads of dowry, which made her suffer a lot of cold looks from her mother - in - law and sister - in - law after she got married.
Remembering the hardships she had endured, Mrs. Lin would never allow the same thing to happen to her daughter.
However, seeing so many betrothal gifts sent by the Marquis of Dingyuan's Mansion, they wanted to return them all without keeping a single thing.
But those sharp - eyed people outside would surely laugh at the bride's family for having nothing to offer and thus returning all the betrothal gifts.
Just when Bai Yinan and his wife were so worried about the dowry that they couldn't eat or sleep, and even thought about borrowing money from Bai Qiying's old friends and Mrs. Lin's brothers to buy the dowry, Bai Zheng suddenly came to them and said that the dowry problem was solved.
Bai Yinan and his wife always knew that their daughter was capable. They had allowed their bride - to - be to go out early and return late these days.
But they never expected that when she came back this time, it was to tell them about the dowry.
Mrs. Lin looked at her daughter, who was still laughing and frolicking with her cousins. Her expression was completely different from that day.
That day, when Bai Zheng stood in front of her and said those words, she was serious.
"Father, Mother, you don't need to worry about my dowry. I've prepared everything."
Mrs. Lin was a bit stunned when she heard this, but then she reacted and chided, "You're just a child. How much could you possibly prepare?"
In a mother's eyes, a child would always be a child.
As Mrs. Lin said this, she turned to her personal maid and said, "Mama Song, go to Ning City tomorrow and ask my brothers for help. We'll pay them back as soon as the family is better off."
"Mother, really no need." Bai Zheng took two steps and stopped Mama Song who was about to go out. Then she turned back and showed a smile to Mrs. Lin and Bai Yinan. "Don't let Uncle and Grandmother worry about these things. My dowry is enough."
"Really enough? How much have you managed to get?" Bai Yinan had seen Bai Zheng's capabilities, so he asked seriously.
Bai Zheng smoothed the stray hairs on her forehead. With a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes, she said firmly word by word, "A grand dowry procession stretching for miles."
When Bai Zheng said those four words, "a grand dowry procession stretching for miles", Mrs. Lin should have been skeptical.
But seeing her daughter's determined look and the confident light in her eyes, no one dared to underestimate her.
Her slender body was standing straight. From afar, it seemed that this little woman already had the strength to hold up a sky.
Thinking of that day, Mrs. Lin felt a bit sour in her heart.
Before stepping out of the door, she looked back at her daughter again. Her eyes turned red and her nose twitched slightly.
She didn't know how many lifetimes of good deeds she had done to have such an outstanding daughter.
She thought that everyone in Yongding City would be shocked by this grand dowry procession!
After Mrs. Lin went out, Bai Zheng quickly ate some food sent by Qing Shao.
The aunts and cousins who had received gifts from Bai Zheng didn't know how to repay her, so they spared no effort to give Bai Zheng suggestions and make her makeup more beautiful.
Bai Zheng knew their good intentions, so she just let them do as they pleased.
Before long, a gorgeous woman appeared in the mirror. She was wearing a tasseled hairpin adorned with jewels, with jade bells hanging on her side and a magnificent peony on her forehead.
Bai Zheng stared blankly at herself in the copper mirror. For a moment, she hardly recognized herself.
"You're so beautiful! Sister will surely make the Marquis of Dingyuan dizzy today..."
Bai Nianming sneaked in somehow. Seeing his sister's appearance, he couldn't help but exclaim loudly.
Bai Zheng couldn't help but snort.
"What do you mean by 'dizzy'? Hasn't the teacher in the school beaten your palm enough? Don't use words if you don't know how to use them properly!" Grandmother glared at Bai Nianming, feeling quite helpless about her little grandson.
"Grandmother..." Bai Nianming pouted. "I just wanted to praise sister for being beautiful!"
"What are you doing here? This isn't the time to praise." Bai Zheng said with a smile.
Only then did Bai Nianming remember his task. He quickly said, "The Marquis is here. The wedding - welcoming team has arrived!"
"What!"
Bai Zheng jumped up.
"Oh, the headdress sent by the Marquis's Mansion hasn't been put on yet!"
"Cousin ate something, and her lipstick is gone. She needs to touch it up..."
"Where's the veil? Hurry up and put it on Zheng'er!"
The room immediately became chaotic.
In contrast, although there were crowds outside the Bai Mansion, it was not in the least bit disorderly. Everyone was quietly lined up on both sides of the street, holding their breaths and watching the wedding - welcoming team approaching slowly in the distance with the sound of gongs and drums.
"Here they come! It's really the Marquis of Dingyuan!"
"My goodness! The Marquis isn't wearing a mask! His face, is his face not disfigured?"
The moment Feng Linyuan appeared, the whole street erupted.
It was the first time people had seen Feng Linyuan wearing such a bright color.
People were used to seeing Feng Linyuan in a dark - colored general's uniform or a light - colored robe in the past. Today, in a bright red wedding suit, he looked not at all strange. Instead, his face without the mask looked even more handsome.
His pupils were as black as ink, his lips were as red as cinnabar, his eyebrows were sharp, and his eyes were shining brightly.