Chapter 944: Chapter 1: The Betrothal Gifts (Part 3)

Aunt Xie only found out upon asking that when Song Erlang was in Ningzhou, he had taken a maid named "Qingqing" from the courtyard, who had just revealed she was pregnant a few days ago. Song Erlang declared that he wanted to elevate Qingqing as a concubine, which made Second Lang’s wife feel aggrieved, prompting her to seek out Ye Ling to cry out her grievances.

For men, having multiple wives and concubines is a matter of course. Aunt Xie sighed and could not help but comfort her a bit.

Meanwhile, in the front yard, Song Fang couldn’t manage to get Aunt Xie, so she carried out the action on her own, heading straight for Song Wei’s study, expressing her disagreement with Wen Wan returning as the sister-in-law.

Song Wei had just come out of mourning. Although he had not formally been summoned to court by Emperor Xuanjing, there were still some official duties he had to handle. Seeing Song Fang barging in regardless, he put down his pen and looked up at Song Fang, "Your father-in-law has been made King Wucheng, and I heard he is preparing to relocate to his fiefdom lately. How do you have time to come over?"

Song Fang was angered by his indifferent attitude, furrowing her brow, "Third Brother, don’t evade my question!"

Song Wei naturally couldn’t explain the true reason for the separation with Song Fang. The fact that Wen Wan could foresee things, not many would believe if spoken, especially now she couldn’t predict anything anymore. So he simply said, "Jinbao and Qi Bao need a mother, and I need a wife."

"But she’s like that." Song Fang’s face was flushed with anger, "Back then, she acted so ruthlessly and extremely, and later bad rumors spread about her. Who knows in these three years whether she’s been involved with other men? How could she be worthy of Third Brother?"

"Enough!" Song Wei, rarely angry, said, "Wanwan is marrying me, and it is with me that she will spend her days in the future. Since you’ve already married, you should focus on your own household affairs. The rest is not your concern."

Song Fang left the Song Mansion crying in the end.

Ye Ling learned about it afterward and personally went to Xu Family, spent a long time persuading to barely settle Song Fang.

Song Yuanbao didn’t say anything; Ye Ling didn’t know the true reason for the parents-in-law’s separation, and when she was persuading Song Fang, she was completely standing on Jinbao and Qi Bao’s position.

...

After the acceptance ceremony wasn’t long before the formal engagement began. The Song family sent the engagement letter, every word on which was penned by Song Wei.

Wen Wan felt possessed; before, when she read his replies, they never affected her like this. Now holding the engagement letter, reading it over and over, every read made her foolishly smile once.

In mid-October, the ceremonial book arrived. Along with the ceremonial book came trunks tied with red silk.

Inside the trunks were the betrothal gifts the Song family had prepared for two years.

Wen Wan glanced at the long and dense gift list and was directly shocked, rushing out of Yanyun Pavilion to the outer courtyard, where she saw Zhao Xunyin directing the servants to open the trunks and check the betrothal gifts.

The first opened were the eight treasures.

Phoenix Flying Golden Comb, Auspicious Golden Abacus, Golden Phoenix Hairpin, Dragon and Phoenix Golden Bracelet, Marriage Lock, Dragon and Phoenix Golden Mirror, Mandarin Duck Playing Lotus Golden Chopsticks, Golden Scissors.

Next were the less valuable but essential items, all in pairs.

Five kg of engagement cake, eight-style seafood (abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, dried shrimp, squid, scallops, oyster mushrooms, fish stomach), three animals (two female, two male, two pairs of chickens, plus at least five pounds of pork in pairs), two chub, a pair of coconuts, four jars of wine, four kinds of dried fruits (dried longan, dried lychee, dried walnut, dried peanuts), four pounds of fresh fruit, four types of sugar, and two pounds of tea and sesame each.

Inside the gift boxes besides various nuts indicating a harmonious union were Dragon and Phoenix candles and a couplet.

The couplet was personally written by Song Wei, his steady and forceful lettering making Wen Wan feel warm inside.

The little servants responsible for opening the trunks were still loudly reciting the betrothal gifts, from the satin, silk, and brocade to pearls and gemstones, headpieces and jewelry.

The silk was still reasonable, each kind two hundred bolts, but the sheer quantity of pearls and gemstones was excessive.

Wen Wan watched, wanting to cry, "Is he bankrupting himself to pay for the engagement? Am I marrying over to live on northwest wind?"

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