Transmigrated as A Farm Girl Making Her Family Rich-Chapter 232 - 231 Sisters Chat
Chapter 232 -231 Sisters Chat
Ye Shuzhen, the girl who was about to get married, had already prepared her bridal clothes, just like a Miss from a wealthy family.
The splendor of the occasion was the envy of others, with a bride price that incited jealousy. It was said that among the most valuable items in the dowry were several pigs, and the amount of dowry for her own family was not known to outsiders. The amount disclosed was a bride price of 100 taels of silver.
Perhaps among other ladies of rich families getting married, this might seem less, but after all, their family came from peasant stock, and she was only marrying a housekeeper.
Even in the countryside, other girls receiving one or two taels of silver as a bride price was considered quite good. 100 taels were an astronomical figure for a rural lad.
In the countryside, that amount could build a large house; such a sum naturally invoked envy among other village girls.
Some relatives of the Ye family, following traditional customs and etiquette, would bring a bit of liquor and fabric as congratulatory gifts. In the afternoon, they would arrive at the Ye family’s home, and those tasked with labor would go to the ancestral hall to help with slaughtering pigs, chickens, and ducks.
After the groom’s betrothal gifts arrived in the afternoon, people began to work at the ancestral hall, preparing dinner for the relatives.
Hongji, this time marrying off his sister, could say he had held a grand feast, inviting more relatives and friends, including those sharing the same surname. As his business had grown larger, the estate’s workers and factory staff, as well as the housekeepers, needed to be entertained.
This included some distant and close relatives, as well as kin. By evening, when the factory workers finished their shifts, and estate employees began to wrap up, except for those who had to stay behind, people would bring dinner to them, while others would come in the evening to help and start cooking dinner.
The evening meal, in comparison to the formal wedding dinner the next day, was simpler, mostly using chicken, duck, goose, the innards of pigs, or stewed dishes with fatty pork.
The villagers, who usually refrained from purchasing meat and wouldn’t even eat the poultry they raised, placed great importance on the wedding banquet dinner.
Many villagers helped each other in both joyous and solemn occasions. Hongji would give red envelopes to the chefs and those who helped out. The amount inside the red envelopes didn’t matter; it was all to add to the festive atmosphere.
Other relatives would come to celebrate tomorrow, but for those from the same village, it was different; they helped out and also enjoyed a meal.
Ye Shuying, who lived relatively close by, and Ye Shuzhen from the town, arrived that afternoon.
After all, it was a matter of sisterhood; even if their affections weren’t particularly close, they still came early out of duty.
Ye Shuying arrived with her four or five-year-old son, carrying a gift for Ye Shuzhen as a token of sisterly congratulations.
Ye Shuzhen, heavily pregnant, came in her husband’s carriage, looking about seven or eight months along and moving with care.
The elder sisters came to visit Ye Shuzhen, who greeted them with a smile. Facing her upcoming marriage, she harbored a mix of fear and unease. Unable to discuss certain matters with her parents or elder brother and sister-in-law, the three sisters gathered in a room to talk.
When Ye Shuying saw her younger sister about to marry, she remembered what her mother-in-law had said. Her mother-in-law had remarked that this sister was lazy, like raising a living Buddha at home.
Her mother-in-law, after meticulous selection, finally settled on a girl from a neighboring village to be the wife of her younger brother-in-law. The betrothal gifts had been sent, and soon she would be brought into the family.
Her mother-in-law also boasted about how she made the right choice, praising the girl for being hardworking, with older brothers and younger siblings, and being a sensible girl who knew how to do household chores.
Ye Shuying had also personally inquired about this girl favored by her mother-in-law. Oh, this girl was indeed shrewd and truly hardworking, but a cunning girl wasn’t easy to deal with.
Whether it was the mother-in-law who would be unable to manage her or the difficulties in getting along, the future was uncertain. After all, they had not separated the family households; in the future, she would have to keep her own savings secret. Most of the money her husband earned from his work should not be handed over to the mother-in-law.
Before she had younger siblings, she couldn’t do so, but after acquiring daughters-in-law, she would need to guard her own wallet even more, for her mother-in-law was always a bit more selfish, no matter the time or place.
Perhaps it was because her widowed mother never felt truly secure, needing to control the household expenses. She’s usually quite frugal, and even though her husband could now earn a bit of money, she remained stingy.
The widow reserved her generosity solely for her son, giving him a boiled egg with every meal, unwilling to indulge herself.
Maybe it was a case of favoritism towards the younger generation, or perhaps because in their son’s generation there was only one male heir.
“Younger sister, to tell you the truth, I’m quite envious of you. You may not need to work as a farmwife like elder sister, toiling from dawn till dusk!”
Ye Shuzhi had been married for over a year and was now close to giving birth. Before, when she was still at home, the family treated her sister-in-law poorly, resenting her for having many daughters.
Despite the sister-in-law’s diligence, the family was still unkind to her, even now that she had birthed a son, her mother and sisters remained cold.
When Ye’s Mansion prospered, Ye Shuzhi also experienced a time of luxury as a daughter of wealth, hardly doing any work.
She hoped to marry into a slightly better family, one with servants to command, or a husband of finer appearance.
However, things did not go her way, and although she suggested calling off the marriage privately to her parents, they refused her in private.
They said the Ye family could not afford such a loss of face. She was soon to be married, and it was inappropriate for her to harbor such thoughts.
Though she married only the owner of a small shop, it was still a position that controlled money, certainly better than marrying into an ordinary farming household.
Ye Shuzhi dared not speak of this to outsiders. She couldn’t rely on her brother or sister-in-law, and her parents disagreed with calling off the wedding, leaving her no choice but to marry.
After getting married, though her life could not be described as blissful, she couldn’t afford to be as lazy as when she was a maiden. She had to rise early with her husband to open their shop and do business.
Later, her husband felt it wasteful for several people to guard one shop, so he considered renting another for the couple to run together.
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As a result, the two became even busier, and Ye Shuzhi transformed from her previous laziness to a shrewd businesswoman, realizing that being a daughter-in-law was not as strong as the ladies of other families.
In this era, that’s just how it was, with men held in higher regard than women, and women relegated to the domestic sphere. She had no choice but to manage her own little household.
Ye Shuzhi no longer had much passion for life, merely getting by. Having a child would perhaps add a little aura of motherhood.
“Younger sister, after you’re married you can’t be as willful as before. Later, when we sisters have our gatherings, you must take good care of yourself.”
Ye Shuzhen could only nod at her elder sister and Second Sister’s advice. She was looking forward to married life, perhaps because she liked her husband.
She had already seen some realities clearly. These few days were the most comfortable ones she’d have in her parental home.
After getting married, she might need to do laundry and cooking, handle various chores, and possibly even go to work. Perhaps that was her destined fate.
“Elder sister, Second Sister, I was thoughtless before, please forgive me. It will be harder for us sisters to meet in the future, so please send word if there’s anything.”
