Good Ending: She Swears She Will Not Let Him Die!

Chapter 228: Chapter 227: Making Arrangements

In Shuifu Garden, Mrs. Miao counted Du Yunying’s dowry one last time. Once she was sure everything was in order, she finally relaxed and handed the dowry ledger to Du Yunying.

”I’ve given you everything I can. From now on, you must really make an effort,” Mrs. Miao said, while secretly slipping a stack of silver notes into Du Yunying’s hand. ”These aren’t listed in the ledger; they’re my personal savings.”

Du Yunying clutched the thick stack of silver notes, her eyes reddened.

Mrs. Miao hugged her, gently stroking her back, saying, ”Your husband won’t inherit a title, so don’t entertain vain hopes that will leave you in a difficult position. If you ever truly feel wronged, just send someone to tell me. Our Du Family can’t compare to the Chengyi Bo Mansion, but we’re not pushovers either.”

Du Yunying responded dutifully, casting a glance at the fine lines at the corners of Mrs. Miao’s eyes, causing a suspicion to arise in her heart, though she dared not voice it.

If she truly encountered difficulties at the Elder Mansion, how much support would her family provide?

Just like Mrs. Miao.

Her parents were clearly still around, yet Madam Miao’s powerful voice practically dominated the Miao Family, forcing Mrs. Miao to fall out with her own family.

If the main branch didn’t return to the capital in the future, and Mrs. Miao or Xia Anxin were in charge of the family home, Du Yunying wouldn’t be afraid. But if the authority returned to the main branch...

She had little confidence in her Aunt Yang or her sister-in-law Yan; they had interacted too little.

But Mrs. Miao had already done all she could for her. Bringing up such matters that would sadden Mrs. Miao, Du Yunying couldn’t steel her heart to do so.

At night, as she lay in bed, tossing and turning, Du Yunying held onto one thought — she must establish a firm footing in the Elder Mansion.

Not to compete with her elder sister-in-law, but to handle her own affairs properly.

Like Mrs. Miao, who, even with such an unreliable family, still held her ground securely as the lady of her in-law’s house.

Relying on others is not as good as relying on oneself.

The next evening, Mrs. Quanfu from the Flower Stepping Hall went to the Chengyi Bo Mansion.

The dowry was carried out one palanquin at a time, leaving Shuifu Garden suddenly much more spacious.

Du Yunluo and Du Yunnuo came over to weep for their sister’s marriage.

Everything proceeded smoothly.

On the wedding day, Du Yunying, beautifully adorned, kowtowed to her elders and was carried on Du Yunlang’s back into the bridal palanquin.

Firecrackers resounded, and the bridal palanquin traveled further and further away.

Mrs. Miao had no time for sadness and turned to greet the guests, while Xia Anxin, the new daughter-in-law, stayed by her side, being introduced to the guests.

Mrs. Zhen was also busy, drawing Du Yunluo aside to whisper instructions, telling her she need not greet the young ladies but to make sure she looked after Du Yunru well.

Du Yunluo, glad to avoid extra work, chatted merrily with Du Yunru, discussing Jin Ling’s wedding.

Du Yunru widened her eyes and said, ”Aren’t you a bit too hasty?”

”Not exactly hasty,” Du Yunluo lowered her voice, ”Jin Ling and Jin Rui are both getting on in years. If they both get married in a couple of years’ time, most of the maids serving us would be from the Marquis Mansion. It’s better to have Jin Ling married earlier, so we can bring in a younger maid now. When Jin Rui marries, this maid can stay for a couple more years.”

Du Yunru gave Du Yunluo a sidelong glance.

The logic made sense, but something seemed off in these words, suggesting Du Yunluo didn’t quite trust the staff at the Marquis Mansion.

Du Yunru knew Du Yunluo’s nature; she wasn’t the suspicious type or someone who scrutinized others often. Thus, it was unexpected for her to be so cautious before even entering the family.

Though unsure of the reasons, Du Yunru felt that being cautious wasn’t a bad thing given potential challenges.

This lively and grand wedding consumed much of Mrs. Miao’s energy. Once Lu Huan accompanied Du Yunying for her third day return visit, Mrs. Miao, having released her tension, fell ill overnight.

Chaos reigned in Shuifu Garden.

Mrs. Miao needed rest, while the management of the household fell on Xia Anxin.

Xia Anxin, being inexperienced, had learned under Mrs. Miao for several months but had never managed things on her own. Concerned about Liao Family’s opportunism, Mrs. Miao simply assigned Mrs. Shen Changgen to assist Xia Anxin.

With Mrs. Shen Changgen’s help, Xia Anxin’s nerves eased considerably. Even if any housekeeper attempted to bully the inexperienced Xia Anxin, they would back off upon seeing Mrs. Shen Changgen sternly standing by.

For the moment, peace was restored.

Meanwhile, outside the residence, Yun Qi engaged a matchmaker to propose to Mrs. Duan regarding Jin Ling’s marriage. Since Jin Ling was Du Yunluo’s maid, Mrs. Duan couldn’t give a direct answer and instead sent someone to deliver a message to Anhua Courtyard.

Du Yunluo readily agreed. Soon, the wedding day was set for November 28, to be completed before the twelfth lunar month.

Having heard from Du Yunru beforehand, Mrs. Zhen wasn’t surprised by this, but Old Mrs. Xia specifically inquired about it from Lianfu Garden.

”Taking everything into account, it’s just four months. At most, Yunluo’s marriage will be delayed until next spring or summer. At such a crucial time, missing someone like Jin Ling...” Old Mrs. Xia hesitated.

Seeing that only Lanzhi was left to serve in the room, Mrs. Zhen didn’t shy away and whispered, ”Old Madam, I’ve discussed this with Yunru and Yunluo. Since they’ve found affection, it’s not bad to have an early wedding. Jin Ling is clever, so it’s better to let her go early to prepare.”

Old Mrs. Xia, being perceptive, understood once she heard the need for ”preparation” and nodded, ”Indeed, the lady of the second branch has been in control for some years now, surely a solid foundation.

Look at our household, Huai Ping’s wife is ill, so it’s only proper for Xin to manage, yet aren’t there still a few troublemakers below?

Xin is just an in-law temporarily managing things; even then people cause trouble. When Yunluo manages the household in the future, she’ll surely face more difficulties.

Having a reliable person to go ahead and smooth things over is indeed beneficial.”

Mrs. Zhen had the same thought as Old Mrs. Xia.

While masters can deal with servants, in an aristocratic family, the relationships are intricately intertwined, affecting everything if meddled with.

Acting rashly before understanding the situation would undoubtedly invite much trouble, but enduring every grievance would only make one seem easy to bully.

Old Mrs. Xia, fingering a jade ring on her hand, pondered, ”In that case, for the missing personnel, choose someone carefully. Are there any suitable people among the second tier in Anhua Garden?

If none fit, select from elsewhere, among the many born servants in the residence, surely there’s one who is astute.

Find them early, have Jin Rui and Jin Ling teach them for a while, ensuring they can be of service.”

Old Mrs. Xia instructed carefully, wearing a serious expression: ”It’s a vital matter, bring them to me once chosen. Also, Jin Rui has a fiery temperament, so pick someone more stable, one fierce and one calm, to keep things under control.”

Every word was filled with concern for Du Yunluo, which warmed Mrs. Zhen’s heart, causing her to nod repeatedly, ”Rest assured, Old Madam, I understand.”