The daily struggles of divorced women in ancient times

After arriving in the capital, Madam Yang lived in the Yang family's house in Xinshikou. Xinshikou was close to the Xia family's house, making it more convenient for Madam Yang to discuss preparations for the marriage with Xia Mianwan.

Xia Mianwan received a report from someone at Yang's house, and hurriedly asked Ruzhu and Rumeng to take gifts and go to Yang's house.

Although Madam Yang and Mr. Yang rarely live in the capital, because the Yang family's foundation is in the capital, the Yang family mansion has always been well maintained.

"Sister Yang, your house is so elegantly decorated." Xia Mianwan was strolling in the garden with Mrs. Yang, and couldn't help but sigh at the Yang family's heritage.

It is not cheap to buy such a big house in the capital.

Madam Yang smiled and said, "This is the house I came with as a dowry."

Xia Mianwan and Madam Yang were tired from walking, so they sat down in the pavilion. After the maid served tea, they stepped aside.

"Mianwan, how is your dowry preparation going?" asked Mrs. Yang.

Xia Mianwan smiled and asked Ruzhu to present the dowry list, "Sister Yang, can you help me see if there is anything I need to add or subtract?"

Mrs. Yang took the dowry list and looked at it carefully.

It would have been fine if Madam Yang hadn't looked at it, but she was a little surprised when she saw it. "A hot spring resort ten miles outside Beijing, a farm, three prosperous shops on Zhengyang Street, and a three-story building on Hengyang Street?"

Xia Mianwan smiled faintly and took a sip of tea.

"Mianwan, you've only been in the capital for a short time, and you've already bought a farm and a hot spring resort? You can't buy a resort in the suburbs of Beijing even if you have money." Madam Yang was very surprised.

"Sister Yang, do you know Mr. Hua Si?" Xia Mianwan asked.

Madam Yang knew that the fourth young master Hua was the famous actor in the troupe that she had asked the Wang family to find. Now he was already the most famous actor in the capital.

Seeing that Madam Yang remembered the Fourth Master Hua, Xia Mianwan continued to explain: "After the Fourth Master Hua sang "Old Dream" and "Zhegui", I don't know from what channel that these two storybooks were actually written by me, so he invited me to write other storybooks. It's just that I was really busy, so... I still owed someone a storybook. After the Fourth Master Hua knew that I came to the capital, he came to look for me. When he heard that I wanted to buy the farm, he helped me to make connections, but... this way I owed another storybook."

Madam Yang didn't expect Xia Mianwan to have such a fate in the capital, and said happily: "I knew you were a blessed person."

After Mrs. Yang finished speaking, she continued to look at the dowry list. Xia Mianwan’s dowry list was several pages long. After reading it for a long time, she put the list down.

"Mian Wan, you bought the farm and the shop and you still have 50,000 taels of silver and 5,000 taels of gold as a dowry?"

Xia Mianwan smiled and said, "Well, if you marry Pei Yanxu, the emperor will also give you two thousand taels of gold, two boxes of oriental pearls and a box of colored gems."

"Mianwan, I really have a new respect for you now. You have already prepared things like silver, jewelry, and head ornaments. But you also bought the finest mahogany, pearwood, and silks and satins. Even these ornaments are treasures. I really... underestimated you." Madam Yang was really enlightened. She had only heard that Xia Mianwan did not have a good relationship with the Xia family, but she did not expect that he would be so generous.

Xia Mianwan knew that Madam Yang had misunderstood that all these dowries were prepared by the Xia family, but Xia Mianwan did not intend to explain.

The Xia family did give some dowry, which, converted into silver, was no more than ten thousand taels of silver. For Xia Mianwan, it was just enough.

"Sister Yang, do you think we should add some more?" Xia Mianwan asked.

Madam Yang shook her head and said, "I think it's enough. These things are enough. And the preparations are very complete. I think you are very capable."

Xia Mianwan sighed and said, "Sister Yang, please don't make fun of me. I have no choice. I still have to take care of the wedding of Pei Yanxu's brother and sister. I am just practicing in advance."

Seeing that Xia Mianwan had not yet married, Madam Yang did not shy away from mentioning Pei Yanxu. She reached out and tapped Xia Mianwan's head, laughing and scolding, "How shameless!"

"By the way, why didn't Sister Sang come with you?" Xia Mianwan asked.

Madam Yang said, "Sister Sang still has some things to deal with in Yanzhou. She originally wanted to sell the brothel, but who knew that the people who were interested were all people who had been involved in shady businesses. So, Sister Sang decided not to sell it. She picked a few girls that she was satisfied with and is training them now."

Xia Mianwan knew Madam Sang's personality and had basically guessed how things were going to go.

"Oh, by the way, has Brother Chen's studies been settled?" asked Mrs. Yang.

"It's done, but it's not easy for Sister Yu to find a teacher like you. I found a few for her, but Sister Yu was not satisfied with any of them. She even kept saying that she didn't want to learn anymore."

Madam Yang felt relieved when she heard that. She really treated Yu Jie'er more than her own children. She was a little jealous when she heard Xia Mianwan was looking for a teacher for Yu Jie'er. But now she was worried when she heard Yu Jie'er said she didn't want to study anymore. She couldn't not study...

"Why don't I write a letter to my mother and ask her to help find one?" asked Mrs. Yang.

Xia Mianwan waved her hands quickly, "Don't worry, Sister Yang. Your good disciple has great ambitions. She said that she only has you as her husband, and her life goal is to establish a women's college. So, don't worry about it, just let her do whatever she wants."

Xia Mianwan couldn't do anything about Yu Jie'er. She said all kinds of good and bad things to her, but she just didn't want another husband, so she just let her be.

After hearing this, Madam Yang's longing for Yu Jie'er began to overwhelm her heart, and she began to blame Xia Mianwan for not bringing Yu Jie'er with her today.

Seeing Madam Yang's complaining face, Xia Mianwan said unhappily, "It's not that I didn't bring her here. Sister Yu has been running around the capital with her maid these days, saying that she wants to understand the market and start a new shop. Look, she left before I could even tell her you were coming."

Madam Yang laughed, "Why do you love doing business so much?"

"Sister Yu said that when your power is too small, you can't do what you want to do. Only when you have the ability can you expand your influence and do what you want to do."

"Oh my God, your little girl has the exact same personality as you. Tell me how she was born. I also want a well-behaved daughter like her!" Mrs. Yang was really envious.

Xia Mianwan looked helpless. How could Yu Jie'er's personality be inherited from her? She didn't know who she took after with this unruly and stubborn character.