Chapter 8: Counting the Dowry
For example, "a few pieces of fabric for seasonal clothing" were either coarse cotton or hemp cloth. There wasn't even a piece of fine silk or ordinary satin in the lot.
Yet, they were packed into several large boxes and divided into four dowries for the wedding...
As for "a few hidden silver coins," Qiao Xuan had finally found a pitiful ten taels of broken silver.
Of course, as the saying goes, a camel is bigger than a horse even when it's skinny. Compared to a peasant girl, the daughter of the county magistrate was still much better off.
These things were equivalent to bullying and humiliation in the eyes of a real county magistrate's daughter, but for Qiao Xuan, she felt quite fortunate.
Just the ten taels of silver would be a huge sum for a peasant family!
The humiliation of Madam Qiao might have been a fatal blow to the original owner, but to her, it was nothing.
Compared to being penniless, she was doing quite well. If she wanted silver, she would earn it herself.
To return the favor in the future would be truly satisfying!
After tidying up, Qiao Xuan generously took all the fabric out and distributed it to her mother-in-law and her elder sister-in-law, Mrs. Xu, specifically contributing it for the family to make clothes.
These fabrics meant nothing to her, but they were valuable to a peasant family.
Mrs. Fang and Mrs. Xu were both surprised and somewhat disbelieving.
Mrs. Fang hesitated and was a bit reluctant, fearing that others would accuse her of coveting her daughter-in-law's dowry.
When the dowry was brought into the house the day before, she had heard a lot of sour words, especially from the second and third sisters-in-law, who were so sour that they could have filled a tub with vinegar.
Qiao Xuan observed their reactions and with clear and bright eyes, she smiled and said, "This is just a little token of filial piety, Mother. If you treat me as an outsider, how can I feel at ease? We are all one family, and we should be close and affectionate, shouldn't we?"
Mrs. Fang then laughed and accepted the fabric, unable to help but say, "A dowry is a very important thing for a woman. You should take good care of your own things and not waste them. There are still many days ahead!"
Qiao Xuan felt warm in her heart and was truly moved. She nodded and smiled, "I will remember Mother's teachings!"
She then took out two pairs of brightly colored silk flowers and gave them to her younger sister-in-law, Shao Taotao, and her three-year-old niece, Shao Qing.
In her eyes, the workmanship of these silk flowers seemed a bit rough, but they still cost twenty-five cents a pair. Who in the countryside would easily spend money on them?
Mrs. Xu was very happy and thanked her for Shao Qing. Shao Taotao also liked them very much, blushing and shyly thanking her. She happily put them in her hair and received several praises from the women.
Because Qiao Xuan had some ulterior motives in giving the fabric and silk flowers, she felt a bit guilty. So, when she spoke kind words and praised them, she did so with extra effort, and the women all laughed and were very happy.
In fact, her gifts were a bit of a test to see what kind of people her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and younger sister-in-law were. If they were greedy, she would have a better understanding.
But it turned out not to be the case.
Even if Mrs. Xu had a bit of a heavy mind, it was just human nature.
Qiao Xuan was completely relieved.
She didn't know that Mrs. Xu was feeling a bit guilty at the moment.
When the fifth sister-in-law entered the house, it was obvious that she was being compared in every aspect. Mrs. Xu was feeling resentful and frustrated. Seeing her trying to please and flatter her mother-in-law, Mrs. Xu couldn't help but curse her in her heart. Who would have thought that the fifth sister-in-law would be so generous, giving her so much fabric, two of which were very thick and could be made into winter clothes with cotton. She also gave such beautiful silk flowers to Shao Qing.
She felt really unworthy of herself!
