Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Jiaojiao's Dowry—You Shall Prepare It for Her! "Miss, the eldest young master is here again." A maidservant's announcement came from outside. Upon learning that Pei Wuliang had arrived, Jia Qingcheng hastily hid the gauze. Pei Wuliang soon pushed the door open and entered. Seeing her still seated at the table, holding the unfinished embroidery of her wedding trousseau, he spoke. "What's going on with you? Why did my household just receive a batch of bills?" Jia Qingcheng raised an eyebrow at him with a blank expression. Getting angry already? This was only the beginning. If she hadn't secretly supported the Pei family in her past life, could they have risen from a fallen clan to glory? Seeing that she remained silent, Pei Wuliang assumed the shopkeepers must have made a mistake—after all, Jia Qingcheng loved him so much, how could she bear to ask him for money? "Qingcheng, tell them not to be so careless next time. Otherwise, I'll go to the shops and dismiss the managers myself." With that, his gaze fell upon the wedding gown in her hands. "Jiaojiao's wedding dress was accidentally torn. There's no time to make a new one. Send yours to her when it's done. You won't need it anyway—wearing it would just be a waste." Seeing that she still remained silent, Pei Wuliang gave a gentle smile. "Prince Chu coughed up blood again last night. At this rate, he won't last three days. If he dies on your wedding night, don't worry—I'll make sure to give you a proper wedding night myself." What a disgusting man. How had she never noticed in her past life that Pei Wuliang was such a shameless scoundrel? Just as she was about to retort, she heard a respectful voice from outside. "Eldest Miss, Prince Chu's household has sent someone to deliver the betrothal gifts." She hadn't expected Prince Chu's household to send betrothal gifts. This hadn't happened in her past life. She had to go see for herself. "Don't bother going. A soon-to-be widow—whatever betrothal gifts Prince Chu sends you must be pitifully meager." "Move aside." She turned to leave, but Pei Wuliang felt she had no self-awareness. "Qingcheng, I'm doing this for your own good. Look at yourself—with that face of yours, do you really think you're worth Prince Chu preparing betrothal gifts for?" Seeing that she wouldn't budge, Pei Wuliang let out a cold laugh. "Don't go. I'll check for you." He strode to the front courtyard with smug satisfaction, only to freeze in shock at the sight of the courtyard filled with betrothal gifts—including the Dragon Soaring Sword that represented Prince Chu's identity. A woman as ugly as her, and Prince Chu gave her such a grand display? How was that possible? Soon, he figured it out. Turning to look at Jia Qingcheng, who was equally surprised, he said, "Don't get too excited. This is all because of me—Prince Chu and I have a good relationship. He's doing this to give me face." Jia Qingcheng ignored him. The steward of Prince Chu's household quickly stepped forward. "Eldest Miss, congratulations." "Congratulations to you as well." The steward and everyone from Prince Chu's household looked at her with sympathy. No matter how many betrothal gifts there were, she was still destined to be a widow once she married over. "This is the gift list. Please review it." Jia Qingcheng ordered everything to be delivered to her courtyard. Since Prince Chu had given her such a grand display, she wouldn't let him down either. After Prince Chu's household left, Song Jiaojiao came running over in tears. "Brother Wuliang, they're all laughing at me, saying my betrothal gifts aren't as impressive as Sister's." "Don't cry, Jiaojiao. You want those gifts?" Song Jiaojiao nodded with pear-blossom tears on her face. "Unfortunately, Jiaojiao doesn't have that kind of fortune." Pei Wuliang immediately had an idea and called out to Jia Qingcheng, who was about to leave. "Qingcheng, stop right there!" Jia Qingcheng halted her steps but didn't turn around. "What is it?" Pei Wuliang quickly caught up to her. "Didn't you hear what Jiaojiao said? She likes those betrothal gifts. Besides, they rightfully belong to her. Have someone carry them over to her courtyard." What? Song Jiaojiao wanted to take over her betrothal gifts? Absolutely not! Jia Qingcheng turned and gave Pei Wuliang a cold glance. Seeing her reluctance, Pei Wuliang snorted. "What's wrong with you? You're just going through the motions when you marry over anyway. Surely you don't actually plan to take these things to Prince Chu's household and let outsiders benefit from them?" When she didn't respond, Pei Wuliang knew she was afraid. "Good, you know to be afraid. Qingcheng, do you know what I like most about you? You're sensible and obedient—that's your strength. But that face of yours is truly hard to look at. If you don't stay sensible, I won't like you anymore." In her past life, Pei Wuliang had never said such things to her. Every time she stood among those noble ladies and was scorned, he would always step forward to defend her. He would always say she was wonderful and shouldn't mind what others said. And the man who had so fiercely protected her—now standing before her, pressing and coercing her to hand over her betrothal gifts with that vile expression—slowly merged into the same person. Wasn't that ironic? "Brother Wuliang, don't force Sister. She's about to cry." "She's so ugly. If I were her, I'd be grateful to anyone willing to take her. What does she have to feel wronged about?" Song Jiaojiao joined in pressuring her. "Sister, don't blame Brother Wuliang. What he says makes sense. After all, you're just going through the motions when you marry over. We can't just let outsiders benefit from these betrothal gifts for nothing. Don't you agree?" As she spoke, Song Jiaojiao deliberately and casually showed off her wrist—on that slender wrist was a familiar jade bracelet. "Elder sister, isn't this bracelet beautiful? Brother Wuliang gave it to me. He said it's a symbol of status that all Pei family matriarchs possess. Unfortunately, there's only one, or else I'd have asked Brother Wuliang to prepare one for you as well." At the sight of that bracelet, her eyes widened, and the blood in her veins turned to ice in an instant. She recognized it—it was the Pei family's heirloom bracelet. Passed down only to daughters-in-law. In her past life, she had toiled for the Pei family for years, dutifully serving her in-laws and raising her younger brother-in-law to adulthood, yet she had never been given the chance to wear this bracelet that symbolized the status of the Pei family's matriarch. Even until her death, her wrist remained bare. She had believed that having her husband's love was enough, and she didn't covet such material possessions. She had also assumed that her mother-in-law found her too ugly to be worthy. But now, before Song Jiaojiao had even married into the Pei household, she already possessed this bracelet. It seemed she truly wasn't deserving. Seeing her remain silent, Pei Wuliang feigned comfort, saying, "In the future, when you enter the household as a concubine, you won't have any use for this bracelet anyway. Qingcheng, Jiaojiao is an adopted daughter who lost her parents at a young age—she's not as noble as you. But I still want to give her the dignity and respect she deserves. I owe her that much. Her dowry shall be prepared by you on her behalf."