Chapter 64: The Mei Family Looks Down Upon Our General's Manor

In Jian Aozhu's eyes, Jian Jingyao did not exist at all; she merely dismissed her as useless garbage, saying perfunctorily:
"Forget it, I am not one to hold grudges, I only hope my good sister will keep her distance from me in the future and avoid being an eyesore in my presence."
Though phrased to sound magnanimous, the words were utterly ungracious.
"Hmph!" Jian Jingyao clutched her handkerchief tightly in both hands, grievance weighing on her to the absolute limit.
Seeing that Jian Aozhu's anger had subsided, Cai Yun took Su Huirong by both hands, feigning a picture of deep sisterly affection.
"Younger Sister, my lord has gone to the Minister's Estate to discuss the betrothal gifts and should be returning soon. Shall we go prepare the midday meal and wait for his return?"
"Very well!" Su Huirong, still shaken and bewildered, had no idea what to make of it.
Jian Aozhu flashed her mother a reassuring smile, telling her to set her mind at ease.
Cai Yun glanced at Jian Aozhu, lingering fear visible in the depths of her eyes.
When it came to manipulation and schemes, this concubine-born daughter was several levels higher than Su Huirong.
Jian Aozhu, for her part, immensely admired Cai Yun as well.
Her acting skills were truly top-notch; it was a pity she wasn't a professional stage actress.
With the turmoil in the inner courtyard finally settled, the entire Jian family eagerly awaited Jian Liancheng's return.
The Minister's Estate was a prominent and wealthy household, and coupled with the dual glory of an imperial marriage decree, the betrothal gifts presented to the Jian family this time were bound to be exceptionally lavish.
Su Huirong had a tranquil disposition, neither contending nor fighting for anything, so she cared little about it.
However, Cai Yun and Jian Aozhu placed immense importance on the scale and specifications of the gifts.
One coveted the wealth, while the other desired to outdo Gu Xingwan.
The visual shock outside the Lu family's residence had dealt Jian Aozhu too heavy a blow; she dreamed of nothing less than overshadowing Gu Xingwan with her betrothal gifts.
It was not until approaching noon that a maid rushed in to report:
"Madam, Concubine, Young Miss, My Lord has returned."
By this time, the side hall of the main parlor had already been set with the midday meal—a rare occasion for the entire family to dine together in full attendance.
Today was supposed to be a joyous day.
Yet from the very moment Jian Liancheng stepped into the courtyard, the atmosphere felt entirely wrong.
His expression was dejected and listless, planting a heavy sense of foreboding in Jian Aozhu's heart.
Cai Yun hurriedly stepped forward with a smiling welcome:
"My Lord, you are finally back! How did it go? Has the betrothal gift list from the Minister's Estate been finalized?"
Jian Liancheng ignored her entirely, walking like a block of ice to the master seat at the dining table. He sat down without a word, the veins on his forehead throbbing in a frightening manner.
A heavy gloom instantly blanketed the side hall.
Having just been snubbed, Cai Yun dared not ask any further.
Jian Aozhu, however, was different; she had long since lost any fear of her own father's stern majesty.
"Father, how were the arrangements for the betrothal discussed?"
Jian Liancheng lifted his cold gaze. Realizing it was Jian Aozhu who spoke, he slowly drew a red gift list from his sleeve and sighed deeply before saying:
"See for yourself!"
Jian Aozhu snatched it up eagerly to look.
The betrothal gifts from the Minister's Estate numbered a mere sixty trunks.
They included five hundred taels of goldware, one hundred bolts of brocade, one hundred bolts of assorted fabric, twenty jars of wine, ten horses, ten pigs, ten oxen, ten sheep, and one thousand taels of silver. On top of that were three storefronts within Shengjing City and a country estate outside the city walls.
At a glance, it did not seem entirely shabby; it saved face.
But...
This could only be considered the standard for an ordinary court official taking a daughter-in-law.
What was the status of the Minister's Estate? The Minister of Works held the rank of a proper second rank in the imperial court, highly favored by His Majesty with the nine imperial bestowals—he stood at the absolute pinnacle of imperial subjects.
Yet taking a daughter-in-law merited gifts this miserly.
The heart that Jian Aozhu had been holding in suspense finally shattered completely.
The Mei family did not respect her.
Even with the Empress Dowager's marriage decree, the Mei family had never taken her seriously; this gift list made that abundantly clear.
Compared to the grand, unprecedented fanfare of the Lu family's procession, this was nothing short of humiliation.
And she still expected to compare herself to Gu Xingwan?
With what was she supposed to compete?
Madam Mei herself had taken the initiative to schedule the betrothal gifts on the exact same day. By then, all of Shengjing City would be watching both families' gifts, and she would be mocked until she was stripped of every shred of dignity.
What on earth was that old woman thinking?
If your Mei family has no money, why put on such a pretentious front?
Jian Aozhu felt she was truly losing her mind.
Su Huirong did not dare step forward to look, but Cai Yun could wait no longer.
She walked over and scanned the gift list carefully, her blood pressure instantly skyrocketing.
"What kind of gift list is this? Ah? Are they trying to dismiss a beggar?"
"Even a third or fourth-rank official's household wouldn't be this degrading when taking a daughter-in-law! Our Aozhu is the apple of the Jian family's eye, the young lady of a general's estate..."
Cai Yun had been counting on Jian Aozhu's marriage to make a massive profit.
Now, all of it had vanished into thin air.
Seeing that her instigation failed to elicit a single word to salvage their pride, Cai Yun grew even more exasperated.
She leaned close to Jian Liancheng's ear and hammered away relentlessly to bolster his spirit:
"My Lord, didn't you mention that our Aozhu's marriage was decreed by the Empress Dowager? Didn't you say our Aozhu is the sworn sister of the Grand Princess? How dare the Mei family show such disdain? Are they not afraid of retribution from the palace?"
Cai Yun's words came like a string of firecrackers, battering Jian Liancheng's skull.
Jian Liancheng only felt mentally exhausted and overwhelmingly irritated:
"I said it, I said it all! Do you take me for a fool? Naturally, I praised Aozhu to the heavens, but..."
He had spoken a basketful of fine words, yet everyone in their hearts knew that their daughter's marriage, when all was said and done, was somewhat shameful—though currently, no one dared to bring up that ugly affair.
The side hall fell into a dead silence, so quiet that the dropping of a needle could be heard.
To put it bluntly, it was simply because their own daughter lacked the capability to command respect!