Miss Truth
Chapter 459 - 299: The Wool Comes from the Sheep

Chapter 459: Chapter 299: The Wool Comes from the Sheep

Wan Lu bristled angrily upon hearing this, her loud voice burst out, but she immediately remembered she was in another’s residence and forcibly lowered her voice, her face turning red as she said, "The Gao family is too bullying! How can they do this? Even if the Ran Family doesn’t provide a dowry, there’s still the lady’s dowry, right? Did she swallow that too? Doing such things that cut off their descendants, isn’t she afraid she won’t be able to bear another son?"

Madam Xing, with her sleeves gathered, said gloomily, "In this case, you have wronged the Gao family. No matter how domineering she is, isn’t she still the main wife in the courtyard? Would she dare to go against the clan elders?"

The clan elders all knew very well that they must hold onto Ran Yan tightly. Who could aspire to marry into the Xiao family just by wishing for it? The opportunity was once in a lifetime, and they didn’t think there was another lady in the Ran Clan who had the capability of capturing the attention of the noblemen’s sons.

"You mean father is unwilling," Ran Yan stated, not as a question. She had known from the start that her Tang Dynasty father was short-sighted and selfish, but to be short-sighted to this extent was truly an astonishing feat.

With a little thought, Ran Yan could deduce the beginning and end of this matter. The five prominent families and seven great clans had always found it shameful to marry outside of their status, but after the great turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty, many of the large clans were left with nothing but empty shells by the early Tang period. The once-glorious aristocratic clans of Shandong had mostly failed to escape poverty, but after all, they were large clans with centuries of history and prestige. For many scholar-official families, marriage among themselves was the only way to flaunt their noble lineage. Moreover, priding themselves on their status, they would marry off their noble daughters and collect exorbitant dowries, gradually forming a custom of "selling marriages."

The Ran family, under such circumstances, had taken a daughter of the Zheng family from Xingyang through monetary means. The betrothal gifts sent out by the Ran family were more than a hundred times what the Zheng family had brought over as a dowry. Ran Wen was already deeply resentful about this, and now he had to provide an additional dowry for Zheng’s daughter, a prospect he was bound to resist, even though she was his daughter.

"The young master will compromise in the end, after all, with Young Lord Xiao’s regard for the lady, the betrothal gifts will surely be substantial. Although the young master... fails to see these things clearly, the clan elders will still consider the Ran family’s and the lady’s reputation," Madam Xing said, seeing Ran Yan with her eyes downcast and mistaking it for emotional hurt, she quickly spoke to comfort her.

Ran Yan curved her lips into a sarcastic smile, "I’m afraid the clan elders also compromised in the end, providing only a very small portion, or else Uncle Three would not have this list. In any case, the wool comes from the sheep’s back; they are ultimately planning to extort Uncle Three."

Even if the Ran family agrees to give a dowry, the clan elders are loath to use clan funds, they will still have to ask Ran Pingyu for money, which makes things clearer. In the future, Ran Yan will also know where her true maternal home is.

"Hmm?" Madam Xing reached out to take the dowry list, her face full of joy as she said, "There is the lady’s dowry here!"

"Which ones?" asked Ran Yan.

Madam Xing pointed to the lines on the far left, "These are the manor and residences that came with the lady’s dowry. Though not many, in a place like Chang’an where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, they are quite good."

When Lady Zheng died, Ran Yan was very young; thus Lady Zheng’s dowry could only temporarily be entrusted to Ran Wen, but whose hands it had fallen into over the years was still uncertain. These real estate properties were part of Lady Zheng’s dowry; the Ran family could not and did not dare to sell them. Furthermore, no one from the Ran clan had managed to become an official in the capital for many years, so these manors and residences had remained idle until now.

"I thought it was Uncle Three who had provided these," remarked Ran Yan. Compared to money, these estates appealed more to Ran Yan.

In the future, a house gives a woman a sense of security far greater than it does a man, so it’s not without reason that most women are keen on accumulating real estate; naturally, Ran Yan was no exception. Thus, she flicked the dowry list with her finger, "There’s even a shop in the East Market... I’ll go take a look tomorrow when I’m out to select my wedding attire."

It could be predicted that the location of the shop would not be great, but it was better than nothing.

The next morning, as the drum signal of dawn had just ceased, Ran Yan sent someone to inform the Du family, and then she left the residence with Wan Lu and Madam Xing for the East Market.

They had agreed to meet yesterday at Chang’an’s largest embroidery house—Jinxiu Manor. Ran Yan personally preferred the eclectic embroidery style of Qiluo Records’ Xu Wenchang, but for the sake of formality, she had to choose Jinxiu Manor.

The soft morning light spread gently over the densely packed shops, with many willow trees planted in front of the drainage ditches along the road, already sprouting tender green buds. There weren’t too many pedestrians on the road, and many shop boys were still sweeping at their doorsteps.

The East Market was as vibrant as ever. Ran Yan looked outside and couldn’t help but remember the New Year’s Eve when she strolled through the streets with Xiao Song, feeling something overflowing in her heart, yet also feeling a void. Without realizing it, it had been over a month since she last saw him.

The carriage came to a stop, and the coachman said, "Lady Yan, we have arrived at Jinxiu Workshop."

Ran Yan had passed by Jinxiu Workshop before, with its hook-and-horn eaves and the strikingly vigorous "Jinxiu" characters on the plaque above the entrance.

Wan Lu jumped out of the carriage first. Just as Ran Yan was about to move, she heard an exclamation from outside and couldn’t help asking, "What happened?"

"It’s... it’s nothing," came Wan Lu’s still shaken voice from outside.

Ran Yan lifted the curtain with curiosity and met a handsome face with a teasing smile. He was still in his dark purple round-necked robe with wide sleeves, his hair neatly tied up, looking as energetic as ever.

"What are you staring for, come on down," Xiao Song said in a mellow voice tinged with amusement.

Ran Yan hesitated for a moment, then alighted from the carriage with his assistance, "Aren’t you supposed to be at court today?"

The Emperor was feeling unwell today and dismissed court after the third watch," Xiao Song sighed deeply, "Is the heavens showing pity on me?"

"Assistant Minister Xiao." As soon as the Nanny got down from the carriage, she deftly squeezed past him, "For such a small matter, let an old servant like me handle it."

Xiao Song couldn’t very well push back, so he was left to "gaze" at Ran Yan from behind Nanny.

"You better head back to the Government Office. If you slip out during your duty hours, be careful not to be reported by someone from the Imperial Censorate!" Ran Yan was happy to see him, but she had heard from Ran Pingyu that Minister Zhang Liang of the Ministry of Criminal Justice was about to be transferred. Xiao Song might fill the vacancy, although the likelihood wasn’t high. Being reported by the Imperial Censor at such a critical moment would be very distressing.

Moreover, him placing Ran Yan so close to his heart, if those with ulterior motives found out, it would do her no good.

After weighing the options, Xiao Song thought that since he was going to marry her in two months anyway, by then he could look at her as much as he wanted without anyone being able to stop him, so he didn’t insist any longer and nodded, "Then I’ll be going back."

"Mm," Ran Yan replied.

Their farewells were always so straightforward, but this time, as Ran Yan climbed the steps, she paused and looked back at Xiao Song, only to see him also turning around in his saddle, giving Ran Yan a radiant smile. The horse’s hooves kicked up the dust as his wide sleeves fluttered, gradually disappearing from view.

"Wife! He’s long gone out of sight!" Wan Lu teased.

Ran Yan stretched out her hand and lightly knocked her on the head, "You’re getting bolder by the day." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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