Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 572 Introduction to Cao Xiu
It has been ten days since Fan Ning returned to Quanzhou.

For the past two months, he will not go to sea for the time being, and devote himself to the preparation of the fleet.

The fifteen paddle boats previously rented from Fan's Trading Company have been returned. Three years ago, the Overseas Economic and Strategy Office ordered another thirty Wanshi paddle boats from various shipping companies, and they have been delivered one after another.

During this year, the government's paddle boats are conducting small-scale team training to meet the needs of long-distance voyages.

Seeing that Fan Ning was about to marry the daughter of the Cao family, the Fan residence looked relatively quiet on the surface, but there were some small disturbances in the quiet.

Fan Ning's mother, Zhang Sanniang, was very dissatisfied with this marriage of Fan Cao's interests. She was very satisfied with the current state, with a harmonious family and a full house of grandchildren. She was very afraid that another daughter of the Cao family would break this harmony.

She publicly complained several times during meals that her son agreed to the marriage.

On the other hand, she felt very guilty about her two daughter-in-laws, and had to express her dissatisfaction with her son, and used this method to appease the two daughter-in-laws. If she showed satisfaction and approval, what would the two daughter-in-laws think.

Compared to Zhang Sanniang's dissatisfaction, Zhu Pei and Ouyang Qian were very calm and magnanimous, especially Zhu Pei, who even started to order the maids to tidy up the yard for the new couple.

Fanning's inner study had to be vacated and moved to the west, where there happened to be an empty yard.

The four courtyards in the east naturally became the residences of three wives and one concubine.

Although Zhu Pei and Ouyang Qian showed great generosity towards Fan Ning's marriage to a third wife, it was only on the surface, and no one knew how to deal with Fan Ning in private.

At least many people found that the number of times Fan Ning spent the night with his concubine Aya increased significantly.

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, at the beginning of November, the daughter of the Cao family went out to Quanzhou before the inland river froze.

Accompanying Cao Xiu to get married was her father, Cao Yi. Cao Xiu's biological mother had passed away, and her current stepmother did not go south with her because Cao Yi would go to sea with Fan Ning in February next year.

Fan's house also began to decorate with lights, including nearly a hundred large lanterns on Fanning Wharf. The lanterns are all lit up at night, which is extraordinarily dazzling.

On November [-]th, the Cao family's fleet of three [-]-stone ships arrived at the mouth of the Jinjiang River. It was dusk and night was about to fall, and the Fan family's wedding boat had been waiting for a long time.

The bride will change boats here, and take the wedding boat to Fan's house.

The two ships approached slowly, and a pedestrian pedal with handrails appeared between the two ships. This is a boarding facility that has only been invented in recent years. All ships above a thousand stone have ports on both sides of the ship. The ports are Unified, put on the safety ship plate, buckle the interface, and the people on board can quickly transfer between the two ships.

A maid helped the bride wearing a hijab to get on the wedding boat slowly. On the side of the wedding boat, Aya came to greet her with several maids.

The bridegroom, Fan Ning, was also on the boat. He boarded the wedding boat, met with his father-in-law Cao Yi and other relatives and friends of the Cao family, and then returned to the wedding boat.

This time when Cao Xiu got married, the Cao family also gave a very heavy dowry. The dowry gold alone amounted to 3 taels, as well as [-] mu of land in the capital, a five-mu house in the capital, and various precious jewelry, porcelain, silk and satin. There are countless furniture, tea cakes, calligraphy and paintings, etc., which fully loaded two large ships.

Although Cao Xiu was married as a second wife, there is no difference in etiquette and official wife, and she is also married by a Ming matchmaker. Even the queen mother named her the county lady, which is the same as Zhu Pei's edict, but the queen mother Cao is still relatively good at life. In order to prevent Ouyang's family from causing dissatisfaction, it would be difficult for the bride to gain a foothold in Fan's family.

The lanterns on the wedding boat were lit together, and they walked slowly on the Jinjiang River, shining brightly and attracting people's attention.

The three wedding boats followed behind and sailed towards the city of Quanzhou.

Fan Ning walked into the cabin, and the maid hurriedly saluted Fan Ning, "See my lord!"

Aya, who was talking with Cao Xiu, stood up, waved her hands, and asked everyone to step back, leaving the large cabin to the newcomer.

Fan Ning sat down beside Cao Xiu, and said with a smile, "It must have been hard work to come all the way by boat!"

"Fortunately, the wind and waves are not big, there is no seasickness, and the whole journey is calm." Cao Xiu replied softly.

"It's also a coincidence. I happen to work in Quanzhou, and my family moved to Quanzhou. If my family is in the capital, I don't have to work so hard."

"Will the officials stay in Quanzhou forever?"

Fan Ning shook his head, "No, at most two years, I will return to Beijing to work, and then everyone will move back to the capital, but the house in Quanzhou will still be kept, and maybe I will come back when."

After a moment of silence, Cao Xiu said in a low voice again: "Madam Fengjun's order is not my original intention, I have no intention of being inferior."

Fan Ning smiled, "No one will blame you, Apei is also a woman with measure, she knows very well that no one can replace her, she just regards you as a little sister."

"I can rest assured that!"

At this time, Fan Ning gently held Cao Xiu's hand. Cao Xiu lowered her head but did not break free, allowing Fan Ning to hold her hand.

After a while, Fan Ning smiled and said: "Our mansion is very natural. There are mountains and lakes in the mansion. We really have many little squirrels, little hedgehogs, and a few deer. A few days ago, two pairs of swans and A flock of wild geese flew from the north for the winter, and they lived among the reeds in our small lake, and they were welcomed by the whole family. There is also a grassland in the mansion, where we can ride ponies, I believe you will like it."

Fan Ning's eloquent narration made Cao Xiu's tense mood gradually relax. At some point, Fan Ning's hand had already wrapped her arms around her shoulder, and Cao Xiu leaned gently on her husband's shoulder. An indescribable sense of security made her look forward to tonight's bridal chamber.

Marriage customs in various parts of the Song Dynasty were similar. When the bride entered the man's house, she would enter the bridal chamber on the same day.

Out of respect for the Cao family and the Queen Mother, the Fan family also spent a lot of energy preparing for the wedding. Fan Tiege was solely responsible for the engagement and gift giving in the capital, while in Quanzhou, Fan Tongzhong, Fan Ning's fourth uncle, presided over the wedding ceremony. .

The lights on the pier were brightly lit, and a long red carpet was laid from the pier all the way into the mansion, and Aya, as the bride, would accompany the bride all the way.

Zhu Pei and Ouyang Qian also gave enough face, they will not appear in the wedding, they avoided the wedding, the newlyweds came to the hall to get married, saluted to the high hall, and the famous gentry in Quanzhou were invited as guests.

A lively and lively wedding didn't end until after Haishi. The bride and groom were sent to the bridal chamber, which opened the most unforgettable bridal chamber night in the bride's life.

However, Cao Xiu is the second wife after all. On the next day, there will be another ceremony. She will serve tea to the housewife. After the housewife accepts her tea, she will be officially accepted into Fan's house.

In history, big women refused to accept tea from their concubines, and this kind of thing often happened. Many jealous or cunning big women often used this method to deal with their concubines.

Once it happens, the husband has no choice but to temporarily find a house for the concubine to live outside, and after slowly convincing the older woman, the concubine will come back to serve tea again. In this way, the concubine will generally be tidied up Tie, dare not compete with the big woman again.

But the Fan family would not have such a situation, Zhu Pei did not make things difficult for Cao Xiu, and took her tea directly.

Zhu Pei smiled at Fan Ning who was a little nervous and said, "Husband, go get busy! I'll talk to Sister Axiu, so you don't want to be by the side."

Fan Ning had no choice but to leave in embarrassment. Ouyang Qian wanted to take care of her sick daughter, so she greeted her and got up and left.

Zhu Pei smiled and said, "Axiu, let's go for a walk."

Cao Xiu obediently followed Zhu Pei, and she also secretly admired it in her heart. She had heard for a long time that Fan Ning's wife was unparalleled in beauty. She was already the mother of two children, but she was still extremely beautiful, which made Cao Xiu feel a little inferior.

They walked into the corridor, and Zhu Pei introduced to her, "This is the center of the back house. There are four courtyards on the left and right sides of the corridor. You lived in the East Third Courtyard last night, and that will be your yard from now on. You will be there after closing the door. In this world, our family has always been such a tradition, everyone has their own territory, even I, without your consent, can't easily enter your yard, of course, except for my husband, he can enter."

Cao Xiu nodded. She also likes this very much. There are six rooms in her yard, where she and two maids live. Even if she has children in the future, it will be enough.

In the middle of the corridor is a pool of water, which is connected with the lake outside. There are various kinds of brocade fish in the pool. At this time, Cao Xiu suddenly found a white swan swimming in from the outside, followed by another swan. There was a flash of surprise.

Zhu Pei looked at her and laughed, "Living here, there will be many surprises like this. It's a pity that the elf in our family is weird and a bit cold, otherwise she will definitely take you to see various animals."

"Who is the elf?" Cao Xiu asked in a low voice.

"It's my husband's eldest daughter, named Fan Zhen'er. Sister Qian's daughter will soon be seven years old. She is naughty and cute. She loves woods and all kinds of animals. With her around, even cockroaches in our family can die."

Cao Xiu' poof! ’ Laughing out loud, she said happily, "Speaking of which, I'm really looking forward to seeing her."

(End of this chapter)