The Princess of Northern Land
Chapter 526: A Golden Phoenix Flies Out of the Grassy Nest (5)_1

Chapter 526: Chapter 526: A Golden Phoenix Flies Out of the Grassy Nest (5)_1

"Ziyin, why didn’t you give me any hint?" Guihua looked at her with a pretended annoyance.

"I just said that they would come to propose. I had no idea they would come directly to give the betrothal gifts." Lin Ziyin had never seen such a grand gesture in this life or her previous one, especially with so many people surrounding and teasing her. She was genuinely a little bit embarrassed. "I had planned to invite my uncle and aunt over for lunch."

"You, younger siblings, should also come over, so we don’t have to invite you later." Hui Niang casually put out the invitation.

If Prince Ling was just coming with a matchmaker to propose, the Lin Family would certainly handle it quietly. They would only invite He Fuxing’s family over for a meal, just as token. But with Chu Suifeng bringing gifts for the engagement, it had become a big deal. The Lin Family would have to invite a few persons of status to keep them company.

Being the closest to the Lin Family, He Fuxing’s family would naturally have to come. Of course, on today’s occasion, they couldn’t miss out on inviting Lou Zheng and some respected elders from the village.

"They’ve set off the firecrackers."

"Such a loud sound, a good omen."

While they were speaking, the sound of firecrackers started ringing around the village. Then, a lot of villagers gathered around the Lin Family’s doorway to join in the fun.

According to village customs, the new son-in-law’s betrothal gifts must be displayed. Doing so was not for the purpose of show-off by any household.

A few years ago, Shili Village was still so poor that it was crying out, and the surrounding villages were not much better. A poor family’s dowry couldn’t have much for the betrothal gifts. Displaying the betrothal gifts was just for the celebration and also to let the villagers see the sincerity of each son-in-law.

"One box of black pearls from the Southern Sea, one box of white pearls, twenty pairs of Jade Ruyi..." The gift list was read by Situ Gong. It was Prince Wang’s big happy event, so they didn’t plan to be low-key. Instead, they displayed the betrothal gifts as ostentatiously as possible.

As Situ Gong read the list in a rhythmic and emphatic voice, there would occasionally be gasps of astonishment from the crowd. My God, they had never seen pearls as big as a fist, it was an eye-opener.

Now, not all of those who came to work at the Lin Family workshop were villagers. Many of them were from nearby villages. For a while, these outsiders wished they could return to their village and show off what they had witnessed today.

Witnessing such a wealth of rare treasures in one’s life was worth it.

"Lowly person." Mrs. Yan cursed alone in her courtyard. She had just heard the villagers’ discussions and was immediately filled with regret and anger. If her family hadn’t broken off their relationship with the Lin Family, her son Ma Zhicai could have become Prince Ling’s in-law. His official career would certainly be smooth, and her family might have become an aristocratic family in Feng City.

The more Mrs. Yan thought about it, the more upset she felt, but there was nothing she could do to change the course of events. With no other option, she could only vent her sadness by cursing aloud.

Ma Dalang, felt even more regretful. In his life, he cared most about whether his family could produce an official. When Ma Zhicai was a child, he was the most clever among the three sons. So, he had spent a lot of money to send Ma Zhicai to private schools with the hope that one day he would get him a government position. But it turned out to be a total failure in the end.

He always thought of himself as a smart person, one who had never been misled and wouldn’t be harmed by others. But he had not expected that he would be disgraced in his son’s marriage and left with a big joke for the villagers to laugh at.

"Why do all the good things fall on the Lin Family?" Unlike Mrs. Yan, no matter how miserable Ma Dalang felt or how dissatisfied with the Lin Family, he wouldn’t curse out loud. Instead, he chose to calculate quietly.

But he couldn’t think of any good solutions. Whether it was the Lin Family or the Wu Family, with their current scale of development, they were not something his small family could calculate.