The Reborn Sidekick Rejected The Male Lead
Chapter 246 - 238: Dowry

Chapter 246: Chapter 238: Dowry

The box was about the same size as the one her aunt had given her, and it contained an old-fashioned thumb ring and a very simple jade pendant, a gold bracelet set with emeralds, a pair of emerald earrings, a gold necklace with emeralds, apparently a set, a few silver dollar coins, some copper coins, and the property deed for the place where Xue Jianian lived, along with two gold bars, several Dahei Ten notes, and five thousand yuan.

"Dad, you said you had given me all the family money, didn’t you? How come there’s still so much?"

"These were saved by your mother and me especially for you, a little bit every year, just for you to have so much now. The money I had previously. I originally thought of buying you a house with it; the rest your mother and I would use for our retirement. Who could have anticipated... plans can’t keep up with changes. You take all this; having more money gives you a solid backing in your parents’ home."

"Dad, that ten thousand yuan I already spent, I won’t take these five thousand. You keep them on you, for emergencies."

"I just received a bonus, over a thousand. I won’t be able to spend all of this in a year, and besides, my salary won’t be low in the future. I guarantee that after a year, I’ll have saved more than you."

Lu Jingqiu suddenly felt tears well up in her eyes, "Other people’s families make a profit when they marry off a daughter, but you, you’d give away the whole house if you could."

Lu Xianrun patted her proudly and laughed, "Your dad has the ability, and he’s willing to do this for my daughter; you’re so moved you can’t take it?"

"Yeah."

Finally, Lu Jingqiu took her dowry upstairs, only to discover that there was a red cheongsam laid out on the bed.

The kind made of velvet, with a white stand-up collar and white cuffs, and it was V-necked too.

This type of dress could probably only be bought at Friendship Store, she guessed.

Lu Jingqiu excitedly tried it on, it fit perfectly, and she had no idea how Jiang Nanzhou had managed to get the size right.

Looking at her bare neck in the mirror, Lu Jingqiu rummaged through her dowry box and matched up the emerald-set gold earrings and the emerald gold necklace.

It captured the style of the era perfectly.

At night, Lu Jingqiu was unable to sleep, feeling a mixture of excitement and anticipation, which meant she didn’t wake up until after ten o’clock the next day.

By then, her aunt was already downstairs prepping things and receiving guests who came to deliver the bridal presents.

Many were aunties from the compound, with gifts of red fabric, mirrors to hang on the wall, soaps, enamel basins, towel, backer, bed sheets and a hot water bottle.

Although the Lu Family didn’t have many relatives, Dad had many comrades-in-arms.

Many guests were received in the morning, and the stream of visitors continued unabated into the afternoon.

Aunt Gao accompanied by Gao Qing brought a parcel sent by post, along with Aunt Liu, Grandma Wang, and Aunt Cuihua, to help her arrange her room, mainly to lay down the bridal bed. There were some customs she didn’t really understand.

She listened attentively to the adults’ instructions.

Around four or five in the afternoon, Lu Jingqiu went out to bring in a few friends, Luo Xinyue, He Yu, and Chen Qingru.

Lu Jingqiu had originally asked Xue Jianian to come too, but she said she was married now, and it wouldn’t be proper to "mess around with them" any longer.

She planned to come over early the next day.

To give the girls some space, Dad went back to the military base.

Only her aunt and Aunt Liu and a few other elders were there to help with some things.

For dinner, Lu Jingqiu cooked a stew to treat them.

The girls were not in the mood to eat much, just took a few bites and then dragged Lu Jingqiu upstairs to see her wedding dress.

Luo Xinyue looked at the red dress hanging there, her eyes filled with envy, "This dress is just too beautiful, did your Jiang Nanzhou prepare this for you?"

"Yes, I still don’t know where he bought it, but it should be from the Friendship Store."

He Yu nodded and said, "Right, only the Friendship Store would have such nice clothes."

Chen Qingru carefully touched the fabric and said, "This fabric is really sturdy, and the color is beautiful, too. Now it’s fashionable to wear this kind of bright red for weddings. During the New Year, I even saw some brides wearing a skirt suit, with a red blazer on top, which looked really nice."

Luo Xinyue said, "I also had my eye on a red skirt at the mall, but now that I’ve seen Jingqiu’s, I don’t think mine is all that special anymore."

Lu Jingqiu laughed and said, "When you get married, the weather will be warmer, and you can wear a red tulle skirt." Actually, in a couple of years, wedding dresses will become fashionable, in purple, red, and even white.

Luo Xinyue said, "A red tulle skirt? I don’t think we have those for sale around here."

He Yu said, "We have them where I live. During the New Year, I saw one in an old tailor’s shop, and out of curiosity, I went up to feel it. She said she designed it herself. It’s a tulle skirt, although I’m not sure if it’s the kind Jingqiu mentioned."

Lured by curiosity, Luo Xinyue kept asking He Yu for more details, and once girls started talking about beauty, they couldn’t stop.

Lu Jingqiu went to get some fruit for them, and around 7:30 p.m., her aunt came up to tell them that Grandma Wang would be coming the next day to do her hair and that the bridesmaids all needed to bring something to the bridal room.

She gave each of them their instructions before leaving.

While they were assigning tasks, Lu Jingqiu went to take a bath. Upon returning, she was insisted by them to try on the wedding dress.

Lu Jingqiu reluctantly put it on for them to see, and the long red dress, under the dim light, looked exceptionally tempting.

When she put on the emerald jewelry, it was truly the icing on the cake.

Chen Qingru said, "There’s no need for the hair to be too elaborate, just pin it up. Jingqiu, do you have a hairpin? If you do, just insert a hairpin, and then apply some bright red lipstick, it would be gorgeous."

Lu Jingqiu shrugged and said, "I really don’t have a hairpin." She thought about the white jade and red agate headpiece, but it was too ostentatious.

Luo Xinyue said, "Just wear a big red flower, and you’re all set. Jingqiu, do you have any red gauze? I’ll make one for you."

"Yes," Lu Jingqiu took out a red gauze scarf from the cabinet and said, "This belonged to my mom. I was thinking of something like this. Actually, my uncle and aunt already got bride and groom boutonnieres ready, my aunt said just tying a red headband would be enough."

Lu Jingqiu had also prepared a red headband and even a flower for the New Year.

As Lu Jingqiu spoke, she quickly tied her mother’s red gauze scarf with an elastic band and placed it on top of her head, with the front just covering a little below her eyes and the rest draping over her shoulders.

Just like that, she transformed her look, and everyone agreed it was a good method.

Lu Jingqiu pursed her lips and smiled. This trick was something she had learned from the future.

Chen Qingru said, "Dress up like this for the wedding tomorrow, and wear red leather shoes—it’ll be absolutely beautiful. Believe me, when other female comrades see this, they’ll definitely want to imitate your style."

He Yu nodded her head, "I’ve realized that in the future, weddings might not always feature Sun Yat-sen suits or green military uniforms. Female comrades should dress just like this when they get married. Xinyue, when we get back to school, I’ll call to inquire about that tulle skirt for you."

Luo Xinyue said, "That would be great; thank you so much, He Yu."

"Oh please, I can’t take you all being so enthusiastic."

"Haha."