Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 523: Displaying the Dowry

"Perfect," said Jin’er, loosening her slightly sweaty hands after concentrating like never before. She finally looked up, her face beaming with a satisfied smile, and with an expression seeking praise, she looked at her mother and grandmother.

"So wonderful, I always knew my good granddaughter was exceptional. Look at how neat the embroidery is. With these few stitches, you’ve brought life to the mandarin ducks as if they were real; my good granddaughter truly is amazing." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Grandmother Hua never disappointed Jin’er, and words of praise flowed easily, causing Jin’er to smile joyfully.

Beside them, Chi Shi nodded in agreement. "Mother is right. When our daughter truly puts her hands to work, no one can match her. Look at how even and tight these stitches are. They rival those of us who have been doing needlework for decades, truly impressive."

The mother’s and grandmother’s praise made Jin’er’s confidence skyrocket. She thought her embroidery was indeed excellent and felt a surge of pride, thinking she could do even more.

Perhaps she could complete the remaining work herself and give her mother and grandmother a break, she pondered while nodding.

"Yes, indeed. Mother and grandmother know me best. I also think it’s pretty good. How about I finish the remaining part, and both of you can take a rest?"

Chi Shi paused for a moment, regaining her composure as she glanced over at her mother-in-law, their eyes meeting.

The daughter’s words evidently had a significant impact, bringing her mother-in-law back to her senses as well.

Uh... it seemed the praise had given her a bit of an inflated ego. Although her daughter performed notably well this time, it was only impressive because the stitches were few and looked exquisite within the pattern. If there were more, Chi Shi shook her head.

... This is her daughter’s wedding dress and cannot have a single flaw.

"Ahem," Chi Shi cleared her throat and gently said, "Our Jin’er is, of course, the best. However, since there isn’t much left, let your mother and grandmother handle it. We want to personally sew your wedding dress and see you wearing the dress we completed... Plus, you have other duties. Your grandmother and I are very busy, and all the household responsibilities need to be taken care of by your two sisters-in-law. Da Bao, Er Bao, and San Bao are relying on you, so how could you have time to embroider a wedding dress? There’s not much left, so continue leaving it to us. Your only task now is to take good care of the little ones and, as you know, your wedding day is approaching, so hunt some rabbits and pheasants in the back hills and store them for the wedding..."

Jin’er was initially driven by a fleeting enthusiasm, but her mother’s words suddenly made perfect sense to her.

Her mother and grandmother were very busy, and her sisters-in-law had to care for the household. The little ones were too young to be left alone, and hunting was necessary as the days were getting tighter, and she truly had no time.

Completely unaware, if she embroidered the wedding dress, her mother and grandmother would be free, and consequently, her sisters-in-law wouldn’t be as busy, and they’d naturally have time to care for the little ones. Moreover, there were also little girls like Hua’er and Wan’er.

They adored the little ones and came over to help care for them whenever they had time.

Immediately, she nodded, "Mother is right; I’ll just have to continue troubling mother and grandmother."

Grandmother Hua subtly exchanged glances with her daughter-in-law, and they both breathed a sigh of relief.

... As long as the child wasn’t insistent, that was fine.

Grandmother Hua quickly said, "Your mother and I love doing these tasks; go ahead and handle your other duties."

"Mmm, mmm," Jin’er nodded, happily continuing to admire the wedding dress that her mother and grandmother were painstakingly creating for her, frequently glancing admiringly at them.

In the fields, Luo Song and Hua Yunao were working diligently, and preparing several acres of land required quite a bit of effort. He didn’t even have a chance to lift his head in the field, causing the people from the adjacent villages to look on enviously.

Some who were on good terms teased Hua Chengtian, saying that the son-in-law and grandson-in-law he had chosen were excellent and industrious. The most important thing was that they opened quite a bit of land at home but still helped the in-laws during harvest.

No matter what, they were doing it in style, bringing substantial prestige to the village chief’s family, allowing the humble father and son to maintain constant smiles.

Time flew by quickly, and November passed in the blink of an eye. The grains in the fields grew heavier, signaling the approaching day of harvest as well as the coming wedding day.

Luo Song was confined at home by his grandfather to help with tasks, as the wedding day approached, and betrothed men and women were to avoid seeing one another, a sentiment shared even by the generally more flexible grandparents of the Hua family.

He’d thought he’d get a chance to see his beloved while harvesting the grain but hadn’t anticipated that Jin’er wouldn’t leave the house at all. Even the meals were delivered by the sisters-in-law, and she had no opportunity.

They worked tirelessly from storing to stacking the grain, and amidst the joy of the harvest, the wedding day arrived.

The day before the wedding was traditionally reserved for adding new items and showcasing the dowry, but in the countryside, much of this was simplified. The dowry was simply carried over to the groom’s house on the wedding day.

However, as the most cherished granddaughter of the village chief, this day was crucial, and the large courtyard was filled with the dowry that the family had meticulously prepared for Jin’er. Well-wishers came to contribute gifts frequently.

Both aunts alone contributed a whole box of items each, including jewelry, clothes, bedding, and even food filled half a box—these were definitely practical gifts.

The jewelry was bought from a store owned by the Luo family, the only place you could get such items.

Almost everyone from the village came, not only to contribute gifts but to look enviously at the courtyard’s array of dowries. Apart from the furniture, there were many boxes filled with treasures—a total of eighteen to be exact. Several boxes contained just bedding and clothing, and the admiration from the women and girls was palpable as they looked at each piece.

Those fortunate enough to receive a few outfits from their maternal home upon marriage were considered very fortunate daughters, incomparable to the lavishness of the village chief’s family, not to mention that the materials were of superior quality.

If these evoked envy, seeing the sets of jewelry in the dowry defied even the sentiment of envy.

There were several sets of jewelry on display alone, with silver being the most ordinary. Everyone was nearly blinded by the dazzling golden bridal set, and the exquisite designs were simply captivating. The accompanying jade set received far less attention because, for rural folk, gold and silver were the finest treasures.

Should they see the complete set of jewelry in Jin’er’s bride price, the village’s women and young wives would probably turn green with envy.

The jewelry was largely crafted from sketches drawn by Jin’er, and it took the Luo family’s jewelry maker nearly a month to complete them, bit by bit.

It’s undeniable that the Luo family’s foundation is indeed deep; having artisans capable of creating jewelry, especially live-in ones, explain why their business reached the provincial city and adjacent states. If not for a disaster, their business might already have spanned the nation.

Below the jewelry, covered with a red cloth, was dowry silver, only the corner of which was visible, leaving onlookers gasping.

It wasn’t just the jewelry; the abundant silver attested to the affection the village chief’s family had for their granddaughter. It’s likely that the proceeds from selling grain were entirely stored in Jin’er’s dowry box, forming a thick layer.

At this moment, the feeling of envy vanished, replaced by complete numbness.