After that episode, which lead Madame Lu's her daughter being confined in her room until wedding day and her heated conversation with her husband. Despite that all, marriage preparation was going at full swing at the Lu residence. While madame Lu was in her chambers, she was tensed and was flipping account books and calculating on abacus yet nothing seemed to work. She clasped her head, as she could barely make ends meet. That's when Lu Wei arrives to Madame Lu's chamber.
Lu Wei : "Madame, you had called for me?"
Madame Lu : "Yes. Come in" (directing towards the seat next to hers.) And continues to speak with conviction. "For the wedding, I won't be able to spend a lot for your dowry. No matter how bitter you find my words but it is the truth, your not my own daughter. Therefore I do not need to send you lavishly." As Madame Lu, made efforts to explain her actions and to justify them; to the best of her abilities.
Madame Lu : "From the moment I had my little Mei, I have been saving everyday for her dowry. Your uncle things he makes loads of money but his lavish lifestyle depletes all of it. Giving those ministers parties and drinks to get in their good books, to boost his status. Barely keeps enough for daily spending. Therefore I... I will not give you an expensive dowry. How you live in your in-law's. I'll leave it to your wits." She explained all that in one breath. She made it sound like she was not liable at all for Wei's life. Wei was without her parents by the age of twelve, as close relatives, naturally care taking of the niece fell on their family shoulders. Yet, it did not make this household feel responsible.
It was also a fact that Lu Ke was lavish with his spending, so was their daughter Mei. He was a bootlicker. In order to gain other's favour he would gift them hold socialite events and pour expense wines. Yet what he got in return was a small favour. He could not become an administer or magistrate but a mere court historian. He did not pass the imperial examination despite several attempts, therefore this was his manner of achieve the unfathomable ambitions of his. The only reason Wei was in their household was to make him look good as a kind hearted person. A man despite whose sister ran away from home got herself pregnant and was abandoned by her husband, this brother was generous enough to take his sister back home. This was the lie he would spread. Despicable. As for Wei, no one saw her or knew much about her existence, she was the sickly child that could not leave her room.
Lu Wei did not bother at all with this house much. She held no regard for its members and stoped any care or emotion from spending on the lot of it. So like always she gave answer without retaliation, "I understand, I'll accept everything you give me Madame without remorse."
Madame Lu was stunned, she could not believe how she can still believe so unbothered and mighty. They did not treat her well, did not give her regard as niece. She will be married without a proper dowry. Does she not realise the blemish it carries?
"How can you...? why do you not hold any grudge against us. Your treatment in this house was not at par with my daughter. Then how are you not offended? said Madame Lu.
Lu Wei : "Madame, it is true, my life in the Lu residence was not lavish or mediocre. It was below a modest status. I lived in one of the servants quarters, with no allowance and no food being served to me from the main kitchen and no maid in waiting. Madame you neither cared when I was mistreated nor stopped them. It was your ignorance and indifference..." Silence fell, Madame Lu could not meet Lu Wei's eyes. Lu Wei continued to speak again. "But Madame, your indifference is what gave me freedom. When you saw that the servants were taking a toll on me by purposefully giving me rotten food. You ordered that I am not to be served food from then on. At first I felt heartbroken, but then I realised... My parents raised me to fend for myself I am capable of looking after myself with my own hands."
....
Silence filled the room for a brief moment. This silence was filled with mixed emotion remorse, sorrow, with the hint of anger and frustration but mostly... Guilt.
Lu Wei : "Madame you were aware, weren't you? You couldn't have missed it...
When I was able to have food without you providing meals, without supplies, without dry wood to keep warm, when I had clothing for the season. You knew."
Once again a deep silence filled the room. The atmosphere was heavy, before Madame Lu spoke.
Madame Lu : "Yes. I realised it later. When I ordered for not serving you food I was devasted, guilty. I had no intention of harming you. Out of that guilt I came by to your quarters with some food. I saw smoke coming out from your quarters, when I peeked from the window I saw you had a hearth and you were cooking for yourself. Child of mere twelve cooking."
Lu Wei : "I brought an earthen hearth to do the cooking. I did not know any better, I burned my hand. But I learned and got better over time... When did madame know about me earning?"
This household is what one would call an aristocrat. To them women working and earning was an horrendous idea. Although women of high society were expensive sponsors for monasteries and artists. But never worked themselves to earn. They managed their household. It is ironic that they think very little of working yet have several other women serving them. As for lower class, there was no division with regards to work, everyone from child to old; women and men both worked to keep their stomachs full, to have a shelter, some wood to keep warm. Not working was equality to dying.
Madame Lu : "When your uncle got one of your painting, from the servant who stole it from your quarters. He gave it to one of the low ranking ministers as gift. And it was that minister, who said it was an exquisite piece of art. Later Lord realised, it would have fetched him an sumptuous amount of coins. And that he should have either sold it or at least given it to a higher ranking official. He got mad for his misjudgment, and stormed in your quarters. Raged about how you withheld a precious piece of artwork without his knowledge, made him a fool. In that anger he kicked and stomped your painting stretcher and other things. As he said not to indulge in such a useless hobby and stormed out. That's when I saw, grass blades and pigments scattered in the floor. I realised that the art work belongs to you. It was not so difficult to understand. Your mother was excellent with embroidery, your father was fairly good with woodcraft, wouldn't the daughter also have an artistic talent?
A smile emerged on both their faces. "Yes, that day, I was startled. I thought I was caught and that he will confiscate my materials and forbid me." Said Lu Wei.
Madame Lu : "The evidence was in front of him yet he did not suspect."
An awkward laugh emerged followed by the silence yet again.
Madame Lu broke that silence by saying, "So... I will only prepare the necessities for your wedding. Your wedding attire, a ceramic tea set for the next day, tea serving and bridal sedan. For dowry...
"Madame I'll take care if it. You can rely on me for it." Interrupted Lu Wei.
Madame Lu : "Alright, you do that then. Just let me know how many boxes, accordingly I'll call for the porter."
Lu Wei: "Two boxes."
Madame Lu : "Just two?"
Lu Wei : "Yes. Two boxes, that will be enough for me."
Two boxes was very little for dowry, it will reflect bad on the reputation of any respectable family. Carrying only two boxes to the groom's house, will be embarrassing. But Madame Lu did not question it further, she just went on to speak about other matter.
Madame Lu : "Alright. Two boxes it is." as she writes down the requirement for, four porter for carrying the boxes during the wedding parade. "Also for your wedding jewellery, I do not have enough to spend but... Here take these if you want." She gets up to take a tray already set with some jewellery and placed it on the table right in front of Lu Wei. The tray consisted of, the jade bangle and hairpin Madame given Lu Wei on the day of the wedding imperial decree was announced. One gold necklace and two gold fengguan birds (phoenix) dangling hairpin. One hairpin with one bird, both of which were facing away from each other, as if rising. And its tail elongated and falling of, almost unto shoulders, made the piece look delicate and exquisitely beautiful. And a silk hand fan, a familiar handy work. Nostalgic.
Lu Wei : "Madame...this?" Lu Hua saw Wei gaze upon the hand fan and indicating a question.
"It was your mother's wedding gift to me." As Madame Lu reminisced the day of her wedding and spoke with such fond memories. "I had prepared another hand fan with my wedding attire, your mother's gift had just arrived on the day of the wedding. The maid only received it, and got her name, but your mother did not stay back to even say a word and just left. When I saw such exclusive work, I couldn't resist and left the one I had prepared, for your mother's gift. You can have it. It serves me no purpose." Despite what Madame Lu said, she had maintained it well. Its been years and yet it shined.
Lu Wei : "Thank you. And these Madame?" Pointing at the set of golden fengguan hairpins.
Madame Lu : "This set was my wedding hair ornament (emotionally). Rest are pieces that I am bored of using." It didn't even take a second for Madame to change her tone.
Lu Wei : "Madame shouldn't you give this piece to your daughter?"
Madame remenecised. Earlier that day, Madame had indeed gone to her daughter's chamber to show her own wedding jewellery. Mei was confined in her room and was actively giving instructions to servants enthusiastically, she meticulously looked at every piece that went as her dowry. Madame was excited to show her jewellery, she wanted her daughter to carry a piece with her and wear it, on her own wedding. But Mei didn't hold much value to this. She scoffed and said 'Mother why would I wear old and used jewellery? These are not even in trend, they are old-fashioned. I want new and never before seen jewellery. I should be the talk of the town. Mother please look into it seriously. I'm your only daughter how could you have the heart to give her used jewellery? Those words hurt Madame Lu and without saying a word left.
The change in Madame Lu's facial expression was enough to give Lu Wei, clue that things did not go well with her daughter, regarding this matter. But Lu Wei did not have the heart to reject Madame the second time.
Lu Wei : "Madame I will wear it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
Madame Lu : "Don't hold it against my daughter in the Xu residence."
"Your dowry is lesser then hers, (hurriedly) you should have been registered in your father's family registry not Lu family. Like a married daughter must register themselves with their husband's. Then this would have been their responsibility not your uncle's. (With panic and shiver in voice) Had my daughter been registered in my family registry then I would have been able to afford more silk caddies, more gold ornaments, more jade and Celadon ceramics. But this is all I could manage for her. She's my only daughter and from her share of wealth, I'm giving you this much."
Lu WeI : "Madame you do not need to justify your actions whether you hold a lavish wedding for me or not is, something I do not concern myself with. You are doing this, so that the Lu family's reputation does not taint. Madame you do not need to prepare my dowry, I'll look after it myself, you can make use of the fund set aside for me for your daughter." Lu Wei jots beads in the abacus in front of Madame. "This will get that gold coronet older sister Mei wanted and two silk caddies. I'll take only these." Lu Wei takes the two gold fengguan hairpins and her mother's gifted hand fan.
Madame Lu : "I WILL prepare your bridal attire and wedding sedan that's the least I can do."
There was clearly no need for it but Madame wanted to do it anyway. Lu Wei was aware that Madame felt guilty towards her. It was her way of remedying herself. Indeed, Madame felt heavy with remorse towards Lu Wei. Lu Hua and Lu Lian had become fond of each other, despite her husbands stance. Lu Lian, mother of Lu Wie gave her the most beautiful silk hand fan for the wedding and a set of silk baby attire for her new born, Mei. These two sister-in-law shared fond memories together. When Mei was four, Mei received set of wooden toys from Wei Xian. Her sister-in-law and brother-in-low, only showed love and yet she was incapable of looking after Lu Wei. She felt guilty.
Lu Wei : "Also here (hands over a tea box) these are chrysanthemum tea leaves it will soothe your headache and will help you rest."
The wedding preparation had taken a tool on Madame, this was a thoughtful gift. Madame received the tea box and Lu wei covered the tray of jewellery with a cloth before taking it back to her quarters. "Madame, I shall take my leave." Before leaving, "Also madame thank you for never informing uncle about my earnings or work." And Lu Wei left Madame's quarters.