Chapter Four: Decorations

Bai Chun is seen wearing green clothes and talking to the Village Head in front of his home.

 "Well the house is done now so you can move in now. So the actual will be in a week I already talked to someone and they said that is a good auspicious day to marry. So start talking with the women of the village to help get ready for the wedding. Remember food, decorations, and drinks that's all important especially drinks or you will be embarrassed." The Village Head tells seriously. Bai Chun nods and smiles as he leaves to get his things from the muqin's room and move in. He didn't have a lot of things since he invested most of the money he earned into paying for school unlike the other boys who spent their money on trying to impress girls to catch a qizi. It took him only two hours to completely move out the only one sad about him leaving is the muqin all the other boys were just happy they could get more food to themselves until another kids join them.

 Village Head's Home

 Inside of Tao Chun's room there is Tao Chun and Tao Ming sitting on her bed. Tao Chun is seen wearing a light blue outfit that seems to flutter in the wind with the open window and her hair in a loose but neat braid that is decorated with flowers that is braided in. Tao Ming is wearing a light purple outfit that also flutters in the wind but her hair is placed up in a bun lightly decorated with some hair trinkets the Village Head got her whenever he comes from the city.

 "Ok your fuqin father told me that the date is set and it will be for in a week. So it's time to start our plan so for the next three days you will be visiting him on the basis of getting to know your soon to be brother in-law. During the time your there find a chance to show some leg or to cling to his arm to seduce him got it?" Tao Ming asks her after explaining to her how to seduce him. Tao Chun is blushing from how inappropriate it all is but still nods. Tao Ming smiles and leans in.

 "If you get the chance kiss him and tell me so when we get your fuqin to catch you it will be easier to kiss him again." Tao Ming says in a whisper. Tao Chun is blushing heavily and slightly covering her face as she nods again. Tao Ming smiles and glances at the door that is slightly open a flash of pink is seen that quickly disappears. 

 "Muqin I'm happy that your helping me but won't this ruin my reputation. Once it gets out?" Tao Chun says telling her what she's been thinking. Tao Ming pauses before looking her in the eye.

 "Which do you care for more reputation or being able to become the concubine of the man you love?" She asks. Tao Chun looks down looking stressed before murmuring.

 "I wish to become his concubine." She says softly. Tao Ming smile and gently pats her head.

 "Don't worry people will talk just make sure to rub it in their face that you are in the family they wish to join and they are not. Also these things I'm teaching you will also work after you join the family. Just make sure to send your muqin things once life starts to look better since as a concubine you won't be allowed to leave the home unless something important is happening to avoid being seen by other men." Tao Ming says. With that she gets up to leave.

 "Remember it starts tomorrow." She reminds then leaves a smile on her face.

Bai Chun

 Bai Chun is seen standing in front of three women as he smiles awkwardly. 

 "I would like some help preparing for my wedding since I don't have any family to help on my side. I will pay for everything I just need help setting it up." He asks. The women all smile as they look at him.

 "I don't mind helping I know you have no women in your family to help so I was just waiting for you to ask." The first lady on the right says. 

"I was waiting as well especially since it's the Tao Fang's wedding I would be honored to help." The second lady says. 

"Please you just want to brag that you helped decorate her wedding to welcome her into his family." The third says looking at the second lady annoyed.

 "Please don't accuse me." The second lady glares at her.

 "Please lady's we are talking to Bai Chun stop embarrassing yourselves." The first says looking displeased. 

"Now I will handle picking out what cloth looks good with what you two can cook the food." The first hands out tasks. The women nod then look at Bai Chun who is just quietly watching. 

"We will need the auspicious foods for the meal. So we need fish, a suckling pig, a chicken, and sweet lotus seeds." The third lady says. 

"What? Why are those auspicious?" Bai Chun asks confused but still planning to buy everything. 

"The fish is for abundance, the pig is for the brides purity, the chicken is for peace and unity, and the sweet lotus seeds are for fertility." The second lady explains patiently. Bai Chun nods suddenly remembering being taught that in school. The women then smile as they look at him. 

"Well let us aunties give you a bit of advice on how to deal with a young wife." They say 

"Since she is marrying at fourteen it's important to punish her when she gets too emotional or she will grow to be a terrible woman to have at home. A man needs a quiet qizi who never gets jealous and who focus's on raising her children and doing as her Zhangfu *husband* asks." They advice. 

"Right one of the best punishment I hear is to force her to kneel outside or in the house depending on the weather or what she did. Now if she's done something worse than that I hear that beating her will work well too." Another says. Bai Chun is listening to all this with a frown wondering if his soon to be qizi would do something so bad to make him want to beat her. 

"Another way to punish her is by starving her for two or three day's." The last lady says.

"Now we aren't telling you this to punish her for no reason only when she does wrong or disobeys you understood?" The first says looking at him sternly. Bai Chun nods while still thinking about the sweet girl he remembers since it's been a few years since he last saw her he wonders is she is still the same. 

"Now life won't be all that bad especially when you start bringing in concubines there will be a lot of fighting in the inner rooms of your home. Just make sure your Qizi knows that her job is to control the concubines without openly fighting." They say smiling. Bai Chun nods thinking deeply about concubines. He knows in the village men can't support a concubine without struggling but that rich merchants and nobles have many concubines and many children, it sounds interesting to him. 

They quickly end the conversation and Bai Chun turns to enter his new home. It's still empty since he hasn't placed an order for some furniture to be made. Bai Chun decided to wait until after the wedding to get what his qizi wants to decorate since that is her job as a qizi.

He enter his room and looks at a shelf full of scrolls that he's collected since he first started making money and grabs a newer scroll. He sits on the bed next to the window and starts to read it trying his best to understand it since there is only two months before the exam. He stays like that studying until the sun sets for the rest of the day.