novelraw Chapter 284 - 285: A Ton of Gold as a Dowry
Chapter 284 - 285: A Ton of Gold as a Dowry
Chapter 284: Chapter 285: A Ton of Gold as a Dowry
"Why are you just getting back now? Was there a traffic jam?" Adrian walked over, asking with a concerned expression.
"What’s going on here?"
"I’m here to propose."
Sienna pressed her forehead, looking at Adrian as if he were a major nuisance. "Adrian, I beg you, before you decide to do anything, can you please discuss it with me first?"
"Didn’t we already discuss this?"
"When?"
"Last time, when we discussed the betrothal gifts!"
Sienna was so annoyed she didn’t know what to say. Adrian looked at her disdainfully. "Did you roll around in the mud? You’re filthy."
"I’ll go take a shower and change."
Sienna also felt her current appearance was somewhat improper, so instead of going directly to the living room, she detoured to her bedroom to take a shower and change her clothes.
Opening the wardrobe, Sienna was startled by the array of colorful clothes inside. She thought she had entered the wrong room. Her clothes were usually mostly black and gray; so many vibrant colors couldn’t possibly be hers.
She backed out, saw her familiar bedroom, and realized it was indeed hers. "Kiki..."
Sienna called Kiki in and asked, "What is going on with the clothes in my wardrobe?"
"Oh, Sixth Master bought those for you."
"Why would he buy me clothes?"
"They’re part of the betrothal gifts."
Sienna was completely puzzled; she’d never heard of anyone giving clothes as a betrothal gift. After a moment, she asked, "Sixth Master’s betrothal gifts wouldn’t just be clothes, would they?" Are betrothal gifts in Abyanabad supposed to be clothes?
"No, he sent much more. Clothes, jewelry, and also a ton of gold. It was so shiny and beautiful."
"One ton of gold?"
Kiki’s eyes sparkled as she said excitedly, "Everyone was stunned by Sixth Master! So much gold, a whole glittering pile of it! Sixth Master is incredibly wealthy."
A ton is 2,000 catties, with each catty being 500 grams, so a ton equals 1,000,000 grams. The current selling price of one gram of gold was approximately 42.9 dollars. That meant one ton of gold was worth 42.9 million dollars.
Casually giving away a betrothal gift worth over forty million dollars... Sienna was curious to know just how rich Adrian really was.
"The gold isn’t fake, is it?"
Kiki’s smile stiffened, and she looked at Sienna, speechless. "How could it be fake? Sixth Master’s feelings for you are very, very genuine."
"Is Sixth Master really rich?"
"Yes, Sixth Master has a lot of money. Sienna, if you marry Sixth Master, you won’t have to struggle so much in the future."
At heart, Kiki was a traditional woman who believed that women should stay home to care for their husbands and raise children, while men should go out to earn a living and support the family.
"I’m also rich, and I still work just as hard." Having money has nothing to do with whether one has to struggle or not.
Since the Princess Consort was visiting, Sienna couldn’t dress too "humbly." So, she took out the white gown Noah had bought with her for her 22nd birthday. The gown was somewhat conservative in style and suitable for everyday wear. Around her neck, she wore the "Princess Tears" blue diamond necklace Noah had given her.
She applied a translucent makeup look. The clothes were exactly the same; the woman in the mirror seemed no different from her 22-year-old self, except for the added weariness in her gaze and the fatigue that the bloodshot eyes couldn’t conceal.
Kiki looked at Sienna, and it was as if she were seeing the 22-year-old Sienna again. She said with envy, "Sienna, you don’t seem to age at all. You still look the same as you did three years ago."
"Alas, my heart has aged."
「 」
When Sienna entered the reception room, her attention was immediately drawn to a beautiful woman. The woman was young, her smile captivating. With just one glance, Sienna knew she was a happy woman, cherished and well-protected by a man.
Pauline Briggs disliked Adrian, but she couldn’t bring herself to dislike his sister, Paige Desmond. Paige was elegant yet vivacious, and her conversation was so amusing it kept the family laughing.
"Sienna..." Adrian was the first to spot the carefully dressed woman. He rose and walked towards her. When he saw the diamond necklace around her neck, however, his gaze darkened.
"Come, let me introduce you to my sister."
Adrian led Sienna to his sister and introduced them, "Paige, this is Sienna. Sienna, this is Paige, my sister."
Paige also stood up and said with a smile, "Hello, Sister Sienna. I’m Paige Desmond, Adrian’s sister. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello, I’m Sienna Johnson."
Sienna extended her hand. Paige paused for a moment, then shook it lightly and smiled at her. They all sat down again.
Sienna sat beside the Old Madam, who said, "Adrian came to propose today. We’ve discussed several dates. See which one suits you."
Several auspicious dates were written on red paper. The earliest was in a week, and the latest, just a month away. Just how impatient is Adrian, to set the dates so close? Sienna wondered.
"Isn’t this too rushed?" Sienna said.
Adrian interjected, "My sister is only staying for a week, so I think next week would be best. She’s my only sister, and I hope she can attend my wedding."
"..."
"Paige, don’t you agree?"
Paige glanced sideways at her impatient brother and smiled, but she didn’t back him up.
"It’s too rushed. Besides, the Eastminster Pharmaceutical Factory is building a branch, and I’m afraid I won’t have time. Why don’t we schedule the engagement for the latter half of the year?"
The latter half of the year?
Adrian, of course, would not agree. He had intended to marry her when she was pregnant. It had already been delayed for so many years. The longer things dragged on, the more chances there were for complications.
Pauline Briggs took a sip of red tea, her red lips parting slightly, elegance flowing through her eyes and brows. "Sienna is still young. She’s only twenty-five, so there’s no need to rush into marriage. If Adrian truly loves our Sienna, then waiting a few more years shouldn’t be an issue."
It was rare for mother and daughter to be in agreement.
Paige Desmond smiled faintly. Seeing Pauline Briggs’s distant demeanor, she understood more of the Johnson family’s attitude. They look down on my brother.
"Twenty-two isn’t young, you know. I married at eighteen and had my son at twenty-one. Sister Sienna is already twenty-five. In a few more years, she’ll be thirty."
Paige Desmond turned directly to the Old Madam, who held the most sway in the Johnson family, and reasoned, "Grandma, my brother can be inconsiderate. The scene he caused at the engagement party damaged Sister Sienna’s reputation. We just want to find an auspicious date to settle the marriage and also to silence the gossip."
Pauline Briggs grew even angrier upon hearing this. Her beautiful eyes flashed. "If you truly cared about Sienna’s reputation, you would immediately hold a press conference or publish a statement to clarify the truth and clear her name!"