"Sister has already taken care of it, don't worry," Li Xia's words confird Li Hui's suspicions.
"Next ti, tell ," With Li Hui in the Li family, he would risk his life to prevent his sister from being bullied.
After a busy and lively day, Li Xia woke up early and went to the Wild Goose Pavilion. Mrs. Lu was surprised to see Li Xia so early, "Have you had breakfast?"
"I ca to have it with you, mother," Li Xia helped Mrs. Lu sit down, and the kitchen sent up three portions of breakfast. Mrs. Lu and Li Xia waited for a while. Li Ming also ca over from the study. He had drunk too much yesterday out of happiness. Afraid of the sll bothering Mrs. Lu, he had spent the night in the front courtyard study.
"Father," Li Xia stood up to greet him.
Li Ming sat down and accepted the chopsticks Li Xia handed him to eat breakfast. Li Xia sat down to eat as well. After finishing breakfast, Ziyi ca in to report that Li Chou and his wife Zhang had arrived.
Mrs. Lu and Li Ming went to the front hall and sat down. Li Xia walked in and sat next to Li Guang.
Li Chou and Zhang paid their respects with tea according to custom. Mrs. Lu and Li Ming accepted and drank the tea, said a few words, and gave them welco gifts.
Besides the red envelope, Mrs. Lu gave Zhang a set of jewelry. Although she hadn't seen the dowry yesterday, she had heard it was thin. Today, the hairpin Zhang wore was still the gift Mrs. Lu had given during the engagent.
Li Ming gave a red envelope, which looked thin but probably contained banknotes inside. As the eldest brother, Li Hui had to give the couple welco gifts. Li Hui also gave red envelopes, which were most practical. Zhang presented her own needlework.
Starting from Li Guang, Li Chou and Zhang, as older brother and sister-in-law, had to give gifts to the younger siblings. Zhang gave Li Guang and Li Yao a set of scholar's four treasures, and gave Li Xia a hand-knitted cord.
After yesterday's events, Zhang had a good impression of Li Xia. Her smile towards Li Xia was a bit warr.
On the way back, Li Chou took Zhang to Auntie An's courtyard.
Hearing that Li Chou and Zhang had arrived, Auntie An sat up straight waiting for them to enter. When Li Chou and Zhang ca in, they saw two kneeling cushions in front of Auntie An.
Zhang didn't want to kneel to a concubine. But she couldn't show any dissatisfaction or displeasure.
Li Chou looked at the kneeling cushions, then at Auntie An's smug expression. He glanced at Zhang's submissive expression, deferring to him in everything. Li Chou reached out to take the tea from a maid's tray, "Auntie, I've brought my wife to see you," he said, bending to offer the tea to Auntie An.
Zhang also took a cup of tea and bent to offer it, "Auntie, please have so tea."
Seeing that neither Li Chou nor Zhang knelt to her, Auntie An was displeased. She wouldn't say anything to her own son, but she didn't like Zhang's behavior. She reached out to take the tea from Li Chou's hand, but had no intention of accepting the tea from Zhang.
Zhang maintained her posture of offering the tea. Seeing Auntie An not accepting it for a long ti, Li Chou said, "Auntie, please have so tea."
Seeing Li Chou's displeased expression, Auntie An beca angry and slapped the table, "You dare give attitude because of her. You're my own flesh and blood. It's all because of you!" She was about to swing her hand to hit Zhang.
Li Chou stepped forward and pulled Zhang behind him, causing the tea to spill on himself. Auntie An was frightened, but Li Chou ignored her and left, holding Zhang's hand.
Seeing Li Chou leave, Auntie An smashed another teacup, furious inside. Her son had just married and was already disregarding her. How would she discipline her daughter-in-law in the future?
Li Chou pulled Zhang along for quite a distance before stopping. He turned back to see Zhang following him, covered in sweat. "You..." he started to say, but then noticed he had gripped her wrist so tightly it had turned red.
Li Chou apologized to Zhang, "I'm sorry, I didn't an to." Zhang was surprised that Li Chou would apologize to her. In the Zhang family, no matter what happened, her father and brothers would never apologize to her or her mother.
"I'm fine, don't worry," Zhang's skin was extrely sensitive and would show marks even from light touches. The red marks looked scary but weren't actually serious.
Although Zhang said this, Li Chou still ordered soone to bring ointnt and applied it to her wrist himself. Seeing Li Chou taking such attentive care of her, Zhang felt sweet in her heart. She recalled that initially, she hadn't been impressed with Li Chou, but it was Madam Zhang who had strongly persuaded her to agree, saying Li Chou would be a good husband in the future. At the ti, she didn't believe it.
But now, seeing Li Chou carefully tending to her, and explaining in detail the situation in the Li family, telling her she didn't need to obey Auntie An in everything, Zhang believed Li Chou would be a good husband. He said he would study hard to pass the imperial examinations and beco an official like Li Ming, taking his wife and children to serve the people.
As the couple opened up to each other, their feelings grew sweeter. Li Chou devoted himself more diligently to his studies, just waiting for next year's imperial examinations.
After Li Chou's marriage, it was ti to arrange Li Guang's wedding. Originally, Li Guang's marriage was set for next spring. But the old lady of the Bao family caught a cold in early winter. The doctor said she might not make it through the year.
To avoid delaying her granddaughter's marriage, they decided to move up the wedding, which could also be considered a way to bring good fortune.
Madam Bao was a concubine's daughter whose birth mother had died early, and she had grown up under the care of the main wife. She was the only daughter of the Bao family and was much loved by everyone.
The reason the Bao family chose the Li family was because of their upright family values, and Mrs. Lu was a good mother-in-law who didn't have the habit of sending concubines or bedmaids to her sons' rooms.
After passing the military examinations, Li Guang decided not to continue studying. With Cao Fugui's recomndation, he entered the Imperial Guards. With his abilities, he quickly gained recognition and beca a squad leader. With his skills and the support of his father and brothers, his future looked promising.
Li Guang's betrothal gifts were as nurous as Li Chou's. The Bao family didn't keep any of it, putting it all into the dowry. Adding to what they had originally prepared, the 36 loads of dowry were packed full and displayed in the courtyard for everyone to see.
Auntie An looked on with satisfaction, feeling it brought face to the family, and had a very good impression of Madam Bao as a daughter-in-law. Then she thought of Zhang's dowry and rolled her eyes at Zhang, who was standing nearby looking at Madam Bao's dowry.
Zhang wasn't blind and naturally saw Auntie An's gesture. It was impossible to say she wasn't bothered, but her natal family had raised her after all. She couldn't stand by and watch her three brothers remain single for life because they couldn't afford proper betrothal gifts.
Thinking again of Li Chou's kindness towards her, she endured Auntie An's eye-rolling. Li Xia and Li Xin entered the courtyard and once again saw Auntie An rolling her eyes to the heavens.
"Auntie An, is sothing wrong with your eyes? Qiuling, go tell mother to call for a doctor," Li Xia's words made Auntie An hurriedly wave her hands in denial.
"I'm fine, really, no need to trouble yourself," she said as she turned to leave. If Mrs. Lu found out about this, she would surely be punished again. She now had two daughters-in-law, and couldn't afford to be punished. Otherwise, how could she face her daughters-in-law in the future, how could she continue to live in the Li Manor?
Watching Auntie An flee like that, Li Xin smiled wryly.
"Thank you, Second Sister," Zhang shi stepped forward to express her gratitude.
Li Xia maintained an expression as if she hadn't done anything special.
"Let's go inside and see the bride," Li Xin said as she walked towards the bride's room. Zhang shi, walking a step behind, instructed the maids and older won in the courtyard not to speak of what had just happened to anyone outside.
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