After Zhou Qi was taken away by Mingyu, Mrs. Hu sat down and chatted for a few words to liven up the atmosphere, then she tactfully excused herself that she had something to do, leaving Mrs. Xu and Mrs. Zhou to talk. Mrs. Zhou smiled reservedly, and when she talked about her children, she talked a little more and her tone became much more friendly. She lamented that she had many children in her family, and she paid more attention to her son and the eldest daughter. She ignored her second daughter, who grew up with her grandmother in her second uncle's home, and felt quite guilty.
Mrs. Xu also understood the general situation. The Zhou family had been officials for generations. Although they were not a prominent family, they were well-off. Mrs. Zhou felt that her second daughter was too timid and cowardly. If she found a husband for her daughter from a wealthy family, she was afraid that she would be bullied. So she wanted to find a kind family to treat her daughter well.
However, Mrs. Zhou only talked about her own three children and did not say a word about her illegitimate children. Mrs. Xu had some ideas in her mind and thought that Mrs. Zhou was probably not a good person.
The two chatted for a while, and Mrs. Xu felt that she couldn't get much out of asking any more questions, so she called Lixiang over, gave her some instructions, and Lixiang left. Near noon, Mrs. Xu called Mingyu and Zhou Qi out of the room, and asked Zhou Qi a question with a smile. Zhou Qi was more shy and nervous in front of Mrs. Xu than when he was alone with Mingyu, rubbing his hands and speaking as softly as a mosquito.
At this moment, the door of the Xu family opened. Li Xiang entered the yard first and said to Mrs. Xu with a smile, "Madam, the young master is back."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhou immediately became nervous and looked towards the door without blinking. Zhou Qi's face was as red as if blood was about to drip out, his hands were shaking slightly, and he wished he could bury his head under the table.
Xu Mingye appeared in front of Mrs. Zhou's expectant eyes. He was originally wondering why his mother suddenly called him home, but when he entered the house, he was surprised to find that there was a female guest at home, and he was stunned for a moment.
Madam Xu quickly stood up and said with a smile, "Hey, why are you back? Come on, greet Madam Zhou and Miss Zhou!"
Didn't you ask me to come back? Xu Mingye was a little confused. Seeing Mrs. Xu's eager instructions, he still politely saluted Mrs. Zhou and Miss Zhou. "Hello, Mrs. Zhou, Miss Zhou." Xu Mingye said with a smile.
Mingyu was trying to hold back her laughter until her stomach hurt. According to the tradition of the Chu State, unmarried men and women were not allowed to meet before marriage, otherwise they would be suspected of having an affair. However, rules are dead, but people are alive. In order to reassure their children, many families would find ways to let the two meet, at least to let them recognize each other's faces.
Xu Mingye went home without knowing the situation and happened to run into Mrs. Zhou and Miss Zhou who were visiting the Xu family. This was not considered a violation of the rules. It was a violation of etiquette.
Miss Zhou raised her head and glanced at Xu Mingye. The young man was tall and slender, with handsome eyebrows and eyes, a gentle smile, and behaved in a generous manner. She only dared to take a look and quickly lowered her head, her heart pounding with nervousness. His voice is so nice! Miss Zhou thought, and her heart in her chest almost jumped out of her body.
Xu Mingye naturally didn't want to stay too long with an unfamiliar female guest at home. Before leaving, he looked at Mingyu with a questioning look. After Mingyu received her brother's gaze, she immediately pretended not to see it and looked up at the sky with a smile.
Since Xu Mingye came in, Mrs. Zhou's attitude has changed drastically. She was a little reserved and cold before, but now her smile reveals eagerness. She is very satisfied with Xu Mingye's appearance and keeps pulling Mrs. Xu to ask about Xu Mingye. Mrs. Xu is secretly proud and proud in her heart. After all, it is her son who is good and she likes him at first sight.
At noon, Madam Xu wanted to invite Madam Zhou and Zhou Qi to have dinner, but Madam Zhou declined politely. After seeing Madam Zhou off, Madam Xu was in a very good mood, and she even hummed a tune unconsciously while walking. Today was a good day, and everything she wanted would come true. Comparing the family backgrounds of the two families, the Zhou family had a rich family background, and they had a second uncle who was a high-ranking official. If Xu Mingye could marry into the Zhou family, it would still be too high for him.
"Mom, do you like Zhou Qi so much?" Mingyu asked, pulling Mrs. Xu aside. They had only met once, but she was so hastily chosen as Xu Mingye's wife
Madam Xu looked at Mingyu and asked with a smile, "Why, you don't like her?"
Mingyu curled her lips, a little hesitant, trying to figure out what to say, and smiled, "It's not that I don't like her, I just think she's too shy and timid to even speak."
Madam Xu sat on the chair, hugged Mingyu into her arms, stroked Mingyu's hair, and smiled meaningfully: "Mother likes a quiet and timid daughter-in-law!"
How could her silly daughter understand her good intentions? If the daughter-in-law she married was timid and well-behaved, she would be kind to her sister-in-law and would not bully her. Mingyu could also stay at home peacefully for two more years.
If Mingyu had a mean and harsh sister-in-law, her life would probably not be easy. Just for this reason, Mrs. Xu wanted to find a quiet and obedient daughter-in-law for Xu Mingye.
Seeing that Madam Xu was very satisfied with Zhou Qi, Mingyu didn't know what to say. Although she felt a little regretful, she had no right to interfere in Xu Mingye's marriage. She only hoped that Xu Mingye and Zhou Qi would be in harmony in the future and give her more nephews. If she didn't marry and set up her own family in the future, she could adopt one of them as her own son.
It was not until May 13 that Fu Lemei sent her maid Cui'er to the Xu family and told Mingyu that May 15 was the day when Fu Lemei's eldest sister-in-law's younger sister Yang Honglan was getting married, and her young lady wanted Mingyu to accompany her to see off the Yang family's daughter.
Mingyu knew Fu Lemei's thoughts about Xu Mingye. Because of Madam Xu's meeting with Zhou Qi, Mingyu felt very sorry for Fu Lemei, and felt guilty when she saw Cui'er. When writing Spring Festival couplets last time, Mingyu met Honglan, the younger sister of Fu Lemei's sister-in-law Yang. She was a little older than her and Fu Lemei, and she was sweet and well-behaved. She had a good impression of them, so they had met once.
Hearing that she was going to send Honglan off for marriage, Mingyu naturally agreed, but she had to ask Fu Lemei to talk to the Yang family first, and then she could go, and she could go after adding some dowry. Cui'er nodded with a smile and said that her daughter was busy accompanying the mistress to buy gifts for the Yang family recently, and had no time to come. She would come to pick up Miss Mingyu early in the morning on the 15th to go together.
Mingyu was really afraid that Fu Lemei would come. She didn't know how to tell Fu Lemei. When she heard that she would not come until the 15th, Mingyu secretly took a breath.
On the morning of the fifteenth day, as soon as the sun rose, Mingyu stood at the door of Xu's house early, bringing with her a red satin purse with a magpie on a branch embroidered by Liu's mother two years ago when her eyesight was better. It was an authentic Suzhou embroidery masterpiece, which was considered a make-up for Yang Honglan.
It was not until the sun had jumped over the treetops that Fu Lemei's carriage arrived at the Xu family's gate. She saw Mingyu waiting there from afar. Fu Lemei was surprised. After Mingyu got on the carriage, she asked, "Why did you come out so early?"
Mingyu laughed and said, "I'm just afraid that you'll have to wait too long!" In fact, she was afraid that Fu Lemei would come in to find her, and she would inevitably run into Madam Xu and talk. What if Madam Xu let it slip that today was Yang Honglan's wedding day? Fu Lemei would feel aggrieved. This girl was straightforward, and her thoughts were written on her face, and it would be a mess.
Fu Lemei didn't take Mingyu's strange reaction seriously, and excitedly told Mingyu about the rules of welcoming a bride in the capital. According to Fu Lemei, the man Yang Honglan was going to marry was named Zheng, and Fu Lemei called him Sixth Brother. Judging from the familiarity of her tone, it seemed that the two families were acquaintances who often visited each other. Fu Lemei rubbed her hands and said that she would get enough red envelopes from Zheng Xiaoliu in front of the bride's room before letting people in to pick up the bride.
When Mingyu arrived at the Yang family's house, there was already a long line of carriages in front of the Yang family's door, and guests who came to attend the wedding banquet and bring gifts were endless. The walls and doors of the courtyard were covered with bright red wedding characters. At first glance, the bright red wedding characters almost dazzled people's eyes.
The main gate was full of male guests who came to congratulate. Mingyu followed Fu Lemei into the Yang family through the side door, walked around two flower corridors, and went directly to Yang Honglan's yard. Fu Lemei was the only girl in the family. Yang was much older than her. After marrying into the Fu family, she treated her as her own sister and often took Fu Lemei back to her parents' home to play. Therefore, Fu Lemei was familiar with the Yang family. When the old woman guarding the side door saw that it was her, she immediately smiled flatteringly and let her and Mingyu in.
Fu Lemei led Mingyu all the way to Yang Honglan's courtyard. Standing at the door were Fu Lemei's sister-in-law Yang and several maids serving her.
When Yang saw Fu Lemei and Mingyu, she came out to greet them and said with a smile, "You are here."
Fu Lemei nodded, hugged Yang's arm, and said with a coquettish smile: "Mingyu and I came in from the side door!" Yang tapped Fu Lemei's forehead and scolded with a smile: "You naughty monkey! Look at Miss Xu, she has always been quiet and well-behaved. She plays with Miss Xu all day long, but she has never learned a thing from her!"
"Mingyu has her own merits, and I have my own merits!" Fu Lemei said with a cheeky smile, "Isn't that right, Mingyu?"
Mingyu smiled. Fu Lemei had been spoiled since she was a child, so it was natural for her to develop such a generous and lively personality. There was nothing wrong with that.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Mingyu handed the purse she brought to Yang and said with a smile, "This is for Honglan's makeup."
Fu Lemei wanted to take Mingyu to see the bride, but Mingyu smiled and waved her hand. She was a divorced woman, and in the eyes of ancient people, it must be taboo for her to appear here. If she met some superstitious families, they might not even let her in. Yang welcomed her, firstly because she was kind, and secondly because of her sister-in-law Fu Lemei's face, but Mingyu herself didn't want to be looked down upon by others, so she just gave the gift and showed her courtesy.
At this moment, a nanny suddenly shouted in the distance: "Grandma, the old lady from the Anxi Marquis's Mansion is here to add makeup to our second young lady!"
Standing behind Fu Lemei, Mingyu saw from afar that Miao, supported by Bixi, was walking slowly towards this side from the other end of the stone road.
Unable to explain why, Mingyu suddenly became nervous and subconsciously wanted to find a place to hide, not wanting Miao to see her.