The Min and Cheng families had been discussing the marriage for a long time. Even though Min Jia was kept in seclusion in the boudoir, she had heard something about it.
It has been more than ten years since the Min family had a son who became a prime minister.
Some resources are easy to keep, but difficult to rebuild without them.
Therefore, the Min family has been acting in a hurry in recent years, and their behavior is inevitably impetuous.
The marriage between the Cheng and Min families was in the hope that the two families could help each other in the temple. However, the Min family was divided into two groups on the issue of the marriage between the Min family and the Cheng family. One group felt that the Cheng family was eyeing the position of the cabinet and might not be able to help the Min family. The other group felt that the eldest branch of the Cheng family was in a strong position and the two families might not be unable to make progress together.
Min Jia knew her responsibilities as a married woman, and she did not ask too much of Cheng Xu. As long as he could respect her and give her the dignity she deserved, that would be enough.
But what she didn't expect was that Cheng Xu was so impatient.
If he wanted to go further, he would not be able to do so without the support of his fourth uncle, who was now famous in the scholarly circles.
Hasn't he seen this clearly yet
The brothers all praised Cheng Xu for being so good. Was it that his brother's father was exaggerating? Or was it that Cheng Xu was too young and sometimes not tactful enough
She couldn't help biting her lip, until she followed Cheng Xu into the sedan chair and the sedan chair swayed towards Xinglin Hutong. Then she took a deep breath and decided to talk to her brother about this matter when she returned home in three days.
As her mind raced, she thought that Fang Xuan would marry her brother in March, and her expression softened.
She and Fang Xuan get along very well, and she feels very relieved to have such a sister-in-law in her family.
The sedan chair soon arrived at Xinglin Hutong, and Qiu personally helped her out of the sedan chair.
Min Jia was very happy that her in-laws valued her so much, and she quickly suppressed the unhappiness she had just felt at Chaoyang Gate.
The Cheng family doesn't have many relatives, but many old friends. Fortunately, she did her homework before getting married. She had offered tea to everyone and given them shoes and socks as gifts, so she basically had an impression of them.
Seeing Wu Baozhang was also there, Min Jia couldn't help but look at Wu Baozhang for a second time, and took the initiative to talk to her: "… Why didn't Aunt Wen come with you? Fourth uncle just got married, and second uncle only has uncle Rang, and I don't have a sister-in-law, so I can't find anyone to talk to. When are you going back to Jinling? If you have free time, come to my place more often, okay?"
Wu Baozhang looked at Min Jia's elegant and luxurious attire, thinking about the praise she had received from everyone just now, and couldn't help but sneer in his heart.
Even if you, the eldest daughter of the Min family, are held in the palm of your hand by your brother who is the top scholar in the Min family, so what? You just picked up something that Zhou Shaojin didn't want, so what's there to be proud of!
She was thinking over and over again, but she smiled brightly and said, "There are still some things to do at home, how can my mother-in-law leave? We came here when Uncle Chi got married. My father-in-law thought the capital was nice, so he opened a tea shop in Xizhimen. When we can go back depends on what my father-in-law plans to do. My sister-in-law is so kind, I will definitely come to see her often when I have free time."
The two of them chatted with each other, and by the time Wu Baozhang said goodbye, they were already as close as if they had met for old times.
Min Jia personally escorted her to the Chuihua Gate.
But as soon as Wu Baozhang got into the sedan chair, his face darkened.
She thought she would see Zhou Shaojin or Cheng Chi, but unexpectedly, Yuan used the excuse that Madam Guo needed someone to serve her and sent the two people to Madam Guo's side.
It’s really a bargain for Zhou Shaojin.
I just don't know what Cheng Xu looked like when he kowtowed to Zhou Shaojin and offered her tea and called her "Auntie"...
As she thought about it, she started laughing.
When Wu Baozhang's sedan chair left Xinglin Hutong, the smile on Min Jia's face faded.
She whispered to Su Yue, her personal maid who had served her since she was a child, "Have you seen my mother-in-law?"
Su Yue whispered, "Mrs. Yuan and Mrs. Fang are ready to leave. Madam is talking to them!"
There were more people from the Yuan and Fang families coming to this family reunion.
Min Jia nodded and walked towards the warm room where Madam Yuan was resting with a smile.
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Zhou Shaojin felt relieved after seeing Cheng Xu and Min Jia off.
Is this the end of the wedding
She probably won't have to socialize in Xinglin Hutong for a long time.
Zhou Shaojin went to Tingxiang Courtyard happily and said to Old Madam Guo, "Grandma said she wanted to come visit us tomorrow. She will be returning to Jinling Mansion soon."
Madam Guo nodded, feeling a little sad, and asked Zhenzhu to go to the storehouse to get a lot of nourishing herbs. She sighed and said to Zhou Shaojin, "I'm afraid it will be hard to see them in the future."
Both Mrs. Guan and Mrs. Guo are old. One will not leave the capital easily, and the other will not leave Jinling easily. After this separation, it will be difficult for them to meet again.
Zhou Shaojin was also a little sad, but he still comforted Madam Guo, "Grandpa's bones are still buried in Jinling. We will go back to pay homage every two or three years. How come we can't see them anymore? The key is that you have to take good care of yourself."
"That makes sense." Mrs. Guo knew that her daughter-in-law was trying to comfort her, so she didn't say anything more about it. Instead, she changed the subject and asked, "Is Silang going to take his leave tomorrow? How is he doing in the Censorate? Is there anything difficult for him?"
She reminded Zhou Shaojin how to care about Cheng Chi.
Zhou Shaojin thought that Cheng Chi still had the energy to torment her, her ears slightly reddened, and she said naively: "The Fourth Master only asked for four days off, and he will go to the government office tomorrow. As for how the Fourth Master is doing in the Censorate... I don't think you need to worry about the Fourth Master. With the Fourth Master's methods, if he wants to make friends with someone, that person will definitely become good friends with him."
Mrs. Guo laughed when she heard this.
Cheng Chi is really like this.
It seems that Zhou Shaojin is still very concerned about his son's affairs.
She nodded secretly.
Cheng Chi was finally at home today, but Zhou Shaojin didn't want to waste this good time, so he suggested, "Mom, let's go boating today? Invite the Fourth Master along, and we can also paint in the waterside pavilion... What a great weather today!"
When Mrs. Guo heard this, she also thought it was a good idea.
Zhou Shaojin called the maids to prepare the boat, and asked the kitchen to prepare some snacks that could be eaten on the boat, and had people clean up the waterside pavilion, put thick mattresses where needed, put pillows where needed, and pulled Cheng Chi up from the armchair in front of the desk, muttering, "It's such good weather, even if you want to read, you should go to the waterside pavilion by the lake. It's such a bummer to stay in the study!"
Cheng Chi had no choice but to abandon the book and go to Tingxiangyuan with Zhou Shaojin.
The maids and servants went to get thick mattresses, or went to the lake to hail boats, or carried incense burners, felt rugs, and four treasures of the study to the pavilion by the lake. The usually quiet Chaoyang Gate became as lively as if it were New Year's Day, and everyone was moving.
Mrs. Guo couldn't help but sigh with emotion when she saw this, and said to Aunt Lu, "I used to be afraid that Shaojin was too childish, but now it seems that this childishness has its advantages. Look how lively the house is now!"
Grandma Lu smiled and said, "It would be great if this room was more lively! Hanbi Mountain House was too quiet before."
Madam Guo was in a very good mood and joked with Madam Lu: "You think this is all my fault? I just wanted to have some fun, but how can I do it alone?"
Madam Lu tried to please Old Madam Guo by saying, "When the Fourth Madam gives you a big fat grandson, this family will be even more lively."
Mrs. Guo nodded continuously.
The next day, after hosting a banquet to entertain Madam Guan, Min Jia sent Madam Guan to leave Beijing. After returning to Chaoyang Gate, Min Jia sent a nanny to deliver some local rituals from Fujian. Madam Guo handed them all to Zhou Shaojin, asking him to deal with them as appropriate. Zhou Shaojin pushed them to Nanny Shang, asking her to do it. He still got up in the morning to send Cheng Chi away and then took a nap. In the afternoon, he went to Tingxiangyuan to practice calligraphy and painting.
When the warm wind blew on their faces, Cheng Ji came to say goodbye to them - she was going back to Luoyang.
Zhou Shaojin asked her to take a lot of things to Zhou Zhen, Li and Zhu Zhu in Baoding Prefecture.
On the day Cheng Ji left, Cheng Zheng, Cheng Xiao and Cheng Sheng all came to see her off.
Zhou Shaojin was in a bad mood.
Her little life is back.
No matter how Cheng Chi tried to coax her, she just couldn't be happy this time.
She began to take time to embroider the picture of Avalokitesvara with a pure bottle and willow branches that Cheng Chi had drawn for her.
This was what she was going to send to Mount Putuo to pray for a child for her and Cheng Chi.
Seeing her depressed look, Cheng Chi couldn't help but start to examine whether he had gone too far.
Although he was doing this for her own good, what was the point if it made her unhappy
Cheng Chi was wondering whether he should accompany Zhou Shaojin for a walk.
However, Mrs. Qiu came to invite Zhou Shaojin to her home, saying that Cheng Rang and the third daughter of the Xie family had been arranged to get married, and the engagement would be made on March 16th. She wanted to invite Zhou Shaojin and Quanfuren to go together and give the bride a hairpin.
Zhou Shaojin naturally agreed happily and took her to pay respects to Mrs. Guo and invited her to stay for lunch.
Mrs. Qiu did not bother to be polite with her and talked about the hairpin insertion: "I wanted to ask my eldest sister-in-law, but the sixth daughter of the Fang family is getting married and she wants to go over to help. I thought about it and asked you to go over. After all, you are my brother's aunt."
Zhou Shaojin nodded with a smile, thinking back to the time when he and Cheng Chi went to help Cheng Gao's family insert a hairpin for He Fengping, and asked hurriedly, "Who did you ask to be the matchmaker? Who is the lucky person? Who else is going?"
"I have asked the two colleagues of the Second Master to be matchmakers. The third grandmother of the Wu family is a blessed man. Ah Sheng is pregnant. I don't know if there are any taboos over there. I have asked you and the two sisters Ah Zheng and Ah Xiao to be matchmakers."
"When the time comes, I will dress up beautifully and not embarrass my brother!" Zhou Shaojin said with a smile.
Mrs. Guo and Mrs. Qiu both laughed.
Zhou Shaojin took Mrs. Guo aside and told her how to help the newlyweds put on their hairpins, what auspicious words they should say, and what taboos there are.
This is all about human nature.
Mrs. Guo taught seriously and Zhou Shaojin also studied seriously.
When that day came, Zhou Shaojin got up early, combed her hair into a bun, pinned a large kingfisher flower on her hair, put on a sky-blue jacket, and prepared to go out.
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to dress up beautifully?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "It's just talk - no matter how beautiful she is, she can't outshine the newcomer!"
But even so, I'm afraid the newcomer will still be outshined.
Cheng Chi felt that even if his wife gave birth to five sons and three daughters in the future, it would be difficult for her to be a happy person.
The couple went out together.
Cheng Chi went to the Censorate, and Zhou Shaojin went to Cheng Wei.
Unexpectedly, she saw Min Jia when she entered the door.
She also went to place a betrothal gift to the third young lady of the Xie family.
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Hey guys, today's update.
The typo has been corrected.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: Please give me pink votes...
※(To be continued)