Xu Shichu teased the drunk Luo Changqing for a long time. Seeing that he hadn't fallen asleep for a long time, he became impatient and pressed an acupoint on the back of his neck. He immediately fell into a coma.
Xu Shichu came out with satisfaction and said to Shuqi who was guarding outside: "The Prime Minister has fallen asleep. Ask the servants on night watch to pay attention to him, in case he vomits or wants to drink water and no one is around to serve him."
Shu Qi agreed.
The next morning, the newlyweds had to serve tea to their parents and elders, and Xu Shichu had to attend as a tool. She had wasted half the night at Luo Changqing's place and had to get up without getting enough sleep, so she didn't look very good when she arrived at the hall.
But there was one person whose face looked even worse than hers, and that was Luo Changqing, who had a hangover last night.
When Luo Changqing saw Xu Shichu coming, his face froze for a moment, his eyes became erratic, and his slightly pale face made him look a little fragile.
Xu Shichu glanced at him but didn't say anything.
"Last night... thank you for your hard work, madam..." Luo Changqing coughed lightly and said to Xu Shichu in an unnatural expression.
Xu Shichu looked at him and couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth. Thinking of how he had ruined his image after getting drunk last night, his unhappy mood of having to get up early suddenly disappeared and he became happy.
"How do you know I've worked hard? Do you remember what you did last night?" Xu Shichu asked him deliberately with a smile.
Luo Changqing's pale cheeks suddenly turned pink, he lowered his narrow eyes and whispered, "I don't remember, it was Shuqi who said you took care of me for a long time last night."
"Oh... So that's how it is..." Xu Shichu stretched out his voice, with a half-smile. He could tell at a glance that Luo Changqing remembered what he had done, but he didn't expect that Luo Changqing would dare to do it but not take responsibility for it, and use Shu Qi as an excuse.
Seeing Luo Changqing's somewhat embarrassed look, Xu Shichu suddenly became happier and deliberately stared at him intently, making him stiffen all over.
"Aunt?" Du Zhao, who was held by the maid, rubbed his eyes and stretched out his hands in a daze to ask Xu Shichu to hold him.
Xu Shichu then shifted her gaze to the little fat boy, so she didn't see the relieved look on Luo Changqing's face.
"Are you hungry?" Xu Shichu asked, touching his soft belly.
"I'm so hungry." Little Zhaozhao pouted, hugged Xu Shichu's hand with her chubby hands, and answered in a baby voice.
"Wait a little longer, we can have breakfast when the eldest young master and the eldest young mistress come." Xu Shichu said to him.
Luo Changqing placed a plate of snacks on his table in front of Xu Shichu and said, "Eat some snacks first to fill your stomach. Don't starve yourself."
"Thank you, uncle!" Little Zhaozhao became energetic immediately when she saw the food, and said to Luo Changqing with a sweet smile.
After the fat boy had eaten several snacks, the newlyweds finally arrived.
"My wife and I are late and have kept you waiting for a long time. I hope my father and stepmother will forgive us!" Luo Rui said embarrassedly when he saw that Luo Changqing and Xu Shichu had already taken their seats and looked like they had been waiting for a long time.
"It's okay, it's still early." How could Luo Changqing bear to blame his son and daughter-in-law, he immediately showed understanding.
The servants on the side finally had the chance to bring hot tea. Luo Rui and Qin Mei knelt on the futon, respectfully holding the tea and serving it to Luo Changqing and Xu Shichu.
As per custom, Xu Shichu gave the two people gifts and said a few words to encourage them to live a good life, thus completing this step.
"This is my nephew from my mother's family, Du Zhao. Zhao Zhao, say hello to your cousin's wife." Xu Shichu introduced Du Zhao to Qin Mei. Little Zhao Zhao looked at Qin Mei curiously with his big black eyes and said hello obediently, "Hello, cousin's wife."
"Hello, cousin Zhao." Qin Mei responded with a smile. She had already gotten to know the masters in the prime minister's mansion when she was at home. Naturally, she knew that Du Zhao was a distant relative adopted by the prime minister's stepmother. Since he was a foster relative, he naturally would not affect her future offspring. Therefore, when she saw Du Zhao at this moment, she could treat him calmly.
After greeting each other and getting to know each other, they were finally able to have breakfast. Xu Shichu had just sat down and washed her hands. She was about to pick up a towel to wipe them when suddenly a pair of hands reached out from the side and picked up the towel to wipe her hands.
When Xu Shichu saw that it was her new daughter-in-law Qin Mei, she quickly broke free from her hand and said, "Hurry up and sit down to eat. I don't need you to serve me."
Xu Shichu wasn't her real mother-in-law, so what kind of joke was it that she would be asked to serve her meals? Even if she was her real mother-in-law, Xu Shichu wouldn't have this habit!
So she refused without hesitation.
Qin Mei seemed a little at a loss, and looked at Luo Rui hesitantly, as if asking for his opinion.
Luo Rui glanced at his father, then at Xu Shichu who had even moved a little further away from Qin Mei, pursed his lips, and said, "Since the stepmother doesn't need you to serve her, then you can sit down and have dinner with us."
Although Qin Mei was very happy about what her husband said, she still pretended to refuse, "This... isn't good, right? It's against the rules."
"What's wrong with that? Rules are only rules when people are willing to use them. If I say you don't need to use them, then you don't need to use them. You should go back to your seat quickly." Xu Shichu said hurriedly.
"We don't care about such rules in our family, Qin, you don't have to do this." Luo Changqing also spoke.
Qin Mei then sat back next to Luo Rui.
For the first time ever, Xu Shichu felt particularly uncomfortable while having breakfast because a strange stepdaughter-in-law looked at her from time to time. Even though she pretended to be looking at her casually, Xu Shichu was a very perceptive person and naturally noticed her hidden gaze.
Although he didn't know why this stepdaughter-in-law cared about him so much, Xu Shichu thought that he would not have much interaction with her in the future, so he didn't care.
She would not be a wicked mother-in-law and ask Qin Mei to set the rules, so there would be no problems between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. She just hoped to keep out of the way of Qin Mei.
After breakfast, Xu Shichu couldn’t wait to take Xiao Zhaozhao away.
Qin Mei followed Luo Rui back to her own courtyard and whispered to Luo Rui with a sigh: "The stepmother is so beautiful. I have never seen a woman more beautiful than her..."
Luo Rui paused, and seeing her innocent look, he said, "Don't make irresponsible comments about the appearance of elders. Although my stepmother is not my biological mother, she is the one my father married to, and we should respect her. She is a quiet person and won't embarrass you. You don't need to pay too much attention to her."
Qin Mei felt wronged when she heard her husband's words that sounded like he was blaming her: "I, I was just sighing for a moment, and my husband said so much about me..."
"Okay, okay, the stepmother won't cause us any trouble, and you don't have to greet her on a regular basis. Just treat her as a relative you don't see often." Luo Rui hurriedly coaxed his wife.
"No need to pay respects? Is that possible? But, but she is my mother-in-law. If I don't pay respects to her, will she really not blame me?" Qin Mei asked in disbelief. She had never known a daughter-in-law who didn't have to pay respects to her mother-in-law.