Not long after, Li Taian left first.
The old lady and Ma Yulian were also generous for once, and each gave Lin Yixuan a piece of jewelry as a gift.
Li Yaonan stood aside as a wooden stake, and seeing Lin Yixuan's dark face, he could only laugh in his heart. The old lady and Ma Yulian were really interesting. The old lady gave him a jade bracelet, which was said to be passed down by Madam Li, and now she passed it on to her granddaughter-in-law to show her love. Ma Yulian gave him a hairpin, which weighed at least three taels of gold. It was obvious that a lot of money was spent. The only pity was that Lin Yixuan couldn't use any of it.
With the idea of not letting anything go to waste, Lin Yixuan looked down on the two things, but remembering Li Yaonan's instructions, he still put them away under the eager gazes of the two elders.
Ma Yulian wanted to talk to Lin Yixuan for a while, but seeing that he looked really bad, and thinking that they were newlyweds after all, there was still a long way to go, she told Li Yaonan, "Be good to your wife in the future. It's not easy for her to marry far away in Yangzhou. Don't pamper your pretty maids too much, or they will get ahead of you. If there's nothing else, take your wife with you. I won't keep you here since you're newlyweds."
These words sounded really nice, and every word was full of provocation. If they were really a newlywed couple, it would be strange if they didn't get upset when they mentioned a few beautiful maids for no reason. By then, as a new husband, Lin Yixuan would have no foundation in the Li Mansion, and he would probably have to ask Ma Yulian for help. That woman really never forgot to calculate at any time.
Li Yaonan looked serious, as if he suddenly remembered something, and said hurriedly: "Speaking of which, I do have something to ask Madam."
Ma Yulian's heart skipped a beat and the smile on her face froze. She wished she could take back her words. How could she have forgotten that ever since Li Yaonan changed, he never acted according to the rules.
"Madam is kind-hearted and loving to children. I knew she would agree." Li Yaonan spoke in a calm tone with a faint smile on his lips, without complimenting her first.
Ma Yulian curled the corners of her lips. She didn't say anything yet and looked at the old lady for help.
The old lady had a stern face and said unhappily, "What's your problem? Now that you're married, you should be more sensible and treat your wife well."
Li Yaonan was not angry either, with a smile on his face. "Old Madam, you have wronged your grandson. I have nothing but a few properties left by my mother. I plan to hand them over to my daughter-in-law to manage, but unfortunately there is no one to use. I have no choice but to ask Madam shamelessly. I think Wang Xiaohu's family is good, so I want to ask Madam for a body contract. First, they are the sons of the Li family, so I can use them with confidence. Second, with a body contract, I don't have to worry about them deceiving their superiors and subordinates, so as to avoid the same situation as the previous stewards. By the way, have those stewards been sent to the officials? If it's your opinion, Madam, you can't be soft-hearted. Don't be shy when you need your son's help."
Threat, this is definitely a threat. Ma Yulian was so angry that she was gasping for breath, but she had to keep those managers. After quickly calculating the pros and cons in her mind, Ma Yulian still smiled, but the smile did not reach her eyes: "Child, if you want the indenture, just ask, why are you so polite." She turned her head and looked at the maid beside her: "Bihe, go look in the box and bring the indenture of Wang Xiaohu's family to the second young master."
"Yes!" Bihe turned and went into the house after hearing that.
The old lady was unhappy. She had not had time to get angry when she returned the property to that boy before, but today he dared to push his luck even further. She scolded, "Look at your elder brother, he has already passed the imperial examination, but now you are not studying hard, but doing all kinds of messy things. How could the Li family have such an unfilial descendant like you?"
"The old lady's condition is serious. I am ashamed. If you want to punish me, I will have no complaints. I only blame myself for not being lucky enough to go to school. I am not as lucky as my elder brother and third brother to be accepted as disciples by a famous teacher. I feel ashamed of my ancestors and the old lady. I feel ashamed to face people, so I decided to go to the temple to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures for a year to pray for the old lady and the Li family." Li Yaonan's voice was neither salty nor bland, and he spoke as if it were the truth.
How could the old lady and Ma Yulian let him go to the temple? Not to mention that Li Yaonan was a newlywed and the legitimate son of the original wife. If he went to the temple for such a reason, would the Li family's reputation be ruined.
"You, you, you unfilial thing." The old lady was so angry that she stroked her chest and yelled, hating how the Li family could have produced such an ungrateful person.
Li Yaonan was extremely respectful: "My grandson would not dare to do that. Please calm down, old lady."
The old lady was so angry that her eyes turned red as she glared at Li Yaonan. She didn't look at her grandson at all, but as if she was looking at an enemy.
"Mother! Nan'er didn't mean that. Don't be angry. The new bride is still watching. Don't scare him." Ma Yulian hurriedly advised. She was anxious. This was in front of the new husband. Why didn't the old lady care a little. Lin Yixuan had already married, so what if she waited a few more days? After returning home, she heard from her son that Lin Yixuan had completely severed ties with the Marquis' Mansion. At that time, she would be at her mercy.
Nothing can happen at this time. If the new husband becomes alert, the Lin family has not left yet. Even if it is just for face, if Lin Yixuan goes back to complain, the Lin family will have to stand up for him, which will only encourage the arrogance of this little beast.
The old lady reacted immediately and pointed her finger at Li Yaonan with an expression of disappointment. She looked at Lin Yixuan and said with a smile: "Look, he is such a good-for-nothing. I'm sorry for you. If Nan'er does something wrong in the future, don't pay attention to him. Tell me and I'll vent your anger for you." In just one sentence, she turned black into white and called a horse a zebra. It turned out that none of the women in the mansion were easy to deal with.
Lin Yixuan remained calm and did not respond. After all, he and Li Yaonan were on the same boat.
Not long after, Bihe came with the indenture.
Li Yaonan was very satisfied. He had been thinking about this for the past few days. With the help of Lin Yixuan, he finally achieved his goal today. Otherwise, if Ma Yulian didn't give it to him, he would have no choice. Fortunately, Ma Yulian still cared about the Lin family. At least he could have three days of relaxation. After the Lin brothers left, he might have to cheer up again. Li Yaonan thought to himself, maybe, with Brother Xin, he could go there as soon as possible, without having to wait until he returned home.
Ma Yulian was depressed and her face was not very good. She forced a smile at Lin Yixuan and did not stay for long. She just left the space for the young couple and was very generous to him that he did not need to set any rules. Then she sent them away.
Ma Yulian felt that she was a really good mother-in-law, and Lin Yixuan would definitely be grateful. In today's wealthy families, which mother-in-law would not think carefully about setting rules for her daughter-in-law? Only she would be so generous and kind.
At the same time, the news of Li Yaonan going to the temple disappeared without a trace, as if he had never mentioned it, and no one mentioned it again.
Lin Yixuan had a blank expression on his face, as cold as ice as usual, but he was very curious in his heart. Today, he finally witnessed the open and secret struggles in the private houses. In the past, whether it was in the Marquis' Mansion or the Prince's Mansion, those places had strict rules, and they had to speak in circles before saying anything. When they wanted to be nice, they would only say nice things, and they would always beat around the bush when asking for things. Who dared to be so blatant and put the struggle on the table? The Li family was really... ...
Lin Yixuan thought for a long time and could only describe it as vulgar. No wonder Li Yaonan had developed such a rogue character. He suddenly felt that it was actually understandable.
Given the environment in the Li family, if Li Yaonan wasn't strong enough, he would probably be eaten until not even a bone was left.
Sure enough, no matter where you are, fighting is always inevitable.
After returning to Jinglan Courtyard, neither of them mentioned what happened last night, as if they had forgotten about it at the same time.
Li Yaonan was very generous. He turned around and threw a few deeds to Lin Yixuan and said, "I'll leave it to you to take care of it from now on."
Lin Yixuan was stunned. He thought Li Yaonan was just talking, but he didn't expect that he would really give it to him. After thinking about it for a while, he didn't refuse pretentiously. He knew that this was just a test. Since Li Yaonan thought highly of him, there was no harm in him taking on this matter.
Li Yaonan was very satisfied with Lin Yixuan's ability to understand the current situation. He could see that Lin Yixuan was a sensible man. Although he had a fierce personality, how could he compete with Ma Yulian and the old lady if he didn't? As a partner, he thought he could give it a try. The reason why he handed over the business to Lin Yixuan was, firstly, because he had spoken in advance and had already made the announcement in the main courtyard, and it was impossible for him to go back on his word; secondly, Lin Yixuan's dowry was generous, so he would not be greedy for even a little bit of it.
What's more, those properties were really just properties. There was nothing else except the land deeds. How could Ma Yulian leave him any valuables? Everything had to be rearranged, whether it was a shop or a farm. Taking over would be a hassle. He was very busy now. He had to study hard to pass the imperial examinations next year, and he also had to make plans for adoption. He really had no energy to take care of these trivial matters. He handed them over to Lin Yixuan in order to see his ability and the possibility of their future cooperation.
Knowing the laws of Dajin, Li Yaonan knew very well that before the divorce, he and Lin Yixuan were the closest people. The servant might still betray him, but given Lin Yixuan's current situation, they could only stick together. As the saying goes, husband and wife are one, and if he is in trouble, Lin Yixuan will not have an easy time either.
Therefore, Li Yaonan felt that it was actually quite good to have a helper around. Of course, he was not stupid enough to confess his true feelings to Lin Yixuan as soon as she married him. He always had to wait and see before making any decisions. He felt that according to Lin Yixuan's personality, she would definitely not let him down.
Li Yaonan said a few words and went to the study, planning to study hard today and go see Brother Youxin tomorrow, so as to avoid talking about academic matters and being embarrassed if he knew nothing about anything.
It seems that he needs to absorb the original owner's knowledge as soon as possible. The imperial examination next year is imminent, and he does not intend to give up this opportunity, otherwise he will have to wait for another three years. A lot can happen in three years. He does not like the insecure life like now.
The imperial examination is imperative!
And he had to invite a teacher back as soon as possible. Although the original owner had a solid foundation in knowledge, he was distorted by the old scholar. He was not arrogant enough to think that he was gifted and could teach himself without a teacher.