The family had a rare reunion dinner in the evening. After the meal, it was already late, so Jiang Yanyi and his sister stayed at the Chu family.
The next day, Jiang Yanyi remembered to pay his respects to Old Madam Chu, so he got up half an hour earlier, tidied himself up, and went there. The three sisters of the Chu family had not arrived yet, but Liu's daughter-in-law Xue was already in the old lady's room with her child.
Xue's appearance was not outstanding, but she had a good temperament and cultivation. She was originally the concubine's daughter of the former Jingzhao Yin. She was able to marry into the Chu family thanks to the fact that Chu Changping was the general of Yunzhou at that time.
Old Madam Chu was very satisfied with her eldest grandson's wife, who knew the importance of everything and had a way of disciplining servants.
"Look, Nian'an is smiling at grandma." Old Madam Chu hugged her great-grandson and smiled so much that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were stretched out. She was wearing a satin jacket with floral patterns of fortune, wealth, longevity and happiness, and a headband inlaid with emeralds on her forehead. Her face looked kind.
The great-grandson's generation happened to be of the "Nian" generation, so Old Grandpa Chu named him "Nian'an" in the hope that the Great Xuan Dynasty would be stable and peaceful as soon as possible.
Mrs. Xue was wearing a Ruan Luo shirt in the color of Qiuxiang. This dress, which was neither too bright nor too plain, suited her better. She smiled and said, "Nian'an always cried when she was with me, but she stopped crying when she came to you, Grandmother. I guess she was looking forward to being held by you."
This made Old Madam Chu happy, "Your mouth is like covered with honey."
Old Madam Chu was old, and her hands were sore from holding the child for so long, so Jiang Yanyi took the child and helped hold him for a while.
The children of the Chu family all look good. Even Chu Chengbai, who usually looks cowardly, has a very handsome face, otherwise Xue would not have married him.
Although the child is only a little over a month old, he looks very cute.
Mrs. Xue seemed to want to get closer to Jiang Yanyi, and said with a smile: "I heard that the second sister took over the teahouse business. She is really a hero among the women."
Jiang Yanyi said: "It's just a minor fight, not worthy of being on the stage."
This is naturally a self-deprecating statement.
The old lady asked Chu Chengbai: "I heard that Brother Bai drank too much yesterday. Did he get up this morning?"
Xue said, "He drank a bowl of hangover soup, and now he's still complaining of a headache. He hasn't gotten up yet."
Madam Chu held Xue's hand and sighed, "My dear child, you have suffered so much. Yue Niang was a maid who had been with Bo Ge'er since she was a child. He had a deep affection for her. Yue Niang died to give birth to Nian'an for him. I'm afraid he must be feeling bad these days..."
Xue smiled generously: "Grandmother, what are you talking about? There is no such thing as suffering or not. It is good that my husband values friendship."
She said this without any jealousy in her heart. Jiang Yanyi looked at Xue in surprise.
Xue found that Jiang Yanyi was looking at her, and she smiled back at him gently, which made Jiang Yanyi feel a little embarrassed.
Only when Chu Shubao and her two sisters came over did the old lady's yard become completely lively. Chu Shubao was very good at coaxing children. She used a rattle to make the baby grin.
Seeing this, Chu Huibao also wanted to use the rattle to tease the baby. The wet nurse and the nanny were watching over her, fearing that something might happen.
Xue said, "Sisters, please help look after Nian'an. I'm cooking some soup for grandma. Go over and check on the heat."
"Sister-in-law, you go ahead. We're here." Chu Shubao agreed readily.
Xue then left the yard with her personal maid.
She filled a bowl of soup and asked the maid to take it to Chu Chengbai. The maid couldn't help but feel sorry for her: "When Aunt Yue left, the eldest young master's soul was also lost. You had to take care of the young master Nian'an at night, get up before dawn to make soup, feed the eldest young master sobering soup and endure his drunkenness. Even in this situation, you still remembered to bring him soup..."
Xue used a spoon to stir the codonopsis chicken soup in the casserole, with a cold smile on her face: "I'm not doing this to please him."
The maid looked puzzled, but Xue did not elaborate and just asked her to take the soup to Chu Chengbai.
The maid thought that Xue was just being stubborn and refused to admit it, so she said with red eyes: "That vixen Aunt Yue, no matter how favored she was, she is still dead now! The young master will forget about her one day!"
Xue glanced at the maid and asked, "Why are you mentioning her?"
The maid slapped herself on the lips and said, "This servant deserves death."
Xue glanced out the door, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she said, "Okay, to be honest, I have to thank her."
She poured the remaining soup into another soup bowl, her movements neither hurried nor slow: "She risked her life to give birth to a son for me. After going through this hell of childbirth, I won't have to go through this again in this life."
The maid was so shocked that she couldn't speak: "You... don't plan to have a child of your own?"
Xue said: "Nian'an is my son."
At this time, Madam Yang, who was beside Old Madam Chu, came in from outside the kitchen. She came late and only heard the last two sentences of what the Xue family said. She said with emotion: "Young Madam, your love for the young master is known to everyone in the Chu family. I just saw the attendant beside the eldest young master standing at the door. If the eldest young master knew that you cared for Young Master Nian'an so much, he would also think well of you."
Mrs. Xue pretended to be surprised: "My husband's attendant is here? I guess my husband is hungry. Shiya, quickly bring the soup to my husband."
Her maid obviously didn't understand what was going on, and she just went out with the soup bowl in confusion.
Mother Yang would come to the kitchen at this time every day to check on the medicine being boiled for Old Madam Chu. The medicine on the stove would still need to be boiled for a while, so Mother Yang was waiting in the kitchen. After Xue put the chicken soup into the food box, she returned to Old Madam Chu's yard early.
**
Mrs. Xue brought over the freshly cooked soup, and the girls from the Chu family took the opportunity to have a small bowl of it, treating it as breakfast.
When Madam Yang, who was beside Old Madam Chu, came in from outside, she glanced at Xue and whispered something to Old Madam Chu. Jiang Yanyi was sitting close and heard the words "eldest young master", "broken", and "divorce".
Madam Chu's originally kind face was instantly filled with anger, "He is becoming more and more unruly! What kind of fuss is he going to make just for a concubine? He should be content to marry a wife like Awen!"
Old Madam Chu's voice was a little loud, causing Chu Shubao and her sisters, who were still teasing Chu Nian'an, to look over.
Old Madam Chu asked them to leave and only left Xue in the room to talk. Soon, Xue's crying and Old Madam Chu's scolding of Chu Chengbai were heard from the room.
The servants also reported what happened in Chu Chengbai's yard, saying that Xue had stewed chicken soup and asked the maid to bring it to Chu Chengbai. Unexpectedly, Chu Chengbai suddenly went crazy and smashed the soup bowl, and cursed and wanted to divorce Xue.
As Chu Chengbai's biological sister, Chu Shubao naturally knew what kind of person her brother was. Yue Niang was charming and had always been liked by Chu Chengbai. On the other hand, Xue was plain-looking and Chu Chengbai had almost no feelings for her. But the sister-in-law was extremely kind to Chu Chengbai and the whole family.
Chu Shubao said angrily: "Brother, have you been blinded by greed? I must scold him!"
She turned around like a bucket and ran towards Chu Chengbai's yard.
Chu Huibao looked at Jiang Yanyi and Chu Jiabao, then at Chu Shubao, not knowing which one to follow.
Jiang Yanyi said: "Huibao, go find your mother."
As for the affairs of the first wife, it is better for Liu, as the mother, to take care of them herself.
Chu Huibao nodded and ran towards Liu's yard.
Chu Jiabao glanced at Jiang Yanyi and said, "Our eldest sister-in-law is very smart."
Jiang Yanyi had some doubts before because of Xue's attitude. Now that Chu Jiabao said this, she knew that her guess was probably correct.
Xue was not as affectionate towards Chu Chengbai as she appeared to be, and it was even possible that she had no feelings at all.
Chu Jiabao and Xue are of the same type. She knows Xue's situation, so she understands her motives for doing all this.
After a while, Chu Chengbai was brought to the old lady's yard. Except for the second master Chu who was still drunk last night, the first master Chu and the third master Chu were also there.
Chu Chengbai pointed at Xue and cursed, "You vicious woman, I'm going to divorce you!"
Madam Chu was so angry that she threw the pillow at Chu Chengbai: "You ungrateful person, what are you crazy about today?"
Chu Chengbai knelt in front of Old Madam Chu and said, "Grandma, this vicious woman is two-faced and has a heart of a snake and scorpion!"
Xue burst into tears and said, "Tell me, what is so vicious about me?"
Chu Chengbai was so angry that he was shaking all over: "Si'er heard everything you said to your maid in the kitchen! Do you still want to quibble?"
Si'er is the boy who always follows him around.
Xue said, "What did I say? Tell him to come over and confront me!"
Chu Chengbai said angrily: "You said that it was thanks to Yue Niang that she risked her life to give you a son, so you don't have to go through this hell again!"
Xue suddenly burst into tears, pulling Madam Chu's sleeve and crying, "Grandma, I am wronged. What I said was that Yue Niang had a miserable life and died after giving birth to a child. You gave Nian An to me to take care of. My husband has always been worried about me and was afraid that I would mistreat Nian An. I told the maid that I would rather not give birth to a child in this life and just take good care of Nian An."
Mother Yang was the person that Old Madam Chu trusted the most. When Mother Yang entered the kitchen, she did hear the last two sentences, so Old Madam Chu did not think that what Mrs. Xue said was false.
When interrogating Xue's maid Shi Ya alone, Shi Ya's mind was not quick, but Xue did tell her that she did not want to have another child.
For a time, everyone in the Chu family thought that Chu Chengbai was ungrateful. His wife was willing to raise the concubine's son, and was afraid that her husband would think she was treating the child badly, so she didn't plan to have another child. Yet Chu Chengbai had the nerve to yell that he wanted a divorce.
Madam Chu was about to hit Chu Chengbai. Seeing her son's half-human appearance, Mrs. Liu pleaded for him.
Madam Chu pointed at her nose and scolded: "Look for yourself, what kind of person he is!"
Liu was scolded so badly that she couldn't even raise her face.
Madam Chu said to Chu Changping again, "Changping, give this bastard a few good beatings. You must have earned so much luck in your past lives to marry a wife like Awen!"
Xue covered her face and cried uncontrollably: "Grandmother, please ask him to divorce me. I just said that I treat Nian An as my own son, but people slandered me like this..."
Madam Chu shouted, "Give his attendant Si'er 20 strokes of the cane and drive him out of the house! These servants are becoming more and more outrageous."
Chu Chengbai gnashed his teeth and said, "Xue Wen! You can hide for a while, but not forever! I will beat you to death when we get back to my room! Nian'an is the child of Yue Niang and me. I will never give the child to you to raise even if I find a concubine!"
Seeing that he was getting more and more outrageous, Chu Changping slapped him in the face: "There is no man in the Chu family who hits women. You are really capable!"
Chu Chengbai had stayed with him in Yongzhou for several years, and he treated Chu Chengbai as half a son.
Xue had always been dignified and well-behaved, but it was his concubine who was always making trouble. Chu Changping learned from Chu Chengmao that they were captured by the imperial army because of his concubine. Chu Changping had never had a good face for his concubine, but since she was dead, he didn't want to pursue the matter.
Chu Chengbai was a complete jerk today, so he had to teach him a lesson.
Xue cried, "Grandma, please ask him to divorce me. He will beat me again when I return to my room..."
Madam Chu was so angry that she was shaking. "This rebellious son! Good boy, from now on you will take Nian'an to live with your grandmother, and don't go back to his yard. I want to see if he will beat me, an old lady, too!"
Xue burst into tears.
Jiang Yanyi was afraid that Madam Chu would get angry and something bad would happen to her, so he supported Madam Chu with one hand and patted her back with the other hand to help her calm down.
She never imagined that Chu Chengbai, who looked well-dressed and weak, was actually a domestic violence man. No wonder she always felt that Xue didn't seem to have any feelings for Chu Chengbai.
Even though things have developed to this point today, and there is indeed suspicion that Xue’s family deliberately designed it, it is also a fact that Chu Chengbai himself is a scum.
Chu Chengbai's attendant had been dragged away to be beaten with a stick, and Chu Chengbai was slapped by Chu Changping so hard that the corner of his mouth was bleeding. Liu felt sorry for her son and just as she called her mother and wanted to plead for her son, she heard Madam Chu say:
"Since you are all here today, I will make it clear that Awen is the eldest grandson's wife of my Chu family. From now on, Awen will be in charge of the household affairs of the mansion."
Liu's face turned pale and she bypassed her and let her granddaughter-in-law take charge of the household chores. The slap on her face must have hurt.
She had been making things difficult for her daughter-in-law because Xue had been married for many years but had no children, and her son did not like her. Now, her daughter-in-law had climbed directly over her head, and Liu still found it a little hard to accept.
But no matter what she thought, Madam Chu had already made the decision, and the other families had no objection, so the matter was settled.
**
After this incident, the person who was the saddest was Chu Shubao. She cried and apologized to Xue for the bad things her brother had done.
Xue said it was nothing, and several people went to Xue's residence to help pack up.
Chu Shubao was so sad that she ran out and cried loudly. Chu Huibao and Chu Jiabao went out to comfort her.
Jiang Yanyi glanced out the window, and Xue's lips condensed with self-mockery and asked: "Second sister, do you think I'm despicable?"
She knew that Mother Yang would go to the kitchen at that hour to check on the medicine being prepared for the old lady. When she left the old lady's yard, she received news that the attendant beside Chu Chengbai was going to the kitchen. She deliberately rushed there before that and said those words to anger Chu Chengbai, but when Mother Yang arrived, she said that Nian An was her son.
Jiang Yanyi said: "It's not the sister-in-law's fault that she met the wrong person."
Xue curled her lips and said, "Thank you."
She is a smart person, and she sees the current situation of the Chu family more clearly than anyone else.
The reason why she tried so hard to please the old lady instead of Mrs. Liu was because she knew that Mrs. Chu was the one with the most say in the family, while Mrs. Liu and Mr. Chu were nothing.
In addition, you must establish good relations with the people in the third room.
She didn't care who Chu Chengbai, that loser, liked, missed, or lost his soul for. The only use of him was probably to leave a child. Someone had already risked his life to give birth to a son for her. Now she just needed to raise the child well so that she would have someone to rely on in the future.
Xue had just arrived in Xizhou, and there weren't many things in the room, so the servants moved everything in just a few cages.
Jiang Yanyi and Chu Shubao had just accompanied Xue to the old lady's courtyard when a servant suddenly ran in in panic: "Old lady! Old lady!"
Madam Chu was so angry at Chu Chengbai that her heart ached. She was lying on the bed. When someone else started to make such a fuss, Madam Yang said angrily, "Why are you panicking? Is the sky going to fall?"
The servant was reprimanded and breathed a sigh of relief, but because he was too shocked, he still stumbled when he spoke: "Liao... The King of Liaonan came to the mansion to propose marriage!"
Jiang Yanyi was playing with a rattle to tease little Nian'an. When he heard this, his hand shook and the rattle fell to the ground.
There were so many shocks that day that Madam Chu suspected that she had heard it wrongly. She asked, "Tell me again, who is proposing marriage?"
"Liao... King of Liaonan!"
This title was so terrifying that the servant almost bit his tongue.
Several young girls looked at each other, and except for Jiang Yanyi, everyone else looked as if they had seen a ghost.
Madam Chu had experienced many ups and downs after all. She paused for a moment and asked, "Which girl are you proposing to?"
"Second girl."
In an instant, everyone's eyes in the room fell on Jiang Yanyi.
***
At this time, the four members of the Chu family, father and son, who were sitting in the front hall of the Chu family to receive the matchmaker, also looked confused.
The gifts for the marriage proposal were very rich, including a live sheep tied with red silk, a white deer, a pair of mandarin ducks, two fish, two wild geese, as well as ten jars of wine and ten dou of rice.
The matchmaker was the old lady of the Han family. Han Tuo was a powerful general under Feng Shuo and was highly valued. The Han family was also a well-known family in Xizhou. The higher the status of the matchmaker, the more they valued the woman. It goes without saying that the old lady Han was sincere in her matchmaking.
Madam Han's face was filled with laughter. She said, "General Chu, the prince intends to marry your daughter. At this juncture, the prince has specifically instructed me to follow the three matchmakers and six betrothals, and not to let Miss Chu down. Look, the animals and poultry for the betrothal were all caught by the prince himself. It's not easy to catch a white deer in the ice and snow."
Normally, a pair of live geese would be enough for a marriage proposal, but Feng Shuo simply captured all the animals that had been used in previous dynasties’ etiquette and laws to propose marriage.
Chu Changping had just heard Feng Shuo say "How can you start a family if you haven't accomplished your great cause" at the banquet yesterday. Today, the matchmaker came to his house. Even though he was mentally prepared, he still felt like he was dreaming.
He said: "This... is really too sudden."
Perhaps Feng Shuo had explained the situation of the Chu family before coming here, and Madam Han said, "General Chu, don't worry. This is the time to accept the marriage proposal. The prince means that we should settle the marriage first, and it won't be too late to get married next year."
The author has something to say: 1. Nacai: Nacai is the first step in the six rituals, which means that the man invites a matchmaker to the woman's house to propose marriage.
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