Chapter 211 Comparing Goods Leads to Discarding

For the first time, Mrs. Qiao felt how stifled she was as the matriarch of the household.

The old man said, "You are the mistress of the household. You should go out to greet your daughter and son-in-law on their first visit."

She could only grit her teeth and condescend to wait at the gate early in the morning.

However, Madam Su waited with the Earl in the inner courtyard like a true mistress of the house.

Mrs. Qiao let out a long breath and walked inside with a relaxed expression.

The group went directly into the inner courtyard to the Shouyin Hall where Zhang Shi lived.

The Earl of Nanping, Yu Jingsheng, Su Chengniang, the old lady Zhang, and the couple from the fourth branch of the family were already waiting inside.

Yu Qingci and Lu Yunqi stood side by side. Servants had already laid out prayer mats in front of them, and the two knelt down and kowtowed.

"I've met my grandmother, father, and mother."

Madam Zhang, sitting upright in the middle, said, "Alright, all of you, get up."

The two then met the fourth master and Liu, who politely urged them to hurry up. Liu watched as the two praised the two children, saying they were a perfect match made in heaven.

With a shy smile, Yu Qingci blurted out, "Not at all, Auntie is joking."

Everyone: ...

Lu Yunqi calmly lowered his eyes, trying to suppress the smile on his lips.

"Quickly, get up."

Su Chengniang couldn't wait to step forward and help her daughter up, pulling her to her side and carefully examining her from head to toe.

Yu Jingsheng then invited Lu Yunqi to sit down and talk.

Yu Qingbai found a seat closest to Lu Yunqi and sat down, his eyes darting around his newly minted brother-in-law.

Looking at his distinguished son-in-law, Nan Yujing was very satisfied. He said earnestly:

“My dear son-in-law, when I married my daughter into your family, she suffered a lot of grievances and hardships. Now that you have returned, you must treat her well and not let her down. If you cannot do so, even if you are a general appointed by the imperial court, do not blame me for turning my back on you without mercy.”

Lu Yunqi quickly stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Father-in-law, rest assured, Qingci is my wife. I will be devoted to Qingci from now on and will never dare to betray her in the slightest."

Yu Jingsheng nodded in satisfaction, and Su Chengniang, who was standing to the side, also looked over with relief.

It seems this son-in-law is not bad so far; we'll see how he performs in the future.

Looking at Lu Yunqi, Madam Zhang felt a mix of emotions. How could such a promising grandson-in-law have ended up with that girl Qingci? If it weren't for that false news, the one who should be marrying this young general with such a bright future would be her most beloved granddaughter, Qingyan.

What a pity!

Madam Zhang sighed inwardly. It was no wonder she thought that way. She had inquired about the reputation of Qingyan's current fiancé in the capital. If Li Chen were to stand next to Lu Yunqi, she would have to admit that he was incomparable. Whether it was character, ability, or appearance, he was far inferior.

Fortunately, Li Chen's status is prestigious enough, and this is the only thing he can boast about.

It's true what they say, you have to compare prices before you can throw something away.

As Madam Zhang was secretly comparing things, Madam Qiao entered from outside. Upon seeing her, Madam Zhang immediately asked her:

"Where are Qingyan and Qingying? It's their first time visiting, so they should come and greet them to show their respect."

Madam Qiao explained with a smile, "Qingyan is currently in her room doing needlework for the concubine of Prince Cheng'an's mansion. This child is very meticulous about everything and will never delegate anything that she should do herself. Qingying and Qingning are keeping her company because they feel sorry for their sister, and they should be here soon."

Then he looked at Yu Qingci and said, "Qingci is such a convenient child. She didn't have to do so much needlework back then. The embroiderers in the mansion helped with the shoes and socks for the elders. She only needed to give a token amount."

Su Chengniang's face immediately darkened: "What do you mean by that? Are you saying my daughter slacked off on the needlework? How much time was there between you deciding that my daughter would be a substitute bride and the actual wedding? Even if my daughter worked day and night, she couldn't possibly finish all the needlework a new bride should do."

Yu Jingsheng also looked at Qiao Shi with displeasure.

Qiao said awkwardly, "I misspoke, sister, please don't be angry with me. Ever since Qingci came back, I've treated her like my own daughter. What I meant was that it's truly a joyous occasion that our son-in-law has survived such a calamity and returned safely. Our Qingci has finally made it through."

Alas! My poor daughter Qingyan, betrothed to my fiancé since childhood, was about to get married when this happened. My husband and the old lady testified that Qingyan was determined to keep her marriage vows and remain chaste for her fiancé. Unfortunately, the master of Taijue Temple said…

Yu Jingsheng interrupted impatiently, "Alright, let's not talk about such unlucky things on such a joyous day. There's no need to bring up the past. The most important thing is that Yunqi has returned safely. Now that he has been favored by the Emperor and promoted to the rank of Grand General, his future is limitless. We can rest assured that you two will live a happy and harmonious life together."

Lu Yunqi: "Yes, I will follow my father-in-law's words."

Qiao's face stiffened again after being humiliated, and Zhang gave the order:

"Go to the kitchen and check how the banquet preparations are going. There can't be any mistakes today."

Qiao agreed and walked outside. She had only taken a few steps when she heard the voices of servants outside: "Second Miss, Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss have arrived."

With a soft tinkling of jade pendants, several girls of varying ages entered.

The young woman at the head of the group was slender and wore a soft, pale yellow outer garment embroidered with ginkgo leaves. The fabric was so smooth and soft that it swayed gently with her movements. Her hair was adorned with jewels, and a red-gold hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers jingled melodiously with the slight sway of her head.

The young girl's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, her eyes seemed to hold brimming autumn water, her face was lightly powdered, and her lips were naturally red, just like a peach blossom in early spring, delicate and charming.

Upon closer inspection, Yu Qingci realized that the elegantly dressed young woman was none other than her second older sister, Yu Qingyan.

Besides her, following behind were Yu Qingying, Yu Qingning, and at the very back was Yu Lian, the eldest son's concubine's daughter who rarely appeared in public.

When Yu Qingci saw Yu Lian again, she was not greatly moved. Yu Lian was only ten years old this year and was dressed no better than the maids in the mansion. She was still timid and dared not raise her head in front of others.

Qiao was not an easy mistress to serve. In her previous life, Qiao only pushed Yu Lian, a concubine's daughter whom she looked down upon, to get together with Qiao Yuantao in order to make things difficult for Yu Qingci.

In this life, she has not yet been put to use, so she naturally lives a cautious and timid life in this mansion, always watching how others perceive her.

Today, Yu Qingci and Lu Yunqi are returning to their parents' home. One important part of the event is for Lu Yunqi to get to know his wife's family. As the eldest daughter of a concubine, Yu Lian is considered part of the main family of the Marquis's household, which is why she was able to come out and show her face along with her older sisters.

After Yu Qingyan entered, her eyes were fixed on Lu Yunqi, and the expressions on her face were so varied that it was impossible not to notice her.

Madam Qiao frowned and beckoned to her daughters, saying:

"Qingyan, why are you only arriving now? Your third sister and brother-in-law have been here for a while."

Qiao deliberately emphasized the word "brother-in-law," but unfortunately Yu Qingyan did not understand her mother's meaning. She stepped forward first and gave a junior's greeting to Zhang and the others, and was then pulled aside by Zhang who asked her all sorts of questions with concern.