Chapter 16

Three days later, it is the day when the bride returns home.

Early in the morning, Zhao, the head of the Luo family, began to prepare the banquet, fearing that Huo Jin, the wealthy son-in-law, would be dissatisfied with something. She was more concerned about it than Yin, the mother-in-law.

When Luo Chaoyan and his wife arrived home, they asked all kinds of questions to show their concern and care for each other.

After finally getting through the banquet, Huo Jin was dragged to the study by her uncle and her father to discuss something. Only then did Luo Chaoyan find the opportunity to have some private conversation with Yin.

"Mom, what's wrong with my aunt? She's so enthusiastic that I can't resist her." She still remembered that when their family just returned to Kyoto, although her aunt seemed to be okay on the surface, she was not very close to her.

Yin glared at her and said, "Don't make up what your elders said."

Luo Chaoyan stuck out her tongue and looked at Nanny Lu beside her.

Madam Lu smiled and said, "Madam has been receiving invitations from ladies from various mansions recently. I guess the eldest young master's marriage will soon be settled."

Luo Chaoyan suddenly realized that among their grandchildren, the two cousins ​​from their second uncle's family had been engaged long ago, but the eldest cousin had not yet been engaged. She thought that it was because her eldest aunt wanted to find a woman from a high-class family to marry into the family, so she did not arrange a marriage for the eldest cousin. But now, because of her, their family has married into the Huo family, and the eldest cousin's marriage is naturally more likely.

She asked curiously, "Do you know which family the aunt has chosen?"

Madam Lu shook her head. "I'm not sure yet, but the eldest lady is interested in the little granddaughter of Duke Liang."

Duke Liang’s Mansion? Luo Chaoyan couldn't help but smack her lips. Her aunt was really bold in her imagination. She remembered the gossip that Fengli had heard, saying that the Duke of Liang of the Duke of Liang's Mansion was a veteran of two dynasties and had made great military achievements. Although he had retired from the court for many years, his reputation remained. His Majesty would occasionally visit him.

Both legitimate sons held important positions in the court. The grandchildren are also talented. If she remembered correctly, the one who is still unmarried is Liang Qianyi, the legitimate daughter of the second branch of the Liang family. I heard that she was the only daughter in the Liang family for many years and her family loved her like a treasure. The Luo family is a small family, so it would be difficult for them to get close to the Liang family.

Yin tapped her forehead and asked, "What weird things are you trying to do?"

"How can that be possible!" Luo Chaoyan hugged her mother naively and said coquettishly, "Mom, I've missed you so much these days."

Yin rolled her eyes at her in reproach, "You are already an adult, yet you still like to act like a spoiled brat."

She asked with concern, "Are you used to living in the Huo Mansion? Have you had any trouble?"

"Mom, you've wronged me. I'm a very well-behaved person in the Huo Mansion, and everyone in the mansion praises me. If you don't believe me, ask Shu Lan!" Luo Chaoyan looked at Shu Lan, expecting her to "prove her innocence" for her.

Shu Lan found it somewhat funny. The girl's performance in the Huo Mansion was indeed much better than before. It was just that she went to pay her respects to the elders at a fixed time every day, quarreled with Young Master Rui every day, and acted pretentiously outside the courtyard, but returned to her original nature once she returned to her room.

"Madam, the young lady is indeed well-behaved and polite on weekdays."

Yin nodded and looked at Nanny Lu. Nanny Lu understood and knew that the lady had some private words to tell the young lady, so she took the maids and left the room.

Seeing that everyone had left, Yin said, "Ayan, the fire-avoiding map that mother gave you..."

Luo Chaoyan's face flushed when she heard this. It was not that she was shy, she was just embarrassed. Her menstruation had not yet ended, so naturally she could not consummate her marriage with Huo Jin.

"Mom... we don't have that yet..."

Yin was startled, then she thought of something and asked worriedly, "It is inconvenient for you to perform the Zhougong rites with him, so doesn't he live in the front yard?" No matter what the reason, it is a big taboo for a bride to have her husband sleep in the front yard on the wedding day, which directly affects her status in her husband's family.

Luo Chaoyan said awkwardly, "Mom, don't worry. Although we haven't consummated our marriage, we don't sleep in separate rooms." She paused and continued, "He knew it was inconvenient for me, so he offered to use the soft couch in the bedroom."

Yin felt relieved after hearing this and said with a smile, "No wonder your father was not happy about this marriage at first, but he relented after meeting him. Now it seems that Huo Jin is indeed a good person."

She looked at her daughter earnestly and said, "Ayan, your parents originally wanted you to marry into a family of equal status so that you could live a comfortable life. But now you have married into the Huo family by mistake. I hope you can try to get along well with Huo Jin. Even if you can't be inseparable, at least you can treat each other with respect. This way, your life in the Huo family won't be too difficult."

Luo Chaoyan said proudly, "Mom, don't worry, your daughter is so smart, so she can live a comfortable life anywhere."

As long as she keeps her original intention and doesn't try to murder her offspring or try to please Huo Jin, the beautiful girl on the mountain, her life will probably not be too bad. As for how to get along with Huo Jin, she still needs to think about it carefully.

Yin laughed angrily and tapped her nose, "You little devil!" Seeing that her daughter knew what was going on, she was completely relieved. Although her daughter had been a little naughty since she was a child, she still knew her limits.

After bidding farewell to her parents, Luo Chaoyan and Huo Jin left the Luo Mansion in a carriage.

In the carriage, Luo Chaoyan looked out the window at the peddlers coming and going on the street with boredom until she felt bored and then she lowered the curtains.

Huo Jin sat opposite her, holding a book in his hand. He sat in an elegant posture, and looked both refined and cool, worthy of being a person brought up in a large family. This focused expression, coupled with his handsome face like a sculpture, makes him look like a figure in a painting no matter how you look at him. How can she play the role of a wife to such a person?

In a few days, her period would end, and she would have no way of avoiding the ritual between him and her. But she was not pretentious. As a married woman, she had to face it calmly. Besides, the man looked so disgusting that both humans and gods hated him. She was not wronged!

"What's wrong?" Huo Jin asked with a frown when he saw her staring at him.

Luo Chaoyan felt embarrassed for being caught staring at someone. She blinked and smiled frankly, "You are so handsome, sir."

Huo Jin was stunned. She had said more than once that he was good-looking. However, seeing that she was neither flattering nor blatantly clinging like other women, he was not disgusted. He said calmly, "It's just a shell. What matters is the heart."

Luo Chaoyan nodded, "Your Excellency is right."

She suddenly looked at him with bright eyes and asked curiously, "Sir, I heard that in addition to you and Mr. Su, the top scholar, there is also a pair of girls with both talent and beauty in Kyoto. Have you ever met Mr. Su? Are they really as beautiful as the rumors say?"

"Maybe! I never pay attention to these things." Although many people invited him to attend banquets in various mansions, he always declined on the grounds of official duties and seldom participated.

Seeing that she looked like she was regretful, he frowned and asked, "Do you want to meet her?"

Come on, this guy is just stupid! Luo Chaoyan replied somewhat embarrassedly: "I just returned to Kyoto not long ago, I'm just a little curious."

Huo Jin nodded, said no more, picked up the book in his hand and started reading again. The two of them continued the journey in silence.