Chapter 434 Banquet
This was the first time Lin Changning had ever seen Old Ma so reserved. He seemed rather timid and hesitant around Liu Shi, unable to utter a single word.
He couldn't help but find it a little funny. After everyone was seated, he sat down in the main seat to introduce himself.
"Old Ma, this is my third uncle, and these two are Shilang's parents. They just came from my home yesterday, firstly for Shilang's wedding, and secondly to bring me the gifts from the villagers to congratulate me on my wedding."
Hearing Lin Changning say this, Old Ma relaxed a little. In his opinion, this marriage was excellent. Shilang was gentle and kind to his daughter. Moreover, he and Changning were cousins, so they could look after each other. Their future prospects wouldn't be too bad.
However, it's not exactly something to be proud of to talk about what happened to their own daughter. Although Shiro doesn't mind and Changning doesn't think there's anything wrong with it, she's still worried that some of Shiro's relatives will mind.
Upon hearing Lin Changning's introduction, he didn't say anything, but simply picked up the wine glass and said honestly, "My dear in-law, I'm a martial artist and not very good at speaking. I'm quite touched that you've come to Taiyuan today and even sold your family's land. Cheers!"
After saying that, he poured three cups of wine and gulped them down, which startled Uncle San and Shilang's parents.
Lin Changning found it somewhat amusing. He patted Old Ma, gently shook his head, and introduced him to his third uncle with a smile: "Third Grandfather, this is Third Aunt's father, and also my colleague in Taiyuan. Speaking of which, our generational order is getting messed up."
Seeing the somewhat reserved demeanor of both sides, Lin Changning chuckled and patted Old Ma, saying, "According to our seniority, Old Ma will be my uncle from now on. But Old Ma and I became sworn brothers with Old Zhou and the others in Daxing before. So, Old Ma is like my elder brother, and Third Sister is like my niece. Oh dear, how are we going to figure out the seniority from now on? We can't expect Shilang to call me uncle all the time, can we?"
Seeing Lin Changning making fun of people, Lin's mother rolled her eyes at him and slapped him hard on the side.
"You rascal!"
After laughing and scolding, he said to Old Ma, "Third Aunt's father, don't pay attention to this mischievous fellow. Let's stick to our own seniority and treat Changning as our own nephew from now on."
Seeing the uproarious laughter at the dinner table, Lin Changning felt a little relieved. It was the first time the two groups had met, and it was inevitable that they would be nervous. The atmosphere at the dinner table had been extremely stiff, so she couldn't help but make a joke to ease the tension.
Lin Changning is now Lao Ma's boss. Hearing Lin Changning lead the way in joking like this, Lao Ma felt relieved. He glanced at his daughter and gestured for San Niang to bring out the pastries she had made herself.
Ma San Niang blushed, not noticing her father's gaze. It was only after her mother tugged at her sleeve that she realized what was happening. She turned around, got up, went to the door, picked up a basket of pastries, and returned to stand in front of her third uncle. With her head bowed, she said softly, "This is the first time you've come to Taiyuan, elder. My family doesn't have anything worthwhile to offer, except for the pastries I make. So I picked out a few of my specialties and made some myself. Please don't mind, Grandpa."
Third Uncle looked at the downcast girl and nodded in satisfaction, saying "good" three times.
Shilang blushed as he accepted the pastries from Ma Sanniang's hands: "You must have gotten up early this morning to make them, right? Thank you for your hard work, Sanniang."
Uncle San stroked his beard and smiled with satisfaction as he watched the two young people get to know and love each other.
Seeing Ma San Niang's beautiful appearance, he was even more satisfied.
"Third sister is truly skillful and clever; your in-laws have indeed raised three wonderful children."
Ma's eldest son and second son both obtained positions in the military command. Although they were minor, insignificant positions, it still meant that the family had three officials.
Third Uncle felt that it was already quite good that he could marry into an official family, and he wouldn't complain. The Ma family, on the other hand, felt that it was even more difficult for Third Sister to find an honest and kind family.
Both families were very polite to each other, and Lin Changning and his second brother kept keeping the conversation lively at the table, making the meal a pleasant one for both hosts and guests.
After seeing San Niang, Shi Lang's family nodded in satisfaction. Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin were honest farmers, and they had nothing to say about their son being able to marry into such a prestigious family.
Aunt Lin pulled Third Sister along, serving her food and asking her questions with great care. When she saw the pair of dowry bracelets on Third Sister's wrist, she nodded repeatedly with satisfaction.
Sitting next to Ma San Niang, Liu felt relieved to see how caring and attentive Aunt Lin was to her daughter. She had always worried that the Lin family might hold a grudge against her daughter and that it would be bad for the child in the future.
Seeing things like this today, I can finally put my mind at ease.
Ma's eldest and second sons accompanied their third uncle and fourth uncle, offering toasts and praise. Upon learning that Shi Lang's medical skills were taught by their third uncle, they were filled with even greater respect.
After a round of flattery, the third uncle was so impressed that he got carried away and insisted on showing off to the eldest and second sons of the Ma family.
After carefully checking their pulses, he gave the two a few instructions and then pulled Old Ma aside to have someone else examine him. Old Ma was extremely embarrassed, but in the end, he couldn't resist the elder's kindness.
"Hmm, your father-in-law has a good constitution, but he has too many old injuries. He must have used strong medicine before, so I'm afraid his old injuries will itch and ache unbearably when it rains?"
Old Ma's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected his third uncle to be such a good doctor. He nodded repeatedly and said, "Ah, that's right. When I was young, I didn't know any better and used cheap medicine. Now that I'm older, I really feel unwell on cloudy or rainy days. Grandpa is truly a miracle worker."
Third Uncle waved his hand and said with a smile, "The village medicine is nothing to mention. Tomorrow I will have Shilang write a prescription and get some medicinal herbs to send to my father-in-law. With proper care and gentle treatment, he should be fully recovered in two years at most."
After finishing his sentence, Uncle San looked at Ma San Niang and beckoned her over: "Come, come, San Niang, let Grandpa show you too."
Ma San Niang hesitated for a moment, then obediently sat down next to Third Uncle, looking at Shi Lang with some trepidation.
Shilang smiled gently and reassured everyone, "Don't worry, Third Sister, my grandfather's medical skills are much better than mine."
Third Uncle took Ma San Niang's pulse, and after probing for a while, he looked at her with some surprise.
Some people don't understand why Third Sister is so worried and depressed at such a young age.
The most difficult illness to treat is the one that affects the mind.
"Third Sister, do you often have trouble sleeping? Are you plagued by nightmares? Do you sometimes feel mentally disoriented during the day?"
Ma San Niang turned to look at Liu Shi, and seeing Liu Shi nod, she turned back to her third uncle: "That's right, Grandpa."
The third uncle sighed softly, which immediately made the Ma family's hearts jump.
“Mental illness is hard to cure. Third Sister, please don’t overthink things in the future. It’s not good for your health and it won’t last long.”
After saying that, she glanced at her somewhat nervous son and daughter-in-law, then looked at her grandson who was pursing his lips and not speaking, and said, "But it's alright. There are four people in the family, three of whom are doctors. Once you get married, you can take care of yourselves every day, and you'll get better eventually."
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