Qin was sitting with Old Lady Xu in the east wing hall to receive guests. This was the place for receiving female guests, while male guests would be in the upper hall.
Before, Qin was a widow and had to stay away from the crowds. But now she is no longer a widow, but the wife of today's protagonist, Xu Qingyan. No matter how much she dislikes this occasion, she can't hide away.
Qin Shi didn't have brightly colored clothes, but she also didn't want to be too plain. She wore an ice-blue jacket underneath, a red gauze shawl draped over it, and the jewel-inlaid red gold hairpin that Xu Lanyin had bought her in the capital. She also wore light makeup, appearing festive and solemn, beautiful and dignified, and the women were all fascinated.
Xu Lizheng's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wan, was good at talking. She smiled and said, "Oh my, Mrs. Xu has the air of a lady at first glance."
Once she flattered someone, everyone else followed suit.
Some people still felt uncomfortable. This woman was clearly not from the countryside. She was so beautiful, yet she married Xu Qingyan, then a secret guard. She must have been a prostitute or an actor who had turned good. What a shame! Why did Xu Qingyan marry such a woman as his wife? A concubine would have been more appropriate. Even if his wife came from the countryside, she was still much better than a prostitute or an actor. If they had known Xu Qingyan would have such a glorious future, they should have married their daughter to him...
After the ancestral worship, someone came to take Xu Lanyue to the ancestral hall to worship her ancestors. Xu Lanyue was afraid and dragged Xu Lanyin with her. She could not enter the ancestral hall, so she kowtowed three times outside.
Xu Lan, whose reputation in Xiaozao Village wasn't good, didn't want to join in the fun, so she led the girl to her own courtyard. After cleaning the yard, she sat under a tree, gazing at the rolling hills, listening to the clamor outside, the praise for Xu Qingyan, and the envy of the Xu family.
She thought of the book from her previous life. Xu Qingyan hadn't returned, the young master had drowned, Qin and Xu Lanting had died of illness, and Xu Lanzhou had disappeared. It seemed that Old Lady Xu had also died of anger...
She looked at the familiar courtyard and suddenly felt sad. If she hadn't traveled through time, everyone in this courtyard would have disappeared without a trace, and the blame would have fallen on the young owner.
What made her most upset was that she was the only one who knew how tragic their end was.
Dynasties change, national fortunes shift, and princes compete for the throne. The people always focus on the powerful, who can turn the tide. Meanwhile, the millions of ordinary people and soldiers at the bottom are nothing more than ants. Who would care if their entire family died out?
Even when she first read the book, she hadn't paid any attention to this family. She didn't seem to have any sympathy for them at all. All her thoughts were on the male and female protagonists and the first male supporting role, Gu Wangchen.
After she traveled through time and space in this body, she discovered that such an insignificant country family was actually involved in the prince's fight for the throne. The head of the family was a secret guard who had infiltrated the enemy country and was ready to die at any time. Because of her time travel, she miraculously returned alive.
Her time travel changed the fate of the young male companion Zhao Wuyuan. The two of them, in turn, changed the fate of the princes, this family, and many more people.
Only she knew that if Zhao Wu hadn't found Xu Qingyan, the Third Prince would have truly ascended to the throne. And the Third Prince's promise would have plunged the people of Daming into dire straits, causing countless families to lose their sons and become homeless.
Xu Qingyan and Zhou Xin were the secret guards and servants of the Zhou Mansion. They only worked for the Zhou Mansion and the eldest prince, but in the end the people of Daming all benefited.
Xu Qingyan, once a lowly ant, returned alive, freed from his role as a secret guard. Although he had brought a series of troubles upon Qin and his family, returning was always a good thing. He had to treat Qin and his children even better, making up for the debt he would never know. If they dared to be bad, he would be the first to disagree...
The banquet began, and Xiaozao Village became even more bustling. The aroma of wine and food spread into the courtyard, and Xu Lanyue sniffed with greed.
Baoqi, who was helping in the kitchen, brought over a few dishes. She said that not long after the men returned, the Nanping County Magistrate, County Magistrate, County Lieutenant, and other officials arrived. Even Garrison Commander Jiang came, as did Mr. He from Sujiazhuang and several nearby villagers.
The county magistrate and several other officials did not join the villagers at the banquet. They congratulated Mr. Xu, said a few words, and then took their leave.
Hearing about Jiang Shoubei, Xu Lanyin thought of Hong Zhen again. This cannon fodder not only survived, but was also transferred to the military camp in Ningzhou Prefecture. Although he was still only a sixth-rank military officer, his new position offered him a wider world, and he was also appreciated by the King of Wu, which meant he had more opportunities for promotion in the future.
Xu Lanyin and Zhao Wu met with Hong Zhen only once in the capital, speaking for a quarter of an hour. Because of Hong Xihuan and his son, half of the Hong family had been killed and exiled, and Hong Zhen was incredibly busy dealing with the family's affairs.
Xu Lanyue ate the meat with big mouthfuls. Seeing that Xu Lanyin didn't move her chopsticks much, she asked, "Big sister, today is a happy occasion. Why are you not happy?"
Xu Lanyin smiled and said, "Sister, you are thinking about the past."
After a lively buffet, it was already late afternoon and things finally quieted down.
Xu Zhiniang's family and Xu Daya's family were all gone, and only Xu Lanyin was left in the Xu family. Xu Lanyin also took Xu Lanyue to the main house.
Xu Lanyue kowtowed to Old Man Xu again. The old man was very enthusiastic at first, but after seeing Xu Lanyue, he couldn't help but feel disappointed.
When no one was around, the old man whispered to the old lady, "They all say a virtuous wife and beautiful concubines are the best, but little Niuniu isn't pretty at all. Even without that scar, she's still far inferior to Yin Yatou, and even inferior to Xiao Man'er. So, Zhou isn't very pretty."
He felt very sorry, because the maids in the Grand Tutor's Mansion should also be somewhat pretty.
Old Mrs. Xu spat at him and cursed, "You old pervert, how can you say that to a father of your son's woman? Aren't you afraid that people will hear you and call you shameless?"
Old Man Xu chuckled and said, "I'm just telling you, not anyone else." Then he said regretfully, "What a pity! If Zhou's affairs were to be told, our family would be even more embarrassed. Alas, my second son is filial, but he's afraid of his wife. Look at how dressed Qin is today, like a fairy, not like a wife from a country family. They say it's better to marry a maid from a wealthy family. Zhou has a good family background and has made great contributions. She and Qin should be swapped, making a perfect wife and concubine..."
Old Mrs. Xu was so angry that she spat at him again and sighed, "With a chatterbox like you, how can our son and daughter-in-law be willing to let us go and live with you?"
Old man Xu rolled his eyes and said, "For the past few decades, I have been living with my son and daughter-in-law. Humph, it is a blessing for them to have an old man like me who cares for them and plans for them wholeheartedly."
Old Mrs. Xu said, "The eldest daughter-in-law is willing to live with you because you can give her money to support them. She thinks she's getting a good deal, so she doesn't care about your bad words. But the second daughter-in-law is different. She's in poor health and has a delicate mind..."
The old man snorted coldly, "That's not called being meticulous, that's called being petty."
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