On the 28th day of the first lunar month, Old Master Qin returned to Jiangnan accompanied by Qin Ru.
Qin Che's family was reluctant to leave, but the old man was concerned about the business and his second grandson there, so he had to go back.
Qin was crying. The old man was so old, and this farewell might be forever.
As February approaches, the weather gradually warms up and new green leaves appear on the trees.
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the Hu family held a dinner party for Hu Yi's engagement, and the wedding was scheduled for October this year.
Hu Yi's fiancé was still the young man Mrs. Hu had favored before, named Fan Zhong, and he was nineteen years old. After observing him for over a year, the Hu family felt that he was indeed honest and loyal, and a good match for the simple and childish Hu Yi, so they arranged a marriage.
The Hu family gave Hu Yi a dowry of 40,000 taels of silver, which included a grain shop in Ningzhou Prefecture. Fan Zhong had already become the manager of that grain shop.
A complete gigolo. If this man can always treat Hu Yi well, the Hu family will be willing to let him live off her.
With Hu Yi's personality, she can only look for a man who is honest, kind, timid and doesn't have many ideas.
The problem is, not all men who live off women know how to be grateful and treat women well. Xu Lanyin had seen a lot of news about this in her previous life, as well as things happening around her.
Xu Lanyin had depression in her previous life, but her condition has been greatly improved through treatment and will not relapse as long as she is not stimulated. If she finds an honest and good man who can cherish her for the rest of her life, perhaps she can live happily ever after.
But the girl had high standards and wanted to find someone with a high degree. Her parents both worked in colleges and universities, so they found her a graduate student. Although the man was not good-looking and came from a rural family, the girl still liked him very much.
The man also relied on the girl's parents to stay at the university. Things were fine for the first two years, but as he became increasingly successful, he found a way to transfer to another unit and began secretly looking for a lover. Since the girl couldn't divorce due to her illness, he provoked her, deliberately letting her know he had another woman. In the end, the girl couldn't handle it and committed suicide by jumping off a building. Less than three months after her death, the man remarried...
Xu Lanyin hopes that Hu Yin will be happy throughout his life and not repeat the tragedy of that girl.
Xu Lanting had to go to school and go out for dinner that night. Xu Lanyin took Xu Lanyue with her. Qin was also invited, but she didn't like crowds and didn't go.
The Hu family also invited their relatives, the Hong family, and Hu Yi's close friends Qin Hongyu and Min Nan.
The men were in the front yard and the women were in the main yard.
They were all familiar with each other and started to tease Hu Yi. Hu Yi was so embarrassed that she twisted her handkerchief and covered her face, which made everyone laugh even more.
Before lunch, the young man, accompanied by Hu Wan, went to the backyard to kowtow to Mrs. Hu.
Fan Zhong is of medium height, thin, with dark skin, regular features and a good appearance.
His face turned red with shame and he kowtowed to Mrs. Hu.
Qin Hongyu and Min Nan took a furtive glance and dared not look any further. Hu Yi even lowered her head to her chest in shame. Only Xu Lanyin stared at Fan Zhong without blinking.
After Fan Zhongdu walked out the door, Qin Hongyu pulled Xu Lanyin's sleeve and whispered, "Sister Yin, what's wrong with you?" She felt embarrassed for Xu Lanyin.
Xu Lanyin also blushed a little. She had never looked at a strange man so carefully before. She really wanted to help Hu Yi to screen him.
However, she felt bad. She couldn't put her finger on what was wrong, but she had a hunch that this man wasn't a truly honest person.
Being shrewd isn't a flaw in a man, but a shrewd man who pretends to be honest is a man with many ideas. It's okay for a man to have many skills, but he insists on pretending to be honest and marries a woman who thinks differently and needs constant care, attention, and tolerance. When his fate changes, will he still treat this woman well?
Xu Lanyin's heart sank. She thought about how social classes were much stricter in ancient times than in modern society. Hu Wan, her brother-in-law, was incredibly shrewd, his business flourishing, and he had a strong background. It would be difficult for that man to escape the Hu family's control, so she didn't dare to have any undue thoughts.
She still secretly told Mrs. Hu to prepare two smart maids to help Hu Yi, and the maids' close relatives would stay in the Hu family.
Mrs. Hu was also worried that her son-in-law might change his mind in the future, putting her daughter at risk. She whispered, "We've prepared two wives to accompany Yin'er when she marries. The house we bought for them is close to ours, so we'll always be aware of Yin'er's situation..." With a wry smile, she added, "We've also prepared a maidservant. Alas, men are all like that. After a while, there's no love left, only affection... The maidservant's bond will be in Yin'er's hands. If she dares to act like a witch, she'll be sold directly. It's better than having a woman outside. Yi'er is simple and weak, so we're worried that one maidservant might become too ambitious and difficult to control, so we've prepared two."
Xu Lanyin was speechless. This man, living off the Hu family, had a dowry that could sustain his family for generations, and the Hu family was even preparing a concubine for him. He must have made a killing.
After dinner, Xu Lanyin took Xu Lanting and Xu Lanyue home.
On the tenth day of the second lunar month, Li gave birth to another daughter, whom she named after many names. Perhaps it was a girl, or perhaps there were other reasons, so neither Old Man Xu nor his wife nor Xu Qingming and his wife came to congratulate her.
On the day of the third day of the baby's birth, Xu Lanyin and her two siblings went to the Xu family in the north of the city, a place they hadn't visited for a long time. They gave them fifty taels of silver, two chickens, and a piece of cotton cloth suitable for making small clothes for the baby.
Xu Lanyin was so happy holding the soft and sweet little baby that she thought that maybe she would give birth to a child like this next year.
After anxiously waiting, February 16th finally arrived. Zhao Wu, who had been away for a month, had not returned. In this era of backward communication, Xu Lan was anxious but helpless and could only continue to wait.
The Xu and Zhao families have been busy with wedding preparations.
The dowry was nearly complete, with only the furniture needing painting. The Zhao family's courtyard was completely renovated, and the doors, windows, and pillars painted. The furniture was ready and placed inside, leaving only the two main rooms empty, awaiting the bride's furniture. The rest was a few finishing touches, like changing the window paper and transplanting trees and bamboo.
Not to mention that Xu Lanyin often visits the Zhao family these days, Qin also goes there several times a day to point out areas that need rectification.
On February 21st, Xu Lanyin took Xu Lanting to the teahouse. Today was the day she was going to get together with Hu Yi, Qin Hongyu, and Min Nan.
Ever since Hu Yi got engaged, her eyes have been filled with a shy happiness that she couldn't hide.
Min Nan and Qin Hongyu laughed and teased her again.
Hu Yi asked Qin Hongyu, "Sister Qin, you are sixteen this year, why haven't you said anything to me yet? Don't be so picky. My mother said that only when a woman marries a man of lower status will she not dare to bully you."
Qin Hongyu smiled. She, her parents, and her brothers were all anxious. Many families had proposed marriage, but none of them had agreed for various reasons. Because of the Qin family and the Zhao brothers, they believed that choosing a husband was not just about the person, but also about the family background...
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