Chapter 402 Liu Kui Stays Overnight in Dahe Village
The wedding banquet lasted until late afternoon.
The villagers at the door had long since finished eating, but the food on the table was so plentiful that much of it was still left over. Big Head's mother led the women to sort and clean the leftover food, pour it into wooden buckets, and carry it to the kitchen. They wiped the tables and chairs clean and took them back, and each of them took the bowls home to wash.
Cheng Wanwan went to the kitchen to take a look. Because there was a lot of meat, it was too greasy. Even the villagers who had never eaten good food before were tired of it. What was left were pig's trotters and fatty meat, mainly the soup. This was a good thing for the villagers who were short of food. Tomorrow morning, she would put some radishes, cabbage and tofu in to cook. The taste would be amazing.
However, without her instructions, the villagers wouldn't come to ask for it.
She said, "Hui Niang, please tell everyone that each family can take some of the leftover food from these wooden buckets home. Don't be shy."
Wu Huiniang readily agreed.
When Cheng Wanwan returned to the courtyard, the guests from the city were still sitting at the tables. The men were drinking and eating, and could eat for most of the day, while the women were sitting and eating snacks and chatting, not feeling bored at all.
As she was about to go over and talk to her a little longer, she saw Liu Kui, who was drunk, dragging Cheng Yuanyuan's arm and leading her to a secluded corner.
She curled her lips into a cold smile and strode over.
"How did you get so drunk? Do you think you're at home?!" Cheng Yuanyuan clenched her fists angrily. "You've drunk your fill of wine and boasted your way through the night. It's getting late, you'd better go home right now!"
"The sun is about to set, and once it gets dark, we won't be able to see the road. How will we get back?" Liu Kui hiccuped. "I'll stay at Wanwan's house tonight. Her house is so big, what's wrong with me, her brother-in-law, staying there for one night!"
Cheng Yuanyuan simply couldn't believe that her man could be so shameless as to live with his widowed sister-in-law. How could he even think of such a thing?
"By the way, let me ask you something..." Liu Kui grabbed her shoulders and lowered his voice, "Did Er Gou's new wife really bring a dowry of thirty or forty thousand taels of silver?"
"Why are you asking this? What's it to you!" Cheng Yuanyuan gritted her teeth. "Don't say anything more, I'll have Dashan take you back!"
"You filthy woman, all you want is for me to go back, what, so you can cheat on me with men in Dahe Village?" Liu Kui grabbed her collar, his eyes bloodshot. "Let me tell you, if it weren't for the fact that you're Lady Sui's older sister, I would have beaten you up long ago. Behave yourself, or I'll slap you to death!"
What are you talking about?
A clear voice came from behind.
Even the drunken Liu Kui knew he couldn't cause trouble for Cheng Wanwan. He immediately let go of Cheng Wanwan's collar, turned around and said with a grin, "Wanwan, look how drunk your brother-in-law is... hiccup... he's even staggering when he walks. What if he falls into a ditch? How about letting your brother-in-law stay here for the night?"
"Look at what you're saying, brother-in-law, you're being too formal." Cheng Wanwan's lips curved into a smile that was hard to decipher. "I'll have the kids squeeze in, and you can sleep in Xiaohai and Xiaochui's room, brother-in-law. Sister, please take your brother-in-law to the room, wash up, and get some rest."
Cheng Yuanyuan wanted to say something more, but when she met Cheng Wanwan's determined gaze, she had no choice but to give in.
She was never one to have her own opinions; she listened to her parents when she was young, to her husband after marriage, and even after coming to her sister's house, she listened to her sister.
Liu Kui followed them into the main house with a smug look on his face, and then into one of the rooms inside.
As soon as he went inside, he heard people talking outside the window.
"Are all the items in the storeroom properly organized? This is the dowry brought by Er Gou's wife, worth tens of thousands of taels of silver. We can't be careless."
"Don't worry, the door is locked, nothing will happen. I hid the key under the eaves..."
Liu Kui had only been pretending to be drunk, but now that the drunkenness had completely dissipated, he became excited and silently waited for the night to fall.
As dusk fell, most of the guests in the main courtyard had left. Some of the women from the village who knew each other stayed behind to help clean up the mess, such as clearing away tables, sweeping the floor, and washing dishes.
The Shen family was considered family, so they stayed until the very end to leave.
Madam Shen smiled and said, "Wanwan, the folk customs in your village are so good. I'm thinking of building a house here to retire. It's more comfortable than living in a temple."
“Grandmother, I think this is a great idea.” Shen Zheng immediately agreed. “The county government office is so deserted. Grandmother is all alone praying to Buddha every day. It must be so lonely. If you live in Dahe Village, you can chat with so many old ladies. It will be lively and bustling every day. Grandmother can live a few more years, right?”
Magistrate Shen stood with his hands behind his back and nodded slightly: "This idea is not bad. I will arrange for someone to buy land and build houses tomorrow."
"Oh dear, I was just saying, why make such a fuss?" Old Madam Shen shook her head with a smile. "Alright, it's getting late, let's head back now. Wanwan, remember to bring your new bride to meet us another day."
Cheng Wanwan nodded and smiled as she saw the group off.
No sooner had the Shen family left than a horse-drawn carriage appeared on the main road of Dahe Village, heading straight for their doorstep.
When the carriage stopped, she saw a sign on the front that read "Cao," indicating that the Cao family had arrived.
An old woman jumped down from the carriage, curtsied, and said, "This old servant greets Madam Sui. I am sorry to bother you so suddenly, but I have important business to discuss with you, Miss. Please make an exception for me, Madam Sui."
Cheng Wanwan wasn't sure whether this person was Madam Cao's confidant or Cao Yingying's loyal servant, so she said, "It's already dark, and it's our wedding night, so it might not be convenient. You can tell me if there's anything you need."
The old woman hesitated, unsure how to begin.
"Has something happened to Boss Cao?" Cheng Wanwan asked. "If it is, then we must call Yingying out."
The old woman hurriedly shook her head: "Master is drunk, completely unconscious. Otherwise, why would this old servant have come to Dahe Village? This... sigh... this..."
Cheng Wanwan's eyes narrowed, and in a flash, as if she had thought of something, she tentatively asked, "Has something happened to Aunt Meng?"
The old woman was startled. It turned out that Madam Sui knew about Consort Meng. It seemed that Miss had already explained everything to this old woman. If that was the case, then she had nothing to hide anymore.
The old woman said, "Today is Miss's wedding day, and the Cao family is holding a grand banquet for guests. The people who stayed in Miss's courtyard were also called to the front yard to help. This old servant stewed bird's nest for Concubine Meng in the small kitchen. After helping for a while, I wanted to take the stewed bird's nest to Concubine Meng's room, but when I got there, I found that Concubine Meng was gone!"
“Aunt Meng has been living in Miss’s courtyard for half a year and rarely leaves. Even when she does go out, she is accompanied by four maids and four old women, for fear that something might happen… Today there are many people and it’s very chaotic outside. Aunt Meng only has one little maid with her. There’s no way she could have gone out alone. This old servant immediately realized that something was wrong and went to find Master. But Master was drunk, and Steward Sun had been sent out of the mansion by Madam on business…”
"Miss instructed me to ensure that Consort Meng safely gives birth to the young master. This old servant has no other choice but to take the liberty of coming to Dahe Village..."
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