When I woke up, Hui Niang and the others had already left, and the old lady was folding clothes, one after another.
Jiayin rubbed her eyes and got up, only to find that the beaded necklace and ring meant for her grandmother were already on her hand...
"Fu Niu'er is awake. Are you hungry? Grandma will get you something delicious." Hearing the noise, Grandma Li turned around and hugged her chubby granddaughter.
Seeing her shaking the beaded string in her hand, Grandma Li laughed and said, "Silly girl, Grandma knows you too well! When you went to see Mr. Wen earlier, did you give him some nice things? But after giving them away, you felt bad about spending the money, didn't you, you little money-grubber?"
Jiayin blushed, threw herself into her grandmother's arms, and twisted and turned.
How embarrassing!
Her little schemes never escaped her grandmother's sharp eyes!
Grandma Li was almost knocked over by her granddaughter, and quickly begged for mercy, both laughing and crying, "Alright, alright, Grandma won't say anymore, you greedy girl! Grandma is old and it's not suitable for me to wear pearls anymore. You keep these two, so my granddaughter won't have worked for nothing."
Jiayin blushed even more, and quickly took out another gold bracelet from her spatial storage. It was solid and her most treasured item, and she put it on her grandmother's wrist.
"Grandma wears gold, I wear pearls!" Jiayin tugged at her grandmother's hand, not letting her take it off.
Grandma Li laughed heartily and didn't refuse anymore.
If your granddaughter is willing to give it, then give it to her. When she passes away, everything will be left to her anyway.
And so, the grandmother and grandson happily and affectionately got off the kang (heated brick bed) to eat...
The next morning, everyone in the village dressed in new clothes as if it were New Year's Day.
School was out for the holidays, and the mischievous boys ran all over the village, as happy as a bunch of crazy rabbits!
Mr. Peng was a son-in-law who had married into the family, and he was to set off in the afternoon, so he took the initiative to go to the Cui family's estate.
Therefore, the village arranged the banquet for noon.
Yesterday, the temporary stove was already set up, and the main dishes that require long cooking times were stewed. Today, we're just preparing some cold dishes and freshly stir-fried hot dishes.
The village women weren't in a hurry; they helped Tao Hongying while chatting and laughing.
The men ran to the school to fetch tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks, helped wash and arrange them, chopped wood, and carried water, all with smiles on their faces.
Mr. Wen was dressed in a bright red brocade long gown and a jade belt around his waist, and he smiled brightly, a rare sight indeed.
The slight melancholy that used to linger between his brows had vanished completely, leaving him as serene as if he had ascended to a clear, cloudless sky.
He originally had several classmates and friends, and they all sent invitations yesterday, but only Mr. Peng rushed over at this moment.
Although Mr. Peng has some flaws, he is impeccable as a friend.
A few days ago, he traveled around trying his best to rescue his friend.
Nowadays, when everyone is reluctant to attend a wedding banquet because their friend is marrying into the family, he is the only one who comes to offer his congratulations.
Mr. Wen personally welcomed him into the house and bowed deeply, saying, "Brother Peng, thank you so much for running around to get help for me. I will never forget your kindness in saving my life!"
"Shao Yuan, don't be so polite." Mr. Peng quickly helped him up and said with a smile, "It was really dangerous before. I was just running around aimlessly and didn't really help much."
"Your safe return is all thanks to Lord Earl, Grand Secretary Liu, and Madam Cui, haha, no, I should call her sister-in-law now!"
Mr. Wen blushed and invited him to sit down and have some tea.
Mr. Peng rarely saw him so cheerful, and couldn't help but feel happy for him. "Shao Yuan, don't care what outsiders say. You live your own life, so just be happy. Even if others praise you to the skies, if you suffer, no one can take your place."
Mr. Wen nodded, "That's what I thought too, so when I asked Uncle Liu to officiate the wedding that day, it wasn't out of anger at all."
“My mentor treated me like his own child, and Jinrou also showed me deep affection. I have been looking forward to this day for more than ten years. No one can stop me from moving towards the good life I want!”
"That's right!" Mr. Peng laughed heartily. "Since you're so happy today, I'll let you off the hook. Otherwise, I would have definitely dragged you out for a good drink."
As they were talking, Li Laosan and Zhao Yuru also returned from Luo'an.
The canteen needs someone; Aunt Wu and the others can't come back.
However, Li Laosan took it upon himself to ask for leave for the children, and brought them all back, from Jiaren to Maoge'er!
Jia'an and Jiaxi are the leaders of the kids. As soon as they entered the house and met the elders, they led the naughty boys to "assemble" and set off to cause trouble everywhere.
Cat Brother shouted at the top of his lungs and followed behind the group, acting as their little tail.
Li Ge'er felt a strong urge to go too.
But now he was a student of the Imperial Academy and this was his first time back after taking the exam, so he kept his emotions in check and stayed by his elder brother's side, chatting with the elders.
Jia Huan had made arrangements at the restaurant in the morning, and now that she was home, she immediately went into the kitchen, helping out while telling everyone how lively and bustling the restaurant and the academy's canteen were.
So, only Jiayi is missing.
Grandma Li looked around and couldn't help but sigh.
The old man was greedy; he had dozens of children and grandchildren, and he would be dissatisfied if even one was missing.
Perhaps even the heavens knew it was going to be a lively day and didn't want the old lady to be unhappy in the slightest.
Just as Lord Hou, Li Laosi, and Li Yong were returning from the dock, Jiayi and Liu Yang, those two lads, actually followed behind.
It turned out that they had come back by boat, intending to return to the village to report the news, but they encountered the main force on the way and came back together.
Grandma Li's face immediately lit up with a smile!
Jiayin was overjoyed. She would sit on her father's shoulders for a while, lie on her godfather's back for a bit, and get some goodies from her brother...
It looked like a chubby, pistachio-like ball, rolling around in the crowd.
Li Lao Er, Li Zhensheng, the village chief, Uncle Zhao and several others, as well as Liu Biao Tou, Zhang Shenyi, and even Mr. Jiang from their classmate's school, all entered the house.
With everyone gathered together, it naturally became quite lively.
The banquet was set up when the sun was high in the sky.
All the men, women, and children of the new village, including the village heads of Dahuaishu, Dawangzhuang, and Xiaowangzhuang, along with dozens of villagers and the dozens of personal guards brought back by the Marquis, sat together and joyfully drank the wedding wine.
Mr. Wen generously toasted everyone, prompting them to offer their blessings in loud voices.
"Mr. Wen, may you have a long and happy marriage and many children!"
"Mr. Wen, may you live a peaceful and happy life, and enjoy good health!"
"Mr. Wen, may we grow old together and be of one heart forever!"
Mr. Wen bowed and thanked each person, his mouth never closing in a smile.
After living for more than thirty years, he finally got married, and his wish finally came true!
Although he lacked the blessings of his biological parents and blood relatives, he had so many non-blood relatives who were busy with his happy occasion and rejoiced with him.
How fortunate he is!
The inner courtyard of the Li family compound was filled with the aroma of food and wine, and laughter echoed throughout.
But on the official road leading out of Xindu, a carriage turned off, and inside sat Old Master Wen and his son Wen Junyan!
For the past two days, they had been reflecting at home and had thought things through clearly enough.
Although it is unknown how the Li, Liu, and Cui families managed to persuade the Emperor and the Dali Temple to cooperate in their charade.
But the second son, that rebellious son, forced them to expel him from the family and marry into the Cui family. This was definitely pre-planned!
If you can't understand something, don't look at the process, just look at the result.
Whoever benefits from the outcome is the one who orchestrated it!
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