Jiayin lingered a little longer at the pharmaceutical workshop yesterday afternoon and stayed at the Princess's residence nearby that night.
She had been lazy since getting up early and hadn't even returned to the old house yet when her sister-in-law sent someone to find her.
After thinking for a moment, she changed into a beautiful dress, added a cape, and then took Shuiling and Shuiyun to find her grandmother.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she called out with a grin, "Grandma, come on, I'll take you shopping, let's spend some money!"
Grandma Li was sitting in the house when she suddenly heard her granddaughter shouting. She thought something had happened, but after she understood what was going on, she couldn't help but laugh and scold, "You little rascal, making such a racket so early in the morning!"
When Wan'er saw that her grandmother's face had changed to a smile and she was no longer frowning, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief and advised, "Grandma, my little sister is still young."
“Before that incident, she stayed at home and dared not go out. Now that things have calmed down, it would be good for you to take her out for a walk.”
"It's almost Chinese New Year, could you please help me pick out two pieces of fabric with fresh patterns? Wenjuan and I are also getting new clothes for my sister for the New Year."
Wenjuan quickly chimed in, "Yes, Grandma, I want to make a pair of shoes for you, my mother, and my aunts, but even the most skilled cook can't cook without rice. I'm just waiting for you to help me buy them."
Just then, Jiayin came in from outside and, upon hearing this, said, "It's not just me lately; my sisters-in-law haven't been going out much either. Why don't we all go into town together?"
"Second sister-in-law is going shopping with us. Eldest sister-in-law can take Yuanyuan back to her parents' home for a visit. I'm afraid Aunt Xing has been thinking about you for a long time."
What married woman doesn't miss her parents' home!
Moreover, although Madam Xing has recovered her health, she is still weaker than the average person, and this winter will probably be difficult for her to get through. Wan'er is even more worried about her.
She was very tempted by her sister-in-law's arrangement, but still looked at Old Lady Li.
Grandma Li was the most open-minded, so how could she stop her granddaughter-in-law? So she immediately said, "Let's go, listen to Fu Niu'er!"
"Wenjuan brought Xingxing with us to go shopping. Fu Niu'er, prepare some pears for your sister-in-law to take back and make rock sugar pear water for your Aunt Xing. It's good for moisturizing the lungs and relieving dryness."
"Alright, Grandma, don't worry. We may lack many other things, but we certainly don't lack fruit. I'll give Aunt Xing another basket of tangerines as a token of my respect!"
Jiayin smiled and agreed, then instructed Shuiling to go back to the glass greenhouse in the princess's mansion to pick fruit.
By the time the fruit was picked and brought back, everyone, young and old, had already changed into their coats, skirts, and cloaks for going out.
Old Mrs. Li wore a warm hat made of fox fur, a jacket and skirt with flowing clouds and auspicious symbols, and a maroon cloak embroidered with plum blossoms and trimmed with fox fur.
Wenjuan was young, wearing a brocade jacket covered in peach blossoms, paired with a plain horse-face skirt, and wrapped in a smoky-colored begonia cloak.
When Wan'er returned to her parents' home, the ceremony was naturally more grand.
She wore a bright red jacket and skirt embroidered with peonies in gold and silver thread, paired with a hooded cape with bamboo and lotus patterns.
After all, she wanted her family to be at ease and know that she was doing well.
Moreover, as a daughter-in-law of the Li family, her attire and clothing represent the face of the Li family.
Seeing her grandmother and sisters-in-law looking so beautiful, Jiayin beamed with joy and happily led them outside.
Two carriages were already prepared outside the courtyard gate.
The first car carried Old Lady Li, along with Wenjuan and her son, Jiayin, and was attended to by Granny Chang, Shuiling, and Shuiyun.
An old soldier drove the carriage, Mu Xu sat on the carriage shaft, and two other old soldiers followed on horseback.
The car behind carried Wan'er and her son, accompanied by their maid Chunxiu.
Both were veterans driving the carriage, accompanied by a young servant, and two other veterans on horseback as guards.
Previously, the family used servants to drive the carriages, but after the Wu family incident, Li Lao Er took it upon himself to find eight veterans from the second village.
These veterans were all minor injuries, such as losing an ear, having an eye injury, or being lame, which did not prevent them from moving around and being dispatched. They were then included in his personal guard quota.
The veterans could ride horses and carry knives into the city, and on weekdays they were responsible for driving and protecting the Li family when they went out.
But the Jiaren brothers all had servants who knew martial arts, and they also had crossbows for self-defense, so they rarely brought old soldiers with them when they went out.
Therefore, these veterans don't have many opportunities to go out, so they are happy to have the chance to come into the city today.
The whip cracked, and the horse's hooves clattered lightly on the icy road.
An old soldier started singing a tune he had learned from the north. Old Mrs. Li heard it in the carriage and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "They say a tree dies when it's moved, but a person thrives. That's so true."
"When my family fled from our old home in the north to escape famine, to be honest, I was ready to die."
"To leave a place you've lived in your whole life and have to abandon everything behind, that feeling is just indescribably painful!"
"If someone had told me back then that my family's life would be this good in the future, I would never have believed it even if you beat me to death."
Before Wenjuan and Jiayin could respond, Xingxing, dressed in a royal blue jacket and trousers, suddenly pounced into the old lady's arms, clinging to her great-grandmother's neck like a little tiger, and shouting in a cute but fierce voice, "Don't kill me, don't kill me!"
Jiayin and Wenjuan were stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
The boy is at the age where he's learning to speak, and he only half understands. When he heard the words "beat to death," he thought someone was going to beat the old lady to death.
"Oh my, my Xingxing! She's so young and already knows how to protect her great-grandmother. She's truly her great-grandmother's precious darling!"
Grandma Li felt so warm and touched by the children's protection that her heart melted. She kept calling them her "darlings."
Wenjuan also laughed and said, "The other day, my fourth aunt said that Xingxing and my sister were most alike when they were little. They both have sweet mouths and know how to coax people."
Jiayin sighed, feigning anxiety, and said, "This kid stole my job, what am I going to do now!"
Grandma Li and Wenjuan laughed even harder, while Xingxing stared wide-eyed, completely bewildered...
Mu Xu leaned against the carriage wall, listening to the laughter and chatter inside, and couldn't help but smile.
The Lunar New Year is just over a month away, which is the busiest time in Xindu.
Although they can't go out of the city for a spring outing or to offer incense like they can in spring and summer, the cold weather can't stop the wealthy and idle from having fun!
So when one family held a tea party, another family held a flower appreciation party because there were two half-withered plum trees in their garden.
Having run out of excuses, I might as well enjoy the snow and write poetry.
With so many gatherings, both the host and guests need to prepare things in order to look their best.
Men wanted new clothes, women wanted dresses and jewelry, and paper, ink, brushes and inkstones were also selling well. Pastry shops were booming, and taverns and teahouses were packed with people...
Once the Li family's carriage entered the city, Wan'er returned to the Xing family.
Madam Xing was thinking of her daughter when she suddenly heard that her daughter had brought her grandson back. She was so happy that she almost wiped away tears.
Xing Ning also rushed to the front gate to greet them.
Soon, the family gathered together, eating oranges and chatting.
Madam Xing held her grandson tightly, utterly enamored with him, and couldn't stop smiling.
Xing Wan'er fed her mother two baskets of oranges and said with a smile, "Mother, this basket of oranges is a special gift from my sister-in-law to you."
"As for that basket of pears, you must not give it away. Keep it to make pear soup to nourish your body."
"Good, good!" Madam Xing was even happier to hear this and nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Actually, when a woman gets married, whether her husband is good or bad is secondary; the main thing is to avoid getting an unreasonable mother-in-law and a troublemaking sister-in-law.
After all, the men are out all day and only return to the inner quarters at night.
If a man were to take several concubines, the women might not even see their husbands at night.
But you see your mother-in-law and sister-in-law every day, and if you can't get along with them, life will be really tough...
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