Chapter 290 Will He Take a Concubine?
Sanwa scratched his head sheepishly, "I was afraid my mother would beat me. Since she said that, it must not be true."
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. Just know that you should be good to Mulan in this life. My being good to you is being good to Mulan. But if you become successful in your studies and then look down on Mulan, or take concubines, I'll break your legs."
Sanwa was shocked. "Mother, I am your own son, and she is your daughter-in-law."
"What if he's my own son? Can he feed me, bring me water, wash my bedding, and clean up my excrement when I'm lying on the kang (a heated brick bed)?"
"..." Sanwa was speechless.
“See? You can’t.” Song Chunxue gazed at the lush green wheat field with a distant look in her eyes. “But a good daughter-in-law can.”
Before they knew it, they had been walking for more than an hour and arrived at the entrance of the village where Xia Mulan lived.
This village is called Willow Slope. The Xia family is the most prominent family in the village, followed by the Han family and the Li family.
However, Xia Mulan's father, Xia Changwen, was mild-mannered and had studied for a few more years than his peers. In addition, he was physically weak and suffered from chronic illnesses, so he was not well-liked in the Xia family.
But as a father, he protected Xia Mulan very well.
Song Chunxue and Sanwa sat on a donkey cart piled high with gifts, passed through the crowded village entrance, and arrived at the Xia family's gate along the path. Xia Changwen's family was already waiting at the door.
“His aunt and Sanwa are here,” Xia Changwen greeted them with a smile. “We were just thinking of going to Lijiazhuang to find you, but we didn’t expect you to come today.”
"Judging from your appearance, you must be from the county. Please come inside and sit down."
Song Chunxue got off the donkey cart. Today, she was dressed in a mature and dignified dark green double-breasted long gown. The silver hairpin in her hair was very bright. Her good complexion made it clear that she had been doing well these past few years.
She spotted Xia Mulan standing behind her parents. The long gown Song Chunxue had made for her was a little too short. The seventeen-year-old girl was beautiful and charming, standing there like a delicate apricot blossom, exuding fragrance.
More delicate than peach blossoms, more tender than pear blossoms.
“Mulan has grown into such a beautiful young woman. If I don’t marry her soon, I’ll start to worry.” Song Chunxue took Xia Mulan’s hand and turned to look at Xie Shi. “It’s my fault for delaying it for a year because Sanwa is still studying.”
“But I also know that most parents keep their daughters with them, and this year is just right.” Song Chunxue asked Xie Shi with a smile, “It’s understandable that you’re upset that I arrived late, so I brought some extra gifts to apologize to you.”
As she spoke, she looked at Sanwa and said, "Quickly carry the things inside."
"Sigh." Sanwa carried the things off the cart, and Xia Mulan's two older brothers helped carry them into the house.
The fact that everyone saw so many things shows how much the Jiang family values Mulan. Mulan's uncle and aunt also came.
Everything was neatly arranged on the table, and there wasn't enough room left.
Mulan's cousins stood in the courtyard, discussing the handsome Sanwa, who was still studying.
The room was crowded with elders, all exchanging pleasantries with Song Chunxue and saying with smiles that Sanwa and Mulan were a perfect match.
Song Chunxue handled the situation with ease, which made Sanwa sigh inwardly, thinking that his mother was truly different from before.
Mulan was called out of the house by her cousins.
"Mulan, why are you still wearing these old clothes? Today is your big day. Come with us to the house and get dressed. Put on the new clothes your aunt made the other day, and wear that silver hairpin too. You can't lose face."
"That's right, that's right. Look how well your future husband is dressed. We wouldn't even dare to ask about the fabric he's wearing. I heard he's been studying in the county for the past few years. You'd better dress up nicely, or what if he takes a fancy to another girl?"
"But our Mulan is beautiful, with big, bright eyes like a calf's. How could he possibly look down on her?"
These words made everyone burst into laughter.
The courtyards of this village are crammed together, mostly separated by a single wall, and the children from the neighborhood all come to watch the excitement.
Heads of all sizes filled the room, some peering out from the doorway, watching the young brides comb Mulan's hair.
Mulan's cheeks were flushed as she let her older and younger cousins comb her hair and change her clothes.
Finally, Mulan changed into her peach-pink spring dress, which had subtle peach blossom patterns on it, making her look like a delicate peony.
She was pushed into the main house by her sisters. The house was crowded with people. Xie and her two daughters-in-law went to the kitchen to cook.
Song Chunxue held out her hand, "Mulan, come here."
She took off the silver bracelet from her wrist and put it on Mulan's hand, saying, "What a beautiful girl. Our third child is so lucky."
Sanwa stood among several elders, looking shy but not timid, nodding occasionally as he answered their questions.
Song Chunxue chatted with Mulan for a while and learned that Mulan had recently visited her aunt Xia Ying's house. She also asked about things at Li Family Village.
It was inconvenient with so many people around, so Song Chunxue pulled Mulan outside under the pretext of going to the outhouse and gave her some instructions.
"There's silver in that box on the table. It's a token of my appreciation, so your father can take his medicine and get medical treatment. I also want to cut some more cloth for you and your mother to make some new clothes. I was thinking of buying you a wedding dress, but I was afraid you wouldn't be happy. It's better if you make your own."
She held Mulan's hand and whispered, "You're a grown woman now, getting married is your business. Let your parents keep that money for themselves, don't give it to your older brothers, understand?"
Although Mulan didn't understand, she nodded nonetheless.
"Don't tell me I told you to do this. I just felt sorry for your mother and didn't want her to spend all her savings."
She didn't want to say anything more, but after seeing Mulan's second sister-in-law, Song Chunxue couldn't help but chime in.
In her past life, Mulan's mother couldn't think straight because Mulan's second sister-in-law was a formidable character.
Mulan nodded, glanced elsewhere, and lowered her voice, saying, "I know, Aunt."
Song Chunxue smiled, "I brought you two sets of clothes, both newly made. If they don't fit, they can be altered. Your wedding day is set for July 18th, it'll be here in the blink of an eye. Don't go to your aunt's house, you're getting married soon, spend time with your parents."
Mulan nodded and whispered, "Actually, I don't want to go either. It's too far, and it's not convenient at my aunt's house."
"If you come to the county, be sure to come find me. My home is in that fort; you can find out by asking around." Song Chunxue carefully instructed, "If you encounter any trouble, you must come find me. You two are getting married soon, so let's not worry about those formalities, understand?"
Sensing Song Chunxue's kindness, Mulan smiled and nodded.
“I remembered my aunt.”
Afterwards, they returned to the house. The fragrant noodles with minced meat sauce were very tempting. They added some homemade wheat bran vinegar, and Song Chunxue ate two large bowls.
Since she stopped farming, her appetite has decreased.
If she weren't worried about feeling uncomfortably full, she would definitely eat three bowls.
When it was time to eat, all the relatives and children had gone home, and now the house was full of Xia Mulan's own family.
After the meal, Xia Changwen looked serious.
“We also know that Sanwa is now in school and the Song family is not what it used to be. I want to ask if Sanwa will take a concubine in the future?”
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