Chapter 169 It is natural for your sister-in-law to scold you. Stand still and listen to your sister-in-law.
The next morning, Yandang Academy.
Early that morning, a message arrived from the Wenzhou dock, saying that Mrs. Du's ship would arrive that afternoon. Upon hearing the news, Du Heng immediately informed the Rong family elders and went to the dock with Su Ying to pick her up.
As soon as the two of them left the front hall, they heard someone hurriedly calling out from behind, "Miss."
Su Ying turned around and saw that it was Xiu Yu.
Last night, she and Du Heng returned home first. Because she didn't know how long it would take for her aunt and Lord Liu to finish discussing the paperwork, she told Xiu Yu to go to bed and not wait any longer.
Unexpectedly, when Xiu Yu got up early in the morning and entered Rong Ruolan's room, she found the bed tidy and her master had not returned home all night.
She knew she couldn't make a big fuss, so she hurried to look for the young lady, but unexpectedly the young lady had already stood up and was following her master out of the academy gate.
After hearing Xiu Yu's words, Su Ying's heart skipped a beat. Could something have happened between her aunt and Lord Liu?
Seeing her panic, Du Heng quickly spoke to comfort her, "Lord Liu is an official appointed by the imperial court, no one dares to offend him. It's still early, why not go to the Yueqing government office first to inquire, and then go to the dock."
Su Ying nodded, and told Xiu Yu to wait quietly and not to say anything.
When they reached the gate of the academy, Du Heng reached out to help Su Ying get on the carriage. Suddenly, they heard the rapid and crisp sound of horse hooves in the distance. They both stopped and looked in the direction of the sound.
Rong Ruolan and Lord Liu came riding together.
They saw with their own eyes Liu Xianling roll off his horse, and also saw with their own eyes him carry Rong Ruolan down.
Su Ying was slightly stunned, thinking that something had really happened to her aunt. She hurried forward and shouted, "Aunt!"
Rong Ruolan's cheeks flushed as she saw her niece's concern for her, and she stammered. Fortunately, Liu Xianling stepped forward and blocked her behind him. He said to Su Ying seriously, "We were delayed for a long time yesterday because of paperwork. Your aunt was afraid you would worry, so we rode back first."
After that, he changed the subject and asked seriously, "Are your grandparents in the front hall?"
Su Ying didn't react for a moment, and answered blankly: "Yes."
Liu Xianling nodded and took Rong Ruolan into the academy. When he passed Du Heng, he stopped and exchanged greetings with Du Heng, looking calm.
"Why do I feel that what Lord Liu said is somewhat inconsistent?"
Su Ying was puzzled. Even if a witness had to be stamped, it would only take a moment, so why would it take an entire night? Furthermore, no matter how anxious her aunt was, she wouldn't insist on riding with Lord Liu.
Du Heng looked at his clever fiancée's puzzled face and laughed, "Master Liu probably didn't expect to see you and me in front of the academy, so he didn't cover up his lie well."
Su Ying wasn't ignorant, but she had never thought of her aunt and Lord Liu together. Someone with a loved one could naturally discern the affection between others, and after Du Heng's explanation, Su Ying suddenly understood.
"Aunt and Master Liu?"
She covered her mouth in disbelief, not daring to continue.
Du Heng nodded, his eyes gentle.
He had never been one for the old ways. He knew better than anyone how Second Aunt had humbled and subdued herself in the Du residence over the years. His recent interactions with Lord Liu had given him a deep admiration for Liu Xianling, a three-term county magistrate. While most people chased fame and fortune, he remained down-to-earth, steadily working to serve the people. This was truly rare.
Just now, when he saw Lord Liu's determined expression and asked about the whereabouts of the two elders of the Rong family, he already understood something in his heart.
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, if a woman lost her husband, she could remarry without the consent of her husband's family as long as her family issued a "letter of separation". Her husband's family was not allowed to withhold the woman's dowry.
In the past, Second Aunt's heart was as cold as stone because of Second Uncle. Now, if she can remarry, he will be happy for her wholeheartedly.
......
The message from the dock was indeed accurate. Sure enough, in the afternoon, four ships from the capital slowly docked.
After seeing this, Su Ying couldn't help but pull Du Heng's sleeve and asked, "Did these four ships come with my aunt?"
The last time her aunt had returned to Yueqing with her, they had taken two boats, one for people and one for supplies. The boxes and gift boxes Cheng had brought with her far exceeded the standard for a marriage proposal. Su Ying was unaware of the rules, and Rong Ruolan simply smiled and said nothing.
But this time, even if Su Ying didn't understand, she noticed something unusual.
Du Heng caressed the top of Su Ying's head lovingly and said with a smile, "We were supposed to return to the capital to get married, but the imperial decree is hard to disobey. Only if we get married in Yueqing can we go to Yunzhou to take up our post within the date set by the emperor."
"You know my mother's temper. Even if she follows Grandma and recites scriptures every day, she will lose her composure when things happen to me. But this time, I didn't stop her."
If time were not limited and they had to set off as soon as possible, Cheng would have prepared even more.
After the boat docked, Du Heng took Su Ying aboard. Unexpectedly, as soon as they boarded, a rose-red figure rushed out of the cabin and pounced directly on her.
"Sister Ying'er, I miss you so much!"
Su Ying was startled, then pleasantly surprised. Her initial trepidation about meeting Cheng was instantly dispelled by the sight of this familiar figure.
The two sisters hugged each other tightly. Unexpectedly, the naughty Wanyi whispered in her ear: "Sister-in-law, do you miss me too?"
Su Ying's face flushed immediately, she loosened her arms around Wan Yi, stamped her feet and said angrily, "Wan Yi."
However, Wanyi hid behind Du Heng and said coquettishly, "Brother, look, I just met my sister-in-law and she's already teaching me a lesson."
Originally Wanyi was just joking, but she never expected that her biological brother would not tolerate her bad habit and pulled her back to Su Ying from where she was hiding behind him.
"It's only natural for your sister-in-law to scold you. Stand still and listen to what your sister-in-law says."
I thought Du Heng would scold Wanyi for her mischief, but I didn't expect him to help Wanyi call her "sister-in-law" in a proper way.
Su Ying blushed and bit her lip. Just as she was about to glare at Du Heng, she heard an old yet loving voice from inside the cabin: "Wanyi, why are you being naughty again right after landing?"
She was stunned and turned to look at Du Heng in disbelief.
Du Heng smiled, took her hand, and strode towards the cabin.
The busy servants and boatmen on the boat all gave way and consciously separated into two sides to make a passage.
I saw Mrs. Du, Shen, supported by Cheng and Chaoxia on both sides, slowly walking out of the cabin.
Du Heng bowed and said solemnly, "My grandson and Ying'er have come to welcome Grandmother and Mother. Thank you for your hard work on the journey."
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