Two years ago, when Brother Lin came to the county on business, he would inquire about things from time to time. He heard that Master Liu treated his wives, concubines and children quite well, so Brother Lin was relieved. It was because the new mistress of the house did not like them, the farmers, that she did not allow Lin Taohua to associate with them.
And so they gradually lost contact. When Lin Taohua got married, Lin Fengnian was already nine years old, so naturally he remembered his aunt.
Upon hearing this, Song Anbang exclaimed in surprise, "Although Master Liu is the richest merchant in the county, he is very virtuous and only has one concubine. She was taken in by him because his previous wife had damaged her health during childbirth. I heard that she is a kind-hearted farmer. Could she be the 'Good Year's Little Sister'?"
Song Anxin nodded. According to Song Anbang's description, it was indeed her sister-in-law. The matchmaker who came before had also said that the rich man's wife had damaged her body during childbirth and it would be difficult for her to conceive again. Since her first child was a girl, she was thinking of taking a concubine for her husband.
The wealthy man's deceased wife chose Lin Taohua because she saw that the Lin family were kind and honest farmers and that Lin Taohua was a simple and honest girl.
Lin Fengyao had only heard about this aunt from his aunt-in-law; he had never actually met her.
"Mother, is that really our little aunt? Should we go over and say hello?" Lin Fengyao looked at the carriage.
Lin Fenghe said, "No, my aunt said before that my aunt's new wife doesn't like us, so we shouldn't go and cause trouble for my aunt."
Song Anxin nodded and said, "Feng He is right. It seems that your aunt is doing well. We should not disturb her."
There were many feudal etiquettes in this era, especially in wealthy families. Once a daughter was married off, she belonged to another family. The matriarchs of the past didn't care, but perhaps the matriarchs of today would value these rules very much.
Song Anbang also said, "Master Liu is known for treating his family very well. I've also heard that Madam Liu is very virtuous. Sister, you can rest assured."
The group didn't want to shop around anymore, so they went straight to Song Anxin's parents' home in Yong'an Lane.
The last carriage in front had its curtain slightly raised at the window, and a pair of eyes were staring intently at Song Anxin and her group outside.
Beside them were two adorable little girls, one of whom looked younger. In her delicate voice, she asked, "Mother, what are you looking at?"
Another little girl chimed in, "Yes, Auntie, you've been secretly peeking outside the whole time."
The young woman who had been peeking at Song Anxin and her group outside was none other than Lin Taohua, the younger sister-in-law of the Lin family.
Seeing that the group had walked away, she lowered the curtain and said softly, "No, Auntie didn't see anything, she just got some fresh air."
The two girls didn't press the matter after hearing that she was alright. They sat quietly in the carriage, not daring to make a fuss, for fear that the mother in the carriage in front would scold them for being unruly.
The two girls were Liu Mingzhu, the eldest daughter of Liu Guisheng, the wealthy Liu family, who was also the daughter of Liu Guisheng's deceased wife, and Liu Mingyue, the illegitimate daughter of Liu Guisheng, who was born to Lin Taohua.
Lin Taohua's eyes were filled with disappointment and a hint of excitement. Those were her second sister-in-law's family. She was sure she hadn't made a mistake. Although her second sister-in-law had lost a lot of weight and Feng Nian and the others had grown up, she could still recognize them at a glance.
But she couldn't stop the carriage and go down to meet them; the current mistress would displease her, and she didn't want her to impose rules on them again. She should just keep it to herself; she didn't want to implicate the two younger children.
Since she married into the Liu family, her former wife had treated her very well, and the master was also very kind. He only liked his wife and had no intention of taking her as a concubine, but rather wanted the Liu family line to continue.
She became pregnant as soon as she entered the manor. If she had given birth to a boy, he would have been adopted by the first wife, but she gave birth to a girl. The master and mistress did not mind. She missed home, so the mistress allowed her to go back to visit often and treated her daughter the same as her own.
Later, the lady became pregnant again. She had already damaged her body and had difficulty conceiving when she gave birth to her first child. This unexpected pregnancy was very dangerous for her, but she insisted on giving birth. Unexpectedly, she and her unborn child died.
The new lady is the former lady's sister, but unlike the former lady, she is not kind. She always pretends to be virtuous and generous in front of the master, but criticizes them behind their backs, including the eldest daughter.
She had no choice but to carefully raise Mingzhu and Mingyue in her care.
Poor Miss Mingzhu lost her mother at such a young age. As the eldest daughter of the family, she was abused by her stepmother. When the lady first arrived, she wasn't so blatant.
Later, the Liu family's young master was born, and the master was busy, so Miss Mingzhu ended up eating and living with them. She sighed inwardly, thinking that it was for the best, at least she could still take care of Miss Mingzhu. The madam had been so good to her before, so she had to protect Miss Mingzhu.
Moreover, she is now pregnant, and she needs to be even more careful as she strokes her growing belly.
The carriage wheels moved forward slowly.
Inside the luxurious carriage in front, Liu Guisheng said to his wife, Xiao Su:
"This carriage is big enough for our whole family. Why didn't you let Aunt Lin, Mingzhu, and Mingyue ride with us? Why did you send another carriage?"
At this moment, a little boy nearby heard this and shouted:
"I don't want to sit with them, Father. I don't like them. I'll kick them out if they come."
Liu Guisheng immediately frowned and said to his youngest son:
“Mingjie, how could you treat your aunt and two older sisters like this? Jinmei, how did you raise Mingjie at home? How dare you say such rebellious things.”
Su Mingjie saw that his father was very resentful because of those bastards' reprimand of him, and he wanted to continue arguing with his father.
Madam Su quickly pulled her son to her side, stuffed a pastry in front of her into his mouth, and said with a smile:
“Sir, Mingjie is still young and doesn’t know any better. Please don’t blame him. I will teach him properly.”
She then put on a considerate expression and said, "Aunt Lin is pregnant now, and it's inevitable that the children will bump into each other while playing in one carriage. That's why I arranged another carriage for them. Mingzhu and Mingyue are both girls, and they'll have more to talk about when they're together."
Liu Guisheng's expression softened considerably: "You are a thoughtful person, and I am very relieved to leave the family in your care. However, you must discipline Mingjie more closely."
Little Su obediently agreed, while Su Mingjie, who was standing next to her, was speechless after his mother stuffed a mouthful of pastries into his mouth, but he was still very angry inside, because his mother had said that they were all despicable people.
"Are we almost at the Grand Hyatt Restaurant?" Liu Guisheng asked.
The servant outside replied, "Master, it will be ready soon."
Liu Guisheng didn't say anything more. Today was the day he returned home after being away for several days. It was not easy for the family to be reunited, so of course he wanted to take the family out for a walk and a reunion dinner.
Meanwhile, at Song Anxin's family home in Yong'an Lane, Lin Fengshou also rushed over to meet them. The oxcart stopped at the same woman's house as before, and Lin Fengshou gave her two coins, asking her to take good care of his ox.
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