Chapter 40: Family Reunion
“The Princess Consort of Shun comes from the Pingnan Marquis’s residence. She is thirty years old this year. She is very gentle and speaks softly, as if she can get close to anyone. Her father, the Pingnan Marquis, is currently the commander of the Southern Camp. He is one of the nobles that my father-in-law likes to curry favor with.”
"Princess Fu is only twenty-five this year, just like the princess. She is as beautiful as the moon in the sky. Let me put it this way, I don't dislike her even though she won my money. That tells you how beautiful she is."
On the official road to town, Rosie and her sister Roland sat in a carriage, shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand, talking about her card game.
Roland said deliberately, "That is indeed very beautiful. You used to pout when you lost a few copper coins to me."
Luo Fu: "...At that time, I had nothing in my hands, so of course I coveted copper coins."
Roland: "Alright, alright, let's continue talking about Princess Fu."
Luo Fu then told her sister about the Xie family's affairs that she had heard from Xiao Yu the night before.
Luo Lan: "The governor is a high-ranking official of the second rank. When Xie was alive, the power of the Princess Consort of Fu's family was comparable to that of the Princess Consort of Shun. Now that Xie is gone, the Princess Consort of Fu has suddenly become an orphan without any family support. If she is more thoughtful, or if the Prince of Fu and her sisters-in-law treat her worse than before, then her worries will have a source."
Luo Fu: "I don't know. Everyone was very friendly while playing cards, so you couldn't tell anything."
Roland asked curiously, "Where is Princess Qi? Why did the princess forget her second sister-in-law?"
All four princes and Princess Kangping were born to Empress Gao. In terms of kinship alone, the four sisters-in-law should be just as close to Princess Kangping.
Luo Fu had also consulted Yang Yanzhen about this issue. Since it involved royal secrets, Luo Fu whispered in her sister's ear, "The princess is playful, and the Princess Consort of Qi is fond of martial arts. It is said that one year the two met at the royal hunting grounds. The Princess Consort of Qi shot the prey that the princess had been chasing for a long time. Since then, the princess has never visited the Qi Prince's residence again, nor has she invited the Princess Consort of Qi to her residence."
Roland: "...As expected of a princess, she has quite a temper."
Thinking of Princess Kangping's noble air, Luo Fu said enviously, "If I were a princess, I would do whatever I wanted, and ignore anyone I didn't like, thus avoiding all those hypocritical social niceties."
Roland glanced out the window and laughed, "You're not destined to be a princess in this lifetime, but you can learn from your family's top scholar. If you don't want to sit at the same table with someone, just say so directly. You're not hypocritical at all."
Luo Fu: "..."
Pushing aside her sister who was making fun of her, Luo Fu moved to the right-hand carriage window, pried open the curtain a little, and saw two newly appointed scholars riding side by side. Her brother-in-law, who was ranked third in the imperial examination, was closer to the carriage, while her husband, who was ranked first in the imperial examination, was further away. He held the reins in one hand and raised the other hand to shield his eyes from the dust kicked up by the horses in front of him.
"I hope my brother-in-law isn't secretly cursing me in his heart. If I hadn't been in the same car as you, he definitely would have gotten in."
Roland, with her chin resting on her sister's shoulder, also witnessed this scene. Originally, she suggested that the two families meet outside the city gate in separate carriages, but her sister said that would be too formal. Since the two sisters would definitely be sitting together on the way to chat, why bother sending a carriage? So she specially went to her house to pick her up, leaving Xiao Yu and Pei Xingshu to ride horses.
Luo Fu: "I arranged it. He'll be cursing me, but he's not that kind of person."
The longer Luo Fu spent time with Xiao Yu, the better she felt. He had only two flaws: he was too clean and he was too good at offending people.
After traveling for more than an hour, the carriage finally arrived at Ganquan Town, southwest of the capital.
The houses in the town were built in neat rows. Since the Luo family had just moved there, they could only choose a place in one of the four corners of the town. The two sisters walked around the town, looking at the terrain and asking around about the neighbors. Finally, they chose a vacant lot next to the second to last street in the southeast of the town. They hired local young men to build the house and asked a local carpenter to make the furniture.
The courtyard has three main rooms, two side rooms, three east and west wing rooms, and three rear rooms. Each room is spacious. The backyard enclosed by high walls is quite large. In the northeast corner, there is a latrine and pigsty, and in the southeast corner, there is a stable and woodshed. The middle area is reserved for growing vegetables.
"The side room is for my sister and me. We'll use it when we come home for short stays in the future."
Upon entering the courtyard, Luo Fu first led Xiao Yu to see the west wing room she had chosen. Ordinary families couldn't afford underfloor heating, so the room had a heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove).
Xiao Yu looked around at the brand-new wardrobes, tables and chairs in the room. The woodwork and craftsmanship were quite ordinary, but the room had a similar comfort and warmth to the small home of Shen Sitang and his wife, making people feel at ease and at ease when they were there.
This time, both of Luo's sons-in-law prepared gifts to show their respect to their parents-in-law.
Pei Xingshu gave his father-in-law a chess table and chair set so that he could play chess with the new neighbors once his father-in-law arrived. He also gave his mother-in-law a dressing table.
Xiao Yu gave his father-in-law a painting of Huangqiao Village that he had painted himself, and gave his mother-in-law a tea set.
With several items hung and arranged in advance, the new house felt more lively.
"Let's have lunch here. I'll cook you some simple home-style dishes," Roland suggested with great interest after finishing his work.
Pei Xingshu looked at his wife tenderly and said, "I'll help add firewood."
Xiao Yu glanced at his wife secretly.
Luo Fu: "...Don't look at me, I've never cooked before, I don't know how to cook."
Roland didn't want her sister to cause trouble, so she told the newlyweds to go inside and play chess or do whatever they wanted. She then asked Pei Xingshu to go to the main street to buy vegetables and meat.
Luo Fu led Xiao Yu to the main room. After setting up the chessboard, she placed a piece while saying, "Don't just criticize me for not being able to cook. My brother-in-law is also from a wealthy family. He knows how to add firewood and start a fire. Can you?"
Xiao Yu wouldn't. He had servants in the Marquis's residence, and Qingchuan went with him for more than two years when he went to Mount Song, so his life there was almost the same as in the capital.
"There are cooks in the manor, so it doesn't matter whether Madam can cook or not," Xiao Yu clarified, indicating that he did not have any complaints about Madam.
Luo Fu: "I've heard that upright officials are often demoted, and they're often sent to remote and impoverished places. Now you know I can't cook, so you'd better be smarter in the officialdom in the future. Otherwise, if it's your turn to be demoted to another place one day, as long as the Emperor doesn't ask me to go with you, I'll definitely stay in the capital. Anyway, I can't take care of you much if I go, and you might even have to cook for both of us by yourself."
Thinking about that situation, Luo Fu felt that Xiao Yu was too pitiful, so she decided not to drag him down.
In Xiao Yu's mind, he saw himself frantically working at the stove, while his wife, dressed in simple clothes, sat beside him, hungry and weeping sadly...
“Alright, if that day ever comes, I will go to take up my post in another place myself,” Xiao Yu said, echoing his wife’s words.
Luo Fu kicked him under the table: "All you do is say unlucky things."
Xiao Yu: "..."
It was clearly the lady who spoke first.
.
After much anticipation, on May 16th, the Luo family finally entered the capital again, accompanied by Steward Lin, arranged by Master Pei, and Luo Lan and her husband's two children.
Since they didn't know the location of their new home, the group went to the Pei residence first.
By the time Luo Fu received the news and rushed over, Luo Lan had already cried while holding her two children. Six-year-old Yi Ge'er and three-year-old Zhi Jie'er were excitedly running around in their new home.
"Auntie!" Yi Ge'er remembered his aunt and rushed over happily.
Luo Fu picked up her nephew and showered him with kisses. After she had her fill of affection, she snatched her shy niece from her mother's arms. After all, she was her aunt, and Zhi'er quickly became close to her aunt again.
"She seems to have grown taller again," Wang Qiuyue said to herself, her eyes fixed on her youngest daughter.
Luo Dayuan said even more quietly, "He also seems to have gained a little weight."
Wang Qiuyue shot him a sharp look, telling him to shut up if he couldn't speak.
Luo Song, who had grown significantly taller, looked at his younger sister with a mixture of joy at the family reunion and embarrassment at losing his military post.
"Mother, was your journey peaceful?"
The children went to play, and the adults went to sit in the main room. Luo Fu asked her mother.
Wang Qiuyue said with relief, "It's peaceful now. Ever since the imperial court posted the notice to recruit bandits, many bandits who became outlaws because they were afraid of forced labor or military service have come down from the mountains and reformed. The escort agency masters who are protecting us are worried that they will lose their business in the future, but then they think that the world is peaceful and they can support themselves by going back to farm, so there is nothing to be afraid of."
Luo Dayuan: "It was just too hot. We walked for half a month without a single rain shower. We were covered in dust every day."
Wang Qiuyue: "I deliberately set off before the height of summer to avoid the rain. Just wait, the rain will come as soon as June arrives."
The topic was quickly brushed aside. Compared to the tedious journey, Luo Dayuan and his wife were more curious about their two sons-in-law's careers from the imperial examination to the present, especially their younger son-in-law. Their two daughters had kept it a secret from them in their letters, but on the way they heard the interesting story of the newly appointed top scholar being imprisoned before being named the top scholar. At first, they just thought it was funny, but then they realized that their own younger son-in-law was the newly appointed top scholar!
Roland had already given a brief account, and Luo Fu, not wanting her parents to worry, similarly downplayed the issue, completely omitting the fact that she almost divorced Xiao Yu.
By evening, both sons-in-law had come over, and the small courtyard was as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.
Before dinner, Luo Fu specifically reminded her parents and brother: "Don't talk while eating, so you don't spit on your son-in-law."
The three newcomers from the Luo family were dumbfounded, while Pei Xingshu and Luo Lan exchanged a knowing smile.
Xiao Yu looked slightly embarrassed and helplessly glanced at his wife.
Can he treat his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law the same way he treats outsiders? He is outspoken in public, but at his father-in-law's house, he will take the initiative to avoid them.
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Author's Note: Xiao Rong: So your own father is not as good as your father-in-law, right?
Deng: So your own mother is not as good as your mother-in-law?
Xiao Hu and Xiao Lin: Is it true that a brother-in-law is worse than a brother-in-law?
Haha, 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
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