Chapter 213: Visiting the Hall
Just as Meimei expected, although the old lady took the tea, drank it and gave a gift of thanks, she felt unwilling in her heart. She suddenly remembered that when Qin first got married, she did not allow anyone to serve tea. Was she taking this opportunity to save her face?
Bai Jingyu, Ning Rulan and others who were sitting aside and watching the fun were thinking the same thing. Bai Jingyu and Ning Rulan smiled at each other and felt that it was understandable for Meimei to take this opportunity to save face.
Xu Junying heaved a sigh of relief, and felt reassured. He had overheard someone say that if the elders did not accept the tea when the bride came home, she would never be happy in her life. He did not believe it at first, but since he had to give Meimei a ceremony, he had to complete it perfectly.
Xu Junya hadn't seen Rulan for a long time, so she came to visit her. Rulan had already gotten rid of morning sickness and had a good appetite. In order to prevent herself from eating too much and becoming overweight, she walked around the yard every day. After the second house moved to the West Mansion, most of her orchids were left in the yard where she used to live. She would come back from time to time to visit and then pay her respects at Jinhua Hall. If she left some food for him, she would eat her fill before walking back to the West Yard.
Xu Junlang and Xu Junting came in one after another. The brothers sat down in order. Ruixue Ruiyu brought tea, and everyone chatted with the old lady while drinking tea.
Meimei looked at the situation and thought, this is bad, so many people came, it seems that tonight is another family dinner, and she is eating reunion dinner with the old lady. She is really lucky, she gets to eat leftovers as soon as she comes back.
Bai Jingyu gave her a seat and accidentally sat with Zhuang Yulan. He had no choice but to nod and greet her:
"Cousin Lan, are you back to visit the old lady? It's so hot, you must have worked hard."
Zhuang Yulan lowered her head. She had gained some weight, and her complexion looked more tender than before. Meimei saw her long green fingernails and could not help but put her hands into her sleeves. Her fingernails were bruised and had not grown back properly, which was very ugly. She still relied on rouge and powder to cover up the scars on her face. Alas, she couldn't put on makeup every day, could she? She didn't want to
Seeing that Zhuang Yulan didn't answer, Meimei didn't bother to pay attention to her. Just when she was about to turn around, the second wife helped Zhuang Yulan answer a few words, saying that the family that cousin Lan married into was very particular about etiquette. Shi Xueshi had just accompanied cousin Lan to visit Jiangning's hometown and came back. They paid homage to the Zhuang clan and the ancestral temple, and also brought countless local rituals from their hometown to the old lady...
Meimei smiled and said to Zhuang Yulan: "My cousin's husband is so considerate and kind, my cousin Lan is so lucky."
The old lady sat there, nodding her head as she listened to her grandchildren discussing current affairs, while paying close attention to the movements of her grandchildren's wives. Now she could no longer hold back and spoke out:
"Lan'er is naturally the most blessed. When I took her horoscope to the temple to ask for fortune-telling, the monk said: She is a lucky and blessed person, suitable for a prosperous family and a prosperous family with many descendants."
She stared at Meimei with a sharp look in her eyes: "She is newly married and already a double. Who among you can compare to her? If Shi Xueshi marries her, he will find a treasure. She is extremely valuable."
As soon as the old lady said this, even Bai Jingyu and others knew that Zhuang Yulan was pregnant, and they all congratulated her. Meimei then understood why she saw Zhuang Yulan leaning on the old lady when she first entered the room. Could it be that she had just been diagnosed with pregnancy and was in the vomiting period like Ning Rulan at the beginning?
But she didn't vomit. Meimei smiled and said to Zhuang Yulan: "Congratulations, cousin Lan."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhuang Yulan covered her mouth and turned to rush to the back hall. Meimei was very depressed: "Damn it, my sister is so beautiful, and showing you a smile is a good prenatal education, but you don't appreciate it."
When dinner was served, Meimei automatically stood at the back to serve as a waitress, but Xu Junying pulled her to sit next to him. The old lady squinted her eyes and looked over. Without waiting for her to say anything, Xu Junying bowed to the old lady, the second master and the second wife and apologized: "Meimei's body has not recovered yet. If she stands for too long, she will faint. Please forgive me, elders."
The old lady snorted and said calmly: "You are so fickle, sometimes well and sometimes sick. When will you be well again? Alas, I have really dragged you down."
Xu Junying said: "Grandma, don't worry, she is taking medicine and will be well in a while."
Meimei tried not to look at the old lady. She knew that if she glanced at her ugly face, she would move her mouth and make her upset with a word.
Ning Rulan was pregnant. Xu Junya looked at the second wife a few more times, and the second wife wiped her old face and said, "Rulan, please sit down first. Your second sister-in-law is here."
So Bai Jingyu brought Gan to set the table and serve the food, and they were very busy. Zhuang Yulan was not feeling well and was absent, so the dinner ended in harmony.
Xu Junying left first, using the excuse that Meimei was taking medicine.
The old lady looked at her grandson's departing back, her smile froze and instantly turned cold. She pointed at the door and said to the second master:
"Look at him now, he doesn't have any of your brother's spirit at all? All he sees is that sickly guy, he looks smooth on the surface, but inside he's a mess, he's so sick he might die any day, what's so good about him? Is it worth it for him to move back home like this? It really makes me mad"
Xu Junying and Meimei could not hear the old lady's resentful words. They walked in the garden, feeling the cool breeze and the singing of nightingales. Meimei felt relaxed and happy. She wanted to walk slowly for a while, but Xu Junying walked very fast. Seeing that she could not keep up, he pulled her hand and said with a smile: "Go back quickly. If it hurts for me to hold your hand, I will carry you on my back, okay?"
Meimei shook her head: "I want to go by myself"
"Can you please walk a little faster? There is still work to be done."
Meimei rolled her eyes and said, "We haven't visited Qiuhuayuan yet. Now that we're back, we should go visit the eldest lady, right?"
Xu Junying hesitated for a moment: "Okay, then let's go see the first wife."
Qiuhua Courtyard was completely silent, but the eldest wife had already gone to bed. When He Mama and Chunyue, who were on night duty in the corridor, saw the eldest young lady, they all hurried over to greet her and were about to call the eldest aunt over. Xu Junying said:
"No need. The eldest aunt takes care of the eldest wife and the children during the day. She must be very tired. Let her rest. We will come to see the wife tomorrow."
He took Meimei with him, left Qiuhua Courtyard, and went back to Qinghua Courtyard.
Cui Xi and Cui Lian, along with the maids, followed behind with the lights on from beginning to end, without saying a word.
What Lord Hou did today was very special, and they were very happy watching it. They had already seen that Lord Hou still liked their young lady, and he made concessions for their young lady time and time again. They were willing to see such Lord Hou, and even secretly helped him to win the young lady's heart. Stubborn young lady, how would she torture Lord Hou before he would give in?
Finally returning to Qinghua Courtyard, Xu Junying waited for Cuixi and Cuilian to approach him and said to them: "The upper room has been renovated and refurbished, and some new furniture has been added. The original cabinets and boxes are still locked the same way as before, and there is no change. You guys take care of packing it up. If you need to move anything, ask Baoju to ask for help. The young lady and I will go to the East Courtyard for a while and come back later."
Meimei looked at Cuixi and Cuilian, and said to Xu Junying: "Everyone is tired today, why don't you go and rest first, and come back tomorrow to deal with anything?"
The East Courtyard should have been renovated. It was his territory. Why did he drag her there? A long talk in the quiet night? No, I was tired from running around today. My muscles were sore and I wanted to lie down.
Xu Junying signaled Cui Xi and Cui Lian to hurry up, and when they were far away, he whispered to Mei Mei:
"Today is our wedding day, don't you remember? There is still something unfinished."
"I have paid respect to my parents' tablets and the ancestral hall, and offered tea to my elders. What else is there?"
Xu Junying smiled and said: "We also need to worship heaven and earth and... have a wedding night."
Meimei's face flushed, and she waved her sleeves and said, "Let's keep it simple. That, forget it."
Xu Junying quickly grabbed her hand and said, "This is ridiculous. You can avoid everything but not that."
He leaned over and picked her up: "I'm going to carry you and walk with you. Do you want me to tell you now?"
"How can this be? They're still acting first and asking for permission later... It hurts here."
"Okay, got it, I'll be gentler."
Xu Junying carried Meimei towards the east courtyard. His whole body was burning hot, and as he pressed against her slightly cool body, Meimei felt as if she was trapped in a furnace and was about to be roasted and burnt.
The East Courtyard was still as quiet and deserted as the last night talk. Xu Junying held Meimei in his arms and instructed her to push open the study door. A room full of red light rushed towards them. It turned out to be a wedding hall decorated with grand and magnificent red gauze lanterns and burning dragon and phoenix wedding candles in pairs, arranged neatly. It was obvious that they were made by a soldier like Baoju Baizhan. Meimei was stunned and was placed on the soft couch beside her by Xu Junying. Xu Junying picked up a piece of exquisitely embroidered red silk from the tray on the table and said apologetically:
"I'm sorry, Meimei. I wanted to hold a grand wedding for you, but I can only do this. There are no spectators, no praises, only heaven and earth as witnesses. This is a wedding between the two of us. Are you satisfied?"
Meimei looked at him, smiled slightly, took the red silk from his hand, and nodded gently: "I feel good, thank you for doing this for me"
Xu Junying said happily: "I'll cover it for you..."
Meimei turned around: "Since this is not a joke, then take it seriously. Turn around--"
Xu Junying looked at Meimei and slowly turned around. When he turned back, he saw a bride with a red veil sitting in front of him. He smiled and led her with a big red silk ribbon to the center of the wedding hall. She knelt down on the soft kneeling cushion, bowed once, twice, and three times, then stood up and knelt down again. The couple bowed to each other, and the ceremony was over.
He brought Meimei back to the couch and sat her down, then gently lifted the red veil. In the candlelight, his bride's eyes were shining and she had a shy smile on her face. She couldn't resist his affectionate gaze, so she turned her eyes slightly and gently turned her face away.
Xu Junying sat down next to Meimei, hugged her gently, and whispered: "Meimei, we are finally a real couple. I will love you and will not let you regret marrying me."
Meimei leaned obediently in his arms, with mixed feelings and still feeling confused. Was she going to become Xu Junying's wife just like that?
It's like a game, but it's not a game, it's real. From now on, I'm related to the person in front of me. I used to be able to think about changing people at will, but now I can't even think about it.
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