Lin Yucheng was still recovering from his illness. No matter how unwilling she was, Li Shi had to go with Zhang Shi to Cifang Temple to burn incense and find a wife for Lin Yuqi. Lin Yuqiao and others also went along.
In her previous life, Li did not go with them. At that time, Zhang saw through her intention to sabotage Lin Yuqi's marriage, and Zhang disliked her even more, leaving her alone in the mansion.
Helping Zhang Shi out of the main hall and into the meditation hall behind the temple, Lin Yuqi had a brief meeting with the fourth young lady of the Marquis of Anle's mansion.
Of course, I didn't look at it closely. I just glanced at it once or twice and that was it. To look any further would be indecent.
Lin Yuqi only saw a profile of Miss Jin kneeling with her head bowed. She looked slender and didn't seem bad, so she nodded to Zhang Shi.
"Grandson will listen to Grandma in everything."
Lin Yuqi finished speaking with a flushed face and hurriedly tried to run out, looking very embarrassed.
Lin Yuqiao sat next to Li Shi and couldn't help but burst out laughing at his expression. He'd only glanced at her briefly, and she hadn't even gotten a good look at his height or build, yet he already looked like a lovesick teenager. Did her older brother really have to be so innocent?
"You naughty girl."
Zhang heard her laughter too. After sending Lin Yuqi away, she turned around and pretended to pat her.
But thinking about how Lin Yuqi had fled like she was escaping a disaster, she couldn't help but laugh. After laughing, she couldn't help but sigh at the passage of time. When Lin Yuqi was adopted by her, she was just a baby with her eyes still closed. In the blink of an eye, this child is about to get married and have children.
Zhang also deeply loved and respected Lin Yuqi's birth mother, Chen. The child was filial to her; during the difficult times in the household, it was all thanks to her that the whole family survived. Now that Chen had passed away, leaving behind only a newborn child, Zhang, as her mother-in-law, could only fulfill Chen's last wish by taking good care of Lin Yuqi.
A short while later, the Third Madam of Anle Marquis brought the Fourth Miss over to meet Zhang Shi. Compared to Lin Yuqi, who only glanced at her before, Lin Yuqiao and the others were able to look at her openly and freely.
Looking at this future wife of the heir, Lin Yuqiao felt a little disappointed.
She had forgotten how the novel "Spring Breeze Fights Brocade Hall" described her in her previous life, but it was probably about intelligence, composure, and resourcefulness, with very little description of her appearance. Now that she had met the real person, she was surprised to find that she was so ordinary-looking.
Miss Jin's skin was slightly yellowish, and her features were regular, that's all. Her eyebrows were particularly beautiful, shaped like willow leaves, which made her eyes seem somewhat expressive. Fortunately, she had a good figure, with a slender waist.
She couldn't tell if someone was particularly intelligent or anything like that; all she seemed to notice was that they were quite calm and collected. Sensing the slightly intense gaze Lin Yuqiao was giving her, she lowered her head shyly, clutching her handkerchief.
She has the bearing of a true lady from a prominent family, and her manners are in line with the standards of the time. It seems that Madam Zhang is quite satisfied.
Listening to Madam Li enthusiastically praising Miss Jin's elegance and tranquility, Lin Yuqiao stole a glance, her expression completely natural, as if she was very satisfied with her daughter-in-law.
Of course, whether one is truly satisfied is another matter.
Maintaining her enthusiasm and smile, Li accepted the teacup from Jin Xiyan. In the Qin Dynasty, it was customary for a young woman of marriageable age to serve tea to the groom's mother, signifying that the marriage agreement was finalized. Following this, they could exchange betrothal gifts and proceed with the proper courtesies.
This was the first time Li had seen Jin Xiyan since her rebirth, and she felt quite conflicted.
Putting aside any personal prejudices, she genuinely admired Jin Xiyan.
As a newlywed with no connections in the Marquis's household, she not only managed to win over her husband but also skillfully avoided the pitfalls she had set for herself. After taking over the household, she managed the family with a clear distinction between reward and punishment, and a balance of leniency and kindness. She managed all the household affairs very well.
During the years when she was at odds with him, she not only suffered no loss but also earned a good reputation for being virtuous and kind. After banishing him to the nunnery, she also dealt with He Qingfang, who was trying to gain benefits by jumping around.
The children are also well-educated. Her two sons showed great promise at a young age, and everyone who mentions the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Chenliang's mansion has to give her a shout-out.
Such a talented person! If she were to become the wife of her own son, or if Qiao'er were to become as capable as her in the future, Li Shi would be overjoyed.
Now that the marriage agreement is finalized, it seems that Jin Xiyan is destined to be her daughter-in-law. Li Shi sighed a little, but she was not afraid.
Ultimately, even though Jin Xiyan is quite capable, she is still a young girl. After marrying into the family, she will have to grow up slowly. In this life, she will not be Jin Xiyan's whetstone; she will let Jin Xiyan develop on her own.
Moreover, Li has put in a lot of effort in managing the business to this point, and has learned many lessons from the failures of her previous life.
Having lived so many years, Li Shi had long understood that she wasn't actually defeated by Jin Xiyan, but rather by herself, by Chen Lianghou and Zhang Shi. Without the tacit approval of Chen Lianghou and Zhang Shi, and with her own repeated blunders, how could Jin Xiyan have had everything go so smoothly on her own?
After the two ladies reached an agreement, the purpose of their visit to offer incense was considered achieved.
On the way back, Lin Yuqiao was still in the same carriage as Li Shi, while Lin Yuxuan and Zhang Shi rode together. This time, neither the second wife He Qingfang nor Lin Yuxuan came along.
"Mother, my future sister-in-law is quite ordinary-looking. Will my eldest brother like her?"
This was also a question Lin Yuqiao had after meeting Jin Xiyan. She had assumed that the girl Zhang had carefully chosen must be exceptionally outstanding, especially since the book had previously described Jin Xiyan and Lin Yuqiao as very much in love. Could Lin Yuqiao really be so cultured, valuing inner qualities over outward appearance?
"Nonsense! Fourth Miss is dignified and proper. Didn't you see how much the old lady likes her? Of course your eldest brother will like her too. Besides, when choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one; it's only when one takes a concubine that one values beauty!"
Although Li's words were the universally accepted, high-sounding pronouncements of the time, Lin Yuqiao still felt that beauty gave one more confidence. Even in ancient times, when virtue was highly valued, there were still requirements for women's moral character, speech, and appearance. How could everyone ignore outward appearance and only value inner beauty?
Leaning against Li Shi, Lin Yuqiao reached out and touched her face, feeling incredibly fortunate.
"Luckily, my mother is beautiful, and she gave birth to me to be just as good-looking!"
"This shameless bastard!"
Li chuckled and playfully patted Lin Yuqiao, but a thought suddenly struck her. Although Jin Xiyan was excellent in every way, she had one disadvantage: her appearance was indeed rather ordinary.
In her past life, Li Shi was always looking for opportunities to harm Lin Yuqi. Although Chen Lianghou and Zhang Shi protected her, those petty tricks always left her feeling uneasy.
Therefore, Li believes that the reason why Lin Yuqi and Jin Xiyan have such a good relationship after their marriage is probably because they have a common enemy. This allows them to support each other and grow closer, and their relationship gradually improves.
Now that he has done his best for Lin Yuqi, she shouldn't have any complaints. However, after they get married, they will lack a natural common ground and will need time to adjust, just like any other newlywed couple. Jin Xiyan is also a reserved person; it will take time to appreciate her good qualities.
Lacking both striking good looks and being raised to be dignified and well-behaved, Jin Xiyan is unlikely to be the type to actively pursue someone. So, will they be as loving as they were in their previous life?
Back at the mansion, inspired by Lin Yuqiao, Madam Li decided to add a few beautiful maids to Lin Yuqi's courtyard.
Lin Yuqi's favoritism towards Chen Lianghou was already unfair to Lin Yucheng and the others. In addition, with the arrival of the Crown Prince's wife, if their relationship becomes too good and they have nothing else to do with, Jin Xiyan will always be eyeing the power of managing the household. If they join forces, there will be no place for the mother and her children in the mansion.
Although the power to manage the household would eventually be handed over to the Crown Princess, Lady Li still wanted to delay as long as possible. The difference in treatment between managing the household and managing it with one's own mother was like night and day. She had to establish her own authority, otherwise no one would care whether her children were doing well or poorly.
There's no need to have those beauties serve me closely; that would make me seem ill-intentioned. Just assign me to a regular second-class maidservant doing needlework. Given such an opportunity, anyone with ambition and a desire to improve themselves will naturally become more alert.
The case of the second wife, He Qingfang, is a prime example. Even the most loving couple will grow distant if a concubine enters their lives. I've heard that the second master doesn't visit He Qingfang's room much anymore, so I reckon the second wife's family will soon start causing trouble again.
He Qingfang is known for being extremely jealous and unforgiving, so it's already surprising that she's managed to hold back until now.
After dealing with Lin Yuqi's affairs, Madam Li began to think about the second branch of the family. She knew that once Jin Xiyan entered the household, she would definitely team up with He Qingfang, just like in her previous life, causing her a lot of trouble.
She needed to take this opportunity to add fuel to the fire for the second wife's family. Although He Qingfang wasn't getting any favors from Zhang Shi, if she clashed with He Qingfang, Zhang Shi would definitely side with He Qingfang, given her personality. She needed to completely crush He Qingfang, making her unable to tremble and unable to cause any more trouble for herself.
In fact, Li couldn't understand He Qingfang at all. She hadn't wronged her in any way, but whether in the previous life or this life, He Qingfang always treated her as a mortal enemy and always wanted to make things difficult for her.
They would never miss an opportunity to trip me up, and they did a lot of things to sow discord between Zhang and her. After Jin Xiyan married into the family, they even joined forces to deal with me, as if He Qingfang would benefit from my misfortune.
Other minor squabbles were one thing, but what Li Shi resented most was He Qingfang's embellishment of the blood ginseng story when Lin Yucheng was ill, which made him even sicker. In her previous life, she and Jin Xiyan had instigated Chen Lianghou to send Lin Yuning to the Western Frontier battlefield, where he ultimately died unjustly. Just thinking about it made Li Shi's teeth itch.
If someone like He Qingfang were to be well, that would be terrible.
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