Chapter 22: Two Brothers Go to Qin's House
The next day, before dawn, the entire Qin family was in action.
Sweep the house, prepare a banquet, and get ready to welcome the two brothers Liu Zhiyan.
Qin Xue would get up on weekdays, take out a foreign language book, and read it for more than half an hour without distraction.
Today, I held the book but couldn't concentrate on reading. All I could think about was the visit of my elder brother Liu Zhiyan today.
Thinking of what her father said last night, he would decide today's meeting based on the circumstances.
If Liu Zhiyan's brother did not approve of him becoming a son-in-law, he would agree to let her marry into the Liu family, but one of their future children must have the surname Qin, and the child must be raised by him. In addition, the Liu family must agree to let them live separately.
Whether he insisted on marrying a son-in-law or letting her marry into the Liu family, it was all because of her father's deep love for her.
Qin Xue just felt heavy.
She really wanted to tell her father that if Liu Zhiyan's eldest brother did not agree with him becoming a son-in-law, then the marriage would be canceled.
But she found that the words "let it go" that she could easily say before were now impossible to say.
I can only agree with her father's words.
The man who had only recently entered her life had already unconsciously taken up residence in her heart when he repeatedly gave her a sense of security. Although his status was not as important as her biological father, he was the second person to live in her heart.
No matter what his brother thinks about him becoming a son-in-law, he himself is really sincere.
Based on this alone, she couldn't explain why her father insisted on finding a son-in-law.
In fact, she doesn't know what the outcome of today's meeting between the two families will be.
If, as she and her father had thought, they could successfully recruit him as a live-in son-in-law, her father would surely be happy. On the contrary, if her father took a step back and let her marry him and then live separately, Liu Zhiyan would probably be more willing. After all, no man would like to be someone else's live-in son-in-law.
No matter what kind of result she desires, it seems that there will be someone unhappy.
Qin Xue suddenly felt like she didn't know how she was going to get along with the two equally important men in her life.
Male guests are naturally received in the outer courtyard.
But usually Qin Laicai is the only one in the outer courtyard. Apart from the housekeeper, there are the coachman and the servants. These people have no problem doing heavy work, but if you ask them to sweep the house or something, they are definitely not as good as the nanny and maids.
Therefore, the maids and nannies in Qin Xue's yard all went to the front yard to work, and Qin Xue was the only one in the back yard.
No one cared about Qin Xue, she was immersed in her own thoughts. When the nanny came back halfway, she found that she had not eaten a single bite of the breakfast prepared for her, and she was instantly heartbroken.
She personally took the breakfast that was warm in the small kitchen pot and replaced it with the breakfast that had already cooled on the table. The nanny invited Qin Xue to eat, "Miss, it's already noon. Please put aside what you are doing and have breakfast first."
Hearing Mammy's voice, Qin Xue's unfocused eyes immediately lit up. She put down the book in her hand, lifted up the hem of her skirt, and trotted to the flower hall. She looked at Mammy with bright eyes, "Mammy, how are the preparations going outside?"
"Everything is ready." The nanny replied while serving her young lady her meal. "Young lady, have breakfast."
Taking the chopsticks from the nanny, Qin Xue picked up a steamed dumpling and stuffed it into her mouth. She chewed it a few times and swallowed it. She then took a few sips of the white fungus soup that was just the right temperature. Then she asked, "Why didn't Dad come to eat?"
"Young Master Liu sent someone to deliver a message early in the morning, saying that they would arrive at noon. The master told him to have breakfast in the outer courtyard." This was the first time Liu Zhiyan came to the house, and the nanny had seen him before.
To be honest, in her decades of life, this was the first time she had seen a man as handsome as Liu Zhiyan.
It really looks like someone walking out of a painting.
And judging from his conversation and behavior, he is no worse than the young man she served in the official household when she was young.
At that time, she felt sorry that he was the owner of a dessert shop and could not take the imperial examination and become an official.
Unexpectedly, not long after, the master said that this handsome young man would become a son-in-law of the Qin family, and also said that he would take part in this year's provincial examination, which made the nanny so happy that she was grinning from ear to ear.
"Miss, please stay in the backyard. I will have Sushan come to tell you what's happening in the front yard at any time."
In the past, whenever the topic of finding a husband was brought up, my daughter would speak as if she were discussing official business, without the slightest hint of shyness a young woman should have when discussing marriage. For this reason, my nanny worried that my daughter would lack affection for her future husband after marriage.
But ever since Mr. Liu expressed his feelings, my young lady finally showed the shyness that a young girl should have when talking about marriage.
It is obvious that he is attentive and has a desire for it.
Not to mention that Young Master Liu has first-class looks and good manners, which alone can make her young lady feel the emotions that a young girl should have, so the nanny likes him as a son-in-law.
The nanny's words made Qin Xue unable to suppress the corners of her mouth rising, "Then I'll be waiting."
"Okay, you wait. I have something else to do outside, so I have to go and take care of it. Please enjoy your meal."
Qin Xue took another steamed bun and stuffed it into her mouth, then gestured to the nanny, "Don't worry, I will finish all the food you prepared."
…
The Liu Zhiyan brothers came on horseback.
As they turned onto Hexia Street, they came upon the nine-story Huizhou building complex stretching for hundreds of meters. Whether it was its size, the exquisite carvings on the exterior, or the two majestic lions at the gate, it all betrayed the owner's considerable wealth. The two brothers simultaneously reined in their horses.
Looking at the house before him, which was as grand as a royal palace, Liu Zhiyan turned sideways and said to his brother, "This is the house of the Wang family, the famous salt merchants in Lianghuai."
"He's got a lot of money," Liu Yulan said expressionlessly. "This time, the imperial court's salt policy reform is targeting big salt merchants like this. It's a good thing you didn't set your sights on this family's daughter, otherwise, let alone coming to propose marriage for you, I'd be lucky enough not to have you dragged back to the capital right away."
"A girl who grew up in a family like this has more than eight hundred tricks in her head. I can't look down on her."
He had feelings for Qin Xue because it was his mother who first chose her. A girl who could catch his mother's eye must be a good person.
Secondly, this girl is simple-minded.
The most important thing is that this girl has a sense of humor. Being with her always makes you feel lively but not bored.
"This house is nice. It can be used as a temporary residence for foreign envoys in the future. It's quite good." Liu Yulan said in a flat tone.
However, Liu Zhiyan could hear a bloody storm in his words.
It seems that the Wang family is about to collapse.
However, it would be better to sell this unjust business that takes the hard-earned money of the common people. "The Yangzhou port will open in July. When mother returns with her people, she will go here, right?"
Liu Yulan rolled her eyes at her brother in annoyance. "Mom left you, not me. If you're not sure, how should I know?"
Hearing his brother's rather resentful voice, Liu Zhiyan said shamelessly, "Compared to you who will soon be a grandfather, it's normal for mother to miss me, a lonely child, more than you. Isn't it normal?!"
Compared with Liu Zhiyan's unorthodoxy, Liu Yulan has taken every step of her life quite steadily.
He got married when he was old enough to get married, and had children when he was old enough to have children. So although he was only thirty years old, his eldest son was already fifteen years old and was about to start a family.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll quit my job." Seeing that her brother was 25 years old and still had no decent job, Liu Yulan threatened him.
Unfortunately, his younger brother wasn't afraid of the threat and gave him sincere advice, "Honestly, brother, you're only thirty. As Mom would say, it's the best time of your life. It's better to keep a youthful mindset. Don't be so serious every time we meet. It makes me dislike seeing you. Just talk and have some fun like now. It's so relaxing, isn't it?"
"You have so many crooked ideas that I don't want to bother with you." After saying that, he flicked the whip, squeezed his legs together, and galloped out.
Liu Zhiyan never wanted to see his brother who was so fatherly, but every time he saw that his fatherly nature was gone, he felt a sense of accomplishment.
Just like at this moment, seeing him galloping on his horse because he was so angry at himself, looking like a teenager, he thought it was pretty good.
So he also whipped his horse whip and quickly followed.
The Qin family, like the Wang family, was located on Hexia Street. The two brothers rode their horses a few paces and soon arrived at the Qin family.
He pulled the reins and dismounted. A servant who had been waiting at the gate took the reins and led the horse to tie it up.
To show their solemnity, the Qin family's door was open. Looking at the door without a threshold, Liu Yulan just thought that the Qin family had someone remove the threshold for convenience and didn't think much about it.
It was Liu Zhiyan who explained the reason to him.
"..." When she heard that her future sister-in-law always liked to kick the door sills when she walked, and her father did not teach her to be careful when walking but instead removed all the door sills in the house, Liu Yulan's face showed quite a lot of expressions.
I've heard of people spoiling their children, but I've never heard of anyone spoiling them to this extent.
The most amazing thing is that his future sister-in-law was brought up in such a pampered way, and she even caught his mother's eye. It was really rare.
He became more and more curious, what kind of girl was that? !
However, as a foreign man, he could not see the girl today and could only see the girl's father.
Before the two brothers had taken a few steps, they saw a man in his early forties, of medium height, wearing a dark purple Confucian robe with a two-finger-wide red border with a swastika pattern on it, a fine jade pendant hanging around his waist, and a Dongpo scarf on his head that showed the temperament of a Confucian businessman. He seemed to be a bit plump, walking towards them.
Seeing him personally coming out to greet them, the two brothers hurried forward, and then Liu Zhiyan took a step ahead of his brother and stepped forward to hold Qin Laicai's arm, "Why do you need uncle to come out to greet you himself?"
Reaching out and patting the hand on his arm, Qin Laicai looked at Liu Yulan who had taken a step back.
He was about the same height as his brother, and his features were not as beautiful and delicate as Liu Zhiyan's, but it was not difficult to see the similarities between the two brothers. He wore straight clothes that were used as casual clothes for scholars and formal clothes for commoners, and his hair was tied with a net scarf. There was nothing on his body that could reveal the other's identity.
However, although he tried to be gentle, he could not hide his majesty.
Having been a salt merchant for so many years, Qin Laicai had seen officials before, and he knew more or less what the power of an official was like.
Not surprisingly, Liu Zhiyan's brother should be a person in officialdom.
Although they had learned from their daughter that the Liu family's financial situation was much better than they thought.
But there is still a difference between hearing about it and seeing it with your own eyes.
At least at this moment, facing Liu Yulan, a man who had been in the officialdom for more than ten years, Qin Laicai subconsciously felt nervous, "Yes, yes, dear... Your brother came to visit regarding Xue'er and you, so I should go out to greet him."
Before he could say anything else, Liu Yulan had already stepped forward to greet him, "Liu Yulan greets Uncle Qin. Hello, Uncle Qin!"
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