"Father...!" Jiao's mother's eyes were red. She was at a loss and tried to help Qiao Sheng up, looking to Grand Tutor Cheng for help.
This is really... he didn't break up the couple!
"Get up, all of you, get up!" Grand Tutor Cheng said helplessly, reaching out to help Qiao Shi up.
"You have a fine son! For Ah Sheng's sake, I'll let bygones be bygones for your rudeness! Who proposes marriage like this! Forget about the proper betrothal and marriage arrangements, you didn't even give me a proper greeting before forcing me to marry off my daughter and find a husband!"
While Qiao Shi was still feeling uneasy, Qiao Sheng quickly nudged him with his elbow, "Dad, the matchmaker...!"
"Huh? Matchmaker... I haven't... Oh, tomorrow, I'll ask someone to come and propose marriage tomorrow!" Qiao Shi finally came to his senses and was overjoyed.
Grand Tutor Cheng glared at him. "What's the rush? You two should settle in first! Eat, eat, hurry up and eat, the food's getting cold!"
The Qiao father and son quickly thanked Grand Tutor Cheng, exchanged silly smiles, and returned to their seats.
Jiang Shan winked and gave Qiao Shi a hand gesture: Brilliant!
Qiao Shi chuckled foolishly and took the initiative to toast everyone present.
Jiao's mother blushed, truly behaving like a young girl, which made Li Yang laugh.
The two have now officially crossed the line; all that's missing is a formal ceremony.
Jiang Shan turned around and leaned closer to Jiao's mother, grinning, "Mother, why don't we, mother and daughter, choose the same day to get married? It'll be so much more lively!"
Jiao's mother blushed and scolded, "You brat, what nonsense are you spouting? You are a county princess, and you have a dowry personally bestowed by His Majesty. You should at least have the rites of a county princess. How can you just casually join in the fun?"
Jiang Shan touched his nose and said awkwardly, "Okay, never mind."
Qiao Shi was very grateful for Jiang Shan's kindness, and stood up to toast Jiang Shan as well.
"Shan'er, Uncle Qiao doesn't know how to thank you enough. In short, I will do my best to treat your mother well, so please don't worry!"
Jiang Shan nodded hurriedly.
Qiao Sheng watched Jiang Shan grinning from ear to ear, a smirk playing on his lips.
But the next second, he felt an invisible pressure.
Looking back, she met Fu Qiyuan's gaze.
This man...!
So stingy!
Qiao Sheng took a deep breath, cupped his hands to Fu Qiyuan, and revealed what he thought was a perfect smile, saying, "Lord Fu, from now on we are relatives. We are family, so let's not be formal. I entrust my sister Shan'er to you, Lord Fu. I hope you will cherish her and take good care of her and her daughter for the rest of your life!"
Fu Qiyuan parted his thin lips slightly, his smile exceptionally gentle, "Brother Asheng is right, I will keep your instructions in mind. Tomorrow is a day off, I'll take you to see the capital properly!"
Qiao Sheng said somewhat dejectedly, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Lord Fu!"
"No trouble at all, just call me Ayan."
"Okay, I'll leave it to Ayan tomorrow!"
The two "brothers" were so affectionate that Jiang Shan got goosebumps listening to them.
She glanced at Fu Ting, who was intently peeling shrimp for Jiang Huai, thought for a moment, and then placed a piece of plump crab meat into Fu Ting's bowl.
Fu Ting looked up at the landscape, smiled, and shook his head with a hint of helplessness.
Jiang Shan narrowed his eyes and said, "Uncle Fu, this crab meat isn't spicy, it's very fresh. Forget about Jiang Huai, eat it while it's hot!"
Fu Ting was touched. This girl seemed carefree, but she was very sensible! Even his own son didn't know he couldn't eat spicy food, but his daughter-in-law did!
He picked up his chopsticks, put the crab meat in his mouth, and chewed slowly. The fresh and sweet taste seeped into his heart little by little.
I had just finished eating the crab meat when a spoonful of steamed egg custard appeared in front of me.
"Grandpa, eat this. The steamed egg custard isn't spicy." Jiang Huai mimicked Jiang Shan's tone of voice like a little adult, speaking very seriously.
Fu Ting felt even warmer inside.
With such a filial daughter-in-law and grandson, he would wake up smiling even in his sleep; he has no regrets in this life!
After the banquet, Jiao's mother spoke alone with Qiao's father and son, while Jiang Shan pulled Fu Qiyuan back to his room.
It's clear she has something to say.
Sure enough, Jiang Shan hesitated for only a moment before speaking decisively: "I want to take Sanlang back to Huaigu Village to rebuild my father's grave and re-erect his tombstone."
Fu Qiyuan took her hand and smiled gently, "You're only bringing Sanlang but not me? Silly girl, I'm Erlang, the second son of the Jiao family!"
Jiang Shan felt a burning sensation in her heart. She reached out and hugged Fu Qiyuan, burying her head in his chest and saying, "Mother is about to marry Uncle Qiao. At this time, I don't know whether I should go back to see my father, but I..."
"Yes, we want to go back! With Mother finding a good home, Father's spirit in heaven will be comforted. If I told you that Mother and Uncle Qiao also want to go back to see Father, would you believe me?"
Jiang Shan looked up in surprise, "Really?"
Fu Qiyuan sat down with Jiang Shan in his arms and said, "Believe me, Mother and Uncle Qiao will definitely return to Huaigu Village before their wedding! They will personally tell Father the news, so your worries are completely unnecessary!"
Jiang Shan felt much more at ease, and his expression became much happier.
"Then we must hurry back! We're getting married in three months, and there's so much to prepare before the wedding... You ancient people have so many rules and rituals; it's such a waste of time!"
Fu Qiyuan automatically ignored the phrase "you ancient people" and said indulgently, "You don't need to worry about the marriage. The palace has already made arrangements. After all, the Emperor and Empress will be escorting you to your wedding, and the people from the Ministry of Rites are eager to show off. All the wedding procedures have already been drawn up!"
Jiang Shan was stunned for a moment. "No wonder you're all not in a hurry! No, what does our marriage have to do with the palace? Are they going to cause us a lot of trouble?"
Fu Qiyuan imagined the so-called "modern person's" views in his arms and hugged the person in his arms tighter with some sympathy.
"Well, it won't be too difficult. You just need to do what a bride should do, eat and drink your fill, and wait for me to come and pick you up."
Fu Qiyuan dared not tell Jiang Shan that her status as a county princess was far higher than that of a county princess, and that the complicated procedures were inevitable! She could only discuss with the officials of the Ministry of Rites to simplify things as much as possible!
He absolutely cannot let his bride get tired!
The decision to return to Huaigu Village was met with unanimous approval; not a single person disagreed.
Although there were many things to prepare, it was quick, and we were ready to set off in two days.
When Fu Qiyuan asked for leave, the emperor nodded without saying anything, but instructed his attendant to hand Fu Qiyuan a summons that had been prepared in advance, telling him to take good care of the country and the Jianghuai region along the way, and to remember to go early and return early, so as not to miss the wedding date.
More than two years later, the Jiao family returned to Huaigu Village.
This time, no more low-key approach was taken. The Crown Prince bestowed upon the kingdom a carriage of equal or higher quality than that of a princess, the meaning of which is self-evident.
The wealth and influence that Jiangshan brought to the royal family and even the entire Daqing Kingdom could not be described in numbers, much less summarized by the title of a mere county lord. The emperor and the crown prince were well aware of this.
But we can't go too far. She's such a young girl. If we give her too many gifts now, what will happen to her in the future?
We can only do this secretly and try our best to provide convenience and care!
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