Chapter 129 The Marriage (2)
Liu was worried. In fact, she had vaguely sensed over the years that her son seemed to have feelings for Li Xiaoxiao. She had also tacitly accepted that Li Xiaoxiao would eventually get together with her son. However, because Meng Guanqi had proposed three years ago that he would only arrange a marriage after passing the imperial examination, she had not thought about it in a deeper way.
Did he have already decided to marry Li Xiaoxiao?
If Qi-ge'er truly loves Xiao-xiao, and if they insist on finding him a suitable wife from a prestigious family, what difference would there be between him and the legitimate son of the Meng family? She had witnessed the chaotic state of those sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law's courtyards, where concubines and illegitimate children were treated like dirt. The husbands kept bringing people into the house, making the large courtyard almost unusable. Some of the maids didn't even have their own rooms and had to sleep in a shared dormitory…
If Qi Ge'er were forced to marry such a "lady from a prestigious family" and then learn the ways of his uncles and aunts... Liu Shi shuddered, thinking that she might as well just kill her.
She was plunged into endless distress.
Magistrate Meng suddenly sighed again: "Did Qi-ge'er tell you that when he went to the capital this time, he met the Crown Prince, and then someone tried to assassinate him, and he rushed forward to take an arrow for him..."
Mrs. Liu was taken aback: "What? When did this happen? Why didn't he tell me?"
Magistrate Meng seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn, a hint of annoyance flashing across his face: "I was too talkative. He told me not to tell you, afraid you would worry."
Mrs. Liu hurriedly got up to dress: "How badly is he hurt? This child, you've already told me everything, what else is there to hide from me? I'm going to see him—"
Magistrate Meng stopped her, saying, "There's no need to go. His injury has healed. I've seen it; it left a scar on his back. Do you know why Xiaoxiao was so late in returning? It was because she was helping him recover, which delayed her departure by half a month."
Lady Liu said anxiously, "How could it be so dangerous around the Crown Prince? How could a mere scholar like him go up to block him? Does he have a death wish?"
Magistrate Meng sighed: "He was loyal to the country and it's not a big deal that he took an arrow for His Highness the Crown Prince. It's just that the person behind him originally wanted to kill the Crown Prince, but unexpectedly failed. I'm afraid that the person who ruined his plans, Qi Ge'er, will be remembered and will seek revenge."
Liu's face turned pale with fright: "What, what should we do?"
Magistrate Meng said, "That's why I think Xiaoxiao can't leave Qige'er's side. If she had been there, how could Qige'er have been injured? But they are not young anymore, and it's not a good idea for them to always be together without any official status. Besides, Xiaoxiao is free-spirited and doesn't like being tied down. What if one day she suddenly says she wants to go out and see the world and doesn't come back? What reason do we have to keep her by Qige'er's side? After thinking it over, I still think it would be better to marry her."
Liu felt that all was lost, and the more Magistrate Meng spoke, the more she felt that her family could not live without Li Xiaoxiao.
She sighed, "I just can't bear to see Qi-ge'er being mistreated by others. As for Xiao-xiao, she's a good girl. Except for not having a good background, she's perfect in every way..."
Unfortunately, this background is the easiest thing for people to criticize.
Magistrate Meng laughed and said, "You don't need to worry about that. Don't underestimate your son. Since he passed the imperial examination, he will be an official in the future. He will often be criticized by his colleagues when they disagree with him. How can he not stand being criticized by others? I think the two of them are a perfect match. They have been through life and death together, so their feelings must be deeper than most people's. The worst thing in marriage is to end up as a couple who hate each other. It's very good and rare to find a couple like ours."
Liu blushed and glared shyly at Magistrate Meng: "How shameless of you to compare us to your son."
Magistrate Meng held her hand and said sincerely, "I am already very fortunate to have married you in this life. But I believe you have seen clearly what my stepmother's mentality was when she took you as her husband. It's just that we are lucky and our temperaments are compatible. You don't mind that I am not capable, and I don't mind that you are not good at managing the household. That's why our family has been able to make a living."
Magistrate Meng sighed: "Now that the family has been separated, it is right for the two of us to be in charge. Having witnessed the methods used by the clan to find wives for their eldest sons, how can we bear to find a wife for Qi-ge who only cares about family background and not character and temperament? Qi-ge and Xiao-xiao have been through life and death together several times. Their friendship is no ordinary one, and they are capable of walking together through life and death."
Liu's eyes welled up with tears. She hadn't expected Magistrate Meng to have such a high opinion of her: "When I was in the manor, I was ignorant and thought that my mother-in-law was biased towards our branch of the family. She wasn't as strict with you as she was with the other brothers, nor was she as harsh on me as she was with my sisters-in-law. It wasn't until we divided the family property that I realized she was afraid that we would become successful and steal the glory of the eldest son. When we fell on hard times, she treated us like hot potatoes and couldn't get rid of us as quickly as possible... I had nothing to do in the inner courtyard anyway, but my husband had suffered so much hardship and cold looks outside that he was forced to become what he is now. Even our Qi-ge'er, who is clearly a brilliant talent, had to be hidden in every way, and even fell behind in the imperial examinations... I was so ignorant, yet my husband still protected me so much. I am so lucky."
She wiped her eyes and said, "Qi-ge'er is my son, and I absolutely cannot let him follow the old path of the eldest son of the clan. Since he likes Xiao-xiao, then let him marry her. However, it seems that there is no time to prepare for the wedding. It would be better to settle the matter first and make further plans after Qi-ge'er passes the imperial examination."
Magistrate Meng breathed a long sigh of relief.
Liu is relatively easy to coax.
He smiled slightly: "You don't need to worry too much. Xiaoxiao is only inferior in terms of background, but she has saved the Crown Prince's life and the Prince's life several times. The Crown Prince is also at ease entrusting the Prince to her care. With this relationship, who would dare to look down on her?"
At least when someone dares to laugh at her, she still has the Crown Prince to back her up.
The next day, while eating breakfast, Liu secretly observed Li Xiaoxiao.
But Li Xiaoxiao was completely unaware, because she was dealing with the lawsuit between her two children.
Rui Rui came to her early in the morning to complain, pointing at A Ze and crying, "Brother, squeeze, squeeze."
Li Xiaoxiao looked at him, puzzled: "Why are you squeezing? Did your brother squeeze you while sleeping last night?"
Rui Rui nodded with a wronged look on her face, while A Ze lowered his head in shame.
Li Xiaoxiao assumed that the two children were sleeping in bad positions and were squeezed together. She wiped Rui Rui's face and said, "If you think it's too crowded, you can sleep by yourself tonight, okay?"
Just as Rui Rui was about to nod, A Ze blurted out, "No, I want to sleep with my brother. I have toys, you can choose any of them."
Rui Rui shook her head violently: "No, no, don't push."
Li Xiaoxiao knew that Rui Rui wasn't a petty person. He was strong and powerful, so he usually didn't care much about things like being squeezed or pressed. The fact that he mentioned it twice showed that A Ze really squeezed him.
Liu Zhi smiled and said, "When I went to check if the young master had gotten up this morning, Young Master Ze had squeezed him to the very back of the bed and was holding him tightly, as if he was very scared. The young master was sweating profusely and drank a big bowl of water after waking up..."
He looks very scared? Li Xiaoxiao immediately remembered the ghost incident she had told him about yesterday. She slapped her forehead. No wonder Aze suddenly said he wanted to sleep with Rui Rui. He was scared.
She held Aze's hand: "Were you scared? I'm sorry, Sister Xiaoxiao forgot you could be afraid... Actually, you don't need to be afraid. The capital is so far from Biyang County. That ghost has already been caught. How could it possibly follow you here?"
As Liu listened, she sensed something was wrong: "What the hell?"
Li Xiaoxiao had no choice but to repeat what she had said to coax Aze yesterday. This was the emperor's explanation to the people of the world. Liu Shi didn't think there was anything wrong with this statement, so she comforted Aze, saying, "It's okay. If you're scared, have Asheng sleep with you tonight, and you won't be scared."
Ah Ze breathed a sigh of relief. With someone staying in his room to sleep with him at night, he wasn't afraid anymore. Otherwise, he would have woken up several times last night because his younger brother was too small and didn't seem brave enough for him, which is why he squeezed into his room. But Ah Sheng was already an adult, so he wasn't afraid anymore.
Liu asked Liu Zhi to take the two children out to play, but Rui Rui and A Ze refused. Li Xiaoxiao had only returned yesterday, and they hadn't played with her yet.
Liu gave Li Xiaoxiao a wink, and Li Xiaoxiao coaxed the two children, "I saw a kite in Aze's box. How about I take you to the open space outside the city to fly kites later?"
The two children jumped up and clapped their hands excitedly: "Great, let's fly kites!"
Aze was very excited; he hadn't flown a kite in a very long time.
Li smiled and said, "Then, Rui Rui, would you like to accompany your brother to the room to find the kite? I'll say a few words to Madam and then come find you."
Now that there was no need for willow branches, the two little ones ran out like the wind.
Liu sighed. Li Xiaoxiao really knew how to take care of children. Before she came back, the two of them were always arguing or fighting. Rui Rui was domineering, and A Ze had never been bullied. Once they got to know each other, neither of them was willing to give in. The two of them were six years apart in age, but when they fought, A Ze often couldn't beat Rui Rui. She was going bald just from judging their cases every day.
Who knew that as soon as Li Xiaoxiao came back, the two of them stopped arguing and fighting, and instead started doting on her.
Seeing that the two children had already left, Li Xiaoxiao asked Liu, "Madam, what brings you here?"
Madam Liu pulled her hand and sat her down on the couch, scrutinizing Li Xiaoxiao closely. Li Xiaoxiao was completely bewildered: "Madam, what's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
The more Liu looked at her son, the more complicated her feelings became. Her son had fair skin and a beautiful face, and she naturally felt that only a lady who looked like a fairy was worthy of him. But Li Xiaoxiao was quite lacking in this respect.
It's not that she's not pretty; she has well-proportioned features, a healthy and radiant complexion, and round, bright eyes that make her look vibrant and energetic. But she's more of a pretty girl than a stunning beauty, and her usual demeanor makes it hard to associate her with beauty.
Unfortunately, my son happens to like this kind of thing.
She took Li Xiaoxiao's hand: "Xiaoxiao~"
Li Xiaoxiao looked at her with a blank expression.
Liu said, "My lord discussed something with me yesterday, and I've come to ask for your opinion."
Li Xiaoxiao asked curiously, "You want my opinion? Is it something difficult?" To be honest, she was rarely asked for her opinion at home; she always did whatever they told her to do.
Liu wanted to rub her forehead. She felt that she was too old and could never keep up with Li Xiaoxiao's strange way of thinking: "It shouldn't be too difficult... The adults said they want to marry you to our Qi-ge'er. What do you think?"
What? They just got back yesterday, and Meng Guanqi has already convinced his parents to marry him?
This is too fast! Didn't Magistrate Meng and Lady Liu object?
She was quite surprised: "Madam, the eldest young master wants to marry me, you, you and the master have no objections?"
Liu rolled her eyes at her: "What? Do you think we should all have objections and oppose you two being together at all costs?"
Li Xiaoxiao chuckled and said, "To be honest, Madam, I thought this matter was extremely difficult, but the eldest young master told me that he would solve all the problems and that I should just wait. I didn't expect him to do it so quickly, I was quite surprised."
Liu's eyes widened in disbelief. So, it was her own son, whom she considered a celestial being, who initiated this? This...this...is this some kind of rebellion? Magistrate Meng even claimed to have chosen a marriage he favored; was he just covering for Meng Guanqi? Those two scoundrels!
But since things had come to this point and both parties were interested, Liu stopped dwelling on who had taken the initiative and instead asked Li Xiaoxiao earnestly, "When Master first brought it up with me, I did not approve. It wasn't that you were bad, but you might face a lot of gossip in the future, and those words would be very, very hurtful. Are you prepared for that?"
Li Xiaoxiao's attitude was unusually solemn: "I once told you, young master, that I am a free spirit who yearns for a carefree life, but the path he chooses to take will inevitably be fraught with difficulties. If he can persuade his parents to allow us to be together, then no matter how difficult the road ahead may be, I will accompany him to the end. Now that he has fulfilled his promise and persuaded the adults and you, I will naturally follow without hesitation. As for those gossips, let others say what they want. I will live the life I want behind closed doors, and it will not affect me at all."
Liu's eyes welled up with tears again. It turned out that the two children's decision to be together was not so natural. Qi Ge'er had to do everything he could to get them to agree, while Xiao Xiao was willing to give up the life she wanted for him.
With tears in her eyes, she held her hand tightly: "Good girl, you are both good. Marriage requires mutual understanding and compromise. You have been through life and death together, so you should cherish each other even more."
She sighed, somewhat regretfully, and said, "It's a pity that time is too short. Qi-ge'er will be sending Liniang back to the capital to get married in November, and then he will participate in the imperial examination. There won't be time to arrange your marriage, but you can set the engagement and choose a suitable date after the New Year to get married."
However, this meant that family matters needed to be rearranged. They had originally planned for Meng Guanqi to escort Meng Liniang to her wedding and stay in the capital to participate in the imperial examinations. But now that the two were engaged, if Meng Guanqi passed the imperial examinations after the New Year, wouldn't they have to start preparing for the wedding? It certainly wouldn't work if none of the elders in the family were present.
She needs to have a good talk with Magistrate Meng; perhaps she should also go to the capital with them to arrange their wedding.
Li Xiaoxiao didn't mind at all, and chuckled, "It's all up to you, Madam."
As if remembering something, she stood up: "Madam, please wait for me a moment. I'm going back to my room to get something."
She dashed back to her room, returning with a box in her hand.
She placed the box in front of Liu and then opened it.
Liu's eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at the ingots of gold inside: "Where did these come from?"
Li smiled and said, "This was a gift from the Crown Prince, and there's more..."
She opened the second layer and took out the house deed: "The Crown Prince also bestowed upon me a house in the west of the city. If you drive there, it's only a short distance from the palace. When we came back, we entrusted Madam Pang to help with the renovations. We should be able to move in directly when we enter the capital in November. Even if the young master passes the imperial examination and works in the palace, it will be very close."
She pushed the box in front of Madam Liu: "The Crown Prince rewarded me with a thousand taels of gold. I took two hundred taels to repair the house. Here are eight hundred taels, and the deed to this house. I've given them all to you, Madam. Please keep them. All the money needed for our wedding will come from here. Madam, please rest assured. If the young master follows me, he will definitely not suffer any grievances. He will have everything that others have!"
Liu looked at the gold in front of her, then at the house deed in her hand, and then at Li Xiaoxiao, feeling that something seemed amiss.
Li Xiaoxiao had given away all her possessions and arranged her marriage with Meng Guanqi. She was very satisfied: "Madam, you're busy. I'm taking Aze and Rui Rui out to fly kites~"
They left like a gust of wind.
Liu stood there dumbfounded until Granny Qi came in and exclaimed, "Oh my, how come there's so much gold? Where did it come from?"
Liu was somewhat dazed: "Granny Qi, I feel a little dizzy. Can you help me figure out if something is wrong?"
After Liu finished speaking to Granny Qi, Granny Qi slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "My goodness! Could it be that Master has arranged for the eldest son to marry into Xiaoxiao's family? What exactly did you say?"
Who ever sees the woman giving betrothal gifts to the man? This silly girl, how come she still doesn't understand what's wrong?
Only then did Liu realize what was happening. She jumped up, slammed her hand on the table, and shouted, "I knew something was wrong! Has Master lost his mind? What exactly did he say to Xiaoxiao?"
Meng Guanqi was summoned over in a great hurry by Liu Shi, who then launched into a tirade. It took Meng Guanqi a while to understand what Liu Shi was angry about; it turned out that Li Xiaoxiao had "presented" him with a betrothal gift.
Meng Guanqi was speechless: "Mother, what are you talking about? How could I possibly marry into your family?"
Liu was dumbfounded: "If she's not marrying into the family, why is she giving all this to me?"
Meng Guanqi was both amused and exasperated: "She probably has too much money and doesn't want to manage it anymore, so she simply handed it all over to Mother..."
Liu was both touched and heartbroken: "This silly child, how can she be so honest? Money has always been a temptation. She's not even engaged to you yet, and she's already entrusted all her wealth to me. If I were to covet her money, she wouldn't get a single copper coin left!"
Meng Guanqi said, "She's not stupid. She's only willing to give you all the money because she knows Mother isn't like that..."
Liu carefully put away the land deed and then put all the gold ingots back one by one: "Granny Qi, Xiaoxiao doesn't have a place to keep money in her room. We'll keep this box for her for now, and then take it with us to the capital in November and put it in her new house."
In a large courtyard with three courtyards, there must be a storeroom where money can be stored. The room she is currently living in only has a locked cabinet, and it is not safe to keep such a large sum of money there. So she will temporarily keep it for her and return it to her when they arrive in the capital.
Just kidding. Since she's marrying off a daughter-in-law, how could she possibly covet Xiaoxiao's dowry? She'll follow all the proper etiquette and rituals, and give her a grand and glorious wedding.
The news of Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao's engagement had already spread throughout the mansion, causing a great stir throughout the entire Meng household.
Mama Mao thought she was hard of hearing, and asked Granny Qi three times in a row, "Older sister, you're not joking with me, are you?"
Granny Qi said sternly, "Madam is already preparing the engagement gifts, how could she be joking?"
Madam Mao laughed heartily a few times, wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes: "Good, good! I never imagined Xiaoxiao would be so lucky to marry the eldest young master. I knew this girl was destined for good fortune. I was always thinking that she was too old to get married, perhaps she wanted to become a nun? Who knew she would actually marry our eldest young master? This is truly a wonderful thing!"
Granny Qi was also somewhat dazed. Yes, who doesn't say that Li Xiaoxiao is very lucky?
She couldn't help but think of her granddaughter, Liuzhi. Liuzhi always hung out with Li Xiaoxiao. She was thirteen this year, not young anymore. She wondered if Liuzhi would be lucky enough to find a wealthy family to marry into.
Thinking of this, she shook her head with a wry smile. How many people like Li Xiaoxiao, who had been a maid, could rise to become the wife of an official? Not to mention that Li Xiaoxiao was highly skilled, had a good personality, and had done a good deed for the master's family. Ordinary people would find it difficult to have even one of these qualities, but she had several. Wasn't it a matter of course that the young master wanted to marry her?
In the west wing, Aunt Luo, who was embroidering her daughter's dowry with her, also heard about it. She was so surprised that she pricked her fingertips with the needle. Finally, she sighed, "Madam really dotes on the eldest son. She actually chose someone he likes to marry. It's really not easy."
While embroidering, Meng Liniang said, "In my opinion, it is a blessing for my brother to marry Sister Xiaoxiao. Sister Xiaoxiao is so wonderful. Apart from their better family backgrounds, what can those young ladies do to compare with Sister Xiaoxiao?"
Aunt Luo sighed, "His background alone is already remarkable. With a talent like the eldest son, if we had waited until he passed the imperial examination before arranging a marriage, wouldn't he have been able to choose whomever he wanted? But he chose the one he liked, and he does seem to have some of the air of a master."
Even Zhao Jian and his wife discussed it privately: "I never expected that Madam would actually tell Xiaoxiao to give to the eldest son."
While playing with the child, Xiumei said, "Isn't it better for Xiaoxiao to be a young mistress than others? At least we know her well and she gets along well with us. We all come from the capital, so don't we know that many unmarried young ladies are good at putting on airs in front of outsiders, but their true nature comes out after they get married. We have to bet they're not faking it. Xiaoxiao is so good. She's capable, down-to-earth, and generous. I couldn't be happier to have such a mistress."
The rumors were already going on in the prefecture, and when they spread throughout Biyang County, they became the talk of the town. But Li Xiaoxiao was so popular that no one mocked Meng Guanqi. Instead, they thought Li Xiaoxiao had found a good match. The women in the county regarded her as a role model, and many people followed her example.
Li Xiaoxiao, the person involved, didn't seem to regard the engagement as anything extraordinary. After the formalities were completed, unlike other girls who were so shy that they dared not go out for months, she took her two children to play in the mountains and rivers as usual the day after the engagement. When others teased her, she didn't take it to heart and could even laugh along. She openly admitted it, which made the teasers feel embarrassed.
When the parties involved are completely open and honest, the excitement, like an autumn breeze, gradually subsides after a while.
After finishing the engagement of Meng Guanqi and Li Xiaoxiao, Liu began preparing for the whole family to go to the capital to send off the bride. She had already discussed it with Magistrate Meng. Only a few people would stay in the family to take care of Magistrate Meng's daily life, while the rest of the family would go to the capital with her to send off Meng Liniang. Moreover, she expected to stay in the capital for a long time.
She was busy directing her family to help pack her luggage, and naturally, the two younger children were handed over to Li Xiaoxiao to take care of.
So, in the fields outside the city, you could often see Li Xiaoxiao with two children, sometimes flying kites, sometimes playing games like "cops and robbers" or "eagle catches chicks," all of which were very physically demanding games, attracting all the nearby children to come and watch.
Li Xiaoxiao welcomed all who came and took them all into her camp. With more people, the games they could play became more challenging. She acted as the referee, dividing the children into two teams of similar skill levels to compete against each other. They played tug-of-war, relay races, and wrestling games. The winning children were each rewarded with a piece of candy or a handful of roasted peanuts, and then a small red flower was placed on their foreheads.
She carved a wooden stamp with four petals, dipped it in ink, and stamped it on the forehead of the children who won the competition. The children who received the little red flower were overjoyed, while those who didn't were on the verge of tears. The first time Rui Rui received one, he forgot about it while taking a bath, and it was washed off by a willow branch. He sat on the ground and cried loudly, and no one could comfort him. He insisted that Li Xiaoxiao put the stamp back on him so he could sleep with the little red flower on his head.
Li Xiaoxiao was both amused and exasperated: "This is a reward for your win today. It won't be valid after today. If there's a new competition tomorrow, you'll get another one if you win."
Because Rui Rui was too young, he didn't have many chances to win, so he cherished every hard-earned little red flower. He cried and said, "I don't want it, I want flowers."
For the sake of this little red flower, he actually managed to utter a complete sentence, which was quite rare for him.
Seeing how pitifully he was crying, Li Xiaoxiao had no choice but to re-print it, but she sternly warned him, "This is your only chance. There won't be another one. When we play games, we have to be fair. You've already washed it off, but because you live with me, you can get it re-printed. Other kids don't have that chance, understand?"
Rui Rui nodded vigorously, smiling as cutely as a fairy child under the Guanyin Bodhisattva. That night, she went around showing off the red flower on her forehead. Aze pretended not to care: "I've already won one before."
Actually, he was quite envious and a little regretful. He hadn't noticed when he received the little red flower, and it washed off when he took a bath. By the time he realized it, it was too late. He didn't expect to ask Li Xiaoxiao to put another one on. He didn't expect his younger brother to be able to cheat and ask for it back. He should have asked for it too.
Rui Rui ran around with a little red flower on his head. Everyone in the household knew that he had won the tug-of-war competition. He was incredibly cute. Even Magistrate Meng held him tightly and wouldn't let go. During dinner that night, he teased Li Xiaoxiao, "Your little red flower is really amazing. These days, Ze Zhi has been memorizing and doing his homework much faster in the morning. He was hoping to go out with you in the competition this afternoon to get a little red flower."
Meng Guanqi also reached out with great interest to touch the flower petal on her younger brother's forehead, but Rui Rui's chubby little hand slapped it off.
He finally got it back, and no one is allowed to touch it.
Meng Guanqi looked at the small red mark on the back of his fair hand and couldn't help but laugh. This kid seemed to be quite strong... He's only two years old, and it already hurts so much when he hits him.
He glanced at Li Xiaoxiao discreetly. There was already a strongman in the family who could walk sideways, and now there was a little strongman. What would he be like when he grew up?
Li Xiaoxiao didn't notice him, but kept watching Aze and Rui Rui eat. Despite his young age, Rui Rui could eat two full bowls of steamed egg and minced meat mixed with rice in a small wooden bowl. Liu was afraid that he would overeat and refused to give him more, but he would make a fuss.
Aze was no less impressive. The way Li Xiaoxiao had counted the grains of rice when she first met him was long gone. He ate both rice and vegetables, looking very refined, but he ate quite quickly. After finishing one bowl, he had another, and finally drank half a bowl of soup.
Li Xiaoxiao was very satisfied; this was the right way to eat it.
At his age, when he is still growing, even an ordinary farm boy can eat two bowls of rice, and some with better appetites can eat even more. But two bowls of rice is a normal amount for others, but for Aze, it is a huge improvement, which means that his body has returned to normal.
The high-intensity, high-physical-volume games designed by Li Xiaoxiao were meant to make Aze exert himself and sweat constantly, promoting his body's rejection of foreign substances. Now he can eat two bowls of rice, he is slowly gaining weight, and his complexion is becoming rosy. I believe the Crown Prince and Crown Princess will be very satisfied to see how well she has raised their son.
As the autumn wind began to blow, time flew by, and three months passed in the blink of an eye. Liu had already packed Meng Liniang's dowry and the things she would need for her trip to the capital. This time, apart from Magistrate Meng, who was unable to leave due to his duties, Steward Zhao, Mama Mao, an older servant, and Uncle Chai, the gatekeeper, stayed at home to take care of him. Everyone else accompanied Liu to the capital to see Meng Liniang off at her wedding.
Zhao Jian and Asheng set off on horseback by land a few days earlier to go to the capital to tidy up their house. Liu Shi, on the other hand, chartered a medium-sized boat on the canal in Lin'an Prefecture and hired a caravan to gradually transport the luggage and Meng Liniang's dowry onto the boat.
On November 12th, an auspicious day with clear skies and bright sunshine, suitable for outings, travel, and weddings, the main gate of the county government's backyard opened wide early in the morning, and carriages drove out of the courtyard, heading straight for Lin'an Prefecture. Everyone in Biyang County knew that the county magistrate's wife and her family had traveled a thousand miles to send their daughter off to her wedding.
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