Chapter 102 Chapter 102 Visiting the Wang Family
The next day, after breakfast, Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao prepared to go out.
Seeing this, Fu Yanhui and his sister who were playing nearby quickly ran over, hugged their legs, and looked up at them with their cute chubby faces.
"Aunt, uncle, where are you going? We want to go too!"
The brother and sister are still young and playful. They don’t dare to go out by themselves, but they like to go out and play with adults.
As long as adults are around, they don't have to be afraid.
Seeing that the two of them were about to go out, he quickly ran over and hugged them, obviously wanting to go out with them.
Fu Wenxiao lowered his eyes and looked at the two kids. He smiled at them gently, but said coldly, "No, you can't go!"
The brother and sister pursed their lips and looked at Yu Li, "Auntie..."
Yu Li thought it was okay to take the two kids to the county town. Although they were young, they were very well behaved and would not run around. Then she heard Fu Wenxiao say, "No, your aunt has to take care of me and cannot spare the time to take care of you. If she wants to take so many people to the county town, she will be tired."
Fu Wenxiao spoke very seriously, almost breaking it down into pieces when talking to the two children.
The brother and sister understood and couldn't help but feel sorry for their aunt. They stopped clamoring to go and said to Yu Li, "Thank you for your hard work, little aunt."
Yu Li: “…” It doesn’t seem to be hard, right?
Zhou, who was watching from the sidelines, almost couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Seeing Xiao Ge'er seriously bullying the two children just to prevent them from going with him...it was obvious that he wanted to monopolize his wife. Sure enough, no matter how gentle and polite he was, he was still the possessive man in his heart. He wanted to monopolize the one he liked.
When the two of them went out, they could see two children holding Zhou's hands, standing at the door looking around, with a look of reluctance to leave.
Yu Li turned his head and took a look, then said, "They really seem to want to go with us... Can we really not take them with us? I'm not tired at all."
He is a grown man and doesn't need her to take care of him. She must not be tired.
Fu Wenxiao said, "We are going to visit the Wang family this time, so let's not take them with us. Let's do it next time."
Yu Li was stunned for a moment, thinking about the unknown situation at the Wang family, and that the two children might be scared going to a strange place, so he didn't mention it anymore.
Next time, I’ll take them to the county town when I have time.
Because Fu Wenxiao's health has not recovered, Yu Li plans to take him to the county town by boat.
They are not short of money now, so it would be fine if they took a boat every time they traveled. However, Yu Li prefers to walk, which can exercise the body. Besides, when there is no one on the road, even if she does something out of the ordinary, it will not attract attention.
The two men came to the riverside and waited for a while, then they saw Wang the boatman paddling over.
Wang Yugong saw Yu Li and greeted her with a smile, "Mother Li, are you going to the county town?"
Yu Li responded to him, but did not get on the boat first. Instead, he turned around and helped Fu Wenxiao get on the boat.
Wang the boatman didn't expect that she had a companion. When Fu Wenxiao stepped onto the boat, turned around and smiled at him, he was stunned for a moment.
"Li, Li Niang, this young man is..." he asked hesitantly.
Wang Chengong's reaction was very normal. Most villagers had this reaction when they first saw Fu Wenxiao.
Yu Li said, "Uncle Wang, he is my husband." Then he introduced him to Fu Wenxiao, "Brother Xiao, this is Uncle Wang, he usually takes good care of us."
Last year, when Yu Jin and her friends first went to the county town to do business, they took Wang Tanker's boat every day. No matter how early it was, Wang Tanker would pick them up and even give them a discount, which showed that he was taking good care of them.
Wang the Fisherman widened his eyes in surprise and couldn't help but look at Fu Wenxiao a few more times.
How can this be called an ugly man who has been bedridden for a long time? If such a man is ugly, there will be no good-looking people in the world, right?
When Wang the boatman was rowing away, he was quite puzzled. Who spread the rumor that Mr. Fu was ugly?
He thought about it carefully, and it seemed that one time when he was driving the people from the eldest branch of the Yu family back to the village, it was Zong Ge'er from the eldest branch who first mentioned that Li Niang had married a sick and ugly man... Could it be that the rumor spread at that time?
Thinking of this, his impression of the eldest branch of the Yu family worsened, and he decided to stay away from them in the future.
Half an hour later, the boat arrived at the county town.
Yu Li paid the money and helped Fu Wenxiao off the boat.
Wang the boatman took a look. Although Mr. Fu was a little thin, he was still a man of high stature. Standing next to Li Niang, he made her look even more petite and delicate. And such a big man actually needed Li Niang to help him get on and off the boat so carefully. Could it be that Mr. Fu was really in poor health?
The face was certainly not rosy enough, but it was not too pale either.
It's a kind of skin that's very white and smooth, as if snow had fallen on it, probably from someone who rarely gets exposed to the sun.
**
It’s not even the fifteenth day of the lunar month yet and the county town is already very lively.
During the Spring Festival, in addition to visiting relatives, many villagers from nearby villages bring their families to the county town to play, making it feel like the streets and alleys are full of people.
"It's as lively as before the New Year." Yu Li said.
Before the New Year, villagers go to the city to buy New Year's goods, and during the New Year, villagers go to the city to play. Once the New Year is over, the county town will probably become deserted.
Because there were too many people and worried that Fu Wenxiao would be bumped into, Yu Li took him to a remote alley, while also being concerned about whether he was having a social phobia attack.
Because she noticed that his body had been tense since he got off the boat.
It seems that he hasn't had contact with the outside world for a long time and is really afraid of facing the crowd. It's really pitiful.
Fu Wenxiao lowered his eyes to look at the girl beside him and said, "It's okay. As long as Li Niang is here, it's acceptable."
What he said was right. He really didn't like crowded and noisy places. It had always been like this.
But because she was by his side, he felt he could still endure it.
When they arrived at the county town, they first went to visit the Wang family. Yu Li led him in the direction of the Wang family.
The Wang family's house is located in the north of the county town. All the people living here are noble scholars. Ordinary people usually don't come here, so the environment here is very quiet.
When I came to the alley where the Wang family's house was located, I felt that this alley was long and quiet, very clean and tidy, with red walls and green tiles. I could see plum blossoms peeking out from the top of the wall, which were extremely beautiful.
The two men came to the main door of the Wang family and knocked on the door.
Ordinary people didn't dare to approach a place like the Wang family easily. Even if they came, they couldn't go through the main gate, side gate, or even corner gate.
Yu Li didn't understand these rules, and although Fu Wenxiao knew them, he ignored them.
The person who opened the door was a man in his fifties with gray hair, looking very energetic.
When he saw the two people outside the door, he was stunned for a moment and asked politely, "Who are you two here to see? What's the matter?"
The old man was very polite and did not dare to be negligent.
He was considered an old man in the Wang family. He had been the janitor for the Wang family for a lifetime and had a good eye. He could tell that the two young men in front of him were extraordinary. Not to mention their outstanding looks, their demeanor alone showed that they were not ordinary people, so he would naturally treat them politely.
Fu Wenxiao handed over the visiting card in his hand and said gently, "I would like to visit Mr. Wang. Please let him know."
The old man wiped his hands on his clothes and took it with both hands.
He took a look at the visiting card. It was made of ordinary paper, but the handwriting was extraordinary. He did not dare to delay and said politely, "Please wait a moment, I will pass it on right away."
The old man quickly disappeared behind the door, and the two men stood waiting at the door.
Fu Wenxiao turned around and saw Yu Li staring at him, so he asked, "Mother Li, what's wrong?"
Yu Li said, "You seem quite capable." Isn't it normal for him to communicate with others? He doesn't look like he has social phobia.
Fu Wenxiao kept smiling and said softly, "The other party is an old man, and there is only one person..."
Hearing this, she understood that he was afraid of crowds of people.
That's true. He's just an old man. There's really nothing to be afraid of.
-
Although it was New Year's Day, the Wang family was not very lively.
Mr. Wang told others that he wanted to study at home, and his wife, Mrs. Wang, was in poor health. Although everyone wanted to visit him, they did not want to disturb him. They sent invitations to the Wang family, but the family refused to accept any of them and only received some close friends and relatives.
Mr. Wang is at home today, accompanying his elderly mother.
Since Mrs. Wang fell seriously ill last year, her health has been up and down, which makes the Wang family very worried. In addition to worrying about her health, they are also worried that once she is gone, the Wang family’s descendants will have to observe mourning, which will delay many things.
Mrs. Wang was in better spirits today. She was talking to her son, "Your aunt said she would come to see me today. I don't know when she will come."
At this point, she couldn't help but sigh, thinking that it was her own health that was not good enough, and that she had troubled so many people to worry about her, and even asked her sister to come all the way from the city to see her, and stay for more than half a year.
She was naturally happy to see her sister again at this age.
Mr. Wang fed her the medicine and said with a smile, "Don't worry too much, mother. We all hope that you are well. Only when you are fine can your aunt feel at ease."
Old Madam Wang smiled and was about to say something when she saw Madam Wang come in.
Mrs. Wang first paid her respects to the old lady and then handed a visiting card to her husband.
"Whose visiting card is it?" Mr. Wang frowned slightly, a little impatient. He was still holding the bowl of soup in his hand and couldn't free his hands to look at the visiting card.
Mrs. Wang said, "It should be Mr. Songhe."
Mr. Wang was stunned and quickly put down the bowl of soup, then wiped his hands and took it with both hands.
When he opened the post, the first thing he saw was the strong and flexible characters, which looked like flying dragons and phoenixes and were full of style. They were the favorite characters of scholars and those who liked calligraphy and painting could not refuse them.
He couldn't help showing joy on his face, and asked hurriedly: "Where is Mr. Songhe? Please invite him in quickly."
Mrs. Wang saw the look on his face and knew that the person who handed in the visiting card today was someone he was happy to see, and she couldn't help but laugh.
When the gatekeeper Old Zhang brought the visiting card to her just now, she thought it was another one of those people coming for the Wang family or her husband's fame. But after seeing the words on it, she knew it was not the case and quickly took it to her husband.
Mr. Wang said to his mother, "Mom, I have to go meet a guest first."
Old Madam Wang knew her son's character and said with a smile, "Go ahead. You don't have to accompany me. There are so many servants here to serve you."
Mr. Wang tucked the quilt in for his mother, then stood up and walked out.
After going out, he asked his wife if the person who came was Mr. Songhe himself.
Madam Wang said, "I heard from the gatekeeper, Old Zhang, that the people who came were two young people, a man and a woman. They were both very outstanding in appearance and it was obvious at first glance that they were not ordinary people."
"Really?" Mr. Wang became more and more expectant.
The Daqing Dynasty has always been fond of beauty, and this trend has existed since the previous dynasty. If there are good-looking officials in the court, even the emperor will pay more attention to them.
This trend also spread to the people. Common people were busy making a living and did not care too much about it, but it was different for the scholars.
When a man is not only talented but also handsome, he will definitely be very popular among scholars.
Mr. Wang was also a layman. He always admired handsome men with great talent. He had also seen Mr. Songhe's calligraphy and had long been fascinated by this man. Unfortunately, he had no chance to meet him.
But I didn't expect that Mr. Songhe would actually send me a visiting card today.
Mr. Wang was even a little impatient. He didn't wait for someone to pass the message and went directly to the gate to meet someone.
Seeing him like this, Mrs. Wang could only follow him helplessly. After hearing from Lao Zhang that there were female guests today, she had to receive one or two of them to avoid being accused of being rude by the Wang family.
-
Fu Wenxiao and Yu Li were talking outside the door when they heard footsteps coming from inside.
Then a man in his early thirties with a beautiful beard strode out. He was wearing a loose gown with fluttering sleeves, and looked extremely suave.
Behind the man was a dignified and beautiful woman, who was obviously the mistress of the house.
Mr. Wang's eyes instantly fell on the two people standing side by side in front of the door, and he felt that a pair of eyes were not enough.
He asked in surprise: "Are you Mr. Songhe?"
Although Fu Wenxiao looked very young, no more than 20 years old, his handwriting was so good that in Mr. Wang's mind, he was already at the master level. He was regarded as a teacher and was addressed as a teacher with honorifics to show respect.
Fu Wenxiao nodded slightly and bowed to him.
Mr. Wang walked over quickly and shook his hand warmly, "Sir, please don't be so polite, please come in!"
Fu Wenxiao: “…”
Mrs. Wang's face also froze, and she couldn't bear to look at it.
Seeing Fu Wenxiao standing there stiffly with his body tense, Yu Li understood something. He pulled his hand back and moved him to the side to prevent Mr. Wang from touching him again.
Mr. Wang is really too enthusiastic. He starts to make advances as soon as they meet. This is too...
Yu Li had never seen anyone like Mr. Wang.
Mr. Wang was stunned for a moment, and seeing Yu Li staring at him defensively, he felt a little embarrassed and said quickly: "Please forgive me, young lady. I was just too excited to see you, so I was a little rude. I hope you can forgive me."
Fu Wenxiao barely suppressed his displeasure and said calmly, "It's okay."
He really didn't like being touched by anyone, let alone a stranger he had just met.
Mr. Wang welcomed them into his house and asked, "I wonder who this girl is..."
"She is my wife." Fu Wenxiao said, unable to help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
"So it's your wife!" Mr. Wang praised enthusiastically, "The gentleman is a man of great stature and beauty, and the lady is young and pretty, so rare to see. They are truly a match made in heaven..."
Yu Li looked at Mr. Wang with a mind full of question marks.
Those scholars had great respect for Mr. Wang. Even the people in the county town praised him highly when they talked about him, saying that he had a reputation as a child prodigy at a young age and that if they had children, they would want to have one as smart as Mr. Wang.
But now it seems that he seems quite stupid.
Mrs. Wang said nothing along the way. Her expression was calm, even somewhat serene.
Normally, it was fine, and her husband looked quite dignified and graceful, like a son of an aristocratic family. But if he met someone with outstanding talent and appearance, he would lose control and his true colors would show.
Although he is old, he sometimes still acts like a child. This is why the Wang family doesn't dare to let him move up. It is better to let him study hard.
It doesn't matter if you delay it for a few years.
After entering the room, Mr. Wang said that he would entertain Mr. Songhe and his wife well, and asked Mrs. Wang to prepare the banquet.
"No need to bother." Fu Wenxiao said, "I came to see Mr. Wang today for something..."
Mr. Wang said immediately, "No problem, let's go to the study and talk!" He turned around and told his wife to entertain Mr. Songhe's wife, and said, "Come on, let's go over there and talk... Hey, I wonder if you can leave a piece of calligraphy for me later? Your calligraphy is hard to find outside. I have always loved calligraphy. Ever since I saw your calligraphy, I have been thinking about it..."
Fu Wenxiao was taken away by Mr. Wang.
Yu Li couldn't help but stare at them.
Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "This..." She paused and asked, "What is this lady's name?"
If you know the rules, you would just say your husband's last name.
Unfortunately, Yu Li didn’t understand some of the rules of this era, so she said directly: “My last name is Yu, Yu Li.”
"Madam Yu..."
"Just call me Miss Yu." Yu Li said again.
Mrs. Wang's expression was a little stiff, but soon returned to normal, and she smiled and said, "Miss Yu, follow me."
She brought Yu Li to a flower hall, where she was entertained and served tea and snacks.
The Wang family’s tea snacks were indeed delicious. Yu Li took a bite of the snack with crispy crust and didn’t stop. Even when Mrs. Wang spoke to her, she responded casually.
This behavior was extremely rude, but because she was eating so happily, her movements were not vulgar, and she looked still young, Mrs. Wang found it difficult to feel any disgust, and was instead very tolerant.
It's much better to get along with such a straightforward girl than those who are full of twists and turns.
Seeing that she had finished a plate of dessert, Mrs. Wang turned around and asked someone to prepare some more.
Yu Li was a little embarrassed, "Mrs. Wang, your snacks are really delicious..."
Mrs. Wang smiled kindly, "It's okay. It's an honor for our cook if Miss Yu likes it. Please eat more."
Thinking of her husband's rude behavior just now, she wanted to make amends and treated her warmly. Seeing that she liked it, she prepared more.
Just then, a servant came to report that Old Madam Yao had arrived.
Mrs. Wang said to Yu Li apologetically: "An elder from the family has arrived. I will go to greet her first."
Yu Li said: "Madam, you don't have to be polite."
After Mrs. Wang left, Yu Li felt more and more comfortable alone.
In particular, Mrs. Wang was afraid that the hospitality was not good enough, so she instructed the servants in the flower hall to treat her well. So after she finished the snacks, the maid saw that she looked unsatisfied and tactfully asked someone to bring some more snacks.
For a while, the kitchen was very busy, delivering all the snacks for entertaining guests today, and even had to make some more for reserve.
Yu Li didn't expect that the Wang family's dim sum was even more delicious than that of Fulai Restaurant. It was sweet but not greasy, and had a floral scent.
She ate too much without paying attention. Seeing the shocked expressions of the Wang family servants, she finally stopped with dignity, but felt a little regretful in her heart. She didn't know when she could eat it again.
She felt embarrassed to have snacks, so she had to drink tea.
After drinking too much tea, I felt like going to the toilet.
Yu Li asked the maid next to her, "Where can I go to the toilet?"
The maid hurriedly said, "Miss, please follow me."
Seeing that she actually had to go to the toilet, the maid secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that her stomach was not a bottomless pit. With so much food in it, it could only take in but not come out.
Yu Li followed the maid to the toilet. After washing his hands, he followed the maid who led the way back.
When passing by a corridor, she suddenly saw a middle-aged man with a weathered face walking towards her. When he saw her, his eyes widened instantly.
"Girl!" He looked at Yu Li with surprise.
Yu Li looked at him in confusion and asked politely, "What's the matter?"
"Girl, don't you recognize me?" the man said excitedly, "Last year outside the city, the horse lost control and our old lady's carriage was about to overturn. It was you who helped her and saved her from getting hurt..."
After hearing what he said, Yu Li finally remembered this incident.
It was just because she did it casually at the time. She didn't even bother to look at the people in the car. She just straightened it out and left.
The maid next to her widened her eyes.
She knew that this middle-aged man was Old Madam Yao's coachman, Lao Chang. He was a servant of the Yao family and had a special status, so he was highly valued by Old Madam Yao.
From what he said, this girl actually saved Old Madam Yao?
Old Chang was very surprised. Thinking of something, he quickly said, "Miss, our old lady has been looking for you. I didn't expect you to be here! Come on, let's go see the old lady together..."
As he said this, he was about to take Yu Li to see Old Madam Yao.
"No need." Yu Li waved his hand, "It was just a piece of cake at that time."
She felt that there was nothing to thank him for, so after saying goodbye to him, she went back to the flower hall with her maid to wait for Fu Wenxiao.
But soon after she sat down, she heard footsteps.
Yu Li looked up and saw Mrs. Wang, who had left earlier, coming over with an old lady who was dressed very elegantly. The old lady was looking at her with excitement and joy.
The coachman, Lao Chang, was also there.
Seeing this scene, Yu Li understood.
Sure enough, it was old lady Yao who came to thank her.
Old Madam Yao took her hand and said with a smile, "Miss, I have always wanted to thank you, but I couldn't find you. I didn't expect to see you here."
Yu Li said: "No need to thank me, I just did it casually."
"Yes, yes. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have fallen into. I'm old now. If I fell again, I don't know what would have happened."
Mrs. Wang also agreed and was very grateful to Yu Li.
She didn't expect that Yu Li was actually Madam Yao's savior.
What Old Madam Yao said was indeed true. She was a very pretty young lady. It was hard to believe that she was a country girl.
Although the clothes she wore were simple, they were well made and had delicate patterns. They were obviously made by embroiderers with excellent skills and were not something a country girl would wear.
Mrs. Wang was skeptical about Yu Li's identity as a country boy and thought that Lao Chang and the others must have made a mistake.
No wonder they couldn’t find anyone.
Old Madam Yao wanted to thank Yu Li. The more she looked at Yu Li, the more she thought this girl was really likable. She asked kindly, "Where are you from, are you married?"
She was wondering which of the younger generations she knew was outstanding.
She really liked the girl. She was old, and when she saw a handsome and capable young man, she couldn't help but fall in love with him and wanted to match them up.
Yu Li said, "I'm from Qingshi Village and I'm already married." Wouldn't the old lady want to be a matchmaker for her? Fortunately, she got married.
Yu Li was quite grateful at this moment.
Old Madam Yao was a little surprised and asked with a smile, "I wonder who your husband's family is?"
Such a powerful girl, and she is also so beautiful. I don’t know what kind of man can be worthy of her.
Yu Li was about to answer when he suddenly saw a maid coming over.
The maid bowed to them and said, "Madam, the master has finished talking to Mr. Songhe and is ready to send Mr. Songhe away."
When Mrs. Wang heard this, she knew that Mr. Songhe was coming to pick up his wife.
But since Old Madam Yao was here, she couldn't act on her own, so she looked at Old Madam Yao and explained the situation to her.
Old Madam Yao saw that Yu Li did not take saving her life to heart and did not even need her gratitude, which made her like her even more and wanted to thank her.
Knowing that she was visiting with her husband today and had something else to do later, he said, "In that case, let's get together again later."
Old Madam Yao personally saw Yu Li off.
She smiled and said, "I have always remembered that you saved me that day, and I have been thinking about finding you one day to thank you." Then she said, "I am from the city. The old lady of the Wang family is my biological sister. She fell ill last year, and I came to see her. I am staying in the Wang family's villa now. If you are free, remember to come and see me..."
Faced with such a kind and enthusiastic old man, Yu Li had no choice but to agree.
Old Madam Yao was very happy and said with a smile: "You must come more often."
At this time, Mrs. Wang said, "Aunt's cooks are still short of a few. I will ask the cooks at home to come and cook for you. Then you can treat Miss Yu well."
Yu Li was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up as he thought of something, and he accepted Madam Yao's invitation without hesitation.
There's nothing else, I'm just still missing the snacks made by the Wang family's chef.
Old Madam Yao was just stunned for a moment, then couldn't help laughing again.
At this time, they had already arrived at the outer courtyard.
Mr. Wang and Fu Wenxiao were waiting for them here.
Yu Li saw them and said to Old Madam Yao, "Old Madam, my husband is here. I'm leaving first."
Old Madam Yao agreed with a smile and looked up. When she saw the handsome and tall figure standing in front of her with Mr. Wang, the smile on her face suddenly froze.
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