Young masters of marquisates used to have maids, and even if they didn't, they'd still have seen a lot of women. Someone like Liu Yanqing might have thought about having three wives and four concubines, but after they were exiled, the fourth wife had little money, so Liu Yanqing could only stay with Lin Xiaowan.
"Is that the widow at the village entrance?" Lin Xiaowan asked. "I know. I just told her the other day. If she wants to follow our man, fine. Then she'll have to sign a contract to sell herself. There are always rules to follow. If she becomes a concubine, she must be prepared to be one. If she makes a mistake in the future, her master can sell her off."
Lin Xiaowan knew what the widow was up to: she was trying to seduce someone for money. Liu Yanqing didn't have much money, but he was the illegitimate son of Marquis Jingning, so there was no guarantee that someone would have his eye on him.
When Lin Xiaowan noticed something was wrong, she went straight over and asked the widow if she wanted to be with Liu Yanqing. If she wanted to be with him, she would have to sign a contract to sell her body. If she didn't want to be with him, Lin Xiaowan would pretend that Liu Yanqing was going to a brothel for free.
If the widow took Liu Yanqing's money, Lin Xiaowan would take the widow's belongings to offset it. Don't call her a rogue. Lin Xiaowan thought that she had warned the widow in advance. If the widow still did that, then she couldn't blame anyone else.
"Yes...that's what should be done." Su Qiuya didn't expect Lin Xiaowan to say that.
In fact, Su Qiuya was also worried that Liu Yanbo would take a concubine in the future. She did not like her husband to have concubines. She did not emphasize it explicitly many times, but she also let Liu Yanbo know that she did not want him to have other women.
"How many men in the world don't cheat?" Lin Xiaowan sneered, "If they want to cheat, then let them cheat. I won't stop them. But don't even think about using my money to support other women."
Lin Xiaowan has this attitude: Liu Yanqing can find other women, but he cannot use the family's money.
"Don't you think so?" Lin Xiaowan asked.
"Yes, that's right." Su Qiuya thought she didn't need to worry about Lin Xiaowan at all. Lin Xiaowan came from a general's family, and people like her must have learned how to manage a household. Military generals' families were different from those of scholars, and someone like Lin Xiaowan was unlikely to suffer any loss.
"No matter how much gossip there is outside, I am still the legal wife." Lin Xiaowan said, "My family's one is fine, he doesn't have any special abilities, and he doesn't have much money. As for your family, you still have to keep an eye on the second brother, so that he won't be targeted by others. Isn't there a saying, 'Catching a son-in-law under the list'? Some people like scholars."
"It hasn't reached that point yet." The smile on Su Qiuya's face was a little stiff. Liu Yanbo hadn't taken the imperial examination yet, so those people wouldn't be so concerned about Liu Yanbo.
"Second brother is quite refined and gentle, but it's hard to say what he will become in the future." Lin Xiaowan said, "If we live in the Marquis' Mansion, they can even take in concubines."
Lin Xiaowan said this deliberately. Didn't Su Qiuya talk about the widow? Then let's talk about it. Lin Xiaowan found that Su Qiuya liked to beat around the bush when she spoke, just to make others hate her and make them suffer.
"Yes." Su Qiuya said, "We should pay more attention."
Su Qiuya sat with Lin Xiaowan for a while and then left. She didn't want to continue talking to Lin Xiaowan. If she continued talking, it would not be her who reminded Lin Xiaowan, but Lin Xiaowan who would remind her.
She really didn't understand why Lin Xiaowan had to be with Liu Yanqing. Why didn't Lin Xiaowan choose to divorce like the eldest Huo family did? Without children, choosing a peaceful divorce was the most appropriate choice. She wouldn't have to worry about whether her children were doing well.
Lin Xiaowan is still the concubine's daughter of the general's mansion, so she can always find a marriage that suits her.
Su Qiuya's personality was just like that. She felt that if things weren't going well, she should get a divorce. But Lin Xiaowan didn't think so. She thought that Liu Yanqing was afraid of her, and Aunt Zhao wouldn't dare to do anything. If Lin Xiaowan remarried, she might be controlled by her in-laws.
Lin Xiaowan was a concubine's daughter. If she divorced and returned to her parents' home, her stepmother would definitely be unhappy and would not be able to find her a good marriage. This is what it means to be tall among short people. Liu Yanqing has many shortcomings, but that doesn't mean he won't listen to Lin Xiaowan.
After finishing the farm work at home, Lin Xiaowan didn't bother Liu Yanqing much. Liu Yanqing had no money, so he couldn't make a big fuss. This might not be a bad thing for Lin Xiaowan.
Some novel heroines are like this. Her sisters-in-law are either divorced or her sisters from her natal family are persuaded to divorce, causing so many couples to separate. In ancient times, it was impossible for couples to separate so easily. Many people cared about worldly opinions, and it was not easy for women in ancient times to support themselves.
Su Qiuya returned home and said that Lin Xiaowan was really tolerant.
"You can't be like your fourth brother." Su Qiuya pinched Liu Yanbo's arm.
"How could I possibly do that?" Liu Yanbo said, "You've done so much for this family. I can't thank you enough, so how could I bear to ignore you?"
"Men just like to say nice things." Su Qiuya turned her head.
Liu Yanbo hugged Su Qiuya and coaxed her again.
The Liu family's main house received some things sent by people in the capital, some from the wife of the eldest young master Qin and some from the Chengguo Mansion. The third daughter of the Liu family who married out also asked the wife of the eldest young master Qin to send some things over.
Since there is a long distance from the capital to the northwest, people from the capital would set out a month in advance to send gifts to the northwest, just to get the gifts to the northwest before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Mrs. Huo hadn't sent anything; she hadn't thought about her children. She had remarried, and thinking about her past life, she considered them no different from her own children, so she simply ignored them.
"It's time for you to make a few more sets of clothes." When Liu's mother saw the high-quality fabrics, she thought of having someone make a few more sets of clothes for Liu Yulian.
"No need to dress so nicely. You've been so busy lately that it's easy to get your clothes dirty." Liu Yulian said.
"Even if it will get your clothes dirty, you still have to dress nicely." Liu's mother said, "You are the county lady after all, don't work so hard."
"It's okay, I don't have to go out for a blind date." Liu Yulian said with a smile.
"You." Liu's mother shook her head helplessly.
"Aunt, you have a uncle now." Xiao Liujia said.
"Come, it's time to make some clothes for our Xiaojia so she can dress nicely." Liu Yulian gently pinched her niece's face. "Your father is coming back soon. Are you happy?"
"I'm about to forget about it." Xiao Liujia sighed, "Hello, Auntie."
Liu Jia liked Liu Yulian very much and thought her aunt would make her delicious food and tell her stories. Her aunt was always so kind to her, even her own mother was not so kind to her.
"What's wrong?" Liu Yulian felt that her niece was a little unhappy.
"Mother..." Xiao Liujia paused, "Will there be other little babies?"
"Who told you that?" Liu Yulian was puzzled. The servants in the house were not big talkers.
"That's what you said." Xiao Liujia said.
Once, when Liu's mother and Liu Yulian were not paying attention, they talked about the fact that the eldest Huo had married someone else. The child heard a little bit, and maybe asked someone else about it later, or maybe another child told her about it, and then little Liu Jia started to wonder if her mother was going to have another child.
"That little girl is not my father's child." Xiao Liujia said, "She is not my mother anymore."
"It's okay. We all spoil you, you know?" Mother Liu simply picked up her little granddaughter and said, "Having a grandmother and an aunt, isn't that enough?"
"That's enough." Xiao Liujia nodded.
At this time, Liu Yanjing and He Xiyuan came. The two of them came back to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. He Xiyuan did not want to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival alone in the house bought by his brother. He wanted to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with his fiancée.
"Sister Lian." He Xiyuan was a little excited. He had finally been able to come back for the holidays. He hadn't seen Sister Lian in a long time. Previously, someone else had brought them grapes and other things.
He Xiyuan counted the days, wondering when he could come back.
When Liu Yanjing saw He Xiyuan walk in so quickly, he wondered whose house this was.
"Aunt." When He Xiyuan saw Liu's mother, he hurriedly greeted his future mother-in-law.
When Liu's mother saw He Xiyuan looking at Liu Yulian with shining eyes, she knew that he was thinking about his fiancée.
"You guys go change your clothes and take a rest first." Liu's mother said.
"Yeah, I stink." He Xiyuan said quickly. It's better not to let Sister Lian smell such a stinky smell.
"..." Liu Yanjing thought that he hadn't spoken yet.
"Go wash first." Mother Liu looked at her son. "How can I hold my daughter if I don't wash her?"
He Xiyuan heard this and thought to himself that his elder uncle could still hug his daughter, but he couldn't even hug Sister Lian. He also brought a gift for Sister Lian and would give it to her later.
In the capital, at the Duke of Chengguo's mansion, He Xiyuan didn't come back for the holiday, and the old lady still missed her grandson a little. However, when the old lady thought about her eldest grandson's leg being healed and that he was about to get married, she was in a good mood.
"The new daughter-in-law is coming soon. You're going to be a mother-in-law soon, so be more careful." The old lady said, "The status of a granddaughter-in-law is not high enough, so you have to take good care of her."
"Everything in the mansion is almost ready, and we will surely be able to marry the new daughter-in-law smoothly." Lady Chengguo, more than anyone else, hopes that her eldest son will get married soon and that her eldest daughter-in-law will get pregnant soon.
"That's good." The old lady nodded.
On the other hand, the wife of the second young master Mei and the second young master Mei had another conflict, and she wanted to run back to live in the Jingning Marquis Mansion. The current housekeeper of the Jingning Marquis Mansion received a letter from the Jingning Marquis, telling the housekeeper that the Marquis Mansion had been divided, and if those people came to the capital, they could not live in the Marquis Mansion.
Of course, Marquis Jingning did not say that these married girls could not return to their parents' home to live, so the housekeeper naturally let Mrs. Mei, the second young master, move in. Mrs. Mei wanted to choose the courtyard where Mrs. Qin, the first young master, lived in the past, but was rejected by the housekeeper. The housekeeper could let Mrs. Mei return to the Marquis's mansion, but he would not let her choose the place.
"You are just a servant, how dare you give me orders?" Mrs. Mei Ershao was dissatisfied.
"Although I am a servant, I also know the rules." said the housekeeper.
"I'm going to stay here today." said Mrs. Mei Ershao.
"If you really want to do so, then I can only ask you to leave." The butler's words were also straightforward. He was just a butler and could not make the decision. It was impossible for him to let Madam Mei, the second young master, occupy the courtyard where Madam Qin, the first young master, once lived.
Madam Qin Da Shao was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis of Jingning, so the courtyard she lived in before she got married was naturally very fine. Madam Mei Er Shao was just a concubine's daughter, so how could a concubine's daughter live in such a fine courtyard?
Don’t think that just because Madam Qin Da Shao is married, Madam Mei Er Shao can come back and live in the courtyard where Madam Qin Da Shao used to live.
"You..." Mrs. Mei Ershao was very angry, "Aren't you afraid that I will write a letter to tell my father?"
"Please come in." said the butler.
Mrs. Mei Ershao was furious and ultimately did not stay in the Jingning Marquis's mansion. Seeing the steward's attitude, she felt that even if she lived in the Jingning Marquis's mansion, the steward would not be very kind to her.
So Madam Mei Er Shao went to Madam Qin Da Shao and complained to her elder sister about the housekeeper's faults. However, Madam Mei Er Shao did not say that she wanted to live in the courtyard where Madam Qin Da Shao had lived. She just exaggerated the housekeeper's faults.
"Oh?" Madam Qin raised an eyebrow. "Father and Mother haven't come back yet. What are you doing there? Are you thinking of living in another courtyard, or taking something away from home?"
"No... no place." Mrs. Mei's face was a little stiff. "No matter where I live or what I take, he is just a servant. Isn't it too much?"
"I don't think he's overdoing it, it's you who's overdoing it," said Madam Qin. "We're both married women, and our parents haven't returned home yet. If we have nothing to do, we shouldn't just go there casually."
Things are different after a girl marries out. There is no proper master in her parents' home. Do these girls who marry out act like the boss?
Even the eldest young master's wife, the legitimate daughter, couldn't go back easily, not to mention that the second young master's wife, Mei, was a concubine's daughter.
"Have all the issues with your husband's family been resolved?" asked Mrs. Qin.
"No..." Mrs. Mei's voice was a little low.
Mrs. Mei, the second young master, was unwilling to give up her husband and wanted him to divorce the concubine. However, the Mei family would never divorce that woman. Mrs. Mei, the second young master's wife, had a small dowry and it had already been used up by the Mei family.
The Mei family didn't have that much money, and just then, a former merchant's fiancée arrived, bringing with her a substantial dowry. Madam Mei let her second son marry her, believing the Marquis of Jingning's mansion was useless anyway.
Now, the Liu family has restored their title, but the Mei family has already married the woman and spent a lot of money on her. There is no way that woman would be willing to be divorced, and Mrs. Mei is reluctant to let her son divorce her.
Mrs. Mei was furious, but she had no idea what to do. At home, she could hear people gossiping behind her: "Everyone in the mansion is dependent on others for management. You spend their money, and yet you still blame them. How shameless!"
Those servants turned around and criticized Madam Mei Ershao. Even though those people did not say those words in front of Madam Mei Ershao, Madam Mei Ershao was very angry.
"I ask you to divorce, but you don't want to. Then just wait." Madam Qin Dashao said the same thing.
The Mei Hanlin family's actions, including taking on a concubine, clearly demonstrate their unruly nature. If Mei Hanlin aspires to become a high-ranking official, he's unlikely to succeed, and his future is over. Even less so for the second young master Mei. As someone who wants to take on a concubine, he's even less likely to have a good time.
There were so many families in the capital, but no one had ever married a concubine. Even if the wife's family fell on hard times, no one would marry a concubine. The court did not recognize concubines, and concubines were concubines.
"I can't get a divorce now. If I do, where can I go? If I go back to the Marquis' Mansion, the housekeeper can bully me at will." The second young master Mei's wife found a reason for herself. It was not that she was unwilling to leave the Mei family, but those people in the Marquis' Mansion would not be able to treat her well.
In the northwest, after washing and changing his clothes, He Xiyuan went to find Liu Yulian with the statues he had carved. He had made several statues in the military camp, and he brought them all with him. Some of the sculptures were not so good, but he thought that they were all carved for his sister Lian, so he brought them all with him.
"This one is me." He Xiyuan also carved one for himself. "From now on, Sister Lian, when you look at this statue, it will be like seeing me."
"Yeah." Liu Yulian was a little shy. She didn't expect He Xiyuan to be so seductive.
Liu Yulian raised her head slightly and looked at He Xiyuan, and happened to see He Xiyuan's slightly red earlobe. She found that He Xiyuan had become much darker, and her red earlobe was almost invisible.
"Wait here." Liu Yulian came into the house. She had made a sweater for He Xiyuan, but she had not knitted any woolen trousers.
Liu Yulian had never really liked wearing woolen trousers, as she thought they were too heavy and affected her exercise. She decided to make cotton trousers for He Xiyuan, and she could also make down trousers.
Oh, how come she was thinking about wool and cotton and forgot about down?
Liu Yulian thought she had found something new to do, so she had to collect some duck feathers.
"This is a sweater, try it on." Liu Yulian knitted a turtleneck sweater to protect her neck from the wind. "Forget it, it's not a good time to try it on now. I'll try it on when I get back."
Liu Yulian looked at the clothes He Xiyuan was wearing. The clothes of ancient people were relatively wide, and the sleeves were also wide, so it was not easy to try on a sweater.
"How do you wear this?" He Xiyuan held the sweater, a little confused.
"You put it on from the head, like this." Liu Yulian took the sweater and let He Xiyuan put his hands in. "Put your hands in the sleeves first, then put it on your head."
He Xiyuan wanted to put it on directly, but was stopped by Liu Yulian.
"Don't put on a condom." Liu Yulian said, "It will be hard to take it off later."
"Then put it back on." He Xiyuan said.
"Don't." Liu Yulian couldn't bear to be seen wearing a woolen sweater. "People will see us."
After hearing what Liu Yulian said, He Xiyuan gave up and said, "But you are my fiancée."
"We haven't gotten married yet, so please be more careful." Liu Yulian said.
"Just listen to Sister Lian." He Xiyuan sat in Liu Yulian's yard, drinking tea and eating some cakes.
No one in the Liu family tried to stop He Xiyuan from staying with Liu Yulian. Seeing that He Xiyuan was so sincere about wanting to be with Liu Yulian, they did not try to stop him.
The second branch of the Liu family had already moved to the county town, and the shop Su Qiuya bought was located near the academy. Su Qiuya thought that Liu Yanbo could come out for lunch after class, so they wouldn't have to deliver it to the academy in person, and Liu Yanbo could still have a hot meal.
Su Qiuya is extremely devoted to Liu Yanbo, just wanting Liu Yanbo to be able to study without worries.
"Is it okay in the academy?" Su Qiuya asked, worried that Liu Yanbo would encounter trouble in the academy.
"Very good." Liu Yanbo nodded, "Even the teacher asked me this morning if I was married."
"Why am I asking you this out of the blue?" Su Qiuya's heart tightened.
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