Chapter 127 (End of Chapter 127)
The consequence of indulging in pleasure is that you can't get up the next day. Fortunately, Qiao Mianmian doesn't need to go to the food stall and can lie down until noon.
For the next two months, Cuizhi stewed all sorts of nourishing soups, and Qiao Mianmian finally realized something was wrong and quickly told her to stop.
She likes children, but doesn't want to have one so early, planning to wait a year or two. Besides, she's not feeling well after Lu Zhao took those tonics.
Cuizhi had no choice but to stop making tonic soups on the surface, but she actually started researching other dietary supplements. Before long, her cooking skills became much more refined.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, Qiao Mianmian led Cuizhi and the others to make mooncakes, including those with red bean paste, lotus seed paste, and salted egg yolk.
She did a lot and planned to send some to both her parents' home and her sister's home.
Seeing Lu Zhao return, Qiao Mianmian waved and said, "Come and try these freshly baked mooncakes."
Lu Zhao glanced at the mooncakes, told Cuizhi to pack her things, and then looked at Qiao Mianmian, saying, "We're going to Bianjing."
"What's wrong?" Qiao Mianmian's heart was in her throat; she was afraid something had happened to Grandma Lu.
Lu Zhao said, "My father can't hold on any longer." Although he only felt hatred towards Lu Shen, his grandmother had said in her letter that this was just for show. If he didn't want to give people something to talk about in the future, he still had to go back.
Qiao Mianmian observed Lu Zhao's expression and, seeing that Lu Zhao was not sad, she still held Lu Zhao's hand, "Then let's hurry and go see Grandmother."
However, the thought of so many people from the Lu family coming and going made her a little scared.
Lu Zhao nodded, "Don't worry, once we get to Bianjing, you can stay by your grandmother's side. With your grandmother there, no one will dare to say anything."
The couple set off immediately, taking only the green wine with them. By the time they arrived at the Lu family residence in Bianjing, the Lu family had already hung up white banners.
A young man who looked somewhat like Lu Zhao came over, calling Lu Zhao "Big Brother," and then looking at Qiao Mianmian, "Big...Sister-in-law."
Lu Zhao nodded and led Qiao Mianmian straight into the mansion to pay their respects to Old Madam Lu.
As for Lu Shen, Lu Zhao wasn't particularly heartbroken. However, the moment she stepped into the Lu family home, her feelings were a mix of complex emotions and a heavy heart.
Grandma Lu looked haggard. After all, he was her son, and she was heartbroken. It's hard for a white-haired person to bury a black-haired one.
Upon seeing Lu Zhao and his wife, tears instantly streamed down her face, and she held Lu Zhao's hand, sobbing for a long while.
Lu Shen's funeral was not held in a grand manner. With Old Madam Lu present, no one in the Lu family dared to say anything to Lu Zhao. Many people did try to persuade Lu Zhao to return to Bianjing, but Lu Zhao remained silent, neither arguing nor responding.
Qiao Mianmian followed Old Madam Lu the whole time. Whenever people saw her, they would ask who she was. When they learned that she was Lu Zhao's wife, they would open their mouths as if to say something, but in the end, they would swallow their words.
After the seventh day following the death, the Lu family took down the white banners, and Old Madam Lu asked Lu Zhao to take Qiao Mianmian for a stroll around Bianjing.
To be honest, Bianjing is much more prosperous than Lin'an. Qiao Mianmian was dazzled by the sights when she first went out.
"Bianjing is indeed Bianjing, so lively!" When Qiao Mianmian turned around, she saw that Lu Zhao's hands were full of things, the wine had already been delivered. "How are you? Are you tired? How about we find a teahouse to eat something?"
Lu Zhao agreed. He hadn't expected Qiao Mianmian to be such a shopaholic; she had been shopping for two hours straight, except for eating.
The two found a teahouse and sat down. Qiao Mianmian began to list the things she had bought. "The silk is for my family. My parents are getting old and need some nourishment. The pharmacies in Bianjing are all bigger. I noticed that my grandmother has a cough. I'll use those pears to make pear soup for her when we get back."
Lu Zhao remained mostly silent, listening quietly to what Qiao Mianmian had to say, occasionally chiming in with a few words.
The young couple waited until the wine arrived before Qiao Mianmian continued shopping.
Qingjiu couldn't help but complain, "Sir, how come the eldest mistress doesn't get tired?"
"Qingjiu, I heard you." Qiao Mianmian turned around and looked at me. "It's rare for me to come to Bianjing. Since I'm here, shouldn't I make the most of it? Besides, don't you have anything to bring back for Sanhua?"
"I...I have thought about it." Qingjiu felt a little guilty after being caught red-handed, "I just haven't thought of it yet."
"Then you'd better think it over carefully, otherwise you know what will happen to Sanhua." Qiao Mianmian said, taking Lu Zhao's arm. Her man was really eye-catching, and many young women had been looking at them along the way.
After a whole day of shopping and experiencing the prosperity of Bianjing, Qiao Mianmian finally felt tired while soaking her feet at night. "I can't go on shopping tomorrow." She didn't feel tired while shopping, but now that she stopped, she felt like she was going to collapse.
"Let me massage your feet." Lu Zhao placed Qiao Mianmian's feet on his lap.
As soon as Qiao Mianmian lay down, she noticed Lu Zhao's restless hands. "Stop messing around."
"Um?"
"This is Bianjing."
"Don't worry, there's no one in the yard."
Once the candle went out, another night had passed.
Before leaving Bianjing, Qiao Mianmian and Lu Zhao stayed with Old Madam Lu. On the last day, they went to sweep Lu Zhao's mother's grave. On the way back to Lin'an, Qiao Mianmian leaned on Lu Zhao's shoulder and said, "We can come to visit every year from now on."
"Hmm." Lu Zhao looked at the person beside him, the corners of his lips slightly upturned. There is gain in loss, and this is his gain.
The two returned to Lin'an just in time for Qiao Jiasheng's wedding banquet.
The third branch of the family was holding a banquet in the village. Qiao Mianmian and her husband set off early in the morning. She was sitting on the oxcart when she turned her head and glanced around. She didn't see her second sister-in-law and eldest sister-in-law. "Huh, why didn't my eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law come?"
Speaking of this, Madam Lin laughed heartily, "Your second sister-in-law is pregnant, not even three months along yet. As you know, your second brother and sister-in-law have been longing for a child, but I didn't want her to go through any trouble, so I let her stay at home. Your eldest sister-in-law is taking care of Le'er, so she can keep your second sister-in-law company. If anything happens, the two sisters-in-law can look after each other."
Upon learning that her second sister-in-law was pregnant, Qiao Mianmian was happy for her and asked her second brother loudly, "Second brother, do you want a son or a daughter?"
"Anything is fine, as long as the child is healthy." Qiao Jiaxing's face was full of joy when he talked about the child. "It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl for the first child. Go and touch your second sister-in-law's belly later, and get some of the good luck too."
Qiao Mianmian said she wasn't in a hurry, "Then you must take good care of your second sister-in-law. If there's anything she wants to eat, just tell me and I'll make it for her!"
"Your second sister-in-law really wants to eat this. She said my pickled fish isn't as good as yours, and yours is much tastier. You can make her a portion later, so we can all try it." Qiao Jiaxing said that Qiao Mianmian also makes fried pork ribs and mashed eggplant, which are even better.
Qiao Mianmian said no problem, "Pickled fish is easy, I'll make it tomorrow and let my second sister-in-law eat her fill."
Qiao Ji's fish sells so well that it's become the restaurant's signature dish. When people mention Qiao Ji, the first thing that comes to mind is their delicious braised dishes and fish. Correspondingly, the Qiao family makes a lot of sauerkraut and kimchi to cook with their fish.
The men took turns driving the cart. Qiao Mianmian leaned on her mother. When they were almost at Hejia Village, they met her eldest sister and brother-in-law.
Over the past year, Li Shouye has been raising pigs, chickens, and ducks. Now he has contracted a hilltop and has become the biggest person in the village in terms of livestock breeding.
As a result, the Li family's life improved a lot. Lin Wangchun's clothes were completely unpatched, and he even wore silver earrings as accessories.
"Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother," Lin Wangchun greeted them. "Just now I was talking to Shouye about whether we would run into you on the road."
When the oxcart arrived at the village entrance, Lin simply got off and walked. "Why didn't you bring Tao'er along?"
“You know, two- or three-year-olds are the most mischievous. If I bring them along, I’ll have to keep an eye on them the whole time. It’s better to leave them at home.” Her father-in-law doesn’t have a daughter, so he dotes on his granddaughter. Lin Wangchun feels at ease leaving her at home to be cared for by her father-in-law.
Madam Lin also missed her granddaughter. "Let's leave it for today. Next time my son-in-law comes to the city to deliver pigs, remember to bring Tao Jie along. I miss her."
Li Shouye sold all the pigs he raised to his father-in-law. Qiao Mancang still slaughtered pigs in the market. He used to sell them every two or three days, but now, because of the food stall, Qiao Mancang slaughtered pigs almost every day.
Sometimes, after selling a few items, Qiao Mancang would close up shop and send the rest to food stalls.
Lin Wangchun agreed, and Li Shouye, who was standing nearby, came over to his father-in-law and said that the chickens he raised were ready to be sold.
"How many are there?" Qiao Mancang asked.
“This batch has about a hundred,” Li Shouye said.
"It's not too much, just bring it to the food shop. Business is good there now, sometimes we can sell up to twelve chickens." Qiao Mancang patted his son-in-law on the shoulder. The family supported each other, and seeing that Wang Chun's family was doing well, he was happy too.
Before they even reached Qiao Manhua's house, they could already hear the sound of trumpets playing on the road. Upon hearing this, the Qiao family members quickened their pace.
Qiao Mianmian got off the oxcart and walked at the back with her fourth sister. She asked in a low voice about her fourth sister's husband's performance in the provincial examination, "Fourth sister, I haven't heard you mention your fourth sister's husband's participation in the provincial examination. How did it go?"
"Just as we expected, we didn't pass." Lin Xiahe was very calm about the result, and even Wang Chuang himself said it was normal. "Your fourth brother-in-law knows what he's doing. He doesn't plan to take the exam anymore. He's thinking of coming back to teach at the academy and studying on his own for a few years. If he gets a feel for it in the future, he'll take the imperial examination again."
Since ancient times, the imperial examinations have been a highly competitive process, with countless candidates failing and becoming disheartened. Fortunately, Wang Chuang had a wise and understanding mother, Madam Wang, and he himself was able to think things through.
“That’s good too. Now that your fourth brother-in-law has returned to Lin’an, you can all be together,” Qiao Mianmian said. “Being a teacher earns you respect, and the Wang family has also given you property, so you’ll never lack for food or clothing.”
“I think it’s good too. To tell you the truth, when I was pregnant, I was home alone, and sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night and feel a little wronged.” But she couldn’t show it on her face. It was a serious matter for a man to study, and she had to be sensible.
Qiao Mianmian patted her fourth sister's hand, "I understand."
"Oh right, didn't you know that Scholar Xu passed the imperial examination? No, we should call him Scholar Xu now," Lin Xiahe suddenly realized.
Qiao Mianmian had no idea that she had only arrived home yesterday evening and left early this morning, not even having time to share the things she brought from Bianjing with her family.
"He won, and the Xu family was overjoyed. They set off firecrackers in the alley for three days. Mother said that Madam Xu's complexion has improved; she's truly in high spirits when good news comes. However, it seems the Xu family is moving away. They say they've used their connections and plan to return to Bianjing," Lin Xiahe said.
“They were originally from Bianjing. Although they don’t understand why they moved to Lin’an, it’s a matter of returning to one’s roots. Now that Xu has achieved academic success, going back is a great honor for his ancestors. Besides, he’s so young, he definitely wants to continue taking the imperial examinations. Returning to Bianjing would offer better opportunities, which is normal.” As Qiao Mianmian spoke, she saw her third uncle’s house.
Qiao Manhua was greeting guests at his doorstep. It was his son's wedding day, and he hadn't stopped smiling. When he saw his family arrive, he hurried over and said, "Big brother and sister-in-law, you've finally arrived! Parents asked early this morning if you had arrived yet."
The Zhangs arrived a couple of days ago, but the Lins couldn't leave their food stall and could only come today.
"I woke your older brother up before dawn. Let's skip the pleasantries and just tell us what you need us to do." Madam Lin rolled up her sleeves, ready to get to work.
Qiao Manhua said there was nothing else, "You've come all this way, just come in and have some tea. But bring two young men to help me move some tables and chairs from the village."
Qiao Jiawang and Qiao Jiaxing said they would go, and Lu Zhao would also go, but Qiao Manhua pulled them back, saying, "Let the brothers go, the three of you come in and have some tea." The nephew was family, and the niece's husband was a guest, so Qiao Manhua led everyone into the courtyard.
Qiao Mianmian walked over to Lu Zhao's side, looked at the lively scene in the courtyard, and whispered, "It's more interesting to attend other people's wedding banquets. You can eat and drink, and watch the excitement."
Getting married on her own is too tiring; she feels exhausted just thinking about it.
Lu Zhao smiled and said, "Third Uncle said he hunted a wild boar a few days ago, so we're in for a treat today."
"Yes, let's go see what they do?" Qiao Mianmian naturally took Lu Zhao's hand, but found that Lu Zhao didn't move. When she turned around, she saw that Lu Zhao's face was red. She thought to herself that this person was really different during the day and at night. He blushed just from holding hands. "Tsk tsk, is our Lord Lu embarrassed?"
“There are... a lot of people,” Lu Zhao said.
"I understand." At home, Qiao Mianmian usually likes to hold Lu Zhao's hand. His hands are big and warm, and she always feels at ease when she holds them.
When you're out in public, you sometimes forget the habits you have at home. People in ancient times were more reserved, so it wasn't appropriate to hold hands in front of so many people.
Just as Qiao Mianmian let go of Lu Zhao, he grabbed her hand tightly again.
"It's alright, really." Lu Zhao lowered his eyes, his gaze full of doting affection.
Just as the two were deeply in love, Madam Lin called out, "Mianmian, come quick! Your third uncle's osmanthus wine smells especially good. He went all out this time and added honey!"
Qiao Mancang looked at his daughter and son-in-law, "Yes, it's delicious. If you don't come over soon, we'll finish it all!"
"Okay, Mom and Dad, we're coming right now!" Qiao Mianmian, holding Lu Zhao's hand, ran over with a smile.
The osmanthus wine with honey was indeed more fragrant; one sip and the aroma lingered in my mouth.
"That's wonderful. Her family is all healthy. There's nothing happier than a family reunited," Qiao Mianmian thought to herself.
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