Amidst the blanket of winter snow, Qin Xiaozhou gave birth to a child in the dead of winter.
It's a girl.
If you are well cared for in the womb, you won't be too ugly when you are born, just a little wrinkled and red.
Lu Yunfeng was overjoyed as he held the child, and Lu Yan also hurriedly came to hold him. Lu Yu brought the child to see Qin Xiaozhou.
Her eldest son is two and a half years old. He is very handsome and cute. Doctor Li named him Li Luying. The boy has lived up to his parents' expectations and is very healthy.
The Lu family is now a large and prosperous family with many descendants.
Lu Yan was slender and graceful, extremely beautiful.
Zhao Fang approached Lu Yunfeng and said, "Your two younger sisters' marriages should be on the agenda. They'll be sixteen next year. Even if they're not in a hurry to get married, their marriages should be arranged."
Lu Yunfeng, holding his daughter, swayed gently. "No rush. We should ask Lu Yan about this. Perhaps she already has someone in mind."
Lu Yan did indeed have a candidate. The man was named Cui Yanqing, a member of a collateral branch of the Cui family, Zhu Xian's maternal grandfather's family. According to seniority, he was also Zhu Xian's cousin.
Their story begins three years ago when Zhu Xian accompanied her husband, Li, from Longxi, to Xiangzhou to take up his post. She took the opportunity to return to Fenggu County for a visit, and Cui Yanqing was among those who came with her.
The young man and woman were not attracted to each other at first sight, but they later exchanged letters frequently. In late summer and early autumn, Lu Yan went to Wanzhou and met Cui Yanqing again. At that time, the two fell in love again.
Lu Yan was never one to be coy; after returning, she spoke to Lu Yunfeng and Qin Xiaozhou about the matter.
At that time, she was very worried that the two of them were not a good match in terms of social status, and that if they fell too deeply in love, they would not be able to get married in the future and would only ruin their relationship.
They came to ask Qin Xiaozhou if she could continue corresponding with Cui Yanqing.
At the time, Qin Xiaozhou told her that Cui Yanqing was only from a distant branch of the Cui family, and his marriage was not enough to make the main family of the Qinghe Cui family care about him. Marrying her would be the most suitable thing for him.
Lu Yan then happily replied to the letter.
Zhao Fang was both annoyed and helpless after hearing about these things. "This child didn't tell me a thing."
She shook her head again and said, "But I don't know much either. The Cui family must be the family of Madam Zhu, who used to have tea at the shop. They must be a wealthy family. You brothers and sisters-in-law should make the decisions for Xiaoyan."
If the Lu family were still the same impoverished family they were five years ago, she would naturally have a say in Lu Yan's marriage.
It's nothing more than living a decent life with a man in the village or a few neighboring villages.
But now the Lu family is a family that even the county magistrate can visit often, and the eldest son is in contact with merchants who are worth hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.
The second son's classmates were all successful candidates in the imperial examinations, and they would be going to the Wanzhou Academy in the spring. It was said that the academy's director had taught two top scholars in the imperial examinations.
Qin Xiaozhou's Embroidery Pavilion is so famous that it has spread to the capital, Jinling. Merchants from the capital would come to the pavilion to see the samples, and it is said that some of them have even met princes and princesses.
Lu Yunfeng comforted Zhao Fang, "Mother, there's no need to belittle yourself. Everyone has their own wisdom. It's just that the marriage of my younger brother and sister really needs to be considered from many angles."
Zhao Fang was neither sad nor angry. "You two are worrying about these kids, which makes me feel less troubled. But you should also think carefully about Jinxiu's marriage. She has been raised in our family for so many years, and I treat her like my own daughter."
Lu Yunfeng nodded, "Mother, don't worry, I won't favor one over the other."
Ever since Zhao Fang learned that Lu Yan had someone she cared about and who might become her son-in-law, she had been looking forward to him proposing marriage every day.
Unfortunately, she didn't see him until after the New Year. She was getting anxious, but she didn't want to ask Lu Yan directly.
With the first month of the lunar calendar already over, and Lu Yan still hadn't mentioned that person, she became even more anxious.
That day, she pulled Qin Xiaozhou aside and kept saying, "I heard that Xiao Yan has someone she's corresponding with, but why haven't we heard anything from her for so long?"
Lu Yan is already sixteen years old this year. After the first month comes the second month, and in the blink of an eye comes the third month. Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye. The girl is growing up day by day, and we really can't wait any longer.
Zhao Fang was anxious.
Qin Xiaozhou had just finished her postpartum confinement. It was a rare occasion that the winter snow had melted and a faint spring breeze was blowing. She was watching the koi in the backyard corridor.
The backyard has a winding corridor with a different view at every turn, and the courtyard has a unique charm in late winter and early spring.
Birds chirped and chattered on the branches, which made Qin Jinrong chase after them all over the yard, catching fish and teasing the birds. Whenever she found something interesting, she would show it to Lu Xiaosi.
Lu Xiaosi sat obediently in the pavilion reading, only occasionally taking his eyes off the book when Qin Jinrong came close to him.
Aunt Guo continued to take care of Lu Xiaosi and Qin Jinrong, chasing after Qin Jinrong every day, saying, "Oh dear, little aunt, slow down."
Qin Jinrong was very lively. Although she suffered a little in the first month after birth, she was well taken care of afterward. She was also well taken care of in Du Juan's womb, so she was very healthy and had no worries about food and drink.
Although she was a year and a half younger than Lu Xiaosi, she was already as tall as him, and her limbs and back were even stronger than his.
Zhao Fang sighed helplessly, "This little Si was only a bit mischievous when he was two or three years old, but now he's becoming more and more like Er Yun, sitting still and not liking to move. On the other hand, Jin Rong is always running and jumping around."
"Being quieter isn't a bad thing either; children who can sit still will be easier to teach in the future." Qin Xiaozhou was a little hungry and suddenly wanted to eat the pear blossoms from the village.
I mentioned it briefly during dinner that evening.
Lu Yunfeng laughed and said, "There are pear blossoms behind Lanyue Mountain. I'll go pick them tomorrow."
The place with the most crabapple blossoms is naturally Xishan, but the small crabapple blossoms aren't worth the trip. You can eat them every three to five days, but they won't taste as good once the season is over.
On the large round mahogany table were braised pork, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, braised pork hock, lotus root and pork rib soup, and stir-fried arrowhead.
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