Who dares to be so bold as to kidnap the bride?

  The old lady listened and was speechless for a long time, looking at Li with complex and pitiful eyes, shaking her head and sighing: "This matter is indeed not like Mei's. Tomorrow, take Zhi Li's wife to the Yang family for a visit, and in front of the Yang family members, give her a good scolding."

  Li's face was filled with grief and indignation, "They, the Yang family, humiliated my daughter like this, how can I still..."

  The old lady slammed her hand on the table, "Do you mean to let others support her?"

  Li's lips pursed, "...No matter what, they shouldn't treat Rumi like that."

  "You need to understand that Rumei is no longer the young lady from a good family, but someone's wife. You should also understand that a girl who marries up will inevitably suffer some grievances. If you don't go with her to pay respects, just wait and see who you'll cry to when Rumei gets divorced and comes back."

  Li was shocked, "Rumei was brought into the Yang family with great fanfare and has committed no crime worthy of expulsion. No matter how powerful the Yang family is, who would dare to do such a thing?"

  The old lady sneered, "Yang Lao Furen was widowed at a young age, and with great difficulty, she raised her son to success. She also managed to firmly grasp the marquis title under the watchful eyes of her uncle and brothers, without allowing the collateral branches of the family to divide the Hou Mansion's property. You think she doesn't have any real abilities? Those tricks are simply not worth mentioning, yet you dare to bring them up in front of others, it's like wielding a big axe in front of Lu Ban's door, only inviting ridicule." Does she think Yang Lao Furen is this foolish? Others would be scared out of their wits by just pretending to be dizzy. And Er Guniang wouldn't be her useless adopted son, who loves women playing the weak and feeble role.

  "From now on, I won't bother explaining anything to you. Let me just say one thing: as a proper wife, pretending to be weak and timid will not earn anyone's respect. Only concubines use such coquettish tricks. As the legitimate daughter of the Fang family and the legitimate second daughter-in-law of the Yang family, why would she need to resort to such tactics? If she had truly been mindful of her position and conducted herself with caution, how could her mother-in-law have found fault with her? Letting her younger sister-in-law get away with being petty and overbearing was already a concession, but now it's time for some payback. It's only fair."

  The old lady spoke bluntly, and Li was rebuked until her face turned red with shame. However, the old lady's words were reasonable, and Li couldn't refute a single sentence, so she could only nod in agreement.

  But as soon as she left Mrs. Lao's house, Li was even more angry and filed another lawsuit against Fang Jinglan, wanting him to think of a solution.

  Fang Jinglan heard about this matter, first was shocked and lost color, then came to resent the fact that iron wasn't made of steel. "You, you, I don't even know how to say anything to you. San Yaotou's body has always been healthy, yet she still dared to do something like this? Alas, it's really..."

  Li was dissatisfied and couldn't help but sneer: "Why could Zhang Niang pretend to be her back then, while my Rumei can't now? Master is indeed a man of his word."

  Fang Jinglan was stunned, speechless for a long time. Finally, she snorted and said: "That's different, Zhang's family may also have their own way of doing things... but at least they're good at pretending, at least they can deceive me too... Rumei, with that face of hers that can't hide her thoughts, how dare she use the same trick? It's really laughable."

  This made Li's daughter not dare to refute, if really wanting to discuss acting skills, ten Yu Meis added together are not the match of Zhang's mother and daughter. It's no wonder that she was recognized by Old Lady Yang and then punished her.

  However, from Yang's wife's standpoint, Li still sincerely admired her. If she had known earlier that the way to deal with those who pretend to be weak was so simple, she wouldn't have been fooled by Zhang all the time back then either.

  Fang Jinglan also felt uncomfortable in his heart. Zhang Shi, who was favored by him back then, had indeed made him do many foolish things, and now he thought about it, he really had no face to show his family. Now, the eldest daughter of the direct descent actually acted like a concubine, often pretending to be dizzy in front of her husband's family, which really made him furious.

  Then, Fang Jinglan ordered Li, "Tomorrow you and Zhi Li's wife will go to the Yang family together. Properly advise San Yaotou, warn her not to be reckless and impulsive again, and tell her to behave like a daughter-in-law should. Whatever happens, endure it if possible, and don't act impulsively."

  Li thought it over and decided he had to go to Yang's house to reason with Rumei, but...

  "Old man, I can go alone, why bring along a wife who knows etiquette?"

  Fang Jinglan glanced sideways, "You? With a mother like you who doesn't have the slightest maternal air, it's already good that San Niang hasn't been spoiled rotten. Let Zhi Li's wife take care of explaining things to San Niang and teach her about being a daughter-in-law."

  ……

  That night, the old lady called Rujing to her side, "No matter what, when a girl is at home, she should be carefree. But once she becomes a daughter-in-law, she loses a lot of freedom. Rujing, you tell me, if you were in a situation like Rumei's, how would you handle it?"

  As she thought about the three rooms of the He family, there was a married daughter and an unmarried younger sister who had not yet reached adulthood, as well as a child born out of wedlock. In her heart, she sighed that being a daughter-in-law in ancient times was truly difficult. But with her mouth, she said: "Third sister is not wronged, but if it were me, I would definitely swallow this breath." When encountering such an extreme and intentionally provocative younger sister-in-law, in front of the parents-in-law, she must endure no matter what, but also make sure that the parents-in-law and servants see her hidden tolerance and grievance. Moreover, as a mother who dotes on her child, at this time, she would also scold her daughter's rudeness in front of her daughter-in-law.

  The old lady asked again: "What if the mother-in-law is really short-tempered?"

  As she thought about it, she sighed with a bitter smile, "That's just the way it is. A daughter-in-law is always an outsider, no matter how good she is, she can never be as close as a biological daughter. If you encounter someone who is overly protective of their own flesh and blood, there's nothing you can do but put up with it." However, little sister will get married sooner or later, and once she does, I'll be free from this. If I were more cunning, I'd give little sister some eye drops to make her realize that she shouldn't come back to her parents' house and bully her sister-in-law.

  However, all of these are just last resorts. If the mother-in-law is still alive and the biological aunt is offended, it will not be good for oneself. Usually, when the relationship between sisters-in-law is harmonious, the mother-in-law will not intentionally make things difficult for her daughter-in-law anymore.

  The old lady said with some appreciation, "You're the most perceptive one, you understand these principles. The fact that you can think this way proves that you're clever and sensible. When you get married and go to your husband's family in the future, I'll be half at ease."

  As she thought about the He family, who had been known for their love of books and learning for generations, she couldn't help but secretly smile wryly to herself. It wasn't that being a family of scholars was necessarily good, these families didn't care about social status, but they were extremely particular about rules and etiquette. In the future, when she married into the family, who knew how many more rules she would have to learn?

  ……

  Time passed quickly, and soon after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Beijing began to get cold. The Fang family's compound was heated with kang, a type of bed-stove, and in an atmosphere that was mostly calm but occasionally turbulent, they quietly celebrated the day when Rong'er got married.

  The divorce is still over ten days away, and the dowry has been pouring into the He family in an endless stream. In addition to the private property that came with the bride, the specialized gold and silver utensils for eating, drinking, and daily use filled twelve horse-drawn carriages. Various high-quality fabrics, precious woods, and valuable furs also filled eight large carts, while the boxes of gold and silver hairpieces, jewelry, and other adornments were enough to fill four large chests. Other miscellaneous items filled several more carts.

  Madam He looked at the dowry list with a mixture of emotions, and suddenly rubbed her eyes. The hall had eight windows open, each one bright and clean. Although the weather outside was gloomy, Madam He's eyesight was excellent, and she scanned the list line by line, gasping in surprise. The gold and silver items on the list were quite numerous, but she didn't have an overly strange reaction, only being astonished that the Fang siblings were so generous.

  The elder brother of the husband's sister sent twelve pairs of bright red gold pigs, each weighing eight taels and eight mace and eight candareens. In addition, a box of thirty-six imperial jade pearls was also given as a gift.

  The elder sister-in-law sent ten pieces of Lu silk, embroidered flowers satin, and five-color carved thin silk each, with a weight of about 10 catties per piece. Eight sets of brand new kiln tea sets, eight beds of brand new brocade quilts, and a pair of dark green jade bangles in excellent color.

  Second uncle sent twelve boxes of top-grade leather goods, eighteen jars of bear paws, twelve top-grade inkstones, eight pairs of purple sandalwood carved flower embroidered screens, eight pairs of table screens, eight pairs of kang screens, and eight pairs of surrounding screens. Plus a box containing 3688 taels of gold bars.

  My second aunt sent eight sets of bedding, mattresses, blankets and cushions, which filled six carts.

  Third Uncle and Third Aunt jointly gave a pair of golden fish-shaped pendants with ruby and pearl inlays, as well as a five-phoenix hairpin with golden threads, rubies, and pearls.

  The old lady of the Fang family gave away four houses and two hundred mu of land.

  Mr. Fang's old master sent a silver ticket worth 10,000 taels and another 500 mu of land in the suburbs of Beijing.

  Stepmother Li sent eight pieces of top-grade fabric and a pair of white jade inlaid with gold and silver silk scabbards.

  The rest of the Fang family relatives also sent one or two pieces of jewelry or precious items. Overall, as a concubine's status, she unexpectedly had such a dowry, which was beyond Madame He's expectations.

  Madam He took the dowry list from Ruqing and handed it to Old Master He, who was also shocked. After a while, he said, "The two uncles of the Fang family actually gave such a generous dowry. On the day of the wedding, Chen'er must make good preparations." What he feared was that his son would be bullied by his uncles on the day of the wedding.

  Madam He gave her husband a glance, this out-of-tune husband always liked to mess things up at critical moments, but his humorous remark did alleviate her heavy heart. The daughter-in-law was valued by her brother and sister-in-law, which was also a good thing for the He family.

  "In my opinion, I originally thought that the welcoming team would just follow the usual specifications, but now it's no longer possible."

  He Lao said, "This Fang family's dowry is so generous, this is a good thing. But we can't be too shabby either, let's do it according to the standard of welcoming our daughter-in-law back then."

  Mrs. He also thought so.

  It is unknown how the news was leaked, and the list of betrothal gifts was surprisingly exposed in just a few days. Now, everyone outside is spreading rumors that the Fang family's dowry for their daughter has exceeded 100,000, which is an astronomical amount. Generally, even official families wouldn't have such a lavish budget. Moreover, as a concubine-born daughter, she was given such a generous dowry by her brother, which is unprecedented even in the early days of the Great Qing dynasty.

  Especially the dowry sent by the two brothers who knew courtesy and righteousness, really shocked a lot of people's eyeballs. The news reached the Jing Wang Fu, and Queen Jing sighed and shook her head, "I don't know if my sister-in-law heard it, would she regret it so much that her intestines turn green?"

  Song Jiang's family was on one side, pursing their lips, "That's also her own fault, can't blame anyone else."

  Nowadays, the Fang family is getting more and more prosperous. Although it's not as glorious as before, the achievements of the two young masters of the Fang family are obvious to everyone. Zhi Li has gradually gained recognition from the emperor and gets along well with his colleagues. The Yue family also provides strong support behind the scenes. Brother-in-law Pingyang Houfu's second son, Zhong Jin, is also very accomplished. His brother-in-law, Qingchang Houye, is a powerful figure in the imperial court. Zhi Yi doesn't disappoint either, and has a close relationship with the Jingwang Fu and the Fu family, who have made outstanding contributions to the empire for three generations. Especially, although General Town didn't receive promotion in three years, his wife was granted the title of third-rank lady and received an imperial gift of a python robe. With the python robe on her body, her status is almost equal to that of the three dukes. Who dares to look down on her?

  But these two brothers were extremely fond of Fang Ruoxi, this younger sister, and the dowry they gave was so generous that it made people's tongues numb. Especially the 3,688 taels of gold given by Fang Zhiji, which touched a sore spot for all married women from wealthy families with elder brothers.

  Many daughters of wealthy families get married with dowries prepared by their parents, and as for the brothers, they just need to show some courtesy and give a decent gift. However, there have been cases where the bride's family is resented by her brother and sister-in-law because the dowry is too extravagant. But in this case, the two brothers of the Fang family's daughter actually sent such generous gifts, which is considered a rare occurrence even in the capital city.

  However, the fact that Fang Fu's dowry was indeed generous far exceeded everyone's expectations for a concubine-born daughter. Even Jing Tai Wangfei couldn't help but admire how powerful her brother and sister-in-law were. On the other hand, she also gloated over the misfortune of her sister-in-law's family.

  ……

  Putting aside other things, let's just say that Fang Fu was informed of the sudden return to Beijing by Mr. and Mrs. Yi, which caused a commotion among all the people in Fang Fu.

  The old lady looked at Zhiyi's dark and increasingly mature face with a smile that couldn't be closed, hugging Zhiyi's eldest son and teasing him nonstop.

  Ruzhen and her two sisters, upon hearing that their brother-in-law and his wife had returned, each came back from their maternal homes. Ruzhen arrived first with her husband Zhong Jin, followed by Rumei, and then finally Rushan.

  Fang Jinglan gazed at his two sons who had established their own families, the grandsons surrounding his knees, and his accomplished sons-in-law. He couldn't help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction, stroking his beard as he praised one after another, his old face completely creased with smiles like a slice of ginger.

  If it were really the elder sister, she would be very annoyed with the two brothers who both had a coffin-like face. She teased them for a few sentences but didn't get the expected response, so she turned to the two younger siblings in anger. Fortunately, the two younger siblings were all gentle and kind-hearted, which slightly alleviated her inner resentment.

  Because of the difference between birth and concubinage, although I had a good relationship with my two elder brothers since childhood, we didn't meet often in normal times. So, it was only slightly better than strangers. After stiffly saying some auspicious words, I couldn't get the expected response. It wasn't suitable to smile and talk to He Shi and Yu Shi either, so I could only sit aside with a long face. Looking at Ruzhen laughing loudly, it didn't feel good. In the end, I could only slowly smooth out the intricate gold and silver silk embroidery on my sleeves that might be wrinkled, and quietly look at Ruizheng, who seemed to have become even more beautiful after not seeing her for several months. She had a calm and gentle face, sitting by the table with her hands holding her cheeks, listening to Ruzhen and others talking and laughing, occasionally echoing or teasing my two elder brothers a few words.

  And yet she knew courtesy and righteousness, so she glared at her fiercely, but the other girl stuck out her tongue playfully, seemingly not afraid at all. A feeling of discomfort flashed through her mind.

  Because they are not from the same womb, Mei and her two elder brothers are not close. After exchanging pleasantries, she doesn't dare to overstep and obediently sits aside to crack melon seeds. It seems like Ruoxi is quite fond of her, as she sits tightly next to Ruoxi, laughing along with everyone else when they laugh, and chiming in a few words when others speak. Ruo Xian looks at her with even more disdain, thinking that the eldest daughter has fallen to such a state, truly having lived a life of luxury.

  Yu's wife had just given birth to a child and was on her way back to the capital, so He's wife did not dare let her overexert herself. The task of serving tea and refreshments to everyone fell to He's wife. Yu also got up and took the teapot handed to him by the maid to pour tea for each person one by one.

  He smiled and said: "This has not been married out, but it's already pretending to be virtuous? Hehe, in our mother's house, sister is still sitting, don't take my credit."

  Everyone burst out laughing, and with a mischievous grin on his face, he said, "I don't want to either, but what can I do? You have to be gentle when you're in someone else's hands."

  Everyone present understood what "as if" meant, and they all burst out laughing. The old lady pointed at her and laughed wildly, "You little money-loving girl, you're so greedy, you deserve to be beaten, you deserve to be beaten."

  "Ruyan also laughed and said: 'This girl has found a good husband's family, and now she is showing off.'"

  "Big sister loves to talk nonsense... Who has that? Look, I'm still the first one to pour tea for you. If I had known earlier..." She said, picking up the teacup in front of Ruzhen and drinking it all in one gulp, then slamming the empty cup down in front of Ruzhen with a "clunk".

  "I'm my own cup."

  "So I drank it all, see what you drink." She said with a swagger, carrying the teapot to the old lady's side, smiling with a flattering face, "Grandma, granddaughter is also lenient with you, come, let granddaughter pour you a cup of water."

  The old lady couldn't stand her flattering face, stretched out her hand and poked her forehead, "You little brat, you still have a bit of conscience."

  As they poured tea, Ruoshan took a closer look at Ruxin from her angle and saw the soft and beautiful side of her face. Her long eyelashes were like fans, under which shone a pair of bright eyes like agate. Below her calm eyes was a small, straight nose with a slightly upturned lip, and on her cheeks was a natural flush. A few strands of black hair blew against her cheek, framing her slender white neck... Some time ago, a guest who claimed to be able to read fortunes came to the Yu Guo Wang Fu and told her that a woman with a straight nose without any scars would most likely marry into a noble family.

  The He family, although not the most prominent, has been noble for generations and holds real power. The second son of the third house of the He family is also serving in the military, and as such, he is deeply loved by his brothers, Ruzhen and Zhili. It is believed that this future fourth uncle of the Fang family will achieve great things. As for himself...

  The more she thought about it, the more unbearable it became, and Ruo Shan couldn't help but quietly stretch out one foot...

  ……

  As soon as Ru Xian finished pouring tea, she turned around to pour some for Ru Mei, but unfortunately, she accidentally stepped on Ru Shan's foot. The embroidered shoes that were popular among women in Daqing at the time had a high heel of three inches and an arched shape, with the middle part touching the ground and the front and back raised. When someone stepped on it, their weight would be concentrated on the middle part of the shoe sole. As soon as Ru Xian's foot came down, Ru Shan let out a loud cry of pain.

  Everyone was shocked and looked over, like a string of firecrackers. She hastily withdrew her foot and said with a wronged and shocked expression: "Second sister, what are you doing stretching your foot here?"

  She was so angry that she felt like vomiting blood when she heard Ruo Qing's words. However, with everyone watching, she knew she was in the wrong and didn't dare to really argue with Ruo Qing, so she could only endure the pain and glare at him, "I still want to ask you, why did you step on my foot?"

  With a face full of innocence, he lowered his head and stared at his own shoes, "Sorry, Second Sister, I didn't do it on purpose."

  "Never mind, just be more careful next time." After retracting her foot, Ruoshan suddenly found that Zhili He had been staring at her without blinking. Ruoshan felt guilty and secretly regretted not being more mindful of her actions, which had given Zhili an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

  ……

  The little episode that just happened, everyone knew in their hearts, but they didn't say much about it. They continued to chat happily. Brother-in-law Zhong Jingguo had a square face and was around thirty years old, which is the golden age for men. Although he had grown a beard, he was full of energy and had a majestic aura. He was also very talkative and exchanged experiences with Yang Qitai and Zhiyi about using long guns and arrows like fish in water. Yang Qitai was one or two years older than Zhiyi and had his own insights. He talked to Zhong Jingguo with great rapport, while Zhiyi played the role of a good listener and didn't express his opinions unless they were asked for his views at which point he would say a couple of words.

  Li also practiced martial arts, but had never been on the battlefield. However, listening to them discuss various uses of swords and guns, he was able to sell himself as a skilled gunner.

  Unfortunately, Zhong Jin and the other two were particular about actual combat experience, but they didn't pay much attention to fancy moves that only looked good. There was always a sense of mismatch between their skills.

  But the one who knew etiquette was the only one among his peers who had studied literature, seeing the people in front of him discussing archery and swords, he couldn't get a word in edgewise, and couldn't help but shout: "You're all treating yourselves like gods, if you have the ability, go shoot a rabbit to make a hat for your young nephew!"

  A moment of silence!

  Zhong Jin's face broke into a wide smile. "Elder Brother is indeed good at making things difficult for people! In the cold winter, where can one go to hunt rabbits?"

  Yang Qitai burst out laughing and said, "If Big Uncle really wants to see my archery skills, then fine. Let Big Uncle catch a rabbit first and I'll show off my skills."

  Zhī Yì said coldly: "The rabbits outside are hard to find, but there's one readily available here."

  "Where is it?" everyone asked in unison.

  Zhī yì mù guāng sǎo xiàng rú qíng, rú qíng shǎ yǎn, bó zǐ yī suō, rěn bù zhù dào: "èr gē gē, nǐ yào shì gǎn ná wǒ bǐ zuò tù zǐ, wǒ jiù zài bù huàn tiān nǐ zuò yī shàng le."

  English Translation:

  Zhī Yì's eyes swept towards Rú Qíng, who was staring blankly ahead. She shrunk her neck and couldn't help but say: "Second Brother, if you dare to compare me to a rabbit again, I'll never make clothes for you again!"

  "Little sister is about to get married, and after she has a husband, how can she still put her brother in her heart? Besides, I didn't take you as a rabbit, it's just that the rabbit hat you embroidered for Chun'er was very good-looking, and I was just praising you. You're really something, jumping to conclusions like that, you're indeed a real rabbit."

  Everyone's eyes widened in surprise. Miracle! Zhiyi, who had never spoken more than five words to them before, unexpectedly spoke so much this time.

  The old lady noticed, Fang Jinglan also noticed. The former smiled with relief, while the latter was complicated and looked at Zhiyi's coffin face with a belly full of resentment...

  ……

  By afternoon, the men had moved outside and were engaged in lively discussions. The women, on the other hand, were playing cards in the flower hall.

  Yu's wife had just given birth to a child and was indeed unable to bear the exhaustion, so she went to rest early. Li's wife had some whispers to discuss with Rumei, while He's wife attended to everyone with tea and refreshments.

  The remaining four people, including the old lady, sat down at a table and started playing cards. The old lady was very skilled and won several rounds in a row. As for Zhen, he hadn't played cards in years and his skills were rusty, so he couldn't keep up with the old lady's and Ruqing's strong gameplay. Rshan seemed to be preoccupied and lost one round after another.

  As if the money won was a romantic number, laughing to the point of shocking heaven and earth, He Shi was just coming in from outside, holding a fruit plate in her hand, and heard the words, smiling: "The eldest heard the fourth sister's wolf cry from afar, it turned out that she had won again?"

  Ru Qing raised her head and smiled, counting the golden ingots and golden beans in her hands, laughing so hard that her eyebrows disappeared into her eyes. "Today's luck is exceptionally good."

  He glared at her and said, "Little money grubber, as if you've never seen money before." Then he turned to Rú Shàn and asked, "What's going on today? All losses and no gains?"

  "These few dollars are nothing, just consider it as if one month's salary is gone."

  Ru Qing silently counted the golden beans in her hand, 1 qian per bean, and there were exactly 50 beans. According to the gold-silver exchange ratio of 10:1, Ru Shan's monthly allowance was equivalent to 50 taels of silver.

  ……

  In the evening, everyone dispersed, and the three Fang sisters each bid farewell to their parents with their husbands. Zhong Jin was majestic, Yang Qi was unconventional, Li Sao was elegant, Fang Jinglan was overjoyed, while Li smiled reluctantly, occasionally exchanging glances with Ru Mei.

  Her eyes were red, and she remained silent.

  Fang Jinglan glared at her, furrowed his brow, but didn't say anything. He just admonished her a few words and then spoke to Yang Qitai for a while, asking him not to mind her as she was still young and ignorant.

  Yang Qitai pulled Ru Mei and cupped his hands, saying: "Father-in-law, please rest assured, Ru Mei is my wife, how can I calculate with her? Although there was a slight inappropriateness earlier, it was indeed my sister's fault. If we must blame someone, it would be our family's upbringing that is not strict enough, resulting in a spoiled and willful daughter who caused Ru Mei to suffer injustice. My younger brother has already scolded my sister, I believe from now on the sisters-in-law will get along harmoniously."

  Fang Jinglan was overjoyed and repeatedly praised him as a good son-in-law.

  ……

  In the first month of the sixth year of Qingyuan, Fang's mansion was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, filled with joy. Ruyi was finally getting married at the age of sixteen sui (seventeen by virtual age).

  Although she was two years older than the average age of 15 for girls in Daqing to get married, she was still criticized by many people. However, as a member of the He family, although some guests whispered a few words behind her back, they didn't dare to bring it up openly.

  Especially with a generous dowry, she also deeply gained her brother's love and care. Later, she came to understand propriety and righteousness. The two brothers, one literary and one martial, gradually formed a good relationship. This young lady from the Fang family was naturally confident at home and didn't dare look down on others.

  It's not news that Ru Yi is registered under the name of Mrs. Li in Fang Fu, and it's also not considered a major event outside, but after all, it's a mountain stronghold version of the legitimate daughter. Some particular families are also unwilling to come forward, just following the trend and attaching a congratulatory gift.

  Of course, some people who are cautious in doing things came to the scene personally. Li counted the number of people and tables again, and looked at many new faces that he had never seen before, his face began to look not very good again.

  However, none of this affected Yu Rou. She got up early in the morning to take a bath. Several mothers seemed to want to scrub off her greasiness, using towels with soap to rub her delicate body vigorously until she was as red as a cooked shrimp. Only then did they scoop her out of the water and proceed to wash her face, do her hair, and dress her up. It took them more than an hour before she was finally properly dressed.

  Old lady, Fang Jingxuan, He Shi and others were on one side to help the new bride with various rules and customs.

  Like Zhen and others reminded Ruqing of the various details when the man came to welcome her. Ruqing listened carefully, nodding from time to time, indicating that she was very careful and serious about remembering them.

  Before long, firecrackers and music were heard from the front, and everyone shouted in unison: "The groom has come to welcome the bride. Hurry up and greet her quickly."

  Like a general facing a great enemy, Ru Qing hastily sat up straight, and Chen Xiang hurriedly took the red headscarf to cover her, but was stopped by Ru Zhen. Ru Zhen smiled and said: "What's the hurry? There are still several checkpoints at the door that need to be passed. We also have a checkpoint here, and the groom wants to come in and take you away, so we'll have to wait for a while."

  In general wedding customs, when the groom comes to welcome the bride, he must go through a series of challenges at the bride's home before he can take the bride away.

  As if returning to her senses, she put her heart back in her stomach and patted her chest, complaining: "Big sister didn't tell me earlier, making me worry for nothing." She was really getting nervous now, first because of tension and second because of tension, her hands and feet were so fast they didn't know where to go.

  Outside Fang's residence, He Zhicheng, dressed in high spirits, rode a white horse with great momentum and majesty. As he dismounted his horse, a procession led by the matchmaker, musicians, and sedan chair carriers arrived in grand style. Upon the arrival of the bridal sedan chair, the Fang family welcomed them with music and firecrackers.

  The wedding procession stopped in front of the Fang Mansion gate, and the groom arrived at the foot of the steps, facing the five door gods lined up at the entrance, each staring at him with piercing eyes, making him smile wryly. It seems that taking the bride away today will require some effort.

  As expected, he had just stood still and opened his stance when someone came to challenge him.

  However, Zhi Li and his three brothers-in-law didn't make things difficult for the new brother-in-law. They simply asked two easy questions and let him pass.

  The groom finally passed the hurdle of his uncle and brother-in-law, and arrived at the backyard, where the courtyard of the "Writing Intention" was located. Here, a team of women led by Ruzhen stood in front of the door of Ruqing's room, also posing several slippery questions. He Zhicheng still couldn't answer them. A groomsman with experience in welcoming the bride reminded him loudly, "Give red envelopes, give red envelopes." He Zhicheng suddenly realized and hastily took out more than a dozen red envelopes from his pocket, distributing them all. Ruzhen and others laughed and teased, "You're really something, brother-in-law is indeed formidable, he actually knows how to use the trick of softening people's hands with money, I'm convinced."

  The door was opened, and the bride had already covered her head with a red veil and sat in front of the bed. He Zichen led Ruoqing to the hall, halfway there, Zhu Yiniang rushed over, hugged Ruoqing tightly, and cried: "Ruoqing, you're finally getting married, but I won't be able to see you again."

  As soon as I think of it, my eyes and nose turn sour. This is the miserable life of being a concubine. Even when my own daughter gets married, I don't have the qualifications to stay by her side.

  She gently held Zhu Niang's arm, slightly lifted her veil, looked at Zhu Niang's tear-swollen eyes, and forced a smile: "Auntie, see? I told you it would be fine."

  Aunt Zhu stretched out her trembling hands and stroked the heavily made-up face, tears falling like pearls. "Good child, you're finally married off, take good care of yourself..."

  As if she couldn't bear it anymore, tears burst out of her eyes. She turned around and whispered to He Zhicheng: "This is my aunt..." Behind him, Mrs. He hurriedly stepped forward and put down the veil, "It's not time to lift the veil yet, wait until you enter the bridal chamber, then you can look as much as you want. Hehe, Aunt Zhu, Fourth Sister is getting married, you should be happy instead of crying, what's wrong? Wait until Fourth Sister comes back for her three-day visit, and I'll let you see your fill."

  Aunt Zhu wiped away her tears, knowing that she had stopped the newlyweds halfway and it was not in line with etiquette. She didn't dare to be presumptuous again, but reluctantly held onto Ruo Xue's hand, unable to let go. She turned around, looked at He Zhi Cheng, and pleaded: "My family's daughter, please trouble you to take good care of her in the future."

  He Zichen cupped his hands and bowed, "Auntie, please be at ease, I understand."

  Zhu Niang was hastily pulled forward by several people, "Zhu Niang, your brother and sister are right, Fourth Sister is getting married, you should be happy instead. Don't cry anymore, be careful not to let the aunt see it's not good." As a niang, she was not allowed to wander around randomly in the mansion when things were being handled, let alone intercept her daughter who was about to get married halfway.

  Like a good person, she pulled her forward and said: "Compared to when I got married, my aunt was still in confinement, our relationship is much better now."

  "Aunt Zhu should be content with what she has."

  Aunt Zhu immediately stopped crying and said with a frightened expression: "Second Miss is right, I should be content indeed."

  Ruxian's face stiffened, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly as she sneered coldly: "However, Aunt Zhu is no longer what she used to be. Father dotes on you so much now, there's no need to be so cautious anymore. Fourth sister has already gone ahead, Aunt Zhu can also go and pay her respects."

  "You're so unruly and unscrupulous, only a child raised by their aunt would be so indiscriminate."

  "Goodness gracious, I may have been raised by my aunt, but Fourth Sister is also her daughter! Third and Fourth Sisters have always gotten along with you, yet you're treating them this way? That's not very nice of you!"

  "Who is arranging her? I just..."

  "If you really want to drag her away, then do it! On the day of Fourth Sister's wedding, as her elder sister, shouldn't you be giving your blessings instead of causing a scene? Do you want outsiders to think that the daughters of the Fang family are all ill-mannered and uneducated?"

  If she were indeed the eldest daughter of Fang Manor, she would have received boundless love and care. Under this stern warning, Rulan's beautiful face closed her mouth, but she still secretly defied with her eyes.

  In the front hall, the newlyweds knelt down and paid their respects to Old Lady and Mr. and Mrs. Fang Jinglan.

  Fang Jinglan's eyes were red, and she said two sentences: "When we raise our glasses together, let us respect each other like guests."

  "A good son is born early and accompanies his parents till their old age."

  The old lady held onto Qing's hand and sobbed: "Take good care of your parents-in-law, don't be reckless or willful."

  As if the emotions had been stirred up, probably because the atmosphere was too beautiful, tears were squeezed out again. In the end, she cried all the way and was carried onto the flower sedan chair by Zhiyi.

  After the wedding procession left, Zhen gazed at the sea of guests and said to Lao Taijun with a hint of surprise, "Look, Fourth Sister's wedding is the most grand and glorious among all of us sisters."

  The old lady smiled and looked at Ruqing with affection, sighing: "Yes, after the twists and turns earlier, we finally made it through."

  "Grandma, it should be a bumpy ride, shouldn't it?"

  The old lady thought for a moment, chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, it's indeed full of twists and turns. Alas, I didn't expect that the marriage of our young mistress would have so many ups and downs. In my whole life, this is the first time I've encountered such a mess."

  "Grandma, don't be sad. I think that Fourth Sister has gone through so many hardships and has accumulated a lot of experience. I believe that in the future, she will definitely have a happy and beautiful life. That's what they mean by 'after hardship comes happiness'. Hehe."

  Some of Fang's close relatives and female family members also burst out laughing.

  Yu Shu gazed at the women around her and also sighed, "Fourth sister is indeed blessed, we can't compare to her."

  Ru Mei and Ru Shan have been sworn enemies since birth. Upon hearing this, she immediately said, "Of course, Fourth Sister is clever and sensible, and will definitely live a happy life with her husband. Fourth Brother-in-law is such a kind-hearted person, I believe he won't casually take a concubine and hurt Fourth Sister's heart."

  Everyone looked at Rú Shàn, and it was said that Lǐ Jiǎo had recently taken in a concubine, but it hadn't been confirmed. Now that Rú Měi has mentioned it, it seems to be mostly true.

  Mei La couldn't help but retort, "Fourth sister is indeed lucky. I've heard that Madame He is the most kind-hearted person. I believe that Fourth Sister will not be disciplined by her mother-in-law in just a few days after getting married."

  "As it has been since ancient times, a mother-in-law setting rules for her daughter-in-law is the natural order of things and is actually for the daughter-in-law's own good. If a mother-in-law lets her daughter-in-law do wrong without intervening, then she isn't a good mother-in-law either."

  "Is that so? Well, congratulations to my sister then, for having a mother-in-law who is so considerate of her."

  She pursed her lips, expressionless. "You're overpraising me. No matter how strict my mother-in-law is, she's still sincerely teaching me and won't be like some mothers-in-law who love to secretly send the daughter-in-law to the son's room."

  The old lady looked at Li with surprise, then glanced at He, the former's face was stiff, while the latter's expression was calm and natural. She understood in her heart and smiled at Rumei: "Now you finally understand that your mother-in-law is good for you."

  Ru Mei looked at He Shi with a glance and said in a low voice: "This still owes much to the guidance of elder sister."

  He smiled and said, "We're all family, what's the point of talking about whether or not to give advice. This is also something my sister, who is your aunt, told me." She looked at Rumi and Li with a smile, "My sister said that Old Lady Yang is indeed quite strict, always nitpicking, but she won't really go so far as to find fault in everything. So it's very important to follow her wishes."

  Rumei twisted her handkerchief and muttered: "Dajie is indeed very good to me, it's just that I... was being unreasonable." She looked up and gazed at Li Shi with a resentful expression.

  Li's face turned dark, and she forced a smile, suppressing the unease in her heart. "Whether it's your mother-in-law or sister-in-law, they all have good intentions for you. In the future, don't be so reckless. These two sisters-in-law are older than you, and their experience in dealing with their mothers-in-law is definitely better than yours. In the future, you should listen to them more."

  As she thought about her husband's family and sister-in-law's advice, but always took her mother's words as the ultimate truth, this made her mother-in-law even more dissatisfied with herself and resentful of her own mother. But now that she heard her mother say this, she felt a little better and sincerely said: "Mother is absolutely right. I was being stubborn earlier."

  After the welcoming procession returned, they took another road, indicating that they would not take a detour. Zhi Yi, representing the Fang family, sat on a high horse with a long sword at his waist and led dozens of trusted bodyguards to escort the welcoming procession to the He family's home.

  As they walked halfway, Zhiyi gradually slowed down the horse's pace and arrived in front of Ruxue's flower sedan chair. The welcoming procession was beating drums and gongs, filled with joy and festivity. The groom, Guanjun, also graciously bowed his hands to greet the onlookers on both sides of the road. From the happy smile on his face, it could be inferred that he was quite satisfied with this marriage.

  The Fang Mansion is not far from the He Mansion. The Fang Mansion is located outside the "Five Rings" of the capital city, while the He Mansion is on the Third Ring Road. After walking for about half a time, they could already see the He Mansion in the distance. Chen Xiang, who was walking alongside them, encouraged Ruo Xue, "Miss, we're almost at the He Mansion, hurry up and get ready."

  She nodded slightly, covered her head with a veil and sat up straight in the sedan chair. However, as they approached the He family's residence, she felt anxious again. Various images flashed through her mind - first was Li Xiao, then Li Ao, Jiang Yunran, Xiang Yunhan, Chen Lang... these faces, some elegant, some handsome, some deep, some melancholic, intertwined in her mind... In the end, many of the faces became blurry, leaving only the overbearing and proud Li Xiao, and his always condescending expression. This man had once said that after returning to the capital, he would accompany her in punishment. She estimated that this time she married, she would not be as carefree as she was in the boudoir, and would not have the chance to see him again...

  It was unclear whether it was an illusion or what, but when she sighed inwardly about Li Xi, she actually heard his voice. She twisted her own ears and smiled wryly to herself... She really was a greedy person, thinking that someone else's punishment was fake, but the object of their punishment was real.

  Suddenly, the horse in front let out a loud whinny, and immediately afterwards, the sedan chair shook violently, as if it had been slapped on the chest. The heart was frightened to a standstill. What's going on outside? The perfectly fine sedan chair suddenly fell to the ground without warning.

  Outside was really too noisy, with a hubbub of voices by my ear, but suddenly I heard Zhiyi's stern shout: "What kind of rat dares to block the way? Quickly report your name!"

  What on earth is going on here?