Chapter 66: The Storm Before Marriage

  After Feng Wang left, Liu's wife pulled Li into the western wing to talk.

  She changed her smile and said seriously: "Just now, Mrs. Feng, the young lady of the Feng family, was here. There are some things that I don't want to say in front of her."

  "Ah!" Mr. Li raised an eyebrow and bowed his head to Mrs. Liu Jin, "Is there anything wrong?"

  Madam Liu looked at the attendants on her left and right.

  Li heard the sound and knew it was elegant, so he immediately sent the person away.

  Madam Liu saw that there were people in the house, and then she said to Li in a low voice: "After the New Year, the emperor will move the Ministry of Justice. Last time, the marriage of the Lv family, I also felt inappropriate, but because it was entrusted by the palace, so I came with a hard head... You said that I would like to ask me to meet with the Liang family to discuss the marriage, and I am greatly relieved... I think this matter should be done as soon as possible, lest there be many dreams at night.

  Li said with a sigh: "Qing's body is indeed small, giving birth to children is like passing through the Ghost Gate."

  Madam Liu covered her sleeve and smiled: "You're being overly concerned."

  Even if we get married, it doesn't necessarily mean we have to live together!

  "Will the Li family agree?" Li asked hesitantly.

  "With me around, they wouldn't dare not comply." Madame Liu patted her chest. "You just listen to my good news then."

  Mrs. Liu handled things with great efficiency and speed.

  The next afternoon, Mrs. Liang, the mistress of the Liang family, came in person.

  Li was very surprised and supported Tai Furen to sit down in the east wing room.

  The maidservants served tea. Shen Muqing came out to pay his respects to the old lady. Li Shi then closed the door with the old lady and talked for an entire afternoon. When Shen returned, Li told him that the Lian family had set the date for December 20th.

  Shen Zhen didn't seem particularly surprised, and instead looked hesitant: "What did Mu Qing say?"

  Li was in tears: "We are all half-buried in the ground, but Mu Qing's days are still long. She married into the Liang family and became a member of the Liang family. Don't push your daughter into the fire pit!"

  "Don't worry!" Shen Zhen smiled and said, "At that time, the Liang family will be even more prominent than it is now!"

  "I don't want their family to be prominent!" Li covered her face and wept. "I just want to find a suitable husband for Mu Qing."

  "It's precisely because of this that I agreed to let Mu Qing marry earlier. Otherwise, how would I become in-laws with Wang Shengyun?" Shen An comforted Li Shi, "Besides, the Liang family is known as 'unshakeable', and Liang Yuan is not only cunning but also has a strong willpower compared to other families, marrying into his household is even more secure."

  It's like playing a harp for cows!

  Li wiped away her tears and sat up straight, saying: "I want to give Mu Qing the three-section courtyard house at White Paper Lane's Four Corners Hutong as a dowry!"

  Shen Zhen was shocked: "This..."

  "You reap what you sow, now let Mu Qing eat the fruit. You still have the nerve to say that." Li's face was stern, "I only have this one drop of bone and blood left..."

  Shen Zhen nodded and went to Chen Niang's place.

  He really didn't want to see Li's inquiring eyes.

  Madam Chen was startled when she saw Shen Zhen and hurriedly got up to help him change his clothes, then personally went into the kitchen to prepare a late-night meal.

  Chen gazed at the small dish of pickled winter vegetables on the table, which were as white as jade and had been personally made by Aunt Chen. He couldn't help but stand there in a daze, his chopsticks suspended in mid-air.

  Aunt Chen whispered beside him: "Master, why don't I stir-fry some fresh yellow sprouts for you?"

  "It's all right." Shen put down his chopsticks and pointed at the opposite side "You sit down too!"

  Aunt Chen sat halfway on the kang: "Master has a lot of worries today."

  Shen Zhen fell silent for a moment before saying, "Mu Qing's date has been set: February 20th."

  "What a rush!" Chen's wife was shocked, "I don't know if things will arrive in time for preparation."

  Shen Zhen did not utter a word.

  Aunt Chen didn't dare ask more, sat aside with a smile: "I'll go congratulate the lady tomorrow morning and see if there's anything I can help with. Speaking of which, the lady has been busy lately..."

  "Madam wants to give the courtyard on the side of Baizhi Fang to Mu Qing!" Shen Zhen suddenly interrupted Chen Niang's words, "I've already agreed!" His tone was extremely urgent, as if he was afraid he would change his mind.

  "You only have this one daughter, and giving her some property and land is also a common practice." Chen's wife's face lit up with a smile, "The housing prices on that side have risen sharply in recent years, but back then it didn't cost much. I'm someone who has experienced it myself, my dowry was generous when I came to the husband's family, and I didn't expect money from the public purse. People all want to be dignified. If you've taken a liking to something, just let her take it away, she's also doing it for the good of the daughter, which mother doesn't love their own flesh and blood? Moreover, the Liang family has a young mistress from a royal background, I'm afraid that in the future everything will be compared..."

  With a "bang", Shen Zhen suddenly slapped his chopsticks onto the kang table.

  Tangerine whispered in Li's ear: "Go to Chen Ayi's place!"

  Li smiled coldly and called Wang's mother over that night to discuss Shen Muqing's dowry.

  "Go ask around, what did the young mistress of the Liang family bring with her when she entered the door, and we'll prepare accordingly. The two rooms in Jiangnan's shop were given to her, as well as the three-room courtyard on the side of White Paper Workshop, and also brought along the Zhou Bing family, Lin..."

  Home, An Yuan is always serving in front of her, oh, and also Li Mama...

  Wang's mother was shocked and said: "The Zhou Bingyi family, this, this..."

  Li didn't pay attention to her surprise and said directly, "I have two more shops on the side of Baizhi Fang, which were originally prepared for Mu Qing. In a couple of days, I'll help you get rid of your burden, and you and Wang Gui can move there to spend your old age!" His voice was already choked with sorrow.

  Wang's mother's eyes turned red and she knelt down in front of the bed: "Madam, I won't leave, I'll continue to serve you..." As she spoke, tears poured down like rain.

  "Get up!" Li bent down and pulled Wang's mother, "What's the point of saying these things. We've been together for a lifetime, my affairs, you know best in your heart, your concerns, I understand most clearly. You go ahead of me, I'll arrange for someone to knock over the bowl and wear mourning clothes for you, I go ahead of you, I'll also help you arrange the road ahead. If you really have a kind heart, help me take care of Mu Qing in the future. She's still young and has a temper..."

  Two people whispered in private at midnight, and Wang's mother cried for half the night. The next morning, Wang's mother got up late for the first time.

  Shen Zhen knew of such an arrangement and was half speechless.

  Madam Chen knew to advise Shen Zhen: "Eighteen shops, the young lady only got two. Can't Master even spare this little money? As for Zhou Guan Shi, he has been in Jiangnan for so many years, saying how much he earned is how much, saying how much he lost is how much. Madame is probably also thinking of taking advantage of this opportunity to transfer him away. Otherwise, why would they let Lin's young son manage the two shops in Jiangnan that belong to the young lady, and have Zhou Bing serve as the young lady's internal affairs manager? It can be said that it's also because Zhou Bing has been working outside for a few years, his vision and insight are extraordinary, when the young lady arrived at the Liang family, there is someone who can entrust matters to."

  Shen Zhen gazed at Chen Yiniang's delicate face and couldn't help but smile wryly.

  Madam Chen advised Shen Zhen to go to the Li family: "I don't manage the household, so I don't know how many dowries we have at home. But for a girl like you, it's too shabby to have such a small dowry. Even the lowest-ranking concubine has twenty-four sedan chairs, and you only have twelve more than that. Although they say it's based on the dowry of the eldest lady from the other family, shouldn't we be more generous? I still have over a thousand taels of private silver, why don't you, madam, help the girl buy a few mu of land? That would be an asset for generations to come."

  Li smiled and said, "It's hard for you to have this intention. I can't just take care of Mu Qing and not take care of Da She. Last time your maternal uncle came and said he wanted to find a job in the capital, if he doesn't mind, help Da She manage those sixteen shops in Jiangnan?"

  Madam Chen's face turned bright red as she hastily stepped forward in front of Mrs. Li: "Ma'am, if I had that intention, may heaven strike me with five thunderbolts! Master also rose to his position step by step; like my father, he has a humble rank and meager salary, four younger brothers, studying for the imperial exams, marrying and having children... If it weren't truly unavoidable, Father wouldn't have sent him to Beijing. Originally, we only hoped that he could support himself and that would be enough... At home, we can also reduce expenses by two people..."

  Li just smiled and said nothing.

  Ke Chen's aunt had not yet come out of Li's house when Shen Muqing received the news.

  “…Madam said, this matter will be discussed with the master.” Li Mama smiled slyly at Shen Muqing, “After all, it's for her own brother to get a job, I think Chen Ayi is just pretending in front of Madam, but if she gets to the master, I'm afraid it'll be another story altogether.”

  Shen Mu Qing couldn't help but sigh silently in her heart.

  Being able to stand alone and oppose Wang's family for so many years, Li mom indeed has her own capital.

  "If I remember correctly, Mother is fifteen years younger than Old Lady Wang!" Shen Mu said calmly.

  Mrs. Li smiled and said: "It's hard for you to remember, I'm fifteen years and three months younger than Mrs. Wang."

  Shen Mu Qing Duan raised the Pu'er tea in front of him and took a sip, saying: "If nothing goes wrong with my career, after another 15 years, Mom will also be able to enjoy her old age like Wang's mother!"

  Mrs. Li was taken aback and her face showed surprise, she stuttered: "Gū... Gūniáng..."

  Shen Mu Qing slowly put down the teacup in his hand, smiled and said: "Look at this new batch of little girls, is there one that you like? Raise one under your name, find a good-tempered one to marry into our family. After a hundred years, there will also be descendants to sweep your grave and burn incense for you..."

  Mrs. Li was so excited that she couldn't speak, kneeling in front of Shen Muqing and kept kowtowing to her.

  Later, Shen Muqing took charge and set up a banquet to invite Li's maternal and paternal uncles and brothers. A contract was drawn up, and the camellia was registered under Li's mother's name.

  Two days later, Chen Duan's wife came to thank Li: "Thanks to your kindness, we got this job. Don't worry, we will do our best to manage the shop well."

  Mr. Li said a few words like "be careful with what you do" and then sent Chen Duan away: "This matter also owes to your aunt, go give her a bow too!"

  Chen Duan's family walked away happily and cheerfully.

  Shen Muqing silently sighed in her heart.

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  Chapter 66: The Storm Before Marriage