Chapter List 108 | 105 | 106 | 107
Chapter 107:
The situation took two sudden and unexpected turns, leaving Wushuang and his group completely dumbfounded. [Download the full txt file at ]
Qiao Sheng reacted the fastest, crawling out from behind the hedge and running to the two of them, saying repeatedly, "I...I didn't...I didn't...I really didn't mean to cause trouble...I'm really different today than that day..." She was flustered and her words were completely incoherent.
What's going on?
When she tried to sabotage things, Yao Zhiwei wasn't intimidated at all. Her sincere efforts to bring them together actually led her to conclude that she was the most suitable woman for Junheng.
Of course, if what Yao Zhiwei said is true, she would be very happy.
But this was not her original intention in doing this today, and she had no way of explaining it to her grandmother...
Qiao Sheng was in a panic, pacing back and forth between the two of them like a little crab, trying to explain and turn the situation around, but to little avail, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"Alright, no one's blaming you." Junheng stood up and lightly pressed his right hand on Qiao Sheng's shoulder to reassure her. "I'll go to the car and get the food box. Let's all go back after lunch." He glanced at the hedge. "Anyway, we can forget about wild game and wild fruit today."
There aren't many families near the Marquis of Runan's residence, but the most common are the elders' beloved daughters.
As soon as the three girls got home, they rushed straight to Fuyou Residence and reported the details of the fortune-telling to their grandmother.
“The Qiao family’s daughter is also quite good,” the old lady said. “In that case, we don’t have to worry that when Aheng returns to Ningxia, the girl won’t be willing to go with him to suffer.”
“I think it’s good too.” Wushuang shook her head, prompting Wuyou and Wuhui to echo her sentiments.
Qiao Sheng may not appear to be as disciplined as girls who grew up in Beijing, but she is not cunning and does everything openly.
Unlike Tang Biqiu back then, who caused the destruction of families and yet remained unscathed and was still regarded as a good person, it's truly chilling to think about.
However, the older brother seems to have been deeply hurt, otherwise he wouldn't have said he didn't plan to get married.
Wushuang was somewhat worried. She exposed Tang Biqiu in order to find the real culprit who harmed her father and prevent everyone from being deceived by a black-hearted person. However, she did not expect that her older brother would be left to grow old alone.
“Grandmother,” she said coquettishly, tugging at the old lady’s sleeve, “my eldest brother told Sister Yao that ever since he joined the army in the Northwest, he has never planned to marry or be married for life.”
The old lady quickly realized why her grandson had such a strange idea. One shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater, but when it comes to reasoning, everyone is quite clever, yet when it happens to oneself, it's often a different story.
“A mental illness requires a mental cure. Since you all think Miss Qiao is wonderful, then when there’s something delicious or fun to do, think about inviting her along, and maybe even help your elder brother get together with her.” The old lady gave the order. “But don’t be too hasty, or you might scare your elder brother away.”
Anyway, Junheng said that he wouldn't be back in Ningxia until after the New Year at the earliest, which is several months away. There's plenty of time, so let's just wait and see.
In the days that followed, the girls did as their grandmother instructed, inviting their cousins Chu Wan and Qiao Sheng to visit their home every now and then. Unfortunately, Jun Heng was busy with something and rarely appeared at home, so there was no way to arrange a match.
Time flies, and before we know it, it's time for Wuyou's wedding.
The day before her wedding, Wuyou cooked a special dish for her parents and elders according to custom, as a way of repaying their kindness in raising her.
She cooked a sea cucumber soup.
Sea cucumbers are often sandy inside and have a fishy smell, making them extremely difficult to cook into a delicious dish.
Wuyou personally selected the small sea cucumbers, soaked them to remove the mud and sand, boiled them three times in meat broth, and then simmered them in chicken and meat broth until they were tender. She then added several side dishes and spent the whole day in the kitchen preparing them before dinner, and finally served them on the table at Fuyouju.
She put in a lot of effort and was extremely meticulous, so the finished product was naturally delicious and flavorful, earning high praise from everyone who ate it.
Only He Caiqiong remained silent, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. After each sip, she would pause for a moment, seemingly trying to recall something. Fortunately, this was Wuyou's last dinner at her parents' home before her marriage, and everyone was in high spirits, so no one noticed her unusual behavior.
As bedtime approached, He Caiqiong brought a scroll of fire-avoidance diagrams to Wuyou's room. As a stepmother, it was her duty to teach her daughter about manners before her marriage. However, Wuyou was very shy. As soon as the fire-avoidance diagrams were unfolded, she let out a cry and buried her head in the summer quilt, refusing to come out no matter how He Caiqiong tried to persuade her.
"You can't even handle this? How are you going to spend your wedding night tomorrow?" He Caiqiong never expected that her usually gentle and soft-as-dough stepdaughter could be so stubborn. She talked until her throat was dry and had no other choice but to threaten her, "If you don't listen properly, you'll suffer tomorrow."
Wuyou mumbled a few words under the covers, her voice soft and indistinct. He Caiqiong only caught the gist of it: Pang Yuan had always treated her very well, which was why he wouldn't let her suffer.
He Caiqiong scoffed, "Silly girl, it's not like he can stop you from suffering just because he says so. Do you think he'll stop touching you altogether? I'll teach you something today, and you'll remember it well. After you're married, don't be afraid of him clinging to you every day and making too many demands. The less he touches you, the more worried you should be. In that case, either your husband is unwell, or he has other intentions. As a wife, either way, it's enough to make you suffer for the rest of your life."
The words were rather blunt, and Wuyou seemed to understand but not quite, feeling her face burning hot. She twisted her thin body in her nightgown on the bed a couple of times in protest.
He Caiqiong stopped herself at the right moment: "Alright, alright, I won't make things difficult for you. I'll leave the picture here; you can see for yourself later." She patted Wuyou, stood up, and asked casually, "That sea cucumber soup you made today was really delicious. Did Mr. Lu teach you how to make it?"
Wuyou gave a soft "hmm" and said, "That's right. Shuangshuang said that Mr. Lu grew up by the sea and is best at cooking seafood, so I asked her to teach me this dish."
“That’s good. Your grandmother was just saying she liked that dish and was worried she wouldn’t be able to eat it again after you get married. Now she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.” He Caiqiong said with a smile. “It’s getting late. I’ll go back to my room first. You should go to sleep too. You have to get up early tomorrow. A bride needs to look radiant for good luck.”
Not to mention the bride, even the young girls like Wushuang and Wuhui, who were just watching the fun, were dragged out of bed by their wet nurses before dawn and dressed up with great care.
The wedding ceremony between the two mansions was exceptionally elaborate, involving a grand banquet and a busy day, until late at night when they finally returned home from the Pingyang Marquis's mansion.
Wuyou got married smoothly, and her fate was not much different from that of her previous life. Wushuang, who had received her kindness in her previous life, was especially happy. At the banquet, she unconsciously drank too much of the Daughter's Red wine. She was so drunk that she could not even walk straight, and her father, Junshu, carried her directly from the carriage back to Furong Lane.
The drunken man slept soundly, and when Wushuang woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. She reluctantly opened her eyes, unaware of what day it was, only feeling the blinding sunlight. She groaned and rolled over into bed.
Hearing the commotion, Qiqiao lifted the curtain and came in. She poured a cup of warm tea from the teapot on the table, walked to the bedside, and said softly, "Miss, get up quickly, something important is happening today."
"What's the big deal? Second Sister isn't coming home until tomorrow." Wushuang had a headache from a hangover and was too lazy to move.
Qiqiao helped her sit up halfway and fed her half a cup of tea.
Wushuang slipped out and scurried back into bed.
Qiqiao shook her head, put the teacup back on the table, and whispered in Wushuang's ear, "Your future son-in-law is thinking of you and sent two carts with a total of twenty baskets of crabs. Everyone is waiting for you to share the crabs!"
Crab?
Upon hearing about the delicious food, Wushuang sobered up considerably. She sat up abruptly and muttered, "Two baskets for Grandmother. Two baskets for Father and Mother. My sister is pregnant and can't eat, and my nephews and nieces are too young to eat too much, so how about half a basket? I heard my brother-in-law did an excellent job with the disaster relief, but I don't know if he'll make it home in time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Maybe I should send one basket to my sister, it wouldn't be stingy. I'll send one basket each to my second uncle, second aunt, and eldest brother, and one basket to my second sister too, no, two baskets, she just got married, so it's a good opportunity for her to do good deeds and share some with her in-laws in her own name. Then how many baskets are left? Take another basket and you can divide it among yourselves, the rest is all mine, hehe. We'll start eating today, two for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Wake me up when they're steamed."
After saying that, Wushuang rolled back down.