For most of those three short years, it was a painful time for her.
But she had already been reborn, and in this life, she had absolutely no connection with Chen Qian. Although she encountered Chen Qian again, he seemed to still have designs on her. However, the imperial decree bestowing marriage upon her and Lu Mingxiu had already been issued, and even if Chen Qian had the audacity of a leopard, he couldn't act recklessly!
An Ran finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.
She reopened the box and carefully took out a booklet from it, which was a register of the items in the storeroom.
The catalog contains countless fine items, including a rosewood screen with plum blossoms carved in the cold, a rosewood canopy bed with water droplet carvings, and a rosewood screen with carved begonia embroidery. However, most of these items are stored in the warehouse and have not been used.
These items were used daily to furnish the Marquis's residence, but since Lu Mingxiu returned to the capital, he had been entrusted with important responsibilities and rarely had time to be at home. Moreover, having spent over a decade in the army, he lived a very simple life and did not crave extravagant enjoyment.
However, deep down he was still a noble young master from a prominent family. He tidied up his usual places in the Marquis's mansion, his study and bedroom, and lived there comfortably. He didn't pay much attention to the rest of the place.
Fortunately, the servants in the Marquis's residence were all very helpful.
Touched by Lu Mingxiu's complete trust, An Ran was also filled with anticipation for the future, carefully considering how to arrange things. The most important thing first and foremost was the main courtyard where she and Lu Mingxiu would live together.
Thinking of this, An Ran slowly blushed.
We can't just cater to her preferences; Lu Mingxiu is the rightful owner, and the layout inside should have been a collaborative effort between the two of them.
Anran slowly flipped through the booklet, thinking about how to arrange the layout in her mind. Although the booklet recorded the current layout of the main courtyard, she still needed to look at the feng shui map to have a clear idea of what to do.
How should the bedroom be arranged? How should the banquet area be set up? Should we add another desk for Lu Mingxiu so that he can use it in the main room? Some ideas gradually took shape in An Ran's mind, and she wanted to ask even more questions.
Suddenly, she felt an urge to pick up a pen and write a letter.
Just as An Ran was engrossed in reading the booklet, Xue Tuan lightly and gracefully jumped down from the top of the slightly tall mahogany wardrobe. Then, she walked gracefully to An Ran's side, put her head under An Ran's palm, and obediently asked for a pat.
An Ran felt the furry touch on her hand, looked down, and sure enough, it was a snowball.
Seeing that she didn't move, Xue Tuan'er stuck out her pink little tongue and licked the bumps on An Ran's hand. Her ingratiating manner was as if she were actually coaxing An Ran and apologizing for what happened yesterday.
So cute!
An Ran didn't take yesterday's events to heart at all. Xue Tuan'er hadn't meant to hurt her; it was just an accident. How could she be angry? She put down the booklet, held Xue Tuan'er in her arms, and gently groomed its fur. Xue Tuan'er purred contentedly and even squinted its eyes.
The bruises on her hands were still stained with Xue Tuan'er's saliva. An Ran took a handkerchief to wipe them off, but suddenly remembered Lu Mingxiu's words.
She only said she was scratched, but Lu Mingxiu seemed very certain that she was scratched by a cat?
That's strange, how did Lord Lu know she kept a cat?
An Ran was somewhat confused.
Could it be that he guessed it was a cat just by seeing the faint marks on her hand?
Anran felt something was wrong the more she thought about it, but before she could think about it further, Xue Tuan'er became unhappy when its owner stopped moving. It meowed twice, trying to get its owner's attention back to itself.
Perhaps it's because Lord Lu has exceptional observational skills!
An Ran had no choice but to end things this way.
******
After An Ran and Lu Mingxiu's marriage was settled, the marriage of Liu Niang and Qi Niang became urgent.
Although Anran's marriage was bestowed by the Emperor, it was not a problem for her to marry before her sisters. However, their father, An Yuanliang, had some other ideas and wanted to marry off his two older daughters first, so his purpose was no longer so obvious.
Sixth Sister is fifteen and Seventh Sister is fourteen this year; they're not young anymore. If he were to arrange marriages for them now, no one would say anything.
It would be such a shame if Chen Qian's marriage didn't happen.
Given their status, Sixth Sister and Seventh Sister could only marry illegitimate sons in aristocratic families. If the illegitimate son was successful, that would be fine, but if he was unsuccessful and had a domineering legal wife, he would probably have to rely on his maternal family for financial support.
There was also Fang Ting, the eldest son of the Marquis of Dingbei.
She was also very promising. Anran was embroiled in rumors, which led to her being jilted. What did the Marquis of Dingbei's family initially see in Anran? Zhao Shi said it was Third Sister who took Ninth Sister to meet Fang Ting. What man isn't lustful? They were probably attracted to Anran's beauty!
An Yuanliang pondered to himself, "It's because Third Sister dotes on Ninth Sister that she gave her this opportunity, which is why Fang Ting has taken a liking to her. Sixth Sister is also very beautiful, but she just hasn't had the chance. If it were Sixth Sister, I wonder if the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion would agree?"
Chapter 87
He had a very clear plan in mind.
Shi Niang is still a bit young, so there's no rush for her to get married. Her marriage can be put on hold for now.
Previously, because Third Sister had blocked her way, Ninth Sister hadn't had a chance to tell her about Chen Qian. Surely Sixth Sister and Seventh Sister could handle it?
Previously, he had been determined to marry his daughter into the Pingyuan Marquis's household. Although the hope was slim, the fact that his sixth daughter hadn't been engaged since she was fifteen meant he was waiting. Even if it meant becoming a concubine, An Yuanliang would be willing.
Unexpectedly, Lu Mingxiu took a liking to Jiu Niang and even received an imperial decree for their marriage. However, Lu Mingxiu's attitude towards the Marquis of Nan'an's family was anything but friendly. He completely disregarded his future father-in-law, keeping a cold face and hardly appearing to be seeking his daughter's hand in marriage.
At this moment, An Yuanliang seemed to have forgotten how he had tried to avoid the Pingyuan Marquis's residence when the incident first occurred.
It seems that marrying into the Pingyuan Marquis's household will bring limited benefits for Jiu Niang. However, becoming the Pingyuan Marquis's father-in-law will certainly earn her some respect from outsiders, and perhaps she can leverage the Marquis's influence. After all, he is a close advisor to the Emperor, and he still needs to maintain his dignity; he cannot possibly disrespect his father-in-law.
Thinking of this, An Yuanliang immediately gained confidence.
He also wanted to continue doing business with Chen Qian, and with the Pingyuan Marquis's influence in the court, even if it wasn't a fortune, it would certainly boost the Nan'an Marquis's wealth to a new level. In the future, it would be much more convenient for him to spend money, without having to be mindful of Zhao's feelings.
Although the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion had some wealth, the Dowager Madam was very strict, and Madam Zhao kept a close eye on things, so he didn't actually get much of it.
An Yuanliang couldn't help but feel frustrated; he felt utterly pathetic as a marquis.
This matter should be addressed sooner rather than later.
Before An Yuanliang could even discuss it with Madam Zhao and the Grand Madam, he sent a servant to invite Chen Qian, saying that they would go drinking together at Zuiyue Tower the next day.