Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 832 "Young lady, you need to return the favor." [Thank you! Bow again! 8k chapters owed]

Immediately, Changbai flicked his sleeve and said, "Nonsense!"

"Oh," Nagamaki nodded slowly.

Seeing the disbelieving look in Nagamaki's eyes, Changbai said helplessly, "You! You're such a little devil!"

Nagamaki smiled.

As the sound of horses' hooves drew near, Changbai quickly looked at Gu Tingye and Liang Han.

"Changbai, Changzhen!" Gu Tingye dismounted and greeted them with a smile.

The two Changbai brothers quickly bowed and clasped their hands in greeting.

"Please hurry up and do your hair, Sixth Miss! Your brother, the Prince, is very anxious!" Liang Han, who was beside Gu Tingye, said with a smile.

"Of course! Of course! Please come in." Changbai gestured for them to come in.

"Please." Gu Tingye smiled and bowed in return.

After entering the courtyard gate,
Gu Tingye asked in a low voice, "Where are Changbai and Changfeng?"

"Uh—he's helping out near the ancestral hall! He'll be here soon!"

"Oh!"

Nagamaki, standing to the side, raised an eyebrow.

"Sixth Master and I were the first to attend the betrothal ceremony, followed by Young Master Lu and Zheng Xiao."

As they spoke, seeing Sheng Wei, Chang Wu, and Yu Huguang approaching, Gu Tingye and Liang Han quickly bowed.

Sheng Wei's return gift was even less generous than that of the two noblemen's sons.

After bowing, Sheng Wei's smile towards Liang Han was particularly amiable. The reason was that Liang Han's uncle worked in the Ministry of Revenue, and that Lord Wu had given his approval for the Sheng family's eldest branch to be able to purchase supplies for the imperial court.

On the way to Shou'an Hall,
Gu Tingye patted the robust Changwu and said, "I heard from Changbai that you've been practicing martial arts diligently. Let's have a match sometime."

Changwu smiled and nodded: "No problem!"

at the same time,

Sheng Family Ancestral Hall

The floor was wiped very clean.

Incense smoke curled from the offering table, which was filled with offerings.

Outside the ancestral hall, Rulan and Pinlan, dressed in new clothes, stood with their maids, along with Danju and Xiaotao, who had red ribbons tied around their waists, looking inside.

Minglan knelt on the prayer mat in front of the offering table with her hands clasped together, her eyes filled with longing, and said, "All ancestors and sages of the family, please listen!"

"Today I am getting married, and I dare not make this decision on my own."

Incense is burned continuously throughout the four seasons and eight festivals.

We beseech the Holy One to have mercy on us!
Like a fish in water, sweeter than honey.

Five men and two women, seven children reunited.

Both sons-in-law are courteous and virtuous.

The five wives were all exceptionally filial.

Grandsons and granddaughters, passed down from generation to generation.

The sisters-in-law lived in harmony, and the uncles and aunts were delighted.

The servants are respectful, and the young lady is destined for happiness.

Listening to Minglan's voice inside the ancestral hall,

Pinlan nodded repeatedly, seemingly admiring Minglan for remembering so many words.

Rulan smiled, her lips pursed, her eyes crinkling with laughter and filled with heartfelt blessings.

Danju and Xiaotao couldn't help but exchange a smile.

After bowing to the ancestral tablets of the Sheng family, Minglan stood up, bowed again, and then left the ancestral hall.

Only then did Mo Lan arrive outside the ancestral hall with a displeased expression.

After glancing at Minglan, Molan said perfunctorily, "Sixth Sister, congratulations!"

Minglan smiled broadly and said, "Thank you, Fourth Sister." Then, looking at Rulan, Pinlan, and the others, she said, "Let's go!"

Shouantang,
The corridors, doors, and windows were decorated with the character "囍" (double happiness) and tied with red ribbons.

The usually quiet house is now filled with guests.

The elderly lady, dressed in a cheerful manner, sat together with the eldest wife on a day chair, smiling and nodding at Gu Tingye and Liang Han below.

After exchanging pleasantries, the old lady smiled and said, "Thank you for your help today! We have prepared some simple wine at home, please come and take a seat."

"Yes, old lady."

Gu Tingye smiled and stood up, bowing to Liang Han.

Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu, who were accompanying them, also stood up and watched the two leave the house accompanied by Sheng Wei, Yu Huguang, and others.

Once only the Sheng family was inside,

The old lady's smile faded, and she glanced at the well-behaved Sheng Hong, saying, "Hong'er, look at the time, the guests are almost here! Get ready to go out and greet them."

Just as Sheng Hong was about to speak, the old lady added, "While you're at it, go and see what's wrong with Changfeng! It's my sister's wedding, and my cousin has already come, but he still won't come out."

The eldest daughter-in-law and her daughter-in-law, Madam Li, looked at Sheng Hong and smiled without saying a word.

Shulan and her younger sister-in-law Kang Yun'er glanced at Wei Shuyi, who was standing to the side.

Wang Ruofu pursed his lips but remained silent.

Sheng Hong bowed and replied, "Mother, I don't know what Changfeng ate last night, but he started having stomach pains this morning. To avoid him losing his composure in front of our distinguished guests, I've had him stay in Linxi Pavilion."

The eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Li, said softly, "It's hot today, and food spoils easily."

“Sister-in-law is right!” Sheng Hong quickly replied.

The old lady gently shook her head: "Just let her be."

Sheng Hong couldn't tell who the old lady was talking about, so he quickly bowed and said, "Mother, don't worry, I'll go and see her right away."

"Yes." The old lady nodded.

Wei Zhai

At the main gate,
"Shut up!"

A carriage slowly came to a stop. After the curtain was lifted, Xiaodie, dressed in her finest attire, stepped down from the horse-drawn stool.

Feeling the gaze from not far away, Xiaodie turned her head and looked over in confusion.

After realizing she didn't recognize the maid standing at the neighbor's door looking over, Xiaodie politely nodded.

"Sister Wei? Are you and Auntie back together?"

As Xiaodie spoke, she entered the Wei family's courtyard, and the carriage stopped by the roadside.

The maid who had been watching Xiaodie earlier approached the carriage and asked the driver, "Young man, whose lady got off just now? She was dressed very elegantly!"

After glancing at the servants, the coachman said, "The eldest daughter of the Ni family at Xishuimen! Her eldest daughter is the mistress of a noble family!"

"Oh! So where are you visiting relatives today?"

Hearing the maid's question, the coachman smiled and nodded, "Yes!"

Looking at the driver, the maidservant pondered for a moment and then took out a few copper coins from her sleeve: "Brother, we just moved here and have been trying to get along well with our neighbors!"

"If there's any good news, we can send some gifts to our neighbors, the Wei family."

The driver took the copper coin and nodded approvingly: "Well done! A close neighbor is worse than a distant one!"

"If it weren't for your kind attitude, I wouldn't have said that so casually."

Seeing the maid's enthusiastic expression, the coachman continued, "This is the younger sister of the eldest daughter of the Wei family, and she is the concubine of a high-ranking official in the capital!"

Upon hearing this, the maid smiled, but a flash of disdain crossed her eyes.

The coachman chuckled, "That young lady's daughter is getting married today."

"Oh? I wonder which prestigious family she married into?!"

"You know the top scholar of this year, right?"

The maidservant was taken aback upon hearing this, her eyes widening in surprise: "I know, I know! Isn't this top scholar also the Prince of Wei?"

"Yes! That noble lady is the one who will become a concubine in the Prince's mansion!"

"A concubine?"

"Yes!"

At that moment, voices came from inside the Wei family's gate.

Watching the maidservant hurry away without saying goodbye, the coachman shook his head: "Just hearing the name of the Prince's Mansion and you're this frightened! You really have no taste!"

When Xiaodie and the Wei family went to the Sheng family...
In the house next door,
The maid who had just been talking to the coachman called out as she quickly walked into the inner courtyard.

"Madam! Madam!"

Inside the house, the woman surnamed Jin, who was drinking a beverage, frowned at the maid: "What are you yelling about so early in the morning?"

The maid, slightly out of breath from walking quickly, pointed outside and said, "Madam, the Wei family next door, the Wei family."

"The Wei family? What happened to the Wei family?"

"That Wei family member, Wei Shuyi, she actually entered the residence of a high-ranking official in the capital and became his concubine! Today..."

The maid had only said two words when
"A concubine?" The woman surnamed Jin looked surprised and sneered, "I never expected this! Wei Shuyi, with his arrogant and haughty nature, would actually stoop to become a concubine in another family?"

"No wonder she acted that way when she saw Wei Yuyi before! So that's why."

"Madam!" The maid interrupted, frowning, "Today is the wedding of Wei Shuyi's daughter. She will be marrying into the Prince of Wei's household as a concubine!"

The woman surnamed Jin was stunned upon hearing this.

"Clang!" The woman surnamed Jin's hand trembled, and the porcelain cup she was holding smashed on the table, spilling the drink inside all over the surface.

"What? Her daughter has entered the Prince's mansion as a concubine?" the woman surnamed Jin asked.

"Yes, madam!" the maid said, picking up a rag and quickly helping the woman surnamed Jin wipe the table.

The woman surnamed Jin said in a trembling voice, "Wei Shuyi... her daughter is a concubine in the Prince's mansion? Just like the Rong family's daughter?"

The servant woman quickly agreed.

"What right does she have to be a concubine in the Prince's mansion?" the woman surnamed Jin questioned.

Before the maid could answer, the woman surnamed Jin said with a panicked look in her eyes, "With a son-in-law like this, if she finds out that I've also returned to Bianjing, won't she find a way to take revenge on me?"

"Madam, whether or not to retaliate is another matter. If the master finds out that you have offended such a wealthy and powerful family, I'm afraid..."

Upon hearing this, the woman surnamed Jin felt her legs go weak, but she still forced herself to say, "My family isn't exactly easy to deal with either; we have relatives who are concubines in the Prince Kang's household."

The maid whispered, "Madam, that one in the Kang Prince's mansion seems to have lost favor and is now in a precarious situation."

"What should we do?" the woman surnamed Jin asked in a panic.

"In my opinion, the only way is to ask the old master. He has been an official for many years. Although his rank is not high, he can still find some connections in the officialdom."

"The Jin family has another daughter who married into a family that is sworn brothers with Viscount Zhu. You looked down on them before, but now you have to start building ties with them!"

After the maid finished speaking, the woman surnamed Jin quickly nodded: "Yes, yes, yes! It's been so many years, a little reconciliation should make it all go away."

in the afternoon,

The Sheng family,

The old lady and the eldest wife of the main branch, along with others, had already left Shou'an Hall and gone to the main hall in the front courtyard.

In the side hall of Shou'an Hall,

Mo Lan, Pin Lan, and Ru Lan stood outside the screen, watching Xiao Tao and Xi Que walk in quickly. Pin Lan asked with a smile, "How is it? Has the groom finished composing the poem to urge the bride to get ready?"

Xiao Tao and the magpie nodded with smiles.

Just as Xiao Tao was about to recite it, Ru Lan waved her hand and said, "Quickly, this needs to be recited to the bride!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room except Mo Lan burst into laughter.

"Yes, Fifth Sister!"

After giving a curtsy, Xiao Tao quickly walked behind the screen and stood in front of Minglan, who was doing her hair. Looking at Minglan's expectant eyes, she smiled and read aloud: "When we first met as children, we were already in the ancestral hall of Yangzhou."

As Xiao Tao recited the poem, Minglan couldn't help but recall the scene when she first met Xu Zaijing at the Sheng family in Yangzhou.

At that time, Minglan was with her mother, and she was always hungry and cold. She looked forward to the Liang family going to the Sheng family to propose marriage.

Because that way, Xiaotao and I would have a chance to have enough to eat.

When Minglan first saw Xu Zaijing, she thought he was a member of the Liang family who had come to deliver betrothal gifts to her elder sister Hualan.

Through Hua Lan's introduction, Ming Lan learned that the handsome young man was a relative of her grandmother's family in Bianjing.

Thinking about all this, Minglan reached out and touched a jade hairpin in her hair. On the hairpin was a large, dazzling pearl.

This was one of the gifts the Xu family gave to the Sheng family children back then.

"We grind our inkstones together to refine the fragrance of orchids and magnolias, and secretly pledge our hearts to the moonlit waves."

Upon hearing this, Pinlan, standing outside the screen, looked at Rulan beside her with a puzzled expression: "Sister Rulan, you've been to school for a few years, what does this poem mean?"

Mo Lan curled her lip and said in a voice only she could hear, "Tch, so they were already hooking up back then."

Hearing Pinlan's question, Rulan looked embarrassed and said, "I think it's because Brother Xu Wu thinks Sixth Sister is prettier!"

"Oh!" Pinlan nodded, seemingly understanding, "Rulan, you're amazing! You can even understand that!"

Rulan glanced at Molan, who remained silent, and waved her hand somewhat guiltily, saying, "Sister Pinlan, I'm not as amazing as you say!"

At this time,

Cui's mother and Wei Shuyi arrived at the side hall and said to the people in the hall, "Girls, the bride shouldn't stay here. Hurry up and go to the main hall!"

The three Lans, along with the maid, hurriedly left.

Cui's mother and Wei Shuyi then walked to Minglan's side.

Looking at Minglan's face and the ruby ​​jewelry on her head, Cui Mama smiled and nodded: "So beautiful! I never thought that the old lady's dowry jewelry would suit the young lady so well."

Upon hearing this, Minglan lowered her head shyly.

Danju and Xiaotao, who were standing nearby, nodded in agreement.

"Wait a little longer, we'll be there soon. Sixth Miss, please put on this flower hairpin."

"Ah."

After Minglan put on the flower hairpin crown, Wei Shuyi stepped forward and carefully helped Minglan tidy up.

Looking at Minglan's appearance after makeup, Wei Shuyi said softly, "Ming'er, now that you've entered the Xu family, you must treat your parents-in-law well."

Front courtyard main hall,

Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu sat in the chairs at the head of the table.

Standing beside each of the two were the three Changbai brothers, the two sisters Rulan and Molan, and further out were servants such as Liu Mama and Dongrong.

Seated at the lower end were the old lady, the eldest wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Shengwei. Behind Mr. and Mrs. Shengwei stood Changwu, Shulan, and their husbands, as well as Pinlan.

Dressed in solemn attire, Wei Shuyi stood expectantly behind the old lady with Fang Mama, watching the newlyweds holding red ribbons as they stepped into the house.

Gu Tingye, Lu Zezong, and the others standing outside the house were also looking at Xu Zaijing and Minglan.

During this time, Zheng Xiao would occasionally whisper to Liang Han, and Lu Zezong, who was very close to them, could hear them clearly. Sometimes they would praise the appearance of the sixth daughter of the Sheng family, and sometimes they would sigh that their sworn brother was very lucky.

Lu Zezong looked at the Sheng family girl standing next to his sworn brother, who was slightly shorter than the Chai family sister and was now his concubine sister-in-law.

After looking at her for a while, Lu Zezong nodded repeatedly. This older sister from the Sheng family was no less beautiful than Sister-in-law Feiyan.

Waiting for the newlyweds to enter the house.

"Toast tea!"

Shouts came from inside the room, and Lu Zezong and the other best men looked at the newlyweds in the hall with smiles.

"Father-in-law, please have some tea."

Xu Zaijing, holding a red ribbon, picked up a cup of tea and handed it to Sheng Hong.

Sheng Hong accepted it with a smile, took a sip, and gave a few words of advice.

"Mother-in-law, please have some tea."

"Good, good, good boy." Wang Ruofu was about to call him a good boy, but when she thought of Xu Zaijing's title, the words stuck in her throat.

But seeing Xu Zaijing's smiling nod, Wang Ruofu, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, continued, "Good boy, from now on..."

After Xu Zaijing finished serving the tea, Minglan held the fan and red silk in one hand and offered Sheng Hong a cup of tea with the other: "Father, please have some tea."

Sheng Hong gladly accepted it and gave him another round of instructions.

When Wang Ruofu arrived, after drinking tea, she took off two heavy gold bracelets from her wrists and handed them to Liu Mama, who had come over, with a smile.

When Wang Ruofu gave Minglan his instructions, Liu Mama also put those two gold bracelets on Minglan's wrist.

Nagamaki stood beside Nagakaze, staring blankly at the wedding taking place in the hall.

Hearing her older sister Minglan say "Thank you for your teachings, Mother," Nagamaki suddenly felt her eyes welling up with tears.

"Since leaving the Sheng family today, my sister has become a member of the Xu family." Thinking of this, Nagamaki quickly took a deep breath.

Looking at Xu Zaijing, who was standing in the hall looking at them, Nagamaki and Xu Zaijing exchanged a glance and then lowered their heads.

The old lady sitting to the side looked at Minglan with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. Although she was a little excited, she did not lose control.

At this time,

Standing next to Minglan, Xu Zaijing looked at the old lady.

Seeing the look in her grandnephew's eyes, the old lady instantly understood his thoughts, and nodded with a smile.

Then, Minglan, who was holding a round fan, noticed that Xu Zaijing, who was standing next to her, bowed in the direction of the old lady.

Upon seeing this, Minglan quickly followed.

After she finished bowing and straightened up, she waited quietly for a moment, only to find that Xu Zaijing bowed again.

Minglan noticed out of the corner of her eye that both her father, Sheng Hong, and her stepmother, Wang Ruofu, were looking behind the old lady!
Standing there was none other than Minglan's biological mother, Wei Shuyi.

Standing behind the Sheng family's seat, Xiao Die excitedly grasped Aunt Wei's hand and whispered tremblingly, "Sister, sister, was that prince's bow for my mother?"

Aunt Wei's eyes were filled with tears. She didn't say anything, but she gripped Xiao Die's hand even tighter and shook it a few times.

Wei Shuyi stood beside Fang's mother, feeling the gazes of everyone in the hall. Because of her tears, her vision suddenly became blurred.

Nagamaki was also stunned by Xu Zaijing's actions and didn't know what to do.

It was Fang's mother who reacted quickly and hurriedly used a handkerchief to wipe away Wei Shuyi's tears.

As she wiped away her tears, Madam Fang whispered, "Young lady, we need to return the favor."

Wei Shuyi clearly wanted to laugh, but tears kept flowing down her face. After taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and bowed solemnly with trembling hands.

"The bride and groom are leaving!"

As the name of the blessed lady was called out, Xu Zaijing and Minglan came out of the hall together.

Only then did Wei Shuyi straighten up and watch the newlyweds leave.

Everyone in the hall stood up and saw Xu Zaijing and Minglan off toward the main entrance.

Seeing Nagamaki approaching, Wei Shuyi shook his head slightly and glanced outside. Nagamaki, understanding, pursed his lips and followed Changbai out of the house.

At the main gate,
Mo Lan stood behind the crowd, watching Ming Lan board the wedding carriage.

As joyous music filled the air, the servants of the Sheng family distributed celebratory money to the wedding procession, and then the procession slowly began to move.

Looking at the procession passing by, and recalling Xu Zaijing's bow to Wei Shuyi just now, Mo Lan secretly made a vow in her heart.
(End of this chapter)