I bring bad luck to my husband, you bring bad luck to your wife.

Xuebao saw Fang Shuqi again on the day Xiaofeng got married.

Fang Shuqi arrived exceptionally early that day.

When he arrived, Xuebao was inside talking to her aunt Mingle.

Xiao Feng went to pick up his bride and hasn't returned yet.

When Xiang Ge came over to report that Fang Shuqi had arrived, Xue Bao wasn't surprised at all.

"The seats have all been arranged, just lead him to his seat." Xuebao had been asked by several families today whether she had a husband, which annoyed her. She was now hiding at her aunt's place for a bit of peace and quiet.

"Fang Erlang not only sent a congratulatory gift on behalf of the Fang family, but also brought something for you, young master, saying that you need to go and see it in person."

"Fang family's second son? Is that the one your father mentioned?" Ming Le arrived a few days earlier to help Xiang Xi arrange Xiao Feng's wedding.

After all, Yan'er got married early, so she was more familiar with the process.

During their stay, Xiangxi also told Mingle about Xuebao's marriage, saying that it had been targeted by a powerful family, which made Yang Tongchuan somewhat dissatisfied.

"It's him, Auntie. He's such a strange person; he talks and acts inexplicably."

"Is it really that inexplicable? Then why did you visibly relax when you heard that Fang Erlang was here?" Ming Le laughed, Xue Bao is getting on in years.

"Do I have one?" Olaf himself hadn't even noticed it.

Fang Shuqi said Xiaofeng would come back before her wedding, but then nothing happened.

Olaf thought he had broken his promise.

"Yes, go quickly, don't keep them waiting." Mingle was insightful; perhaps his second brother's family was going to have two happy events this year.

Xuebao saw Fang Shuqi in the courtyard. He didn't sit down, but stood near the door, waiting for Xiaofeng's wedding procession to return.

"Why aren't you sitting down?" Xuebao noticed Fang Shuqi then and sensed that he was different.

I've lost weight and gotten darker.

Upon closer inspection, you can smell a strong odor of traditional Chinese medicine on them.

"Things in the military were more complicated than I expected, which delayed me a bit. I didn't get back until before dawn, and I came over after changing my clothes."

Fang Shuqi gave an irrelevant answer, knowing exactly what would soften Xuebao's heart.

"Are you injured?" The smell of medicine was so strong that Xuebao couldn't ignore it even if she tried.

"It's just a minor injury, nothing to worry about. I brought it for you, take a look." The smell of medicine on Fang Shuqi was something he had deliberately put on his clothes before leaving home that morning, so it was nothing to worry about.

He took a bulging purse from his pocket and handed it to Xuebao.

Fang Shuqi had kept the purse close to his body the whole time, and when Xuebao took it, she could still feel a little of Fang Shuqi's body temperature in her hand.

"Open it and see." Fang Shuqi was looking forward to Xuebao's expression when she saw the gift.

Olaf was very good and obediently opened it on the spot.

Inside is a wooden hand-carved piece.

It depicts a small bird sleeping on a lotus flower.

The bird, plump and well-behaved, perched on the lotus flower, sleeping soundly.

I don't know what kind of wood it is, but it feels heavy in my hand and has a fragrance.

"Do you like it? You can use it as a handheld item, or you can put it on the table as a pen rest (for holding calligraphy brushes)."

This lotus-shaped reclining bird sculpture was modified by Fang Shuqi from a cliff cypress carving the size of a melon.

He went out these past few days to lead troops to help recover a batch of family property that had been secretly hidden by disgraced officials.

This is a lucrative job that everyone knows is well-known.

Dozens of large boxes. They had been hidden in the homes of many relatives, and they had all been found.

When he was taking stock of the valuables, he immediately took a liking to this piece of cliff cypress.

It was extracted directly from the list.

As for how to divide the rest, that's a matter for someone else, and it's none of his business.

I took the item to a knowledgeable master craftsman, who said it was a fine piece carved from a single piece of aged Taihang Mountain material. It's quite old; it would be a shame to alter it.

However, Fang Shuqi insisted on doing so and even drew up the plans himself, making the master craftsman work overtime overnight.

When the master craftsman was modifying the goods, every cut was dripping blood. He cursed inwardly that the rich people were simply wasting their talents.

Olaf was unaware of all this; he genuinely loved the gift. It was the perfect size to hold in his hand, and he didn't even want to use it as a pen rest.

"Did you make this?" Xuebao asked, somewhat incredulous.

"I don't have the ability, I bought it." Fang Shuqi did indeed pay the craftsman's fee, so saying that he bought it doesn't seem wrong.

"That's great, thank you. I really like it." Xuebao turned the item over and found that the character "Bao" was engraved under the lotus flower.

This reminded him of Fang Shuqi calling him Xuebao, which was incredibly embarrassing.

"From now on, please call me by my name. Don't use my nickname. It's not good if people hear it." The two were standing near the door, and quite a few curious people were already looking their way. Xuebao felt a little uncomfortable.

"Isn't the point of having a nickname to be called by? Everyone calls him that, so why can't I?" Fang Shuqi deliberately chose this spot to stand, wanting those who coveted the young master of the Yang family to understand that the Fang family had already decided on him, so they could forget about it.

Yang Tongchuan and Yang Tongshan happened to see this scene from a distance.

"Second brother, this kid seems alright to me, not as bad as you say." Yang Tongshan is getting older, and he's become more mature.

"Tch, a wolf in sheep's clothing." Yang Tongchuan disagreed with his elder brother's judgment.

"If you don't know how to use idioms, don't talk nonsense. Look, these two look so good together. If the child is willing, just give them a hand." Yang Tongshan looked at Xuebao and didn't seem too unwilling. The two of them were chatting quite well and had even exchanged gifts.

"Xuebao is still young, what could he understand?" Yang Tongchuan felt that his older brother would not understand his feelings.

"Xiao Feng is already married, is Xue Bao really still so young? These past few years, as soon as the new cotton comes in, Ming Le buys it for Xue Bao and prepares it, just in time to make a wedding quilt for the child." Yang Tongshan felt that his younger brother was still so stubborn at his age.

"Let me tell you, fate is like a banquet. The bowls are all laid out on the table, and whoever picks them up gets them. If you keep being so confused, you might ruin your child's marriage and make them resent you later."

Yang Tongshan said all he had to say and said no more.

He understood that his younger brother could comprehend what he was saying, but he simply couldn't bear to part with him.

Xiao Feng's wedding was a grand affair. When the wedding procession returned, it was a magnificent spectacle. The dowry was so heavy that it bent the carrying poles, attracting a lot of attention.

Xuebao waited at the door, and Fang Shuqi stood next to her without any hesitation. Even if there were some interesting people around, they didn't dare to crowd around Xuebao.

As the newlyweds entered the house, Xuebao led the procession carrying the dowry into the prepared storeroom. Jinshu's maids were responsible for unpacking, so Xuebao didn't need to worry about anything.

Xuebao turned around and found that Fang Shuqi was still beside her.

"The banquet is about to begin, why aren't you going to the main courtyard?"

"Do you have time tomorrow? I'd like to take you to listen to an audiobook."

"I don't know yet, I need to ask Father." Xuebao remembered that according to the rules, Jinshu was to serve tea to her father tomorrow morning, and he didn't know if he could go out.

"Okay, then I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning after breakfast." After saying that, Fang Shuqi left to take his seat, since he hadn't had a chance to exchange a few words with his future father-in-law today.

"You, how can this person be like this?" Xuebao stomped her foot angrily. How could this person not understand human language?