Full House Spring

Chapter 101: Generous Gifts
Although Zhong Huiting made mistakes because of Zhang Jun'an, she was never vague about major issues. This was the main reason why she was loved by the Zhong family.

After the two finished talking about cooperation matters, knowing that Xia Li still had important things to do, Zhong Huiting tactfully stopped interrupting. When Rong came to look for her daughter, she saw Zhong Huiting leaving and frowned slightly, saying, "What did the girl from the Zhong family say to you? Are you here to cause trouble again?"

Xia Li curled up the corners of his lips and explained in a gentle tone: "Miss Zhong wanted to do business with me. I refused at first, but she told me that she had a caravan that could transport goods, so I was a little tempted. I have to think about this matter."

Rong never regarded her daughter as an ignorant little girl. She knew that her daughter had her own ideas and knew as much as she did, so she was very open-minded and said:

"You can make the decision on this matter yourself. If there is anything that requires running errands, just let your eldest brother do it. He has nothing to do anyway."

Xia Li raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and said softly: "Don't worry, mother. I won't be awkward with big brother. I see that the auction is almost over, so we should go there."

Rong naturally had no objection. When the two of them went over, the last bottle of the charming perfume was won by the eldest wife of the Zhuang family. Although the Zhuang family was less powerful than the Fang family, they acted much more ostentatiously than the Fang family. Their extravagance was often talked about by ordinary people.

Mrs. Zhuang couldn't let go of Meihuo. When she saw Xia Li coming, she hurried to talk to her and told her that she would buy a new one after the current bottle of perfume was used up. She was afraid that Xia Li would not agree, so she asked her to leave a deposit in advance. Xia Li was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and repeatedly assured her that after the new one was made, she would reserve a deposit for her, which calmed her down.

After the auction, the garden was still bustling. Some of the female guests who attended the event came purely for fun, some were really interested in perfume, and some came just to see Xia Li himself.

The women living in the deep courtyards are born with a pair of fierce eyes. Although Xia Li is a direct descendant of the Fang family, she has not received an orthodox education, which inevitably makes people grumble. Those who want to marry her will naturally come to test the waters to find out the truth.

Xia Li was dignified and generous in front of people, and her words and deeds revealed an air of elegance and luxury. What kind of good man could not be worthy of such a demeanor? Even being a clan wife would be worthy of her, not to mention that the perfume she mixed earned tens of thousands of taels at an auction. Marrying her home would be like holding a golden nugget. In this day and age, everything is empty, only real gold and silver is the most real.

As soon as Rong showed up, ladies of the same age immediately gathered around her. They were either asking about Xia Li's situation or bragging about their own sons. Their thoughts were obvious.

Although Rong was proud of her daughter's excellence, she also knew that the marriage was a foregone conclusion and she would be criticized if she went back on her word, so she declined politely.

After seeing off the last wave of guests, Rong and Xia Li were exhausted. Even Sun Fuya could hardly stand up straight. Rong ordered that dinner should be prepared by each courtyard on their own and there was no need to go back and forth.

Xia Li returned to Cuihua Court and just sat on the Luohan bed, a maid cleverly came forward to massage her legs. Xia Li breathed a sigh of relief. Madam Zhou said distressedly: "Miss, why do you have to work so hard? Next time, don't make such a big fuss. Just display it in the perfume shop and let Manager Hu take care of it."

Xia Li picked up the lotus crisp on the small table and took a bite. Seeing the crackling sound of the white fruit and white sage abacus, he chuckled and said, "It's just this once. My business has just started, and I have to spread the reputation. The effect will be more obvious if I borrow the influence of my family."

Hearing Xia Li say this, Shi Mi smiled and said, "Just this once is enough. It's a bit tiring, but the result is unexpectedly good."

Although the lotus cake looked good, it was too sweet. Xia Li couldn't eat it after two bites. She drank some tea to relieve the greasiness and then asked, "Have you calculated the total amount of the auction?"

Bai Ying paused as she turned the abacus and raised her voice unconsciously, "Miss, I've calculated the result. It's actually 10,000 taels. What an astonishing number."

Madam Zhou stopped working and asked in astonishment, "Ten palm-sized bottles of perfume can be sold for so much money? Did you make a mistake in your calculations?"

Bai Ying's eyes sparkled as she said, "Mammy, there can be no mistakes here. If you don't believe me, you can check it yourself."

Madam Zhou scolded, "Why do you need me to check? You are all smarter than me. Since these ten bottles of perfume can be sold for so much money, when the farm produces more, won't the young lady become rich?"

Xia Li was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you, Madam. I plan to donate the money from the auction to the Jiaozhou Garrison. I made so much money this time only because it's a rare commodity. When the perfume shop officially opens, the profit won't be that high."

Madam Zhou is not a brainless person. This can be seen from the fact that she did not take power when she entered Cuihua Court, nor did she take advantage of her seniority in front of Shi Mi and others. After hearing Xia Li's explanation, she did not feel disappointed, but smiled and said:
"That's fine. After all, this perfume is unique, and the money is still earned by the young lady. As for the donation, the young lady is more thoughtful than this old servant. I think there must be a deeper meaning behind it."

Xia Li did not continue the topic, but said: "Everyone has worked hard at this incense tasting meeting. Shi Mi, Qiao He, Du Ruo and Bai Ying Bai Guo will each be rewarded with ten taels of silver, and the others will be rewarded with two months' salary."

As soon as these words came out, the maids smiled and bowed in unison to express their gratitude. Xia Li raised her hand slightly and said calmly:
"As long as you work hard in the future, you will be rewarded. If you dare to betray me, I will not let you off easily."

The majestic aura she exuded made people stand in awe. Shi Mi lowered her eyes slightly and sighed inwardly, people are indeed born different. Even though Xia Li was a maid, the things that are innate in her bones can never be changed.

Xia Li has been with the old lady for so many years, and apart from other things, she has already figured out the art of controlling people. This does not mean that she has been assimilated by the cannibalistic feudal ethics. She just chose a way that is more conducive to her own survival. Xia Li does not think there is anything wrong with this, otherwise Shi Mi and Qiao He would not treat her respectfully as their master.

The abilities that Xia Li had demonstrated since returning to the Fang family not only impressed all the maids in Cuihua Court, but also made the Rong family very proud. When Fang Zongru returned from the academy, it was already very late.

The old couple had dinner in the room, without their children or grandchildren. There were only three or four dishes of porridge and small dishes on the table. After sending away the servants who were serving the dishes, Rong was overjoyed and said, "You didn't see the grandeur of the auction today. It was just ten bottles of perfume, but they made at least 10,000 taels of silver."

Fang Zongru paused while picking up the food, and said in a low voice, "So much? If the perfume shop opens, my dear girl will have no worries about food and clothing by relying on this perfume."

Rong smiled and said, "That's right. Those ladies are like cats that have smelled blood. They are now trying to find out about our daughter. Unfortunately, it's too late. I can only politely refuse them."

Fang Zongru nodded slightly and said, "That's right. The day after tomorrow, the Kuang family will come to propose marriage, and the news of the marriage will spread. It doesn't matter what outsiders say. It's better for my daughter to live a good life."

Rong could only think so. She frowned and asked, "Who do you think the Kuang family will invite? If the betrothal gift is not decent, how can we make peace?"

Fang Zongru said calmly, "We don't know the internal situation of the Kuang family, but Kuang Chengrui is the eldest son and grandson, and his family begged for the marriage with all their might, so I think they will not neglect our good girl. As long as they have done their best to prepare the betrothal gifts, even if it is not decent enough, we have to be more considerate."

Rong sighed. She knew this in her heart, but she felt sorry for her daughter. She always felt that she owed her daughter too much, and she wanted to make up for it but didn't know where to start. If Xia Li knew Rong's thoughts, she would probably be touched. Xia Li didn't take the Kuang family's gift too seriously. It was just a formality, and she didn't need to show up.

When the day of the engagement really came, Xia Li was still forced by Nanny Zhou to dress up carefully. Shi Mi specially took out the pair of dragonfly hairpins and inserted them into her hair. She looked lively and eye-catching, so beautiful that people could not take their eyes off her.

Qiao He no longer stayed in the kitchen, but went to the front yard with the maids to watch the fun early. Kuang Chengrui had specially put on new clothes and rode on his horse in a majestic manner, attracting the attention of passers-by.

He did not go far away to seek help, but directly asked the Jiangdu Protectorate to be the matchmaker and come to propose marriage. The long team went to the gate of Fang's mansion and saw that the main door of the mansion was wide open and the mansion was full of joy.

Old Master Kuang got off the carriage in high spirits, followed closely by Jiang Duhu Shisi. Although he was optimistic about Kuang Chengrui, when he knew that he had this marriage, he felt that the chances of success were slim. He didn't expect that he was so lucky to succeed. Seeing the behavior of the servants in Fang Mansion, he whispered to the old man:

"The Fang family is indeed a noble family. Chengrui will have a bright future if he marries such a virtuous wife."

The old man's face was ruddy, and he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes. He said modestly: "His future depends on himself. If he marries Miss Fang, our family will have a proper mistress. This is a major matter concerning future generations."

Jiangdu Protector General immediately figured out what was going on. He said with emotion, "You are still far-sighted. The Kuang family will surely become a powerful force in the future."

The old man was planning for a promising future for the family. He was very happy to hear this. At this time, the Fang family steward had walked up to Kuang Chengrui and said respectfully:

"Please invite Jiangdu Protector General, old master, and son-in-law into the mansion. The master and his wife are waiting in the front yard."

The two men immediately stopped talking, straightened their clothes and followed the steward into the mansion.

No one stopped Qiao He and other maids from coming out to watch the fun on such a happy day, but when they saw the betrothal gifts with a big red wedding character on them being carried into the house, they widened their eyes in surprise.

Not to mention Qiao He was shocked, even Rong was a little surprised. Listening to the steward reading out the gift list, in addition to basic items such as live geese, there were actually five thousand taels of silver and thirty kilograms of gold bars, more than twenty pieces of jade artifacts and four jade ruyi, not to mention those extinct antiques, calligraphy and paintings. The Kuang family's betrothal gift was truly thoughtful.

Fang Zongru's complexion returned to normal first. He invited Jiangdu Protector General and the old man to take a seat. Qiaohe carefully wrote down the gift list and then ran back to Cuihua Court without stopping.

At this moment, Xia Li was sitting calmly at the desk writing. She wanted to write down the various recipes she had memorized before, so as not to forget them after a long time. When Qiao He rushed in hurriedly, she almost bumped into Du Ruo who was holding a fruit plate.

Du Ruo was still in shock and scolded, "Qiao He, how could you be so reckless? These are freshly washed fruits. There are only so many in the mansion. It would be a pity to ruin them."

Qiao He panted heavily and said with a smile on her face, "It's my fault. I will pay more attention next time. I was really too excited. Our son-in-law actually prepared five thousand taels of silver and thirty kilograms of gold, as well as twenty pieces of jade and antiques and calligraphy and paintings as a betrothal gift. Even the wife was stunned. The Kuang family is really well-prepared."

Xia Li put down the brush in his hand and said calmly, "The Kuang family has accumulated wealth for four generations, so it's not surprising that they have some wealth. Kuang Chengrui is also a fourth-rank military officer. Our Fang family is not easy to bully, so it doesn't hurt to show off some of it."

Madam Zhou said excitedly, "Young lady, the betrothal gift from Master Cao is more respectable than what Master Cao prepared back then. I can finally put my mind at ease this time. Young lady won't have to suffer any grievances when she marries him."

Xia Li was a little confused about her train of thought and said with a smile: "Even without this betrothal gift, I can live well with just the dowry. I'm afraid it will be difficult for the Kuang family to make me suffer."

Nanny Zhou smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits, and said happily: "Young lady is right, but the richer the Kuang family is, the more proud you will be, this is a good thing."

Xia Li nodded gently, but did not argue with her. The Kuang family was doing this to express their stance to the Fang family, and it had nothing to do with anything else. Xia Li's mind was like a mirror, and she said slowly:

"Du Ruo, prepare the high-purity alcohol I prepared for Lord Kuang, and let's go to the garden and wait for him to come."

Xia Li had already informed his mother that they wanted to meet and talk. As the marriage was already finalized, there was no need for Rong to stop them, so she nodded and agreed. Just as the master and servants arrived at the pavilion in the garden with jars of wine and sat down, Kuang Chengrui came over with steady steps.

Seeing the dragonfly hairpin on Xia Li's head, Kuang Chengrui's eyes flashed with an indescribable light. He lowered his head and said softly: "I'm late, you are not waiting anxiously, right?"

Xia Li looked up at him and said calmly, "I just arrived too. Sir Kuang, please take a seat."

Kuang Chengrui sat down with his back straight. Du Ruo immediately stepped forward to pour tea. Xia Li pondered, "The betrothal gift is too expensive. Will it seriously damage the vitality of the Kuang family?"

Kuang Chengrui shook his head and said calmly, "It's okay. Just be a bride and I'll take care of everything."

Xia Li frowned slightly, then relaxed in an instant. She smiled faintly and said, "I came to you to discuss some serious matters. A few days ago, I held a perfume tasting event and auctioned off the perfume I mixed. I made 10,000 taels of silver, and I plan to use all of it to buy rice and donate it to Jiaozhou Garrison."

Kuang Chengrui's eyes flashed with slight surprise. He immediately stood up straight and said solemnly: "No matter what your intention is, the soldiers of the garrison will benefit from this move. I thank you on their behalf."

After that, he clasped his fists and bowed. Xia Li raised her eyebrows and said nonchalantly, "Master Kuang, you are thanking me too early. I have something to give you."

Kuang Chengrui frowned slightly, met her eyes, and motioned her to continue. Xia Li pointed to the wine jar on the table and said calmly:
"This is a high-concentration alcohol that I made when I was making perfume. Using this alcohol to treat external injuries can prevent the victim from having a high fever and speed up wound healing. Du Ruo knows medical skills, and she has already tried it."

(End of this chapter)