Full House Spring

Chapter 107 The Eve of Marriage
There was no warmth in Kuang Chengrui's eyes, and his tone was calm, but it made Kuang Yulin stand still, not daring to move.

Yu's pent-up resentment for more than a decade was all released at this moment. She fought harder and harder. Cui had been able to resist at the beginning, but now she could no longer hold out and could only passively take the beating.

You have to know that the brute force of Kuang Chengrui and Kuang Chengdong was all inherited from Yu. She usually looks frail, but it's all an illusion. She was just restrained too much by her scholar father when she was young, so she doesn't show her strength easily.

The old master and Kuang Chengrui had no place to vent their anger. Due to their status, they could not take action. Yu Shi did not have so many scruples. After she punched and kicked Cui Shi until she was angry enough, the old master said in a deep voice:
"Alright, stop it now! Fighting and making a scene is not appropriate. Yulin, help your mother back to her room. From today on, she is not allowed to step out of the door. You can only let her out when I give you the nod. Anyone who dares not to listen will be kicked out of the house with Cui."

Kuang Yulin had already burst into tears. No matter how much resentment she had in her heart, she didn't dare to say anything at this moment. Watching the mother and daughter staggering towards the west courtyard, Yu said in a dry voice: "Chengrui, is Miss Fang okay? Did she believe what that vicious woman Cui said?"

Without waiting for Kuang Chengrui to answer, the old man said impatiently: "Do you think she is as easy to fool as you? Your granddaughter-in-law can easily control the overall situation without any help, and those two people didn't get any benefits."

Yu was used to the old man's sharp tongue, so she automatically filtered out his words and said with a sense of relief, "That's good, as long as you two don't have any conflicts."

The old man put his hands behind his back and said with a smug look on his face, "Tomorrow I will go to the traffickers to pick out a few servants, and we should prepare the necessary items for the wedding. The Fang family will send someone to measure the house in a few days, so we must not lose our manners."

Yu nodded in agreement with a happy face. Seeing that there was nothing for Kuang Chengrui to worry about at home, he said, "I'm going to the guard post," and left in big strides.

Yu was used to it, so she just took a look and let him do as he pleased. He was always like this, doing whatever he wanted and only listening to what the old man said. After he got married, it would depend on whether his new wife could subdue him.

After Cui's commotion, life returned to its former peace. Xia Li's perfume shop opened with great fanfare, and all the prominent families in Laizhou came to support it. Not only did she gain face, but she also established the style of her perfume.

The sales of perfume have been increasing steadily since the opening. If the wedding date had not been approaching, Xia Li would have already been busy shipping the products to Kyoto for sale. There is no end to the money she can make, but marriage is a lifelong event, so she had to slow down.

Rong hired more than a dozen skilled embroiderers from outside to work day and night to embroider clothes for Xia Li for all four seasons after her marriage. She even personally tried out several types of wedding candies and snacks at the wedding banquet. She strived to make every aspect perfect and would never let her daughter suffer any grievances.

Although the Rong couple were reluctant to let their daughter go, they could not let their reluctance ruin her lifelong happiness.

It was not until the day before her wedding that the wedding dress that Xia Li made by herself was finally completed.

Rong and Sun Fuya were invited to Cuihua Court by their maids. Xia Li wanted to try on the wedding dress for them to see. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had only seen some of the embroidery patterns of the wedding dress, and they had no idea what the finished product would look like.

Du Ruo respectfully invited the madam and the eldest grandmother to come in and sit down. After pouring tea and water for them, he said softly, "Madam and the eldest grandmother, please wait a moment. Sister Shi Mi and the others are helping the young lady change her clothes and will be out soon."

Rong picked up the teacup and took a sip of water, smiling and said, "We are not in a hurry. Let the girl dress up slowly. We have prepared three wedding dresses in total, and we can always pick out the best one."

Sun Fuya chuckled and said, "I'm afraid that my sister will be too outstanding, and every wedding dress she wears will be stunningly beautiful. Then mother will be reluctant to marry her off, which will be difficult to deal with."

Rong's eyes and eyebrows were full of smiles, and she said in a light voice: "I don't mind supporting your sister for the rest of her life, but I'm afraid my good son-in-law won't agree."

Sun Fuya had only met Kuang Chengrui twice and didn't know him very well, but the look he gave Xia Li was still fresh in her memory. She sighed softly:

"My brother-in-law will definitely treat me like a treasure. His eyes can't lie."

Rong had lived for most of her life and had seen all kinds of people. She was much more rational than her daughter-in-law. She spoke gently:

"You can't tell who is better after just three to five years. Some people are good at acting. They act one way in front of others and another behind their backs. What you see may not be true."

Sun Fuya's expression was slightly restrained. She had lived a happy life after marriage and had forgotten the evil of human nature. After hearing what her mother-in-law said, she hurriedly said seriously:

"If Kuang Chengrui dares to bully my sister behind her back, we will fight to the death to make sure he doesn't have an easy time. Mother, just relax. My sister still has our support."

Rong was naturally satisfied with her eldest daughter-in-law. She patted her daughter-in-law on the back of her hand and said in a gentle tone: "You brothers and sisters help each other, which is better than anything else. Kuang Chengrui is not a bad person. Let's take a closer look."

Sun Fuya nodded gently. She envied Xia Li from the bottom of her heart. Although she suffered outside, her family always cared about her and loved her. Her mother always kept her in her heart. Unlike her mother, who couldn't bear to see her do well and wished to trample her into the mud to be satisfied, there was really no comparison between people.

Xia Li didn't keep her mother and sister-in-law waiting for long. Before she had even finished her cup of tea, she came out in her bright red wedding dress.

She was not her usual look without makeup. Her eyebrows were lightly dyed black, her lips were slightly red, her fair skin was charming and rosy, and she had golden flowers on the corners of her eyes. She was wearing a wedding dress with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns, which perfectly outlined her exquisite waist. The complicated design of the wedding dress was layered, but there was no sense of burden, just like the petals of a blooming peony, which made people unable to take their eyes away.

Rong and Sun Fuya were stunned. Xia Li smiled and said in a brisk voice, "Mother, sister-in-law, do I look good in this wedding dress?"

Rong's eyes were filled with tears of excitement, and she said hurriedly, "It looks good. My dear girl is as beautiful as a fairy standing in the pistil of a flower. Wear this for your wedding. You don't need to try on any other ones."

Sun Fuya stood up and walked over to her, reaching out to touch the phoenix's tail. She was greatly shocked by the raised three-dimensional texture. She exclaimed, "Sister, is this embroidered with the gold-stitching needle technique? It looks incredible."

Xia Li chuckled and said, "That's right. I also have a small screen with butterfly flowers embroidered with gold. If you like it, you can take it back later."

Sun Fuya's eyes lit up, and she smiled without any hesitation, "Thank you for giving me this gift. All the embroidery you make is beautiful. I am taking advantage of you again today."

Rong hoped that her aunt and sister-in-law would get along well with each other. After all, she would die earlier than her daughter, and in the future she would have to rely on her brother and sister-in-law.

Sun Fuya knew that the mother and daughter had something to say, so she tactfully took her leave first. There were still many things to do for the wedding tomorrow, and as the eldest daughter-in-law, Sun Fuya had to shoulder the heavy burden, so she had no time to rest.

Although Xia Li looked beautiful in her wedding dress, she felt tired. Rong waited for her to change back into her regular clothes before taking the dowry list from Aunt Xu and handing it to her. "I'll bring all the betrothal gifts from the Kuang family to you, except for the living things. Take a look at the list and you'll have an idea of what's going on."

Xia Li held the thick dowry list in his hand and asked in surprise, "Mom, you didn't empty the family fortune, did you? Did you keep the money for my second brother to marry his wife?"

Rong was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and said, "It's not that exaggerated. I have been saving your dowry since you were a child, and I never stopped even during the ten years when you were missing.

Your brother's share is also kept. Your father and I divided the business into three parts, and you and your brother will get the same amount.

However, most of my dowry has been given to you. You have had a hard time these years, and I always feel that I owe you... and your sisters-in-law also have dowries, they are not short of money, you just need to hold on to your dowry."

Rong's full maternal love made Xia Li feel as sweet as if he were immersed in a honey pot. Rong urged him softly:

"Have a quick look at the dowry list. There is also a capable steward in your companion's room. After you marry into the Kuang family, you can sort it out carefully. This dowry is enough for you to have food and clothing for the rest of your life, but you have to manage it well."

Xia Li nodded obediently and agreed, then opened the dowry list and was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth. Her parents had actually prepared 120 dowry sets for her, and each set was full of everything, from jewelry, land, and houses to furniture, clothes, and furnishings.

She is not just bringing money into the Kuang family, this asset is enough to revitalize the entire Kuang family. Fortunately, the dowry is her personal asset and her in-laws have no right to interfere, otherwise she would be unable to sleep or eat.

When she saw the house, Rong explained softly, "My son-in-law is a capable man. He may be awarded a title for his military achievements in the future. That's why I bought you a house in Kyoto. Even if you don't need it, it will be useful to my grandson when he goes to Beijing to take the imperial examination in the future."

Xia Li curled the corners of his lips slightly and whispered, "Mom, you are thinking too far ahead. I have no plans to have children for the time being. I want to consider this matter in two years."

Rong frowned slightly. This was against the rules and the elders of the Kuang family would be dissatisfied, but she still stood firmly on her daughter's side. She said softly:
"Just follow your own ideas and appease your son-in-law. Don't pay attention to what others say."

Xia Li leaned into his mother's arms and said softly, "Mom, what if I don't want to have children in this life?"

Rong paused as she stroked her daughter's hair, and said calmly:

"You are too young to understand the importance of children. To be honest, your own children are more intimate and reliable. But if you really don't want to have children, then you can buy a concubine to do it for you. After the birth, you can leave the mother and keep the child. I don't think the Kuang family will dare to have any objections."

Xia Li didn't know what to say. Her mother's ideas were quite advanced in a sense, but she had no intention of harming others. She would just take it one step at a time and see what the future would hold.

Rong continued, "You have a strong temper. This is neither good nor bad. Your son-in-law is not a useless person. After marriage, you must not think of suppressing him. Men are to be used. What's the point of you suppressing him and bullying him? It will only make you look like a tigress.

You have to use both hard and soft tactics to hook his heart and make him tremble for you. It doesn't matter whether he loves you or not, but he can't escape from your palm. Do you understand what I mean?"

Xia Li nodded thoughtfully. Rong knew her daughter was smart, so she lowered her voice and continued, "Men always hold grudges, so don't do anything that would make him uncomfortable in public. Be respectful to him in front of others, and you can act coquettishly and cling to him behind their backs.

Don't feel wronged on the couch. Men are naturally stronger than women. If he wants to torture you, you can't bear it. If you are really wronged, don't feel embarrassed to speak up. No matter what, mother will support you. Do you remember it?"

Xia Li buried her head in her mother's arms, tears rolling down the corners of her eyes. She could feel her mother's unreserved love. It turned out that this was how it felt to have her mother's teachings by her side. She was very grateful to God for arranging this journey, which allowed her to receive so much pure love.

Rong noticed her daughter crying, she just thought her daughter was reluctant to leave home, and said in a hoarse voice: "In my mother's place, there is no such thing as a married daughter being like spilled water. If you miss home, just ask your son-in-law to take you home, or send a letter to ask your father and brother to pick you up. You suffered so much when you were young, and we will only enjoy happiness in the future."

Xia Li nodded obediently and agreed. She really felt reluctant to leave. It would be great if she could stay with her parents forever...

Rong talked a lot, telling her daughter everything she could remember, and she didn't leave Cuihua Court until the sun set.

Every corner of the Fang Mansion was decorated with festive atmosphere. Big red lanterns with wedding characters on them were hung under the eaves of the corridors. From time to time, women from the family came to add to the decorations. From today on, a buffet was set up, and the whole Fang Mansion Lane was bustling with activity.

Xia Li became the person with the most leisure. She only had to sit in the room and chat with the female family members. The noise in Cuihua Courtyard died down at the beginning of the night. She had just taken a bath, changed her clothes and prepared to go to bed when a maid came to report that the second master was coming.

Xia Li's eyes widened in surprise. Fang Jingzhi was clearly on duty in Kyoto and couldn't leave, so why would he come back at this time? Xia Li quickly put on her coat and asked the maid to lead the second master into the house.

As soon as Fang Jingzhi stepped into the door, Xia Li shouted excitedly: "Second brother! You are really back. Do you not have to worry about the work of the Hanlin Academy anymore?"

Fang Jingzhi described his haggard eyes as tired, and even his clothes were covered in dust, looking very tired. When he saw his sister, he smiled and said:

"How can I not come back to see my sister off when she gets married? I got a promotion and snatched a job to inspect outside the capital, so I took some time off to come back and see you off."

Xia Li was so happy that he said loudly, "Bai Ying, go get some hot water for Second Master to wash his face. Shi Mi, go to the kitchen and ask Qiao He to make some food for Second Master. Second Brother, sit down and have some hot tea and rest first."

Fang Jing had been on his way non-stop, fearing that he would miss his sister's wedding. He really didn't have much energy at the moment, so he sat down obediently, drank some tea to moisten his throat, then took out a brocade box from his arms and handed it to Xia Li.

"Here is the dowry that my second brother prepared for you. On top is a jade bracelet, and underneath is a silver note of ten thousand taels."

Xia Li opened the brocade box and took a look at it, and she knew how valuable this red jadeite eighteen-bead bracelet was. She picked up the bracelet and put it on her wrist, smiling with eyes curved:
"I like it very much. Thank you for your trouble, second brother. I accept the bracelet, but you should take the banknote back. Mother has already bought me a lot of dowry."

Fang Jingzhi scolded, "It is only natural for parents to buy dowry, but this is my gift. If you don't accept it, your second brother will be very sad."

(End of this chapter)