Full House Spring

Chapter 118 Scratched by a Cat
The sunlight gradually faded, and the clouds in the sky were dyed a light violet.

Xia Li looked back at Kuang Chengrui and asked softly, "Should we go back?"

Kuang Chengrui lowered his head and kissed her forehead, whispering, "If you don't want to go back, we can stay a little longer."

Xia Li shook his head and said lightly, "No need. Our family is still waiting for us. There is a long time to come. Come back when we have the chance."

Kuang Chengrui naturally had no objection. The couple climbed on their horses and made sure that Xia Li's cloak was wrapped properly. Only then did Kuang Chengrui hold the horse's belly tight and go back.

When they got home, it was already dark and the lights were on everywhere in the mansion. The doorman took the reins swiftly and said respectfully, "Hello, Master and Madam. The old master has asked you two to come back and go to the front yard immediately."

Xia Li was a little confused. Usually, the old man would only look for Kuang Chengrui when he had something to do, but this time he somehow called her too. Although she was confused, she didn't ask much. She looked at Kuang Chengrui, and the two of them walked in tacitly.

As soon as he stepped into the front yard, he heard laughter coming from inside. Kuang Chengdong was demonstrating his moves to the old man. He said loudly: "Brother, just lean back and attack the thief from the waist. Then, he will grab his throat and leave him powerless to defend himself. He will have to surrender..."

Kuang Chengzhi's eyes sparkled as he asked, "Didn't that Dongyi thief have any other guards around him at that time?"

Kuang Chengdong raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Of course there are some, but how can he be a match for Big Brother? Big Brother can kick one away with one kick, there is no need for me to help at all."

Kuang Chengrui walked into the yard and scolded with a smile: "You are exaggerating here again. I can do my job well because of the cooperation of the brothers in the guards. With your magic arm crossbow facing me, how dare the thieves move at will?"

Kuang Chengdong said unconcernedly: "Even if that's the case, isn't it only my eldest brother who dares to step forward? So my eldest brother is still the most courageous."

After saying that, he stepped forward to greet his eldest sister-in-law. The younger ones called them brother and sister-in-law in unison. Xia Li smiled and nodded. It was normal for people from the East Courtyard to be here, but they didn't expect that Kuang Yulin was also standing next to the old man, smiling softly.

Seeing her daughter-in-law waving at her, Yu smiled and said, "Xia Li, come and sit down. The old man said that it is a happy event that the Chengrui brothers have returned safely. We should celebrate it properly."

Xia Li bowed to the old man and Yu, then walked towards Yu. She smiled and said, "It's only right. I've been away for a few days, so I've troubled you to take care of the housework."

Yu was satisfied with her daughter-in-law from the bottom of her heart. She took her hand and said angrily, "This is what we should do. We don't have to be so unorthodox. Are your parents, brothers and sisters-in-law all right?"

Xia Li lowered his voice and said, "They are all fine, they just don't want me to leave."

Yu understood very well, patting her hand and saying, "Your parents have worked so hard to find you, so it's normal for them to be reluctant to let you go. Your grandfather and I are not strict with rules, so it's okay for you to go back and spend more time with them."

Xia Li chuckled and nodded. The old man saw that his granddaughter-in-law had a ruddy complexion and the couple came back very close to each other. He knew that the two had a harmonious relationship and no rift. He turned to look at Kuang Chengrui and said in a deep voice: "Chengdong has told me everything he should say. What are your plans next?"

Kuang Chengrui sat opposite the old man, poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Xia Li, then said calmly: "I will invite Commander Jiang to have dinner at my house tomorrow. Seeing that the Dongyi people are restless, there may be a war at any time. How can I miss the opportunity?"

As soon as these words came out, the old man's frown relaxed, and he nodded with satisfaction, "It's OK as long as you have a clear mind. There is no shortcut for a military officer. No matter who you follow, you have to accumulate military merits. It's better to go to the battlefield and fight directly. Commander Jiang is not a person who steals military merits. It is wise to follow him."

Kuang Chengrui thought so too. After he made up his mind, he never wavered. He glanced at Xia Li and said softly:
"I have discussed this with Xia Li and decided that it is more stable to be down-to-earth. I am still young and have no shortage of opportunities."

The old man heard the off-screen voice and became more and more satisfied with his grandson's wife. It would be better for him to marry a far-sighted wife, so that even if he was gone, his eldest grandson would not do foolish things.

The old man was happy, and the people in the East Courtyard were happy, but Kuang Yulin was the only one who was a little depressed. What good was it that her elder brother had a bright future? She couldn't get any benefit from it. She was two years older than Kuang Yuru, and now she was at the age to find a husband, but her mother was useless, her aunt didn't care about her at all, and her sister-in-law was indifferent to her. She was worried all day and couldn't sleep.

Because of her aunt's relationship, she had the opportunity to meet Cao Zhubu's son, which was arranged for tomorrow. She originally wanted to ask her eldest brother or third brother to accompany her and support her, but Kuang Chengdong was very cunning and did not give her a chance to speak at all.

The eldest brother also said that he would host a banquet for Commander Jiang tomorrow. It was useless for her to bring this up. As for why Kuang Chengming was not asked to accompany him, he was just a scholar and would have no deterrent power even if he went.

Kuang Yulin glanced at Xia Li. She really didn't have the courage to speak to her sister-in-law. Seeing that her sister seemed to be hesitant to speak, Kuang Yuru went up to ask with good intentions, but was impatiently dismissed by her.

Kuang Yuru didn't like to be bullied, so she turned around and talked privately with her sister-in-law and ignored her.

During this family dinner, Kuang Yulin was like an invisible person. No one paid any attention to her except Kuang Yuru and Kuang Chengzhi.

It was getting late when the banquet ended. Kuang Chengrui held the lantern in one hand and put his arm around Xia Li's slender waist with the other, and the two of them walked slowly towards the backyard.

Xia Li will be in charge of the banquet for Commander Jiang tomorrow. She carefully asked Commander Jiang about his taste preferences. Kuang Chengrui seemed to be taciturn, but he was very attentive. He could tell Commander Jiang's eating habits without hesitation. At the end, he added, "Most military officers like to eat meat. Those foods are filling and can resist hunger. They are rich in oil and water, which can make people strong. You can just prepare some dishes that are suitable for drinking. You don't have to pay attention to the presentation of the dishes."

Xia Li understood what he meant and asked with a smile, "Do you want the most expensive wine, or the one with a stronger aftertaste?"

Kuang Chengrui said leisurely, "Grandfather still has some good wine hidden there. I'll just bring two jars over tomorrow. Commander Jiang has a similar alcohol tolerance as me, so ordinary wine won't make him drunk."

Xia Li's eyebrows curved, and she said in a brisk voice, "I still have two jars of the fragrant Ba Wang Zui, do you want to try it?"

Kuang Chengrui's eyes lit up, "Did you extract it yourself?"

Xia Li nodded slightly and said, "I made it in my spare time. It has a mellow and rich taste. It's a strong liquor with a high alcohol content and it's easy to get drunk."

Kuang Chengrui is not a heavy drinker, but he likes strong liquor. He usually doesn't get drunk easily. Even if he gets drunk, he just falls asleep and nothing happens when he wakes up. Hearing what Xia Li said, he grinned and said, "I have a wife, so it's okay for me to get drunk. It just so happens that I'm going to invite Commander Jiang in the name of tasting wine. He and I have similar interests, so he will definitely be very happy." The wine was originally prepared for him, so Xia Li would not be stingy. She said calmly, "Then use Overlord Drunk to entertain the guests tomorrow. I estimate that one jar is enough for the two of you. If Commander Jiang likes the remaining jar, you can give it to him."

Kuang Chengrui pursed his lips tightly and said unhappily: "This is the wine you extracted yourself. What should I drink if you give it to him?"

Xia Li never thought that he would be so stingy. He stepped on his soapy boots and said unhappily, "I'll extract it for you after you finish drinking it. It's not that difficult. I can't say anything else, but we can still supply our own drinks."

Kuang Chengrui raised his eyebrows, his eyes curved into a slit, with a satisfied smile on his lips, and said, "Grandfather likes Shaodaozi the most. He thinks other wines are not strong enough. Let him taste the wine you extract some other day."

Xia Li was willing to honor the old man, after all, he treated her well. "I'll make more next time. Are you only inviting Commander Jiang tomorrow?"

Kuang Chengrui frowned and thought deeply, "If I move up further, I will have to deal with Deputy Envoy Zhou. I'll invite him back as well. I don't mind having an extra pair of chopsticks."

Xia Li nodded slightly, understanding what was going on. She returned to the room and the couple washed up separately. When Xia Li entered the bedroom wearing loose pajamas, Kuang Chengrui was already sitting on the bed waiting for her with a military book in his hand.

Xia Li adapted quickly and could do whatever she wanted in front of him. She sat on the bed and combed her hair that hung in front of her chest. Du Ruo brought a basin of brown hot water into the room and whispered:
"Grandma, it's time to soak your feet today. I've been boiling this medicine for over an hour."

Xia Li's body has always been taken care of by Du Ruo, who would give her foot soaks or herbal baths from time to time. No one could see any effect at first, but after letting her do that for a while, Xia Li clearly felt that her physical condition had improved and her skin had become much smoother and more delicate.

Kuang Chengrui was unconsciously attracted by her tender little feet that were as delicate as jade. Her toenails were as bright as petals, embellishing her perfect feet. Every curve exuded a natural luster, which made people unable to help but yearn for it.

His mind suddenly recalled the obscene words said by those rough men in the garrison. No wonder some people were so obsessed with women's feet. Even he couldn't help but want to hold them in his palms and play with them.

His eyes were too hot, Xia Li noticed it, she raised her foot and splashed the water on him, and shouted: "What are you looking at?"

Kuang Chengrui's eyes darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice: "I also want to soak my feet to relieve fatigue, can you squeeze in for me?"

He sat down without saying anything. Xia Li subconsciously pushed him and said unhappily, "This wooden basin is not big enough for your big feet. If you want to soak your feet and relieve your fatigue, ask Du Ruo to get you another one."

Kuang Chengrui didn't have to do anything, he just unconsciously wanted to get closer to her. Xia Li's strength couldn't shake him at all, so he simply hugged Xia Li in his arms, and put his big feet into the basin without saying a word, and the medicine immediately spilled out.

Xia Li was so angry that she wanted to scratch his face. Kuang Chengrui pulled her up and made her sit on his lap. He whispered in her ear, "Just put your foot on the top of my foot."

Xia Li could only do as he said. She stepped hard on the back of his foot. Kuang Chengrui said in a cheerful voice, "Please use more force. I'm not afraid of the pain. It feels good when I step on you."

Xia Li was so angry that she raised her head and bit his chin. Kuang Chengrui's breathing trembled slightly and his brain went blank in an instant.

When the two of them started quarreling, the maid who was serving them had already left. Kuang Chengrui no longer cared and stood up, picked her up and pressed her onto the bed...

Xia Li was sleeping soundly when Kuang Chengrui got up early to practice martial arts. He came back to change clothes and went to the guard post. Xia Li was still unaware of anything. It was not until the sun was high in the sky that Shi Mi woke her up gently. Yu Shi didn't have to pay her respects, so it didn't matter that Xia Li got up late.

At first she was worried that the noise would be too much and would be laughed at by the maids, but now she had given up and let him do whatever he wanted. After breakfast, she called the housekeeper to the meeting room to deal with the trivial matters first, and then told Qiao He to prepare for the evening banquet.

Kuang Chengrui went back to the garrison to handle official business first. After the matters at hand were dealt with, he went to find Commander Jiang. Vice Envoy Zhou happened to be there. As soon as he entered the tent, Commander Jiang pointed at his chin with a map and teased, "Our brave and warlike Kuang has his chin scratched by a cat?"

Kuang Chengrui touched his chin, a touch of tenderness flashed in his eyes, and he said nonchalantly: "I was accidentally scratched by a nail, it's nothing serious, my wife brewed some high-proof Bawangzui, and I want to invite the commander and Deputy Envoy Zhou to my house for a drink."

Commander Jiang immediately raised his lips and said in a clear voice, "There's good wine to drink, so why not go? It's really different after getting married."

Deputy Envoy Zhou was born in a family of officials in Kyoto. He held a high position and was unmarried. Hearing this, he chuckled and said, "I am also having a good time today. We will go with you later."

Everyone present was smart and understood the underlying meaning of the words without them having to say them out loud. So the three of them went to the Kuang family together. The banquet was already prepared in the front yard, and when they saw them enter the house, a servant immediately reported and the maids began to serve the dishes one after another.

When the two of them sat down at the table, they could tell that the dishes were prepared with great care. Not only did they include Commander Jiang's favorites, but there were also popular dishes from Kyoto. Deputy Envoy Zhou was also very happy.

While people were toasting and chatting happily here, Kuang Yulin in the west courtyard burst into tears. The eldest son of Cao Zhubu thought she was Kuang Chengrui's sister, but when he learned that she was the daughter of the second wife, he turned around and left without saying a word.

Kuang Yulin felt greatly insulted, and when she returned she was scolded again by Cui. She felt extremely aggrieved and couldn't stop crying.

When Cui Yingying heard the crying, she twisted her waist and came over to watch the fun. Thanks to Xia Li for hiring a doctor to treat her body, otherwise she would never have been able to have children in this life. Therefore, she secretly kept this account with Cui's mother and daughter. As long as they were not having a good time, she was happy.

Cui Yingying stood at the door and said lightly, "Auntie is really mean. My sister is shy, how can she blame you?"

Kuang Yulin paused in her tears and choked up, "Stop watching me laugh at you. No matter how poor I am, it's not your turn to sympathize with me."

Cui Yingying said calmly: "Sister, what you said is not right. Although I am a concubine, I am also a member of the West Courtyard. Naturally, I hope you are well. If you are well, your second brother will also benefit from it.

If you want to marry into a high-ranking family, you should go to the East Courtyard. I heard that among the superiors you are entertaining today, there is an unmarried man. He is much better than the son of the county chief clerk. He is an official himself. If you marry him, you will have an imperial decree. How great is that."

(End of this chapter)