Full House Spring

Chapter 119 The heart is as high as the sky
Kuang Yulin knew that Cui Yingying had bad intentions, but she couldn't resist the temptation.

She stared at Cui Yingying and said in a commanding tone, "What did you mean by that? Who else is accompanying Commander Jiang?"

Cui Yingying shook her handkerchief in surprise, "You don't know this? The one who came with him was Deputy Envoy Zhou. It is said that he is the son of an official in Kyoto, and his elders are in high positions and have a prominent family background."

Kuang Yulin was previously influenced by her mother and focused on the civil officials' residences. She didn't really know much about the military officers in the garrison. She half-believed and half-doubted:

"How is that possible? If he has a prominent family background, why would he have to endure the hardships of being a military officer? Don't try to fool me."

Cui Yingying shook her handkerchief and said nonchalantly, "How can I, a woman from the inner house, know such details? I just heard a few words from others. Believe it or not, it's up to you. However, most of the nobles in Kyoto rose to power through military merit, so it's not hard to understand that they inherited their ancestors' will."

Kuang Yulin frowned slightly, her eyes flickered, the corners of her mouth rose slightly, then quickly tightened, revealing a barely perceptible hesitation and thought on her face.

Seeing that she had taken the bait, Cui Yingying did not bother to do anything more. She said nonchalantly, "I am only saying this for the sake of our cousins. If you don't seize this opportunity, He Moli will marry better than you in the future and laugh at you from a high place. Just don't cry."

Kuang Yulin's face immediately darkened, and she said solemnly as if she had just woken up from a dream:
"You still say you have no ulterior motives. You just want to instigate me to belittle myself and end up like you. I tell you, no way!"

Cui Yingying's face turned pale and blue, and she said angrily:

"I'm so kind, but you treat me like a donkey. I told you all this for your own good, hoping that you could help your second brother. It would be fine if you didn't appreciate it, but you even blamed me. It's really bad luck."

After that, she pretended to be angry and went back to her room. Looking at her leaving figure, Qingque, the new maidservant who had just arrived beside Kuang Yulin, said cautiously: "Miss, Cui Xiaoniang is gone, don't get angry and hurt yourself..."

Kuang Yulin was full of resentment and had no place to vent it. She slapped Qingque on the face with her backhand and said angrily:
"You have no right to speak here. You didn't even bother to comfort me when I was crying just now. Why are you talking so much now?"

Qingque was stunned. She fell to her knees and cried, "Miss, please calm down. It's all my fault. I won't say anything more next time."

After Xia Licai bought the servants, she assigned maids to serve the girls. Kuang Yulin loved to put on airs on weekdays, which made Qingque, who followed her, miserable. She didn't dare to stand next to her unless it was necessary.

Kuang Yulin couldn't swallow the resentment in her heart. She looked at Qingque and said viciously, "You useless idiot, you only know how to cry. Why don't you go and find out for me whether Deputy Envoy Zhou is really as good as Cui Yingying said."

Qingque ignored the pain on her cheek and said timidly, "Miss, you know that Miss Cui has bad intentions, so why do you still want to wade into this muddy water?"

There was a gloomy light in Kuang Yulin's eyes, and she sneered:
"Everything depends on human effort. Do you think I would be as lowly as that fool Cui Yingying? If Deputy Envoy Zhou is really a good person, can't I make him fall in love with me and ask for my hand in marriage? This is not something you should worry about. Just keep your mouth shut and do your job well."

Qingque didn't dare to continue. She hesitated and said, "But I just came to the mansion not long ago and don't know many people. Who should I ask?"

Kuang Yulin looked at her with disdain and said unhappily, "Your brain is like a decoration. People are setting up a banquet in the front yard. Can you ask the concierge or the maid who serves the dishes?"

Qingque bowed quickly in response and ran out in a hurry, fearing that she would be beaten by Kuang Yulin again. Qingque was timid beside Kuang Yulin, but very likable outside. She called her sweet brother and sister and indeed got a lot of useful information. The Deputy Envoy Zhou was really as outstanding as Cui Yingying said.

After hearing Qingque's reply, Kuang Yulin was very happy. She finally met a man who was good in everything, so how could she let him go easily?

She sat down in front of the dressing table, raised her eyebrows slightly, applied light makeup, and skillfully combed her jet-black hair. The bronze mirror reflected the tenderness of the girl. Her eyes moved and her red lips slightly raised, making her look particularly charming and attractive.

Kuang Yulin inherited Cui's beautiful face. In terms of appearance, she is far superior to Kuang Yuru, which is why she thinks so highly of herself.

After appreciating her own beauty, she turned her head to look at Qingque and said, "Go to the front yard and guard it. As long as Deputy Envoy Zhou leaves, you must report to me no matter what he does. Do you hear me?"

Qingque's face was pale, with deep worry and fear in her eyes. She said anxiously, "Miss, this is against the rules. If the old master and the eldest lady knew about it, I would be worried..."

Before she could finish her words, Kuang Yulin slammed her palm on the table, raised her eyebrows and said, "You disobeyed the master, is this in accordance with the rules? I think you have been comfortable for too long, believe it or not, I will send a human trafficker to sell you right away?"

Qingque's face turned pale and she said, "I dare not. I will go out and keep an eye on them..."

Kuang Yulin stood up and walked up to her, gritting her teeth and said, "Be smart, if you dare to ruin my good deeds, I will never let you off easily."

Qingque didn't dare to speak again. She bowed and ran to the front yard swiftly. Kuang Yulin turned around and sat back in front of the dressing table to continue waiting.

What she didn't know was that since Xia Li took over the family, she had her own information channels, and whenever there was an unusual situation in the mansion, someone would quickly report it to her.

At this moment, Xia Li was having dinner alone in the backyard. Qiao He put the cooked bone soup into the copper pot, and then cooked seasonal vegetables for her to eat. This was much more comfortable to eat than the meat in the front yard. She had just taken a bite of the vegetables when Shi Mi lifted the curtain and came in. She said with a strange expression:

"Grandma, the girl Shuang from the front yard wants to see you. She said there's something unusual about the young lady."

Xia Li put down his chopsticks and asked, "Did the eldest girl do something, or did the maidservant beside her do something?"

Shi Mi couldn't help but laugh and said, "Shuang girl is very tight-lipped. I can't get the reason from her, so I have to bring her to see you."

Xia Li wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief and chuckled, "Then call her in."

As soon as the girl Shuang entered the room, she politely greeted Xia Li. She lowered her eyes and didn't look around. Xia Li said softly, "No need to be polite. Tell me what happened to the young lady."

Frost girl swallowed her saliva and said carefully:

"To answer the eldest lady's question, I entered the mansion with Qingque, the girl who served the eldest lady. She usually never goes to the front yard, but today she came four or five times, and every time she came, she was asking for information about Deputy Envoy Zhou. I felt something was wrong and was worried that something might happen, so I reported this to you."

Xia Li's half-closed eyes flashed with sarcasm. She looked at Shuang Yatou and said with a smile, "You did a great job, you deserve a reward! If you notice anything unusual in the future, report it to me immediately."

Shuang Yatou took the reward from Shi Mi and kowtowed to express her gratitude with a happy face. After she left, Shi Mi wondered, "Master, is the young lady planning to take advantage of Deputy Envoy Zhou? If she behaves recklessly in the mansion, won't she make the master lose face?"

Xia Li's deep eyes were filled with a hint of laughter, and he said mockingly, "She must have been frustrated in her blind date, and is desperate to try any possible means. She doesn't want to lose face, but she can't let the Kuang family lose face. Have someone keep an eye on her, and if she makes any rash moves, send someone to notify me immediately."

Kuang Yulin is the daughter of the second wife after all, and Xia Li cannot restrict her freedom based on speculation alone.

On the other side, Qingque was standing in the corner until her legs were numb. Fortunately, it was late and her position was not conspicuous. Just when she thought that Deputy Envoy Zhou would not come out of the room alone, he actually showed up.

Qingque didn't bother to see why he came out, and immediately turned around and ran to the west courtyard, fearing that he would disappear again if he was a little slower. Kuang Yulin had long been impatient, and when he saw Qingque running back breathlessly, he asked anxiously, "Has Deputy Envoy Zhou come out?"

Qingque nodded hurriedly, and a hint of joy appeared in Kuang Yulin's eyes. She ran out at full speed, fearing that she would miss the opportunity to meet Deputy Envoy Zhou. However, as soon as she stepped out of the west courtyard, she was bumped into by Xia Li who came over with her maid.

Kuang Yulin's eyes suddenly narrowed, and she was worried: "Sister-in-law, why haven't you rested yet so late? Is there something going on in the West Courtyard?"

Xia Li looked at her with slightly cold eyes and said nonchalantly: "I heard that your sister is very good at painting peony patterns, so I want you to draw a few for me. I am eager to use them."

Kuang Yulin looked at her with a deeper look in his eyes, and said with surprise:
"Sister-in-law, stop joking. I have seen your paintings at the residence of Magistrate Zhang. How dare I show off my skills in front of an expert?"

Xia Li's eyes suddenly turned cold, and he said in a deep voice: "Can't I ask my sister to come? Or should I ask the old man to come out to help?"

Kuang Yulin tightened her grip on the handkerchief and said vaguely, "It's too dark in the room right now. I'm afraid it will hurt my eyes. Can I paint for my sister-in-law tomorrow?"

Xia Li was too lazy to talk nonsense with her, and said expressionlessly: "No, no matter what you are thinking today, put it away and go back to your room and stay there honestly. If you dare to come out and embarrass yourself, don't blame me for turning my face against you."

Kuang Yulin couldn't help but said anxiously: "Sister-in-law, please let me go. I just want to meet Deputy Envoy Zhou. If I can marry him, it will be good for my brother and our family."

Xia Li felt that she was possessed by a demon, and said coldly, "Do you think you are a fairy, unforgettable? I will marry you no matter what? You can't get out today, so give up as soon as possible."

Kuang Yulin was already in a bad mood because Cao Zhubu's eldest son disliked her, and Cui Yingying used He Moli to provoke her, so her desire to change the situation reached its peak.

She didn't care what Xia Li thought of her, she just wanted to meet Deputy Envoy Zhou. If she missed this opportunity, she didn't know when the next time would be. She seized the opportunity, acted decisively, and ran quickly to the front yard.

Xia Li reacted quickly and shouted, "Stop the girl and tie her back."

As soon as she said this, the servants following her moved quickly. Just as Kuang Yulin was about to step into the front yard, she was caught and tied up mercilessly.

Kuang Yulin's hair was disheveled and her clothes were in disarray as she struggled. Seeing her hopes dashed, she screamed without a care in the world. Cui heard the noise, put on her coat and ran out in a hurry. Seeing her daughter's appearance, she said angrily:

"Fang Xiali, you are simply lawless. My daughter is your sister-in-law after all. You let the servants treat her like this. Aren't you afraid of being scolded by the old master?"

Xia Li curved her lips and said elegantly and casually, "Second Aunt, don't be excited. I will definitely tell the old man about this matter. It would be best for him to make the decision."

Kuang Yulin's mouth was blocked. She looked at Cui with horror and blinked and shook her head desperately. Cui reacted very quickly and subconsciously changed her words:

"There's no need to alarm the old man for such a small matter. It must be that Yulin is ignorant and has lost her sense of proportion. My niece-in-law has handed her over to me, and I will teach her a lesson."

Xia Li's lips curled up in contempt. Just then, the maid who had been inquiring about the news in the front yard came back. She walked lightly to Xia Li and whispered softly, "Grandma, the distinguished guest has left the house. There are no outsiders in the front yard."

Xia Li hummed and said calmly: "Since there are no outsiders, let's go to grandfather and talk."

Xia Li ignored Cui at all. She could only watch Kuang Yulin being taken away and followed her with a sullen face. After everyone had left, Cui Yingying, who was hidden in the darkness, came out with a smile on her face.

She knew that Kuang Yulin was ambitious and would not sit still if she was told a few provocative words. With the ability of the grandmother, Kuang Yulin would get nothing but punishment. She wanted to see how she could marry into a wealthy family if the grandmother and the old man saw through her stupidity and greed.

This farce did not alarm anyone in the front yard. The old man and Kuang Chengrui were a little surprised to see them coming. Xia Li did not keep them in suspense and told them what had happened in a concise manner. The old man's face turned black on the spot.

He scolded Cui, "How did you teach your daughter? Is she trying to be someone's concubine because she can't get married? This is simply bringing disgrace to our family! If we hadn't stopped her just now, wouldn't our family be completely disgraced?"

Cui plucked up her courage and said, "Although Yulin acted impulsively, it did not cause irreversible consequences. If the old master really cared about her and arranged a marriage for her sooner, she would not be so foolish."

The old master was so angry that he sneered and said:

"If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam will be crooked. How can I expect you to teach my daughter well if your mother is not from a good family? Since you said so, I will be the one to decide the marriage of the second wife's children from now on. You are not allowed to go out unless necessary."

Cui's eyes widened, and she said indignantly, "The old man is a little too overbearing. I have no objection to your meddling in the marriage, but the choice of the person must be approved by me."

The old man glanced at her and said unhappily, "I'm not asking for your opinion, I'm just informing you. If you don't like it, take your children and get out of the Kuang family."

As soon as the words fell, Cui and Kuang Yulin turned pale instantly. How could they dare to provoke the old man again? Seeing that they had calmed down, Xia Li signaled with his eyes to the maid to take out the handkerchief stuffed in Kuang Yulin's mouth.

The old man turned his head to look at Kuang Yulin and said stiffly:
"I won't say much else. You must copy the Women's Rules and Internal Training a hundred times. When you have finished copying, you can come out and meet the people."

Kuang Yulin's eyes were red. Even though she was very angry, she did not dare to refute and could only accept the punishment silently.

(End of this chapter)