Full House Spring

Chapter 123 Potential Crisis
Cui Yingying leaned against the door frame to watch the fun, her eyes sparkling with happiness and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile, as if she was laughing at a huge joke.

The west courtyard was only the size of a palm, so it was impossible for Cui not to hear the noise. However, she did not show up this time and just pretended to know nothing.

Kuang Yulin threw a tantrum until she had vented out the anger in her heart. Only then did she feel much better. Kuang Chengming finally had a chance to catch his breath. He shouted hysterically, "What are you crazy about? How can I go out and meet people like this? What other girl is as fierce as you? It's totally unreasonable."

Kuang Yulin spat at him fiercely and said with disdain, "You can even use your own sister to pay off a debt, what dignity do you still have? This is how your life will be, so you'd better not go out and embarrass yourself."

Kuang Chengming's eyes flickered, not daring to look at her directly, and bluffed:
"Stop talking nonsense. What do you mean by using your own sister to pay off debts? Although Boss Yang is a businessman, he is very wealthy. If you marry him, you will be the mistress of the family. What's wrong with that? Do you want to be an official's wife? Don't you think you have the fate to do that?"

Kuang Yulin was so angry that tears came out. She said angrily:
"Why do I have such a fate? You are a hopeless case, yet you still want to belittle me. Don't even think about dragging me down with you. Just go and rot away."

Kuang Chengming's face was covered with bloody scratches from his fingernails, and he would twitch in pain whenever he made a slightly exaggerated expression. Hearing his sister say this, he said hatefully, "Stop being unreasonable and get out of here while I'm not angry."

Kuang Yulin sneered, "You're the one who should leave. If you have the ability, you can pay off your gambling debts. You made a mess and you let your mother clean it up for you. You're not afraid of being embarrassed. I think you're just a waste that's a burden to our West Courtyard."

Kuang Chengming hated being called a waste. His eyes were sinister, as if he wanted to eat someone. If he wasn't in the wrong, he would have definitely taken action. He caught a glimpse of Cui Yingying smiling and said unhappily, "What are you standing here looking at, woman? Don't you have anything to do? I think you're just living too comfortably."

Cui Yingying knew that he was taking his anger out on her, so she said in a good-tempered manner, "Second Master is right. You need to apply medicine on your face quickly, otherwise you won't be able to go out tomorrow."

Cui Yingying took the opportunity to pull Kuang Chengming into the house, which was considered as a way for him to save face. Kuang Yulin was angry enough, so she straightened her clothes and turned around to walk back.

Although Xia Li did not witness the farce in the West Courtyard with her own eyes, the maid who was trying to get information from her learned about it vividly. Xia Li just laughed it off after hearing it. In her opinion, the probability of Kuang Chengming becoming successful was extremely low, and he should not be able to cause trouble for Kuang Chengrui. This was enough.

Kuang Chengrui came back from the guard post and was called by his grandfather as soon as he entered the house. He didn't know what the grandfather and grandson whispered about. He didn't go back to the backyard until dinner. Knowing that Xia Li liked cleanliness, he went to wash and change into clean clothes first, and then went into the house refreshed.

The couple got along well, respected and understood each other, and lived a happy life. Kuang Chengrui sat at the low table and first picked up a dish for Xia Li, then said, "Grandfather told me about Chengming's matter. I'm sorry to have you worrying about it again."

Xia Li ate gracefully, and said in a brisk voice:
"I didn't do anything. In the end, the West Courtyard had to raise the money to pay it back. But my second brother needs to be taught a lesson. If grandfather doesn't punish him severely this time, I'm afraid he won't learn his lesson."

Kuang Chengrui nodded slightly and said, "Grandfather just came to me for this matter. He asked me to take my second brother to the ancestral hall and give him a good lesson. I have to eat more so that I can help later."

Xia Li immediately smiled, took a piece of food for him with his chopsticks, and said with a smile: "You have to eat more, otherwise your strength will be weak."

Kuang Chengrui was solemn in front of outsiders, but relaxed in front of Xia Li, and did not hide anything from her. He ate the food Xia Li picked up and said calmly: "The Dongyi people have requested a marriage alliance with the court, and the emperor intends to marry Princess Yongxin to them."

Xia Li was shocked and said suspiciously, "Princess Yongxin is the younger sister of the Third Prince. The Third Prince had a miserable end, and I have never heard of her situation. Didn't they say that the Dongyi people were ready to make a move? Why are they suddenly planning to marry again?"

Kuang Chengrui frowned slightly and said in a cold tone: "Commander Jiang has reported the various actions of the Dongyi people to the court, but the emperor still believes them and is still inclined to the marriage."

Xia Li didn't know the specific situation in the court, and didn't wantonly judge whether the emperor's decision was wrong. He was just curious and asked, "When the regime changed, Concubine Shu and the third prince died tragically one after another. Where has Princess Yongxin been?"

Kuang Chengrui had his own information channels and knew a lot of things. He said in a deep voice: "When the Third Prince escaped that day, he took Princess Yongxin with him. He may have shortcomings, but he has always been a good brother. It's just that the brother and sister were unlucky. After the Third Prince died suddenly, she had no way to escape and had to return to the palace again."

Xia Li's impression of Princess Yongxin still lingers on the time when she was abducted by kidnappers. She sighed and said, "The emperor will definitely not be in a good mood towards Princess Yongxin. It's surprising enough that he didn't take away her title."

Kuang Chengrui continued, "At first, His Majesty was going to send her to the Huguo Temple for training, but after Empress Lu's persuasion, he kept her. Princess Yongxin has been as quiet as an invisible person in the palace since then. I didn't expect that this time, His Majesty would push her out again for the marriage."

Xia Li said with a restrained expression, "How can I allow others to snore beside my bed? Princess Yongxin is a female relative, but His Majesty killed her mother and brother. How dare he let his guard down? If he believes the lies of the Dongyi people just to send Princess Yongxin to death in an upright manner, it would be too frivolous."

Kuang Chengrui's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he said in a low voice: "No matter what the emperor is planning, we can't let our guard down. The Dongyi marriage team will borrow the road from Jiaozhou. I don't know what will happen then."

This is equivalent to opening the city gate to welcome the enemy in. The marriage team is so large, who knows what kind of disguises are among them? This risk is too great. Xia Li said solemnly: "You should pay attention to strengthening prevention. There must be a reason for everything. If there is no benefit, the Dongyi people will definitely not bother to do it."

Kuang Chengrui nodded, took a bite of rice, and said in a low voice: "In the next few days, you should keep a close watch on the family. Don't let them go out easily. Prepare more rice, meat, and seasonal vegetables to prevent any emergencies."

Xia Li's heart tightened, and he said seriously: "Don't worry, I know how to deal with it. You must always be vigilant outside. Although wealth and honor are sought in danger, if you can't save your life, everything else is in vain."

Kuang Chengrui raised his eyes to look at her and smiled slightly, his eyes flashing with confidence and calmness, "Relax, I won't leave you."

The couple stopped at that point. Some things just needed to be known in their minds. After dinner, Kuang Chengrui drank a cup of tea and then went to the west yard to drag people away. Normally, he seldom disciplined his brothers and sisters-in-law, but whenever he took action, the matter would definitely not be small.

Kuang Chengrui had great prestige in the mansion. No one dared to interfere with what he wanted to do. Even when Kuang Chengming screamed like a pig being slaughtered, no one dared to stop him. Kuang Chengdong happened to be in the mansion, so he was the only one who dared to stick his head out to watch the fun. This time, Cui Shi did not protect him and just pretended to know nothing. After Kuang Chengrui dragged him to the ancestral hall, Kuang Chengming found that his grandfather was also there. He shouted hysterically: "Grandfather, I know I was wrong. Please ask my eldest brother to show mercy and forgive me this time."

The old man had taken medicine before coming here, so he could calm down now. His face was livid and he said, "What were you doing earlier? I told you not to gamble outside, but you ignored my words. Your mother is willing to pay off your gambling debts for you, but that's because she is a loving mother with a bad son. If I hadn't fainted at that time, I would have asked the gambling house owner to take you away and let him do whatever he wants with you."

Kuang Chengming's face turned pale and he begged for mercy, "Grandfather, I will never dare to do it again next time. I will study hard in the future. Please let me go."

He turned his head and saw Kuang Chengrui picking up the whip, and he trembled with fear. This was not comparable to the few tickles from Kuang Yulin. After this beating, he would not be able to get out of bed for at least half a month.

However, no one, whether it was the old man or Kuang Chengrui, paid any attention to his words. Kuang Chengrui approached step by step, raised the whip in his hand and lashed him hard. Kuang Chengming's skin was torn immediately, and he wailed in pain. The old man watched without changing his expression and refused to let go.

After being whipped thirty times, he no longer had the strength to beg for mercy, and finally signaled Kuang Chengrui to stop. As soon as the situation inside quieted down, Cui ran in without caring about anything.

Seeing her son lying on the ground covered in blood, Cui burst into tears. She didn't even know how to reach out to help him. If her son had been beaten like this, she would have fought with Kuang Chengrui in the past. But this time, she did nothing. She just held him silently in her arms. She knew very well that if she didn't let her son suffer a little this time, he would be crippled in the future.

Seeing that she was still not completely confused, the old master said in a deep voice: "Don't expect him to earn you a title. Just live a down-to-earth life. At worst, the family can always give him some land so that he can survive."

Cui looked up and wiped her tears, gritting her teeth and insisting: "Chengming was wrong this time, but everyone makes mistakes. As long as he knows his mistakes and can correct them, his future will not be too bad. He should continue to study and seek fame. Even if he can pass the imperial examination in the future, it will be good."

The old man's face darkened and he said unhappily, "If you insist on not changing your ways, then continue to support him and don't let him become a burden to Chengzhi in the future."

A trace of pain flashed across Cui's eyes, and she said in a dry voice, "Don't worry, old master. Chengzhi is also a piece of flesh that fell from my body. I can't treat him equally. I can't give him too much help, but I won't drag him down either."

The old man did not comment, and said coldly: "Just remember what you said. I will take care of Chengzhi in the future. You can take care of yourself."

After saying that, he stood up and walked out with heavy steps. Kuang Chengrui put the whip back to its place and followed him.

Kuang Chengming developed a high fever that night, and Cui found a doctor to take his pulse and treat his illness. He was afraid that he would not recover from his injuries unless he stayed in bed for a month or so. Cui loved her son so much that she took care of him every step of the way.

She was still hurting from the gambling debt of three thousand taels, but even though she was reluctant, she still gritted her teeth and paid it back. She was afraid that if she continued to struggle, she would exhaust the little affection that the old man had, which would lead to a bad ending in the future.

Without the trouble in the West Courtyard, the Kuang family lived a leisurely and comfortable life. Xia Li filled the cellar in the mansion to the brim to ensure that the family would not lack food and clothing if there was unrest outside. She also passed on the message to the Fang Mansion, and then lived her life peacefully in the mansion.

Taking advantage of the fine weather, Xia Li told Shi Mi and the others to take out the fine leather that his mother had given him and dry it in the sun. Nanny Zhou came in from outside, holding an invitation in her hand, and said with a smile on her face, "Master, Miss Li has sent someone to give you an invitation."

Xia Li raised his eyebrows slightly and said in a cheerful voice, "Please ask someone to come in and answer the question."

Soon, Nanny Zhou led the maid into the house. She bowed respectfully to Xia Li and said in a steady voice, "This servant greets Grandma Kuang. Our grandma will hold a banquet in the mansion the day after tomorrow and invites you to come over for a gathering."

Xia Li smiled and asked, "Is your grandma feeling well? How's her appetite?"

The maid said in a gentle tone: "Now our grandmother's reaction is not so strong. She has a good appetite and can eat a small bowl of rice at every meal. Our master is very happy."

Xia Li was also very happy to hear this. She smiled and said, "That's good. I was afraid that she was not feeling well, so I didn't go to see her. I will definitely be there on time for the banquet the day after tomorrow."

Xia Li asked Shi Mi to send the maid out, and then took the opportunity to tell Kuang Yuru to prepare some decent clothes and take her to the banquet. Fang Tangli was the wife of the prefect, and the people who attended the banquet she hosted must be of high status, so it would be a good thing to let Yuru go and broaden her horizons.

Yu was very happy to hear about this. She made such a fuss for Yu Ru that even Kuang Yulin knew about it. When she heard that her sister-in-law was going to take Yu Ru to the prefect's house to attend a banquet, her eyes turned red with jealousy.

Knowing that she couldn't count on Cui, she still had to rely on her eldest sister-in-law if she wanted to marry decently. After thinking it over again and again, Kuang Yulin decided to ask her eldest sister-in-law for help. When she led Qingque to the backyard, Xia Li was looking at the account book. Kuang Yulin bowed respectfully and whispered, "I was bored staying in the house, so I wanted to come and talk to my eldest sister-in-law. I heard that my eldest brother was busy in the guard post these two days, and my sister-in-law had to manage the household affairs. It was really too hard."

Xia Li raised her eyebrows slightly. She said such flattering words without hesitation. Her mental quality was really good. Putting down the account book, Xia Li said with a smile: "Big sister, if you have something to say, you can just say it directly. There is no need to beat around the bush and waste time with me. There is no need for this between you and me."

Kuang Yulin twisted the handkerchief in her hand, and said hesitantly, "I heard that the prefect is holding a banquet. My sister-in-law has received the invitation. You are taking sister Yuru with you. I wonder if you can take me with you?"

Xia Li raised his eyes to look at her and said calmly, "Second Aunt will take care of your affairs. It's not appropriate for you to follow me like this."

Kuang Yulin said quickly, "A sister-in-law is like a mother, and it is only natural for me to follow you. My mother cannot take care of me right now. Don't worry, I will follow you properly and will never be ignorant of etiquette or do anything wrong."

(End of this chapter)