Full House Spring

Chapter 85 She Makes the Call
During the busy farming season, the men and servants in the Kuang family would work, while the rough work of washing clothes and cooking would be done by bought maids. Therefore, Yu had nothing else to do on weekdays except needlework.

Although she was not very smart, she loved her children very much. When she heard her eldest son say this, she quickly reached out and pulled his clothes, muttering:
"Let me see where it's torn. You are a thousand-householder after all. If people see you wearing such shabby clothes, they will laugh at you behind your back."

Kuang Chengrui frowned, unable to bear his mother's pulling, he took a step back and said in a low voice:
"How can I watch this in public? Just make me new clothes. After I take a bath and change my clothes, you can mend my old ones."

Yu knew her son's temperament, so she obediently withdrew her hand and said with a gentle look, "That's fine. Your grandfather just came back from the fields and should be resting in his room. Go find him quickly. We still need to come up with a plan as soon as possible."

The eldest son is twenty-one years old. People of his age have already married and had children. He has waited for so many years and finally got her back. There must be a good result no matter what.

Kuang Chengrui knew that there were some things he couldn't explain to her, so he simply didn't explain any more. He nodded slightly and said, "I understand. You can go back soon."

Yu knew very well that she could not help her son, so she said nothing more and turned away. After Kuang Chengrui watched his mother disappear, he walked towards his grandfather's room.

Old Master Kuang was sitting on the couch, flipping through a military book. The wrinkles on his face were uneven but unique in charm, as if carrying the vicissitudes of life and the wisdom of life. When he saw his eldest grandson returning, his eyes sparkled.

He placed the military book on the small table and asked calmly, "Did the trip go smoothly? Are you injured? What is the girl from the Fang family like?"

Kuang Chengrui was relaxed in front of the old man. He sat opposite the old man, poured himself a cup of tea and drank it all, then said calmly: "Everything is done. It's not a big deal if you have a minor injury. Miss Fang is talented and has unique insights. She thinks about problems differently from others. I'm afraid that the men in the Fang family can't compare to her. She is a woman of both beauty and wisdom."

The old man was very surprised. His eldest grandson was never one to speak without a purpose. If Miss Fang could receive such a high evaluation from him, she must be even more talented. He could not sit still any longer. He stood up and walked back and forth in the room. When he calmed down, he said:

"She was sold to the Duke of Liang's mansion as a slave. She was not taught well, but she was so outstanding. It can be seen that she is extremely smart. If she can marry you, the two of you will be of one mind. Why worry about our Kuang family not being honored?"

After hearing what his grandfather said, Kuang Chengrui said in a dull tone, "I'm afraid she doesn't like a rough man like me. The Fang family doesn't want their daughter to suffer when she marries here. This marriage was originally forced by our family. Why do we have to hold her back? She suffered enough when she was kidnapped as a child. This is not fair to her."

The corners of Mr. Kuang's mouth drooped slightly, and his eyes showed a hint of unhappiness. He said in a deep voice: "Do you think you have the ability to achieve great achievements and seal the Wolf's Lair?"

Kuang Chengrui said with sharp eyes: "If I didn't have this ability, I wouldn't continue to stay in the guard post."

Putting aside other things, few can compare with Kuang Chengrui in terms of wisdom and military strength in marching and fighting. Now that the Dongyi people are ready to make a move, it is only a matter of time before he will achieve success.

It was precisely because Mr. Kuang knew that his eldest grandson had this ability that he tried every possible means to find an outstanding and virtuous wife for him. He raised the corner of his mouth and said word by word: "Are you attracted to the girl from the Fang family? If you marry her, how will you treat her?"

Kuang Chengrui frowned and thought for a moment, then said in a serious tone:

"Miss Fang is very courageous. She doesn't have the shyness of other girls. She is decisive and resolute in everything she does. She never hesitates. If I say I'm not tempted, that's impossible. If I marry her, I will be devoted to her, respect her, love her, and protect her for the rest of my life."

Mr. Kuang raised a satisfied smile and said:
"She is so resolute, and I think she is also a very opinionated person. Do you think that if a noble family like the Fang family marries her, they will allow her to display her talents and not take a concubine?"

Only the Fang family has a rule not to take concubines. The sons of other noble families all have countless wives and concubines. Kuang Chengrui subconsciously feels that letting Xia Li share a husband with other women is an insult to her.

He said with disgust, "How can a noble family like that be worthy of her? It's a waste."

Old Master Kuang put his hands behind his back, bent down and approached his eldest grandson, and said with a smile: "But this is the reality. She will even be slandered after marrying in. Silly boy, what you think is good may not be the real good."

Kuang Chengrui thought of Fang Zongru's love for Xia Li and said hesitantly, "Mr. Fang will not allow such a thing to happen. With the importance the Fang family attaches to her, they are likely to find a son-in-law for her."

Old Master Kuang sneered and said, "Those who agree to marry into the family are either incompetent or have ulterior motives. Do you think a truly capable man would be willing to marry into the family?"

Kuang Chengrui's face darkened. It was not that he hadn't thought about these things, but he subconsciously felt that he was not worthy of her and couldn't bear to desecrate her, so he wanted to escape.

How could Mr. Kuang not see what his eldest grandson was thinking? He changed the subject and continued to persuade him, "You should accumulate military merits to get promoted to a higher position, and then renovate a courtyard in the vacant land behind our house to get married. When she gets married, she will be the one making the decisions in this mansion. I guarantee that she will live a more comfortable life than anyone else. What do you think?"

Kuang Chengrui didn't think that this was enough to make up for his shortcomings. He said in a deep voice, "I know what Grandfather meant, but this is not something I can do just because I want it. I can insist on not breaking off the engagement, but I can't stop her from finding someone more suitable. If she can't find someone better than me, it's God giving me a chance. If she does, then it's her destiny, and I have to let go. I don't have the right to force her to stay with me for the rest of her life."

When Mr. Kuang heard his eldest grandson say this, he kicked him angrily and said, "Where is the courage in you? When you meet a woman you like, you don't know how to bring her home and give her a choice. You are a coward!"

Kuang Chengrui patted his trouser legs calmly and said thoughtfully, "It's settled. I will write to Mr. Fang in person. Please don't do anything unnecessary, okay?"

Old Master Kuang was so angry that his chest hurt. He said angrily, "Get out of here. You deserve to be single if you can't get a wife in the future, you disobedient bastard!"

Kuang Chengrui lowered his eyes and said earnestly, "Grandfather, rest assured. I will always remember to revitalize the family. I will definitely win the title in my lifetime. As for my lifelong affairs, I will just go with the flow."

Old Master Kuang waved his hands helplessly. He knew that his eldest grandson had a stubborn personality and no one could influence his decision. He could only hope that God would have mercy on him and allow him to marry the beauty he wished for.

Kuang Chengrui stayed at home for a while and had to report back to the garrison. He saluted to the old man, then turned and left.

As soon as he stepped out of the door, he saw Kuang Yulin standing under the eaves of the west courtyard. Seeing her elder brother, her eyes flickered and she said weakly, "Brother, I came here to look for the cat. My Mimi is naughty and seems to have run here. Mimi, please come out quickly." Kuang Yulin pretended to be calm. She didn't look at her elder brother's eyes and pretended to look for the cat among the green plants. Kuang Chengrui didn't have much contact with this sister from a different mother, and didn't want to explore her purpose here. He said stiffly, "Then you can look for it slowly."

After saying that, he left without looking back. Kuang Yulin looked at his back, straightened up, twisted the handkerchief in her hand, and walked back to the west courtyard with small steps with a complicated expression.

Although he was responsible for two houses, the old man valued the eldest house more. Yu was the daughter of a scholar, while Cui was the family of a criminal. Even though Cui was smarter and more sensible than Yu, she was not in the old man's eyes.

When Kuang Yulin entered the room, she saw her mother copying Buddhist scriptures. She walked over and gently ground the scriptures for her. Cui glanced at her, lowered her head and continued copying the Buddhist scriptures. When she finished writing the last word, she asked, "If you don't play the piano, what are you doing now?"

Kuang Yulin stopped what she was doing and lowered her voice, "Mom, I just went to the front yard to relax, and I saw my eldest brother coming back. I saw him going to look for grandfather, and I couldn't help but go over and eavesdrop on their conversation."

Cui's face was serious, her brows were furrowed, giving off an indescribable calmness and majesty. She said in a cold voice: "What did your mother teach you? What kind of girl would eavesdrop? How can you be so polite?"

Kuang Yulin felt somewhat disgusted. Her mother always constrained her with the standards of a lady from a noble family. However, the Kuang family was originally a military family, and only her eldest brother had an official position as a military general. It would not be good enough to show off to civil officials. She also had no chance to interact with the daughters of officials. What was the point of being so polite all day long?
Although Kuang Yulin thought so, she did not dare to disobey her mother. She said tactfully:

"Mom, I won't do it again next time. Don't you want to know what I overheard?"

Cui washed her hands slowly and dried them with a towel before she said calmly, "The eldest brother has been away from home for more than two months. Do you know where he went?"

Kuang Yulin helped her mother sit on the Luohan bed and whispered, "I don't know where he has been during this period, but I vaguely heard that the girl from the Fang family seemed to have been found."

A cold light flashed in Cui's eyes, and she said in a hoarse voice: "Did you hear it clearly? Miss Fang was abducted for so many years, but she was still found? Could it be that the boy was looking for someone?"

Kuang Yulin knew nothing about this, so Cui asked, "What else did you hear? Tell me all at once."

Kuang Yulin said helplessly, "Grandfather and eldest brother are very sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. How could I dare to get close to them to listen? I was a little far away, so I couldn't hear clearly. But I am sure that they were discussing about that girl. Grandfather wanted eldest brother to marry her as soon as possible, but eldest brother seemed unwilling to do so."

Cui snorted coldly, "How can a family like the Fang family let their daughter marry into a military household? Even if the old man plotted a marriage proposal, they have ways to break it. It's just that the daughter of the Fang family was abducted, and they are too lazy to argue with them. In my opinion, the eldest brother should be more sensible and take the initiative to cancel the engagement."

Kuang Yulin frowned and said, "What mother said may not be accurate. Miss Fang has been abducted for so many years. Who knows if she is doing well? She has not been properly taught in these years. It is possible that she cannot read a single word. The Fang family is eager to marry her to my eldest brother."

Cui's face turned pale as she said, "Even if the girl from the Fang family is a fool, she cannot marry Kuang Chengrui."

Kuang Yulin pursed her lips and whispered, "Mother, are you worried that Miss Fang will bring a generous dowry to subsidize the East Courtyard? Or are you afraid that the Fang family will help my eldest brother get promoted step by step?"

Cui closed her eyes and tried to suppress her anger, saying, "The old man is too biased. It is obvious that Chengming is the seed of learning. A girl from a scholarly family like the Fang family should marry him, but he insisted on letting the eldest son get married. He is really biased."

Kuang Yulin was afraid that her mother would get angry and get sick, so she patted her back and comforted her, "Don't worry about it, mother. My second brother will definitely earn you a royal title in the future, and then he will help your maternal grandfather's family to overturn the case, and you can rest assured."

Cui gently exhaled a breath of foul air and said calmly: "Ming'er will not let me down. We need to find out more about the Fang family. In short, we must not let the East Courtyard put pressure on us."

Kuang Yulin nodded obediently. She felt that her mother's tightly pursed thin lips were sharper than a knife. She felt scared if she looked at them for any longer.

At the same time, Xia Li finished her bath and took a short rest in the room. Then, she heard Nanny Zhou say that all the relatives had arrived at the house, and then she began to choose clothes and dress up.

After all, she was in her own home, and Xia Li had no intention of outshining all the other girls. She chose a pink and purple dress, combed her hair into a neat bun, and pinned it with an elegant hairpin. Led by Nanny Zhou, she went to the front yard with Shi Mi and Qiao He.

Sun Fuya was standing in the corridor instructing the maid to do something. She looked up and saw Xia Li. She hurriedly smiled and greeted her. Her voice was as gentle as jade, "Sister, change your clothes. You look more energetic. Is there anything else Cuihua Court needs?"

Xia Li felt that her sister-in-law's dignified temperament was like a blooming lotus, pure and elegant, and amiable. She smiled and said, "Mother and sister-in-law have arranged everything so well, how could there be anything missing? I've made sister-in-law work hard again today."

Sun Fuya and Fang Qizhen have a harmonious relationship, and her parents-in-law never let her suffer any grievances. Since she married into the Fang family, she has lived more comfortably than in her parents' home, and she naturally loves her sister-in-law.

She held Xia Li's hand and said, "Sister, you are wrong to say that. My family is looking forward to your return all the time. Let alone being busy for a short while, even if I was busy every day, I would be happy in my heart."

How could Xia Li not distinguish between sincerity and falsehood? She said softly, "Then I won't be polite to you, sister-in-law. I'll trouble you to remind me when I go into the house. There are too many relatives and I can't recognize them all."

Sun Fuya chuckled and said, "Don't worry, sister. Mother and I are here. The elders are all kind people. Even if they remember it wrong, they won't mind..."

The aunt and the sister-in-law were about to enter the house when they heard a sarcastic voice behind them, "I am a daughter of the first branch of the family. How noble am I? But now I am working as a maid outside. If it were me, I would hide quietly now that I have returned. Why are you making such a big fuss? Aren't you embarrassed?"

The person who came was none other than the Third Old Master's great-grandson's wife, Mrs. Peng, who had married not long ago. She was not from a high-class family, her dowry was not generous, and she was also a stubborn and talkative person. No one knew who had instigated her to come here and talk nonsense.

Sun Fuya's smile disappeared, and she scolded him harshly: "My nephew's wife, don't you have a brain when you go out? Your family didn't teach you how to behave, so don't come out and embarrass yourself, lest you bring trouble to your husband's family and make people laugh at you."

(End of this chapter)