Full House Spring

Chapter 86 Peace and Joy
She knew exactly how Peng married into the Fang family.

Her father was just a minor official, and could not be compared with other women in the clan. Therefore, she was extremely sensitive and inferior. In order to cover up this inferiority, she was unreasonable and rude.

Hearing what Sun said, she was not convinced and said, "Could it be that I am wrong? Our Fang family is famous, how can we let her bring disgrace upon the family? If the legitimate branch has a girl who is a slave, wouldn't it make people laugh if this matter got out?"

Mrs. Peng looked at Xia Li with undisguised disgust and a scornful smile on her lips, as if she were some dirty thing.

Being despised is a very uncomfortable feeling. Xia Li had no intention of swallowing the grievance alone. She was about to step forward and teach this arrogant woman a lesson when she heard Rong shouting:
"Ms. Peng, you are so bold that you dare to make up stories about my daughter in my house. Your mother-in-law is kind and never argues with you. Today I will let you know what the punishment is for a wife to talk too much. Push her to the ground and make her kneel. If she dares to leave before the banquet is over, break her legs!"

Peng's face turned pale, and before she could react, she was forcibly held down by the maidservant beside Rong. She was a weak person who only dared to show off her strength in words. At this moment, she had no power to resist, and the maidservants following her did not dare to move.

Peng knelt on the ground with her hair disheveled. She had never seen Rong so angry before. All the relatives were here today. If she was seen in such a state, she would not be able to face people in the future. She did not care about anything else and burst into tears:

"Grandma Rong, I know I was wrong. I was so careless that I offended my aunt. I will apologize to her right now. Please forgive me this time."

Rong looked at her with indifference and alienation. Kneeling was too light a punishment. If someone dared to humiliate her daughter, this matter would never be resolved so easily. She said sternly, "Since you have admitted your fault, just accept the punishment calmly. Don't cry and whine. It's disgraceful."

As the wife of the clan leader, Rong has always been kind to others and has never made such a big fuss. It is useless for Peng to regret it now. She is afraid that her parents-in-law and husband will not let her off easily when she returns.

After Rong dealt with Peng, she immediately looked at her daughter distressedly. She walked up to Xia Li, took her hand and whispered, "My dear, don't be angry. She is just a confused thing. She doesn't even know her own weight. Mother has punished her. Don't take those nonsense words to heart."

Xia Li always does things by herself, so it feels good to be protected by her mother. She has a sweet smile on her face and says in a brisk voice:

"Don't worry, mom. What she says is her business. If I were to get upset because of what she said, I would be really stupid."

Rong was relieved after hearing this. Her daughter was open-minded and generous, which was better than anything else. She patted Xia Li's hand, glanced at her daughter-in-law, and said with a smile: "Everyone is waiting, let's go in quickly."

It was also the first time that Sun Fuya saw her mother-in-law so angry. She could understand it. It was heartbreaking enough to see her own daughter suffering outside, but there were still people who were so ignorant as to use this matter to attack her.

Those unpleasant words were like a knife stabbing her heart to Rong's ears. She could only say that Peng was courting death and was determined to push herself against the wall. No one could save her.

As soon as Rong and Xia Li appeared, Mrs. Zhou smiled and said:
"As expected, they are mother and daughter. They look the same standing together. Just based on their looks, there is no doubt about their appearance."

Rong looked sideways at her daughter and said contentedly:
"My daughter will never admit her mistakes. She is still young and has grown up on her own. In the future, elders should be more tolerant of her. If she does something wrong, you can come and tell me and I will teach her well."

Mrs. Liao San, who was on good terms with the Rong family, sneered:
"Look at what Second Sister-in-law said, as if she was afraid that we would bully the child. Don't worry, Xia Li is not only your precious baby, but also our sweetheart. We will all love her well."

As soon as Liao said this, Fang Tangli pouted and said:

"Is it true that you forget the old when you find the new? You all used to love me the most. Could it be that I have really become a married woman who is worthless?"

Liao laughed loudly upon hearing this and said jokingly, "That's not right. You are a member of the Cao family now, but Xia Li is still a member of our Fang family. How can they be the same?"

Fang Tangli stood up and said, "My aunts are so cruel. They said it so bluntly. Why should I stay here? I will go home now and never come again."

Sun Fuya hurriedly cooperated and pulled her away, "Don't do that. If the elder sister leaves, it would mean that we haven't treated her well enough."

Xia Li hurriedly followed suit and said, "I'm here, and my sister wants to go home. Do you look down on me?"

Fang Tangli pretended to strangle her, and Xia Li quickly moved away. For a moment, everyone in the room laughed unhappily.

Seeing her daughter having fun, Rong knew that she really didn't take the previous incident to heart. When they were almost done playing, she quickly said, "The dishes are all here, everyone, please take your seats."

Since they were all family, there was no need to greet each other specially. Everyone could sit wherever they wanted. The female family members set up three tables in total, and Xia Li sat with his mother and sister-in-law.

Sun Fuya picked up the wine pot and filled the glass next to Xia Li. She lowered her voice and said, "Sister, this is the green plum wine we brewed last year. It tastes sweet and delicious. You can take it and toast to the elders at each table. We can't lose our manners."

Xia Li hurriedly picked up the wine glass and toasted at each table. She looked calm and confident. No matter who she was chatting with, she could always pick up the conversation with ease. Every word she said was just right, which made people look at her with admiration.

Mrs. Zhou observed Xia Li intentionally or unintentionally. Seeing that she handled the situation well, she leaned over to Rong's ear and said, "Your daughter is not simple. Look at how she feels like a fish in water. She knows exactly what to say and what not to say."

Rong smiled with satisfaction and whispered, "That's good. I wish she was stronger and no one could bully her. Only then I can feel at ease."

Mrs. Zhou nodded in agreement. In their family, there was no concept of girls being gentle, obedient, virtuous and kind. They wanted to teach their daughters to be strong. To survive in the backyard, it was either the east wind that prevailed over the west wind or the west wind that prevailed over the east wind. In short, even if their daughters had to bear a bad reputation, they had to live a happy life.

Although the alcohol content of green plum wine was not high, it was still wine after all. Xia Li only took a few sips and did not dare to drink more. She had just finished toasting the female relatives and received a bunch of gifts when a maid from the outer courtyard came and said that the master wanted to bring the girl to toast the uncles and grandfathers, and asked her to go over.

Xia Li subconsciously looked at Rong. Rong stood up and handed the green plum wine to Shi Mi, saying softly:

"The people in the outer courtyard are all our elders. They are all thinking about you. It is only natural for you to go and toast them. Don't be restrained."

Xia Li nodded slightly. With her father and elder brother around, there was nothing to worry about. Although she didn't like socializing, she was able to perceive subtle changes in people's expressions, so she could handle it with ease even if she went to the outer courtyard.

Compared to the gifts from the women, the gifts from the uncles in the outer courtyard were even more valuable. Looking at the pile of gold, jade, and agate, Qiao He smiled from ear to ear and hurriedly sent the gifts back to Cui Hua Ting to keep them. When Xia Li returned to Rong, he saw a pale-faced woman beside her. Seeing Xia Li, Gan quickly picked up the teacup and apologized:
"I'm really sorry that my unpromising daughter-in-law has wronged you. She comes from a humble family and doesn't have much experience. I hope you won't mind. I'll offer you a glass of tea instead of wine."

After Gan finished her words, she drank the tea. Xia Li did not expect that Granny Peng would come so quickly. She seemed to have a gentle personality. Xia Li did not want to embarrass her and smiled softly, "You are too polite, sister-in-law."

Xia Li didn't say much. After all, it wasn't Gan's fault. After drinking the wine in the glass happily, Gan finally felt relieved.

She turned to look at Rong and said carefully, "Aunt Rong, I will take that useless Peng home and teach her a lesson, so that she won't be embarrassed. Regardless of other things, I have to consider Jun Ge'er."

Gan looked older than Rong, but she was a head lower in seniority than Rong. She was also a pitiful person. Rong didn't want to cause trouble on the happy day of her daughter's return home, so she said calmly: "Take her home. Next time, it's better not to have such a daughter-in-law."

Gan smiled bitterly. How could she want such a daughter-in-law? Now that it was a foregone conclusion, she could only try her best to make amends. She thanked Rong profusely, said hello to the other female relatives, and then turned and left.

After she had gone far away, Liao whispered, "What's wrong with Peng? Is there someone behind the scenes trying to make things difficult for you?"

Rong frowned and thought for a while before saying, "I remembered one thing. Some time ago, Xunzhi came back and told me that Peng's younger brother went to the academy to take the selection exam, but his essay was rubbish and he was not selected. Peng came to me and begged for mercy. I never interfered in the selection process, so I naturally refused. She probably holds a grudge against him."

Liao said sarcastically, "The Peng family is really shameless. It's not enough to force their daughter in, they even want to send their son here to get a bargain. Gan doesn't talk much, but she's not someone who can be bullied. Sooner or later, Peng will kill himself."

Rong was not someone who liked to meddle in other people's business. She chuckled and said, "As long as it does not endanger the interests of the clan, it doesn't matter how Gan teaches her daughter-in-law."

Liao covered her mouth and chuckled, "You are right. It is natural for a mother-in-law to teach her daughter-in-law a lesson."

Fang Tangli had just chatted with Sun Fuya and knew what happened outside. She knew something about Xia Li, but people in her hometown might not know how outstanding Xia Li was. Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Fang Tangli raised her voice slightly and said to Sun Fuya:
"Sister-in-law, you don't know if you're not in Kyoto. Our sister is not comparable to ordinary girls. The Tongcao peony she made was praised by even the empress in the palace. And the clothes worn by the old lady in the Duke's Mansion, whenever she wears them on important occasions, everyone will be jealous. She raises them just like a deputy lady. If you don't believe me, ask these two girls."

Shi Mi hurried forward and bowed, and said in a gentle voice: "What the eldest lady said is right. When our girl was in the Duke's Mansion, not only was she valued by the old lady, but even the Duke and his wife liked her very much. On weekdays, she was either doing needlework or reading and practicing calligraphy. The old lady was reluctant to let her keep watch at night."

Xia Li knew that they said these words with good intentions, but she didn't care. She said calmly: "It's also because of the old lady's kindness. She taught me a lot about how to behave in the world."

Mrs. Zhou raised her lips and said leisurely, "I have heard in the boudoir that the old lady of the Duke of Liang's Mansion is also a very smart and capable person. It is not easy for Xia Li to win her favor."

Fang Tangli had a smug smile in her eyes, and she said in a relaxed tone:

"If I say too much, I'll inevitably be suspected of deliberately exaggerating. Otherwise, sister, please take out an embroidery pattern and let me see it."

Xia Li didn't care what others thought of her, but Fang Tangli's kindness and the expectation in her mother's eyes made it impossible for her to say no. She said calmly:
"I happen to have a round fan embroidered for my mother. I had planned to take it out once all the gifts were ready. Since everyone wants to see it, I'll take it out first."

Qiao He stepped forward and said, "I'll get it right away."

Fang Tangli pretended to be unhappy and said, "You are such a heartless thing. You know how to prepare a gift for your mother, but why don't you prepare one for me?"

Xia Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Who said there's no more? I haven't finished embroidering it yet. Can't you be patient and wait?"

Fang Tangli was satisfied. Rong had read the letter from Fang Jingzhi, in which he also said how outstanding Xia Li was. But Rong didn't care about these things. To her, her daughter was her daughter no matter what. When the round fan embroidered with magpies appeared in front of her, she was still amazed.

The magpie actually looked real, standing vividly on the branch. Liao, who was quite interested in the embroidery, couldn't help but touch it. She exclaimed, "Girl, what kind of needlework are you using? I'm not very proficient in it. Tell me quickly."

Xia Li had no intention of hiding it. She smiled and said:

"Aunt, the magpie's tail is embroidered with gold-plated needlework, and the rest of the magpie is embroidered with seed-stitching needlework. It's not difficult, and practice makes perfect."

Liao couldn't take her eyes off and said sincerely, "No wonder the old lady of the Duke's Mansion thinks so highly of you. With your craftsmanship, no one can match you."

Shi Mi couldn't help but interrupt, "Actually, this is nothing. Our girl once embroidered a portrait of the old lady. It's as if the old lady was standing in front of you. You would be shocked if you saw that."

Liao asked curiously, "Is the portrait painted first and then embroidered with needle and thread?"

Xia Li nodded and said, "That's right. I plan to embroider a portrait for my parents in the near future. If you are interested, you can come and take a look."

Liao couldn't wait to say, "Then I will definitely come to see it. I also want to learn more from you later."

Xia Li nodded in agreement. Rong couldn't let go of the fan. When she heard that her daughter wanted to have her portrait painted, she was both happy and distressed and said, "Having this fan is enough. It's not worth it if you don't have to embroider all day and damage your eyes."

Xia Li said in a gentle tone: "No, at most I will just work for a little longer. Embroidery is my hobby. When I have some free time, I will draw portraits for you and Dad first."

Rong was reluctant to reject her daughter, so she nodded slightly and said, "Just don't tire yourself out, I will do whatever you say."

Xia Li is very opinionated, and it's a blessing in disguise that Rong trusts and obeys her. If she had been too controlling, Xia Li might not have been willing to be close to her. It can be seen that the two are destined to be mother and daughter.

(End of this chapter)