Full House Spring

Chapter 120: Drunk and Deeply Affectionate

The old man felt annoyed when he saw Kuang Yulin's appearance, as if there was a heavy burden on his heart. He lowered his eyes and said in a stern voice: "Alright, you two stop standing around me and making things uncomfortable. Hurry and leave."

His attitude was like that of someone shooing away an annoying fly. Cui angrily glared at her daughter and cursed, "You unpleasant fool, why are you standing here like an idiot? Get out of here!"

Kuang Yulin shrank back when she was scolded. She didn't dare to retort and walked out dejectedly. Cui's body language showed strong resentment, as if she was expressing strong dissatisfaction to the old man.

How could the old man not see it? His face turned pale, his body trembled slightly with anger, and he shouted angrily:
"What the hell, I didn't agree to her marrying me back then, but your father was bewitched by her. It's such a misfortune for our family!!!"

If it weren't for the presence of his grandson's wife, the old man would have scolded her even more harshly. Kuang Chengrui, who had never spoken a word, had red cheeks because of the wine. He said in a hoarse voice: "Grandfather, don't be angry. They can't make any big waves except for trying to make their presence felt. You can't be bothered if you don't see them."

The old man nodded slightly, turned to look at Xia Li and said, "Thanks to your vigilance, otherwise Chengrui would not be able to hold his head up in front of his colleagues. A girl cannot be kept at home when she grows up. Since she is so eager to get married, then let her be. You, as her brother and sister-in-law, may have to spend more time and effort."

Xia Li was naturally unwilling to take on this hot potato. She subconsciously looked at Kuang Chengrui. Apart from the strong smell of alcohol on him, there was nothing unusual about him. As if he knew what Xia Li was thinking, Kuang Chengrui said calmly, "I will choose the candidate and then show it to Grandfather. You will make the final decision."

The old man looked into Kuang Chengrui's dark and calm eyes and said in a serious voice, "Don't look for a wife from a high-class family. If she marries into one, it will only bring disaster. Instead of getting married, you will end up making enemies."

Kuang Chengrui said calmly, "I have a plan in mind. I will pick one of the brothers in the garrison who can subdue her. I am afraid that if I find one who has inherited the family tradition of farming and studying, she will either be bullied by others or she will exploit others. In the end, she will not be able to get along, which will be more troublesome."

Xia Li couldn't help laughing after hearing this. He was quite conscientious. He didn't want to let innocent people suffer even if he got rid of the burden. The old man didn't object after hearing what he said. He sighed and said, "That's it. It's getting late. You two should go back and rest."

Kuang Chengrui stood up, and the couple saluted to the old man, then left together. Xia Li walked out of the yard, and the night wind blew, making her feel much more awake. Kuang Chengrui held her palm with his rough big hand, and said in a nasal voice, "What's wrong? Do you feel cold?"

Xia Li shook her head, held his hand back, and said in a low voice: "I'm not cold, I just got a chill from the wind. What's wrong with you? Are you drunk?"

Kuang Chengrui curled his lips and said in a gentle tone: "I'm not drunk. I won't get drunk even if I drink another jar. Commander Jiang is drunk and unconscious. I asked our carriage to take him back, so that no one will know if he gets into trouble on the way."

He thought it through very carefully. Xia Li chuckled and asked, "Is Deputy Envoy Zhou drunk? What kind of person is he?"

Kuang Chengrui was slightly startled, and after a moment's silence, he said seriously: "He is a hidden talent, and his alcohol tolerance is comparable to mine. When he walked, his steps were steady, which shows that his mind was clear."

Xia Li did not come out to meet the guests, so she was not very clear about Deputy Envoy Zhou's appearance. She pinched Kuang Chengrui's little finger and tilted her head and asked, "Does Deputy Envoy Zhou really have a prominent family? How come he is working in the garrison and is not married yet?"

Kuang Chengrui pulled the corner of his mouth and said slowly: "His family situation is complicated. His stepmother is the head of the family now. He went back to Kyoto a few days ago and said that he had chosen a fiancée, but she is in mourning, so the news should not be made public for the time being. A person like him is not something Kuang Yulin can dream of."

Xia Li's eyes flashed, and he smiled gently, "Don't worry about who she likes, as long as she doesn't cause you trouble, it's not a big deal if the West Courtyard is always in such a mess.

I have been managing the accounts of the public school these days and found that my second brother gets more money every month than you do. All the expenses for his studies are paid by the public school, so why should he get two more taels of silver?"

Kuang Chengrui said calmly, "He always goes out to attend poetry gatherings, which costs a lot and he has no salary, so the old man gives him more money every month. We all know this."

Xia Li curled his lips slightly, as if smiling, and said, "Who knows if he is participating in a serious poetry meeting? The imperial examination is not just about poetry. If he doesn't calm down and study hard, it will be a waste no matter how much money he spends. In my opinion, the monthly salary of the third and fourth brothers should be the same as his. This is fair."

Kuang Chengrui exhaled a breath of foul air and said in a clear manner: "You are the mistress of the house, do whatever you think is appropriate, we will listen to you."

Xia Li is not a stingy person. Although the family business was inherited by Kuang Chengrui, she really doesn't mind giving some to the younger ones, and she also hopes that they can have a bright future.

Unconsciously, the two of them walked to the backyard. As soon as they entered the bedroom, Kuang Chengrui wanted to lie down on the bed. Xia Li quickly pulled him back and gently reminded him, "You reek of alcohol. If you lie down on the bed without washing, how can I sleep later?"

Kuang Chengrui's eyes were a little dazed. He took Xia Li into his arms. His strong body was like a mountain protecting a delicate flower, and his eyes were full of love and respect.

The servant in the room saw this and immediately retreated with his head down. Xia Li couldn't push him away and could only melt into this silent and powerful embrace. Perhaps because he realized that Kuang Chengrui had drunk too much, Xia Li whispered along his back, "Can I go wash up with you? You have to go to the guard post tomorrow, let's wash up and rest early..."

Kuang Chengrui said vaguely: "I don't want to go. I feel dizzy and can't do anything..."

Xia Li didn't believe his nonsense. She felt that she was about to be drunk by the smell of alcohol. She struggled a few times, raised her hand and twisted his waist hard, and said unhappily: "You are obviously pretending to be drunk. How can a drunk person stand so steadily? Go wash up quickly and stop fooling around."

Kuang Chengrui held the sweet and soft beauty in his arms, his body already restless, and being teased unconsciously by her, how could he restrain himself? He exerted force, and both of them fell on the bed.

Instantly, his drunken kiss swept down like raindrops. He held Xia Li's head with his hand, letting her passively endure this strong kiss. Their breaths intertwined, and the kiss became more and more intense. Xia Li felt her whole body burning...

Kuang Chengrui was drunk and out of control. He wanted it fiercely and urgently, and even the bed and bedding were tossed out of shape. In the end, Xia Li didn't even have the strength to lift her arms, and could only let him do whatever he wanted...

The huge gap in physical strength between men and women was particularly obvious at this moment. The next day, Kuang Chengrui got up early and practiced martial arts with a refreshed spirit, but Xia Li had difficulty even getting off the bed. Her waist and limbs were so sore that she felt like she was disabled, and she lay on the couch unwilling to move.

Madam Zhou was on duty last night. She led the maid to change the new bedding, so she was very dissatisfied. When Kuang Chengrui arrived at the guard post, she could not help but complain:

"My master is really being unreasonable. He is still trying to torture you when you are so weak. Look at your face, it's as if the monster has sucked all your energy out of you."

Xia Li touched her cheek suspiciously. It shouldn't be so exaggerated. Yesterday, because Kuang Chengrui was drunk and not so sensitive, it took him a little longer. He was very sensible before. She said lazily:

"Mammy, please don't tell anyone about this. I'm afraid others will laugh at me. It's okay to do this once in a while. If you don't believe me, ask Du Ruo." Du Ruo was carrying hot water into the room. Hearing this, she said softly, "Master is a martial artist, so he's fine. It's just that Madam has consumed too much energy. If you have something important to do today, it will delay you. I'll massage your muscles and bones to relax them, and then give you a carefully prepared medicinal bath, and you'll be back to normal soon."

Xia Li turned sideways and accidentally moved her inner thigh, which was really uncomfortable. She grimaced and said, "Du Ruo is still the most considerate. Fortunately, I have you by my side."

Shi Mi walked to the bed, raised her hand to hang up the curtain, and spoke with a chuckle.

"I will tell Qiao He what you said later, and see if she will come to you to make a scene."

Xia Li held her forehead helplessly. Qiao He was letting herself go even more now. She could really do such a thing. She compromised and said:
"You all have your own merits. I haven't finished what I'm saying yet. Without your dedicated care and dedication, I wouldn't be able to live a comfortable life."

Madam Zhou laughed and scolded, "They are all bad girls. They team up to tease the master. All right, Du Ruo, go prepare a medicinal bath for the master. It is not proper for her to lie on the couch like this all the time."

After all, Xia Li is the mistress of the house. If a guest wants to see her, her appearance would be too rude. Du Ruo glanced at Nanny Zhou and said softly:
"I have already prepared the medicine soup. Please go check whether it is hot or cold. If it is cold, heat it up a little. Then have the maid bring it over. I will massage the acupuncture points for the mistress to help her feel better quickly."

When Madam Zhou heard her say this, she immediately agreed and reminded her before leaving: "Try to be gentle, the master cannot bear the pain."

Du Ruo nodded obediently and agreed, then stepped forward to massage Xia Li. At the beginning, she didn't control the strength accurately, sometimes light and sometimes heavy, and the experience was not very good. After all, there is still some distance between theory and practice.

Later, Xia Li would explain his feelings to her in detail and asked her to keep improving, and now the master and servant work together very well.

Du Ruo's gentle yet powerful kneading technique seemed to penetrate into every cell of the body, sweeping away her fatigue and stress, and bringing deep relaxation to her body and mind.

Xia Li took a deep breath and said lazily, "Don't press it anymore. Take a rest. If you press it again, your hand will cramp."

Du Ruo raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead, and said with a light smile: "Thank you for your consideration, Master. I can still bear it. Only by fully opening the acupuncture points in my body and taking a medicinal bath later can I recover faster."

Xia Li smiled and said in a relaxed voice, "Although I feel a little sore, I don't feel any discomfort inside. This is all thanks to your care. Your soups and water are really amazing."

Du Ruo paused for a moment and said happily, "The benefits are more than these. You have only been using the medicine for a short time, so the effect is not yet obvious. In the future, I will become more and more dependent on you. When you grow up a little more, it will be much easier to give birth to children. With this servant here, I guarantee that you will be in great shape."

Xia Li understood the deep meaning of her words and asked in surprise: "Where did you get so many skills? Did your aunt teach you all that?"

Du Ruo shook her head and said, "How could that be possible? You only know that my aunt is a female doctor, but you don't know that my ancestors had midwives and pharmacists. The most capable great-grandmother was also a female doctor in the harem of the previous dynasty. Their skills were only passed down to females, not males, and were passed down from generation to generation. This is how I am today."

Xia Li didn't know Du Ruo had such a great background. She hesitated and said, "It's really a waste of your talent to stay with me with your skills."

Du Ruo stopped and said seriously, "I don't think so. Young lady is brave and resourceful. I feel at ease staying by your side. You will think I am great if you appreciate me. If I follow a master who doesn't know how to judge people, I may not be valued."

Xia Li was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "What you said makes sense. Only friendship that goes both ways can become more genuine the longer it lasts."

After that, Nanny Zhou brought the servants into the room to prepare the medicinal bath. Xia Li said no more. She stayed in the medicinal bath tub for a while until she felt sweaty, then she got up and put on her clothes.

After all the trouble, time passed quickly. Yu understood that she didn't want her to pay her respects every day, but Xia Li would not really not go. After she had packed up, she went to have lunch with Yu. She had to tell her about what happened last night.

When Xia Li went to the East Courtyard, Yu was doing needlework with Kuang Yuru. Seeing her daughter-in-law looking radiant, Yu smiled and said kindly, "I'm sorry that you were tired from the banquet yesterday. When did it end? Why didn't you get some more sleep?"

Xia Li bowed and said gently and calmly, "Thank you for your consideration, mother. I have rested enough. The banquet last night did not end too late. It was all taken care of by the subordinates. I was only responsible for the overall planning and arrangements, so I was not very tired."

Kuang Yuru's hands kept moving. Her embroidery was not outstanding, but just passable. After her mother and sister-in-law finished speaking, she frowned and said:
"Did something happen last night? Why did I hear some noise in the west yard?"

Yu said in bewilderment, "I didn't hear it. Was it because I slept too deeply?"

Xia Li sat down next to Kuang Yuru, looked at her embroidery frame first, pointed out the shortcomings, and then said casually:

"Something happened. My elder sister heard that Deputy Envoy Zhou has a distinguished family background and is an outstanding person, so she wanted to show her face in front of him, hoping that he would fall in love with her at first sight."

Kuang Yuru almost dropped her jaw in shock, and said hesitantly, "How could she be so unpresentable? Wouldn't this behavior embarrass my eldest brother?"

When Yu thought about her son's loss of face in front of his colleagues because of that bitch in the West Courtyard, she felt so angry that her chest ached. She gritted her teeth and said:

"What's the point of keeping such a shameless girl who brings disgrace to the family? I want to ask the old master to separate the family, so as not to bring trouble to Yu Ru's reputation in the future."

Seeing her mother-in-law was about to leave, Xia Li quickly signaled to Madam Zhou to hold her back, and said softly, "It's not worth it for mother to get upset over her. I knew she was restless, so I sent someone to keep an eye on her. Before she could embarrass herself, the servants stopped her, and she didn't make a scene in front of her husband's colleagues."

Yu was relieved. She said with a straight face, "Fortunately you have a plan in mind. Otherwise, what would have happened? Cui Jinqiu claims to be a lady from a noble family and puts on a high and mighty attitude all day long, but she actually raised such an unruly daughter. It's really a laughing stock."

(End of this chapter)