Full House Spring

Chapter 90: Son-in-law Selection

Kuang Chengdong was confused by his brother's words. He widened his eyes and asked, "What would you do if your sister-in-law was really taken away by someone else?"

Kuang Chengrui was silent for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "This possibility is extremely low, but if it really happens, as long as she is willing, I have no objection."

Kuang Chengdong said incredulously: "This is really unlike you. Since you were a child, there is nothing you can't do if you want something or do something. My sister-in-law has been engaged to you since she was a child. I'm afraid you have already decided that she is yours. Can you allow others to get involved?"

Kuang Chengrui looked at him with deep eyes and said calmly: "I won't force you to do anything, but I won't sit and wait for death. You don't have to worry about this matter. I know what I am doing."

Kuang Chengdong shrugged. Even his grandfather couldn't take care of his eldest brother's affairs, let alone him. He smiled and said, "Who will help you deliver this dragonfly hairpin? Do you need me to run errands for you?"

After all, his brother is now a deputy commander, and he is busy with official duties, so he may not have time to go. Without stopping his hands, Kuang Chengrui said in a cold voice: "No need, someone will go to Laizhou."

Kuang Chengdong yawned and said lazily: "In that case, I'll go home and rest."

Kuang Chengrui nodded slightly and warned: "Don't go home and cause trouble."

Kuang Chengdong understood what his brother meant, and said with a half-smile: "Relax, as long as those guys don't take the initiative to provoke me, I don't care about them."

After saying that, he turned around and left gracefully, while Kuang Chengrui continued to polish the dragonfly hairpin.

Little did she know that after Xia Li returned home, she had forgotten about Kuang Chengrui, and she didn't take the engagement matter to heart. She thought that someone would solve it when the time came.

She pondered for two days in Cuihua Court and finally drew out the distillation tools for making perfume. Her family members were very supportive when they knew that she wanted to research new things. Rong was even more generous and gave her a lot of silver notes, allowing her to do whatever she wanted, even if she failed.

Fang Qi was about to accompany her to find a craftsman, but when they were about to leave, he had an urgent matter and could not go. Xia Li had to go alone. Fortunately, she had the guards from the mansion accompanying her, so she was not afraid of encountering danger.

She took Shi Mi and Du Ruo on the carriage. As soon as they came out of Fangfu Lane, they saw a bustling street market with constant hawking sounds on both sides of the street. Looking out through the curtains of the carriage, there was a unique charm.

Shi Mi said in a cheerful tone: "The prosperity of Laizhou is not inferior to that of Kyoto. Many things may not be available in Kyoto."

Du Ruo smiled lightly and said, "Laizhou is close to the sea, and there will be sea merchants who bring imported goods ashore to sell. Those are all Western stuff, and they are indeed not common in Kyoto."

Shi Mi sighed and said, "It is true that reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Only when you go out can you know how vast the world is."

Xia Li lowered the curtain and chuckled, "No matter where you are, there are good and bad sides. We have only been in Laizhou for a few days, and there is still a lot to see."

Shi Mi smoothed out Xia Li's slightly wrinkled hem and said calmly, "Anyway, the young lady will be fine wherever she is. Tomorrow, Miss Li will have to accompany Master Cao to Jiaozhou to take up her new post. Have you thought of a farewell gift for her?"

Xia Li said calmly, "If you see anything fun or pretty, you can buy it and give it to me. The price of the gift doesn't matter, as long as the thought is there."

Shi Mi thought that the Fang family was not like the Duke's Mansion. There were only two daughters in the girl's generation, her and Miss Li. Their feelings were much more sincere and there was no need to save face. Therefore, the gifts did not need to be too particular.

The carriage drove for another quarter of an hour and finally stopped in front of the craftsman's shop. Shi Mi and Du Ruo got off first, and then helped Xia Li down. Xia Li was not wearing a hat. The customs of Laizhou people are open, unlike those in Kyoto where there are so many rules.

Before Xia Li set out, the steward of the mansion had informed her in advance, so the shop was not entertaining other customers at this time. Xia Li took the drawings and communicated with the craftsman. She explained the details clearly. After listening, the craftsman said that he could make the distillation equipment according to Xia Li's requirements, but it would be time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the delivery time would be longer.

Xia Li could afford to wait and was willing to pay, so she said directly that as long as they could make the things perfect and meet her requirements, it didn't matter if they were late.

After coming out of the craftsman's shop, Xia Li walked around for a while. Rong did not restrain her. Before she went out, she only reminded her to bring more guards with her and come back when she had enough fun. Laizhou was the Fang family's territory, so nothing serious could happen there.

Xia Li visited the snack shop, thinking of buying some snacks for her cousin to eat on the way. She then went to the jewelry store to pick out some novel jewelry, and finally went to the needlework shop to pick out various embroidery threads. She was a person who could not sit still. Even if she did not have to work, she still liked to find something to do for herself. Only when she was busy did she feel that her life was fulfilling and meaningful.

Coming out of the needlework shop, Xia Li saw a bookstore across the street and immediately became interested. Although there was no shortage of books in the house, she wanted to buy some miscellaneous books to take a look at.

As soon as she reached the door of the bookstore, she saw people arguing inside. A tall, handsome, and bookish scholar said indignantly, "How can the shopkeeper be so deceiving? You said you would give me two hundred coins after I finish copying this book, but now you go back on your word. This is really too much."

The bookstore owner said confidently, "That's right, but that was the price three days ago. Now the printed books have all been reduced in price, so your hand-copied books will naturally be reduced as well. If you don't want to sell them, just take them away."

The scholar was wearing a blue shirt, the fabric had turned white from washing, the wrists were badly worn, and the hem was patched. It was obvious that he was a poor scholar from a poor family, and he might have lived on the money he earned from copying books.

He suppressed his anger and said humbly, "Boss, I am a student of Dongli Academy. This money is for paying tuition. I still need two hundred coins. How about you advance me two hundred coins this time, and then you can deduct it next time I copy the book, okay?"

The shopkeeper looked at him sideways and said mercilessly, "That won't do. Who knows if what you said is true or not? If you don't come next time, where can I find you for the twenty cents?"

The scholar's face flushed as he said, "I am He Wenhan from Dongli Academy. If I break my promise, you can go to the academy to find me. I beg you to be kind and help me out of my urgent need first."

The shopkeeper sorted the books by himself, with a scornful arc on his lips, "There are countless sour scholars like you. If I do good deeds every day, I can't even earn back the rent of this shop. Go find someone else and don't delay my business."

There were not many customers in the bookstore at the moment, but every look that fell on He Wenhan made him feel ashamed and angry, but he had to swallow his anger and continue to beg the shopkeeper for mercy.

Xia Li looked at him for a long time and did not look down on the scholar's idea. It happens from time to time that a penny can make a hero fall. Who can guarantee that he will never ask for help from others in his whole life?

Xia Li turned his head to Shi Mi and said, "Since he is a student of Dongli Academy, you should help him if you can. You can buy the book he copied for 300 coins."

Shi Mi did not raise any questions, she quickly agreed, took out three hundred coins from her purse, and then walked to He Wenhan, while Xia Li turned around and went to the bookstore next door to look for books. He Wenhan was surprised to hear that someone wanted to buy his copied book. He did not bother to find out the reason, and quickly handed the book to Shi Mi, thanking her profusely. The bookstore owner saw it and could not help but said, "Girl, why did you spend more money to buy his handwritten copy? The one I print here is much better than his. Come and have a look."

Shi Mi smiled and said, "If the shopkeeper is true to his word, I wouldn't have to come here to buy this book. You should just say less."

The shopkeeper was dishonest and didn't dare to say anything to Shi Mi. He Wenhan held three hundred coins in his hand, looked at Shi Mi and said in a hoarse voice:

"Miss, I don't know who your master is. When I recover in the future, I will definitely thank her."

Shi Mi said calmly, "My master has some connections with Dongli Academy. He couldn't bear to see the students of the academy being humiliated, so he helped them. You don't have to take it to heart."

After saying that, she turned and left, walking towards Xia Li. He Wenhan was slightly stunned. He followed her subconsciously, but after taking two steps, he realized that this was inappropriate, so he quickly stepped away and found an inconspicuous corner to watch quietly.

Xia Li quickly picked out the books and came out of the bookstore. Shi Mi helped her get on the carriage. Only then did He Wenhan see her face clearly. He felt that she looked familiar at first sight. Before he had time to think about it, he turned around and saw that the coachman was the one who often picked up and dropped off Mr. Fang. It was then that he suddenly realized what had happened.

Principal Fang's status in Dongli Academy is unmatched. He Wenhan had also heard the news that his daughter was lost and then found, but he did not expect to meet him by chance.

He Wenhan watched the carriage drive away, then turned and went back to the academy. His predicament had just been seen by the headmaster's daughter, and he felt very upset. If this matter reached the headmaster's ears, he didn't know whether he would be punished.

He entered the academy with a heavy heart, but before he entered the lecture hall, he ran into Fang Qizheng on the bluestone path. He Wenhan bowed to him, and Fang Qizheng stopped and looked at him with scrutiny.

Although He Wenhan came from a poor family, he was diligent, studious, and knowledgeable. He was a pillar of society and would surely become a great man in the future. Therefore, Fang Qizheng was very optimistic about him.

Ever since he learned that his parents were looking for a son-in-law for his sister, he began to think about the candidate. He would not consider someone from outside whose background he didn't know, so he set his sights on the students in the academy.

Dongli Academy was established more than ten years ago, and the admission threshold has always been high. Those who can study here have good character and knowledge, so it is much easier to select them. Even if it is to be a son-in-law, people with prominent family background are certainly not suitable. Fang Qizhen looked around and finally chose He Wenhan.

Fang Qizhen was a cautious person, and had secretly found out everything about He Wenhan. He had no clan or maternal family to rely on, and he had grown up in hardship with his widowed mother. Even if he graduated from high school in the future, the Fang family would be able to control him.

After thinking it over again and again, Fang Qizheng decided to test his words first. He inadvertently glanced at the patch on He Wenhan's blue shirt. Fang Qizheng subconsciously frowned, feeling a little dissatisfied.

When He Wenhan saw Master Fang's expression, his heart skipped a beat. Although Master Fang was young, he was strict and had very high requirements for academic performance. Even though He Wenhan was at the top of the class, he had never received any praise from him. Being stared at like this by him, He Wenhan always felt a chill down his spine.

He said respectfully, "Master, what do you want from me?"

Fang Qizheng gave him a critical look and said indifferently, "Come with me. I have something to tell you."

Although He Wenhan was puzzled, he did not dare to disobey, and immediately walked with him respectfully. After the two entered the Master's Courtyard, Fang Qizheng sat upright in front of the desk and asked in a clear and slow voice: "How old are you this year?"

He Wenhan was stunned at first, then he said cautiously: "Teacher, I just turned eighteen."

Fang Qizheng nodded slightly. This age is just right for his sister. He then asked, "Have you ever been engaged?"

He Wenhan's eyes were filled with more doubts, and he said frankly, "I am a poor student with no achievements, so I will not consider my lifelong affairs for the time being."

Fang Qizheng looked at him deeply and said, "If I asked you to be my son-in-law, would you be willing?"

He Wenhan tensed up when he heard this. He tried his best to stay calm and said, "Master, are you planning to recruit a student as your son-in-law? I wonder which family you are from?"

Fang Qizheng's mouth drooped, revealing a dissatisfied expression. He said coldly: "Since I asked it, it must be my daughter from the Fang family. What do you think about this matter?"

He Wenhan subconsciously thought of Xia Li. With his conditions, if he could marry a beautiful and kind wife like Xia Li, even if it was just marrying into the family, he would be lucky. He Wenhan clenched his fists nervously, and a stiff smile appeared on the corners of his mouth. He said in a steady voice: "Thank you for your kindness, Master. It is a great honor to marry a girl from the Fang family. However, marriage is a big deal. I have to ask my mother for her opinion before I can give you a reply."

Fang Qizheng raised his eyes to glance at him, and seeing that he was still able to hold himself together, he could not help but feel somewhat satisfied, and said in a deep voice: "This matter is indeed not to be taken lightly, go back and discuss it carefully with your mother, if you can please my sister, then that is your good fortune."

He Wenhan's fingers trembled slightly due to excitement. He tried his best to calm down and said in a gentle voice: "Master, you are right. I will give you an answer as soon as possible."

Fang Qizheng picked up the teacup and said, "Don't be in a hurry. You are just one of the candidates. I don't have the final say on this matter alone. We have to take our time."

He Wenhan exhaled lightly and said sincerely, "Anyway, thank you for giving me a chance. I will not let you down. It's getting late, so I won't disturb you. I'll take my leave now."

Fang Qizhen waved his hand nonchalantly. He Wenhan walked out of the Confucius Courtyard, feeling restless for a long time. He lost his father at a young age and had seen the fickleness of human nature. He knew very well the benefits of being a son-in-law of the Fang family. He had never dared to think of such an opportunity before. If the Fang family had not loved their daughter, he would never have gotten the chance.

He had seen Miss Fang's true face. She was such an elegant and stunning girl, and he might not meet another one like her in his lifetime.

He Wenhan was unable to concentrate on his studies while sitting in the lecture hall. He was always distracted unconsciously, with Xia Li's pretty figure filling his mind. When the school was finally over, he couldn't wait to rush home.

The He family had no land, so in order to make it easier for their son to study, the mother and son rented a house near the academy and lived with two other families.

When He Wenhan stepped over the threshold, he saw his mother washing clothes by the well. He frowned and said, "Mom, you are not feeling well, why are you doing this laundry? I have already collected the tuition by copying books, so you don't have to work so hard."

(End of this chapter)