Beautiful Peasant Girl: The Young Marquis's Beloved

In front of the Liu family’s old house.

This was the first time Xu Ruolan had come here after the old house was renovated. The original mud walls and tiled courtyard had been replaced with blue bricks and tiles.

They went forward and knocked on the door, and it was quickly opened by Fu'an, who welcomed everyone in.

The yard is big enough to build a two-entrance house. You walk in along the bluestone slabs. There are two square vegetable plots on both sides of the road, but they are empty now.

The jujube tree in the yard remained, right next to the vegetable patch.

Two new ginkgo trees were added outside the main house. Under one tree was a stone table and several stone benches, and around the other was some low evergreen trees, adding some vitality to the courtyard that seemed a little bleak in winter.

Granny Wang had already gone to report, and the two elders had already come out from the inner room to greet them.

"Second brother, second brother's family, you are here. Come into the house quickly, don't let the children get cold." When Liu Dashan saw the child, the wrinkles on his face deepened with smile.

Old Mrs. Zhang was a little nervous and looked a little embarrassed. She then said, "Come in quickly!"

"Okay, okay. Dad, Mom, my husband was busy the past two days and didn't have time to come and see you. Today, the young marquis asked them to rest at home so that they could travel tomorrow, so he hurried over to see you two. You should not be angry with him."

Xu Ruolan held the child and explained as she walked in.

"What kind of nonsense is this? How can Mom and Dad care about this? Dad knows that you have been busy these days. I am very happy that you can still squeeze out time to visit us old couple!"

As they spoke, they had already entered the main room. Several people sat down one after another, and Granny Wang brought them tea.

"Dad, Mom, these cloths are prepared by my husband for you. Look and see if you like the colors." Xu Ruolan asked the cloths to be brought up to show the two elders.

"This...this is all satin! Son, not to mention it costs a lot of money, we farmers can't wear it. Isn't this a waste of money..." Liu Dashan said anxiously.

"Dad, don't worry. Why would my daughter-in-law send silk to you if she can't wear it. My husband now has a rank in the military camp. Although it's not high, you two old people can wear silk." Xu Ruolan explained.

"Really? My son has become an official? That's great!" Liu Dashan's eyes welled up with tears as he looked at his younger son who had come in and held the child without saying a word.

He knew in his heart that his son was blaming them, which was why he hadn't spoken a word. He even guessed that his son's visit today was his daughter-in-law's idea.

Old Lady Zhang probably thought of it as well. She looked at Liu Donglai nervously for several times and opened her mouth several times, but no words came out.

Seeing that the situation was a bit awkward, Xu Ruolan tugged at her husband's sleeve, but Liu Donglai pursed his lips and said nothing.

I had no choice but to wink at my daughter. Why was she just standing there when he was already here?

Willow catkins had been serving as the background, and seeing this, she sighed inwardly, then smiled, "Grandpa, grandma, put them away quickly, and when the New Year comes, the whole family will put them on and show them off in town!"

"Uh! Hahaha, you girl! Okay, I'll let your grandma do it for us later, and we'll go for a stroll in the town together." Knowing his granddaughter's intention, Liu Dashan quickly took over the conversation.

"That's great. My mother is busy with the workshop and has no time to make new clothes for me. Grandma, I'll ask someone to bring the colors I like tomorrow, and you can help me and my brothers make them, okay?"

Mrs. Zhang was stunned for a moment when she heard this, then she burst into tears of joy, and quickly raised her hand to wipe them away, repeating: "Okay, it's just that my embroidery skills are not as good as your mother's, so please don't despise me."

"Grandma, don't be so modest. Didn't you teach my aunt that skill? Dad, isn't that right?" Liu Xu blinked and looked at Liu Donglai.

Our Liu Qianhu will... "Yes, Baoer is right!"

After a pause, he continued, "Dad... Mom, I will be leaving again tomorrow, and I don't know when I will be able to return. Ruolan is young, and the three children are still young. I don't ask you to take care of them for me, but just don't let them be bullied by their own family members again."

"Husband..." Xu Ruolan called softly.

Liu Donglai patted his wife and daughter on the shoulders, then raised his head and said, "Ruolan and Baoer don't want to dwell on the past, but since I heard from the young general, I felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart, and the one who did it was a blood relative. Today, I will make it clear to you two elders. For your sake, I will not take the initiative to embarrass him. But in the future, he will have nothing to do with me. If the previous incident happens again, don't blame me for being cruel."

Then he looked at Old Lady Zhang and said, "Mom, I don't care whether you are sincere or not, as long as you can continue like this, I will forgive you. If not... I will seek justice for my wife and children even if I have to bear the infamy."

After saying this, he didn't care about Mrs. Zhang's expression and kowtowed to Liu Dashan, "Dad, thank you for standing up in the end and protecting your wife and children for your son, and giving them a foundation to live on. Please forgive my inappropriate words just now. Ruolan and the three children are your life."

"Good boy, get up quickly, get up quickly." Liu Dashan quickly helped him up and said with red eyes:

"It's also Dad's fault. I always thought that since the eldest brother's family had studied, that beast would be able to take care of your family after passing the imperial examination. I was a little biased. I'm already very relieved that you don't blame me. In the future, I will look after your mother and the eldest brother's family, so don't worry."

"Then I, your son, would like to thank you!" Liu Dong wrote to me. Although the old man doesn't talk much, what he says is always firm and concise.

Xu Ruolan and Liu Xu smiled at each other.

Old Mrs. Zhang was silent for a long time, and finally said, "Second brother, second brother's family, before... it was mother who was wrong, mother will not be confused in the future..." Seeing that everyone was looking at her, she lowered her head in embarrassment.

After a moment, he raised his head again and looked at Liu Donglai with some concern, "I...I heard them say that day that you were seriously injured a few days ago...Are you...better now?"

Liu Donglai was shocked when he heard this. It had been so many years, but this was the first time his mother cared about him. He couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes and choked up as he said, "It's fine now."

"What? How come I didn't know about this? Old woman, when did you hear about it? Why didn't you tell me?" Liu Dashan was drunk early that morning, so he didn't hear what happened afterwards.

"Second brother, why did you run back here when you were injured? It's a journey of thousands of miles..."

"Dad, don't worry. It's nothing serious. Doctor Meng has also taken your pulse!" Liu Donglai didn't want to say more.

"Second brother, although what dad said is a bit rebellious, there are no outsiders in our house. When you go to the battlefield, don't always think about making meritorious deeds. The first thing is to save your life, understand? You also said that the four of them are your life, so you must not be reckless. What's the saying, there is firewood to burn in the green mountains?"

"Grandpa, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no shortage of firewood!" Liu Xu took over the conversation.

"Yeah! Anyway, nothing is more important than your life, understand?"

Liu Donglai looked at his father and recalled that when he was young and just started hunting, his father couldn't persuade his mother and secretly told him: "Don't go inside. It doesn't matter if you can't kill anything. Life is the most important thing." And the night before he was going to go out, his father pulled him outside and said, "Don't rush forward when a fight breaks out. Stay hidden. Saving your life is the most important thing."

Liu Donglai nodded with red eyes and smiled, "Don't worry, Dad, I remember everything you said!"

Liu Xu and her mother looked at each other, both a little confused, but didn't ask.

Afterwards, Xu Ruolan handed the box she had prepared earlier to Old Lady Zhang, "Mother, this is the hairpin that your husband bought for you, and also your father's ring. Please keep them all."

"Oh, all right." Old Lady Zhang took it and held it in her arms, looking at Xu Ruolan with some guilt, "Don't buy it in the future. Your father and I are old and can't take it away. Save the money for you four mothers."

Xu Ruolan didn't know how to respond for a moment, so Liu Xu smiled and said, "What are you talking about, grandma? We are still young. Dad and mom bought it, so you and grandpa should take it. If you don't take it, what will happen if it gets damaged later?"

"How can this be broken?" Mrs. Zhang wondered.

"Of course not. Do you remember the hairpin on Wang Da'a's nipple during the warm-room banquet? It's pitch black now. It must have been broken because it hasn't been worn for a long time." Liu Xu swore solemnly, and old lady Zhang seemed to remember it and frowned.

"Besides, grandma, don't you want to go out and make those uncles and aunts envious?"

"Hey, girl, what are you talking about!" Old Lady Zhang felt embarrassed as if her thoughts had been exposed.

The whole family chatted in the old house for an hour or so until the servants came to say that Butcher Gao and his party had arrived, and then Liu Donglai and his family went back.