Beautiful Peasant Girl: The Young Marquis's Beloved

They had dinner early as they were going out shopping and seeing the lights.

After dinner, the group left Liu's house in a mighty procession and headed toward the street.

Because the house is in Nanfang, the South Street is right outside. The shops are competing with each other, and the lanterns at the door are more beautiful than each other.

Liu Donglai took the lead and led everyone to a teahouse. This was the private room that Xu Ruolan had asked Liu Ming to reserve two days ago.

There were so many people below that it was inconvenient for the elderly and children to go down and hang out in such an environment. This private room faced the street and had large windows, so even if you were inside the room, you could still have a panoramic view of the street.

Everyone sat down in the private room. The hustle and bustle outside the window formed a sharp contrast with the tranquility inside. The elderly sipped their tea and looked at the lively scene outside the window with satisfied smiles on their faces. The children lay by the window, looking around curiously and laughing happily from time to time.

It was still some time before dark, and they were bored sitting here waiting, so they suggested going out for a walk.

Several elderly people looked at the pedestrians on the street and shook their heads decisively, indicating that they could listen to books and drink tea upstairs.

Liu Fukang has poor legs and feet, so there is no need to consider him.

But Ye Miaoyin didn't plan to go either. Xu Ruolan originally wanted to stay with the two children to accompany the old man, but her sister picked up Yuandun'er and pushed her to Liu Donglai.

"Go ahead, kid, I'm with godmother and Old Man Liu, you two can take a good stroll."

Xu Ruolan was pushed into Liu Donglai's arms, her face flushed with shame.

Liu Donglai embraced her generously and said with a hearty smile, "Thank you for your hard work, mother-in-law, father, mother, and elder sister!"

Knowing that Xu Ruolan was thin-skinned, everyone in the room was having a hard time holding back their laughter.

Finally, except for Liu Ming and his wife who stayed with their child to take care of the elderly and the young, everyone else prepared to go out for a walk.

But there are quite a few people, so naturally they won’t act together.

When they got downstairs, the older children asked to form their own group. Liu Donglai originally wanted both He Feng brothers to follow them, but Mu Lingxuan and Han Duoduo also followed them.

He Feng volunteered to stay and protect the old lady and others.

The rest of the people dispersed according to their families.

The streets are bustling with people coming and going.

As night falls, lanterns are lit one by one, and colorful lights illuminate the entire county.

At the Lantern Festival every year, the lantern trees are a unique and spectacular sight.

Usually made by big merchants, they are tall and gorgeous.

The main body of the lamp tree is mostly made of solid wood. The materials of the lamp tree are diverse. It may have wood as the main frame, with various shapes, and then decorated with colored paper, silk, etc.

There are all kinds of lanterns hanging on it, including exquisite palace lanterns, unique animal lanterns, auspicious flower lanterns, etc. These lanterns are colorful and dazzling when lit at night, like a dream.

These light trees are not only a decoration, but also a way for merchants to show their wealth and strength. At the same time, they also add a strong festive atmosphere to the Lantern Festival, attracting many people to come and watch, becoming a beautiful landscape during the festival.

People's faces were filled with joyful smiles, and children were running around and playing in the crowd, laughing and talking constantly.

Liu Xu and others admired the lanterns while tasting street snacks.

"Xu'er, I don't think these are as delicious as what you make. Why should we spend money to buy them?"

"Atmosphere! Do you understand atmosphere? Have you ever seen anyone bring their own food when shopping?" Liu Xu gestured with her chin to Xing'er to look around.

Liu Xing'er nodded, not quite understanding.

Not far away, in front of a lantern riddles stall, the stall owner greeted everyone enthusiastically: "Guess the lantern riddles, five cents each time, and if you guess correctly, you will get the corresponding lantern."

Liu Xu and others were attracted to the lantern. There were quite a few people watching, and the atmosphere was very lively. After a while, several people guessed the riddle correctly and took the lantern away.

Liu Xu also joined in the fun, guessed two just for the sake of fun, won a lantern for Xing'er and Duoduo respectively, and then continued walking forward.

When no one noticed, Mu Lingxuan fell behind by a few steps.

When he caught up again, he was holding an exquisite rabbit lantern in his hand.

He caught up with the crowd in a few steps, and while no one was paying attention, he stuffed the lamp into Liu Xu's hands.

Seeing Liu Xu's confused face, he explained: "You forgot yourself."

Liu Xu blinked, then smiled and thanked him: "Thank you, Brother Huaijin, I like it very much!"

Liu Xu was born in the year of the rabbit, in her past and present life. Mu Lingxuan would remember that she was somewhat surprised but more delighted.

Seeing that she really liked it, Mu Lingxuan's mouth curled up slightly, and he followed the girls not too far away.

At that time, he didn't know what the joy in his heart meant, and in his mind he only thought of Liu Xu as a little sister.

On the other side, Liu Donglai and his wife were also strolling around.

In front of a silver shop, Liu Donglai walked in with his wife in his arms.

There were quite a few people. Liu Donglai walked to the place where hairpins were placed and personally selected a filigree orchid hairpin for his wife. There was a small pearl in the center of the flower, which looked very exquisite.

I also chose a plum blossom-shaped necklace and two exquisite peace locks.

A total of twenty-three taels of silver were spent, and the hairpin shopkeeper asked for ten taels alone, saying that the skill was passed down from the palace.

Without saying a word, Liu Donglai took out a fifty-liang silver note and paid the money. The shopkeeper also gave him two pairs of silver earrings.

Xu Ruolan did not stop her. Her family was well off now, and these things were not too expensive at more than twenty taels.

She didn't ask her husband where the money came from. It was her husband's kind gesture and she didn't want to refuse.

Liu Donglai put the necklace and the safety lock in his arms, then picked up the hairpin and put it on his beloved wife himself.

"Yueyue, I haven't been able to buy you a piece of jewelry for all these years. I'm sorry for you." Liu Donglai stroked Xu Ruolan's hair and said with emotion.

Then he took out seven taels of silver out of the twenty-seven taels that the shopkeeper had returned, and gave the rest together with another silver note for fifty taels to Xu Ruolan.

"This money is a personal reward from the general during the New Year. I'm keeping a few taels for emergency use. The rest is for you and the children's household expenses."

"What are you talking about, my husband? We are husband and wife, there is no such thing as grievance or not." Xu Ruolan said with blushing cheeks, then put away the banknotes in her hand and pushed the silver to her husband.

"I'll keep these, and you can take the rest. The environment over there is cold and harsh, and those people can't take care of you now, so it won't hurt to keep a few more."

Now the situation in the court is clear. Although the Marquis of Zhenguo treats the soldiers well, it is always a good idea to keep some for yourself.

Although this was nothing compared to the money she had now, it was something Liu Donglai had earned with his own ability, so she found it more precious.

Liu Donglai did not reject his wife's sincere love. He accepted it carefully and continued to visit the lanterns with her in his arms.

Chang Yifei did not go with them today because Zuiyunxuan and Zhenxiu Pavilion had set up light trees and he had to be there in person.

Liu Xu had heard about it from Chang Yifei, but when she saw these light trees with her own eyes, she was still amazed.

Compared with the technological products in her previous life, these purely handmade products shocked her even more.

Outside the door of Zhenxiu Pavilion, there is a pagoda-shaped main body with various kinds of lanterns hung on it. Each lantern is extremely exquisite, making the front of Zhenxiu Pavilion as bright as day.

Chang Yifei saw Liu Xu and others upstairs and hurriedly called them up.

When Mu Lingxuan saw his suite for the first time, he was touched when he heard that it was designed by Liu Xu and decorated with the help of Chang Yifei.

Unlike the Liu family, this was the place they prepared for him to stay.

The next time he comes here, even if he doesn’t go to the Liu family, he won’t have to stay in the inn.

Several girls went to Liu Xu's room. Among them, only Han Duoduo had never been there. She was amazed at the furnishings in the room.

Maybe because he had seen it several times, Liu Xu now actually thought it was pretty good.

The group had almost finished their shopping, so they stayed in Zhenxiu Pavilion for a while and then returned to the teahouse.

When everyone returned to Liu Mansion, it was already midnight.

The kitchen prepared a midnight snack, and everyone sat together, eating Yuanxiao and chatting.

The weather was very good, so Liu Donglai asked someone to set up a table in the yard so that he could enjoy the bright moon in the sky.

At this time, fireworks were blooming in the sky. Although not as colorful as in the previous life, Liu Xu still felt it was beautiful. Because at this moment, she was no longer alone.

Everyone was attracted by the beautiful scene and immersed in the joyful atmosphere.

The excitement of the Lantern Festival lasted until late at night, but the Liu family did not stay up very late because they had to return to Liujia Village early the next morning, and the women from several families had to go back to the workshops to work.