Farmhouse Green Plum

Madam Yang sighed heavily, "I've asked him, but that short-lived boy will give me any answer, no matter what you ask him. He just won't tell me the truth."

"Perhaps they haven't made their intentions clear yet."

"I just want to know which family the girl belongs to, and what her character is like. The men there are careless and can't judge people well. If she's not a good person, we can cut it off early so that Tianwa doesn't get too deeply involved."

"Whether the marriage goes through or not ultimately depends on you two." After saying this, Song Ying slipped away.

The wedding procession was noisy and chaotic. Xiao Xiang, who was heavily pregnant, couldn't go to the village entrance to see them off, but watched the bridal sedan chair drive away from outside the courtyard.

Song Ying handed her a fan, saying, "Go back inside, it's too sunny right now."

"Okay," Xiao Xiang replied, but didn't move an inch.

Song Ying knew that she was reluctant to part with Yanxing and wanted to see him a little longer, so she didn't try to persuade him anymore. Instead, she said, "I'll go back to the city with the bridal sedan chair. We'll set off for Rongcheng tomorrow morning. If you need anything during this time, remember to contact Yanxing. Don't try to handle things on your own."

Don't be afraid to bother her. With the three of us, too much hesitation will only create distance.

Xiao Xiang smiled, "Don't worry, I know what's important and won't stand on ceremony with you. You can get there in seven or eight days by carriage, so you have plenty of time. Don't rush on the road; your health is the most important thing."

Also, be sure to rest well at Linjiang Post Station in Yanxian County, as there are no post stations for a long stretch of road ahead; I heard there aren't any until you reach Tongxian County.

Song Ying was stunned. Qingshui County and Rongcheng were far apart, and the people of the two places rarely interacted. She herself had only learned about it in advance because she was going to Rongcheng this time.

She quickly realized that since Gong Juren had participated in the provincial examination in Rongcheng, someone in the Gong family must know the route to Rongcheng.

Xiao Xiang only inquired about these things because of her.

She took Xiao Xiang's hand and smiled brightly, "Okay, I'll remember. Hurry up and go inside."

Xiao Xiang nodded and walked towards the courtyard. After taking a few steps, she stopped and watched her leave.

Suddenly, Aunt Meihua's voice rang out from the side: "Oh my, they look so reluctant to part. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were sisters getting married."

Xiao Xiang's lips curved slightly, her eyes and brows filled with a gentle smile, her voice soft yet clear: "To me, the two of them are indeed no different from my own sisters."

Her gentle smile captivated Aunt Meihua, who muttered under her breath, "After living in a wealthy family for a few years, things have really changed. She's starting to look like a young mistress now."

Xiao Xiang pretended not to hear this and looked at the bowl in her hand, saying, "Auntie, are you washing the dishes now? I'll go help boil some water."

"No, no, no, go back inside and sit down." Aunt Meihua quickly stopped her. "You're a young mistress now, and you're pregnant. How can we let you go and tend the fire? Go back inside and rest."

"Oh, by the way, don't go home yet. Eat here tonight too. Your parents are helping out here and won't be able to go back to cook for you."

Xiao Xiang didn't hesitate and agreed.

Although she can cook herself and has maids, she is now a married daughter and has nothing left to do with her family. If she touches anything belonging to her maternal family, her parents will definitely be very upset.

It's best not to make things harder for yourself.

She returned to Yanxing's bedroom, but it was empty. Even the bright red "double happiness" window decorations looked somewhat forlorn.

In the evening, after everyone had eaten, Aunt Liu and the others immediately ran away, which made Aunt Meihua furious and scold them for being cunning and deceitful.

They're more enthusiastic about eating than anyone else, but as soon as they leave the table, they're off to do their own thing, leaving a ton of work to finish!

Especially the bowls, chopsticks, steamers, etc., these belong to the cook, so they must be washed clean quickly, and any broken or missing items must be counted and returned to the cook.

The tables, chairs, and benches borrowed from various households in the village also need to be washed and returned.

Fortunately, it's not December yet, so there are fewer weddings and celebrations, and we don't have to finish washing and paying off everything today.

Xiao Xiang looked around and found that her father had already gone back, but her mother was still there. She thought for a moment and decided not to go back. Instead, she went to the makeshift stove to start a fire and asked the maid to help wash the dishes.

As the sunlight gradually slanted, Wang placed several bowls of hearty dishes, such as braised pork belly and sliced ​​pork, on a table. Then she went over to wash the dishes with Aunt Meihua, Zhang, and the others, saying, "Each of you take a bowl back later. You've worked hard these past two days."

Zhang and Yang politely declined, saying, "You should keep it for yourselves. It's all good food, whether you cook it into noodles or porridge, it's delicious."

"Don't thank me, we're all from the same village. If anyone needs help, we should lend a hand..."

Aunt Meihua, always straightforward, did not decline like the other three. Instead, she said, "In this hot weather, you two can't eat much. It will spoil in a few days. I won't stand on ceremony with you."

Wang smiled and said, "That's exactly right. Aunt Zhang and Sister-in-law Yang, please don't be so polite. There are only two mouths to feed in our family. How much can we possibly eat?"

Aunt Meihua also advised, "Why are you being so polite with her? With such a good daughter as Yanxing, the couple doesn't need to worry about having a few extra bites to eat."

It was customary to distribute leftovers to each family after a happy occasion, and Yang and the others had only politely declined. However, upon hearing this, they readily accepted.

Madam Yang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law Wang, I won't stand on ceremony with you. Speaking of your Yanxing, she's so capable, I thought you were going to keep her at home to find a husband."

Before Zhang could speak, Aunt Meihua said, "If it were anyone else, they would definitely find a son-in-law to live with them. The Chen family is a prominent family in the county, and he is the only son in the family, so they definitely won't let him become a son-in-law."

Xiao Xiang was taken aback. Wasn't Chen Yunze the second young master? How could he be the only son?

"That's true. The Chen family's marriage proposal is indeed excellent. If I only had one daughter, and a family like the Chen family took a liking to her, I would be happy to marry her off."

"It's fine not to have a son-in-law. They say a son-in-law is like half a son. As long as the son-in-law is filial, it's the same..."

Xiao Xiang couldn't hear what the people over there were saying anymore; her heart was pounding.

Although she had only met Chen Yunze today when she married Song Ying, she clearly remembered that Yan Xing and others used to call him Second Young Master Chen.

How could someone known as the Second Young Master be an only child?

Even if he has an older sister, he should still be called the eldest son, or simply Young Master Chen.

Young Master Chen must have an older brother.

As a relative by marriage, Aunt Wang couldn't possibly be unaware of this, so why didn't she refute Aunt Meihua's claim that she was an only child?

She swallowed hard, stiffly twisted her neck, and looked at Wang Shi not far away.

The setting sun, like blood, was gradually devoured by the thick twilight. The dim light of the sky, like a piece of coarse linen soaked in water, heavily shrouded Wang's face, obscuring her expression.