Remarrying Chun Yuan

Liu Yuechu bickered with him the whole way.

For some reason, she would find it incredibly cloying if someone else said those words, but when her husband said them, she was overjoyed.

Perhaps it's just because I like it?

However, their sweet moment on the road was brief, and once they returned home, they went their separate ways to get back to work.

Yuan Cuo had no intention of placing all the burden of military supplies on his wife, so he naturally began to contact Chen Zhongyao and try to dig some more out of the corrupt officials.

……

The next morning, just as Liu Yuechu got up and had breakfast, someone came to announce that Xu Shan's daughter, Xu Xianglan, was already at the door, waiting for Liu Yuechu to summon her.

Huajiao also met this girl yesterday. "...She seems like a nice girl, but unfortunately she has a father who is trying to climb the social ladder."

"No matter what she's thinking, as long as she doesn't have any ulterior motives towards our son-in-law, we don't need to worry about what others are doing," Xia Zhi said from the side.

Granny Fang didn't intend to let her see the two young masters, but instead sent Liu Yuechu to the main hall to receive guests, "...the masters might not be able to sleep if they change places, so we can only let you move around."

"Besides, you haven't been to the main hall of the Duke of Baoguo's mansion even once since you moved in."

“The main hall really thinks too highly of her. Why don’t we go to the back garden? It’ll be easier to talk there,” Gu Yu interjected.

Liu Yuechu touched her nose, not expecting that when faced with a choice between her and her child, Granny Fang would so decisively choose the latter.

"Then let's take her to sit in the pavilion in the garden first. I'll talk to her after I've had breakfast."

Liu Yuechu instructed Gu Yu to accompany her first, and Gu Yu accepted the order and went out.

Only now did she remember Gu Yu and Wei Tianxuan's matter, "...What happened? I didn't get a chance to ask them that time, and then I haven't heard from them since they came back?"

Liu Yuechu was too busy, busy with the children and money, and really didn't have time for this matter.

"It seems I asked again, but Lord Wei disagreed. She didn't say anything specific. I was afraid that if I asked, I would upset her. I was planning to ask you to say a few words of comfort when you have some free time, Master." Xia Zhi stuck out her tongue. She hadn't dared to speak because she saw that Liu Yuechu was too busy.

Liu Yuechu understood the situation and nodded in agreement.

After breakfast, I held my two little darlings for a while.

Only after Granny Fang had the wet nurse coax the two of them to sleep did she take Huajiao to the back garden.

Gu Yu kept talking to Xu Xianglan, but Xu Xianglan was hesitant and somewhat fearful, after all, the Duke's mansion was not a place that ordinary people could visit at will.

The flowers here are in full bloom, and the buildings are magnificent. The bricks and tiles of the pavilions and towers are so exquisite, and they are even carved with the symbols of fortune, prosperity, and longevity.

Although her place wasn't bad, it was worlds apart from the Duke's mansion.

"Everyone says that Madam Liu is a bodhisattva descended from heaven, kind-hearted and helpful. I never imagined that her residence would be like a fairyland. If it weren't for my father's help, I'm afraid I would never have imagined that the Duke's mansion would be like this." Xu Xianglan's round face and skin were not as fair as those of a young lady from a noble family.

She looked more robust than other young women her age, and her hands, tucked into her sleeves, were somewhat rough.

The pearl hairpins in her hair shone brightly in the sunlight, as if they were new. The floral dress she wore was also a style from many years ago, and she walked very carefully in it, afraid of splashing dust and mud on it.

Gu Yu was exceptionally observant and had already noticed these details. As for Xu Xianglan's words, she only answered one out of two, and pretended not to hear any of the more sensitive questions.

Xu Xianglan sat quietly in the pavilion, waiting. The sunlight was warm, and she felt relaxed. She fell asleep sitting there.

Gu Yu didn't wake her up. Only when she saw Liu Yuechu arriving with her maids did she gesture to whether she should call out to her.

Liu Yuechu waved her hand, simply instructing someone to brew the tea quietly.

A table was also set with fruit and snacks. It was a rare occasion for her to relax here with her maids. This was the first time she had enjoyed the scenery so leisurely since giving birth to her two little darlings.

Xu Xianglan woke up only after smelling the aroma of brewing tea.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Liu Yuechu laughing and talking with the maids.

"I was so abrupt and presumptuous. I was just sleepy and fell asleep. I hope Madam Liu will not take offense." She was almost frightened to tears and immediately knelt on the ground.

Liu Yuechu hurriedly asked Gu Yu to help her up, "If you're tired, just sleep. There's no question of blaming or not. Get up and sit down. This tea was just brewed. Try it."

Xu Xianglan blushed and only stood up after paying her respects to Liu Yuechu.

But she didn't dare to sit down. It was only after Gu Yu and Xia Zhi pressed her down for a while that she quietly moved to the edge of a chair.

As the fragrant tea entered her mouth, her face naturally lit up with novelty and joy, her heart overflowing with delight. However, since Liu Yuechu remained silent, she dared not speak first.

Liu Yuechu also looked at her hand.

Just as Xu Xianglan fell asleep, Gu Yu relayed all the details she had seen to Liu Yuechu.

"You were helping your father with chores the other day?"

The calluses on her hands, which held the teacup, were quite deep. They were clearly the result of years of hard work.

Xu Xianglan subconsciously withdrew her hand, her face flushed. "When Father is busy, I help out. Actually, it's because I like carving, but I am, after all, a woman."

Traditionally, a craftsman's skills are passed down from father to son, not to daughter.

This is a bad habit that has remained unchanged for many years.

Liu Zhong really wanted to pass it on, but unfortunately neither Liu Yuechu nor Liu Musheng were interested in learning it, leaving him out in the cold.

Liu Yuechu nodded slowly and then asked about Xu Xianglan's family affairs, including her mother.

Xu Xianglan also told the truth that her mother had passed away early and she had a younger brother.

Liu Yuechu asked a few simple questions, and Xu Xianglan answered them seriously.

"You're already nineteen, but the Xu family still won't allow you to get married? Is it because there aren't any suitable in-laws?" Liu Yuechu had a general idea of ​​what was going on, so she went straight to the point.

Normally, someone her age would be married off a few years earlier in an ordinary family.

Moreover, Xu Shan is a master sculptor, so his family should be quite wealthy. Why then does his daughter lack any elegance or refinement, appearing more like a manual laborer?

Xu Xianglan pursed her lips into a thin line, clearly having bitten them for a long time before speaking, "When my mother passed away, my younger brother was still young, and my father hoped that I would raise him... But my brother is getting old, and I am past the age of marriage."

Liu Yuechu sighed.

This is yet another family that favors sons over daughters.

They would rather abandon their daughter's marriage than hire two more servants to look after the child.

Liu Yuechu nodded slightly and then dropped the matter. She took Xu Xianglan to enjoy tea and flowers, and after having lunch at the mansion, she instructed Liu Tao to catch a carriage and personally take her home.

After Liu Tao returned, he also inquired about the Xu family's affairs. "...Xu Shan's son is an idiot, and all of the Xu family's money has been used to treat this idiot son."