Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

While the male guests were enjoying their meal, Hu Xuqing heard from her mother's maid that her mother was feeling unwell. She quickly put down her wine cup and followed the maid to the courtyard where the Zhang family had prepared for the guests to rest.

Stepping inside, I saw a young girl sitting beside my mother, feeding her a cup of tea.

"Mother, what's wrong? The maid said you were dizzy, are you feeling any better now?" Hu Xuqing asked with concern.

Mrs. Hu looked up and saw her son hurrying over, his face flushed from the heat. She said with concern...

"It's nothing, why are you in such a hurry? Look how red your face is." As she spoke, she winked at her son, gesturing for him to look at the girl beside her.

Seeing his mother's expression, Hu Xuqing finally understood why she had summoned him, and his face flushed even more. He was also curious about what his future wife would look like, and despite his shyness, he quickly glanced at the woman standing with her head bowed beside his mother. From his angle, however, he could only see a glimpse of her fair neck.

Her face was obscured, but she must have been a beautiful woman. Hu Xuqing's face flushed even more, and her ears even felt hot.

"Cui'er, could you get me another glass of water?" Madam Hu was somewhat discouraged by her son's clumsy appearance. She could only speak to Liu Xiaocui herself, hoping that they could see each other's faces clearly as she moved.

Liu Xiaocui understood Madam Hu's meaning. That person stood there like a tree trunk, and she really couldn't look him directly in the eye. So she obediently went to pour another glass of water, but she poured it very slowly, taking the opportunity to steal a few glances at Young Master Hu.

Judging from his appearance—thick eyebrows, big eyes, and upright demeanor—he seemed like a good person. Thinking this, Liu Xiaocui felt much relieved.

Hu Xuqing was naturally aware of the person secretly watching him, and he tried his best to stand upright, hoping to leave a good impression. Perhaps he was too nervous, he even forgot to breathe.

Liu Xiaocui placed the water glass in Madam Hu's hand.

"Madam Hu, now that the young master has arrived, Xiao Cui will take her leave." Liu Xiao Cui's melodious voice made Hu Xuqing feel as if a feather had brushed against his heart, tickling him.

"Alright, Xiao Cui, you've worked hard today. You should go and rest for a while too." Madam Hu looked at Liu Xiao Cui with affection.

"Qing'er, see Miss Xiao Cui out for me," Madam Hu suddenly said.

Both women were taken aback by Madam Hu's words, as this was against protocol. However, there was no one else in the room at the moment. Remembering what her sister had told her, she did not refuse, which was tantamount to acquiescing to Madam Hu's words.

Aunt Ma followed closely behind the two, but from the moment they left Madam Hu's room until they reached the courtyard gate, neither of them exchanged a single word, simply walking silently at a distance of about a meter. Just as they were about to part ways at the gate, Liu Xiaocui mustered her courage and looked up at the man who was a head taller than her. She said nothing, only staring at him quietly for a few seconds.

Her actions were incredibly bold at the time, but she didn't want to regret it later. Hu Xuqing also took this opportunity to get a clear look at his fiancée's face.

After Liu Xiaocui left, Hu Xuqing returned to his mother's temporary resting room in a daze.

Seeing her son's expression, Madam Hu understood everything. As long as the two children were satisfied with each other, she could finally relax.

Although marriages in this era were often arranged by parents and matchmakers, and many couples only learned what each other looked like when the bride and groom lifted their veils in the bridal chamber, many loving and open-minded parents would still try to create opportunities for their children to meet before marriage.

Clearly, both Madam Hu and Madam Liu were enlightened individuals.

When Liu Xiaocui returned to Liu Shi's side with a flushed face, all the guests had gone to the rooms arranged by the Zhang family to rest. Liu Shi saw her sister's expression and roughly understood.

But I still asked a question.

"Did you see it clearly? Are you satisfied?"

Liu Xiaocui didn't speak, only nodded haphazardly, it was unclear which of Liu's questions she was answering.

"Go and rest for a while; we'll be watching a play this afternoon."

"Mmm," Liu Xiaocui responded softly and went back to her room.

After the second performance in the afternoon, the guests got up to say goodbye. Liu, Wang, and Li saw the guests off one by one, and only then did the sisters-in-law have time to talk about the old house.

Since it concerned Qinghe and her son-in-law's private affairs, it wasn't appropriate for others to listen. So Liu Xiaocui took Qiuyu, Dongyu, and Jin Xiaoqiao to play in the garden, leaving the elders to talk together.

"Is there something else?" Liu asked her two sisters-in-law, puzzled.

Wang and Li exchanged a glance, seemingly having something difficult to say, but feeling that the matter couldn't be kept secret anyway, they hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"When Qinghe was crying to our mother just now, I could tell from her words that their relationship is extremely bad right now. Ever since her miscarriage, her husband hasn't touched Qinghe."

"Ah! How could this happen?" Madam Liu never expected such a thing to happen.

"Qinghe said that when the two of them were together, her husband always called her Qingqing. Qinghe just thought it was an affectionate term between husband and wife and quite liked it. But today, when that mistress came to visit, she learned that the mistress's name was Yang Qingqing. And when Fang Zhiming was with Qinghe, he actually called her by that mistress's name," Li added. Since all of them had several children, and there was no one else in the room, the conversation flowed freely without much restraint.

"That beast Fang Zhiming is not human at all! He has no right to humiliate people like that!" After hearing Li's words, Liu slammed the cup in her hand heavily on the table.

“Who says otherwise! If you ask me, Qinghe enjoyed all the good fortune in her family, which is why she has had such a hard time in her husband’s family.” Wang said casually.

"Sister-in-law, you mustn't say that. If the old lady hears this, who knows what she'll do!" Madam Liu quickly reminded her.

"The Fang family's mistress has already brought her child to their door. What are their plans now?" Madam Liu asked again.

"I don't know. Our brainless sister-in-law saw the mistress come to our door with the child. She packed her things and came back. All she does when she gets back is cry. She doesn't know anything else," Wang said, spreading her hands helplessly.

"Sigh!" Madam Liu sighed helplessly, thinking to herself, "It's not enough to just spoil this daughter. Qinghe has been ruined by the old lady. Her family is already supporting her so much, but she can't stand up for herself. She's hopeless."