Crossing Over to Yamada Love

"Yes, I will." Mo Lan nodded with a smile.

"Then write a few words for your great-uncle to see. Lanlan's personality is sometimes gentle and sometimes resolute. It is said that handwriting reflects the person. Great-uncle, do you think Lanlan's handwriting is delicate or bold?" The old Marquis took the paper and pen and gestured for Molan to write.

Mo Lan was dumbfounded. She gave an awkward laugh and said, "Grandpa, maybe we shouldn't?"

"What?" the old Marquis asked, puzzled. Wasn't she literate? Could it be that she couldn't write?

“Brother, you don’t know this, but this girl is very bright and learns to read very quickly. She has learned a lot of characters and read many books by following the old man. It’s just that she has no interest in writing. Her handwriting is really hard to look at.” Madam Wang explained to her brother with a smile. No wonder her granddaughter didn’t come forward; her handwriting was really not presentable.

"Really? Then I'd love to see for myself. Lanlan, come here quickly." The old Marquis laughed heartily; he wanted to see just how good this girl's handwriting was.

"Fine, I'll write it then. Who's afraid of who?" Mo Lan blushed slightly, but quickly regained her composure. She was thick-skinned and didn't care if people laughed at her. She picked up the writing brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a few words.

Looking at the words she had written, the old Marquis's eyes widened in disbelief. Even though the girl had warned him beforehand, he still couldn't believe that this was the girl's handwriting. It was too... Wang Zhi and Wang Mingda couldn't help but chuckle to themselves.

Mo Lan blushed slightly at the laughter. After arriving, she learned traditional Chinese characters from her uncle, but she was used to writing modern characters and using ballpoint pens. She couldn't handle a calligraphy brush well. She recognized all the traditional characters, but writing them gave her a headache; the characters were too complicated, and she couldn't write a single character properly in all directions. Besides, her grandmother managed everything at home, and her uncle kept the accounts for the shop in front. There was no need for her to do anything; it was enough that she knew how to read.

"Grandpa, Lanlan's name is Plum Blossom in the Snow, isn't it nice?" Mo Lan teased herself.

"Plum blossoms in the snow? What does that mean?" the old marquis asked, puzzled. Everyone stared at Mo Lan, wondering what the plum blossoms in the snow meant.

"After the snow, the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow, and it looked very white. Several small animals came out, including chickens and dogs. Their paws left imprints on the snow, which are called snow plum blossoms," Mo Lan explained earnestly.

"Haha." Everyone burst into laughter. It turned out that this girl knew her handwriting looked like a dog's scratch. But she was really funny and not ashamed of her handwriting. After she said that, everyone not only didn't think her handwriting was ugly, but also thought she was lively and funny.

After this incident, the old Marquis was even more willing to talk to Mo Lan. In the Mo family, besides Wang Shi, Mo Lan was his favorite person.

With three more servants now in the Mo family, Qiu and the others have had a much easier time. Although Hua'er is young, she is very capable and can do all the work in the back room. Although she is not very strong, the Mo family does not make her do too much work, so she is not too tired. She also eats well, which is much better than at her own home. In just a few days, Hua'er's face has become much better than before.

Feng's condition has stabilized in the second wife's household, but she can no longer get out of bed. Mo Jin stays with her on the bed, and if she needs anything, he calls the servant left behind by Mo Ju to help. Da Lang and Li Shi basically don't care. Qiu Shi brings Mo Jin meals at noon and in the evening. There isn't much food, just enough for Mo Jin and Feng Shi, but Da Lang and Li Shi don't care. They have hands, feet, and money, so it's not within their own jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, news of the old Marquis's connection to the Mo family spread throughout the manor. Upon learning that Wang's brother was actually a Marquis, everyone felt a mixture of fear and envy, especially those who had offended the Mo family in the past; their hearts pounded with anxiety, fearing Mo family retaliation. Of course, many also felt regret, with Liu Hu's mother being the most deeply remorseful.

Upon hearing the news, she was filled with regret, slapping her thigh repeatedly. If she had known earlier, she would have done anything to make Liu Hu marry Mo Lan. That way, her family would have become incredibly wealthy and powerful, and she would have enjoyed endless riches and honor. But now that Hu'er was already married, it was too late. However, Liu Hu's mother's eyes darted around. She decided to find some time to ask Mo Lan if she was still willing to marry her son. If she was, she would make Liu Hu divorce his wife and marry Mo Lan. Liu Hu's mother made up her mind and prepared to ask Mo Lan privately at a later time.

In addition, many people have been gossiping about the Cheng family. Back then, the Cheng family looked down on the Mo family for their low social status and didn't want Cheng Xiao to marry Mo Lan, fearing that Mo Lan would hold Cheng Xiao back. But now, the Mo family has connections in the court. If the Cheng family marries Mo Lan, will Cheng Xiao still be afraid of not having anyone to help him?

The gossip in the village made the Cheng family too embarrassed to go out. The Cheng family members all harbored some resentment towards the Mo family, but they also felt some regret. If they had let Mo Lan and Cheng Xiao get married back then, what would the situation be like today?

Many people from the village came to visit the Mo family under various pretexts, hoping to see what the Marquis was like. However, before they even saw the Marquis, they were all frightened away by his guards and dared not come to pay their respects.

The Mo family took some time to set up a few tables and invited the two old aunts of the Mo family, Liu's parents, and Qiu's family. These were all proper relatives, and they had to come and meet them so that people wouldn't say they were impolite.

When everyone arrived, they all kowtowed and bowed to the Marquis, their behavior restrained and awkward, but inwardly they were very excited. This was the Marquis! They had never even seen a minor official of the seventh rank before, and the Marquis was far superior to any minor official. Now he was practically a relative of theirs. The Marquis even spoke to them kindly; how prestigious it would be to have word out!

During the banquet, Liu's younger sister also rushed over and fawned over the Mo family, saying how lucky her sister was to have married into the Mo family, without even considering how much she used to look down on the Mo family.

The Mo family simply smiled at her. They couldn't just kick her out, and one more person wouldn't make a difference at the meal, so they smiled and invited her to sit down.

All the tables were laden with delicious food. The women were in a good mood, as the Marquis wasn't there, so they ate comfortably, chatting and laughing as they finished their meal. Then, Granny Ma and the others cleared the tables and went to clean up. Qiu's family members followed her into her room. Mo Lan's maternal grandmother sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding her daughter's hand and laughing incessantly.

"I always said you were lucky to have met such a good mother-in-law and a good husband. It's hard work, but what farm family doesn't work? You opened a shop, and I thought your life was good enough. But I never imagined my daughter's fortune would be even greater! Your mother-in-law is actually the sister of a marquis—that's real family! Now your family even has servants, and no one dares to mess with you. It sounds like a dream. Your father and I haven't slept well for nights, afraid this good fortune would fall into the wrong hands. But seeing this today, I'm finally relieved. My daughter is really looking forward to enjoying a life of luxury," said Mo Lan's maternal grandmother.

"Mother, look at what you're saying. It's all thanks to your good judgment in choosing such a good husband for me. Oh, right, Mother, here's twenty taels of silver. Keep it safe. It'll be enough for any emergencies at home." Qiu took out twenty taels of silver from the chest and gave it to her mother.

"I don't want it! What are you doing? Does your mother-in-law know about this money? We're not short of money now. Dajun and his two brothers all contribute money to the family. We're living one of the best lives in the village right now. Please put it away." Grandma Mo Lan hurriedly refused. What she said was true; the three Qiu brothers, Dajun, Qiu, and Qiu, contributed several dozen taels of silver to the family every year. They were living quite well now.

"Mother, please accept this without worry. This silver is a gift from my uncle, and this is my share. My mother-in-law told me to keep it myself. I also have Changhe's share here. I don't need it for anything. What's the point of keeping so much silver?" Qiu stuffed it into her mother's hand.

"You should keep the money for Mei'er's dowry. She's getting married soon. Giving her more money will help her gain a foothold in her husband's family." Mo Lan's grandmother still refused. She wanted to give the money to Mo Mei.

“Yes, sister, let’s add some money to Mei’s dowry. The family isn’t short of money,” Qiu Huangshi and her two sisters-in-law also urged.

“Grandma, please take it. I have enough money for the dowry. This is a gift from Mom to you, please just accept it.” Mo Mei also blushed as she persuaded her grandmother. Mo Lan smiled.

"Silly girl, there's no such thing as too much money for this dowry," Mo Lan's grandmother said, hugging Mo Mei.

"Mother, I'm telling you this, but please don't tell anyone else, and neither should my eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law. We'll just keep it to ourselves," Qiu said mysteriously to her mother.

"What's wrong? You said we definitely wouldn't tell anyone," Mo Lan's maternal grandmother asked. Mo Lan's two aunts nodded repeatedly.

"The Marquis feels sorry for my mother-in-law who has suffered for so many years, so he treats us all very well. When Mei'er gets married, he gave her two hundred taels of silver just for her dowry. He probably feels guilty towards Mei'er because of what Uncle Chen Xuan did, so he gave her more. In addition, there are two sets of pure gold jewelry. There are several sets of silver jewelry as well. He also bought Mei'er two shops in town, plus ten acres of fertile land. Mei'er's dowry is quite impressive. Even if she doesn't do anything after marriage, it will be enough for her to live on for the rest of her life." Qiu Shi told her family.

Mo Mei blushed slightly. Her great-uncle had indeed given her a substantial dowry. She had originally planned to share half with her younger sister, but her sister refused, telling her that her great-uncle would likely give her even more in the future. She just wanted her sister not to take it to heart. How could she? She wouldn't be jealous no matter how much her sister received; it was what her sister deserved. Not only would a small dowry seem meager if her sister married into the Xue family, but even the things her sister had done for the family over the years were more than enough.

"Goodness, that's a lot! My Mei'er is so lucky. Now that she's getting married, the Marquis is coming to our door. Your family already prepared a generous dowry, and now everyone in your village will be green with envy." Mo Lan's maternal grandmother clicked her tongue in amazement, and her two aunts were also happy for Mo Mei. Their eyes revealed a hint of envy.