eaten, leaving only a thin core.Seeing that everyone was looking at her, she immediately threw the seed core away, shaking her two chubby hands and said with utmost innocence: "I didn't eat it, Funiu...Huiniang wanted to say that she didn't need a lavish embroidered room or a beautiful courtyard, all she wanted was for him to be safe and sound. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she couldn't help but hug her husband tightly and burst into tears.
Li Laotai and others saw this in their eyes, with mixed feelings.
Do you still remember when Li Yong was Master Yan, standing before the desolate valley, waving his arms excitedly and shouting that he would turn it into a fairyland on earth
That kind of spirited and carefree, unrestrained.
Now he's become a responsible husband and father, which should be a good thing. But why does their heart feel so bitter
Every person's growth will have pain.
Some people complete it in an instant, while others have to break down their bones step by step before reconstructing them.
Evidently, Li Yong belongs to the latter!
The pressure and distrust within his family had been weighing him down for over a decade. It was only when his plans for marriage were thwarted that he finally reached his breaking point. He witnessed his wife being given abortion pills, and saw his wife and children nearly lose their lives.
He finally despaired of his family, abandoning everything and breaking away to establish his own household. He was completely ostracized by his relatives.
To provide shelter and support for his wife and children, he abandoned his dreams and passions. He took up arms and fought on the battlefield, using all his wits to earn money.
Perhaps the method was a bit clumsy and came at a high price, but undoubtedly, he had transformed from a spoiled playboy into a qualified pillar, a truly upright man.
It's heartwarming but also heartbreaking!
Grandma Li waved her hand, took Li Lao Er and the village chief out of the room, letting the two young people have a good talk...
Many hands make light work!
People eat a lot, but they also work quickly.
Several more days passed. By then, Li Yong’s flesh wounds had mostly healed and he could stroll leisurely around the ground when the path under the archway was repaired, only the stone bridge remained to be finished with some effort.
But most of the manpower has already been moved to Da Huai Shu Village.
After all, building a bridge is a technical task that doesn't require so many people. Having them all wait around is a waste of manpower and delays progress.
The invitations from the Liu family have already been sent to the Li family, and a banquet is scheduled for tomorrow.
Mrs. Cui was worried that Li's daughter-in-law, attending such an occasion for the first time, might make a mistake with her attire and be ridiculed by others. So she took a carriage over a day in advance.
With Grandma by my side, how could anything go wrong
It was rare for Tao Hongying to not be helping out at the tavern today. At this moment, all ages were gathered in the old lady's house, selecting clothes and jewelry.
Because it was a happy occasion, and Madam Li had an imperial decree, she chose her garments and jewelry to be more luxurious and elegant.
And since she had the most new dresses and jewelry of all the people in her household, choosing with her eyes closed wouldn't have made a difference; she wouldn't have worried about being outdone by anyone else.
Only Tao Hongying, who was used to being frugal and always busy in the kitchen, didn't have any suitable luxurious dresses.
Luckily, Mrs. Cui had thought of this and brought two sets of her new clothes.
Both of them were about the same age and build, so they tried on a set together. It actually fit quite well.
Jia Yin watched her mother carefully pulling at her brocade skirt, feeling immense guilt in her heart.
Normally, she not only ignored her mother's business acumen but also overlooked the fact that her mother was a woman who loved beauty. In the future, she must definitely arrange for her mother to have new clothes, shoes, and jewelry.
In short, she was going to dress her mother up as the most beautiful mother in the world!
Of course, action speaks louder than words. It's never too late to start anything!
As everyone was chatting idly, Jia Yin grunted and dragged a small box from the foot of the kang.
Before they could even ask a couple of questions, Jia Yin opened the box lid, and a blinding flash of gold filled the air.
Originally, the box was filled with gold bracelets, jade bracelets, gold hairpins, gemstone pendants, and large pearls... It could be said that everything was available, and each piece was not ordinary.
To know these things, most of them are the accumulation of the Hou Mansion, and some were brought back from the palace. Even if the materials are average, the craftsmanship of the master craftsmen in the internal construction workshop is extremely rare.
Not only were Hui Niang and Shui Yun Shui Yue staring wide-eyed, even Cui Madam and He Ma Ma, who had seen many things in their lives, were somewhat surprised.
Jiayin pushed the hairpin toward her mother's hand, "Mom, pick a pretty one! Wear it when you drink!"
Tao Hongying instinctively raised her hand and quickly closed the box. "This is what you saved up, what do you want to take it out for Put it away quickly!"
"That's right, keep these for your dowry later. These are all good things the Marquis has saved for you!" Li Laotai also nodded quickly to coax her granddaughter.
Seeing her grandmother and mother's standoff, Jia Yin realized she had to fight back. She red-eyed and started to sob dramatically, "No, other people's mothers are pretty too! My mother has to be pretty!"
As expected, Li Laotai and Tao Hongying panicked immediately. The two plump figures surrounded the girl in the middle, wishing they could rip their hearts out just to make her stop crying.
Mrs. Cui and Huiniang and the others found it amusing and quickly advised, “Just listen to Funiu’er. The little girl knows what's good for her and doesn't want people to say that her mother is not beautiful.”
Mrs. Li sighed, but she still couldn't bear to part with them. But seeing her daughter-in-law's bare bun, adorned only with a single silver hairpin, she immediately changed her tune. "Hongying," she said, "just pick a few pieces. Don't worry about it!"
“Just pick whichever one you like! You don't know your daughter, do you She's obsessed with money. The best ones are probably hidden away, and she's only showing you the second-rate stuff.”
This really hit home, Jia Yin even forgot to sob, awkwardly frozen there.
Grandma has been taking care of herself lately, she's really getting the hang of things!
Although she's right, she did hide the diamonds and jewels, but this box is full of good stuff too!
A gold bangle with red jasper inlay, a hairpin set with jade and gold, a string of pearls, a jade pendant… each one was her favorite treasure. She wouldn't part with any of them, not even for her own mother!
Tao Hongying looked at her daughter's flustered appearance and couldn't help but smile, "Alright, then I'll choose a few more pieces. Can't disappoint my daughter's filial piety!"
Finally, she chose a silver hairpin with a red magnolia flower head, a pair of smooth, open-face gold bracelets, and a string of green jade pearl necklace.
These are all eye-catching yet precious jewelry.
Jia Yin pestered the old woman, also selecting a gold-inlaid blue stone "壽" character jade hairpin. She coaxed the old woman into laughter.
On the left side, they were showing off their wealth once again. Jia Yin gave a generous gift to Lady Cui, and since she was already being kind, she also chose a gold and jade plum blossom hairpin for Lady Cui and a pair of emerald gourd earrings for Hui Niang.
Of course, both declined at first, but in the end they were persuaded by Li Lao Tai to accept.
One was a godmother who treated Jia Yin like her own daughter, and the other was her teacher who taught her needlework and basic literacy. It would be only right for Jia Yin to show them some gratitude.
The next day, after breakfast, Li Lao'er and Li Zhensheng rode in Li's carriage. Cui's carriage carried Mrs. Cui, Li Laotai, Tao Hongying, Jia Yin, He Mama, and Dongmei. They all set off together for Liu's house.
Old Four Li couldn't return from the dock, so only Hui Niang and her husband, Li Yong, were left to look after the household.
The Liu family had been a renowned and influential clan for generations. Now, thanks to Liu Zhiheng being bestowed with a fourth-rank official position by the emperor, they were hosting a grand banquet that drew a multitude of guests.
As the sun climbed high in the sky, the road in front of the Liu family's house was already starting to be blocked by carriages and horses...
My treasures, it's the end of the month, please support Xiao Funiu! Cross your legs and act cutely to ask for good reviews (give five stars or click "like"), and read votes! Huahua works hard to type, let's see if I can add more chapters for you guys tomorrow!se Chen Shilang's influence to facilitate their own businesses.Mrs. Chen looked around for a while, becoming increasingly frustrated, and finally resigned herself to the situation.She took her female...