Chapter 153
153 Every Family Has Its Own Troubles
The two of them returned to the front courtyard. Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, Ruyi, Zhao Cai, Ji Xiang, and the other servants were waiting in front of the central room. When they saw the two of them return, they bowed. “Greetings, Young Master and Young Madam.”
Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, “Madam, you know them all. I won’t reintroduce them.”
Li Yu smiled and nodded. Uncle Zhou led a few people and bowed. “Yes, Young Madam.”
Li Yu smiled and looked at Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, and Ruyi. “Everyone, there’s no need to be so polite. Just be as casual as before.”
“Yes, Young Madam,” they said respectfully.
Li Yu looked at Ruyi. “Ruyi, your wedding with Xiaoyu is in a month. Is everything ready?”
Ruyi took a step forward and bowed. “Young Madam, it’s all done.”
Zhou Jia looked at Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang and smiled. “The two of you should work harder too. Hurry up and find a wife. I’ll get the three of you married.”
Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang glanced at Ruyi with resentment on their faces. They took a step forward and bowed. “Young Master, we’re still young. There’s no hurry.”
After Zhou Jia got married, he felt that having a wife and having a fiancée were really two different things. To think these two fools do not appreciate having a wife and were not anxious at all. “The two of you are not young anymore. Find a good wife quickly while you’re young. Otherwise, your good wives will be taken away.”
Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai complained in their hearts, “Young Master, don’t try to cage us all the moment you get married!”
Li Yu looked at their bitter gazes in amusement and smiled. “Alright, everyone, get busy!”
Zhao Cai and Ji XIang acted as if they had been pardoned. After bowing, they hurriedly left, afraid that Zhou Jia would catch them.
The two of them returned to the room. Zhou Jia was busy preparing Li Qing’s exam questions. Li Yu lay on the chaise longue and fell asleep.
Zhou Jia wrote for a while but didn’t hear Li Yu’s voice. He turned around and saw Li Yu lying on the chaise lounge, her face red from sleep. Zhou Jia walked over and pecked Li Yu’s cherry red lips happily. Li Yu woke up and gazed into Zhou Jia’s smile. She remembered that Zhou Jia had sung a tune yesterday. She raised Zhou Jia’s chin and looked at him lazily with a smile. “Xiao Xi, I heard that you know how to sing. Sing a tune for me.”
Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head. “Yu’er, how can I sing? I was just forced by Laidi and the others to sing randomly.”
Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia’s hand. “I want to hear you sing randomly. Xiao Xi, sing…”
Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and hugged her with a doting smile. “Alright, I’ll sing it for you. Don’t laugh at me if it’s not nice.”
“I promise I won’t laugh at you.” Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and promised with a smile.
Zhou Jia’s clear chanting came from above. “Peach Blossom…”
Li Yu listened to Zhou Jia’s chanting and felt the love in Zhou Jia’s heart. She was touched. She looked up at Zhou Jia affectionately and kissed his chin. “Xiao Xi, thank you.”
Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu tightly. “Thank you, Yu’er, my wife!” The two of them looked at each other lovingly.
He Xiaoyu calculated in her heart. September and October would come soon, and her wedding date was approaching. She folded the wedding clothes one by one and put them into the box sweetly.
Madam Huang looked at her daughter’s happy expression and curled her lips in disdain. “Wretched girl, what’s there to be happy about finding a servant? Just you wait! When the day comes that you regret it, don’t come back and cry to me.”
He Xiaoyu looked at Madam Huang angrily and said sadly, “Mother, I don’t understand. Other mothers expect their daughters to live a peaceful and happy life after getting married. Don’t you want your daughter to live a good life too?”
Madam Huang cowered slightly but looked at Xiaoyu confidently. She sneered, “That depends on what kind of family you’re married to. Don’t tell me so much. Don’t think I’ll think highly of that slave mule you found.”
He Xiaoyu looked at Madam Huang in disappointment. Tears rolled down her face as she said in a trembling voice, “I know. You’re blaming me for not following your instructions and choosing a son-in-law that you’re satisfied with. Don’t worry, I chose my own path. I’ll walk it even if it’s full of thorns. Since you’re unwilling to help me prepare, I won’t trouble you. I’ll do it myself!”
“If your father didn’t force me to come, do you think I would like to help you?” Madam Huang threw her clothes on the bed. “Alright, I’ll wait for the day you regret it.” With that, she slammed the door and left angrily.
Butcher He and his son pulled a cart of dowry furniture into the courtyard. When they saw Madam Huang coming out of her daughter’s house with an angry expression, they were secretly angry. She was getting more and more out of hand. She did not care about the severity of the situation. They could not let her do whatever she wanted anymore. They had to think of a way to calm her down.
Butcher He suppressed his anger and unloaded the furniture from the car with He Tiezhu. He said to He Tiezhu, “Take your little sister and bring the rest back. I’m a little tired. I’ll rest at home.”
He Tiezhu looked at Butcher He worriedly. “Father, are the things heavy? Are you feeling unwell?”
Butcher He kicked his son gently. “Brat, I want to slack off for a while. Can’t I?”
“Alright, you can slack off! I’ll ask Sister to go with you.” He Tiezhu dodged and jumped into He Xiaoyu’s room in a few steps. Seeing He Xiaoyu hanging her head and crying, he looked at He Xiaoyu with heartache. “Sister, Mother was probably just nagging at you again! Mother has that kind of personality. Just don’t take it to heart. Don’t be sad. It won’t be beautiful if your eyes are swollen from crying. Come, let’s go and pull the furniture together.”
He Xiaoyu looked up at He Tiezhu. “I’m not sad! I’ll go with you.”
He Tiezhu pulled He Xiaoyu out of the door. Butcher He closed the courtyard door and went to his room. He glanced at Madam Huang, who was lying on the bed and throwing a tantrum. He took out a bag and threw it on the bed. He pointed at Madam Huang and said coldly, “I know that it’s been hard on you when your mother married you to an orphan like me. All these years, no matter how you threw a tantrum, I’d give in to you. However, I won’t let you ruin the child’s marriage. Leave!”
Madam Huang rolled over and sat up. She pointed at Butcher He and shouted, “Then why didn’t you let me go in the past? Oh! I understand. Now that you think I’m old, which vixen do you like…”
Butcher He looked at Madam Huang mockingly. “You still know that you’re old? Then know your limits!”
“You…”
“Let me finish,” Butcher He interrupted Madam Huang. “You’re already dozens of years old. Don’t you understand the principle of peace in the family? All these years, as long as you’re not pleased, you can do whatever you want. In the past, I thought that you didn’t know the severity of the matter because you were young. I thought that you would change when you were old. Who knew that you would also use your son and daughter’s marriage to torture them? Leave! I’ve packed the silver at home. It’s enough for you.”
Madam Huang looked at Butcher He and couldn’t understand why this man, who had doted on her for more than ten years, became so stubborn. On second thought, he was just scaring her. He wouldn’t really let her go.
Madam Huang glanced at Butcher He calmly and got out of bed to take the clothes out of the box. She stuffed them into her bag and said to Butcher He in an imposing manner, “Give me the silver.”
Butcher He handed the small bag to Madam Huang. “I kept a few taels of silver for the banquet. The rest is inside. Hurry up. Don’t wait for the children to come back. It won’t look good when you cry.”