CHAPTER 338: CHAPTER 330: GOING TO THE CHEN FAMILY TO PROPOSE MARRIAGE (2)

In the main house, Prince Luling, Mu Yuanxiu, and Li Xing’an were playing chess and talking together.

Prince Luling savored the wine while holding his cup gracefully.

The wine had a rich aroma, indeed it was the Osmanthus Brew sent by the Chen Family.

The Princess Consort was playing with the two children.

The Great Princess and the Second Princess, along with Second Young Master Li, had gone to the market shop and had not returned. Li Xingmao, with Qin Hu, went to the village to discuss matters with the village chief, while Chai Eying was busy drafting illustrations for Li Yuzhu’s story in her room.

Li Yuzhu entered the room, "Father, Mother."

The Princess Consort waved her over, "Come in and sit, it must have been hard for you, hasn’t it?" She also complained, "Next time, don’t take on such exhausting work. I heard from the Third that you stayed up all night watching over that Chen Family lady."

Li Yuzhu said, "If I hadn’t watched over, both mother and child would have been lost. The child was large, in a breech position, and the family situation was peculiar. On the surface, they seem to have many family members, but few were truly concerned for the expectant mother."

The Princess Consort asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that?"

Li Yuzhu then explained the Chen Family’s situation to her.

The Princess Consort sighed empathetically, "It seems that the Chen Family lady has had a tough time. The sins committed by men, yet women have to bear the burden."

"I’ll go check on her again in the morning." Li Yuzhu said.

The Princess Consort did not object, "Go ahead, since you’ve promised to care for her, make sure it’s done well."

Li Yuzhu glanced around, "Huh, where is Li Lixing? Has he run off to play again?"

While everyone else had tasks, this little rascal had no chores.

Mu Yuanxiu and Li Xing’an both replied, "Haven’t seen him."

The Princess Consort said, "Such a big child, could he have gotten lost?"

Li Yuzhu thought the same and dropped the subject.

As for Li Lixing, by dinner time, the branch couldn’t hold his weight, and he fell off.

Rubbing his sore arms and legs, Li Pingxing shivered in fear, Mu Yuanxiu is formidable!

He won’t dare provoke him next time!

.

After chatting with Prince Luling and his wife for a while, Li Yuzhu carried Guoguo to the South Courtyard Main House to see Chai Eying.

It wasn’t that she wanted to bring Guoguo, but that Guoguo was clamoring for his mother.

"In this world, your mother is the best, right?" Li Yuzhu tapped Xiao Guoguo’s nose.

Guoguo hugged Li Yuzhu’s face and gave a big kiss, "Aunt."

Li Yuzhu laughed in frustration, "A suck-up, aren’t you? Aunt has two cheeks, after kissing the left, there’s still the right."

Guoguo understood and kissed her right cheek.

Leaving a face full of saliva.

Li Yuzhu laughed in exasperation, "You little rascal, making my face all slobbery!"

Chai Eying, having tired from painting, looked up to take a break when she heard the laughter of aunt and nephew at the door.

She put down her paintbrush and walked over, smiling, "Guoguo seems to be teething again, he’s been drooling a lot lately."

She took a handkerchief and wiped the saliva off Li Yuzhu’s face.

"Alright then, I forgive you." Li Yuzhu smiled and tapped Guoguo’s nose.

Chai Eying took Guoguo into her arms.

With her hands free, Li Yuzhu went to look at Chai Eying’s paintings.

Chai Eying worked quickly; there was already a stack of drawings on the table.

Li Yuzhu flipped through them one by one, surprised, "Big sister-in-law, you draw so fast, from yesterday to today, it’s only been two days." Yet she had drawn over twenty pieces.

Faster than when she drew for Li Lixing last time.

Chai Eying laughed, "I followed what you said, some drawings just needed a small change in expression, so of course it’s fast."

Li Yuzhu said, "These drawings are enough. I’ll have the Third Brother take them to the county for Xiao Chengzi to carve. Once the picture templates are carved, and Brother Tian finishes the text templates, we’ll be able to print the book."

If the sales are good, she will expand the scale.

.

The next day, June 7th.

To Li Yuzhu, it was a very ordinary day, but she received a gift from Mu Yuanxiu early in the morning, a Tea Flower Red Gold Hairpin.

A fine two-inch hair clip adorned with two gold tea flowers wrapped around the top.

She was surprised, "Mu Yuanxiu, why are you giving me a gift?"

"Today is your birthday." He smiled.

Li Yuzhu was taken aback, Birthday? Right, she remembered, it was the birthday of her identity in this lifetime.

"Thank you." Li Yuzhu smiled, "I really like it." She paused, curious, "Mu Yuanxiu, how did you know my birthday?"

Mu Yuanxiu looked at her with deep eyes, "I overheard it."

Li Yuzhu blinked, "Really?" Whose blabbermouth spoke about it?

Upon returning home, she asked her family, but all of them claimed they hadn’t told anyone about her birthday. Was everyone lying?

Li Yuzhu was left speechless.

Celebrating a birthday during days of hardship, the family couldn’t afford a grand event. Of course, she’s still young, and by custom, it’s not appropriate to hold big celebrations for those under fifty. It’s just a small family feast.

That noon, the Li Family held a small birthday banquet for Li Yuzhu, with the whole family accompanying her to eat birthday noodles.

In her previous life, she was an earthquake orphan and lost all her family at a young age. In this life, having a big family to accompany her eating birthday noodles and having a simple birthday, she felt very content.

.

Chai Eying painted a few more pictures.

Adding to the ones before, there were already thirty sketches.

"Sister-in-law, did you stay up late last night?" Li Yuzhu asked when she came to see Chai Eying, noticing her eyes, "They’re both dark."

Chai Eying laughed, "I didn’t stay up that late painting. It was Jingjing, he ate melon before bed last night and got up three times to pee, causing a ruckus."

Li Yuzhu walked over to a yawning Li Jing, "Did you keep your mom up?"

Li Jing scratched his head with innocence, "I don’t remember."

Chai Eying amusedly said, "How would he remember? He was half-asleep."

She did stay up late, but just for a few paintings, it’s nothing.

However, Li Yuzhu knew that Chai Eying must have stayed up late painting.

This kid, Li Jing, didn’t eat melon last night.

"Thank you, sister-in-law." She smiled gratefully.

Chai Eying glanced outside and urged her, "It’s getting late, aren’t you going to the Chen Family? Go quickly and come back soon."

"Yes, I have to go out." Li Yuzhu waved to the two children and took the sketches to find Li Xing’an.

Li Xing’an would take her to the Chen Family near the market and then to the county town.

But regarding the visit to the Chen Family, Li Xing’an wasn’t comfortable with Li Yuzhu going alone, which posed a problem of who should accompany her.

Li Xingmao had to attend to matters in the fields, and the Second Young Master had to accompany the Second Princess and Great Princess to see the shop.

Li Lixing only knew how to play and couldn’t handle serious matters.

"Let Mu Yuanxiu accompany me." Li Yuzhu thought for a moment and said.

Li Xing’an got agitated; anyone could go except Mu Yuanxiu!

"No, no, I can’t be at ease." He waved his hand.

Li Yuzhu looked at the sky, "If we keep delaying, the day will be over. Then forget finding someone to accompany me, I’ll go by myself. The Chen Family isn’t all that frightening."

While the siblings were unable to come to a decision, Mu Yuanxiu rode his mule over.

From afar, he saw Li Xing’an and Li Yuzhu arguing about something.

As he got closer and heard what they were discussing, he said, "I’ll go to the county town, and you go to the Chen Family."

Li Xing’an chuckled and patted Mu Yuanxiu’s shoulder, "Thanks a lot to you then."

Li Yuzhu was speechless, feeling that Li Xing’an was always bullying Mu Yuanxiu.

"Mu Yuanxiu, I’ll leave it to you then." Li Yuzhu handed him the sketches, "Make sure Xiao Chengzi carves them with the fastest speed."

Mu Yuanxiu tucked the sketches into his coat and shook the reins of the mule, "Okay."

After Mu Yuanxiu left, Li Xing’an breathed a sigh of relief and said lightly, "Third Sister, time to go to the Chen Family."

Li Yuzhu watched Mu Yuanxiu walk away before she got into the carriage.

Seeing her worried face, Li Xing’an felt anxious himself. No, no, he definitely needed to arrange a match for Mu Yuanxiu. Maybe the Chen Family girl wasn’t bad?

Hmm, that’s it, let’s go to the Chen Family to propose a match.

Just as Li Yuzhu sat in the carriage and was about to lower the curtain, she caught sight of Li Xing’an’s peculiar smile.

Curiously, she asked, "Third Brother, why are you laughing?"

Li Xing’an yawned and looked up at the sky, "Ah, nothing, an annoying crow just flew away."

Li Yuzhu, "..." She looked up at the sky too, "Where? I didn’t see anything."

Li Xing’an tugged on the horse’s reins, guiding it onto the road, "It flew away."

Li Yuzhu was speechless, "..." What on earth? What’s so funny about a crow?

.

The carriage carrying Li Xing’an and Li Yuzhu stopped in front of the Chen Family courtyard.

The Chen Family’s servant recognized them and quickly ran into the yard to relay the message, "Master, Third Young Master Li and Miss Li have arrived."

Old Chen, having recently gotten a granddaughter, would sit in the shady area by his eldest daughter-in-law’s room, drinking wine and listening to the crying baby whenever he had nothing to do.

The whole family found him peculiar, what’s so enjoyable about the baby’s crying?

Old Mrs. Chen found the sound most annoying and was nearly driven mad by her granddaughter’s cries.

She cries intermittently, and her voice is louder than other babies.

With a girl’s voice louder than a boy’s, will she still be able to get married in the future?

The night before, unable to stand it after a night of crying, Old Mrs. Chen stayed at a relative’s house, only returning this morning.

Old Chen scolded her for being ridiculous, leaving a perfectly good home to sleep elsewhere.

To those unaware, it would seem as if they, old enough for their coffin boards, were having a petty quarrel!