Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 490 - 464: If You Don’t Marry, You’ll Go Home to Be a Pampered Young Master (1)
Li Xingmao is the eldest in the family and the future head of the Li Family. As he walked into the room, everyone greeted him.
Some called him big brother or Brother Li.
Li Xingmao glanced at everyone, "I need to discuss something with Chengye. Second Brother, you take Lixing out."
Li Xingsheng patted Li Lixing’s shoulder, "Let’s go, we’ll take a look at the school. There are no students there right now, so you can have a look around."
Li Lixing followed Li Xingsheng outside but paused after a few steps to look back at Lou Chengye.
Lou Chengye was staring at him darkly.
Li Lixing was so frightened that he ducked his head and quickly ran out.
Li Xingmao picked a chair to sit in and pointed to another chair, smiling and nodded at Lou Chengye, "Have a seat."
"Yes, Brother Li." Lou Chengye bowed his hand in salute to Li Xingmao and sat down properly.
Li Xingmao first asked Lou Chengye if he wanted to notify his family that he was here.
But Lou Chengye said that he wouldn’t mention his whereabouts unless something important happened, as Li Lixing knew where he was and he wouldn’t get lost.
Li Xingmao understood and did not ask more.
Then he said, "Brother Lou, my parents think highly of you. They want to take you as a son-in-law to marry my Second Sister. What do you think?" Li Xingmao smiled slightly as he spoke.
The news was too sudden.
Lou Chengye was momentarily at a loss, "Ah... son... son-in-law?"
"My Second Sister, you’ve met her before. She’s the one who opened a shop selling pastries on Market Street today. Her name is Li Yu En, and she’s one year younger than you. She studied for a few years with tutors hired by the family, so she can read and write. She knows a bit about music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and embroidery. Her best skill is in cooking, and she has never been betrothed before. This is her first time mentioning a marriage proposal as she’s grown up." Li Xingmao continued.
Lou Chengye was taken aback by the sudden marriage proposal, feeling at a loss and unsure of the direction.
Seeing him silent, Li Xingmao said, "You’re not saying anything. Is it because you’re already betrothed at home? Did we make it difficult for you?"
Lou Chengye quickly waved his hands, "No, no!"
In his heart, he thought, if someone was interested in him, why would he need to run away?
He couldn’t find anyone to marry; his brothers mocked him saying he couldn’t do anything right, which was why women weren’t interested in him. In anger, he packed up and went out to find a career.
Seeing his confirmed answer, Li Xingmao continued, "Then is my sister not good? Do you not fancy her?"
The way he said it, how dare he not fancy Miss Li? It was that he wasn’t worthy!
Lou Chengye sighed, "Brother Li, I haven’t accomplished anything; how could I hope to marry Miss Li? Brother Li, stop joking."
Li Xingmao patted him on the shoulder with a smile, "Brother Lou, they say ’Establish a family, establish a career.’ Build a family first, and then a career. With life goals, a career comes quickly and smoothly."
Lou Chengye frowned, "But my brothers say that without a career, girls won’t be interested."
Li Xingmao said, "That’s your brothers trying to knock you down. Moreover, a career and marriage aren’t in conflict; you can find a career anytime but marriage is something that can’t be forced. If you miss this village, there won’t be another shop."
If you miss this village, there won’t be another shop? Lou Chengye contemplated Li Xingmao’s words, thinking about the image of Miss Li.
Miss Li was fair-skinned, with a sweet smile on her chubby face, speaking softly, being gentle and quiet, with a good temperament.
Should he agree?
Seeing him lower his eyes in thought again, Li Xingmao didn’t push him, saying, "How about this, you think it over and reply to me tomorrow."
Lou Chengye nodded.
.
It was time for dinner.
Except for Li Xingmao’s family of four eating separately in the South Courtyard House, everyone else was eating in the outer room of the kitchen.
The kitchen was divided into two parts, front and back. The back part was the cooking area and the front room had a rectangular table, a food cabinet, and a dish cabinet.
There was a door for each part. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
This was to prevent dust from being raised onto the dining table in the front room when transporting firewood.
Prince Luling and his wife were the heads of the household, sitting at the top, followed by the Li brothers on one side, and the Li sisters on the other side.
Mu Yuanxiu, Li Lixing and the Government Official Qin Hu, as well as Lou Chengye, sat with the brothers, while Uncle Gui and Nanny Jiang sat on the sisters’ side.
The end seat originally belonged to Li Xingmao’s couple but was empty now.
Because there were guests, dinner was especially sumptuous today.
Lou Chengye saw the table full of delicious foods and started to mouth-water, but as a guest, he felt shy to be the first to pick up the chopsticks and restrained himself, waiting for Prince Luling and his wife to start eating first.
Sitting across from him, the Second Princess whispered to him which dishes were delicious and which ones were Nanny Jiang’s specialty, making Lou Chengye even hungrier.
Prince Luling and his wife glanced at them and shared a knowing smile.
"In a hurry, we didn’t prepare anything special, hope you don’t mind," Prince Luling smiled.
Lou Chengye said, "The food is excellent, Uncle Li and Aunt Li."
"Then eat more, eat up, eat while it’s hot as the weather is cold," Prince Luling smiled.
Li Xingsheng brought warm wine and poured a cup for everyone.
Even the youngest Li Lixing couldn’t resist taking a sip.
The warm wine and hot soup dishes, after entering the stomach, indeed warmed up a lot.
Li Yuzhu glanced at the Second Princess, then at Lou Chengye, quietly raising the corner of her lips.
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms.
Li Yuzhu took a lantern and escorted Mu Yuanxiu.
At the gate of the house, Li Yuzhu handed the small lantern to him and waved her hand, "You go back yourself."
Mu Yuanxiu looked up at the sky, which was flurrying with snowflakes, "It’s really cold today."
Li Yuzhu suppressed a laugh, "It was cold yesterday too."
Yesterday and today, the two of them were up on the mountain organizing the house.
When it was cold, they sat together by the fire.
"Yesterday was not as cold as today," Mu Yuanxiu looked at her, frowning.
Li Yuzhu grabbed his hand and blew on it, smiling, "Is it warm now?"
Mu Yuanxiu looked at her and smiled, "A little better."
Li Yuzhu held back a laugh, blew more warm air into his hands, and rubbed them, "Any better now?"
Mu Yuanxiu pinched her cheek, "It’s fine now, I’m going back."
Li Yuzhu laughed even more.
Mu Yuanxiu dawdled for a long time, then walked off with a lantern, and only when that little point of light disappeared did Li Yuzhu go back to the house.
When she returned to her bedroom, she saw the Great Princess pressing the Second Princess, "And then what?"
"That’s it."
"I don’t believe you, you’re not telling the truth," the Great Princess stared at the Second Princess, "Think again."
"I can’t think of anything, big sister," the Second Princess said with a bitter face.
"What are you talking about?" Li Yuzhu walked over.
The Great Princess pointed at the Second Princess, "I asked her how she found Lou Chengye as a husband, and she actually said she doesn’t know."
Li Yuzhu found it amusing, expecting the Second Princess to come up with a detailed explanation was impossible.
The Second Princess’s mind never dwelled on romance at all.
How could she have the Great Princess’s meticulous thoughts?
"I, I, I... I didn’t find him, it’s Second Brother who brought him back," the Second Princess said, confused and blushing, "He’s not my husband yet, don’t talk nonsense."
"Come on, you were whispering sweetly during dinner, do you think I didn’t see?" the Great Princess scoffed.
"We were discussing which dish was good," the Second Princess said innocently, "There was no whispering sweet nothings."
Li Yuzhu, "..."
The Great Princess, "..."
The two were dumbfounded staring at her.
The Second Princess looked at them, blinking, "You don’t believe me? Go ask Lou Chengye!"
The Great Princess said darkly, "I’m not asking, you useless girl."
Li Yuzhu laughed, "Second sister, what do you think of Lou Chengye?"
The Second Princess tilted her head, thought for a moment, "He’s okay, knows how to calculate, understands a lot about food, oh, he can make garlic white-cut chicken."
Li Yuzhu, "..."
The Great Princess, "..."
.
Lou Chengye lived in the room next to the Li family’s brothers, tossing and turning at night.
At this moment, Li Lixing pushed the door open and entered his room, "Brother Ye?"
Lou Chengye turned over and saw a dark shadow groping its way over.
Lou Chengye asked, "Why aren’t you sleeping?"
"I’m worried about you, Brother Ye," Li Lixing climbed onto the bed, huddling at the other end of Lou Chengye’s bed.
Lou Chengye kicked him, "The quilt was not warm already, and you made it even colder."
Li Lixing ignored him, chuckled, settled in, "Brother Ye, will you marry Second Sister Li?"
Lou Chengye was just thinking, maybe Miss Li isn’t bad either?
"I’m thinking about it."
"Stop thinking, just agree," Li Lixing said.
"Why are you rushing me? I’m not anxious, why are you?" Lou Chengye asked.
"You have so many brothers, if you marry a wife at home, what status will you have? In my opinion, you should marry Second Sister Li and live with the Li family, so you don’t have to suffer under your brothers," Li Lixing persuaded, "If you don’t get married, you’ll be kept at home as a pampered fool."
"You’re the fool!" Lou Chengye kicked Li Lixing.
"Okay, okay, I’m the fool, but if your other Brothers Lou find you, they’ll turn you into a fool too," Li Lixing reminded him.
Li Lixing spoke the truth.
Because Lou Chengye was the youngest at home, his parents always worried he couldn’t handle things, so they never let him do anything complicated, difficult, or dangerous.
Such as horseback riding, archery, studying abroad, receiving guests, these were not allowed.
Gradually, his abilities fell far behind his brothers.
When his parents asked about his studies, they found him lacking and called him lazy.
He was also mocked by his brothers.
This made Lou Chengye very frustrated.
Li Lixing’s reminder strengthened his resolve to marry outside and establish a career.
Instead of blindly seeking a wife and career, why not accept the Li family’s good intention?
Besides, the Li family was distant relatives of Li Lixing, all familiar people.
After thinking it over, Lou Chengye decided to marry Miss Li as his wife.
Lou Chengye stayed silent, so Li Lixing prompted him again, "Brother Ye? Have you decided?"
"Thinking about it, aren’t you going back to sleep? I’m going to sleep now."
"I’ll go, I’ll go, I’m heading back now." Li Lixing slipped off the bed, wrapped himself in a cape, and ran out of the room back next door.
As soon as he entered, someone grabbed him, "Did you ask?"
