Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 541 - 503: Follow the Wife and Enjoy Good Food (2)
Li Yu En smiled and replied, "Third Aunt, what do you want to say to me?"
Third Aunt Lou held Li Yu En’s hand, her face full of kindness, "You’ve come from far away, without any relatives to visit. If you don’t mind our home, how about coming over tomorrow? I’ll send someone to pick you up. Your cousins-in-law are both hospitable; let’s all have a lively time together." She then looked at Lady Lou, "Elder Sister-in-law, I’m taking the fifth son’s wife with me, you wouldn’t mind, right? Don’t worry, I’ll bring her back just as she is."
Third Aunt Lou was a straightforward person, and after speaking, she laughed herself first.
How could Lady Lou be unwilling?
It would be laughable to forbid normal family visits.
But this muddle-headed Li Yu En, at the clever third sister-in-law’s house, wouldn’t she surely be laughed at by that family?
Lady Lou inwardly blamed Li Yu En, faulting her for being an ignorant village girl, and also blaming the little sister-in-law for being so meddlesome!
Although the third sister-in-law’s family wasn’t extremely wealthy, each of their children was talented, excelling in all things—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—better than her own sons and daughters-in-law.
This village girl Li Yu En would certainly embarrass herself at the third sister-in-law’s house!
Lady Lou thought of the possible events, and her mood turned extremely sour.
Yet she couldn’t stop Li Yu En from going.
If she stopped Li Yu En from going, people would say she was an evil mother-in-law, even blocking her daughter-in-law from visiting relatives.
Lady Lou, suppressing her displeasure, awkwardly said, "Qingniang likes the fifth son’s wife, it’s her fortune. This is her first time in Zhen An Prefecture and she hasn’t been out, I worry she might be timid, so let the second son’s wife accompany her."
The second son’s wife’s grandfather was a university scholar, whose students were spread all over.
Some were even officials at the court. The siblings of the second son’s wife were all knowledgeable and courteous, and proficient in all arts.
At that time, let the second son’s wife shield the village girl of the Li Family from the little sister-in-law’s household problems.
Third Aunt Lou smiled and said, "Alright, the more, the merrier."
Li Yu En blinked and thought for a moment, "But tomorrow is the day of the third-day return visit, I have to see my second brother tomorrow, which counts as returning to my parents’ home, how about the day after tomorrow, Third Aunt?"
"Sure, the day after tomorrow works too, I’ll send a nanny from the residence to pick you and the second son’s wife up early in the morning." Third Aunt Lou smiled warmly.
With approval received, Li Yu En left the upper room satisfied.
However, Lady Lou was furious to the core, she’s even thinking of returning to her parents’ home!
Where exactly is her maternal home?
Third Aunt Lou said she still wanted to speak with Old Lady Lou, and also left Lady Lou’s upper room.
After these two left, Lady Lou let out a long sigh.
She called the housekeeper, "About the charcoal, what’s going on here?"
The housekeeper looked puzzled, "Not sure, madam."
Lady Lou, with a steady face, said, "Go find Fifth Young Master!"
.
Lou Chengye helped Li Xingsheng settle the rent and returned home.
He was in the mansion discussing matters with a few former attendants when the housekeeper by Lady Lou’s side found him, "Fifth Young Master, madam is looking for you, she asked you to see her quickly."
The two former attendants said together to Lou Chengye, "Fifth Young Master, the madam is treating you much better now, helping you marry a wife and sending charcoal, you mustn’t be mischievous anymore."
These two attendants were old servants of the residence, around the same age as Prefect Lou.
Lou Chengye called them uncle.
He frowned, "Got it, Uncle Chen, Uncle Wang."
In a hurry, Lou Chengye arrived at Lady Lou’s main room.
Upon entering, he saw Lady Lou looking at him with a stern face.
Lou Chengye cautiously walked over, "Mother, you wanted to see me?"
Lady Lou looked at him coldly, "If I didn’t send someone to find you, you wouldn’t come to see me?"
Lou Chengye waved his hand, "How could that be? Mother, your son was out on business today. When Mrs. Qin found me, I was talking things over with Uncle Chen and Uncle Wang. After finishing, I planned to come visit you."
Lady Lou gave a light snort, "Out on business? Went to buy charcoal, didn’t you?"
Lou Chengye nodded openly, "Yes, all the charcoal has been delivered, right? The shopkeeper at Chen’s Shop wanted eleven wen per jin, a hundred jin would cost one thousand one hundred wen. I bargained with him, asking if more purchases could be cheaper; finally, he sold us at the price of one thousand eighty wen per hundred jin, which saved us fifteen hundred wen compared to before."
"Did I tell you to buy it?" Lady Lou looked steady, "Without even mentioning it to me first, and you had it delivered, so much delivered!"
Li Yu En’s face really is thick enough, to unapologetically accept it all!
Lou Chengye’s face was full of grievance, "Mother, didn’t I just say? Buying in bulk can be cheaper. Besides, we didn’t have charcoal in our courtyard; mother, you also said earlier, once we had charcoal, it wouldn’t be lacking for us. I saw the shop had it, so I bought it. The shopkeeper said the weather is getting colder day by day, in a few days the price will be higher, and near New Year, no one will be producing charcoal. By then, it really can’t be bought."
"Was it Li Family’s brother who told you to buy?" Lady Lou thought of Li Xingsheng being with him and asked.
Lou Chengye didn’t want Li Xingsheng to get involved in his family matters and shook his head, "No, it was me who wanted to buy. He said he wanted to familiarize himself with the city’s routes and also mentioned wanting to rent a house, so he tagged along; it wasn’t him who wanted to buy."
"Really?" Lady Lou didn’t believe it.
Lou Chengye nodded, "Mother, our courtyard has no charcoal fire. If Yu En gets cold, won’t people talk ill of you when this spreads? I’m... I’m doing this for your sake."
Lady Lou’s face turned even darker, "The way you say it, it sounds like I have intentions to freeze her to death."
"Mother, you’ve misunderstood, that’s not what I meant." Lou Chengye quickly waved his hands.
"That’s exactly what you meant." Lady Lou snorted angrily, "Go on, go on, you’ll be the death of me sooner or later."
She waved her hand at Lou Chengye and no longer looked at him.
Lou Chengye glanced at her and left the room.
After Lou Chengye walked far away, Lady Lou hammered her leg, "I wanted to make him face difficulty and understand that I’m displeased with him so that he’d improve himself. Hey, now they’re teaming up to play tricks!"
Mrs. Qin, the nanny beside Lady Lou, said, "Lady, both the Fifth Young Master and Fifth Young Madam are smart people, they’re just young and immature. They’ll understand when they get older."
"I see the two of them as equally foolish, I’m afraid even when my hair turns white, they won’t improve." Lady Lou rubbed her forehead.
She always opposed her fifth son marrying a country girl, but her husband agreed, and so did her son.
Then she thought, maybe the children from poor families are more responsible?
Could she persuade her fifth son?
Well, here comes someone who knows how to enjoy better than her fifth son, with even more audacity!
She’ll be the death of him sooner or later.
"Order the kitchen to lower the food quality for Wulang, no meat allowed!" They’ve solved the cold, let’s see how they’ll solve hunger!
Mrs. Qin frowned, "Lady, they’re newly married, this..."
Lady Lou said angrily, "What do you mean ’this’, just arrange it like that!"
"Yes." Mrs. Qin had no choice but to reply.
.
Lou Chengye was reprimanded by his mother again and returned dejectedly to his He Feng Courtyard.
But as soon as he saw Li Yu En’s smiling face, his mood immediately improved.
"Chengye, you’re back? Did you bring me anything to eat?" Li Yu En looked at him expectantly.
Earlier she had asked Second Lady Liu to go to the kitchen for dinner, but they were given all vegetarian, not a single piece of meat.
Was she being asked to lose weight?
No, no, no, losing weight is impossible, there’s no way she’d lose weight in this lifetime.
Back then, her family pushed her to lose weight because she hadn’t married yet, and they worried that no one would like her due to her weight.
But now she’s married, what’s the point of losing weight?
It’s so hard to lose weight, she wouldn’t be able to eat delicious foods.
Besides, her husband is just as chubby as she is!
Lou Chengye said awkwardly, "Yu En, I forgot, after buying charcoal, I helped my second brother find a house, and when I got home, my mother called me to talk."
He scratched his head, embarrassedly.
Li Yu En tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Let’s visit Grandma, maybe she has something good to eat."
Visiting Old Lady Lou, they are bound to stay for a meal. Surely they won’t leave her and Lou Chengye with just vegetarian food?
There was plenty of fish and meat for lunch.
Lou Chengye said happily, "Alright, Grandma likes it when we visit often."
As the couple went to visit Old Lady Lou, they grabbed two baskets of charcoal to bring along, taking them to Old Lady Lou’s courtyard.
Li Yu En walked into the main room and immediately called sweetly to Old Lady Lou, "Old Lady, Mother sent me several thousand pounds of charcoal which I can’t use all. I brought some for Old Lady; this is top-grade silver thread charcoal, without any smoke."
She was young, her voice soft and sweet, smiling like a lucky doll.
Seeing her made Old Lady Lou happy, "You child, you get a little something and immediately think of me, not keeping it for yourself."
Li Yu En smiled, "Because I have so much, I can’t use it all."
If it were someone else, sending such a little thing that’s not expensive, the old lady wouldn’t even look. But since Li Yu En is a country girl and hasn’t seen many good things, she thinks of others when she receives something, making Old Lady Lou even more fond of her.
Old Lady Lou, feeling happy, immediately called for the people around her to prepare dinner, "Tell the kitchen to make more nice dishes."
Li Yu En playfully winked at Lou Chengye, see, our dinner is settled.
Lou Chengye looked at her, holding back a laugh.
Suddenly, he thought, his young mistress is really smart.
Since meeting the young mistress, he has no longer been hungry or cold, and even his usually scolding father has stopped shouting at him. The old lady’s attitude towards him has improved too.
Ah, if only he’d met the young mistress earlier.
