Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 543 - 0505 Future Plans (2)

Li Yu En squinted and smiled, "Uncle Shuishing, did Father arrange for you to escort me back home?"

Chang Sui Lou Shuisheng laughed, "Fifth Young Madam guessed right, Master sent me to accompany Fifth Young Master and Fifth Young Madam back home."

Lou Chengye looked at Li Yu En in disbelief; his young wife was amazing to have guessed that too?

Li Yu En’s plan to visit Li Xingsheng was told by Second Lady Liu to Liu Er yesterday, and Liu Er passed the message to Li Xingsheng.

Li Xingsheng had already made arrangements at home, waiting for Li Yu En in the front courtyard.

Prefect Lou was worried that his fifth son’s etiquette might not be thorough, so he sent Chang Sui to follow his fifth son.

Li Yu En took Liu Er Niu and Lou Chengye, and together with Chang Sui Lou Shuisheng, they arrived at the front courtyard, and indeed saw Li Xingsheng.

Standing with Li Xingsheng was Mrs. Qin, the steward beside Lady Lou.

Mrs. Qin saw Li Yu En approaching and smiled, giving a courteous bow, "Madam sent me to accompany the Fifth Young Madam back home."

Li Xingsheng glanced at Mrs. Qin indifferently, saying nothing.

Li Yu En was very happy, "Thanks to Mother for the arrangement."

Beside Mrs. Qin were two old women, each holding baskets filled with gifts.

"Second Brother." Li Yu En ran towards Li Xingsheng with a smile.

Li Xingsheng pinched her chubby cheek, "Let’s go, home to eat something delicious."

Li Yu En laughed, "What’s delicious?"

"I ordered signature dishes from the tavern, so you can feast." Li Xingsheng affectionately patted her shoulder. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Thank you, Second Brother." Li Yu En laughed, feeling very happy; days without dieting were wonderful.

From the Lou Mansion to Li Xingsheng’s residence, it was only a street away, through the street and into an alley a hundred steps, that’s where Li Xingsheng’s house was.

Li Yu En did not take a carriage; Chang Sui Lou Shuisheng arranged a sedan chair for her.

Li Xingsheng was secretly surprised, the Lou Mansion’s etiquette was thorough today, with Chang Sui following and the steward lady accompanying.

Li Yu En’s sedan chair was at the front, with Lou Chengye and Li Xingsheng riding horses behind.

Mrs. Qin led the two old women in the middle.

Chang Sui Lou Shuisheng, along with two servants carrying loads, walked at the end.

The servants of Lou Mansion were also discussing Li Yu En’s third-day visit home.

Someone said, "Look, Master and Madam do not dislike the Fifth Young Madam. Master and Madam even sent someone with gifts."

"Indeed, yesterday they sent so much charcoal, the Madam didn’t send that to other daughters-in-law."

Passersby on the street were also talking about Li Yu En.

The news reached the mansion, and several ladies of the Lou Mansion felt a twinge of envy in their hearts.

Second Lady Lou heard the news, and sneered to the maid beside her, "Madam is putting on a show, outsiders say Madam is good to the Li’s, it’s just to praise Madam, how could Madam truly like the Li’s?"

The maid was picking clothes, "Tomorrow Second Lady is taking the Li’s to visit Third Aunt’s house. Which outfit does Second Lady intend to wear?"

Second Lady Lou, petite and lovely, imagined herself standing next to the chubby Li Yu En tomorrow, she would surely appear even more delicate, making Li Yu En look like a plump pig.

"I’ll wear the orange-red one, in the dead of winter, when everything is gray, wearing bright colors looks festive." Second Lady Lou said.

The maid took the outfit out, hung it on the rack and smoothed it out, "Second Lady looks best in this outfit."

Second Lady Lou looked at herself in the mirror and smiled, "Third Aunt’s invitation for the Li’s is surely with ulterior motives. The children of Third Aunt’s family are more impressive than those of the Lou Family." Two of their daughters-in-law have remarkable zither skills, I’ve heard.

The maid asked, "Will Second Lady help the Li’s?"

Second Lady Lou sneered, "I definitely won’t help."

The maid laughed, "Indeed, each relying on their own talents to compete for favor, without the skills, others won’t accept it if you try to win Master’s and Madam’s affection."

.

The door of Li Xingsheng’s residence was wide open, Liu Er and his two sons were waiting at the door.

Seeing Li Yu En’s sedan chair arrive, Liu Er immediately took out a string of firecrackers and set them off.

"Second Sister is back?" Liu Jinbao and Liu Yinbao walked over together with a smile to greet her.

The sedan chair stopped at the gate, and Er Niu helped Li Yu En out.

"What a beautiful residence." Lou Chengye looked around the residence, "It’s close to the Lou Mansion too, Yu En, we can often come back to see Second Brother."

Li Yu En smiled, "Alright, we will come back often."

Mrs. Qin, the maid who came with Lady Lou, leaned forward to look inside the residence, instructing the two nannies who came along, "Bring the things inside."

Chang Sui Lou Changsheng was sent by Prefect Lou to support Li Xingsheng, unlike Mrs. Qin, who came with a special task.

He called to the small servants carrying loads, "Bring the things inside the house."

Li Xingsheng and Lou Chengye dismounted, handing the reins to Liu Jinbao, and led Li Yu En and Lou Chengye into the residence.

Li Yu En found it all very novel, looking here and there.

Li Xingsheng called Liu Er to greet the Lou Family, while he took Li Yu En and Lou Chengye into the small building to the north. "Second sister, when you return in the future, you’ll stay upstairs here. I’ve arranged a room for you."

Li Yu En beamed, "Second brother, you’re so nice."

Li Xingsheng ruffled her hair, "If your brother isn’t good to you, who will be?"

Lou Chengye also wanted to stay, "Second brother, can I come stay too?"

Li Xingsheng looked at him and shook his head, "No, this is Yu En’s maiden home, you have to go back to your own home."

Lou Chengye had a dejected look, "But I’m her husband."

Li Yu En chuckled, "Lou Chengye, I’m not going to stay at my family home all the time, maybe a day or half a day."

Lou Chengye breathed a sigh of relief, "A day or half a day is okay."

Including the two rooms in the inverted house, this small residence had a total of twelve rooms.

The three members of the Liu family shared one room in the inverted house.

Li Xingsheng occupied two rooms on the east side of the first floor.

Li Yu En’s bedroom was arranged by Li Xingsheng on the upper floor of the wooden building.

The upstairs was quiet with a good view, and Li Yu En really liked this room.

Li Xingsheng took Li Yu En and Lou Chengye to stand in the small building looking at the street scenery, while the three members of the Liu family arranged for the Lou Family to have tea and rest.

They were all servants of the Lou Family, so Li Xingsheng didn’t need to show up; he just arranged for the Liu family to entertain them.

Chang Sui Lou Shuosheng brought the servants to carry gifts into the North Courtyard Main Hall, while Mrs. Qin used the opportunity to check out the residence, looking here and there.

Liu Yinbao’s eyes darted and he quietly followed her.

Mrs. Qin discovered that most of the rooms were empty except for two rooms in the east wing which had some furniture, so she took a closer look.

Liu Yinbao followed her gaze, "Auntie, what are you looking at? This is our second boy’s room."

Mrs. Qin was startled.

"Nothing... nothing, just... admiring, just admiring." Mrs. Qin said awkwardly with a smile and turned to leave.

"Weird." Liu Yinbao stuck his tongue out at her back.

Mrs. Qin patted her chest, inwardly surprised, thinking the madam must have been a fortune teller! She really guessed it right, the Li Family indeed had sticky fingers, they even moved the Jade Screen from the master’s room!

Li Xingsheng took Li Yu En and Lou Chengye on a tour of the small building, and after playing chess, it was approaching noon.

Li Xingsheng had ordered good food and wine from a nearby restaurant early this morning, which also arrived.

There were two tables of food, one for Li Xingsheng, Li Yu En, and Lou Chengye to eat.

The other was for Liu Er Niu, the three members of the Liu family, and the Lou Family’s servants to share.

Seeing the table full of her favorite dishes, Li Yu En ate heartily without concern for her image.

Lou Chengye joined in eating.

Li Xingsheng watched them, saying, "In a few days, it will be New Year. After the New Year, what are your plans? Second sister, Chengye? Have you thought about it?"

Early this morning, Li Xingsheng received a letter sent by someone from Li Xingmao’s family.

The letter said that on the third day after Li Yu En and her sisters left, Eunuch An and his people arrived in the village.

Upon learning that the three sisters were all married, and after knowing the identities of their three husbands, Eunuch An left in embarrassment.

Li Xingmao also mentioned in the letter that the family’s opinion was that the storm was over.

Although the three sisters were hastily married, it was a legitimate marriage with marriage certificates, and after the storm, they should live well.

Li Yuwen had already taken over the shop on Market Street, focusing on the embroidery business with two maids sent by Pei Shenyan. The youngest sister, Li Yuzhu, lived nearby, and she was busy collecting herbs and treating people, so the family wasn’t worried about her livelihood.

Only Li Yu En, because she was married far away and was a bit muddle-headed, without others to guide her, she might muddle through her whole life.

Currently, as the Emperor had not restored the status of the Li Family, Li Yu En was just an ordinary girl, even though she brought over a dowry of more than a thousand taels when she married far away, she couldn’t just sit back and consume it all.

Furthermore, Li Yu En married into a magistrate’s family, where the usual rewards and socializing expenses were greater than those of Li Yuwen and Li Yuzhu. The dowry of twelve hundred taels would only go out without coming in, which was far from enough for Li Yu En’s use.

Additionally, living off the dowry would make the Lou Family look down on Li Yu En even more.

Li Xingmao also said in the letter to have Li Xingsheng enlighten this muddle-headed little sister Li Yu En.

Tell her not to just focus on eating, drinking, and having fun, but to think about future plans.

"Future plans?" Li Yu En tilted her head and thought, "After going back in the afternoon, I need to cook medicinal food for the old lady, tomorrow I’m visiting Chengye’s third aunt’s house. As for the day after tomorrow... I haven’t thought about that yet." Li Yu En said while munching on a duck’s claw.

Li Xingsheng, "..." Surely a good-for-nothing silly girl! Only thinking about what’s right in front of her.