Finally, the parents of the Cheng family arrived in the capital!
Upon hearing this news, Li Rusong and Yuan Jinqiu rushed back from the military camp specially. Early in the morning, they brought their youngest daughter, son - in - law, and a group of butlers and servants in the family, standing at the door to greet them.
After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they saw a bullock cart slowly coming from the end of the alley.
The yellow ox looked very old, trembling with every step.
The flatbed cart it was pulling behind was quite smooth. The bare frame had not a single burr. There was also a mattress on it, soft and fluffy.
When Xiao Jingnan saw the attire of the people on the bullock cart, his heart sank.
His father, the king, was wearing a yellowish cotton - padded jacket, with some soot deliberately smeared on his face. He was sitting on the bullock cart with his hands in his sleeves.
His mother, the princess, didn't smear ash on her face. She wrapped her head with a blue handkerchief and deliberately let a wisp of hair fall down, pretending to be travel - worn.
None of these were important. The important thing was that their clothes were all patched, with large patches over small ones. There was hardly a single intact piece of good fabric on their chests and backs!
Moreover, the cloth used for patching was lake silk, brocade, and Nanxun woven silk... All sorts of colors and patterns.
They really patched a lot, but they probably didn't think that the patching cloth might be more expensive than the clothes...
Behind the bullock cart stood the butler of the prince's mansion, Old Zhong, as well as Lu Ping and Wu Yao.
All three of them were dressed in coarse cloth clothes, looking much more plain than the people on the bullock cart.
Xiao Jingnan looked at his expectant and nervous parents, then at the clean and soft satin - patterned quilt on the bullock cart. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Details! He really forgot to tell them about the details!
Li Rusong was stunned for a while. Then, at Yuan Jinqiu's hint, he stepped forward with a smile to greet them:
"Ah, in - laws. I've been saying for a long time that we should meet! You've really had a hard time coming all the way to the capital!"
The Prince of Ning got off the cart and bowed: "General Li, what are you saying? Our Jing... Li Qing is the one who has caused you trouble."
The Princess of Ning also got off the cart with Lu Ping's support and curtsied slightly: "Li Qing is really lucky to have a father - in - law like General Li."
She had gentle and amiable features, fair and beautiful skin. She looked seven - tenths like Xiao Jingnan. But she had been staring at Li Wanming since the beginning, which made Li Wanming feel a bit strange.
"Is there something on my face?" Li Wanming nudged Xiao Jingnan and asked in a low voice.
Xiao Jingnan: "Maybe it's because my wife is so beautiful that my mother can't help but look at you a few more times."
After exchanging a few more polite remarks, Li Rusong and his wife invited them into the mansion.
Li Wanming followed behind and asked, "What did your father call you just now? Jing... Jing something?"
"Oh, this... My childhood name is Jingjing."
...
Xiao Jingnan: "A girl's name is easier to raise children with."
In the flower hall of the Li family, a round table had already been set up. There were sixteen dishes, eight cold and eight hot, six plates of seasonal fresh fruits, and some dried fruits and pastries. It was quite sumptuous.
Li's mother was sitting in the middle. When she saw someone coming in, she didn't even lift her buttocks. Frowning, she said, "Dressed so gaudily, they don't look like a proper family at first sight!"
The Prince of Ning was taken aback.
In all his years, no one had ever said that he was improper...
Behind him, Wu Yao had already drawn his sword and stepped forward: "Who are you, old hag? How dare you be rude to our master!"
"Put your sword away." The Prince of Ning glared at him: "What master? I've told you many times, it's uncle! How old are you and still like to play these childish games? Brandishing swords at every turn!"
He quickly explained to Li Rusong: "This is my distant nephew. His family are vegetable farmers in Pingkangfang. When he heard that Li Qing got married, he wanted to come and have a look."
Then, the Prince of Ning introduced Uncle Zhong and the others behind him to Li Rusong and his wife. He also apologized and said, "My cousin - nephew is young and doesn't understand things. General Li, please don't take it to heart."
Li Rusong laughed heartily: "Kids are impulsive. My mother is that old, and she still doesn't understand things either."
Li's mother's face turned pale with anger. She snorted and turned her face away.
Hearing Li Rusong's words, the Prince of Ning knew that he was a straightforward person. The worry in his heart finally subsided.
He had heard Lu Ping's report about the Li family. He knew that Li's mother had always opposed this marriage. He was worried that Li Rusong was also a rigid and conservative person, and that Xiao Jingnan would suffer.
After meeting him today, he knew that all his worries were unnecessary.
Li Rusong and his wife were well - behaved and open - hearted. And looking at the feast on the table, it was already the highest standard for entertaining in - laws. The Li family had really put their heart into it. The Prince of Ning had a very good first impression of Li Rusong and his wife.
The Princess of Ning's eyes, however, had been on Li Wanming.
She saw that after Li Wanming sat down, the first thing she did was to tell the little maid to change a pot of hot wine for Xiao Jingnan. She also specially took out a soft grey - squirrel - fur cushion and put it on Xiao Jingnan's seat...
The Princess of Ning's nose felt sour, and she almost shed tears.
Since childhood, because of his weak constitution, Xiao Jingnan rarely went out and had few friends. The servants in the family pitied him, but they would never take care of him so whole - heartedly.
Who said this was a cold contractual marriage?
The reports from Lu Ping and Wu Yao were simply inaccurate!
And the rumors in the capital were also unreliable!
They said that the third young lady of the Li family was illiterate, vulgar, and stubborn. It was simply nonsense!
This girl clearly looked gentle, kind, and open - minded. She was really a good daughter - in - law that was hard to find even with a lantern!
She was overjoyed. She took out a jade bracelet from the bag behind her and put it on Li Wanming's wrist: "It's only proper to give you a meeting gift on our first meeting. This bracelet is not worth much. Don't dislike it."
Li Wanming quickly stood up: "Auntie, you're too kind. I can't take it..."
Looking at her in - laws' patched clothes, she was sure that they had specially picked up the cloth discarded by rich families for this meeting!
In this situation, how could she have the nerve to take their bracelet?
Although the bracelet looked dull in color and didn't seem to be worth much, it could at least buy her in - laws a couple of better - quality clothes!
Xiao Jingnan: "It's a custom for the mother - in - law to give a meeting gift to the daughter - in - law. Just take it."
Li Wanming hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice: "I just think this bracelet might be able to be pawned for some money to buy your parents a few better clothes..."
The Princess of Ning was even more touched: "Good daughter - in - law, you don't need to worry about these things! Your father - in - law and I have clothes. Just keep this bracelet well..."
Just as they were politely declining, a sneer came from outside the door: "A shabby bracelet is also worth all this fuss?"
Sun Miaoqing was dressed in a long water - red cloud - patterned dress that dragged on the ground. The hem of the dress was trimmed with gold thread. Her hair was styled in a complicated flying - fairy hairstyle, with a wire - inlaid butterfly gold hairpin obliquely inserted. She was dressed up flamboyantly and looked radiant.