After the meal, Li Wanming set off with Xiao Jingnan.
Yuan Jinqiu didn't give many instructions. She just assigned two rough maids to accompany Li Wanming and Chun Tao to the Cheng family.
She wasn't worried that her daughter would be bullied.
The Cheng family was just a small vegetable - selling family. They wouldn't dare to treat the daughter of a fourth - rank general badly.
However, when Li Wanming was born, Li Rusong was already an eighth - rank military officer. She was the youngest daughter in the family and had been doted on by her two elder sisters. Even when she did work, it was always some easy tasks. Yuan Jinqiu was afraid that her daughter would suffer in the Cheng family.
After seeing Chun Tao pack Li Wanming's things and load them onto the carriage, Yuan Jinqiu called her daughter to her side and only said one sentence, "If you're not happy there, just come back!"
Li Wanming nodded with a smile, "Mother, don't worry. Cheng Liqing won't dare to bully me."
That weak - looking guy, she could knock down three of him with one punch!
On the contrary, Li Rusong was very sentimental. Standing at the door reeking of alcohol, he kept wiping his tears, "Didn't we say we'd find a son - in - law after the imperial examination and then get a divorce in a while? Why has she already gotten married?"
Leaning on Yuan Jinqiu, with the wine adding to his sorrow, he almost wanted to wail.
Yuan Jinqiu glared at him fiercely, "What are you talking nonsense about? When our daughter gets married, of course we hope they'll grow old together and have a harmonious marriage for a hundred years!"
Then she turned around with a smile and explained, "Our general is drunk. Please don't mind. Wanming is our youngest daughter. He can't bear to part with her..."
The Princess of Ning said, "General Li's deep love for his daughter is well - known to us. Please rest assured, General and Madam. I'll treat Wanming as my own daughter."
The Li family had already called for two carriages and helped everyone get on.
The ox - cart that had rushed here earlier could only be driven back by Uncle Zhong.
Lu Ping and Wu Yao had already returned. They were in a hurry to inform their families to clean up quickly.
Li Wanming was holding the treasures that Liu Yiyi had brought for her. When she got into the carriage, she saw Xiao Jingnan leaning against the carriage wall, pursing his thin lips and smiling at her.
He had drunk some wine, and there was a charming blush on his cheeks. His eyes were even brighter, like two cold stars in the deep night sky.
In a moon - white long robe, a color that was originally cold, he now exuded a touch of gorgeousness, looking like a drunken jade mountain on the verge of collapse.
Li Wanming's face suddenly flushed, and her heart began to pound violently.
She composed herself and asked with a straight face, "What?"
Xiao Jingnan just kept smiling at her and didn't say a word for a long time.
His body swayed gently with the jolting of the carriage, like a peach blossom branch that first bloomed in the ice - cold winter.
After a long time, he let out a soft sigh, "It's only now that I feel like I'm really married."
Li Wanming heard a hint of desolation in his voice. Her heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but lean forward, "Is it really that hard for you to marry a wife?"
It shouldn't be...
With such a good - looking face, he seemed like a playboy.
Even if his family was poor, there should be many young ladies from wealthy families vying to marry him in as a son - in - law.
Xiao Jingnan took the opportunity to rest his head on her shoulder and softly said "Yes", "I'm in poor health, my family is poor, and my parents... Except for you, no one wants me..."
His voice was very low and intermittent. Li Wanming only caught these words.
But his tone was extremely plaintive and pitiful, which softened her heart.
She said, "It's okay. You've already married me... As long as you don't divorce me, I won't divorce you either!"
"Um..."
Xiao Jingnan let out a low laugh. His hot breath hit Li Wanming's neck, making her face flush.
Li Wanming wasn't used to being so close to him. She moved a little to the side and asked, "You just mentioned your parents. What's wrong with them?"
It was a while before Xiao Jingnan said, "They're fine, it's just that... they're not very smart. I hope you'll be more tolerant of them in the future."
Just thinking about the ox - cart and the patched clothes today made him have a headache!
Who patched clothes with silk and satin?
And they even peeled shrimps and picked fish bones...
It was just that the Li family members were all straightforward and not overly fastidious. Otherwise, they would have been exposed a long time ago!
Now that Li Wanming was going to live with them in the "Cheng family" and they would go to watch the parade of successful candidates in a few days, he was afraid that similar situations would happen every day!
Xiao Jingnan let out an inner wail.
He thought that if he had known this, he might as well have become a son - in - law. It would have saved a lot of trouble!
Pingkangfang was in the outer city, near the suburbs, far from Guangdefang where the Li family lived.
The carriage rumbled for more than half an hour before they arrived at Pingkangfang.
Li Wanming got off the carriage and was stunned when she saw the mansion in front of her. She asked in disbelief, "Is this your cousin's house?"
"Ah, yes... yes, it is?"
Xiao Jingnan was also seeing this mansion for the first time, and he was equally shocked.
The mansion was very old. The bricks of the main gate were covered with moss.
The surrounding area was desolate and sparsely populated. Only the tall poplar trees stretched out their rough branches, cutting through the blue sky of early spring - it met the requirements of being dilapidated, remote, and quiet.
However, it was too big!
Just the main gate was a blue - brick hanging - ice - style gate with slanting eaves, more imposing than that of the Li family's.
Inside, there were pavilions, terraces, and towers in perfect order. It was a proper three - courtyard mansion!
The more Li Wanming looked, the more surprised she was. She nudged Xiao Jingnan and asked, "Did your cousin's ancestors make a fortune or produce a high - ranking official?"
If the ancestors hadn't been wealthy, how could they have left behind such a mansion?
Although the eaves were collapsing, the pond was dry, and the rockery was just a pile of broken stones, the layout of the courtyard and its luxurious atmosphere still amazed Li Wanming.
Xiao Jingnan stammered a bit and called Lu Ping over. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "What's going on?"
Lu Ping explained, "The houses in Pingkangfang are all small and shabby. There are even several families crowded into one house. They're really uninhabitable. Only this one is barely passable... But we didn't expect the Princess and the Prince to come and live here."
Xiao Jingnan understood.
When Uncle Zhong was looking for a house, he thought that the Prince and Princess of Ning were going to live there, so he couldn't let them be too wronged no matter what.
The orientation, sunlight, layout, courtyard, and overall neatness... all needed to be taken into consideration.
Xiao Jingnan continued in a lower voice, "Don't tell me you've also brought the maids and guards from the mansion?"
Lu Ping replied weakly, "A few..."
"How many is 'a few'?"
Xiao Jingnan was really getting a bit anxious.
He was currently pretending to be the son of a peasant from Langya, the distant nephew of a suburban vegetable farmer, a penniless scholar who had spent all his money on the journey to the capital for the imperial examination and had to rely on the Li family -
If he had maids and guards, how could he maintain his persona? Wouldn't it collapse immediately!