She had found the life - saving medicine, and Concubine Qin was extremely grateful to her. During a palace banquet, Concubine Qin noticed that there were several dishes that Mei Qingxue particularly loved, and she often found excuses to send them to the prince's mansion.
Now, this mother - in - law truly adored Mei Qingxue and would never pick on her faults again. Although she was eager to have a grandson, since her son was now in better health, she wasn't in a hurry about that matter.
When she saw that Du Gu You was suspicious of Mei Qingxue, she was extremely displeased. Du Gu You was afraid of making her angry, so he agreed on the surface not to be suspicious anymore. Seeing that Mei Qingxue's life was going smoothly, there was also great joy in the Mei family.
Mei Haoxuan was going to get married.
The Mei and Luo families had grown closer because of the children's marriage. The two old men were surprised to find that they were fellow Jinshi of the same year and were actually schoolmates. The two ladies also got along very well. Knowing that it was Miss Mei who had arranged this marriage, they insisted on inviting Mei Qingxue to drink the thanks - for - matchmaking wine.
The whole place was filled with the festive red color. The entire mansion was brimming with joy, and the servants' faces were all beaming. The bridal chamber had been decorated long ago. Double - happiness paper - cuttings were pasted everywhere. There were dragon - and - phoenix wedding candles, and the bed was full of peanuts, walnuts, and longans, making the place look extremely festive.
The wedding music played all the way. The red silk ribbon stretched for miles. The bride's dowry was not much, but the procession of the bride's relatives sending her off was like a long dragon.
"Congratulations, brother - in - law!"
"Without your talented daughter, where would this joy come from? Brother Luo, please take the seat of honor."
"Why isn't sister - in - law here?" Mrs. Luo asked after she was seated. According to custom, at this time, the elders of the two families should be seated waiting for the newlyweds to pay their respects.
"My daughter and son - in - law are running late. You know that my son - in - law has been in poor health. Ruo Lan has gone to arrange the screen," Mei Zhenguo said with a smile.
"I heard that the Sixth Prince is much better now?"
"He's still recuperating. After all, he was ill for so many years. How could he recover so quickly?" Mei Zhenguo nodded gently. "I don't know why his elder brother was so cruel, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise."
"Children have their own fortune. I don't think your daughter has a shallow fortune," Mrs. Luo said with a smile.
"Oh? When did sister - in - law meet my little daughter?"
"Just before the marriage was arranged,"
"Why didn't I know about this?" Lord Luo asked in surprise.
"She's the Sixth Princess. She came to see her future sister - in - law," Mrs. Luo recalled that at that time, she was quite shocked when the Miss Mei said she came to see her future sister - in - law. She didn't know what the Miss Mei had said to her daughter, but her daughter had agreed to the marriage. Up to now, Luo Jiao still hadn't said what her younger sister - in - law had said.
"You talk too much," Lord Luo glanced at his wife and said dissatisfiedly. Hearing what Mrs. Luo said, Mei Zhenguo knew that his daughter - in - law was chosen by his daughter.
"My daughter has always been smart and mischievous. I thought she was a well - behaved girl, but who would have thought that less than half a month after she got married, she drove away all the concubines that Concubine Qin had given to the prince."
"Are you still speaking ill of our daughter? Are you blaming me for not giving her concubines?"
"Calm down, Lan'er. What I mean is that our family doesn't advocate having concubines. Concubines are the cause of family unrest," Mei Zhenguo talked eloquently, and Lord and Lady Luo deeply agreed.
These topics were what Mei Qingxue had told Xia Ruolan, and unexpectedly, Xia Ruolan had told Mei Zhenguo. What she had told her mother was that as long as she was the main wife, there should be no concubines in the prince's mansion. Last time, she had even brought those two "black - faced girls" back home to show to her mother. Xia Ruolan still thought of their aggrieved looks from time to time and would burst into laughter.
"Alright, it's almost the auspicious time. Let's start."
"Pop! Pop!..." Firecrackers sounded continuously. The groom in a red wedding robe led the bride to the four elders.
They paid their respects in the wedding ceremony and were then sent into the bridal chamber.
There was already the younger sister - in - law sitting in the bridal chamber. Luo Jiao saw a pair of women's feet. "Who's there?"
"Sister - in - law, it's me, Qingxue!"
Luo Jiao lifted her veil and saw her younger sister - in - law. Her face immediately blushed.
Mei Qingxue took Luo Jiao's hand. "Sister - in - law, we're all family now. Why be shy?" Maybe this was what was meant by the bashfulness of ancient women, but unfortunately, she couldn't be bashful.
"Sister Qingxue, why aren't you out there drinking? You really gave me a scare sitting here," Luo Jiao covered her chest, still out of breath.
"Sister - in - law is so timid. I was just afraid you'd be bored sitting here alone, so I came to accompany you. If you don't want me here, I'll leave!" Mei Qingxue stood up as if she was about to leave.
"Sister Qingxue," Luo Jiao called out softly in a hurry. "I didn't mean that. It's just that, just that..." "It's your first time getting married. Who gets married twice?"
Mei Qingxue said indifferently. She picked up a fruit from the table, took a bite, and put it back on the table. Then she took out a small cloth bag from her sleeve.
"Quickly eat something. I know you haven't eaten much since morning."
Luo Jiao opened the cloth bag and saw some imperial pastries. She quickly picked up one and ate it in small bites. "Eat it big - mouthful. There's no one else. You won't be able to eat later when people come."
Luo Jiao glanced at her younger sister - in - law and tried to eat the pastry in big mouthfuls. She had been taught that a woman should not show her teeth when eating. Mei Qingxue was munching on the apple with her teeth showing, not caring at all.
"There aren't so many rules in our family. As long as you're filial to my parents, my brother will treat you well. If you're nice to me too and give me a nephew in the future, I'll be the number one in the family, and you'll be the second. My father won't say anything."
Luo Jiao ate a few pastries, wrapped up the cloth bag, and stuffed it aside. "Sister, you still haven't told me how you dared to come to my house to see me?"
"Sister - in - law, it's simple. I just said I was on imperial business."
"Why haven't I seen my brother's concubines come in to serve?" Luo Jiao asked curiously.
"Concubines? There are no concubines in our family. There aren't many maids either. For things you can do by yourself, just learn from my mother."
"There aren't many maids in my family either. I make my own clothes." Luo Jiao showed her sleeve, and the stitches on the inner garment were very fine.
"I can't even do that. My clothes are all made by my mother," Mei Qingxue said enviously, looking at her sleeve. It must take a lot of patience to make such fine stitches.
"I'll make clothes for you when I'm free."
"Thank you, sister - in - law." Mei Qingxue said while munching on the fruit. "My father and mother are so nice. It's just that my father can be a bit strict sometimes. As long as you get along well with your mother - in - law, you can do whatever you want in the Mei Mansion." Mei Qingxue praised her parents to the skies.
Luo Jiao didn't take it seriously. After all, that was how parents treated their daughters. When she was at home, she was also very spoiled. Now that she was a daughter - in - law, the relationship between her and her mother - in - law was another matter.
"The bridal - chamber teasing is coming!"
There was a noisy sound from outside. Mei Qingxue quickly covered Luo Jiao's veil again and stood by the door. When there were more people later, she would just slip out.
"Here comes the groom!"
"Hurry up and lift the veil." Hearing the noisy voices right beside her and feeling someone very close to her, Luo Jiao looked from under the veil at the ground and could see the edge of his wedding robe.
Hearing the noise in the bridal chamber, Mei Qingxue slowly walked back to her boudoir. Du Gu Qing was lying inside resting. They would stay here tonight. They had to be here for the new couple to offer tea to the elders tomorrow morning.
"Your brother is getting married. Why aren't you happy?" Du Gu Qing could sense his wife's low mood very sensitively.
Mei Qingxue said dejectedly, "I just realized that sister - in - law is here to take my brother away. From now on, my brother won't only dote on me." And there would be a nephew in the future, who would also take her brother away.
"Silly girl, the affection between siblings will never change. The love between elder brother and sister - in - law is the same kind of love as between you and me. Do you think that just because you married me, I'll stop you from thinking about your brother?" Du Gu Qing couldn't understand Mei Qingxue's logic at all and didn't know what she was worried about.
"You don't understand," Mei Qingxue propped her chin on her hand, and the other hand unconsciously drew on the table.
"Brother has been taken away by sister - in - law..."
In the bridal chamber, the red candles flickered. The two newlyweds stared at each other quietly.
"I think I've seen you before."
"I think so too."
The two held hands and faced each other. The world was so quiet that there was no room for anything else.
"I'm the only daughter in my family. Will you accompany me to visit my parents often?" Luo Jiao looked at Mei Haoxuan, forgetting her shyness.
"Of course. You're my wife!"
"Sister Qingxue said there shouldn't be any concubines in the family?" Luo Jiao wanted to confirm from her husband's mouth. She had even brought four beautiful maids with her.
"Yes. Sister said that having concubines in the family would bring unrest. Now that our family is harmonious, that's the best situation," Mei Haoxuan said. Luo Jiao was even more curious when she heard her husband also highly praise her younger sister - in - law.
"Even though the younger sister - in - law is married, it seems that the family still centers around her."
"Our family doesn't have the prejudice of favoring sons over daughters. To be honest, my sister is more favored in our family than I am." Mei Haoxuan's face lit up with a smile when he thought of his sister.
Luo Jiao's eyes fell on the burning red candle. Mei Haoxuan followed her gaze and blushed a little. "My lady, let's go to bed?"
"Okay!"
Luo Jiao's face was full of shyness.
On the window reflection, Mei Haoxuan gently lowered the curtain, and the figures of the two disappeared immediately.
The room was filled with tenderness and romance.
"Can I call you Xiaojiao?"
"Okay." Luo Jiao nodded shyly and buried her face in Mei Haoxuan's arms.
"I'll treat you well in the future," Mei Haoxuan said tenderly. He was very satisfied with the wife his sister had chosen for him. If she could be filial to his parents and give birth to children in the future, it would be even better.
"When do you think we'll have a child?"
Mei Haoxuan stroked Luo Jiao's flat abdomen.
Luo Jiao was extremely shy. "Husband, it's only the first day of our marriage. Why are you in such a hurry?" These two siblings were really strange. "I'll ask my mother to take the Four Springs back home tomorrow."
"Four Springs?" Mei Haoxuan wondered. "What are the Four Springs for?"
"They were originally meant to be your concubines," Luo Jiao said in a low voice. She didn't expect that the rules of her husband's family were really strange. There was only a main wife in the family. In fact, she was secretly happy in her heart. Her father didn't have any concubines either, and she just hoped to marry someone and have a lifetime of mutual love.