Chapter 98 – Being Picky to One’s Advantage

Of course, it is extremely difficult for the Lian family to make such a decision.

 

After the fifth master of the prince’s residence came to propose a marriage, Lian Binglan gradually regained her consciousness and refused to agree to the marriage.

 

However, after careful discussion with her husband, Lian-Chu felt that her daughter could only do so, and even if there was any good marriage available, she can’t have it anymore.

 

Because of the previous events, the Lian family and the Cui family had a very stiff fight. After careful consideration, the gain outweighed the loss, so they agreed to have the marriage.

 

But if her daughter doesn’t agree, she can only refuse and send Lian Bingilan to the Buddhist temple later.

 

No matter whether the marriage can be completed or not, hysteria always needs to be treated, but the newly found doctor does not go for treatment at people’s houses, only sits in court. Therefore, whenever there are fewer patients in the afternoon, Lian-Chu will bring Lian Binglan to acupuncture.

 

Later, the fifth master Cui, who had not been out for a long time, went to the clinic where Lian Binglan used to go for acupuncture.

 

The fifth master was very gentle and only said to Aunt Lian that he wanted to talk to Lady Lian.

 

So Aunt Lian, with the idea of giving it a try, allowed him to talk with his daughter next to the bamboo forest in the courtyard. She and the servant girl looked at them from a distance.

 

Later, she didn’t know what the fifth master said. Lian Bingilan didn’t eat or drink after returning. After a full day, she nodded and agreed to the marriage.

 

So the marriage was settled, and the scandal of the Lian family came to an end. It doesn’t involve the other children of the family.

 

It’s just that they have to stay behind and wait until Prince Huaiyang gets married.

 

At that time, the heart disease of Old Princess Consort Chu was relieved, and she regained the vitality of calling and inviting friends, setting up tea feasts, enjoying candle fragrance, and always taking Concubine Qin to meet guests, showing the harmony between the mistress and hostess of the Huaiyang Residence.

 

After lying on the bed for five days, Miantang gradually stabilized her fetal, and her back seemed to have the urge to get up. She couldn’t lie down, so she tried to sneak away.

 

However, there are not only two servant girls in her room, Fang Xie and Bicao, but also the big servant girls, Huan Xue and Yan Rong, appointed by the Old Princess Consort.

 

Eight eyes stared at the mayor of Huaisang County. If she dared to move, someone would be busy looking for the Old Princess Consort or Prince Huaiyang.

 

Cui Xingzhou has sent off the errands in the capital these days, and he has not gone out of the residence much. Most of the time was spent like this. A cane chair half lying across the bed, holding a book, and a pot of tea can kill most of the time.

 

Miantang lay on her bed today and read two comic books brought to her by Cui Xingzhou.

 

Just because the doctor said that pregnant women should not be tired, Cui Xingzhou banned her from reading books and brochures with dense text, and made these picture albums for children to kill her time.

 

Miantang watched the “Visited to the Cottage Thrice in Succession” for a while with patience, and then “The Old Demon of the Black Mountain” for a while, and then lay on her back and counted the number of ears in a straw beside the bed.

 

Finally, she couldn’t help it. She turned over and looked at Cui Xingzhou, who was absorbed in reading, and said, “Can you let me walk down? The soles of my feet are going to have grass roots.”

 

Cui Xingzhou put down his book neatly, sat down on his long legs to the bed, and opened the quilt to reveal her feet with cloth socks.

 

Miantang cowered her legs and asked, “What are you doing?”

 

Cui Xingzhou said frankly, “Don’t you say there is grass under your feet? I will remove it for you.” Then he reached out and squeezed her foot plate.

 

Miantang smiled and put her foot on his strong chest. She said angrily, “I’m so pathetic now. But you have to make fun of me. Didn’t the doctor say yesterday that my pulse is stable? I just wanted to get up and walk. What’s wrong?”

 

Cui Xingzhou rubbed her legs and stomach for her and said, “It’s not bad to lie down more. Didn’t the doctor also say that, if you lie down for a few more days, the baby will be more secure.”

 

Miantang said nothing, but held Cui Xingzhou and said, “Then what about you only showing me the books that are for children. What are these paintings? There are even picture scenes of a crying child refusing to sleep and being captured by the old demon…”

 

Cui Xingzhou couldn’t help laughing, “Next time I asked a painter to draw a special book for you. If you don’t lie down properly, you will be tickled on your feet!”

 

Miantang stared and thought for a moment. She suspected that the painters he wanted to hire were the painters who had stuffed into his beautiful albums the other day. When she thought about it, the picture suddenly showed endless ambiguity, which made her feel a little overwhelmed…

 

Cui Xingzhou saw that she was always bored, so he pulled out a book of strange stories and said, “Be good, I will read it to you, so it will not strain your eyes, but also kill time…”

 

Just as they were joking, someone outside came to report that it was the Old Princess Consort who brought Aunt Lian and Lady Lian to visit the county mayor.

 

Cui Xingzhou frowned and said, “My mother has no idea how tired she will be to treat guests now. Not meeting!”

 

When he said this, the Old Princess Consort had led people to the gate of the courtyard. Bicao was quite speechless. When other servant girls hesitated, she had already walked out quickly and told the Old Princess Consort without modification, “The Prince said that the county mayor was tired and it was not suitable to see guests. Please return and she will see Aunt Lian and Lady Lian another day.”

 

The Old Princess Consort was actually waiting for her son to shut down the door. She was not good at rejecting her sister. She relaxed a little and said, “Look, I said you don’t have to come. The mayor of Huaisang County has been infected with the cold these days and can’t speak. If you want to make up with her, it can be another day…”

 

The flame of Lian-Chu’s family has been extinguished by the twists and turns before. She also knew clearly that Liu Miantang was not such a delicate and deceitful woman. When lifting a knife and placing it on a person’s neck, she was so murderous that people wondered what she had done before.

 

This time she came, she really planned to ask for forgiveness from Liu Miantang. In any case, Lian Binglan will married into the Huaiyang residence and became the sister-in-law of Liu Miantang.

 

Since they will meet each other often, they had to go through the scene and save a bit of courtesy.

 

Unexpectedly, she brought her daughter to see the Old Princess Consort, and after studying the ceremony, she proposed to meet the county mayor. But the Old Princess Consort looked pale and said that the county mayor was sick and could not see guests.

 

Lian-Chu’s suspicion was that Liu Miantang hated herself and lost her temper. So she insisted that the Old Princess Consort lead their mother and daughter to see her.

 

Unexpectedly, everyone went to the door, but it was shut down.

 

After Bicao conveyed the message, she turned back to the yard without waiting.

 

At this time, across the courtyard wall, Lian Binglan could vaguely hear the voice of the prince and the mayor of Huaisang County, and then it was the voice of Cui Xingzhou reading the article in a low voice.

 

She can also vaguely hear the county mayor criticizing the prince, “What are you reading? Please read to me the tactics you just read.”

 

It is really short of women’s moral education to speak so rudely.

 

According to the cool and unforgiving nature of Prince Huaiyang, he is about to make a voice of reprimand and ridicule. Unexpectedly, after a while, the male voice changed the content and really began to read the art of war.

 

Lian Binglan stood there, thinking that she had heard the Old Princess Consort say that the county mayor was not feeling well, and her cousin had been with her in the residence these days.

 

Lian Binglan and his cousin have been an unmarried couple for several years. She has never seen Cui Xingzhou tender and affectionate. Even if she wrote a love poem specially, she didn’t know anything about her cousin.

 

In her opinion, Cui Xingzhou is a rigorous and honest person who doesn’t understand the customs. Unexpectedly, in front of that woman, he seemed to have changed.

 

Thinking of this, Lian Binglan closed her eyes and said in a low voice, “Mother, since the county mayor is not feeling well, let’s go back.”

 

The Lian-Chu’s family is not as comfortable as before when they came to the residence as walking in their own courtyard. Hearing what her daughter said, she politely said goodbye to her sister and led her out.

 

But when they got on the carriage, Lian-Chu shouted angrily, “What a big posture, the elders were all at her courtyard but she refused to meet. If she gives you troubles in the future, you don’t have to bear it. With your aunt supporting you, even if you marry a concubine’s son, you don’t have to suffer her annoyance.”

 

Lian Binglan twisted her head and didn’t even look at her mother. She was frightened and humiliated a few days ago and lost her mind. She did a lot of extraordinary things at one time. On the one hand, she was really frightened and broke down. On the other hand, she also wanted her cousin to take care of their old love, pity her and accept her.

 

Unfortunately, every step was wrong. Since she obeyed her short-sighted mother and refused to marry her cousin, her life has changed dramatically, and she has become completely different and miserable.

 

So now, she doesn’t tell her mother what’s on her mind, and of course, she won’t tell her long-tongued mother that the county mayor is probably pregnant.

 

Otherwise, her mother must ask how she learned it.

 

Since her mother is a woman who can’t do anything, Lian Binglan won’t say anything to her. After all, she is not her only child. Her parents love her very much. But when it comes to the rise and fall of the family, she can also be sacrificed and pushed out to marry a disabled son.

 

Lian Binglan’s madness is great, but her heart is colder than before.

 

Looking at the flagstone road outside the house, the day she married at the prince’s residence, it will be about the same journey. It was just the wedding dress that was ready to get married and the embroidered cover was still there, but the person who raised the cover was not her handsome and heroic cousin, but a sick cripple.

 

Lian Binglan put down the curtain of the carriage slowly with a sneer in her mouth…

 

Besides, Miantang, under the arrogant interference of the prince, has lost all communication, and finally can get off the bed and walk a little two days before the marriage.

 

According to the doctor who diagnosed her, the little prince in Miantang’s belly is stubborn. In recent days, the fetal heart has become stronger and stronger, which can be regarded as a stable fetal pulse. As long as she takes good care of herself in the future, it won’t be a big problem.

 

However, Miantang’s wedding dress, which she was so engrossed in, was forced by Cui Xingzhou to change her waist size to not so tight.

 

Looking at the wedding dress with the waist enlarged, Miantang was a little worried, “My body haven’t shown any signs of pregnancy now, why did you asked to changed the dress to be so loose?”

 

Cui Xingzhou said with a straight face, “I didn’t know that the waist is so tight, otherwise I would have asked to be changed. Even if you are not pregnant, you should not wear this tight skirt to show off!”

 

Miantang felt that Cui Xingzhou’s jealousy was becoming more and more exposed, and said, “This is clearly the latest popular three-pleated skirt in the capital. It stresses walking, swaying, and moving half a step gently. For this skirt, I practiced the walking posture taught by Servant Li, but now you have changed it into a cloth bag. Who knows whether it is a radish leg or a strong pillar inside? My previous efforts have been wasted…”