Chapter 150

150 Ah Qing
Li Yu was worried and went forward to lift Li Qing’s eyelids to take a look. She saw that they were a little red and smiled reproachfully. “Does it still hurt? Why are you so careless?”
Li Qing almost cried again when he heard that. He hurriedly turned to look at the kitchen and touched his stomach. “Sister, I’m hungry. Are the pumpkin buns steamed?”
Li Yu felt that something was wrong with Li Qing. She thought that he had not done his homework well and got scolded by Zhou Jia. She turned around and glared at Zhou Jia. She said gently, “It’s cooked. Go to the kitchen and get Old Madam Liu to get it for you.”
After Li Qing left, Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, “Xiao Xi, I think Ah Qing has cried. Did you scold him because he didn’t do his homework well?”
“No, Ah Qing is very good at his work. Mr. Lin has taken a fancy to him and is even letting him take the exam next year!”
Zhou Jia knew that Li Qing must have hidden in the bathroom and cried. However, he felt that getting a wife was more important than his brother-in-law crying twice over it. He touched his nose and pretended not to know.
After dinner, Li Qing took out a jade hairpin with flowers carved on it from his bag and handed it to Li Yu. “Sister, I chose it for you in the shop. It’s for you. I wish you and Brother-in-law a happy marriage.”
Li Yu’s heart warmed when she heard that. She looked at Li Qing with a smile. “Stupid child, you speak in the same tone as Aunt at such a young age. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
Li Qing looked at Li Yu. “Sister, after you and Brother-in-law get married, don’t worry and accompany Brother-in-law to the capital for the exam. I’ll look for you in two years.” As he spoke, tears were about to fall again. Li Qing hurriedly stood up. “Sister, I’m tired from the cart, so I’ll go to sleep first. You should rest early too.”
“Go! Rest early.” Li Yu looked at Li Qing’s back and sighed with emotion. That thin and small child back then had already become a handsome youth. He would be taking the scholarly examination in two years.
The next morning, Li Mei brought Madam Li and a few women to pack Li Yu’s dowry into boxes. Every box was filled to the brim. Including the betrothal gifts sent by Zhou Jia, there were a total of 68 boxes. Everyone looked at the dowry with envy. Someone pointed at the dowry and said to Li Mei, “Ah Mei, are those fields on the farm Xiaoyu’s dowry?”
Li Mei smiled happily. “Those lands are all betrothal gifts from Young Master. There are also some shops and properties that Young Master arranged to give her.”
When the women heard this, their mouths widened in surprise. “Yo! Mr. Zhou really dotes on his wife. He bought so many farm shops to give her as betrothal gifts. Xiaoyu is a lucky person.”
Madam Li smiled and said, “Why don’t you guys discuss how capable Xiaoyu is? A man who can marry such a wife is blessed!”
Everyone felt that it made sense. The women nimbly packed the dowry and began to decorate the house. Li Mei, with the help of the village women and Li Yu’s servants, pasted the word “Happiness” and various window flowers and paper cutouts that symbolized auspiciousness everywhere in the house. They decorated the Zhou and Li family residences with lanterns and decorations, livening up the atmosphere.
On the morning of the seventh day of the new year, Ruyi and Ji Xiang went to the mountain to hunt some wild animals. Old Zhao and Jin Jiu chose the fattest chickens, ducks, and fish from the farm and sent them home.
From the seventh night of the new year, the villagers began to eat dinner at the Zhou family’s house. Li Yu called Li Qing into the house and took out all the accounts at home to hand them to Li Qing. Seeing that Li Yu refused to take the accounts, Li Qing forced a smile and said, “Sister, I’ll leave the accounts with you. When I get married, you can hand them to my wife.”
Li Yu smiled and teased him. “Yo! I didn’t expect my Ah Qing to dote on his wife too. However, I still have to hand these things to you. You’re the head of the Li family, so how can you not know what assets your family has?” Li Yu handed the land deeds and house deeds of the village, as well as the shop and house deeds that Zhou Jia had bought for Li Qing in Tongzhou, to Li Qing. “Ah Qing, you have to put them away well. These are the house deeds of the family, the land deeds, and the house deeds of the shop in Tongzhou. Your brother-in-law has 50% of the factory at home. As for the remaining 50%, 20% is for you, and 20% is for me. The rest of the 10% is for Aunt. Study in peace. Uncle Zhou, Uncle, and Aunt will take care of it.”
Li Qing could no longer control the reluctance in his heart. He hugged Li Yu and cried loudly. Li Yu hugged Li Qing, who was almost as tall as her. Thinking that the siblings would only see each other after a few years, she also cried reluctantly.
Li Yu wiped her tears and gently patted Li Qing’s back. Li Qing cried for a while and wiped his tears. He looked up at Li Yu and said shyly, “Sister, I’m not afraid. I just feel terrible. Don’t worry and go to the capital with Brother-in-law to take the exam. I’ll work hard to study and try to meet you in the capital as soon as possible.” Li Qing paused. “Sister, you have to be good after you get married. Don’t make yourself suffer. It’s fine if Brother-in-law treats you well. If not, I’ll definitely knock on your door and bring you back.”
Li Yu laughed when she heard that. “Our Ah Qing and Aunt are indeed aunt and nephew. The two of you say the same thing. Don’t worry, your brother-in-law won’t treat me badly. Besides, your sister isn’t the type to suffer.”
Li Qing looked at the smiling Li Yu and thought to himself, I’m just afraid that you’ll be coaxed by Brother-in-law’s sweet words.
On the eighth day of September, just as the sky turned bright, Zhou Jia began to worship the ancestors of the world and tell them that he was going to get married. He begged them to protect the bride and bless them with children as soon as possible.
The auspicious time arrived. Zhou Jia was wearing a red wedding robe with golden patterns embroidered on it. His black hair was tied up and fixed with a golden crown. He looked even more handsome. The eight young men in the village who helped to escort the bride were all stunned by his looks. Uncle Zhou coughed dryly. Only then did they come back to their senses and follow Zhou Jia, who was riding a horse, to escort the bride.
Before dawn, Li Yu was woken up by Li Mei. “Yu’er, go take a shower and wash up. I’ve invited Auntie Li to help you with the customary rites.”
After Li Yu got up to wash up, Madam Li pulled Li Yu to sit in front of the bronze mirror and smiled. “Xiaoyu, this is my first time doing this. I’m not familiar with it. If it hurts, bear with it!”
Li Yu bowed to Madam Li. “Auntie Li, sorry to trouble you.”
“What’s the trouble?” Madam Li smiled and took out the string. She hummed a festive song and clumsily cleaned Li Yu’s face. After opening it, she applied a layer of egg white on Li Yu’s face. Madam Li looked at Li Yu and praised, “Xiaoyu is beautiful to begin with. Look at her face. It’s really as fair and delicate as a peeled egg.”
Li Yu’s face was tightened from the egg white. Laidi smiled and said to Li Yu, “Cousin, don’t forget that you promised to make me your head shopkeeper.”
Li Yu looked at Li Qing, Li Mei, and the others, who were standing at the side and looking at her blankly. She reached out to pull Laidi and smiled. Li Mei and Zhaodi patted Laidi with red eyes. “Stupid girl, you’re heartless.”
Laidi looked at them aggrievedly. “Why is it my fault again?”
Li Yu washed her face again. Madam Li combed Li Yu’s hair and helped her put on her wedding clothes with Li Mei. Madam Li looked at Li Yu’s lips. “Xiaoyu is born with good looks. I think you should just purse your lips and put some lip gloss on them. You don’t have to put on anything else.”
Li Mei picked up a lip balm and handed it to Li Yu. “Alright, just purse your lips.”
Li Yu pursed her lips and looked at her face in the bronze mirror. She was suddenly a little absent-minded. After two lifetimes, she had only put on the wedding dress today. However, the person she wanted to witness her getting married was no longer around.
Madam Li picked up the phoenix crown and said to Li Mei, “Ah Mei, you’ll put the phoenix crown on Xiaoyu!”
Li Mei took the phoenix crown with moist eyes and gently placed it on Li Yu’s head. Madam Li placed the fan in Li Yu’s hand and asked her to cover her face. Er Ya called out from the door, “Miss, Young Master is here to welcome the bride.”