Chapter 367: Welcoming Guests and Children [Thanks to everyone for your support! Bow again!]

Liang Han whispered: "Brother Jing, I feel that Qiao Jiu... his liking for Yunniang is a bit crazy."

Xu Zaijing nodded and said: "By the way, Brother Six, was it when you took me to play at Ruan Mama's place a few years ago that Jiulang started liking that Yunniang?"

Liang Han didn't know what he recalled, rubbed his palm on his clothes, and said: "No, it was a year earlier than that."

"How old was Jiulang then?"

"Hmm, eleven?"

Hearing this, Xu Zaijing shook his head.

Qiao Jiulang had liked Yunniang for so long, pawned his Great Gao sword, and exhausted almost everything he had to "comb" his dream goddess Yunniang.

As a result, not only was he "abandoned" by the goddess because of money, but the very next day he found out that the goddess had been "stood up and ridden."

"Tsk tsk... Sigh! Such a situation is too cruel for Jiulang."

"Brother Jing is right, it's like this, Qiao Jiu should be awake now, right?"

"Brother Six, if he were truly awake, Jiulang wouldn't have gone to fight Lu Sanlang."

As he spoke, Xu Zaijing shook his head.

At this time, several carriages turned into Quyuanjie.

When they arrived at the Xu family's main gate, the curtain of the leading carriage was lifted,

"Brother! Third Brother! Brother Liang Six!"

Lu Zezong shouted and was about to jump off the carriage, but Xu Zaijing hurriedly stepped forward and hugged him down.

Madam Li of the Duke of Lian's mansion in the carriage saw Xu Zaijing's action, only then did she withdraw the hand that was pulling Lu Zezong, and then smiled and nodded at the Xu brothers and Liang Han before the carriage entered the Xu family.

In the two carriages behind, the six daughters of the Lu family also asked for peace through the carriage curtains.

The people welcoming guests at the door of the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion became four.

The Lu family's carriage entered the main gate.

Lu Zezong at the door looked at the street corner, pointed at a distance, and shouted: "Brother, there are carriages and horses coming! Whose family is it?"

Xu Zaijing laughed: "My maternal grandfather's family!"

"Oh oh! The Sun family!"

Xu Zaihang and Liang Han to the side narrowed their eyes and looked carefully; there were carriages and horses in their field of vision.

After a while, a line of carriages drove over, and there were seven or eight teenagers, ten or so years old, riding horses beside them...

Not far away, they could hear the sound of children talking and chattering in the leading carriage.

Arriving nearby, a woman who was quite a bit older than Sun Shi lifted the carriage curtain.

"Eldest Wei Wei Yima!"

"Eldest Wei Wei Yima~"

Xu Zaijing and Zaihang bowed and greeted her, and Lu Zezong followed with a greeting.

The seven or eight Sun family teenagers who dismounted also called them "Uncle."

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Sun family looked at Lu Zezong at the door with a smile. Before she could speak, the grandsons and granddaughters beside her chattered and called them "Third Uncle, Fifth Uncle, Little Uncle, Brother Liang."

Xu Zaijing, Zaihang, and Liang Han all nodded with smiles.

Lu Zezong laughed embarrassedly and scratched his head; at his age, it was rare to encounter so many people calling him "Uncle."

In the second carriage of the Sun family, it was the second aunt of the Xu brothers, and the situation was about the same; the grandsons and granddaughters in the carriage called them "Uncle."

The carriages and horses entered one after another,

The last few were the cousins-in-law of Xu Zaijing.

The married cousins of the Sun family sat in a carriage with the Sixth Wei Wei Yima who had married into the Fang family; they were all Sun family girls who had married out.

Lu Zezong and Liang Han looked back at the second gate of the Xu family, watching the Sun family teenagers being invited to the male guest courtyard, and the vast crowd of Sun family relatives who had gotten off the carriage, and were dumbfounded.

Xu Zaijing and his elder brother had long been accustomed to it and continued to look at the street corner.

A carriage turned in, and Xu Zaijing said softly to the side: "The Hai family's."

"No one is riding horses beside it, it should be all female relatives coming." Liang Han said.

After the Hai family carriage arrived at the main gate, just as Liang Han said, sitting in the carriage were the Eldest Madam of the Hai family, the married Hai Zhaoxia, and the unmarried Hai Zhaoyun.

If it were before, the Hai family wouldn't have come to the Marquis of Yongyi's mansion.

But, Xu Zaijing had saved Hai Zhaoyun before, and the Master of the Hai family not only cooperated with the Marquis of Yongyi in the north, but was also the teacher of Gu Tingyu, so they had to come to express it.

Xu Zaijing and the others bowed and greeted them.

In the carriage, Hai Zhaoxia pulled a corner of the carriage curtain, turned her head to look at Xu Zaijing at the Xu family's main gate again.

Hai Zhaoxia nodded with approval, put down the curtain, looked at her mother in the carriage with interest, and then glanced at her younger sister Hai Zhaoyun.

Seeing her mother shake her head slightly, Hai Zhaoxia sighed with some regret.

"Auntie, cousin-in-law."

Watching the relatives of the Zhu family in the carriage, Xu Zaijing and the others greeted them.

The rosy-faced Zhu Xu Shi nodded with a smile at her daughter-in-law Ni Qiqiu.

Afterward,

After watching the Xie family's carriage enter the main gate,

Turning his head to look at Quyuanjie, Gu Tingye, who was riding a horse beside the carriage, Zaihang laughed: "Little Five, the Gu family's carriage."

After a while,

Gu Tingye arrived nearby, dismounted, gave the reins to Zhi Que, stood beside Xu Zaijing, and talked with Liang Han.

The Gu family carriage also stopped at the main gate,

The exquisite carriage curtain was lifted, and the people at the door hurriedly bowed and greeted Madam Bai and the others.

Gu Shixing, who was in Madam Bai's arms, called out "Uncle" a few times during the gap in the conversation.

After people returned the greeting,

Pingmei, who was becoming more and more beautiful, looked at the two younger brothers at the door, smiled and nodded at Lu Zezong, and asked: "Have the aunts from the maternal grandfather's family come?"

"Sister, they've been in for a while."

Zaihang replied.

At the beginning of the fifth month, before the Dragon Boat Festival, Pingmei's daughter had also just passed her full month, and the siblings had met not long ago.

"Where is Anmei?"

Zaihang said: "Little sister, she probably won't come."

Pingmei said: "That's not necessarily true! You continue to welcome guests, smile more. Your brother-in-law will come after the morning court."

"Yes, Sister/Sister-in-law."

Pingmei smiled and put down the curtain.

When the two sons of the old Marquis of Xiangyang passed their full month before, Madam Sun also went.

So, today the Princess Pingning also came to the Xu family.

Accompanying her was the Chai family's Madam and Chai Zhengzheng, who were sitting in another carriage; they had also gone to the Gu family together like this a few days ago, so they were quite familiar with the road.

"Brother Heng, your classmates from the school are all at the door, go down and accompany them."

"Yes, Mother."

Qi Heng, who had dismounted, bowed and greeted Xu Zaijing and the others with a smile, then turned to look at the Chai family carriage behind.

Madam Chai lifted the carriage window curtain and nodded at Xu Zaijing and the others with a smile; beside Madam Chai, Chai Zhengzheng, who had a red flower mark on her forehead, smiled faintly.

Watching the Qi and Chai family carriages enter the gate,

Liang Han to the side said: "Brother Jing, at the beginning of the month, Imperial Concubine Rong had Miss Feiyan send a gift to Brother Ye's house on her behalf. I wonder if she will come today."

Gu Tingye leaned out and looked at the street corner, and said hesitantly: "Brother Six, did your mouth get blessed? Look, that carriage coming over, why does it look like the Rong family's!"

Liang Han looked, but couldn't see clearly. He looked at Xu Zaijing for help: "Brother Jing? Is it?"

Xu Zaijing looked at the female official who had gotten off the carriage and stood beside the carriage, and said: "Yes."

After a while, an exquisite carriage drove over. A female official from the palace looked at the people bowing and greeting at the door and bowed:

"Greetings, young masters."

"Miss Feiyan, on behalf of Imperial Concubine Rong, congratulates Brother Zhang on the birth of a precious son."

Zaihang hurriedly bowed: "Thank you, Imperial Concubine Rong! Please come in."

The female official bowed in return.

Watching the Rong family carriage drive toward the second gate, Liang Han, Qi Heng, and Gu Tingye all sighed with regret.

Gu Tingye said: "Listening to this, it should be that the Rong family's Eldest Madam didn't follow, so Miss Feiyan won't lift the carriage curtain."

"Second Uncle is right."

As they were talking, another carriage drove over.

In the spacious carriage, a woman wearing pearl and jade jewelry lifted the door curtain facing the crowd.

Revealing the other three people in the carriage.

"Greetings, Eldest Madam Pan, greetings, two sisters-in-law."

The female relatives of the fifth branch of the Hu Yan family nodded with a smile.

After finishing the greeting, watching Anmei in the carriage with her hands protecting her lower abdomen, pursing her lips, and not knowing where to put her eyes, Zaihang smiled.

The carriage curtain was lowered.

Zaihang put away his smile, frowned, and pointed at Ye'er, the personal maid of Anmei who was following the carriage.

Ye'er saw Zaihang's action and lowered her head embarrassedly.

At the Xu family's second gate,

After getting off the carriage and saying a few words to Madam Sun, the Princess Pingning walked toward the inner courtyard with Madam Chai and Chai Zhengzheng.

On the way, the Princess Pingning shook her round fan, smiled lightly, and said to Madam Chai: "Sister, today the Xu family will be very lively."

"Why does the Princess say that?"

The Princess Pingning said: "Because, today the sisters-in-law of Madam Sun's maiden family are mostly coming."

Chai Zhengzheng and Madam Chai looked at each other curiously: "A few days ago, didn't they go to the Gu family too?"

The Princess Pingning shook her head and said: "It's still a bit different, let's walk forward and we'll know."

The three talked, followed by maids and Mamas holding gifts, and walked slowly toward the inner courtyard along the corridor.

Before they even entered the inner courtyard, the three heard the chattering, laughing, and crying of children in the courtyard.

After getting off the corridor and turning into the inner courtyard.

In the field of vision of the three, there was a courtyard full of children running around, and the laughter and noise were endless.

In the middle, there were more than a dozen women. Seeing Xie Shi, who was heavily pregnant, and Hualan coming to welcome the Princess Pingning's party, they hurriedly shouted for the children to watch out.

Looking at the courtyard full of children, Chai Zhengzheng was dumbfounded, and Madam Chai sighed: "My heavens!"

The children's gazes were also attracted to Xie Shi and Hualan.

A few children near the door of the inner courtyard, regardless of gender, stared straight at Chai Zhengzheng beside Madam Chai.

"Sister, you are so beautiful!"

A little girl said with emotion, and the other children nodded repeatedly.

Hearing this, Xie Shi and Hualan both laughed, and Hualan bowed: "Greetings, Princess, Madam Chai, Miss Zhengzheng."

The Princess Pingning and Madam Chai smiled, and Zhengzheng returned the bow.

Watching Chai Zhengzheng's gaze look at the little girl who had just praised her, Xie Shi, who had been a daughter-in-law of the Xu family for a long time, said: "That is the granddaughter of the Eighth Uncle, which is the second daughter of the Seventeenth Jing Jing Biao Ge."

Hearing Xie Shi's words, the little girl nodded, giggled, waved her hand, and went to play.

"Princess, Madam, Miss Zhengzheng, please come in."

Hualan said with a smile.

Afterward, the crowd passed through the "children's group" and arrived at the main room.

The relatives who had arrived earlier than them, such as Madam Bai, Madam Li, Pingmei, etc., also hurriedly stood up to welcome them.

Everyone took their seats, listening to the noise of the children in the courtyard, drinking tea and chatting.

When taking their seats, naturally the madams sat together, and Gu Tingyi, Chai Zhengzheng, and the Lu family daughters sat together.

The young ladies discussed the children in the courtyard, all shaking their heads.

After talking for a while, a few Sun family children ran in. After looking around in the hall, one of them shouted: "Another beautiful sister has come!"

Afterward, a few of them couldn't bear the gaze of the madams and young ladies, turned around, and fled out of the main hall, causing the women and young ladies to laugh lightly.

Xie Shi and Hualan looked outside and stood up: "It's the Rong family Miss who has come!"

In the courtyard, the female official from the palace who followed was full of surprise and dumbfounded, just like Rong Feiyan.

Listening to the children's innocent words of "Sister, you are so beautiful! Sister, you are so fragrant!", Rong Feiyan, who had also never seen this scene, walked over as if she had found a savior after seeing Xie Shi and Hualan.

On the noisy Bianjing street,

A team of several carriages was walking,

In the leading carriage,

Wang Ruoyu smoothed her clothes and said: "Sister, you've been frowning and angry all the way, what's wrong?"

Wang Ruofu frowned and curled her lips: "I say, Sister, it's fine for you to bring Yun'er and Yuan'er! Why did you bring those concubine-born daughters of the Kang family?"

Wang Ruoyu stared and said: "What's wrong? Their cousin gave birth to a son for the Marquis's mansion, can't they come to see?"

Wang Ruofu exhaled and said: "Coming is fine, but, but you should also dress them better! Dressing them like maids, others will laugh at them!"

Wang Ruoyu said hatefully: "Eating my food, using my things, and having to spend my money when they marry out later, hmph, they are all money-losing goods! Still want to dress well? Keep dreaming!"

Looking at her sister, Wang Ruoyu continued: "Look at those two concubine-born daughters of yours, they dress better than my own daughters, you, you are truly stupid!"

Wang Ruofu hesitated to speak.

"Eldest Madam, sit steady, we are about to turn into Quyuanjie."

Liu Mama's voice came from outside the carriage.

At the Xu family's main gate,

The leading carriage of the Sheng family lifted the curtain.

"Greetings, Mother-in-law, Auntie!" Zaihang bowed.

Xu Zaijing and the others mostly called them Auntie or Eldest Madam.

The two madams in the carriage nodded with smiles, and one couldn't tell at all that there had been any unhappiness in the carriage just now.

Especially Wang Ruofu, the look she gave Zaihang made her want to stamp the words "good son-in-law" on Zaihang's forehead.

"Have all the relatives come?"

"Returning to Mother-in-law, they have all arrived!"

"Good good good, we'll go in immediately!"

After putting down the curtain, Changbai, Changfeng, and Kang Jin, who were accompanying them on horseback, had already dismounted. Changbai reached out to a teenager beside him: "Several, this is my cousin, Kang Jin. You've met before."

Kang Jin, the legitimate son of the Kang family, bowed: "Greetings, several brothers."

Everyone nodded in greeting.

Zaihang reached out to introduce:

"Brother Jin, this is the eldest grandson of the Duke of Lian, Zongge'er."

"Greetings, Brother Lu."

In the carriage of the second carriage,

Sixteen-year-old Kang Yun'er sat in the middle, with her own younger sister Kang Yuan'er and cousin Sheng Rulan sitting on both sides.

At this time, Kang Yuan'er and Rulan were a bit at odds, angry, and their faces were turned to one side.

After hearing Zaihang's voice, Rulan smiled, lifted the curtain, and shouted triumphantly: "Brother-in-law! Jing Jing Biao Ge Jing! Jing Jing Biao Ge Ye! Brother Yuanruo! Zongge'er!"

After Rulan waited for the people outside the carriage to respond, she put down the curtain, glared at Kang Yuan'er triumphantly, and said: "Continue comparing! Didn't you say how amazing your Kang family is? Continue!"

Kang Yuan'er: "I!"

Rulan: "Hmph!"

As the eldest sister, Kang Yun'er looked at them helplessly.

In the third carriage,

Seeing Mo Lan was squeezed in the middle with Kang Ni'er, who was dressed quite well, very reluctantly.

The mothers of the two young ladies were both favored concubines in the Sheng and Kang families, and both inherited from their mothers; looking at them now, they were also beauties in the making.

On one side was Minglan, and opposite Minglan was... Kang Zhao'er and Kang Dou'er, who were dressed worse than Xiao Xiaotao.

After hearing Rulan's voice in front, Kang Ni'er stood up, pushed the two younger sisters to the side, and looked outside the carriage.

Seeing the several noble young masters outside, she hurriedly smiled.

Her smile made Xu Zaijing and the others feel a bit inexplicable, while Kang Jin's face looked a bit ugly.

The four maids of Minglan and Seeing Mo Lan, who were sitting outside the carriage, had already gotten off the carriage when they were at the door.

After the Sheng family's carriage entered,

Gu Tingyu, who was riding a horse, also arrived with Sheng Hong, who was sitting in a carriage.

Afterward, amidst the bowing and greeting of Xu Zaijing and the others, everyone entered the Xu family's main gate together.

When they arrived at the second gate together, Gu Tingye looked at Kang Zhao'er, who was following behind Madam Kang Wang, was stunned, and finally smiled.

"Brother Two, what are you laughing at?"

Liang Han to the side asked curiously.

Gu Tingye leaned into Liang Han's ear and whispered: "Before, when Madam Wu held a flower-viewing party at the horse racing field, this girl was beaten by her sister, and then took the opportunity to hide a plate of pastries."

Xu Zaijing, who was walking in front, looked back at the two and whispered: "This matter is no good for this girl, don't spread it."

"Brother Jing, did you see it that day too?" Gu Tingye asked.

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Remember what I said."

"Don't worry!"

Today's full-month wine was divided into male guest tables, female guest tables, and a considerable number of children's tables.

Male guests were in the front courtyard, female guests were in the back courtyard.

At this time, the Xu family's large kitchen was extremely busy, full of the fragrance of various dishes and the shouting of chefs.

At the small door between the kitchen courtyard and the inner courtyard,

More than a dozen maids were standing there talking, among them were Qingcao and the Huaxiang sisters, and beside the three was Qingzhi and Qingxia who were beside Pingmei, and not far from the five was the tall Seeing Hua Qing.

At this time, Xiao Xiaotao and Xique beside Rulan walked over.

After seeing Qingcao and the Huaxiang sisters, they hurriedly gathered over.

Qingcao touched Xiao Xiaotao's face and said to Xique with a smile: "Look, this tall one is Brother Qingyun's wife, Sister Seeing Hua Qing."

Hearing this, Xiao Xiaotao and Xique looked over: "Sister, you are so tall!"

Seeing Hua Qing smiled slightly.

At this time, Dan Mama walked over and shouted: "Alright, young ladies, stop chatting, we are going to start serving the dishes!"

After some busyness,

In the afternoon, Hualan's son was carried into the main hall.

Under the witness of the madams, the boy was put into a basin of warm, clear water, and gold coins and dates were sprinkled in the basin.

Wang Ruofu and Sun Daniang stirred the water in the silver basin, and some of the dates sprinkled in stood upright.

Xu Zaijing's aunt to the side hurriedly stepped forward, scooped out the dates, and handed them to the married but childless women around.

Seeing Hua Qing and Ni Qiqiu both got three.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 368 =====