ebookland Chapter 321 Enjoying Life
Chapter 321 Enjoying Life
Xu Sheng and Xue Yunfan returned two days early, while Qi Yang, the groom, only returned the night before the wedding.
Qi Yang went to the Su residence first. The Su residence was quiet, no different from usual, without any festive atmosphere. The servants said that Qi Fei had already gone to bed.
Qi Yang stood in the courtyard, a look of bewilderment on his face. This was clearly his home, but here he often felt like a guest, and an unwelcome one at that.
The mistress of the Su family, despite being his biological mother, often gave him the illusion of being a stepmother. What kind of mother would so carelessly go to bed first the night before her son's wedding?
"Young Master!" Su Wuming's guard, He Zhi, appeared at just the right moment: "The young master sent me to pick you up."
A row of red lanterns under the eaves of the Qi family mansion gate illuminated the road in front of the gate, and Qi Yang could see a number of people at the gate from afar.
Even from a great distance, Qi Yang could still sense an atmosphere completely different from that at the Su residence: there was joy, anticipation, waiting, and longing...
Qi Yang dismounted at the gate, and upon recognizing the person before him, immediately bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, Sister..."
Nianyao spoke first: "You're finally back. I'm really impressed."
Xue Yunfan said, "Your sister was so worried about you not coming back."
A warm feeling welled up in Qi Yang's heart, and his voice became a little unsteady: "I'm sorry to have worried you."
Su Wuming said, "I knew you would definitely come back. Go wash up, change your clothes, and rest first. We can talk about the rest tomorrow."
Qi Yang was dressed in military uniform, his face covered in dust, clearly indicating that he had been traveling for a long time.
Xu Sheng waved his hand: "No need for formalities. You should rest first, and don't miss the auspicious time tomorrow. We'll be going now."
"They're leaving already?" Qi Yang watched the backs of Xu Sheng and the other two, wondering if he had been impolite.
Su Wuming pulled him inside: "Come on, let's go take a look."
The courtyard was brightly lit and decorated with lanterns and red "double happiness" characters, creating a festive atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the quietness of the Su residence.
The main hall was filled with wedding baskets and wicker baskets, and in the center stood a phoenix sedan chair carried by eight men. The chair was draped in red and green, with embroidered dragon and phoenix patterns and silk tassels hanging from the four corners. On a table next to the sedan chair were a set of bright red wedding clothes and a red-tasseled hat.
Standing before the phoenix sedan chair, Qi Yang felt a sense of unreality: Was he really going to get married?! Was he really going to marry Le Xi?!
Su Wuming held the red-tasseled hat in his hand and twirled it around: "Look, what's still missing?"
Qi Yang shook his head: "With you handling things, what could I possibly worry about?"
People say that the eldest brother is like a father, but in their family, Su Wuming, the younger brother, is more responsible than his older brother. It seems that all the warmth in the Su family over the years has come from Su Wuming.
Qi Yang never doubted Su Wuming's thoughtfulness and meticulousness, and Su Wuming seemed to have never disappointed him. Or perhaps, from childhood to adulthood, he had never actually asked for anything from the Su family.
Su Wuming laughed and said, "Brother, I dare not take credit for this. It's all thanks to Sister Lexi. She gave me a list, and I just arranged the things according to her list."
The drum and gong troupe we hired is the most famous auspicious drum and gong troupe in Qinzhou; they will arrive on time tomorrow morning. Next to the kitchen in the left-hand side room is the bathroom; you must be tired from your journey, so wash up and rest first.”
The maid standing beside him bowed and said, "Young Master, please follow me."
Qi Yang followed the maid out of the hall, and the cold wind instantly cleared his head: "When was this house built? Did you inscribe the name 'Qi Mansion'?"
Su Wuming followed behind him and replied, "Sister Lexi set up this place after deciding to marry you. It's close to the Xue residence, so it's convenient for her to visit her parents' home. It's far from the Su residence, so that Mother won't bother you."
Going back to her parents' home? Qi Yang frowned: "Is this the house she bought?"
Su Wuming solemnly declared: "The place she chose was paid for by our family."
Qi Yang said "oh," took two steps, then stopped: "Whose name is on the land deed?"
Su Wuming said, "Your name and land deed are not with you. I'll give them to you tomorrow."
Qi Yang said, "Change her name, replace the signboard with hers, and you come up with a nice name. How about 'Leju'? What do you think?"
Su Wuming looked at him without responding, and Qi Yang didn't wait any longer, following the maid to the left.
The maid walking in front had her hair casually tied in a bun. She was well-proportioned and walked quite slowly, but it was clear that she was struggling. One foot was lighter than the other, and she had a slight limp.
Why would Su Wuming choose a lame maid? Her voice sounded familiar.
The maid pushed open the bathroom door, her face still bowed: "Young Master, the water is ready, and the clothes are on the rack. I'll wait at the door. If you need anything, just call out."
Qi Yang stood at the door, hesitating slightly: "Soapberry?"
Zaojiao immediately knelt before Qi Yang, choking back tears, and said, "Young Master, it's me."
Qi Yang originally had two maids and two guards in the Su family. The guards were taken to the army by Qi Yang, and one became a centurion and the other a chiliarch.
As Qi Yang grew older, he spent less and less time at the Su residence. He was independent and felt he didn't need any care, so he suggested to Su Wuming that they dismiss the maids.
Su Wuming said, "Then keep one. When you're not home, the house still needs cleaning. Just pick one you like to keep."
Qi Yang was the best master in the Su family. He appeared serious, but in reality, he was a man of few words and not picky. He had sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, and a good physique, and his temper was even better than his physique. Qi Yang never lost his temper with anyone in the manor. When he received military merits and rewards, he would always reward the people serving him.
As for Su Wuming, he appears gentle and cheerful on the surface, but when he gets angry, even Madam Su is afraid of him, let alone the servants.
The servants in the Su household often chatted, sighing that the eldest young master was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, while the young master was warm on the outside but cold on the inside. Since they were servants, who wouldn't want to serve a master like Qi Yang?
Although Qi Yang felt it was unnecessary, he instinctively had no objection to Su Wuming's suggestion, so he said, "Anyone is fine, I have no objection."
Qi Yang has a habit of taking baths at home, but for some reason, he fell asleep that day.
Soapberry had been looking at the door for quite a while, and since no one answered when she knocked, she went into the bathroom to see what was going on.
Qi Yang was very alert to anyone getting close. Before he even opened his eyes, his hand had already reached out and precisely grabbed the soapberry's wrist, throwing her into the large bathtub.
As the world spun around her, Zaojiao screamed in terror. Another maid heard her and rushed over, followed by Madam Su and the steward with a group of servants.
Qi Yang didn't even have time to dry himself off. In his haste, he could only pick out a piece of clothing and throw it on haphazardly. Under everyone's watchful eyes, he frantically tried to fasten his belt, looking quite disheveled.
The maid pointed at the soapberries in the bathtub and said sternly, "You knew the young master wanted to dismiss you, so you deliberately tried to seduce him. A lowly servant like you should be thrown out of the manor immediately and sent to a brothel to work as a prostitute..."
Madam Su was strict with her servants, and seeing Qi Yang in such a flustered state, she was even more displeased: "Someone, take her to Yingchunzhai."