Chapter Nine, Sleepless Night (Part Two)

"His father..." He said.

"Man'er actually came back to life. She didn't hear that, did she?" Gu asked in a low voice.

"You girl, what kind of talk is this? Are you trying to make things difficult for your father?" Lian Shouren was somewhat annoyed.

Gu'shi leaned against the window to look outside. Seeing that there was no one outside, only then did he pull the curtain.

Father, do not forget that the money borrowed tomorrow will all be repaid by me. The five hundred and forty taels borrowed tomorrow will be used to repay three hundred taels to Yang Chengfeng, and for the remaining two hundred and forty taels, I will keep forty taels for you to use, while the two hundred taels will be used to prepare a set of dowry for me, which should be barely sufficient

Duo'er is your biological sister

"Just bear with it for now. If you don't come back to live here, how will your father prepare your dowry?" Gu said, glancing at Lian Shouren beside him.

Now that there is money, it is said that the Song family mentioned that it is convenient to send the bride from the town

Father, Mother, have you prepared my dowry?

Mother, do not stop me. If I don't shut her mouth this time, she won't learn her lesson. What was supposed to go smoothly almost got ruined entirely because of her

Where are Father and Mother? How dare he not keep an eye on them?" Lian Shouyi snorted, "Besides, I am not that fool, the Fourth. Over the years, I have held many of Big Brother's secrets in my hands. What is there to fear from him!

The mother and daughter exchanged words back and forth, eventually discussing Lian Shouren's future, to which Lian Shouren could only reluctantly nod.

"I mean the same, my lord. What do you think? Shall we all return to the town tomorrow?" Gu said with a smile, addressing Lian Shouren

"I knew you came for food," Gu said with a smile as he took out a box of snacks from his bag. "These are osmanthus cakes from Gui Xiang Zhai in town, your favorite."

Lianhua's hand was originally reaching for Lianduor, but was intercepted by Gu's, preventing it from grasping Lianduor

... ...

So how is this matter going? The Song family is quite wealthy, and I heard they are relatives of the Shen family in the capital. It shouldn't be difficult to get an official position for elder brother.

I see that my grandparents are also poor, and they are unwilling to sell the land. What kind of dowry can we prepare? Tomorrow, when we have money, we might as well return to the town; it would be much more convenient

"Can we go along as well?" He Shi said with joy

"Elder brother must have submitted false accounts again. Tomorrow, you should accompany him to the town and find a way to procure a few taels of silver," said He.

The pulse is relatively stable, so there should be no major issues. Take a few doses of heat-clearing and calming medicine, and rest well for a few days before reassessing. Doctor Wang wrote the prescription and, noticing the anxious and distracted expressions of Lian Shouxin and the Zhang couple, added, "These are all common medicines; I happen to have some with me. Why don't you come back with me, and I can prepare two doses for the child right away"

Mother, must we stay here until I get married? If not, let us return to the town tomorrow. I truly cannot eat the food at their house; every meal consists of millet rice and steamed buns, which scratch my throat, and I cannot leave it untouched. Aunt Xiuer even served me fatty meat, which is only fit for the dog, yet she thinks it is something good. It is ridiculous that we even had a quarrel over this during the meal.

Indeed." Gu nodded.

Your elderly lady at home seems to be quite well... um, if she needs to take medicine...

At this point, even hetushu.com paused for a moment, then resolutely said: "I will give you one hundred taels; as for the rest, there is no need for money at home. The twenty taels that were hard-earned, I will also return to your grandparents for your sake. In total, you will have one hundred and twenty taels as your dowry"

Both Lian Shouxin and the Zhang family nodded in agreement, following Doctor Wang out of the west wing. They noticed that the main room was still lit, and they could faintly hear Mrs. Zhou's exclamations of distress.

"His father, your elder brother is quite ruthless. Look at this time, it was still that girl Man'er who was lucky to survive." He Shi suddenly said, "That wretched woman from the Gu family, like a vixen, can she really take care of us when the time comes?"

"Did the young master of the Song family not say that no dowry is needed, that he is marrying you as a person?" Lian Shouren hurriedly replied, "You have also seen it; our family cannot afford to prepare a dowry."

Is everything alright on Yingzi's side? Gu asked again

What is it?" Lian Shouyi mumbled, not even opening his eyes

Father, rest assured, I understand. Lianhua smiled, "As for Father’s matters, I will definitely make sure that Song Lang pays attention. Once Father becomes an official, I will also rise in status alongside the Song family."

In the end, Lianhua couldn't help but laugh.

Mother, is there anything to eat?" Lian Hua sat down on the kang, "I am about to starve to death.

Mrs. He was pleased for a while, but then thought that relying on others for benefits could never compare to being a master or mistress herself. As she pondered this, she suddenly felt dissatisfied again. "Father, if you continue your studies, wouldn't this good fortune belong to you?"

Gu's heart was also filled with complaints about Lian Duo'er almost ruining Lian Hua'er, but both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh.

The candlelight in the east wing had long been extinguished. He Shi, who had been sleeping until midnight, suddenly woke up, thought of something, and kicked Lian Shouyi, who was beside him, with his leg.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Then let's tell your parents tomorrow morning to take you back with us" Lian Shouren hurriedly said

Lianhua took some pastries from the box to eat

The three individuals reached an agreement, and only then did Lianhua feel satisfied and return to the east room to sleep

Gu'shi was busy advising from the side, "You two should discuss your matters properly."

Father is right; this matter can be handled by elder brother and sister-in-law, as they are accustomed to it. Mother and I will return to the town with father, which will also facilitate the preparation of the dowry

There shouldn't be any, otherwise she would have said it earlier. Lianhua thought for a moment and said, "Looking at her words and actions today, it turns out I misjudged her."

Lian Man'er could only vaguely hear snippets of conversation in the room. She thought to herself, so this couple is well aware that Mrs. Zhou is feigning illness, yet they still invited a doctor to come and have already seen Mrs. Zhou. They truly are commendably filial.

"My dear, your father has sacrificed everything for you"

Lianhua nodded slightly

"You don't need to say that." Lian Shouyi quickly regained his senses upon hearing about the money, "Father is solely focused on having elder brother succeed and become an official, so he can follow him as a grand elder. He won't listen to anything else. Over the years, our family's wealth has been completely drained by elder brother. They have deceived our parents, and they have deceived the third and fourth brothers, but they cannot deceive me."

By the way, Gu Shi suddenly thought of something he wanted to ask Lian Hua'er, but then he abruptly closed his mouth and pointed to the east, "Are they all asleep?"

"What handle?" He immediately sat up, his eyes wide open as he asked.

Do not mention studying anymore; every time it comes up, I get a headache. We do not have a daughter like Hua. Over the years, we have also supported our elder brother, and it is only right for him to enjoy his life with the books. " Lian Shouyi kicked He Shi.

Just now, I had Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt assist me in taking the medicine. They were restless all night and were utterly exhausted. When I came out, they were both sound asleep

Lian Man'er was in a daze, unable to open her eyes. She only felt someone taking her wrist to check her pulse, and she heard Lian Shouxin and Zhang speaking, along with the voice of a stranger.

If father insists on saying this, then it will be difficult to handle his matters in the future. Lian Hua wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief

It seems that there is indeed hope this time, " said Lian Shouyi as he pushed aside He's legs.

"Alright, haven't you already taught her a lesson? If you hit her again and it becomes apparent to others, it won't be good." Gu advised Lian Hua.

What, do you need two hundred taels for your dowry?" Lian Shouren was anxious, "In our countryside, a dowry of twenty to thirty taels of silver is already quite respectable. Since you are marrying into the Song family, we will provide you with...

"She is not my biological sister; I would have killed her long ago." Lian Hua said angrily

Then let her go for now, and wait until we return to the town..." Lian Hua felt that Gu's words were reasonable, so she could only suppress her anger and say

"Doctor Wang, is my mother's illness serious? We also need to prescribe some medicine for her to take," Lian Shouxin said as he bowed to Doctor Wang.

Lian Duoer had already fallen asleep on the kang, while Lian Shouren and the Gu family were quietly discussing something on the kang. Suddenly, the door creaked open, and Lian Huar entered from outside, reaching out her hand directly towards Lian Duoer

When Lian Hua'er saw Lian Shouren say this, she hurriedly gave a glance to the Gu family.

"There's no need to say more; we haven't split up the family. Our parents will definitely go, and we will all go together as a family." Lian Shouyi said, "I heard from Li Bandou in the county that our county magistrate has brought several brothers and his brother-in-law to the yamen, and everyone has to call him 'Sir' when they see him. The money he collects makes his hands soft. By that time, we certainly cannot be worse off than that."

... ...

Lian Shouren hesitated somewhat

Gu and Lianhua smiled at each other

"Master, what Hua'er said is correct. The Song family is a prominent household, and if Hua'er has a substantial dowry, it will bring us honor. This will also facilitate our future interactions with our in-laws. Moreover, it is only a matter of two or three months. Once Hua'er is married and the Song family's young master becomes our son-in-law, will we not have their financial support?" Gu said.

"Is it possible that the master has some matters to attend to that require him to set us aside?" Gu's smile was gentle as she looked at Lian Shouren

Zhang and Lian Shouxin exchanged a glance

She is rather naive, having been easily swayed by a few flattering words from me. As for that bracelet, she actually thought it was made of gold; she truly has never seen the world. Lianhua's tone carried a hint of disdain, "As long as this matter is concealed until I enter the door, there will be nothing to fear."

"Our flowers are indeed clever," Lian Shouren said with a smile

"That is one way to put it, but if my parents find out that the inn in town has closed, they will want us to stay here until after the New Year. If we leave tomorrow, it might worry them, and it will complicate things in the future," said Lian Shouren. "I will go back tomorrow, and you all stay here. I will send Dalang and the others back. The autumn harvest is about to begin, and it would be good for you to keep an eye on things here, and gather some supplies to trade in town for rice and flour, enough for us to eat next year."

The west room of the connected family house

I told my parents that I would marry from the old house, where the flowers bloom.

"What are you doing, Hua'er?" Gu Shi looked at Lian Hua'er, whose expression was not good, and hurriedly got up to stop her.