Dong Chuchu held the chopsticks and said to herself, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. My mother said that when dàsǎo Li Shi says something, just treat it as fart, because dàsǎo has no bad intentions. Such people are easy to get along with. If you really can’t help being angry, just think more about her own sǎozi.” Dong Chuchu thought of her own sǎozi and her anger disappeared. It was better to speak frankly than to smile with a knife.

Dong Chuchu let go of the chopsticks and looked at dàsǎo Li Shi who was angry. She didn’t know that the second dàsǎo was reminding her. She was not angry anymore. She wanted to laugh for no reason. Suddenly, she felt that it didn’t matter if the meal was not cooked. At most, she could cook it later. Sooner or later, there would be a chance. After thinking it through, she smiled more. She picked up the dishes and ate. Well, dàsǎo’s cooking was really delicious.

The changes in Dong Chuchu were all in the eyes of the Zhou family’s offspring.

Zhulan was relieved. She had met Chuchu a few times but had never talked to her. She knew about Dong Chuchu from Xuehan. She only knew that Chuchu had a good temper, was generous and polite, and was good at sewing. She didn’t know much else. She was really worried that Chuchu was the youngest child, so she would be spoiled and not get along with Li Shi and others. Now it seemed that she was young but sensible and not a fussy person. 

Zhao Shi breathed a sigh of relief. It was okay as long as her dimei was not difficult to get along with. She was really afraid that the official’s daughter would be strong in everything and want to get the upper hand in everything. 

Changlian breathed a sigh of relief. He liked Dong Chuchu very much, not only because of her status but also because of how she was. He didn’t want Chuchu to get along badly with his eldest dàsǎo. Changlian saw Dong Chuchu looking at him, and his ears turned red. 

They couldn’t consummate the marriage yesterday, but they slept together. It was the first time he slept with a girl and his wife. He didn’t dare to move last night and was very stiff. He hugged a meatball in the morning. Well, this was his fault.

He was not a good sleeper and liked to hug something when he slept. When Rongchuan lived with him, he was afraid of his problem and hugged Rongchuan. He and Rongchuan slept at opposite ends, with a quilt in the middle to prevent himself from touching something and hugging it when sleeping at night. At least there was a quilt to block it.

The effect was remarkable. He had never hugged Rongchuan. He hugged Chuchu last night. Compared with his skinny body, Chuchu was really plump. It was a pity that they slept in separate rooms after tonight. He found that hugging a plump ball was much more comfortable than hugging a pillow. 

Chuchu didn’t know what her husband was thinking. If she knew, she could be mad at her husband. What plump ball? She was obviously not fat.

Li Shi finally realized that she had done something stupid and was embarrassed to stop paying attention.

After the meal, it was time to offer tea. There was a daughter-in-law of an official family. It was difficult for Zhulan to give a red envelope because there were two daughters-in-law above her!

In Zhulan’s memory, when Li Shi offered tea, she gave a red envelope of six cents of silver because she was the eldest daughter-in-law.

When she was with Zhao Shi, she gave one penny of silver because she was not the daughter-in-law chosen by the original body and she kept her head down and was not pleasing.

The original body’s memories were of no help to Zhulan. After all, the third daughter-in-law was an official’s daughter and a well-dowered one at that. If her return gift was insufficient, it would look bad when the Dong family asked about it, and it would also make her seem stingy.

Because Li Shi and Zhao Shi were also daughters-in-law, she could not favor one over the other. After thinking carefully, she made up her mind to buy three pairs of jade bracelets, spending sixty taels, and the silver in the family was reduced a lot.

Fortunately, because the Zheng family had tried to take advantage of them, she had enough extra money on hand. Otherwise, the male lead’s extravagances, the New Year’s gifts, the wedding banquet, and the jade bracelets would have drained the family’s savings.

Zhulan counted the family assets, and she had less than two hundred taels of silver in her hands.

Zhulan came out with a jade bracelet, and the mat for serving tea was already laid out. Zhulan sat in the main seat, “Let’s get started!”

Changlian and Dong knelt down, and Li Shi brought the tea tray. Changlian and Dong Shi took it and served tea to Zhou Shuren first.

Changlian, “Dad, please have some tea.”

Zhou Shuren took it, took a sip, and said, “When you get married, you are an adult, and you have to take your own responsibilities. You must think twice before doing anything in the future, and don’t act rashly. I hope you remember this.”

Changlian was a little disappointed that his father didn’t tell him more, but he didn’t dare to show it. He said respectfully, “I will remember my father’s teachings.”

Dong Chuchu was a little afraid of her father-in-law. For her father to value her, he must be very important. She was especially respectful. “Dad, please have some tea.”

Zhou Shuren took it. He didn’t have anything to tell his daughter-in-law. He just said “um” as a response.

Changlian was afraid that his daughter-in-law would scare her father, so he hurriedly handed the new tea to his mother, “Mom, please have some tea.”

Zhulan didn’t feel emotional yesterday, but she felt emotional today. She felt that her son had started a family. She felt very emotional. Changlian had changed a lot in just one day after getting married. He was much more stable and knew how to take care of his wife. She took the tea and took a sip. “Mom will say a few more words today. Dong Shi is the one who will accompany you for the rest of your life. I hope you will be more humble and kind to her in the future.”

It was not easy for women in ancient times. If their husbands didn’t treat them well, their lives would be tragic.

She would call Dong Chuchu Dong Shi in the future. Her name was used privately by Changlian, who would also refer to her as Dong Shi in public.

Changlian was not surprised that his mother would say these words. In his eyes, his mother was a happy woman who was spoiled by his father all her life. Although he could not do as well as his father, he was also his father’s son. He was determined to be like his father and promised: “Mom, I am my father’s son. If you are still worried, I will definitely treat Dong well.”

Zhulan laughed in her heart. She believed in the eldest son, the second son, and the youngest son. As for Chang Lian, she had a question mark in her heart and remained skeptical. This kid was really unpredictable. Now she and Zhou Shuren could control him. When he really became powerful in the future, she and Zhou Shuren would be too old to control him. She would just listen to Changlian’s words and wait to see the result.

Dong Shi was moved by her mother-in-law speaking for her and her husband’s promise.

Zhulan noticed that she was still young and too easily moved. Indeed, ancient times were tough. At Dong Shi’s age, she was eagerly anticipating her future husband. Marriages happened early in ancient times, and children matured quickly!

Dong Shi held the tea, “Mom, please have some tea.”

Zhulan took it with a smile, took a sip, put down the teacup, picked up the jade bracelet on the table, and pulled Dong Shi’s sleeves up, “Our family can’t be compared with your mother’s family. This is my mother’s intention. I hope you can support each other in the future and achieve a happy marriage.”

Dong Shi had the foundation laid by her mother, and she was ready to get no tea ceremony gift. Unexpectedly, her mother-in-law gave her a pair of jade bracelets, which looked no less than twenty taels. She couldn’t help but look at her two sisters-in-law.

Li Shi’s eyes were red. She didn’t have any jade jewelry. Her nose was sour. She was the eldest daughter-in-law. Obviously, she was the mother’s favorite daughter-in-law. She felt wronged. Her two fat hands twisted, saying that her mother was partial!

Zhao Shi saw clearly that Dong Shi’s status would not be low in the tea ceremony, but her mother had been treating everyone equally for more than a year. She felt a little uncomfortable. She lowered her head and stopped looking at the jade bracelet. The eldest dàsǎo didn’t have it, so she didn’t dare to covet it.

Dong Shi quickly retracted her gaze, not daring to look at her mother-in-law’s expression. Her mother said that her mother-in-law was kind-hearted, but also a shrewd person. She did not dare to play tricks, and took the prepared gift, “Mom, this is the clothes I made for you, and this is the book for Dad.”

Zhou Shuren looked at the title of the book and was very satisfied. This was a book on the bookshelf of the county magistrate, and he had long been interested in it. Although it was not originally a handwritten copy, it was also precious.

Zhulan touched the needlework of the clothes, and she was indeed good at sewing. She looked at the clothes. These were the clothes for going out for social events, and the color was not deep. It was made according to her preferences. “It’s thoughtful. Okay, you guys get up quickly and go meet your brother and dàsǎo!” 

Dong Shi overheard her mother-in-law saying that she liked it, and her heart was completely relieved. The book was prepared by her father, and the clothes were made by her mother. Her father and mother really understood her parents-in-law!

Changlian took Dong Shi to see his eldest brother. Dong Shi called him eldest brother, and when she got to Li Shi, she called him, “dàsǎo.”

Li Shi’s fat hands held the box, which contained the meeting gifts for her younger brother and dimei. The meeting gifts were still prepared as per her mother’s suggestion, but looking at Dong Shi’s bracelet, she didn’t want to give it.

 (End of this chapter)

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