Chapter 454: Liu Xianxian

Chapter 454: Liu Xianxian

"I don't want to go there, I just won't!" Cheng Bingzhi was extremely reluctant. "Anyway, when I get married, how could the mansion not provide anything for me?"

Ten years ago, Lu Lingyun allocated a house to Cheng Bingzhi and sent the three of them out to live separately. But at least both he and Cheng Lanying were unmarried, and by custom, the Ningyang Marquis's Mansion would definitely give them something for their marriages.

Once that was done, it would be a complete severance.

Listening to her son's words, Li Bihan had already run the numbers in her mind countless times!

"My son! Although you are the young master of the mansion, and the mansion will surely give you something when you get married, how much or how little is entirely at her discretion!"

Cheng Bingzhi was still naive, thinking he could receive the same treatment as Cheng Suying, Cheng Bingan, and Cheng Binghao. But Li Bihan was not foolish!

Not even a fraction of the grandeur of Cheng Suying's wedding today would be given to her son and daughter!

There is a standard, but standards also have high and low specifications! For example, preparing eight wedding quilts for the descendants' marriages—eight top-quality silk quilts worth a hundred taels are quilts, and the simplest hemp or cotton quilts worth a few coins are also quilts!

If Lu Lingyun is generous, she might give a hundred taels of silver; if she is harsh, she might just throw in some old tables, chairs, pots, pans, and quilts, and that would be it.

How could she expect those trinkets from the mansion?

She needed Cheng Bingzhi to actively seek out the valuable items!

She tried to persuade Cheng Bingzhi, but he retorted, "What I take is what my father and grandfather left for me. Why should she withhold it from me?"

"My son!" Li Bihan sighed. "You know what kind of person she is! Your grandfather died in battle, your father took monastic vows, and she immediately sent us out of the Marquis's Mansion! There's nothing she wouldn't stoop to!"

Hearing this, Cheng Bingzhi's face fell.

"You still need to visit the Marquis's Mansion more often! You don't have to linger in front of her, just go and beg your grandmother!" Li Bihan's eyes sparkled.

"Always having to beg, it's so annoying!" Cheng Bingzhi looked like a spoiled brat.

Li Bihan sighed and advised, "Who told us we are weak and have no one to support us! We can only go around begging, looking for people to help us. But my son, fortunes ebb and flow! One day they will come begging us, and we will never let them off lightly!"

Cheng Bingzhi was persuaded by his mother again, "Alright, I'll go then."

————————

Cheng Suying's wedding kept Lu Lingyun occupied for three full days.

It wasn't until she returned from the bridal visit that she finally completed her duties.

Whether it was due to Imperial Physician Zhang's medicine or the consecutive joyous events at the Marquis's Mansion, Lady Qin's health actually improved after Lu Lingyun's initial worries, gradually getting better.

On the day of the bridal visit, she was even able to get up and pull Cheng Suying and Xu Zhengqian, who had returned, to chat for an hour or two in her courtyard.

Seeing her in good spirits, Lu Lingyun was in high spirits too and began to handle other matters with ease.

Cheng Binghao had just returned from Jiangnan, bringing quite a few people with him.

Apart from helping to settle the people who followed him, Lu Lingyun also had to warmly welcome a young lady.

"Xianxian, how is your mother?"

In front of Lu Lingyun was a young girl of about fourteen or fifteen, with two small braids coiled on her head, and half of her long hair hanging loose, adorned with playful colorful ribbons and small braids. Her big, watery eyes blinked at Lu Lingyun, holding a pastry in her hand, nibbling on it with her pearly teeth, and giving Lu Lingyun an extremely sweet smile.

"Auntie, my mother is doing very well, but she keeps talking about my father all day. She talks about his eating and drinking, his clothes, and even wishes she could stick to him like an accessory!"

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun burst out laughing.

At that moment, a cheerful male voice called from outside, "Alright, you're speaking ill of my Aunt Qiluo. Just wait till I tell her!"

The girl with braids jumped up, "Brother Binghao!"

"Aunt Qiluo is the best to me. I won't forget anyone who badmouths her, Liu Xianxian, you're in trouble now!" Cheng Binghao walked in.

"No way!" Liu Xianxian ran up to him, shoving the pastry into his mouth, half pleading, half threatening, "Brother Binghao, have this pastry on me, so you mustn't tell my mother!"

"This is from my house, and you're offering it to me?" Cheng Binghao's face was full of youthful energy.

"Then I'll take you out, your pick."

"Finally got you to open your wallet, you cheapskate! Take me to the Eight Immortals Restaurant!"

Liu Xianxian's face dropped, "No way, Brother Binghao, the Eight Immortals Restaurant is expensive. A plate of snacks there costs two silver coins!"

"No? Then I guess I'll have to tell Aunt Qiluo."

Liu Xianxian stamped her foot, annoyed, "Fine, fine! You win!"

Seeing this, Lu Lingyun smiled slightly.

Cheng Binghao had spent ten years in Jiangnan with General Wang, during which he lived with the Wang family, growing up with Wang Qiluo's daughter, Liu Xianxian, as childhood friends.

She watched them and exchanged a look with Shuang Hong beside her, who smiled the same way.

Noticing Liu Xianxian's unhappiness, Lu Lingyun said, "Binghao, how can you bully Xianxian!"

"Mom, you don't know her well enough yet. She's tough and tight-fisted, no one can bully her!"

"Cheng Binghao!" Liu Xianxian glared angrily at Cheng Binghao who was exposing her flaws.

"Binghao." Lu Lingyun chided Cheng Binghao with a look, reaching out to Liu Xianxian, "Xianxian."

Liu Xianxian immediately threw herself into her arms, aggrieved, "Auntie! Look, Brother Binghao is bullying me!"

"Auntie sees," Lu Lingyun hugged the soft Liu Xianxian, taking off a top-grade emerald green jade bracelet from her hand and giving it to her, "Our Xianxian is a good girl, don't be upset."

"Oh my! Auntie, this bracelet is a top-grade emerald, it's too precious!"

"Nothing is more precious than our Xianxian." Lu Lingyun smiled, slipping the bracelet onto Liu Xianxian's wrist.

Liu Xianxian looked at the bracelet on her wrist, her eyes lighting up with joy.

Cheng Binghao, with a smile on his lips, sat on the chair below, watching her and said, "Mother, look, that cheapskate's eyes are glued to it!"

"Cheng Binghao, you!"

At that moment, a servant came to report.

"Madam, Third Master is here."

Third Master, Cheng Bingzhi, had arrived.

Upon hearing this name, Lu Lingyun remembered there was still a matter to be dealt with.

She waved her hand to the servant, "Let him in."

"Yes!"

In no time, Cheng Bingzhi was ushered in by the servants.

As soon as Cheng Bingzhi entered, he knelt down with a thud before Lu Lingyun.

"Bing Zhi greets my lady respectfully!"

Lu Lingyun looked at the person kneeling on the ground, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips, "Bing Zhi, what brings you here again?"

"I recently obtained some pears, and thinking of the unbearable summer heat, I specially brought them to offer to grandmother to help her beat the heat."