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However, Lady Li Niang's temper was flaring, and at this moment, not even her own daughters could stop her! She grew increasingly furious, finally slapping the table and exclaiming, "That Steward Chai still thinks he's some incredible figure, does he? It's bad enough that he's usually so arrogant, but he actually thinks our family of orphaned mother and daughters is easy to bully! What a joke! My Li family is not without a backer!"
However, as soon as Lady Li Niang uttered these words, Fourth Daughter Hao De, who had been desperately trying to persuade her, immediately fell silent! And not just her, the other four sisters were the same, their eyes wide with disbelief! What did she mean the Li family had a backer? Who was that backer? Even if everyone knew in their hearts, it was still inappropriate to say it directly! Especially in front of the very backer! Wouldn't saying such a thing make the other party think she was using him? Especially Second Daughter Fu Hui, she was scared half to death right now! She was truly afraid that the Marquis would think she approached him with ulterior motives rather than genuine love, and her eyes reddened with anxiety!
"Oh dear! It's come to this!" Lady Li Niang also reacted at this moment, but her personality was such that now that the matter had occurred, there was no way to hide it! Thinking of this, she simply decided to go all out, directly stood up, walked straight to Wei Tingyu, bowed to him, and said, "Your Lordship! I know you have taken a fancy to my Li family's daughters!"
"Since the words are already out, there's no need to continue concealing anything!"
"It's natural for daughters to marry when they come of age! This is human nature!"
"Just tell me frankly! Which one have you taken a fancy to?"
As soon as Lady Li Niang spoke, all five Li family daughters present blushed simultaneously. Even the usually serene Eldest Daughter Shou Hua showed an embarrassed expression at this moment. And Wei Tingyu understood in his heart upon seeing this scene; sure enough, he was right, Shou Hua also had some fondness for him.
"Mother!" At this moment, the youngest, Fifth Daughter Le Shan, spoke first: "Look at what you're saying!" She was the youngest and hadn't been enlightened in matters of men and women, so at this moment, she just felt embarrassed. Her older sisters, however, each had their own thoughts and remained silent.
"What am I saying?" Lady Li Niang was already throwing caution to the wind. Of course, she was also confident that her daughters would definitely be favored by the Marquis, so she continued, "What I'm saying are all serious matters!" With that, she looked at Wei Tingyu again and respectfully said, "Your Lordship, please speak freely! Whichever daughter you fancy, I will immediately write a concubinage document, and you can take her back to your residence today..."
"Mother!" Upon hearing Lady Li Niang's increasingly exaggerated words, actually suggesting Wei Tingyu take someone tonight, the daughters were all speechless! Eldest Daughter Shou Hua quickly grabbed her mother, stopping her from continuing. "The Marquis is a noble and high-ranking official; how can he take a concubine so casually?" Shou Hua said, holding Lady Li Niang's hand, "Besides, what virtue and ability do our Li family's daughters possess? How dare we hope to enter the Marquis's Residence..." Of course, Shou Hua's words were also a show of humility. In her opinion, all her sisters were outstanding and beautiful, all stunning beauties! Not to mention, becoming a concubine in the Marquis's Residence was definitely not a problem! But such words certainly couldn't be said directly, otherwise the Marquis might look down on her sisters!
However, before she finished speaking, she heard Wei Tingyu suddenly say, "Eldest Daughter, there's no need to stop her; Lady Li Niang is right!"
"I have indeed taken a fancy to your family's sisters!"
As Wei Tingyu's words fell, the entire room fell silent again! Even Shou Hua was stunned in place, looking at Wei Tingyu with a bewildered expression. She had absolutely not expected that this Marquis could really say anything! From this point of view, his personality was quite compatible with her mother, Lady Li Niang!
"See?" Lady Li Niang's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words. She looked at her dumbfounded daughters somewhat triumphantly and said, "Mother is planning for your future! Don't interrupt anymore!" Since it had come to this, let fate decide! It was up to the Marquis to choose! The five Li family daughters immediately fell silent upon hearing this. Only Third Daughter Kang Ning frowned slightly, pretending to look indignantly at Wei Tingyu, using her eyes to signal him not to choose her! She was unwilling to be a concubine!
"However, Lady Li Niang's words were only half right!" However, Wei Tingyu pretended not to see Kang Ning's gaze, simply smiled and said again.
"Ah?" Lady Li Niang's heart immediately tensed up again! What did he mean by "half right"? Was there some unexpected turn? It seemed her Marquis son-in-law was not yet very secure?
"I have taken a fancy to the Li family's daughters!" Wei Tingyu smiled faintly, looking at the expressions of the six Li family mother and daughters present, "However, it's not just one..."
Everyone was startled upon hearing this, then mostly thought to themselves, Could it be two you've taken a fancy to? Or three? Only Lady Li Niang immediately let out a sigh of relief with an expression that said "I knew it all along," because she had long guessed it and had already prepared herself mentally for two daughters to marry into the Marquis's Residence! And Fu Hui, of course, was not surprised! She had already prepared herself mentally to share a husband with one of her younger sisters!
However, Kang Ning was the most conflicted at this moment! Because she knew about the affair between the Marquis and her second sister Fu Hui, and she also understood that the Marquis wanted to marry more than one Li family daughter! She naturally didn't want to be a concubine, but she couldn't help but fall for the Marquis! Finally, after weighing her options, Kang Ning felt that if Wei Tingyu really chose her, then she would reluctantly agree! Even if it was a sacrifice she made for her mother and sisters to establish themselves in the capital!
"It's all of you!" Wei Tingyu looked directly at the Li family sisters, who had various expressions, and said. No choice! These Li sisters each had their own unique charm, and he couldn't bear to give up any of them! Besides, bringing all five tigers into the residence would surely be a new achievement! His power would then become even stronger! He would just consider it a sacrifice he had to make to create a prosperous era sooner! He, for the sake of the common people, had no choice but to reluctantly take these beauties! Truly magnificent!
It was dusk in the back courtyard of Si Fu Cha Shi. Business in the front had already closed. The Li family daughters sat around a table in the main hall, while Lady Li Niang paced around the table, fanning herself with a round fan, her face filled with impatience and difficulty.
"Loose tea, lowest grade, fifteen wen!"
"Medium grade, twenty wen and three fen!"
"Highest grade, forty-three wen and four fen!"
"Pressed tea, lowest grade, sixty-five wen and four fen!"
Eldest Daughter Shou Hua clacked away at the abacus in her hand, quietly calculating the day's income and expenses.
"Alright, alright, alright! Stop calculating! Stop calculating!" Lady Li Niang quickly waved her hand, stopping Shou Hua and saying, "My head aches from all that calculating!" Shou Hua was startled, then stopped her actions, and silently lowered her head, saying nothing more. The other sisters around them followed suit; they all knew their mother was very agitated right now! It was no wonder; after Wei Tingyu said those words this morning about wanting all the Li family daughters, their minds had been crashing ever since! At this moment, they weren't even doing business, after all, with such an important matter weighing on their minds, who had the leisure to care about business?!
"Where are Fourth Daughter and Fifth Daughter?" Lady Li Niang frowned, looking at her daughters in front of the table, and then suddenly realized that two seemed to be missing?!
"They went out! Said they were going to look at other teahouses!" Third Daughter Kang Ning was the calmest among the women in the room at the moment. She looked up and replied unhurriedly, while gently breaking open a sugar bun in her hand.
"Oh dear! What time is it? Why are you still eating?" Lady Li Niang blinked, looking directly at Third Daughter Kang Ning and saying, "You're usually the cleverest among your sisters; now, why don't you offer some advice?"
"Advice?" Kang Ning looked up at her mother and then said, "What needs my advice?"
"Ah?" As Kang Ning's words fell, not only Lady Li Niang but everyone else also looked up at Kang Ning with incredulous expressions!
"It's naturally about the Marquis wanting to marry all five of our family's daughters!" Lady Li Niang grew anxious, slamming her round fan onto the table, looking at Kang Ning and saying, "What should we do about this? You help Mother come up with an idea!"
"Alas..." However, Kang Ning shook her head helplessly, then said, "Mother means you don't want to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis's Residence?"
"I didn't say that!" Lady Li Niang frowned, waving her hands repeatedly: "Of course, we must form this alliance! After all, such a good son-in-law as the Marquis of Jining is hard to find even with a lantern; if I miss this opportunity, wouldn't I be a fool?"
"But for him to take all five of my daughters at once, it's a bit too much..."
"If this matter gets out, wouldn't others laugh at us?!"
"And Fourth Daughter and Fifth Daughter too! At such a critical juncture, they still run out to look at other teahouses? Isn't this big matter of marriage important?!" Lady Li Niang frowned as she spoke, pacing around the main hall again! She was truly in a difficult position right now; she couldn't refuse Wei Tingyu easily, and of course, she couldn't just agree outright either!
Fortunately, Wei Tingyu wasn't the kind of overbearing person! So, after giving that answer that shocked all the Li family women, seeing their blank and unresponsive faces, he gracefully bowed and left. He only told Lady Li Niang and the ladies to consider carefully and then give the Marquis's Residence their answer. But it was easy for him to leave, while Lady Li Niang's mind was a mess, not knowing what to do! At this moment, Lady Li Niang even felt a little resentment towards Wei Tingyu! Why couldn't this Marquis just use his power to force her a little? If he had forcefully made her marry off all five daughters, she might have reluctantly had no choice but to agree! At least then she wouldn't be in such a difficult position now, right?!
"Oh dear... this Marquis!" Lady Li Niang put on a mournful face and said, "He's truly causing trouble!"
"Now that things have come to this, I don't see any other way!" Eldest Daughter Shou Hua took a deep breath and said, "Either we completely break ties with the Marquis, and from now on, perhaps become enemies, or Mother can only agree to him!"
"No, no, no!" Lady Li Niang immediately grew anxious, quickly saying, "Under no circumstances can we become enemies with the Marquis! How else will we establish ourselves in this capital then?" Lady Li Niang still vividly remembered the cold reception she received at the Fan family's gate on her first day in the capital; she absolutely did not want to experience that feeling a second time!
"Then we can only agree!" Third Daughter Kang Ning pouted and said. It wasn't that she was unwilling to think of a solution, but in the current situation, there was simply no solution to be thought of! It was either agree or refuse, just these two options! There was no other room for maneuver!
"Then if all five of you marry into the Marquis's Residence, wouldn't it be too much of a sacrifice?" Lady Li Niang, feeling helpless, sat back in her seat, then looked at Shou Hua, Fu Hui, and Kang Ning in front of her.
"I don't mind!" Fu Hui's heart had long since floated to Wei Tingyu's side; she couldn't wait to enter the residence. Of course, she was also somewhat surprised today when she heard Wei Tingyu say he wanted to take all five of her sisters. But she quickly understood! Didn't her mother's best friend, Auntie Wang Yingxue, send both of her daughters to the Marquis's Residence? If she also had five daughters, she'd probably shove them all at the Marquis too! Moreover, in Fu Hui's opinion, she, her mother, and her sisters had been separated for two years! Of course, she was unwilling to be separated again now! Anyway, there were many women in the Marquis's Residence, and even if she went, others would still share the Marquis's favor! If Fu Hui couldn't even accept this, then she wouldn't have dared to fantasize about entering the Marquis's Residence before! Since the presence of other women couldn't be changed, having her own sisters instead made it easier for Fu Hui to accept!
"Oh dear! You're still a married woman! What are you saying?" Lady Li Niang was first startled upon hearing her daughter Fu Hui's words, then looked at her with wide, helpless eyes.
"The Marquis didn't even look down on me..." Fu Hui immediately pouted. Anyway, she and Fan Lianghan only had a nominal marital relationship, and she was still a virgin at the moment. Serving the Marquis, she didn't feel that she was inferior to her unmarried sisters; it was just conventional opinions!
"Even if married, one can divorce! This is not a big deal for the Marquis!" Shou Hua blinked and said to Lady Li Niang, "Didn't the Marquis still want a widow like me? It shows that he is sincere about taking all five of our Li family daughters! Not joking!"
"Mother!" Although Third Daughter Kang Ning was the most resolute among the five sisters and unwilling to be a concubine, she was also the cleverest and most practical person! Resoluteness was one thing, but how reality developed was another! Since the current predicament was inescapable no matter what, it was better to simply accept it frankly! Of course, for Kang Ning, she was definitely not the type to passively lie flat! So, she blinked and looked at her mother and other sisters, saying, "Since the Marquis has already proposed to take all five of our family's daughters, and Mother doesn't want to lose this good marriage, nor does she want to offend the Marquis, then we can only agree!"
"However, our agreement must come with conditions; some matters still require the Marquis's guarantee first!"
"Yes, yes, yes, Kang Ning is right!" Lady Li Niang immediately nodded, "Tell me, what conditions should we ask the Marquis to agree to?"
"Firstly, all five of our daughters entering the residence must be honored concubines; they cannot be arbitrarily beaten, scolded, or sold!" Kang Ning thought for a moment and then said. Lady Li Niang, Shou Hua, and Fu Hui all nodded repeatedly! Exactly, this point must be clearly written in the concubinage document! The Li family's daughters are not livestock; being a concubine is one thing, but being arbitrarily sold is another!
"Secondly, although our five daughters enter the residence as concubines, they cannot be forcibly confined within the Marquis's Residence and forbidden from going out!"
"The Marquis must allow us to continue running our teahouse business!" Kang Ning thought for a moment and then said again.
"Hmm! This point is also very important!" Eldest Daughter Shou Hua nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. After all, she had been through it before, and she couldn't bear to recall the cold looks and humiliation she endured while widowed in her husband's family. In the end, it was because she had nothing in her hands and wasn't strong enough!
"That's not a problem!" Lady Li Niang nodded, "I heard from Yingxue that the Marquis's eldest daughter-in-law and other ladies each have their own businesses they're running, and the Marquis never interferes!"
"Then the Marquis should surely be able to agree to this!" Shou Hua let out a heavy sigh of relief at this point, because in her original view, this point should have been the most difficult for Wei Tingyu to agree to! After all, how many men in this world would be willing to have their concubines constantly showing their faces and mingling in the market? However, she didn't expect that, according to her mother Lady Li Niang's words, this point might actually be the easiest for the Marquis to agree to?!
And Kang Ning was also startled upon hearing her mother's words, because she had only just learned of this matter! She hadn't expected the Marquis to have such a broad mind; in that case, marrying into the Marquis's Residence as a concubine was also a good choice! Compared to those nominal main wives who were confined in large courtyards, being a concubine who could do what she liked was clearly more important to Kang Ning!