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"Yes, yes, yes!" Kang Ning eagerly seized the opportunity upon hearing her Eldest Sister Shou Hua's words, nodding repeatedly. You know this is an excuse! And I know you know this is an excuse! But as long as no one points it out, the excuse stands!
"Pfft!" However, Shou Hua lightly covered her crimson lips and let out a small laugh. Thankfully, she knew that she still needed to save face for her Third Sister at this moment, especially in front of the Marquis. If she were to tease and pry too much about this matter, the Marquis might even think she was a jealous woman!
Shou Hua thought to herself, then turned to the Marquis and said, "Regarding Your Lordship's question just now, it truly is Third Sister's fault for not informing us earlier about Your Lordship's visit tonight."
"So, Mother and the three younger sisters have all gone to sleep early."
"If Your Lordship wishes to see the three younger sisters, I shall go wake them now?" Shou Hua blinked, then waited for Wei Tingyu to speak.
Upon seeing this scene, Wei Tingyu couldn't help but sigh with emotion. This Shou Hua truly was the perfect wife every man longed for! She honored her husband in all things, yet at the same time, she seemed to have her own strong opinions and could often offer excellent suggestions. Of course! His own wives and concubines who had already entered the household were no less excellent than her. He was merely marveling that all the exceptional women in the world seemed to have found their way into his inner chambers!
As for the matter of Lady Li Niang and the others already being asleep, Wei Tingyu naturally didn't doubt it. Second Daughter Fu Hui, of course, had surely been acting all day at the Fan family. Just thinking about it was exhausting, so resting early was a given, especially since tomorrow was still her main event! Fourth Daughter Hao De and Fifth Daughter Le Shan, those two little girls, would naturally expend a lot of energy playing around during the day, so it was normal for them to be tired early in the evening. As for Lady Li Niang, the mother... the pressure on her heart had always been considerable! After successive ups and downs these past two days, she was probably utterly exhausted.
Thinking of this, Wei Tingyu intended to stop Shou Hua from waking them, but before he could speak, Kang Ning grew anxious first. "No, no, no!" Kang Ning waved her hands repeatedly upon hearing her sister's words, saying anxiously, "Mother and the sisters are already asleep; it wouldn't be good to wake them now! Let's not disturb them!" Of course, she said this mainly because she was afraid that if her sisters woke up, they would notice her abnormal demeanor. After all, just Eldest Sister knowing about what happened earlier was already embarrassing enough! If all her sisters knew, Third Daughter felt she could only find a crack in the ground to crawl into to avoid the fate of dying from sheer shame!
"What nonsense are you speaking, Third Sister?" However, Eldest Daughter Shou Hua frowned upon hearing Kang Ning's words and said, "Second Daughter, Fourth Daughter, and Fifth Daughter are all concubines for whom the Marquis has offered betrothal gifts! If the Marquis wishes for them to rise and meet him, even if they are already asleep, they should immediately get up, dress, and come out to pay their respects!"
"Mother is an elder, so she naturally doesn't need to do so."
"But the three younger sisters must never be so negligent towards their master! This is absolutely not the way to maintain a long-lasting relationship with one's husband!"
The moment Eldest Daughter Shou Hua's words fell, Wei Tingyu and Kang Ning were both stunned. Because by the standards of the current era, Shou Hua's words were flawless! No matter how stubborn Kang Ning was as a girl who refused to admit defeat, she couldn't find a single fault or omission!
Of course, a major reason why Shou Hua was so strict with herself and her sisters was that Wei Tingyu's residence didn't just house their five sisters! There were also the wives and concubines who had already entered the household! Although Shou Hua had not yet personally seen the true appearance or temperament of Dou Zhao and the others, nor did she understand their personalities. However, she had already vaguely seen the shadow of the Dou family's upbringing just from Dou Ming. Furthermore, Lady Li Niang had also gathered a lot of information from Wang Yingxue, only knowing that the Marquis's Lady and concubines were all outstanding in temperament, gentle, and lovely, and the Marquis was very satisfied with them! Otherwise, he wouldn't pamper them so much, would he?! Therefore, with a comparison in mind, Shou Hua could even less afford for the Li family sisters to be outshone by the Marquis's concubines and wives who had entered the household earlier! Although she had no intention of competing for anything, she certainly wouldn't allow them to fall behind in terms of female virtue and etiquette!
"No need! No need!" Wei Tingyu, of course, also knew how annoying it was to be suddenly woken up from a sound sleep. As the saying goes, do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire! Moreover, he hadn't planned on taking all five Li family sisters back with him today, so there was no real point in waking them all up from their dreams! Instead, having Eldest Daughter Shou Hua and Third Daughter Kang Ning accompany him right now was quite pleasant!
"Thank Your Lordship for your understanding!" Shou Hua felt a slight relief upon hearing Wei Tingyu's refusal, then smiled faintly and bowed to him, saying, "Your concubine thanks Your Lordship on behalf of the three younger sisters!" Oh, heavens! How can this woman be so knowledgeable and cultured?! One cannot help but fall in love with her!!
Upon seeing Shou Hua's demeanor, Wei Tingyu immediately lost control. He reached out and again took her tender hand, pulling her a step closer to himself. Shou Hua was startled but obediently stood beside Wei Tingyu, her pink dress gently brushing against Wei Tingyu's robes... This extreme intimacy seemed to suddenly raise the temperature in the entire room considerably. And Third Daughter Kang Ning watched from the side, dumbfounded.
Goodness! The Marquis is truly gentle with Eldest Sister! He holds her hand and slowly pulls her closer, enjoying this gradually approaching sense of intimacy... How could he be so rough with me, directly embracing and kissing me? Thinking of this, Kang Ning couldn't help but pout. Then, her jade feet instinctively took two steps forward, positioning her on Wei Tingyu's other side.
Shou Hua was startled for a moment upon seeing her sister's actions, then smiled faintly, not minding at all.
"Oh, right, we have pastries here!" Kang Ning naturally also saw Eldest Sister Shou Hua's gaze, but at this moment, no matter how shy her small face was, it couldn't be seen. After all, the thought of sisters accompanying their husband side-by-side was somewhat embarrassing, but now it was actually coming true. Facing this unavoidable future, she could only muster her courage and slowly adapt. However, Kang Ning was not yet so composed, so she subconsciously glanced to the side, daring not to meet her Eldest Sister's gaze! As her gaze wandered, Kang Ning's eyes suddenly lit up, because she saw the plate of pastries on the table in front. Eldest Sister Shou Hua had made a cup of fragrant tea for the Marquis, so she could offer the Marquis a plate of pastries! This was called sisters being of one heart! Thinking of this, Kang Ning quickly took two steps and brought the plate of pastries to Wei Tingyu.
"These..." Wei Tingyu looked at the pastries in Kang Ning's hands and said, "They don't seem like your Li family's pastries, do they?"
"These were bought by Qiong Nu from Pan Lou opposite!" Eldest Sister Shou Hua shook her head helplessly and said, "Third Sister, why would you bring out someone else's pastries to honor the Marquis?"
"Ah?" Kang Ning was startled. Only then did she remember that she had indeed sent Qiong Nu to buy a bowl of these earlier to inquire about the reality of Pan Lou's pastries. The three of them hadn't gone to sleep yet precisely because they were planning to study this bowl of pastries together! But because her mind hadn't fully recovered its clarity from what had just happened, she had actually forgotten about it.
"However, these Pan Lou pastries are indeed well-made!" Wei Tingyu blinked, then directly reached out and took the bowl of pastries. He picked one up and looked at it, saying, "No wonder business is so good!"
"Yes!" As soon as the topic turned to business, Kang Ning and Shou Hua immediately perked up. After all, romantic affections with the Marquis were one thing, but the Li family's current business was also very important. Since the Marquis was present, they could also seek his opinion on any matters they discussed!
Thinking of this, Shou Hua and Third Sister Kang Ning exchanged glances and then said, "Pan Lou's tea snacks are just this small dish, with savory, sweet, meat, and vegetarian options, everything imaginable!"
"Even this candied plum layered pastry, who knows how much effort went into it!"
"We sisters also pride ourselves on our skillful hands! There isn't a seasonal pastry we can't make well!"
"But looking at these, we truly feel ashamed to death!" Shou Hua's voice was somewhat disheartened as she said this, for the pastry chef at Pan Lou was truly a master, and it was difficult to surpass their craftsmanship.
"Four pieces cost ten wen!" At this moment, Kang Ning also picked up a piece, examining it as she spoke. "For travelers from north and south, those rushing to the morning market, or those doing business all night, they might appreciate something new."
"But over time... can these tiny, fingertip-sized pastries really fill one's stomach?"
"If you ask me, we should stick to our specialty, the roasted flatbread!"
"Cut the flatbread into slices, spread with honey, and bake it until it's fragrant and crispy! Delicious and filling!" Kang Ning always believed that business should be more practical, and the portions must be generous, especially since their main customers were hardworking people who rose early and worked late.
"I'm afraid the people of the capital would find it crude, unfit for elegant settings!" Shou Hua, of course, knew that what her Third Sister said was right, but people in the capital, more or less, had certain spiritual needs! No matter how affordable your product was, if its appearance wasn't good or its name wasn't appealing, few people would be willing to pay.
"This is not difficult!" Wei Tingyu smiled faintly and said directly, "The cheaper the ingredients, the better, but the style cannot be cheapened!" In short, wasn't it just about packaging? For an ordinary person from modern times, even without much business experience, he understood these fashionable terms and meanings.
Upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words, Shou Hua and Kang Ning's eyes immediately lit up, especially Shou Hua's. Because she had just thought of the same thing, but Wei Tingyu had beaten her to it. At this moment, she was even more certain that she and Wei Tingyu shared a telepathic connection!
"Then how exactly should we do it?" Kang Ning blinked, looking at Wei Tingyu and asking.
"It cannot be called 'roasted flatbread'!" Wei Tingyu thought for a moment and said, "It should be 'cut into jade-leaf slices, chewed with the sound of snowflakes.'"
"Change the name to 'Crispy Jade Leaves'; it's most fitting!"
The moment Wei Tingyu's words fell, Eldest Daughter Shou Hua's eyes lit up directly, because the name she had just thought of was also this! Goodness! She and the Marquis were truly a match made in heaven! It seemed their marriage was simply destined by fate! She had wasted so many years before, and now, having come to the capital, she had finally met her destined true Son of Heaven! Thank you, Old Man Under the Moon, for not abandoning me!
"That's right, that's right!" Third Daughter Kang Ning's eyes also lit up immediately upon hearing this, but she was purely delighted by the good name! Right! Since these people in the capital like to feign elegance, then give them some elegance! Just make the original product more affordable, and then give it a good name to make it seem more refined, wouldn't that work? As she thought about how easily the problem that had plagued the Li family was solved with the Marquis's guidance, an admiring look appeared in Kang Ning's eyes as she looked at Wei Tingyu...
And at this moment, the door not far away was gently knocked again. Kang Ning was startled, then said, "I'll get it!" and walked straight towards the door. This time, Eldest Daughter Shou Hua no longer felt the tension and worry she had earlier. After all, with the Marquis here, she wasn't afraid of any ruffians causing trouble at the shop after dark! She looked at Wei Tingyu, who was seated in the chair, and felt an overwhelming sense of peace. She could stand by his side obediently for a hundred years and not feel tired!
However, when Kang Ning opened the door, she was surprised to find two identical-looking women standing at the entrance?! Judging by their attire, they seemed to be maidservants from a prominent family, but their demeanor was quite exceptional, even comparable to young ladies from moderately wealthy households... Especially such beautiful twins were hard to find. Kang Ning was startled, then grew a little confused. However, fortunately, the visitors were women, so she wasn't nervous; she just asked, "Who are you two looking for?"
"We..." The twin women were also startled, then didn't speak but glanced inside through the gap beside Kang Ning. Upon seeing Wei Tingyu, their eyes immediately lit up.
"Let them in!" At this moment, Wei Tingyu naturally recognized the newcomers and said directly.
"Yes!" Kang Ning was still confused, but since Wei Tingyu had spoken, she naturally dared not disobey, so she obediently stepped aside. The two twin maidservants were also very polite. They walked directly into the room and came before Wei Tingyu, bowing deeply. At this point, Shou Hua and Kang Ning certainly understood that these two women had come to find the Marquis.
"Greetings to both young ladies!" After bowing to Wei Tingyu, Su Xin and Su Lan looked at Kang Ning, who had walked back, and Shou Hua, who had been standing beside Wei Tingyu, and immediately bowed to them as well.
"Su Xin and Su Lan are Eldest Lady's personal maidservants!" Of course, after bowing, the two women also introduced themselves.
"Please rise quickly, both young ladies!" Eldest Daughter Shou Hua immediately nodded upon hearing this, indicating that Su Xin and Su Lan didn't need to be so formal. In her opinion, if the maidservants around her were of such temperament and cultivation, then Eldest Lady Dou Zhao must also be an extraordinary woman! They would certainly have many dealings after entering the residence, so she was naturally very polite to her two maidservants at this moment.
"Your Lordship... everything is as you planned..." Su Xin stepped forward after rising and whispered into Wei Tingyu's ear. At this moment, Shou Hua and Kang Ning naturally pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what she was saying to the Marquis. However, the other party's voice was too soft; they could only hear the first sentence, but the rest was completely unclear. Only seeing the happy expression on Wei Tingyu's face, the two sisters relaxed. The Marquis is so happy; it must be good news!
"Your Lordship!" After Su Xin and Su Lan left, Kang Ning's curiosity naturally couldn't be suppressed. She quickly looked at Wei Tingyu and asked, "Is there some good news from home?" After all, they would soon be entering the Marquis's Residence, and if it was joyous news from the household, it shouldn't be kept from them; after all, they weren't outsiders! Shou Hua also nodded, then looked at Wei Tingyu with a hopeful expression.
"It's not about the Marquis's Residence!" Wei Tingyu smiled faintly and said, "It's about the Fan family!"
"The Fan family?" Shou Hua and Kang Ning exchanged glances, and at the same time, saw expressions of confusion and bewilderment in each other's eyes.
"Does Your Lordship mean... it's related to my Second Sister?" Shou Hua was the first to react. At this moment, the only connection Wei Tingyu could have with the Fan family was Fu Hui! Other than that, there was absolutely no need for him to bother with the messy affairs of the Fan family.
"Precisely!" Wei Tingyu nodded and said, "But I cannot tell you now!"
Upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words, Kang Ning immediately pouted unhappily. She was a person of strong curiosity; knowing that good news was happening but being unable to know the inside story naturally made her unhappy. Shou Hua, however, shook her head slightly, signaling her sister not to press the Marquis further. Talking too much was not the behavior of a good wife! If her husband didn't tell her, there was naturally a reason for it. Wouldn't she know naturally when the time came?
Upon seeing Eldest Sister Shou Hua's warning glance, Kang Ning couldn't help but roll her eyes. Her Eldest Sister was simply the epitome of female virtue throughout history! She probably wouldn't hesitate even if the Marquis asked her to commit suicide with a blade!
"However, tomorrow you will join me at the Fan family to witness this moment!" Wei Tingyu couldn't help but smile upon seeing Kang Ning's expression and said, "Then you'll know why I'm so happy!"