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"It seems she hasn't gotten up yet!" Lady Li Niang was startled, then her brows furrowed. "Today is her Second Daughter's big day, and the Marquis himself is coming to participate. How can she still be sleeping in? Really..."
Without waiting for anyone else's reaction, Lady Li Niang turned to enter Shou Hua's room, muttering, "We haven't opened the shop for a few days; why has even Eldest Daughter become so lazy?"
Kang Ning, who had been standing there in a daze, suddenly came to her senses and quickly stepped forward, tugging at her mother's sleeve. "Mother!" Kang Ning shook her head repeatedly. "Eldest Sister slept a little late last night. Please don't disturb her! She'll surely come out on her own in a bit!"
"I knew it! Last night, when I went to sleep, Eldest Sister, Third Sister, and Qiong Nu were still in the front hall researching that bowl of pastries!" Fifth Daughter Le Shan nodded at this moment. "It seems she really did sleep late!"
"Then you and Qiong Nu are both up; could it be that your Eldest Sister slept even later than you two?" Lady Li Niang's brows furrowed even more tightly upon hearing this. How important a woman's sleep was, she knew very well! Could it be that she thought she was certain to enter the Marquis's Residence now, so she no longer cared about her appearance? That certainly wouldn't do! How many beauties were there in the Marquis's Residence? How could she act so recklessly just because of her current youth and beauty? Thinking of this, Lady Li Niang grew even angrier. She absolutely had to go and properly scold Shou Hua!
"Eldest Sister did indeed sleep quite late..." Kang Ning was a bit embarrassed now. She was forcefully stopping her mother from going, yet she couldn't find a good reason. But if she let her mother burst into Eldest Sister's room like that, the scene would be simply too interesting! Of course, she didn't believe Lady Li Niang would get angry because of this; in fact, she might even be particularly happy to see Wei Tingyu and Shou Hua already sleeping together. But Eldest Sister Shou Hua's dignity would be completely gone! Ultimately, it was that fellow Wei Tingyu who insisted on staying overnight at the tea shop, causing all this trouble! Kang Ning feltèŠ! Her husband and Eldest Sister spent the night together, and she, the third sister, had to clean up their mess... But one was her own husband, and the other was her elder sister; not helping was impossible!
"No!" However, although Lady Li Niang seemed somewhat carefree in personality, she was a mother after all! She absolutely knew her five daughters very well! Why was Third Daughter Kang Ning resisting so much when she went to wake her eldest daughter? This completely didn't fit Kang Ning's personality! There must be something going on here!
"Third Daughter!" Lady Li Niang's eyes rolled, and she immediately glared at Kang Ning, asking, "What exactly is going on? Tell Mother clearly!"
Kang Ning froze for a moment upon seeing Lady Li Niang's serious expression, because at this point, she knew she absolutely couldn't joke with her mother. "That..." Kang Ning frowned, then softly said, "Eldest Sister's room... isn't just her!"
"What do you mean?" The moment Kang Ning said this, everyone present simultaneously looked up in shock, staring intently at her face. This included Qiong Nu, because after Kang Ning pulled her away yesterday, she had no idea Wei Tingyu would stay overnight at the tea shop; she only thought the Marquis would return home when it got late.
"It's just... last night..." Kang Ning frowned. How could she, an unmarried young woman, say such words?
"There's a man in Eldest Sister's room?" At this moment, Fifth Daughter Le Shan asked in shock. Because other than this possibility, there was no reason for Kang Ning to be so stuttering! Something so difficult to say must be something that couldn't be seen by others! So, after much thought, it seemed this was the only possibility! Of course, this thought wasn't exclusive to Fifth Daughter Le Shan! Lady Li Niang and the other sisters also had the same thought at this moment, but they didn't dare to voice it. Fifth Daughter Le Shan's words, however, broke the silence of the crowd, as if directly revealing the answer! Lady Li Niang's entire face instantly turned pale, and her body swayed uncontrollably.
"Mother!" Second Daughter Fu Hui and Fourth Daughter Hao De, who were nearby, quickly supported her from left and right, preventing Lady Li Niang from collapsing directly to the ground!
"Oh dear! What sin have I committed?" Lady Li Niang, who had been revived after Hao De and Fu Hui vigorously pinched her philtrum, immediately cried out upon regaining consciousness. "I know Eldest Daughter has been a widow for many years, wasting her youth, and always wanted a man to confide in!"
"But aren't we already preparing to enter the Marquis's Residence? How could such a thing happen?!"
"How will I explain this to the Marquis~"
"Our Li family is finished now!"
Lady Li Niang wailed with a distressed expression, crying to the heavens and lamenting the earth. At this moment, she truly felt powerless! And Kang Ning froze there for a full few seconds before suddenly realizing it. So, Mother thought Eldest Sister was with some outside man...?
"Mother! Don't worry, listen to me..." Thinking of this, Kang Ning quickly went forward and tugged at Lady Li Niang's arm, saying, "You misunderstood... actually, it's..."
"It must be this smooth-talking scoundrel who tricked Eldest Sister!" However, before Kang Ning could finish her sentence, Fifth Daughter Le Shan frowned, picked up the nearby clothes pole, and said loudly, "I'll go up now and beat him senseless, then hand him over to the authorities!"
"No, no!" Second Daughter Fu Hui quickly stopped Le Shan. "What about Eldest Sister's reputation?"
"This..." Don't look at Fifth Daughter Le Shan always preferring to violently solve problems, but when it came to Eldest Sister's reputation, she hesitated for a moment.
"If you ask me..." Fourth Daughter Hao De also offered her advice at this moment, "Let's first teach this person a lesson! Then tie him up and send him to the Marquis's Residence to apologize! Then, it's up to the Marquis whether he wants to kill or skin him!"
"Then Eldest Sister... how do we explain to the Marquis?" Second Daughter Fu Hui blinked and asked. She felt that this method didn't seem to work either. It seemed like a dead end no matter how they thought about it!
"Well, don't we still have four daughters in our family?" Fourth Daughter Hao De thought for a moment and carefully said, "Let's discuss with the Marquis; the four of us will marry him as agreed, and we'll bring more dowry. Maybe the Marquis won't be angry then!"
"Then what about Eldest Sister?" Fifth Daughter Le Shan was a match for two when it came to fighting, but when it came to planning, her mind was utterly muddled!
"Like this now... there's no other way!" At this moment, Lady Li Niang gradually cleared her head after hearing her daughters' discussions. She shook off her daughters who were supporting her and straightened her body.
"First, beat this damned scoundrel senseless! I can't stand to see such things!" Lady Li Niang gasped a few times, calmed herself, then took the clothes pole from Fifth Daughter Le Shan's hand, turned, and walked up to the second floor, lifting her skirt as she went. By the looks of it, she intended to directly burst into Eldest Daughter Shou Hua's room to catch the 'rogue'!
And Kang Ning stared blankly at her mother and sisters. She couldn't get a single word in earlier! The Li family mother and daughters had already conjured up an entire drama in their minds! But it was no wonder; this was a crucial moment before their five sisters entered the Marquis's Residence, and Lady Li Niang's mental state was definitely very tense. Before everything was settled, even the slightest disturbance would make her extremely sensitive. But now she had no other choice; after all, for a mother to catch her daughter in the act was truly a bit absurd!
Meanwhile, in Shou Hua's boudoir, Wei Tingyu stood with his arms outstretched, enjoying the gentle young woman's service. Of course, with his keen hearing, he had already clearly heard the chaotic noises outside and naturally knew what was happening. However, Lady Li Niang's personality was very much to Wei Tingyu's liking. After misunderstanding that Shou Hua was having an affair with an outside man, her first thought wasn't to cover it up or deceive him for her eldest daughter; instead, she intended to catch the 'rogue'! This was truly rare, no wonder she could raise five such excellent daughters for the Li family!
"What's all the commotion outside?" Shou Hua, while kneeling in front of Wei Tingyu to tie his belt, looked curiously towards the door and muttered.
"Your mother and sisters have misunderstood!" Wei Tingyu smiled slightly upon hearing this, then looked at Shou Hua, who was kneeling before him. And at his words, she looked up at him. One looked down, one looked up, and as their eyes met, Shou Hua's face flushed a little more.
"Misunderstood what?" Shou Hua slowly rose after tying Wei Tingyu's belt, then helped him adjust his lapels and sleeves. After all, this was now her true husband! As the woman who had served her husband last night, being diligent and attentive now was only natural! In Shou Hua's mind, if Wei Tingyu's clothes were wrinkled or damaged when he left today, it would be a hundred percent her responsibility! Once this situation faced the other ladies and concubines in the residence, Shou Hua would feel unable to lift her head! After all, as a concubine, if she couldn't even do such a simple duty as serving her husband well, what hope was there of doing anything else well?
"They know that a man stayed in your room last night!" Wei Tingyu smiled and raised an eyebrow at Shou Hua, then said. And Shou Hua's face immediately flushed even redder upon hearing this. What does he mean, a man stayed in my room? Isn't it just Your Lordship? He makes it sound like I've done something to harm a woman's virtue!
However, since they already knew, there was nothing to be done! After last night, Shou Hua had actually come to terms with many things. Anyway, she would have to face it sooner or later. She would go out with the Marquis in a bit! Let her sisters laugh a few times, then sign the concubine contract with Mother, and the matter would be settled! Of course, Shou Hua also knew that Wei Tingyu was deliberately teasing her, wanting to see her blush. But she still couldn't help but roll her eyes slightly, then stopped speaking and diligently straightened his clothes.
Indeed, after intimacy, it's different! Shou Hua was much more relaxed in front of him; she was even giving him side-eyes now?! This could also be considered a little marital flirtation!
"But they don't know this man is me!" Wei Tingyu again brought his mouth close to Shou Hua's ear and whispered. Shou Hua was initially a bit shy about Wei Tingyu leaning in, instinctively leaning back. But upon hearing his words, her face immediately changed. Mother and the sisters don't know it's the Marquis who stayed here? That means they think I... Thinking of this, Shou Hua's small face also paled slightly. After all, for her, reputation was more important than life itself! Especially letting her mother and sisters misunderstand; this was a situation she absolutely could not accept.
"My lady needn't worry!" Wei Tingyu saw Shou Hua's somewhat worried expression, directly reached out and took her tender hand, saying, "If I go out with my lady, won't this misunderstanding be cleared?"
"Mmm!" Shou Hua was startled, then finally understood. That's right! As long as the Marquis shows himself, Mother and the sisters will naturally not think wrongly! I was truly lost in the moment just now, not even thinking of such a simple solution! And Wei Tingyu, seeing Shou Hua's expression change again and again, stopped teasing her. He held her tender hand and walked towards the door.
"You dog! How dare you still..." At this moment, Lady Li Niang had already arrived at Shou Hua's door with the clothes pole. Vaguely, through the paper-covered window, she saw a figure standing at the door inside the room. This figure was clearly much taller than Eldest Daughter Shou Hua, and it was a man! So, without asking, she knew it must be this 'thief' who stole jade and fragrance! And the other party actually reached out to open the door, which enraged Lady Li Niang. She immediately roared, raised the bamboo pole in her hand, and swung it directly downwards.
"Mother! No!" Kang Ning tried to stop her at this moment, but it was already too late. She also hadn't expected her mother to be so reckless, directly acting before even seeing the other person's identity or appearance.
Wei Tingyu had just opened the door when he saw a bamboo pole coming directly down from above towards his head. And Shou Hua, who was behind him, screamed in fright!
"Ah!" Along with Shou Hua's scream, Wei Tingyu's left hand extended slightly, and with two fingers, he gently clamped the bamboo pole. With a crisp snap, the entire bamboo pole instantly bent. Lady Li Niang felt as if she had struck a giant rock with her stick; the enormous rebound force actually made her stumble back a few steps. Fortunately, her daughters were behind her, supporting her, otherwise she would surely have fallen flat on her face.
"You!" Lady Li Niang was surprised that the other party was also a martial artist, and her face immediately showed a hint of panic. She pointed at the person opposite and wanted to loudly curse! However, when her eyes clearly saw the face of the man opposite, she froze in place. Of course, besides her, Second Daughter Fu Hui, Fourth Daughter Hao De, and Fifth Daughter Le Shan also stood there wide-eyed, looking at the man in front of them.
"Lady is truly in good spirits!" Wei Tingyu smiled and lightly flicked the clothes pole with his fingertips. The pole, as if it had eyes, flew towards the clothes rack downstairs and landed with a distinct pat. "Are you practicing your stick fighting so early in the morning?"
"I..." Lady Li Niang was startled. This was truly embarrassing now. She had never dreamed that the man inside would be Wei Tingyu! But thankfully, Wei Tingyu's martial arts were strong, and she hadn't managed to cause him any harm. Thinking of this, Lady Li Niang was both scared and embarrassed, and could only force a smile, saying, "Misunderstanding... a misunderstanding..." At the same time, she glared fiercely at Third Daughter Kang Ning beside her. The meaning was very simple: Why didn't you say something earlier?
Kang Ning was also feeling wronged; she had been shouting at her from behind, but her mother hadn't listened! Even if she wanted to explain the truth, her mother and sisters kept speaking one after another, and she couldn't get a single word in! If blame had to be laid, it could only be on the Li family women, whose imaginations were a bit too wild, directly conjuring up a grand drama of catching a 'rogue'!
"Mother!" Eldest Daughter Shou Hua no longer cared about shyness at this moment. She released Wei Tingyu's hand and quickly came forward, gently patting Lady Li Niang's chest with her tender hand, saying, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Lady Li Niang nodded, and looking at her eldest daughter Shou Hua's face, her heart felt much more at ease. Thankfully, this man is Wei Tingyu. Eldest Daughter's actions can't be considered an affair, and my good daughter is still that good daughter!
"Congratulations, Elder Sister!" At this moment, Second Daughter Fu Hui blinked, then bowed slightly to Shou Hua and said. She was feeling a little jealous at this moment. After all, among the five Li family sisters, she should have been the first to hold Wei Tingyu's hand! But Eldest Sister was the first to enter the nuptial chambers! However, this jealousy was very slight; her heart only felt a slight pang of sourness before immediately returning to normal. Because it was also reasonable for the Marquis to favor the sisters according to their age! Most importantly, after Eldest Sister, wouldn't it be her turn? Thinking of this, Fu Hui couldn't help but yearn again, her cheeks flushing slightly. Of course, her younger daughter's thoughts naturally couldn't escape Shou Hua, who had gone through it already. She knew what her sister was thinking when she saw her expression, so she gave her a wink, signaling her not to rush. Fu Hui hadn't expected Eldest Sister to see through her thoughts and grew even shier now. However, seeing a look of encouragement in her eyes, she felt quite touched.
"Eldest Sister! You and the Marquis..." Of course, at this moment, Fifth Daughter Le Shan naturally opened her mouth again, bringing up what was most inappropriate.