Chapter 59: Chapter 59: Escorting the Bride
Having returned home with his wife, Li Xiu had no idea that his in-laws were in a heap of trouble again because of him. He was even more oblivious to the fact that his two brothers-in-law were secretly plotting to teach him a lesson, since he was the reason they got scolded every time. Even if he had known, he would have just laughed it off. ’Those two clueless brothers-in-law of mine deserve to be taught a lesson. Spoiled by their father, they were still hopelessly naive and childish even after getting married in my last life!’
The two ate an early dinner. Li Xiu held his wife, half-reclining on the kang bed, and spoke to her softly. "Bao’er, Li Hua is getting married on the eighteenth. For the next couple of days, you don’t need to go over there. It’ll be too crowded at Uncle’s place, and I don’t want you getting jostled. Just go over on the day of the wedding. Once you’re there, you don’t have to do a thing—just stick with Grandma. When it’s time for Li Hua to leave, you, as the eldest sister-in-law, will have to splash the water for the departing bride. You’ll need to be careful then. I’ll be shouldering the main responsibilities that day, so I won’t be able to look after you. You have to take good care of yourself so I don’t worry, alright?"
Hearing her husband’s meticulous instructions, Zhou Lian smiled and replied, "Alright."
"As for Li Hua’s wedding gifts, I’ll take the quilt and the thermos flasks over first. The jewelry box, however—you should give that to Li Hua yourself on the day of the wedding. It will be a personal gift from you, her eldest sister-in-law. People will definitely ask about it, so just tell them you’ve prepared the same for all the younger sisters, to be given when they get married."
Seeing his wife’s sweet and obedient expression, Li Xiu couldn’t resist giving her a loving kiss. He stroked her hair and continued, "I’ve also prepared the same for your younger sisters. When they get married, it will be a wedding gift from you, their big sister."
"My three sisters get one too?" Zhou Lian asked in surprise.
"They do. When I was building your vanity, I had some Zitan wood left over, so I made thirteen jewelry boxes. I kept the largest one for you, which left exactly twelve for all the sisters on both sides of the family—one for each. However, I’m not giving one to Li Xin. When your eldest sister visits, we’ll swap the pearl flower inside that one for a silver hairpin and give it to her," Li Xiu explained with a smile, seeing his wife’s surprised and curious expression.
"That doesn’t seem right. No matter what, Li Xin is your own sister," Zhou Lian said in disagreement. She understood her husband’s good intentions, but Li Xin was still his full-blooded sibling.
"Bao’er, you don’t need to concern yourself with these things. The only thing she has going for her is that she shares my blood. Otherwise, with the way she disrespected you and stirred up trouble, I could make her suffer in silence for the rest of her life. Just treat the people at the old family house like strangers. You don’t need to pay them any mind," Li Xiu said, gently comforting Zhou Lian.
’His own sister? With a sister like her, he could just strangle her. In two lifetimes, she hadn’t shown him, her own brother, an ounce of respect. She had instigated outsiders to badmouth Zhou Lian, her sister-in-law, and even provoked him into raising a hand against his own wife. That slap he’d given his wife in their last life... although it was mostly his fault, it was also because he’d trusted Li Xin’s manipulations, all because she was his sister. What kind of sister acts like that, practically wishing for her brother’s family to be destroyed? The only reason he wasn’t getting revenge on her in this life was out of mercy, simply because they shared the same blood!’
Seeing that Li Xiu wouldn’t be persuaded, Zhou Lian didn’t press the issue. The chasm of resentment between them couldn’t be bridged simply by the fact that they were brother and sister.
"Let’s get some sleep, Bao’er. You’ve had a long day." Kissing his wife’s forehead, he pulled her into his arms and whispered gently.
Li Xiu’s wedding gifts for Li Hua set the village gossiping. A new satin quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks and a pair of new thermoses painted with large red peonies had them all muttering about his generosity. This was just for a cousin; how lavish would the gifts be for his own sister, Li Xin? Those who knew the real situation scoffed. ’His own sister is treated worse than a cousin. Having a sister like Li Xin is the worst kind of luck. Wedding gifts? It’s a wonder if Li Xiu will even show up at all!’
「On the eighteenth」
Li Xiu woke up early to make breakfast. He called Zhou Lian to get up, and after they ate, he helped her over to Eldest Li’s house. Zhou Lian had to be there early; according to custom, the water for the bride to wash her face had to be poured by her family’s sister-in-law.
Once at his uncle’s house, he escorted Zhou Lian to Grandma Li before taking his leave. As one of the bride’s older male cousins, he had many duties today: organizing the dowry procession, carrying the bride out on his back, and accompanying her to her new in-laws’ home.
After Li Hua’s washing water was poured, Li Gui helped Zhou Lian to a seat. The family elders had all instructed her to not worry about a thing and just look after her eldest sister-in-law. Even without being told, Li Gui knew what was important; she had to make sure no one jostled Zhou Lian. Her sister-in-law was carrying the fourth generation of the Li family, and considering how much her elder brother doted on his wife, Li Gui didn’t dare be the least bit careless.
When Li Hua was ready, Zhou Lian handed her the prepared jewelry box. "Here," she said. "Put this away somewhere safe. It’s a gift from your big brother and me."
Seeing the jewelry box, Grandma Li smiled. Her eldest grandson truly valued his family. "Go on, take it. Your brother and sister-in-law adore you. Put it away safely, and don’t go showing it off."
The room was filled with the wives, daughters, and granddaughters of the Li family; there were no outsiders present.
"Fourth Grandma, is there something special about this?" a young wife from the fifth branch of the Li family asked curiously.
Seeing her grandmother give a slight nod, Li Hua smiled and opened the jewelry box. Inside lay two pearl hair ornaments and a pair of silver bracelets. She looked up at Zhou Lian, stunned.
Unfazed by Li Hua’s shock, Zhou Lian just smiled. "Listen to Grandma and put it away somewhere safe."
Watching the sisters-in-law speak in riddles, the other women got up curiously to take a look. They all gasped. Li Xiu and his wife were truly generous—a new quilt, new thermoses, silver bracelets, and pearl and silver hair ornaments. Even a biological brother and his wife wouldn’t be this lavish.
Grandma Li patted Zhou Lian’s hand with a smile and said to Li Hua, "You must take very good care of this wooden box."
After hearing her mother-in-law, Aunt Li took the jewelry box from Li Hua’s hands to inspect it. Her eyes widened in shock. She looked at her mother-in-law and nodded, then carefully placed the box back into Li Hua’s hands. Patting her hand, she repeated, "Keep this box safe. Don’t show it off."
Seeing the confused looks from the crowd, Grandma Li explained with a smile, "The box itself is more valuable than its contents. You’ve all heard of Zitan wood, haven’t you? That box is made from it."
Once the shock wore off, it was replaced by overwhelming envy. Grandma Li’s old contemporaries all praised Li Xiu and his wife for being so generous and doting on his cousin. The women of Aunt Li’s generation secretly lamented not having such a wonderful nephew, while the younger ones were simply overcome with envy and jealousy.
"Eldest Nephew’s Wife, you have quite a few sisters-in-law to deal with, don’t you?" an aunt from the third branch of the Li family remarked, her tone slightly instigating.
Zhou Lian looked up to see it was a distant aunt who was close to her mother-in-law. Glancing at the expressions on her mother-in-law and Li Xin nearby, she smiled and said, "That’s right, about eight or nine of them. It’s no trouble. They’re all my sisters, and they’ll all get the same."
Seeing the varied expressions in the room, Zhou Lian gave Grandma Li’s hand a reassuring pat. She then teased the other Li sisters, "Your big brother already told me. He’ll give you yours when you get married."
"Sister-in-law..."
"Sister-in-law..."
...
Li Gui, Li Yun, and the others blushed shyly, while only Li Xin lowered her head, seething. ’Why? I’m his real sister!’
Aunt Li shot a glance at Li Xin. ’What a clueless girl. No wonder Li Xiu’s heart has grown cold toward her. Today is Li Hua’s wedding day; they’re all family. Couldn’t she at least pretend to be happy?’
Grandma Li just smiled and shook her head at Aunt Li. Only when Aunt Li turned away did Grandma Li shift her gaze back to Li Xin, studying the girl’s expression intently. ’This girl is a lost cause. She can’t tell good from bad and has no sense of propriety. No wonder my granddaughter-in-law hasn’t given her a single glance all morning. She must have seen Li Xin’s true colors long ago and decided she wasn’t even worth acknowledging.’
"Thank you, Sister-in-law!" Li Hua said, walking up to Zhou Lian while cradling the jewelry box. She knew her big brother doted on his sisters, but she never imagined that her sister-in-law would part with something so precious. ’With how much my brother cherishes her, he never would have done this if she hadn’t agreed. He wouldn’t risk upsetting her.’
Zhou Lian took the pearl ornaments from the box and fastened them in Li Hua’s hair, then slid the silver bracelets onto her wrists. She gently stroked Li Hua’s hair. "Dear sister, today you are marrying out, but when you get to your in-laws’ home, don’t you be afraid. You are a daughter of the Li family. As long as your big brother and I are here, no one will dare to bully you."
"Your big brother says his sisters can hold their heads high wherever they go. With brothers, sisters-in-law, and younger siblings in your maiden family, no one—and I mean no one—gets to bully a sister of Li Xiu!"
As Zhou Lian’s words fell, many of the women in the room began wiping away tears. Once a woman married, she became a guest in her own family home. If her brothers were kind, she might be alright, but if not, she could never hold her head high at her in-laws’ place. But Li Xiu and his wife were different. They had all but explicitly declared that if Li Hua’s new family dared to bully her, the two of them would come knocking on their door to settle the score.
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