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Chapter 96 - Chapter 96: The Li Family Mother and Daughters' Demeanor! The Marquis's Liking!

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The whole point was to catch the Marquis's eye. If he favored one of them, then from that day on, they would walk with a swagger, just like Wang Yingxue! Seeing that those so-called young masters from official families were also showing great interest in her daughters, Lady Li Niang was naturally delighted! This meant that her efforts yesterday, bustling for half the night and waking up early today to help her daughters dress, were not in vain. Of course, for Lady Li Niang, these men were merely tools to test her daughters' attractiveness! Their character and morals naturally wouldn't meet Lady Li Niang's standards! Their family background was incomparable to the Marquis's Residence on one hand, and more importantly, they were too lewd and wretched! How could such timid, shifty-eyed men be worthy of her daughters? Although she was anxious about her daughters' marriages, she wasn't so desperate as to accept any crooked gourd or cracked date!

At this moment, a young servant who had been looking out from the alley entrance came running back, shouting, "The Marquis's carriage is here! Master! The Marquis's carriage is here!..."

Upon hearing his words, everyone present simultaneously perked up, then subconsciously smoothed their clothes. Even Lady Li Niang instinctively tidied her hair and the hairpins and jewelry adorning it. Although she hoped that after her daughter married Wei Tingyu, she would naturally become the Marquis's mother-in-law and wouldn't need to dress beautifully to curry favor with her son-in-law, she also thought of her good confidante Wang Yingxue and felt she couldn't be easily outshone! After so many years, her confidante was still so graceful and charming! Although she had given birth to five daughters, her own beauty and temperament were not inferior. All in all, she could be considered an equal to her confidante!

Eldest Daughter Shou Hua couldn't help but chuckle softly upon seeing her mother's actions. She then looked at her other sisters beside her and found that Third Sister, Fourth Sister, and Fifth Sister were quite normal, merely tidying their appearances in a proper manner. However, the behavior of her already married Second Sister Fu Hui struck her as somewhat strange. Fu Hui was clearly much more meticulous in tidying herself than any other woman present! Her cheeks even showed a faint blush, and her eyes held a look of anticipation. This scene greatly surprised Eldest Daughter Shou Hua, and her beautiful brows furrowed slightly. Her conjecture from last night was not wrong; Second Sister Fu Hui truly had a man in her heart! It was just that this man was not her husband, Fan Lianghan, but Marquis Jining, Wei Tingyu? No wonder she had been lost in thought last night; she must have truly been thinking about remarrying! And the target of her remarriage... needless to say, it was this Marquis!

Of course, even Shou Hua admitted that Wei Tingyu was indeed very appealing to women, completely meeting all their requirements for a perfect husband! To be honest, even Shou Hua herself had a slight fondness for him! Of course, at this moment, it was far from love, merely a favorable impression! Because Shou Hua understood that she was a widow who had lost her husband, and with such a status, entering the Marquis's Residence was almost impossible! Even if she were still a virgin, the Marquis's Residence would not risk being ridiculed and losing face by marrying her. And Second Sister Fu Hui's situation was not much better than hers, perhaps even worse! Because she was still a married woman with a husband! If anything were to truly happen, Second Sister's future would be completely ruined! Her younger sisters might even be implicated and unable to marry! Thinking of this, Shou Hua's eyes immediately darted around. She decided that she must find an opportunity to have a good talk with Fu Hui. Since you like the Marquis in your heart, then bury that liking in your heart! Never truly ignite a spark and cause any trouble!

Just as everyone present was lost in their own thoughts, the luxurious carriage of the Marquis Jining's Residence appeared at the alley entrance, then slowly approached them and came to a halt. Wei Tingyu was the first to step out of the carriage, then immediately turned and helped Dou Ming, who was following him, descend! This scene made everyone present widen their eyes. They had all known of Wei Tingyu's reputation as a doting husband, as the scene of him personally helping his wife Dou Zhao out of the carriage at the Dou family's banquet had spread throughout the noble circles of the capital. All married and unmarried daughters of officials, and even wives, discussed it excitedly, no one not envying Dou Zhao for marrying such a thoughtful and good husband! However, they hadn't expected Wei Tingyu to be so considerate and loving towards Dou Ming, his concubine?! No wonder both Dou family sisters were willing to marry into the Marquis's Residence! Especially Dou Ming, this legitimate daughter, who was willing to follow Wei Tingyu even as a concubine. All the women immediately understood the reason!

The three unmarried daughters of the Li family now looked at Wei Tingyu and Dou Ming, holding hands, their eyes fixed. One must know that they were still in the relationship of brother-in-law and sister-in-law! Although everyone was already well aware that they were about to form a marriage, such blatant display was indeed somewhat against the rules. Setting aside other things, perhaps some busybody censor would impeach Wei Tingyu in court tomorrow, saying he disregarded moral principles and disgraced scholars. Yet, even so, Wei Tingyu himself showed not the slightest hesitation or fear! This devotion to love made the unmarried girls yearn even more!

And Shou Hua and Fu Hui, these two already married daughters, felt even more envious at this sight. Shou Hua had no chance to experience it at all; before her wedding night could even begin, her husband passed away! Now, seeing the happy Dou Ming and thinking of her own fate, she was naturally filled with melancholy. However, her inherent widowed demeanor, coupled with the overflowing sadness in her heart, made her even more pitiable! Wei Tingyu, catching a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye, felt his heart skip a beat!

As for Fu Hui, there was no need to say more! She already had a strong liking for Wei Tingyu. Now, seeing this scene and comparing it to her own lifeless husband, her heart was filled with intense envy for Dou Ming. No wonder she was willing to be a concubine just to enter the Marquis's Residence; if it were her, she would certainly be a hundred times willing!

As for Lady Li Niang, at this moment, she was almost driven mad with jealousy for her confidante, Wang Yingxue! Good heavens! No wonder both of your daughters married into the Marquis's Residence! So, the Marquis is such a husband! Before, she had only been drawn to the Marquis's power and Wei Tingyu's tall, handsome figure. Now, seeing his meticulous care for the women in his household, she realized! Such a husband! If her own daughter could enter, she would certainly enjoy great happiness! Thinking of this, Lady Li Niang immediately resolved to somehow manage to place one of her daughters in the Marquis's Residence!

At this moment, Wei Tingyu had already led Dou Ming by her small hand onto the steps of the Fan Residence's main gate, standing alongside everyone.

"Greetings to the Marquis!" Everyone present seemed to have conspired, bowing simultaneously to Wei Tingyu.

"No need for such courtesy, everyone!" Wei Tingyu, naturally, put on the full airs of Marquis Jining, waving his hand nonchalantly.

"The Marquis's esteemed presence! Our Fan Residence is honored! Truly honored!" Master Fan, upon raising his head, immediately scurried forward, bowing and nodding to Wei Tingyu, saying, "Marquis, please move to the inner hall to rest!"

Wei Tingyu, of course, was not surprised by the other party's fawning and obsequious manner. He recalled the Liu family in the Eastern Capital; they had also done everything in their power to curry favor with him and the county princess. One must know that the Liu family was at least an official family, a level higher in status than the merchant family of the Fan Residence! If they were like that, the blind Fan family would naturally be even worse!

"The Fan Residence has many guests today!" Wei Tingyu looked around and felt that there were indeed many people gathered here, surely not all original members of the Fan family! However, it made sense; his appearance must have caused a significant butterfly effect on the original plot! Such a change was quite normal!

"Lady Li Niang!" Of course, Wei Tingyu would not forget the Li family's mother and daughters. After all, besides accompanying Dou Ming, his biggest goal in coming here was for them. Lady Li Niang and her daughters had been standing in the crowd, eagerly watching Wei Tingyu. Now, seeing him call out to her, she excitedly picked up her skirt and walked forward. Her daughters naturally followed behind their mother.

"Greetings to the Marquis!" Lady Li Niang and her daughters bowed once more to Wei Tingyu, then said, "We haven't thanked the Marquis for the previous matter yet!"

"No worries!" Wei Tingyu smiled faintly, then gestured with a raised hand, "We are all family; there's no need for such formality!"

Family? As soon as Wei Tingyu said this, everyone, including Lady Li Niang, was stunned. The amount of information contained in those three words was simply too vast, so much so that everyone's minds couldn't process such complex information in an instant. What does this mean?

The Fan family members exchanged bewildered glances, feeling that these three words were a bit too abrupt! Because they knew the relationship between the Li family and Wei Tingyu; wasn't it just through Wang Yingxue? To be honest, even Wang Yingxue, despite being Wei Tingyu's mother-in-law on the surface, might not be considered "family" to the Marquis's Residence! How did the Li family manage to climb such a high branch?

Lady Li Niang was also utterly bewildered. When did I become "family" to the Marquis's Residence? Oh, right! It must be that the Marquis has taken a liking to one of her daughters! Does he intend to form a marriage alliance between the two families? Is that why he said such auspicious words beforehand, to make her happy? This was the only possibility! Lady Li Niang's eyes darted around, and her heart pounded even faster! Indeed! Her efforts from last night until this morning were not in vain! However, it was also very normal for the Marquis to be taken with her daughters, as each of them was so beautiful and outstanding!

Master Fan carefully observed Lady Li Niang's expression. Seeing her go from bewilderment to happiness, and finally to excitement, he probably had a good idea of what was going on. Regardless of the Marquis's future relationship with the Li family, since he said they were "family," then they were "family"! Slapping the Li family's face would be equivalent to slapping the Marquis's Residence's face! This shrewd Master Fan immediately kept this in mind.

"Honestly! I thought I could see more of the Marquis!" Under the veranda of the side courtyard, at the female guest seating, Fifth Daughter Le Shan of the Li family popped an orange segment into her mouth, chewing it until the juices spurted, and then mumbled in a low voice!

"In such a grand residence, men and women are naturally separated during banquets, otherwise wouldn't it break the rules?" Li family's Eldest Sister Shou Hua smiled and gently patted her fifth sister's shoulder, saying, "Besides, why has Fifth Sister suddenly taken an interest in the Marquis again?"

"When the Marquis helped Sister Ming out of the carriage earlier, I was completely captivated! I didn't believe such a man existed in this world before!" Le Shan blinked, then said, "Today, my eyes have truly been opened!"

As soon as she said this, the few women present were all stunned, because the scene of Wei Tingyu at the main gate earlier was indeed fresh in everyone's memory.

"Younger sister Le Shan, since you like the Marquis, why don't you come back to the Marquis's Residence with me tonight?" At this moment, Dou Ming was seated at the head of the female guest section. She had been feeling a little uneasy, but upon hearing Le Shan's words, she suddenly burst into laughter. Among the five Li family sisters, Dou Ming was roughly the same age as Third Daughter Kang Ning, only a few days younger. So, it was perfectly fine for her to call Le Shan "younger sister"!

Lady Li Niang's eyes immediately lit up upon hearing this. She looked at Dou Ming and asked, "Ming'er, did you hear the Marquis say something? Does he like our Le Shan?" As Wang Yingxue's confidante, Dou Ming addressed her as Auntie Li, so she directly used Dou Ming's given name at this moment.

"Not at all!" This little girl, Dou Ming, hadn't fully grasped the intricacies of human affairs yet. She naturally didn't understand that Lady Li Niang's words at this moment were a test, thinking she was merely asking casually. So, she shook her head and said, "I just think Fifth Sister is so adorable; if she's willing, the Marquis will definitely like her too!"

"Oh!" Lady Li Niang was first disappointed when Dou Ming said no, but then hearing her say that the Marquis would definitely like Le Shan, her eyes immediately lit up again.

"That's wonderful! There's no time like the present! When you go back today, tell the Marquis that you'll take Fifth Daughter back in a few days!" Lady Li Niang's biggest worry for marriage was these three young daughters, and among them, the mischievous and troublesome Fifth Daughter Le Shan was the most problematic. If the Marquis wanted her, it would be incredibly fortunate! Lady Li Niang was almost impatient at this moment.

"Mother! What are you talking about?!" Le Shan felt some admiration for Wei Tingyu, which led to the earlier scene. Now, seeing Lady Li Niang and Dou Ming teasing her and saying they would take her directly back to the Marquis's Residence, her face immediately turned red.

"What am I talking about?" Lady Li Niang was startled, then glared at her fifth daughter and said, "Talking about your marriage!"

"I'm not going!" Fifth Daughter Le Shan shook her head repeatedly, her twin ponytails swinging from side to side. Her appearance was incredibly adorable, making everyone present burst into laughter. Because everyone knew inwardly that this matter was just being discussed here among the female guests. If they truly wanted Fifth Daughter Le Shan to enter the Marquis's Residence as a concubine, it would still require some process. At this moment, everyone was just teasing her, though Lady Li Niang and Le Shan herself were the most serious.

And no one noticed that Lady Li Niang's Second Daughter Fu Hui was sitting in the corner of the table, silent and unmoving. Such joy was clearly not meant for her. At least Fifth Sister still had hope of marrying into the Marquis's Residence, and she was happy playing around with everyone. But such a thing would never happen to her! Fu Hui immediately felt self-pitying at this thought.

Eldest Sister Shou Hua, who had already noticed her second sister's unusual behavior, quietly moved beside her and gently patted her sister's back. However, just as she was about to console her sister, she suddenly saw a figure hurrying over from outside the veranda. This person was none other than the mistress of the Fan family, Madam Fan, Fu Hui's mother-in-law.

As soon as this person appeared, the women in the room simultaneously closed their mouths and stopped joking about what had just happened. After all, this Madam Fan was not to be trusted. If she overheard their jokes, who knew what gossip she would spread, complaining that the Li family was like toads trying to eat swan meat.

"My dear in-law! Please eat and drink well!" Madam Fan approached the women and first spoke politely, then gently nodded to Fu Hui, saying kindly, "Fu Hui! Come here for a moment!"

"Yes, Mother!" Fu Hui was startled, then rose and followed her mother-in-law out of the veranda with a bewildered expression.

"Why did she call Second Sister away? Is something else happening?" Fourth Daughter Hao De blinked, saying with a bewildered expression.

"It's definitely nothing good!" Third Daughter Kang Ning, however, pursed her lips and directly complained.

"Your second sister is, after all, their daughter-in-law; she is now a member of the Fan family!" Lady Li Niang sighed and said, "Since this is a Fan family banquet, it's only natural for her mother-in-law to be busy and call her daughter-in-law to help!"

"That's right! Everyone, no need to worry!" Eldest Sister Shou Hua also nodded and said, "Given the current situation, the Fan family wouldn't dare to mistreat Fu Hui!"

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