freenovelworld Chapter 330 Sisterly Thoughts!
Chapter 330 Sisterly Thoughts!
"Miss, I also put a bunch of bananas in the ice cellar. I'll take them out for you to eat later this evening."
Mu Xin Nuan glared at her, "How could I possibly eat a whole string of them?"
Because of this remark, the courtyard was filled with laughter again.
When Mu Qingxuan and Mu Qingyuan arrived, the group was laughing together.
"Why are you so happy?" Mu Qingxuan had just spoken when he noticed the watermelon rind on the stone table and laughed, "Well! My brother and I are exhausted from school. You two are hiding here eating good food. That's too much."
Mu Qingyuan skipped and hopped up to the pavilion and sat down next to Mu Xinnuan. "I know my elder sister loves me the most, so she definitely wouldn't want us to just watch her like this, right?"
Mu Xin Nuan chuckled, and Granny Yu, who was standing beside her, quickly said, "Please have a seat, gentlemen. I'll go and get more right away. Miss specially saved some for you."
"Fifth Brother hasn't been feeling well lately, so you can just eat a few pieces here. But once you leave Yuexuan, don't mention that you ate watermelon here, or he'll make a scene and you'll be in big trouble."
"I know, sister."
"Was today's lesson difficult? I heard that the teacher is going to test you soon. How are your preparations going?"
"Sister, how do you know everything? Sigh!" Mu Qingyuan said, sighing softly, then put her arms on the table and leaned over it. "This new teacher is very strict. Sister, you haven't gone to school for the past two years, so you've escaped a lot of trouble."
"You're talking nonsense again. Even if your elder sister goes to school, she can't possibly have the same teacher as you."
The three of them turned around and saw that it was Liu Tingting leading Liu Zhuangzhuang over.
"Go and have someone prepare some more snacks. The three of them must be a little hungry."
"Yes, ma'am."
Liu Zhuangzhuang plopped down next to Mu Qingyuan, "I knew there was good food here, elder sister. I can't wait!"
Liu Tingting sat down. "The watermelon my sister sent yesterday was really sweet. I heard it was personally delivered by His Highness Prince Chang Le."
As she spoke, she looked at Mu Xinnuan with a teasing gaze, "Sister, you are so lucky. My future brother-in-law is not only handsome, but also skilled in both literature and martial arts. Now he is so attentive to you. He is truly a rare and good man."
"Is my little sister envious? Why don't I ask her to make some arrangements for your marriage when I go to pay my respects to Mother later?"
With just one sentence, Liu Tingting's face immediately turned red, she lowered her head, and dared not utter another sound.
Mu Qingxuan, standing to the side, chuckled, "My cousin is shy."
"My elder sister is making fun of me again."
"By the way, eldest sister, my second cousin's wedding is just around the corner. What kind of wedding gift do you think I should give her?"
Mu Xin Nuan thought for a moment, "It doesn't matter what you give, the important thing is the sentiment. Your second sister isn't a greedy person, so it doesn't matter."
Liu Tingting thought for a moment and realized that her elder sister was thinking about the two of them. She was worried that if the gifts they gave were too expensive, it would only increase their burden.
Since Liu Tingting and her brother moved into the Mu residence, all their food, clothing, and daily necessities have been provided by the Mu family, and the Liu family hasn't contributed a single tael of silver.
Hearing Mu Xin Nuan say this, it seems she didn't want to put too much burden on them. After all, the money she and her brother had saved over the years wasn't much at all. If it were just for themselves, they might feel it was a lot, but within the Mu family, it was really nothing.
Liu Tingting's mind started to wander, and she began to think about the gifts her uncle and aunt had given them over the years.
“The things your father and mother gave you and Zhuangzhuang before were meant for you to keep for your future weddings. You are not allowed to covet those things.”
As if she had seen through Liu Tingting's thoughts, Mu Xinnuan said softly.
Liu Tingting was taken aback, "Eldest sister?"
"Although your marriage was arranged by your father and mother, you will still bear the surname Liu. If your mother prepares too much dowry for you when you get married, your second aunt will inevitably have some complaints. It would be fine if the second branch of the family didn't have a daughter, but there is Mu Xinyi."
Liu Tingting was stunned for a moment, then she understood.
She had always wondered why her aunt always gave her a lot of fabric and jewelry, but rarely gave her money. Now she knew the reason!
This was because she was thinking that when she got married in the future, her eldest aunt would prepare less dowry for her. This way, she could save face and her second aunt would nag her less.
Liu Tingting naturally knew what kind of person her second aunt was.
If she were to see the excessively lavish dowry her aunt had prepared for her, she'd probably start gossiping about it. Nine times out of ten, she'd use this as an excuse to make exorbitant demands of her aunt.
“Isn’t Tingting’s embroidery skill very good? Although you can’t help her embroider her wedding dress, you can at least embroider some small things, right? I think the pillowcases you embroidered before were quite nice. Why don’t you make five pairs, that’ll be ten in total, and that will also symbolize perfection.”
Liu Tingting's eyes lit up. Mu Xinyao's marriage had come too hastily, mainly because she hadn't expected her to get married at only thirteen. Therefore, many things hadn't been prepared in time. She'd heard that the maids around Mu Xinyao had been working themselves to the bone just embroidering purses these past few days.
The way a wealthy family holds a wedding is different from that of a poor family.
No matter what, she is the second young lady of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. At least within a month after the marriage, whether giving red envelopes to the younger generation or rewarding the servants, she cannot directly show off silver ingots or loose silver. She must put them in a purse before giving them away.
This practice serves two purposes: firstly, to make it look good, and secondly, to showcase her embroidery skills to relatives and friends, or the embroidery skills of her maids, thus enhancing her image and preventing her from being looked down upon again.
For women, what matters most is nothing more than virtue, appearance, speech, and competence. If they want to prove to the world how excellent they are, the only methods they can think of are these details.
Unlike men, women cannot display their talents in public; they can only focus on these details. After all, after marriage, a woman will mostly be dealing with her mother-in-law and extended family, and these are the things she cares about most.
Once Liu Tingting understood all this, she naturally felt much more relaxed. Just then, Granny Yu brought over some chilled watermelon, and the group ate and chatted, creating a lively atmosphere.
Compared to the lively and cheerful atmosphere here, Mu Xinyao's courtyard was much quieter.
To be precise, it was simply too deserted.