The Zhou family’s fields were on the outskirts of the capital, and the house was in the outer city.

   After Zhou Li got third place, Master Zhou planned to go to the inner city to buy a house. However, the price of land in the inner city was high, and a two-entry house will cost five or six hundred taels. A three-entry mansion, at least two thousand taels.

   With the financial resources of the Zhou family, it was a bit difficult to buy a two-entry house, and the bigger house, they could only dream of.

   After coming out of the Xingyang Palace today, Master Zhou sighed in the carriage: “The Xingyang Palace is really spacious.”

   That was the best location in the capital, a mansion with five entrances! A martial arts field can accommodate hundreds of guards to practice together, how can it not be spacious?

Madam Zhou recalled what she had seen today, and couldn’t help but sigh, “I never thought in my life that Ah Li could marry a girl from the Xingyang Palace. Unfortunately, Ah Li is marrying the third young lady. It could have been better if it was the actual daughter.”

   Zhou Li: “…”

   Zhou Li twitched the corners of his mouth and glanced at his mother speechlessly: “Don’t talk nonsense in the future. It is clear that Fourth Miss Lu has no intention of me, even if she does, I don’t dare to marry.”

   “Mother, think about it, can you afford to have such a daughter-in-law?”

   Thinking of the condensed eyes and domineering manner of Fourth Miss Lu, Madam Zhou shuddered and shrank her neck, not daring to say a word.

Master Zhou rolled his eyes at his old wife and said angrily, “You are too greedy. King Xingyang has just such a daughter, how could he marry into a small family and let her be a daughter-in-law? Maybe, Fourth Miss Lu is going to marry into the Royal family and be a Royal Consort.”

   “You have to keep your mouth shut, don’t be silly and cause trouble for your son.”

   Madam Zhou was taught one after another, so she didn’t dare to talk too much.

  Master Zhou asked his son in a low voice, “Ah Li, can this marriage come true?”

Zhou Li smiled and comforted his father: “If the Lu family had no intention, we will not have lunch today. Don’t worry, in a few days, I will ask the matchmaker to go back to the Lu family again. If you go three or four times, the Lu family will be fine and agree to it.”

  Master Zhou stretched his brows, smiled happily, and did not forget to remind Madam Zhou: “In the future when Third Miss Lu passes the door, you must treat your daughter-in-law well.”

   Madam Zhou muttered, “Do you still need to say this?”

   Marrying the daughter of a wealthy family as a daughter-in-law, how dare she act like a mother-in-law. Just laugh more and coax more.

  …

   Matchmaker Zhao ran to the Lu family twice within half a month. After the fourth visit, the Lu family relented and agreed to the marriage.

   Master Zhou, Madam Zhou, smiled happily and immediately started to arrange for the engagement to make a marriage contract.

   In the past two weeks, the Lu family and the Shen family had already signed a marriage contract. The eminent monk counted three good days and sent them to the Shen family. At Shen Lan’s shy begging, Vice Minister Shen, Madam Shen, chose the fifth day of Shíyuè.^[1]the tenth month in the lunar calendar, 23rd October to 22nd November. So she is getting married on 27th October

   Autumn was crisp, it was the perfect time to get married.

  The Zhou family also wanted to marry a daughter-in-law as soon as possible.

   Zhou Li delayed his marriage until he was eighteen in order to study for the imperial examinations. If you wait until next year to get married, he will be nineteen. Madam Zhou promised a lot of money, and matchmaker Zhao also ran extra diligently to the Lu Mansion. In the end, the wedding date was set in the làyuè. ^[2] The twelfth lunar month, between 22nd December to 21st January.

  The marriage was certain, and Zhou Li, the future son-in-law of the Lu Mansion, can come to the door with integrity.

   Zhou Li was finally able to meet his fiancee Lu Minghua.

   This was the first time the two met since the day on Jinshiquan Street.

  Lu Minghua was wearing light pink spring clothes, and her beautiful face was even more radiant. The thin blush on her face was rippling lightly, like a peach blossom in March.

   Zhou Li stared at his fiancée, and his heart was hot. He couldn’t help but step forward and say affectionately, “Sister Hua, I finally saw you.”

   It had been more than a month since he came to propose marriage. Zhou Li said that he also came to the Lu family four or five times. Unfortunately, Lu Minghua avoided showing up every time.

  According to common etiquette, a girl to be married should indeed be more reserved. However, the country had an open atmosphere, and it was common for engaged couples to travel together.

   It wasn’t that Lu Minghua didn’t want to see Zhou Li, it was Lu Mingyu who stopped her and let her come out to meet Zhou Li until today. Just like that, Lu Mingyu didn’t feel relieved and just stood aside, glancing at Zhou Li from time to time.

   That stance was similar to that of guarding against wolves.

  Lu Minghua blushed and replied softly, “You and I haven’t gotten married yet, so Young Master Zhou should call me Third Miss Lu!”

   Zhou Li wanted to have a good marriage, and he really fell in love with Lu Minghua. The young man was enthusiastic and couldn’t help but take a step closer.

  Lu Mingyu glanced at Zhou Li.

   Zhou Li stepped back a little embarrassedly, and continued to look at Lu Minghua with eager eyes: “The weather today is just right, I want to invite Sister Hua to go on a half-day trip.”

  Lu Minghua hesitated for a while, then glanced at Lu Mingyu.

  Lu Mingyu didn’t have any superfluous expressions on her face.

  Lu Minghua pursed her lips slightly, and said softly to Zhou Li, “A woman who is engaged to be married, it is inconvenient to travel. Let’s forget it!”

  Lu Minghua was so dignified and self-restrained, in fact, it was more in line with the aesthetics of scholars.

   Zhou Li was rejected, and he was not angry, but a bit of joy was reborn in his heart. He smiled softly: “After today, I will often come to Lu Mansion to see you.”

  Lu Minghua hummed with red cheeks and quickly glanced at Lu Mingyu again.

   Even if she is not happy, the marriage had already been decided. You can’t keep engaged couples from getting close all the time.

  Lu Mingyu sighed secretly and made a random excuse to leave.

   As soon as Lu Mingyu left, Zhou Li felt his whole body relax, and even his breathing became much easier. He looked at Lu Minghua and smiled softly: “It’s really strange, I’ve never seen Fourth Young Lady before, and I haven’t offended her. But she doesn’t like me everywhere. I’ve come to the door a few times, but every time she is trying to overpower me. .”

  Yes, it was true, Lu Mingyu really didn’t like Zhou Li.

   Back then, when Lu Mingfang and Zheng Zhong got engaged, Lu Mingyu welcomed him and was very happy to have him as a brother-in-law. Over the years, he has often come to Lu Mansion to stay for a while, and Lu Mingyu was also quite affectionate to this eldest brother-in-law.

  But when facing Zhou Li, Lu Mingyu’s indifference and unkindness were clearly visible.

  Lu Mingyu had such a temper. Love and hate were clear, like or dislike, everything was visible on the face. She never covered it up, let alone show false emotions.

   “I have a softer temperament. The fourth sister was worried that I would be wronged, so she deliberately made things difficult for you and gave the Zhou family a hard time.” Lu Minghua said softly: “Actually, the fourth sister is cold on the outside and hot on the inside, and her heart is the best.”

   Anyway, only he felt that he was facing the winter wind, so cold and bone-chilling

   Zhou Li muttered in his heart, followed Lu Minghua’s voice, and said with a smile: “Fourth Miss is well-intentioned, I understand that I won’t take it to heart.”

  He paused for a while, then whispered again: “Sister Hua, don’t worry. I am sincere in asking you to marry me as my wife. We will be married in the future, and I will definitely treat you well.”

  Lu Minghua’s cheeks were like red clouds, and her heart was sweet as honey.

  The two were whispering for a while, and Lu Mingyu’s personal maid, Qiyun, came over with a smile: “The fourth miss invites the third miss and Zhou Gongzi to go to the martial arts field together.”