Chapter 951: Chapter 951: The Betrothal Chapter 951: Chapter 951: The Betrothal Due to Kong Xiangrui having to return to the county on the ninth day of the first lunar month, it was decided that tomorrow, the sixth day of the first lunar month, he would come to the courtyard to offer the betrothal gifts, and we could then further discuss the specifics of the marriage arrangements.
As soon as Luo Qiao and Wang Xiaoxin heard their father-in-law’s words, they didn’t bother with their fatigue and hurriedly got ready to eat so they could head back to the courtyard to clean.
This time, they didn’t dare leave Yanyan and Yueyue alone again, so Lu Yichen and Luo Qiao drove separate cars, and everyone from the Gu family, except Old Master Gu and Auntie Tang, was mobilized.
Upon arrival at the courtyard, many neighbors came over to greet: “Yichen, you’re back. These must be your twin daughters, they’ve grown up to be so beautiful.”
Lu Yichen, hearing someone praising his daughters, didn’t act as aloof as he used to and nodded: “Yes, these are my daughters. Auntie, are you heading out?”
The auntie, smiling and playing with the two children, said, “Yes, I’m just making a quick trip. I came out and saw you all returning.”
Gu Qianru came over to fetch something and took over the conversation: “Big sister, it’s because Lu Yiting’s betrothed will come over tomorrow to offer the betrothal gifts, so we are here to help tidy up the house a bit.”
Upon hearing this, the auntie was no longer in a hurry to leave and began to inquire about the situation.
Gu Qianru roughly explained the situation; in truth, she wanted to spread the word through this big sister to avoid wild speculations when the Kong family members visited the courtyard tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Luo Qiao had driven out for a bit, because the Lu father and daughters had spent the New Year at the Gu family’s home, so there wasn’t much prepared at this end. When she returned, the car was loaded with various food ingredients, enough to entertain the guests for tomorrow.
There wasn’t only vegetables, meat, eggs, fish, but also a variety of seasonings, dry fruits, candied fruits, fresh fruits, peanuts, sunflower seeds, candies, and even several cans of different teas and some pastries were prepared.
Lu Xinyi noticed the performance of his two daughters-in-law today and was, to tell the truth, somewhat moved. Both were genuinely caring towards their younger sister-in-law, Lu Yiting.
After everything was tidied up, they took a short break. Instead of eating there, they went back to the Gu family’s place since Auntie Tang had earlier called to say dinner was prepared.
The group was so exhausted they didn’t want to move anymore, so they simply drove back to the Gu family’s home altogether.
At the Kong Family home, Fu Lanhua looked at the items her son was preparing: “Isn’t it just a betrothal visit? Does it need to be this complicated?”
Kong Xiangrui didn’t care what his mother said; she was like this when his older and second sisters-in-law had their betrothals. He had asked people in advance and prepared according to their suggestions.
Kong Cunlai stood to the side: “Just spare us your complaints. Not only do you not help to organize, but you also babble on.”
Bai Liping, the oldest sister-in-law, helped pack everything neatly, and the second sister-in-law tied red silk ribbons on top, while the two older brothers mentioned what to pay attention to tomorrow.
The next day, Lu Yichen and Lu Yixuan, along with Wang Xiaoxin, all took leave from work. Still driving two cars, Master Gu also came today to preside over the gathering, and everyone headed back to the courtyard early.
The two families were already very familiar with each other, so they didn’t go through any false formalities. Everyone settled the details amidst laughter, giving a betrothal sum of six hundred and sixty-six, a pair of jade bracelets, two pieces of fabric, and the traditional six betrothal gifts.
They agreed to visit the groom’s family on the eighth day for a formality and to share a meal together, with the wedding date to be decided then.
Today’s meal was personally cooked by Luo Qiao, who impressed the Kong family members, and the meeting ended on a high note. The next task was to find Quan Furen to make the bridal bedding for Lu Yiting.
Four thick quilts were chosen in red, yellow, pink, and silver-colored satin backing; two thin quilts were all selected with silver-colored backing embellished with golden threads, and two mattresses were also made.
The helpers admired the materials, praising them as high quality. The cotton was as white as snow, even better than the super-grade cotton sold in department stores. Luo Qiao said it was shipped directly from the production area, and indeed the cotton was excellent, and the price was also quite fair.
Everyone nodded in agreement, affirming that you get what you pay for.
With many hands making light work and plenty of people to help, the bedding was ready in just one day. Of course, they didn’t let the helpers work for free; they sent them off with plenty of goodies.
On the eighth day, Luo Qiao and her husband, along with the oldest sister-in-law Wang Xiaoxin and the younger sister-in-law Gu Qianru, accompanied Lu Yiting. This was traditionally known as “inspecting the room,” which was essentially checking the preparations for the marital room.