When First Mistress Li heard Kang Ning's reminder, she finally remembered the guqin. It seemed she, too, had been tricked by her future son-in-law. Fortunately, her daughter had tricked him back, so she considered it fair. Smiling, she said, "Since that's the case, I'll be a little more welcoming when the time comes."
First Mistress Li thought of herself as nothing more than a widow from a small town. She had long since thrown her pride away in some remote mountain hollow. Otherwise, after her husband died, she could never have protected most of the family's estate alongside her daughters while surrounded by hungry wolves.
So what did it matter if she lowered her head?
Besides, she was doing it all for her daughter. What did she need pride for?
Having steeled herself, First Mistress Li happily led people in cleaning the house, hoping to make a good impression.
When Fuhui heard the news and saw how excited her mother was, she deliberately pretended to be jealous. First Mistress Li hurried to comfort her, and the whole family laughed and joked together, full of cheer.
When Madam Chai arrived at the Li household with the matchmaker, she had worried that First Mistress Li would put on airs. But as soon as she entered, she saw that the courtyard had clearly just been cleaned, then met First Mistress Li's radiant smile. Her resentment vanished.
After all, it showed how much the Li family valued them. First Mistress Li had even greeted her with a smile, clearly showing that she was willing to yield, so Madam Chai seized the opportunity and warmly went over to chat with her.
Both women were skilled at managing their households; otherwise, they could never have preserved the family businesses their husbands had left behind. They had