Yi Xin as a concubine

Chapter 151 Sisters’ Marriage

The night was long, the women were talking about family matters, the men were talking about all sorts of things, the more they talked the more they enjoyed themselves. Xin Baoer and Chu Xingchen were not talkative people, they had been quiet in the courtyard for a long time, now they listened with gusto, and would interject from time to time, which added to the fun of participating.

After midnight, the six elders all looked tired. Xin Baoer considerately persuaded them to take a rest, and then she also planned to go back.

"Eighth sister, Ling'er and the others are still waiting for you. If you can still hold on, go and meet them. They will get married after the New Year." Xin Chengzhi lazily stopped the two people who were about to open the secret passage and leave, and suggested in a low voice.

Xin Baoer looked at Chu Xingchen and felt a little embarrassed. After all, if he went to meet the sisters, it would not be appropriate for him, a man outsider, to follow him, but it didn't seem right to let him go back alone either.

"Brother Chu, do you mind coming with me to meet some of my brothers at home?" Xin Chengzhi saw Baoer's embarrassment and invited him.

“Okay!” Chu Xingchen agreed without thinking. These were all people the little girl cared about. If he could win over one more, wouldn’t that be an extra help?

Seeing that Chu Xingchen agreed, Xin Baoer no longer had any worries and followed Xin Chengzhi along the small path back to the courtyard where she lived before she left.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw seven or eight people sitting in the brightly lit hall. Some of them seemed to be talking about something interesting, and the girls were laughing so hard that they were bent over.

"Big brother, third brother, fourth brother, seventh sister, Ling'er, Die'er." Xin Baoer's eyes lit up when she saw her brothers and sisters in the room. She trotted into the living room and called out in a soft and tender voice.

"I'm glad you're back." The eldest brother Xin Chengfeng was always serious and stern, but he loved Xin Baoer very much and spoke in a rare gentle voice.

"Eighth sister." The third brother Xin Chengyu and the fourth brother Xin Chengyuan also greeted this usually timid sister with a smile. Their tone was two degrees softer than usual, for fear of scaring her.

"Eighth sister, eighth sister."

Several little girls also ran over happily, holding Xin Baoer and rocking her left and right. They were very happy and without even saying hello to their brothers, they pulled her into the inner room.

Xin Baoer was pulled by her three sisters. She only had time to turn around and give Chu Xingchen a look before she was pulled into the house.

"Brother Chu, don't be surprised. My sisters are usually very close to each other. It's inevitable that I'm a little excited after not seeing each other for such a long time. Please come this way. I'll introduce you to my brothers."

Xin Chengzhi saw the gentleman beside him staring at the closed door, with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. But the behavior of his little girls was indeed a bit rude, so he hurried to help make amends.

Chu Xingchen retracted his gaze, smiled and nodded. Following Xin Chengzhi's introduction, the few people bowed and exchanged a few words before taking their seats.

They were all young people, of similar age, and they felt much more comfortable talking to each other than to their elders. Without Xin Baoer present, Chu Xingchen's aura of a superior unconsciously emanated from them. He guided the topic intentionally or unintentionally, and silently observed the several sons of the third branch of the Xin family.

The eldest brother, Xin Chengfeng, is calm and reserved, speaks carefully and thoughtfully, but is also very worldly-wise like a businessman, and is already a qualified heir to a merchant family.

The second brother, Xin Chengzhi, is a bit like Mo Xuan Yifan in style. He looks cynical on the outside, but his words are flawless and no one can find fault with him. He is a bit casual in his work style and has a lot of friends, but no one can really take advantage of him. He is a very interesting person. No wonder the little girl is closest to this second brother.

The third son, Xin Chengyu, is the eldest son of the second wife. He was beaten by the hot-tempered second master and is also an impatient person, but he is more shrewd than the second master. It is probably because of the good education he received from his mother.

The fourth son, Xin Chengyuan, is also the eldest son of the third wife. He is still young, only in his teens, but his temperament is completely inherited from his biological father, Master Xin San. He smiles before he speaks, and his eyes flash from time to time. He has one clever idea after another, like a little fox. After a few more years of experience, he will definitely become an old fox like his father.

Chu Xingchen observed the few people calmly, and the few people were also testing Chu Xingchen. The brothers vaguely knew his identity, but because of Xin Baoer, they all tacitly treated him as an equal. Each of them showed their best, and topics in various fields were frequently brought up. They said they wanted to ask for advice, but in fact they were testing him.

Chu Xingchen always answered their questions gently one by one, using the simplest sentences to explain the clearest truths, which made the four Xin brothers admire him more and more. Gradually, they forgot the purpose of their initial test and began to ask for advice sincerely.

As they were talking, bursts of silver bell-like laughter suddenly rang out from the inner room, drawing the brothers' attention over.

Seeing Chu Xingchen staring at the door for a long time without looking away, Xin Chengfeng coughed lightly and said, "The girls have not seen each other for a long time and have endless topics to talk about. Let's ignore them and continue our conversation."

It was rare for Chu Xingchen to hear Xin Baoer laugh so happily and cheerfully. For a moment, his mind seemed to be drawn to that laughter and he was reluctant to withdraw his attention. When he heard Xin Chengfeng's words, he frowned slightly, but still retracted his gaze and continued chatting with his brothers.

In the inner room separated by a door, several girls were blushing and their hearts were beating fast. It was obvious that they were talking about private matters that they could not tell to outsiders.

"Eighth sister, after the New Year, we will all get married. Third and fourth brothers will also get married. My eldest sister-in-law is pregnant now. In four or five months, the first baby of the next generation will be born. Next year, no, this year, our family will be full of happy events this year. Can you still come?"

Xin Ling'er has grown a lot now, but her body is still plump and full. Her face flushed slightly when she talked about her marriage, and she hugged Xin Bao'er's neck and acted coquettishly, which added a bit of charm to her.

"I definitely can't come on the day, but I will come early to do your makeup, don't worry!" Xin Baoer pinched her little nose lovingly and said gently.

In the dim candlelight, Xin Baoer looked at the three girls sitting around her. They were sixteen or seventeen-year-old buds, about to bloom for a man he might have met once or never met. If it was a man who cherished and loved flowers, it would be fine, at least the girls' blooming period could be prolonged. But if they met someone who was cruel to destroy flowers, they would probably wither after blooming.

Thinking of this, Xin Baoer couldn't help but ask, "Have you ever met your fiancé?"

After Xin Baoer asked, the girls became even more shy. The slightly older seventh girl Xin Miaoer suppressed her shyness and said, "Die'er and I are both concubines. We seldom go out, so our marriages are naturally decided by our mistress. However, the ladies in our family are kind-hearted, so the families they match us with are naturally not bad and are suitable for our status. Compared to those families who torture their concubines and concubines, we are already very lucky."

"Yes, Seventh Sister's husband's family is a small merchant family that relies on our Xin family for their livelihood. They have three or five shops and several farms. Third Aunt said that she would give two shops and a farm with good production to your sister as a dowry. Your future brother-in-law is the eldest son in the family. As long as the couple live in harmony after marriage, they should be able to live a good life."

"My husband's family, my mother is looking for a nephew from her mother's family's side branch. He is now under my grandfather's command and is also a small leader in the city defense army. My mother also promised a generous dowry, and my aunt also prepared one for me. As long as the man is willing to live a good life with me after marriage, I think I can have a stable life."

Xin Die'er was the tenth child in the family and a concubine's daughter of the first wife. The first wife had more property than the second and third wives. The first lady was very generous and naturally would not treat any of her children badly. Even Xin Bao'er, who could not get a dowry, was secretly given a lot of banknotes and jewelry.

"Bao'er, you don't have to worry about us. Our Xin family is not one of those families where 'a daughter who is married off is like water poured out'. If Sister Zhen'er is not doing well in her husband's family, Second Aunt and Third Brother can go to their house and bring her back. I think Mother, Auntie, and the two brothers will not watch us sisters suffer."

Xin Miaoer said this with great confidence, which was given by several patriarchs of the Xin family. With such elders around, the children of the Xin family would be open-minded and have bright smiles.

"Of course. In our family, there isn't much discrimination between legitimate and illegitimate children. Brothers and sisters love each other very much." Xin Ling'er, not wanting to be left behind, quickly concluded.