Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots-Chapter 1544 - 343, Betrothal Gifts (Second Watch of the Night)

Upon seeing the visitors, Lin Yuan’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Mother, how come you’re here?"

Hearing her call, Lady Liu, who was whispering happily to Princess Anle, immediately turned around, her face still showing her unabashed excitement and thrill.

"Yuanyuan, you’re back! Come, have a seat."

As soon as Princess Anle saw the two, she beckoned them over to sit down, and conveniently put aside the red booklet in her hand.

The sight of the red booklet caused Xia Zheng’s eyes to light up, and his heart burst into laughter.

Lin Yuan also felt that the booklet looked familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.

As she was scrutinizing it, Lady Liu slapped her on the buttocks and chided her with a smile: "What are you staring at? Have some manners!"

Lin Yuan playfully stuck out her tongue and obediently sat down beside Lady Liu.

She had left early in the morning and had no idea that Lady Liu would also visit the General Mansion, otherwise she wouldn’t have been so surprised.

Lady Liu remembered Lin Yuan hurriedly leaving in the morning, and seeing that neither Yin Xing nor Shui Xian had accompanied her, she couldn’t help but worry.

Lin Yuan then explained the matter of Father Yinxing selling his daughter and the stepmother demanding silver.

After hearing Lin Yuan’s words, not only was Lady Liu furious, but Princess Anle was incensed: "How despicable can that man be! I still remember the scene when buying Yin Xing, in the dead of winter, the icy weather, and he only put her in a short, thin pair of trousers! Even if she doesn’t have a loving mother, the father is no good either!"

Princess Anle’s brows furrowed tightly; she had been concerned that Father Yinxing would view Yin Xing as a cash cow, never giving the child peace, so she signed a death contract and told him not to look for Yin Xing.

Unexpectedly, just after Yin Xing was sent to serve Lin Yuan, that family already started to leech off her.

The once harmonious atmosphere became discordant because of this matter, causing Lin Yuan to feel regretful and Lady Liu to feel embarrassed.

"Mother, what were you all chatting about? I saw you laughing so happily just now!"

Xia Zheng plopped down beside Princess Anle, showing an uncharacteristically well-behaved demeanor.

Distracted by Xia Zheng, both Princess Anle and Lady Liu found an excuse to stop discussing Yin Xing’s troubles.

Princess Anle patted his shoulder with a smile, looking at Lin Yuan, "What else could it be? Naturally, it’s about the lifelong matter between you two!"

With that, she picked up the red booklet in her hand, flipped through it, and said, "I’ve had your birth dates matched, and they’re a perfect fit! And look, your mother came over for a chat today, so I brought this out, along with the betrothal gifts for her to inspect. If there’s anything unsatisfactory, I’ll add more."

So it turned out that the red booklet was the marriage contract for Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng.

Ancient custom was meticulous about marriages, and one of the most crucial aspects was matching horoscopes. If the horoscopes did not match, the marriage was likely doomed.

Speaking of matching horoscopes made Lin Yuan feel somewhat guilty, as the real Lin Yuan had already died by smashing her head when sold by Li Feng’e as a substitute bride. Now, using the "Lin Yuan" horoscope to match with Xia Zheng’s, would that even work?

However, she didn’t really care about that, and the thought only crossed her mind briefly before she dismissed it.

On the other hand, Xia Zheng secretly winked at Lin Yuan with a giggling smile: "Since the horoscopes match, we can proceed with the betrothal gifts, right?"

Lin Yuan couldn’t help but blush; this guy was really too eager!

Both Princess Anle and Lady Liu burst into laughter, but before they could speak, they heard the voice of an old man droning from the doorway.

"You rascal, you’re in such a rush for the betrothal gifts, are you eager to get to the bridal chamber, or are you afraid someone else will snatch away the young lady?"

Lao Fan’s unexpected comment made everyone’s face turn red. Although Princess Anle and Lady Liu were experienced in these matters, hearing him openly talk about entering the bridal chamber still made them bashfully blush.

Lin Yuan was so embarrassed she wished she could sew Lao Fan’s mouth shut with needle and thread! Now that his wounds were healed, he started running his mouth again!

Xia Zheng also glared at Lao Fan and retorted without mercy: "Anyhow, it’s none of your business, so stop meddling!"

"Eh? It has nothing to do with me, the old man?"

When Xia Zheng shooed him away, Lao Fan immediately raised his eyebrows and shouted back, his white beard quivering comically.

"You little scamp, now that you’ve got a beauty in your arms, you forget the old man’s matchmaking efforts? I haven’t even asked for my matchmaker’s gift yet and you’re already turning ungrateful. Asking for a thumping!"

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