Chapter 1026: Zhao Xi's Marriage Proposal

Both mother and daughter were mild-mannered individuals. Although they had just arrived the previous night, they got along very well with Ah Xiang and her mother.

However... the tailoring room was still a bit small.

It was fine when it was just Ah Xiang and her mother, but with two more people, the space for storing fabrics and clothes became much narrower, and it wasn't comfortable for them to live there.

After looking around the tailoring room, Shu Yu suggested to Shu You, "Sister, why don't we let Tian Qin and her mother stay in the courtyard of Yiren Pavilion? It's currently vacant, and the finished clothes from here are supposed to be delivered to the shop anyway. If there are any embroidery needs on the clothes, Tian Qin can conveniently work on them there."

They could even communicate with customers who wanted specific designs on the spot.

Ever since the couple who used to live in the courtyard, Zhou Qiao and her husband, went to manage the estate, the rooms in the back courtyard had become vacant.

Fortunately, there wasn't much inventory left in the shop's back courtyard, and the money and goods were brought back every day. Moreover, with Shu Yu's current status as the county lord, no one dared to sneak into the shop and steal things.

However, it still wasn't safe to leave the place unattended for too long. Someone needed to keep an eye on it.

It would be convenient for Tian Qin and her mother to move there. Ning Shui Street was bustling, and transportation was convenient.

Unexpectedly, Shu You shook her head and said, "I originally had the same idea, but Tian Qin wants to rent a small house on her own and come to work here every day. She feels it would be more comfortable that way. However, since she just arrived and is unfamiliar with Jiangyuan County, she asked me to help her find a small courtyard nearby. Until then, she will stay here in the tailoring room for two days."

Shu Yu thought for a moment and realized it was also a good idea.

If it were her, she would also choose to rent a house on her own.

With the arrangements settled, now that they had an embroiderer, Shu Yu planned to talk to her sister about Lan Hua.

But before she could say anything, Shu You brought up the topic first.

"Ah Yu, I was thinking, we should find someone to learn makeup artistry. What do you think... about Lan Hua?"

Shu Yu was taken aback. She had thought of the same thing?

She hesitated for a moment and asked, "What do you think, sister?"

"Lan Hua has always enjoyed dressing up since she was young. I remember when we were little, she used to draw eyebrows with charcoal and paint her nails with hibiscus juice. She even picked flowers to put in her hair. Although she looked strange back then, thinking about it now, if we had money at that time, Lan Hua would probably make herself look the most beautiful."

Compared to Shu You, who had grown up with Lan Hua since childhood, Shu You had a deeper understanding of her.

Shu Yu smiled. Her older sister had grown up faster than she had imagined. After visiting the capital, she had a better understanding of the shop's future development and the need for manpower.

It seemed that from now on, she could leave the matters of the shop entirely to her older sister.

She said, "If you think she's suitable, then ask Lan Hua about her thoughts."

"Alright."

Shu You became happy, but she had been busy these past few days.

She needed to first arrange things for Tian Qin and her mother, and then Zhao Xi was eagerly bringing a matchmaker to propose marriage.

Coincidentally, Meng Yunzheng also returned to Jiangyuan County after two days.

He came with Zhao Xi, and they had quite a grand appearance.

Zhao Xi clearly wanted to announce to the world that both he and Shu You were taken, and there was no need for anyone to act as matchmakers for them in Liufang Lane.

So early in the morning, he changed into brand new clothes, had Meng Yunzheng help carry a large wild goose, and accompanied the spirited matchmaker to knock on the door of the Lu family.

Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 33: Can I Let Only Brother Feed Me?

The two kids wanted to sleep together, and Physician Liu didn’t stop them.

However, sharing the same bed wasn’t possible.

If Feng Xuanrui were also five years old, Physician Liu would have definitely put them in one bed without hesitation.

But Feng Xuanrui was older, and Suisui was at an age where Physician Liu had already started teaching her about the differences between boys and girls.

As they grow older, things won’t be as convenient anymore.

So, Feng Xuanrui ended up sleeping on the small couch, while Suisui slept in the bed.

When Sun Ronglin heard that Feng Xuanrui and Suisui were sleeping together, he squeezed in too.

Feng Xuanrui didn’t hide his dislike: "Don't sleep with us, you take up too much space!"

Hearing that Feng Xuanrui was calling him fat, Sun Ronglin wasn’t happy: "You act like you don’t take up space yourself!"

Although the two complained about each other, they eventually compromised and both squeezed onto the couch.

Physician Liu: …!

Fine.

As long as you're happy.

Children fall asleep quickly.

The system didn’t even have time to send someone to tell them a story, and Suisui was already sound asleep.

Knowing the three kids were asleep, Physician Liu finally felt at ease.

With Qingshan and the others keeping watch, Physician Liu felt less pressure and was able to slowly fall asleep in the second half of the night.

The next morning, Physician Liu was woken up by the energetic shouts of the two children.

He rubbed his face, listened for a moment, and couldn’t help but laugh.

After squeezing together all night, Feng Xuanrui and Sun Ronglin’s relationship had actually improved.

Yet, this didn’t stop them from arguing as soon as they woke up.

Feng Xuanrui, after being helped by the Qingshan brothers to wash his face, went to help Suisui wash up.

Although the young boy’s movements were clumsy, he thought that with practice, he’d get better.

Now that he had a little sister, he wanted to personally and carefully take care of her.

The first step was to help her wash her face!

Even though Feng Xuanrui still needed help himself, he was especially attentive and patient when it came to Suisui.

Over the past few days, Suisui’s washing had sometimes been handled by Physician Liu, and sometimes by Dajiao and the others.

Now that it was Feng Xuanrui’s turn, the brother and sister had little coordination.

Feng Xuanrui was just winging it, and Suisui was endlessly tolerant.

He even poked the bamboo toothbrush handle into Suisui's face, turning her cheeks red, but Suisui still praised him without a second thought: “Brother is amazing!”

“Brother can even do this!”

“Brother is so awesome!”

...

As a result of Suisui’s unreserved compliments, Feng Xuanrui’s confidence swelled immensely.

After the struggle of brushing Suisui’s teeth, he helped her wash her face.

Washing her face was simpler, as the child wasn’t very dirty, and a quick wipe with clean water was enough.

However, Feng Xuanrui noticed the ointment on Suisui’s head had dried and was from the day before, meaning it needed to be washed off and replaced with fresh ointment.

He attempted to wash her hair with a wet cloth, but in doing so, the cloth wasn’t wrung out properly, and water soaked Suisui.

Even so, Suisui didn’t complain. She kept on praising her brother.

Suisui truly believed her brother was great, and her praise was genuine.

She hadn’t received much kindness before, so now, even the slightest kindness was magnified, and she felt deep gratitude.

When Physician Liu came over, he saw Suisui’s face was wet, her hair was wet, and most of her clothes were soaked.

Looking at this scene, Physician Liu felt a bit dizzy.

But on closer inspection, the siblings were getting along quite well.

Not only that, Sun Ronglin was babbling from the side: “Let me try! I’m gentle, and I know how to wash too.”

“Why are you being so stingy, just one try!”

“Not even one try?”

“I want to wash too!”

...

When Prefect Magistrate Sun came to check on things, he overheard his beloved grandson fighting to wash someone else’s face.

Prefect Magistrate Sun: ?

Can you even wash your own face?

And now you want to wash someone else’s?

Sun Ronglin didn’t end up getting his turn.

In the end, he could only watch enviously as Physician Liu took Suisui to change into dry clothes.

After Suisui changed, she obediently sat down to let Physician Liu apply the ointment.

Sun Ronglin thought to himself that he could probably do that too, right?

Though uncertain, he decided to give it a try!

He moved closer, sniffing the ointment. It didn’t smell great, but it wasn’t unbearable.

He squeezed in next to Physician Liu and quietly asked, “Can I try? I know how to apply it. Isn’t it just putting medicine on a little sister? I can do it!”

Seeing this, Feng Xuanrui wasn’t happy. He squeezed the little chubby boy aside: “How do you know you can do it? This is important! Don’t mess around, or if Suisui never grows hair again, it’ll be your fault!”

Sun Ronglin rolled his eyes indifferently: “If she doesn’t grow hair, I’ll just shave my head and keep her company!”

Feng Xuanrui: ?

This person is too cunning, trying to steal his sister!

Feng Xuanrui was furious: “Who wants to go bald with you? My sister will definitely grow her hair!”

Although he sounded confident, deep down, he was unsure. After scolding Sun Ronglin, Feng Xuanrui turned to Physician Liu and asked, “Suisui’s hair will grow, right?”

Physician Liu wasn’t offended by the doubt about his medical skills. He gently applied the ointment while smiling: “Of course, Suisui’s hair will grow thick, black, and shiny. You’ll both be envious!”

Suisui didn’t actually care whether she had hair or not.

She was still young and didn’t have any concepts of beauty.

But if her brother liked it, Suisui felt she could try hard to grow her hair.

With this in mind, she clenched her small fists and said seriously, “Brother, don’t worry, Suisui will work hard to grow hair!”

Hearing this, Feng Xuanrui regained his confidence: “Yes, let’s work hard together!”

Physician Liu: ...

Great, another day of having my medical skills questioned.

The morning chaos wasn’t over.

At breakfast, a new argument broke out between Feng Xuanrui and Sun Ronglin over who would feed Suisui.

Since they weren’t in their own household, the Qiu brothers didn’t feel comfortable competing for the chance to feed her.

Though they were itching to help, they didn’t dare join in the argument.

The two boys argued so much that Physician Liu felt like his head was going to explode.

In the end, unable to take it anymore, he said firmly, “One bite each. Sixth Young Master feeds first.”

Suisui had been tugging on Feng Xuanrui’s sleeve, wanting to say that she only wanted her brother to feed her.

But when she heard what Physician Liu said, she gently let go of her brother’s sleeve and lowered her head.

Physician Liu, with his sharp eyes, noticed the little girl’s mood drop.

This sight made Physician Liu’s heart ache. He softened his tone and asked gently, “Does Suisui have something to say to Grandpa?”

Remembering that Grandpa Liu had said children shouldn’t lie, Suisui pursed her lips and quietly asked, “Can I let only Brother feed me?”

Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 272 Setting a Trap

Upon hearing the news, Bai Muyao's face turned pale.

No, the family couldn't collapse, at least not now! Her engagement banquet with Gao Yang was about to take place, and if the company went bankrupt, she wouldn't even be able to marry someone as ordinary as Gao Yang, let alone anyone else!

Her future life would become completely ordinary...

"I'll go in and talk to that old hag..." Xu Aiqin said, stepping forward in her high heels towards the hospital room.

"At this point, sell off the shares I have. It will buy us some time... Don't bother talking to her, she won't help." Bai Zhenhai sighed, seeming to anticipate the outcome.

Xu Aiqin wanted to say something more, but Bai Zhenhai interrupted, "You know her personality. The more you ask her for help, the less likely she is to give it. Let's wait a few days before we approach her again."

"She's holding onto so many shares and cash for what? You live and die, and she still won't lend a hand to help us!"

Xu Aiqin felt even more resentful towards the old lady now.

Bai Muyao felt the same. She couldn't wait for the old lady to die already. She didn't benefit their descendants in any way. She was always favoring Ou Yan, always working against them!

It wouldn't be a loss if she died, at least it wouldn't be a waste of hospital fees!

"At least those are her things! Alright, you help me spread the word. See if there are any acquaintances willing to buy our shares at a high price. Remember, this has to be done quietly."

Muyao's engagement banquet was about to start. If people found out that the controlling shareholder of the Bai family kept selling shares, outsiders would definitely think that the Bai family couldn't hold on anymore. If the stock price plummeted, the company's crisis would worsen...

"I understand!" Xu Aiqin replied.

Meanwhile, as Xu Aiqin spread the news, Da Hei received the information.

"Boss, your family is stepping up their attack on the Bai family. Bai Zhenhai can't hold on anymore. He's already sold off his shares."

This was something Ou Yan hadn't anticipated. Why would her parents constantly undermine the Bai family? Could it be because of her?

Thinking like this, she tapped her fingers lightly on the table, planning, "Spread the word that the Bai family is about to go bankrupt. Create some negative news, put some pressure on, and let the stock price drop to its lowest. Then, Ouyan intervenes and buys all the shares Bai Zhenhai has."

"Understood!"

Da Hei knew that when it came to being cunning, the boss was unmatched. When the boss decided to act, no one else mattered!

In the past, they had been too kind to the Bai family.

"Besides the shares, how much other assets do they have?" Ou Yan asked, raising her eyes.

"Except for what the old lady has, Bai Zhenhai only has a bit of real estate and a Maybach left. But Xu Aiqin also has some shares, property, cars, and other things..."

This time they were selling Bai Zhenhai's shares, and Xu Aiqin's were still in her hands, not yet put up for sale.

"Find a way to make them hand over everything in one go."

Since they were constantly harassing the old lady and her, why not give them a lesson?

They would never repent in their lifetime.

"Boss, Xu Aiqin is obsessed with money. At this critical moment, she definitely won't hand over the assets..."

"In a few days, there's an auction for land in the outskirts, right?" Ou Yan had already thought of a plan. 

"Yes." Da Hei nodded. "That piece of land is also being eyed by Ouyan. They want to build the largest cultural and tourism complex in Beijing."

It was said that Ou You wanted to build the largest Ferris wheel in the country on that piece of land, along with the most prosperous opera house, as well as over twenty large commercial streets and luxurious hotels...

"Spread the word that the land is very valuable, and that buying it will bring in several times the profit. On the day of the auction, I will inform the others to let Bai Zhenhai win the bid."

"Boss, you..." Da Hei couldn't help but admire her. "You're truly cunning..."

That piece of land was extremely valuable. Bai Zhenhai would have to exhaust all his resources, including various loans, just to barely win the bid...

But that piece of land came with a condition, and Bai Zhenhai would definitely regret it later.

"Spread more rumors, saying that the land is in high demand and very valuable... Arrange for more people to create a tense atmosphere around Bai Zhenhai."

"Yes!" Da Hei immediately went to make arrangements.

The next day, Ou Yan went to the hospital's 301 ward, bringing some fruits and snacks for the old lady, and discreetly placing the surveillance camera in a high corner of the room.

Without carefully observing every inch of the ward, it was impossible to notice it. It appeared to be just the color of the wall.

"You're such a thoughtful child..." Li Yue'e patted Ou Yan's hand. With this surveillance, she felt more at ease. If Xu Aiqin came to make trouble again, she would have evidence to report to the police.

Overall, this child always thought of what she wanted. She had actually wanted to install a surveillance camera long ago.

"I can see everything happening in the ward on my phone. If you're bored, I can also chat with you through the surveillance, but you won't be able to see me."

"It's okay. I'm satisfied as long as I can hear your voice." Li Yue'e's mood improved with her arrival. She even wanted to peel an apple for her.

But Ou Yan took the apple from her hand. "Let me do this. You focus on recuperating, and after the surgery, when you're in better health, I'll take you to other countries."

"Good, good, that's great." Li Yue'e smiled contentedly. She had long wanted to visit other countries. "When you have school breaks, as long as you have time, just take me along."

"No problem." Ou Yan accepted the peeled fruit. "Oh, by the way, find some time for me to meet your boyfriend."

"Okay, after your surgery, I'll bring him to see you."

"A boy that you, my Yan Yan, have taken a liking to must be an outstanding young man..." Li Yue'e couldn't wait to see them walk down the aisle. "I just don't know what to prepare for him as a gift when we meet."

She only had things that Ou Yan had given her in the hospital for several months. There wasn't anything valuable she could give.

▶▶After breaking off the engagement, Mr. Si chased his wife to the crematorium!

  Chapter 271: Increasing the Pressure

"I'm telling you to get out!" Li Yue'e banged on the bedside table, making a loud noise, her whole body trembling with anger.

"Mom, please calm down first..." 

"Get out! Can't you understand human language? I'm telling you two to get out, cough, get out!" Li Yue'e roared with all her strength, her voice hoarse.

Afraid that this would exacerbate her condition, Bai Zhenhai had to pull Bai Muyao up and said, "We'll let you rest. We'll come back to see you in a few days..."

"Get out, get out, get out!" Li Yue'e was so angry that her voice became hoarse, and her body trembled violently. After the others left, she realized that tears had unknowingly appeared on her face.

She laughed self-deprecatingly; she hadn't expected her old age to be so desolate.

Those with blood ties, none of them were reliable.

After calming down for a while, she tremblingly reached under the pillow and took out a cell phone, opened the recent calls, and called Ou Yan, just wanting to hear that child's voice.

"Grandma, what's wrong?" Ou Yan noticed something strange in her voice as soon as she picked up the phone. "Are you not feeling well?"

"It's nothing, I just miss you. What are you busy with?"

Ou Yan's hand paused for a moment as she glanced at the massager, and said gently, "Nothing much, just some work stuff."

"Don't be too busy, remember to rest more. By the way, how many days until my surgery?" She couldn't wait anymore.

"Three days."

"Three days..." Li Yue'e murmured the number, not knowing if she could hold on until that day.

These past two days, she felt her heart hurting badly and sometimes had trouble catching her breath after being angered by Bai Zhenhai and the others.

Ou Yan thought she was worried about the success rate of the surgery and smiled gently, "Grandma, don't worry. Once the surgery is done, your body will definitely be better than before. Just take some time to recuperate afterward, and I guarantee you'll live to be a hundred."

"What's the use of living to a hundred? As long as I live to see you get married, Grandma will be content."

"Grandma, don't say that. We've overcome even more difficult times."

Countless times on the brink of death, moments when she was dragged back from the gates of hell by Ou Yan's efforts.

"It's just a small surgery. You just relax and sleep well. When you wake up, everything will be better."

"Okay, okay, okay, with you as the surgeon, I'm relieved..." Li Yue'e laughed, seeming to have full confidence in her medical skills, "Oh, by the way, after I'm discharged, I want to move to that house in the suburbs."

She didn't want to be disturbed by Bai Zhenhai and the others anymore.

"Okay, I'll have someone clean it up."

"After I'm discharged and have rested for a while, arrange for me to meet your parents in person. I want to talk to them face to face."

"Okay, no problem."

"Then you go busy, I'll take a nap."

"Okay, goodbye, Grandma."

After hanging up the phone, Ou Yan looked up and said to the Da Hei beside her, "Go check if Bai Zhenhai went to the hospital today."

"Is anything wrong with the old lady?"

"No." Ou Yan just felt her tone was a bit sad, wondering if it had to do with Bai Zhenhai, "And let Tang Yiyang go over and see if Grandma feels unwell."

"Okay." After a while, the Da Hei found the last mini monitor. This was invented by Ou Yan a long time ago, shaped like a small grain of rice, and would not be noticed wherever it was stuck.

"Boss, this is the last one, here you go!"

"Tomorrow, I'll go to the hospital. You keep an eye on things here."

"No problem."

On the other side,

When Xu Aiqin saw Bai Zhenhai and Bai Muyao coming out of the ward, she couldn't help but ask, "What happened? You came out so soon? How did mom react? Did she agree to give us anything?"

"Don't mention it..." Bai Zhenhai looked defeated, exhausted.

"What's wrong? Sge still refuses to give us a penny?" Xu Aiqin asked, suddenly noticing the injury on Bai Zhenhai's forehead, "What happened to your forehead?"

"Mom, you don't know. Grandma got so angry that she smashed Dad's head, and we both knelt down, but Grandma still has no intention of changing the will."

"That old hag!" Xu Aiqin cursed inwardly, "I'll go talk to her."

"Don't go." Bai Zhenhai grabbed her hand, about to say something, but his phone rang.

"Hello? What did you say? It's from the Li family again? Why is Li always targeting our Bai family? What are they up to?"

After hanging up the phone, Bai Zhenhai couldn't understand why the Li family kept targeting their Bai family.

Their Bai family didn't even have the qualifications to be a stumbling block for the Li family!

Why was the Li family targeting them so relentlessly?

"What's going on?" Xu Aiqin couldn't help but ask, "What did the Li family do again?"

"Ever since the last time the Li family threatened us, almost all our suppliers have stopped cooperating with us. We haven't received any new supplies for a long time."

"Although we still have some inventory, and some old orders are still in production, today many suppliers called to say they won't cooperate with us in the future and asked us to stop production. After a lot of questioning, we found out it was the Li family's idea."

"In addition, many of the shopping malls where our physical stores are located have been trying all sorts of ways to force us out, even willing to breach the contract and pay compensation. Some of our physical store leases that are about to expire are also not considering renewing with us unless we pay ten times the rent."

"Ten times? Why don't they just rob us?" Xu Aiqin was astounded by what she heard.

"Furthermore, many of our old customers have left..."

"And our talents in the company, it's said that if they go to any subsidiary under the Li family, they can get double the treatment, even double the holidays. Now many people have suddenly resigned..."

"Could it be because of last time..." Xu Aiqin suddenly remembered the last time they blocked Li Yuanfu and Song Qiaoying's way at the Chen Guang restaurant, and Song Qiaoying seemed very unhappy.

Was it because of this that the Li family increased the pressure on their Bai family?

"Now, with internal and external troubles, I heard there's a mole in the company who sold our secrets..." Bai Zhenhai was at his wits' end, not knowing what to do, "Now the funding chain has been interrupted once again. If we don't replenish it, the Bai family is really going to collapse..."

▶▶After breaking off the engagement, Mr. Si chased his wife to the crematorium!

  ### Chapter 253: Making a Small Profit and Deciding to Act (5)

Initially, the Li family's land hadn't been irrigated with Spirit Spring Water, so their soybeans grew averagely. After harvesting, Li Zhong had the villagers stack them separately, and when they were eventually threshed, the yield per mu was also around 180 catties, and the quality was much inferior to that of the Mo family's.

The villagers who helped couldn't understand why they received the same care but the Mo family's soybeans grew better. Could it be that the Mo family's land was blessed by a deity?

They believed in the saying that there are gods three feet above one's head, but no one had ever seen one. This absurd idea flashed through their minds simultaneously, then they dismissed it, thinking that it was probably because Mo Yan had planted vegetables in the first year.

After all the soybeans were harvested and dried, the Mo family's twenty mu of soybeans yielded a total of 4,800 catties, with a yield per mu of 240 catties.

This news spread throughout Liuyang Village, attracting a long line of people wanting to buy seeds without any need for deliberate promotion.

This year, most people in the village planted mung beans or soybeans to cultivate the land, with a few planting grains. However, due to the poor soil, there wasn't much harvest from the grains. Upon careful calculation, planting beans and selling beans would earn more money than planting and selling grains.

Originally, those villagers who had previously planted beans intended to plant grains next year. However, seeing that the Mo family's soybeans had a yield per mu not much lower than that of grains, and even earned more money when sold as seeds, many people now wanted to continue planting soybeans to cultivate their land.

It took about five catties of soybeans to plant one mu of land. Since the families wanting to buy soybean seeds had land areas of almost twenty mu or more, each family would buy over a hundred catties of beans.

Just by selling soybean seeds in the village, the Mo family sold four thousand catties of beans. With each catty of soybean seeds priced at fourteen wen, these four thousand catties of soybeans sold for fifty-six taels of silver. After deducting labor and seed costs, they earned about fifty taels.

It might not sound like much, only equivalent to the daily income when they sold vegetables initially. However, Mo Yan hadn't managed the soybeans in the field at all, so she was already quite satisfied to earn so much silver.

Of the remaining eight hundred catties, Mo Yan planned to keep one hundred fifty catties as seeds. She would sell them as seeds next year and keep fifty catties for making tofu or cooking. The remaining six hundred catties would be sold to the seed store.

As for the Li family's two thousand catties of soybeans, she also planned to buy them. When winter came, she would dilute some Spirit Spring Water to soak and sprout the beans. They would surely sell well on the street.

However, when Mo Yan mentioned buying the soybeans from Li Zhong, he was very angry. "That ten mu of land already belongs to you. You hired people to take care of it in the first place. If I now take the soybeans as my own and sell them back to you, what kind of person would I be?"

"Grandpa Li, that land and those soybeans were yours when they were planted. It's only natural for you to give them to me. If you don't accept payment, what kind of person would I be?" Mo Yan smiled and retorted.

Li Zhong felt helpless. With a stern face, he said, "You bought those seeds and sowed them in the fields. I didn't intervene at all. If you take them now, it's only fair. But if you mention silver again, I'll be angry!"

Since Li Zhong insisted on not taking silver, Mo Yan had to temporarily abandon that idea and planned to find another way to compensate him in the future.

Seeing Mo Yan no longer insisting, Li Zhong breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Since the land is now empty, are you planning to continue planting vegetables by building greenhouses?"

"Let's leave it empty for now. It's been non-stop work all year round, and the land needs a break too!" Mo Yan joked with a half-truth.

Li Zhong was a bit puzzled by this statement. He felt it was unlikely to be the reason, but after spending so much time with her, he knew that this young miss who wasn't very old wouldn't speak without reason. Since she had made this decision, she must have her reasons, and he wouldn't question her.

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 1025: Tian Qin and Her Mother

Zhao Xi waved his hand. "It's fine, the letter is actually about our engagement. Uncle Lu can read it for himself. It will be clearer than me paraphrasing."

Since Zhao Xi insisted, Lu Erbai no longer declined and opened the letter to read.

At the beginning of the letter, it was filled with scolding words from Master Zhao towards Zhao Xi, without any politeness.

However, Lu Erbai could still see the affection Master Zhao had for Zhao Xi.

After the scolding, the content became serious and was about the engagement. It seemed that Zhao Xi wrote the letter early on when he had just realized his feelings for Shu You and wasn't sure when he could move her heart, let alone when they could become engaged.

Therefore, in his reply, Master Zhao mentioned that he was currently far away and might not make it back in time. He suggested that they should follow the customs of the Lu family and proceed accordingly.

Master Zhao knew Zhao Xi well and knew that once he confirmed a relationship, he would be eager to formalize it. So he asked Zhao Xi to discuss the engagement matters with Meng Yunzheng. Even if Master Zhao couldn't make it back for the engagement, it would still be the same. He hoped the Lu family would understand.

Lu Erbai calculated in his mind. If Zhao Xi sent a letter to Master Zhao now, not to mention the time it would take for the letter to arrive, Master Zhao would need several months to travel back.

Considering Master Zhao's age and the fact that it was almost June, traveling in the scorching heat would be exhausting and uncomfortable.

Lu Erbai naturally didn't blame him.

The letter also mentioned that although Master Zhao hadn't met Shu You, he trusted Zhao Xi's judgment. Zhao Xi, who only fell in love with a girl at the age of twenty-one, must have chosen a good girl.

Along with the letter, there was Zhao Xi's birth information and a list of betrothal gifts, which Master Zhao had prepared in advance for when Zhao Xi came of age.

After reading the letter, Lu Erbai understood Master Zhao's intentions and felt relieved.

"In that case, let's proceed according to our customs. Since your master is not here, and neither is Meng Yunzheng, if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."

Zhao Xi became instantly nervous. "Th-then, Uncle Lu, what should I do now?"

He was so nervous that he started to stutter.

But when he asked this, Lu Erbai was also dumbfounded, unsure where to begin.

The grandmother sighed. These two grown men, what do they know?

She glared at Lu Erbai and said to Zhao Xi, "You don't need to ask Uncle Lu. Go find a matchmaker as soon as possible. Find someone reliable who will guide you step by step on what to do."

Zhao Xi understood. "Okay, I'll go... tomorrow morning," he said, looking at the sky. "I can't wait. I'll start looking for a suitable matchmaker tomorrow."

And indeed, he couldn't wait. The next day, he began searching for a suitable matchmaker.

However, as a man who wasn't from the local area, he didn't know which matchmaker would be appropriate. So early in the morning, he came to the Lu family to ask the grandmother.

When Shu You heard about his purpose, she felt too embarrassed to stay at home and quickly left for the tailoring house.

Shu Yu had originally wanted to talk to her, but with her leaving, she could only follow her to the tailoring house.

When Shu Yu arrived, Shu You was in conversation with the embroiderer named Tian Qin.

Probably aware of her identity, Tian Qin immediately greeted her respectfully when she entered.

Shu Yu also saw Tian Qin's sickly mother.

Tian Qin's mother looked weak and emaciated, but according to Shu You, under Zhao Xi's treatment, her condition had greatly improved. With proper rest, she would slowly recover.

Next Chapter▶▶

  *Chapter 32: Suisui's Double Standards*

Suisui didn’t feel hungry; she had eaten well earlier in the evening.

When Physician Liu asked, Suisui obediently shook her head, “I’m not hungry, Grandpa Liu.”

The steward of the Sun family, who overheard, smiled and said, “The soup for the noodles was made from chicken broth boiled this morning. It’s warm and flavorful. If the young lady doesn’t want noodles, drinking some soup to warm herself would be good.”

Physician Liu agreed that this arrangement seemed good. The other children were eating, but if Suisui didn’t, what if the little girl felt uncomfortable?  

He turned to Suisui and asked, “How about drinking some soup to warm up before going to sleep?”

Suisui nodded obediently.

Seeing the little girl’s adorable demeanor, Physician Liu couldn’t resist and patted her on the head.

To be honest, her hair was so soft and smooth that it felt quite nice.

Not forgetting about Suisui’s weak digestion, Physician Liu turned to the steward and added, “Please skim off the fat from the chicken soup. This child is frail, and it wouldn’t be good for her to have overly nourishing food all at once. Also, don’t add too much salt.”

…

With that, Physician Liu’s professional habit as a Physician kicked in, and he started to talk more.

The steward patiently listened and agreed to all the instructions.

Before long, the noodles were served. The others got chicken soup with cabbage and noodles.

Suisui received a bowl of hot chicken soup, and after the fat was skimmed off, it was not greasy but even more flavorful.

Suisui took a sip, and the delicious taste made her squint her eyes and lift her toes in delight.

She turned around, wanting to share with her brother that the soup was so tasty.

But what she saw was Feng Xuanrui devouring his noodles.

He hadn’t eaten properly at dinner, had run around, and even gotten into a fight, so he was already hungry.

Now that the noodles had arrived, he couldn’t help but eat heartily.

Sun Ronglin had eaten well earlier and wasn’t very hungry.

However, watching Feng Xuanrui eat stirred his competitive spirit, so he also started eating in large mouthfuls.

The Qiu brothers were more restrained; they knew their appetite well and shared one bowl of noodles between them.

Seeing Suisui looking at them, Qiu Ping smiled and asked, “Sister, what’s up? Do you want some noodles? My bowl is untouched; I can share some with you.”

As he spoke, Qiu Ping was ready to scoop some noodles from his bowl for Suisui.

Hearing the commotion, Feng Xuanrui quickly lifted his head from his bowl and turned to ask, “Suisui wants noodles? We can ask the kitchen to bring more.”

But Suisui didn’t want to eat, so she shook her head, “No need, I’m fine with just the soup. I don’t want noodles.”

After speaking, she didn’t forget to thank him, “Thank you, Brother Qiu Ping.”

Suisui was quick-witted. After spending some time together, she had already remembered Qiu Ping’s name.

After thanking Qiu Ping, Suisui turned to Feng Xuanrui and said, “Brother, keep eating, or the noodles will get cold.”

Still worried, Feng Xuanrui asked again, “Are you sure you don’t want noodles?”

Concerned that his sister might be too shy to eat, Feng Xuanrui added, “You’re my sister. Eat whatever you want, don’t be afraid!”

Suisui shook her head again, “I’m really not hungry, brother.”

Hearing her say that, Feng Xuanrui finally felt reassured and turned back to continue eating his noodles.

And indeed, the Sun family’s cook had quite the skill.

The food was much better than what they got at the posthouse!

Feng Xuanrui and Sun Ronglin ate their noodles competitively, each finishing a small bowl.

Physician Liu kept an eye on them, controlling their portions to avoid any overeating that could cause indigestion and fever again.

Suisui’s previous condition had scared him enough.

So, the children were full but not stuffed.

After the meal, Physician Liu prepared a digestive soup for them.

He made sure each child drank half a bowl before urging them to go to bed.

It was rare to have so many children playing together, and with the addition of a younger sister, Sun Ronglin didn’t want to sleep at all.

When Physician Liu suggested it, he immediately lay down on the ground and began to throw a tantrum.

This was his usual trick.

At home, whenever he pulled this move, neither his grandmother nor his mother could refuse him!

Sun Zhi, the magistrate, had lost all face by now.

This grandson of his…

No, this couldn’t continue!

He couldn’t let his wife and daughter-in-law spoil him like this any longer!

Sun Ronglin’s tantrum sparked a similar reaction from the Qiu brothers.

Physician Liu tried all his best methods to persuade them, but it was no use.

In the end, he had to compromise by setting a time limit, letting them play a little longer.

After eating, the children were bursting with energy.

Di Jiao and Di Yu, who hadn’t slept well in days, were already struggling to keep their eyes open.

However, not far away, Sun Ronglin was still shouting, “I’m almost there! I’m really close to solving it! I’m a genius!”

Feng Xuanrui scoffed back at him, “No way! You’re far off, especially with the Nine Linked Rings. You’re dreaming!”

…

The two little boys had started competing over the Nine Linked Rings again, with the Qiu brothers cheering them on.

Suisui stayed close to Feng Xuanrui, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

“Brother, you’re amazing!”

“This brother can do it too, impressive!”

“Brother is the best!”

Feng Xuanrui was now completely captivated by the repeated praise of “brother.”

As for solving the Nine Linked Rings?

Don’t be ridiculous—he had never solved it at home.

Here, he was supposed to suddenly get it?

Even with his sister’s encouragement, it wasn’t happening!

Suisui’s constant encouragement made Feng Xuanrui feel like he was floating on air, barely able to keep his feet on the ground.

But it also made Sun Ronglin so jealous that his eyes turned red.

...READ THE REST OF THE CHAPTER ON PATREON...

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 Chapter 117: Imprisonment

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 Chapter 526: Exerting Self-Restraint

Putting her one hundred taels of private silver into another embroidered purse with flowers, Ye Muyu planned to give this one to Ziluo.

Given Chu Heng's character, the two children shouldn't suffer. Even if they did encounter difficulties, she could secretly give them some silver to ensure they lived well.

Just as she placed the money box back into the wardrobe, Ye Muyu heard footsteps and quickly stuffed the two purses under the pillow.

As expected, in the next moment, Chu Heng pushed open the door and appeared at the entrance.

"Ah Yu, I'll feed you lunch." Chu Heng's eyes were filled with tenderness, as if overflowing. He sat down beside Ye Muyu, scooped a spoonful of soup, gently blew on it to cool it just right, and then fed it to Ye Muyu.

"I can do it myself..." Ye Muyu said.

"Ah Yu, don't pretend to be strong. Be a good girl and open your mouth." Chu Heng coaxed gently.

Being coaxed like a child for the first time, Ye Muyu's ears instantly turned red. Her face, already flushed due to the fever, gradually turned even redder. "You... I..."

Ye Muyu felt her whole body heating up, especially with Chu Heng's intensely penetrating gaze fixed on her, like a fire about to ignite her entire body.

"Ah Yu, be good, open your mouth and eat." Chu Heng's voice suddenly became low and husky. Before Ye Muyu could react, he had already brought the spoon to her mouth.

Ye Muyu's cheeks blushed, but she didn't refuse the food at her lips. Was she being a bit too much by not eating the food at her lips?

Suddenly, she closed her eyes, slowly accepting the feeding from Chu Heng.

Perhaps because Ye Muyu chose to cooperate, Chu Heng's actions became even gentler. However, his gaze remained fixed on Ye Muyu's face.

With her eyes closed, Ah Yu allowed Chu Heng's gaze to be even more unrestrained, seemingly unable to tire of looking at her.

Chu Heng felt his heart soften just by watching, unable to resist asking, "Ah Yu, what kind of man do you like?"

Ye Muyu's eyelashes trembled, but she didn't speak.

Although disappointed, Chu Heng wasn't surprised. He continued to ask calmly "Ah Yu, what height do you prefer in a man?"

"I don't know..." Ye Muyu opened her eyes and looked at him, wondering what this man was up to.

As if unaware of her gaze, Chu Heng continued to feed her, asking, "Is my height enough?"

Ye Muyu: "..."

She might lack experience in relationships, but instinctively she didn't want to go along with Chu Heng's answers. Deliberately, she said, "Not enough."

A flash of pain crossed Chu Heng's eyes, completely unexpected. He seemed to have been struck hard, feeling so sad. What should he do?

"Whose height are you satisfied with then?" Chu Heng stubbornly asked, a dark light passing through his eyes unnoticed by himself. He would rather cut to pieces anyone whom Ah Yu took a liking to and they should be thrown far away, never to appear in front of Ah Yu again!

Ye Muyu didn't answer.

Chu Heng closed his eyes, suppressing the jealousy about to overflow, desperately restraining the urge to pounce on Ye Muyu.

"What about appearance?"

"Anything will do."

"Does my appearance suit you?" Chu Heng brightened up.

"...No."

Chu Heng: "..."

"Well then, what about status? Someone who reads or someone who doesn't?"

"..."

"Alright... Can he cook?"

"..."

"Can he wash your feet, do the laundry, teach you to read? Would you like that?"

"..."

Regardless of what Chu Heng said, Ye Muyu stopped responding. She quietly eat her lunch even though she only managed to finish half a bowl.

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