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墨書 Inktalez
Although the Wu and Liu families lived close to each other, Madam Wu had never met Qing Wu before.
When Qing Wu first arrived at the Liu Family, she was very weak. Occasionally, the brothers would go to the Wu Family to play, but they did not take her along. By the time she was feeling better, it happened to be New Year.
At that time, Qing Wu was dressed entirely in white, which was quite inappropriate no matter where she went. Therefore, during the New Year festivities, she avoided others. Whether it was the Liu Family visiting the Wu Family or the Wu Family coming to Liu Residence, she never showed her face.
Madam Wu had long heard her son mention that the younger sister of the Wu Family was very cute and beautiful, but a bit shy. However, daughters from prominent families in the capital generally looked decent after a little grooming unless they were particularly unattractive.
Thus, Madam Wu did not take her son's words too seriously.
She thought of Qing Wu as just a girl kindly taken in by the Liu Family, who got along well with the equally shy Wu Linxi, which was why her son praised her so much.
Now that she saw her in person, Madam Wu realized that the compliments from Wu Linxi were indeed well-deserved. Qing Wu's beauty was exceptional; she had never seen anyone more charming than her. Her temperament was also very pleasant—gentle and soft-spoken, with an unintentional charm that made her endearing.
After both families' carriages stopped at Summer Residence and they finally met, Madam Wu found herself increasingly fond of this girl within just a short walk together.
Her demeanor was measured, showing great respect towards elders. She spoke softly and would blush when teased a little. It was evident that she had been raised with care at home. What was rare was her pure nature; her eyes were clear and devoid of any pretense.
Thinking back to when her son gifted his beloved Green Plum to her, he often mentioned this Liu Young Lady over the years. Just yesterday, he excitedly exclaimed that he wanted to send more flowers and plants to Liu Mei Mei. Madam Wu felt a stir in her heart and smiled, saying, "The Liu Young Lady is truly exceptional in both looks and character; I wonder which family will be fortunate enough in the future."
Qing Wu thought Madam Wu was merely giving her casual praise and shyly lowered her head.
However, the He Family sensed something different in tone and quickly looked towards Madam Wu. Seeing her gently nodding, they realized their thoughts were not mistaken. Just as they pondered what Madam Wu's intentions were, they noticed her subtly signaling "two" with her fingers.
It turned out to be her legitimate second son, Wu Linxi.
The He Family tightened their grip on their handkerchiefs and began to contemplate quietly.
Lord Wu had already attained the rank of Fifth-Rank Official several years ago. It was said that this time he had a good chance of being promoted further. Moreover, Wu Linxi had a gentle disposition and was easy to get along with; he worked diligently and had a promising future. As for Madam Wu, the He Family had known her for many years and understood that she was kind-hearted and did not like to make things difficult for others.
Thus, it seemed that the Wu Family was indeed an excellent choice.
With this thought in mind, the He Family couldn't help but glance at the girl beside them.
Previously, she was only worried about her sons' marriages and hadn't thought about Qing Wu's situation at all. She treated her daughter as if there was still time for that. Who would have expected that her precious daughter would already attract the attention of another family's mistress?
He Family let out a sigh of relief and said to Madam Wu, "Who knows which family it is? With her delicate temperament, it's good enough if she doesn't cause trouble for others."
This was before they had even arranged a meeting for Qing Wu.
Madam Wu felt secretly pleased, and her smile deepened, "It's good to be delicate. I like this kind of behavior; she's very well-behaved. Besides, she's our own child; who would want her to suffer even a little?"
With her assurance, He Family felt even more satisfied with Wu Family.
Now was not the time to dwell on this matter. After exchanging a few brief words and understanding each other's thoughts, they changed the subject.
Today’s visit to Summer Residence was hosted by an editor from Hanlin Academy. Although his rank was not high, he was very upright, and his children were well-educated. When Madam Wu visited Summer Residence before, she had seen several daughters from Xia Family. Hearing that He Family was worried about their children, she thought of trying to matchmake.
According to Madam Wu's idea, since this visit was just a casual greeting to see the girl briefly, it would prevent Xia Family from becoming suspicious. Otherwise, if things didn’t go well, it wouldn’t be pleasant.
She had sent a message to Summer Residence this morning, indicating that a friend would bring her daughter along for a short visit. Upon meeting, she introduced He Family to Madam Xia and said, "Mistress Wu is eager to learn embroidery. She heard that our eldest daughter at Summer Residence is very skilled in embroidery and wanted to seek some advice."
This excuse had been previously discussed between He Family and Madam Wu. They had also talked it over with Qing Wu beforehand.
At this moment, Qing Wu stepped forward, first greeting Madam Xia and then saying, "Thank you for your trouble, Auntie and Sister."
The girl appeared delicate and charming, with a hint of shyness as if embarrassed by her lack of skill.
Madam Xia quickly replied, "It's no trouble at all. Jing Sister and her cousin are playing in the courtyard; I'll call them over." After speaking, she invited them into the house and instructed someone to serve tea.
Before long, two girls around thirteen or fourteen years old came in together.
The one on the left was slightly older, with gentle features and dressed in a lake blue outfit. The one on the right was younger, wearing a light yellow dress with bright eyes and a sweet smile.
Once they entered the room, Madam Xia introduced them to He Family and Madam Wu. After the girls exchanged greetings, she explained Qing Wu's purpose for coming.
The older Xia Rujing smiled and nodded, asking Qing Wu, "Is there something you don't understand, sister?"
Qing Wu had already thought of her words and replied, "When I embroider peonies, the petals always seem a bit stiff. I don't know how to avoid that."
Xia Rujing pondered for a moment, then extended her delicate fingers to illustrate in her palm, explaining to Qing Wu, "You see, if you stitch like this, it will look much better."
As she was carefully demonstrating, a girl in a yellow dress named Xia Rusi shook Xia Rujing's arm and said playfully, "Cousin, if you only do it this way, how can anyone understand? Why not have someone bring a frame over so you can explain it to sister on the spot? Wouldn't that be better?"
Madam Xia was conversing with the two guests but kept an eye on the girls. Hearing Xia Rusi's suggestion, she agreed and instructed someone to fetch the frame and thread.
Xia Rujing had a calm demeanor and spoke little. While stitching, she occasionally explained a point or two.
However, Xia Rusi noticed Qing Wu's puzzled expression and took the opportunity during Xia Rujing's explanations to add a few comments to clarify things for Qing Wu.
After the consultation, Qing Wu presented the gift she had prepared earlier—a box of Eight Treasures Pavilion pastries—to Xia Rujing before bidding farewell to the He family.
On the way back, the He family initially maintained silence. Qing Wu quietly sat beside them until the He family let out a sigh of relief. Only then did Qing Wu move closer and sit beside her mother.
He Family gently furrowed her beautiful brows and asked, "What do you think of Sister Xia?"
She had expected Qing Wu to respond with a simple "good" or "bad." To her surprise, Qing Wu asked, "Which Sister Xia do you mean?"
He Family paused for a moment, "Do you mean..."
"Jing sister is very nice. She is calm and gentle; I really like her. But if you are asking about our reason for visiting, I think Si sister is more suitable."
He Family had made this trip primarily for her son's future marriage. Now hearing Qing Wu's response left her somewhat confused.
If Xia Rujing was quite good, why did she think Xia Rusi was better?
So she inquired about the reasoning behind Qing Wu's statement.
Qing Wu thought of her elder brother.
Liu Anzhi had the demeanor of an older brother, always behaving properly and setting a good example for his younger siblings. He was very composed.
However, sometimes he was too composed, almost as if he were not a seventeen or eighteen-year-old.
Qing Wu was unsure if her words were appropriate, so she lowered her voice and leaned closer to He Family, murmuring, “Elder brother is already quite dull. If Sister Jing joins him, wouldn’t they both be silent together?”
He Family was taken aback and laughed while embracing Qing Wu. After a while, she finally calmed down and covered her mouth, saying, “That’s exactly it. I felt something was off but couldn’t pinpoint it after thinking for a long time. Now that I’ve heard you say it, I understand.”
With her mind made up, He Family secretly contemplated inquiring about the specific circumstances of Xia Rusi’s family when she returned home. If everything seemed suitable, she would consider it further.
There was no time to waste. Once at home, He Family began to arrange this matter. Meanwhile, Qing Wu was attended to by Danqing as she returned to her own courtyard.
However, before she could reach the courtyard, Dou Mama came to greet her. After sending Danqing back to the courtyard, she smiled at Qing Wu, saying, “The weather is nice today. Since you are dressed well, why not go out for a walk? It would also be good to purchase some useful items.”
Yesterday, Liu Fangshi had just caused a commotion by bringing people over. That evening, Dou Mama had specifically advised Qing Wu not to wander outside during these peaceful days to avoid running into troublemakers.
Who would have thought that just one night and one morning later, things would change?
Qing Wu felt suspicious. However, seeing the servants coming and going around her, she kept her expression neutral and simply smiled in agreement.
Once they were out of sight of others, she quietly asked Dou Mama about the reason for this sudden change.
Dou Mama looked around to ensure no one was nearby and then leaned closer to Qing Wu, whispering, “The master has arrived; he’s waiting for you at the corner of the street next door and has been waiting for quite some time.”
Qing Wu did not expect that it was Huo Yun'ai who wanted to see her. She hurriedly followed Dou Mama, rushing over.
She thought that Huo Yun'ai must have come in that black carriage from last time since such carriages were common and inconspicuous.
However, upon arrival, she discovered that there were indeed black carriages—two of them. With identical appearances, she didn’t know which one to approach.
Standing in the middle, hesitating, Huo Yun'ai walked down from the front carriage.
Qing Wu smiled and was about to greet him, but he continued walking. He casually reached out to grab her hand and pulled her towards the back carriage. Then he lifted the curtain of this carriage, smiling faintly and gesturing for Qing Wu to look inside.
Qing Wu felt a bit confused and looked over with curiosity. Upon seeing inside, she was quite shocked.
"This, this is..."
She turned around, staring at Huo Yun'ai in astonishment, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Listen, do you like Green Plum?"
The corners of Huo Yun'ai's lips curled into a subtle smile. "Now this entire carriage is filled with Green Plum, with various species and ages of trees. Surely you can find what you like among them, enough to fill your garden?"
Seeing the girl nod in shock, his smile deepened. He raised his finger to gently trace her brow with his fingertip.
"If that's the case, then all of these are yours. As for those taken by others... it's better not to have them!"
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