eurekapd Chapter 876 [Splendid Heart 15]
Chapter 876 [Splendid Heart 15]
In the old house of the Qiao family, Youyou sat quietly by the window, holding the letter from Qiao's mother in her hand. The sunlight shone through the window onto her, reflecting her slightly worried face.
Youyou gently put the letter down, thinking to herself: What does this sudden call mean? She knew that after returning to the capital, her life would probably not be as peaceful as it is now. However, as the daughter of the Qiao family, she could not disobey her mother's order.
So, Youyou called her personal maid Xiu Li and ordered her, "Xiu Li, quickly pack our luggage and prepare to return to Beijing." Xiu Li took the order and started packing the luggage swiftly.
Afterwards, Youyou found Qiu Shuang and instructed her, "Qiu Shuang, the affairs here are now handed over to you. You must handle everything properly. When I return from the capital, I hope to see everything in order." Qiu Shuang nodded respectfully and promised that she would live up to the trust.
At the same time, in the study room of the Yongping Marquis's residence, the atmosphere seemed somewhat solemn. Qing Feng was standing in front of the desk, reporting a piece of news to Xu Lingyi: "Master, I just received news that Miss Qiao will be returning to Beijing soon."
Xu Lingyi frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "That matter must be handled quickly, and no news can be leaked. It must be handled before Lian Fang comes back." His tone was serious and firm.
Qing Feng quickly bowed and responded, "Yes, master! I will do my best to complete the task." After that, he turned around and hurried away to carry out the important task assigned by Xu Lingyi.
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is time for another flower viewing banquet. The banquet is full of flowers and people, and it is very lively. Just when everyone is intoxicated by the beautiful scenery and delicious food, an accident happens - the second daughter of the Qin family somehow slips and falls into the water.
In a flash, Xia Yi from the Xia Guogong Mansion rushed forward, jumped into the water without hesitation, and successfully rescued Miss Qin. This scene happened to be seen by many guests, and it caused an uproar for a while. After all, in that era, a woman's reputation was of great importance. Now that Miss Qin was rescued by a foreign man in public, in order to maintain their own reputation, the Xia family had to discuss with the Qin family and decided to arrange a marriage for the two young people.
In the inner house of the Qiao family, after learning about this, Qiao's mother was so angry that she trembled all over and her face turned livid. She originally thought that she would have a good son-in-law who satisfied her, but she didn't expect that it would become a bubble in the blink of an eye. How could she accept this! She angrily complained to Qiao's father: "My husband, look at what we can do now! Xia Yi is such a good child, and our daughter Lianfang likes him very much. Now it's good, he's gone! When Lianfang comes back, I don't know how to explain to her!" As she said this, Qiao's mother couldn't help but burst into tears, her face full of pain and helplessness.
Upon seeing this, Father Qiao stepped forward and gently embraced Mother Qiao, saying softly, "Madam, don't be so sad. Now that things have come to this, we should think of a way to solve it. Although Lian Fang is about to return, we can always choose a suitable husband for her again. After all, we only had a verbal agreement with the Xia family before, and we haven't officially engaged, so this will not affect the reputation of Lian Fang."
After hearing this, Mother Qiao stopped crying a little, looked up at Father Qiao, and said worriedly: "That being said, how many men as outstanding as Xia Yi can there be in this world? We finally chose him, and now it's not easy to find someone who can match him!" After saying that, Mother Qiao sighed again, her heart full of worry.
Father Qiao pondered for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up and he said, "Madam, why are you so sad? Since it's hard to find a suitable candidate in the capital, why don't we turn our attention to the Jiangnan area? As far as I know, there have always been many talented men and beautiful women in Jiangnan, maybe we can find a good match for Lianfang there. Besides, doesn't Lianfang always say that she likes the scenery and culture of Jiangnan?"
Upon hearing this, Mother Qiao frowned slightly and glared at Father Qiao in an angry tone. She stretched out her hand and grabbed his ear, saying coquettishly, "Humph! How could you think of such a thing! Are you really willing to let our precious daughter marry so far away? What if she gets wronged and has no one to take care of her? How can I, as a mother, feel at ease!"
Father Qiao was pinched by Mother Qiao so hard that he cried out in pain and begged for mercy again and again, "Oh my, Madam, please let go quickly. I just said the wrong thing in a moment of haste! I naturally don't want Lian Fang to marry so far away. I will do whatever Madam wants."
It was a sunny day, and the breeze gently blew the flowers in the courtyard, exuding bursts of fragrance. Youyou was wearing a light pink Luo skirt, with a graceful figure and a rosy face, followed closely by two smart and well-behaved maids. The master and the servant walked lightly and slowly into the gate of the Qiao family.
After Youyou came back, the days passed one by one, and in the blink of an eye, several days had passed, but Qiao's mother never mentioned anything about marriage to her. Not only that, Qiao's mother also brought some portraits and detailed information of other young talents, which made Youyou a little confused.
Finally, unable to suppress her doubts, Youyou asked her mother, "Mom, didn't you fall in love with the young master from the Xiaguo Marquis's Mansion before? Why is it like this now? Is there something wrong with him?"
Mother Qiao sighed softly and replied helplessly: "Youyou, that young master Xia is already engaged, and the girl is the second young lady of the Qin family."
When Youyou heard this, she couldn't help but widen her eyes and asked in surprise, "How could you get engaged so suddenly?"
Mother Qiao frowned slightly, recalling the scene at that time, and spoke slowly: "Do you remember the last flower viewing banquet? The second young lady of the Qin family accidentally fell into the water and was saved by the passing young master Xia. Since then, the two have developed feelings for each other. Not long ago, the Xia family came to propose marriage and decided on this marriage."
Youyou nodded in sudden realization. Although she felt a little disappointed, she soon regained her composure. She smiled and said to Qiao's mother, "Since things have come to this, then forget it. But mother, I really don't know much about these young men, so I still have to trouble you to help me choose carefully. I believe in your vision, and you will definitely find a suitable husband for me."
Mother Qiao frowned slightly, looked at her daughter with a hint of reproach, and said, "Girl, why are you being lazy again? You've been wandering around all day. And, I'm carefully choosing a husband for you. This is related to your lifelong happiness! But the final decision is still in your hands. After all, this is your lifelong event, and everything depends on you."
Upon hearing this, Youyou, who was standing by, smiled coquettishly, took her mother's arm and said coquettishly, "Oh, mother, the ones you picked must be excellent. I naturally trust your vision! Just go ahead and pick them. When you've made your choice, just let me know. I'll take a good look at them then."
After hearing this, Qiao's mother sighed softly and responded helplessly: "Okay, okay, there's really nothing we can do with a naughty girl like you. Then mother will continue to keep an eye on you." After saying that, she touched Youyou's head lovingly.