Chapter 42

The horse carriage alternated between slow and fast, rumbling along, finally arriving in Jiangling City on the eve of Su Qi’s wedding.

The Su Residence in the south of the city had been renovated with gray bricks and tiles. Two red lanterns with the word “happiness” hung at the corners of the eaves. The Nanmu wooden gate had been repainted with vermillion lacquer, giving it a fresh new look. Along the pink walls, red silk ribbons were hung at intervals of ten steps, exuding an atmosphere of joy.

Su Mingde and Mrs. Yu stood together, smiling, and looked towards the street corner, eagerly awaiting the carriage from the capital.

Several carriages passed by without stopping, but Chunlan, who was behind Yu Qingniang, spotted a carriage turning the corner at the front. Sitting on the front board of the carriage was Chun Mei.

“Master, Madam, it’s Miss’s carriage! Miss has returned!” Chunlan exclaimed.

“Where is she?”

Following Chunlan’s pointed finger, Mrs. Yu anxiously squinted her eyes and looked in that direction. Sure enough, the carriage was approaching the gate, gradually slowing down with signs of stopping. Her daughter, Mi’er, was finally coming back.

***

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“Lord.”

Qin Yan finally raised his eyes at this moment. “Hmm?”

“I’m getting off the carriage.”

After Su Mi finished speaking this time, she glanced at Qin Yan and didn’t wait for his response. Blushing, she got off the carriage.

Qin Yan watched the curtain sway lightly as Su Mi alighted. He put down the book he had been flipping through repeatedly, leaned back against the silk cushion, and closed his eyes.

Ah, he actually… couldn’t bear it.

***

Su Mingde clasped his hands together and watched as Chun Mei helped Su Mi off the carriage. The curtain behind her stopped moving, and after a while, the carriage turned around and swiftly galloped away.

He withdrew his gaze and smiled as he asked Su Mi, “Mi’er, did the Lord return to the other residence?”

“No, the Lord happened to have something to do this time. He just escorted me back,” Su Mi replied, afraid of revealing Qin Yan’s hidden itinerary to Chenzhou.

Su Mingde concealed his disappointment and led Su Mi inside while smiling again. “Ah, the Lord is a busy person. It’s only natural. It’s the same even when Mi’er returns.”

“The evening feast is all prepared. Your mother instructed the kitchen to cook your favorite dishes.”

“Thank you, Father.” Su Mi politely smiled. She was well aware that Su Mingde’s kindness towards her was due to Qin Yan.

Su Mingde continued to exchange pleasantries with Su Mi, but Yu Qingniang cast a glance at him, showing impatience. She simply held Su Mi’s arm and walked inside.

The decorations in the mansion had obviously been renewed, with red “happiness” characters visible everywhere and several red embroidered balls hanging from the holly branches along the corridors.

In the main hall of the second courtyard, the dinner was sumptuous, filling an entire Nanmu wood table.

Aunt Zhao, Su Zhen, Aunt Lu, and Su’s youngest daughter, Su Tong, were all present at the dining table. When they saw Su Mi, they all stood up, their smiles resembling the closeness they had with Su Mi in the past.

Laughter filled the air during the meal, with Aunt Zhao always saying words of encouragement, making the atmosphere lively. Occasionally, she would ‘coincidentally’ bring up Su Zhen’s marriage, but Su Mi did not engage in that topic, so Aunt Zhao had no choice but to change the subject herself.

They ate in this relaxed manner for a while, pretending to be joyful. However, Su Mi felt that something was a bit off, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It wasn’t until near the end of the meal that she remembered—it was Su Qi!

The person who is getting married tomorrow has unexpectedly not been seen at the dining table. It seems like he hasn’t returned yet, but no one mentioned it. The rushed marriage arrangement appears even more peculiar now.

After finishing dinner, Yu Qingniang accompanied Su Mi back to her original small courtyard.

Chun Mei went to prepare some hot water for tea, while Su Mi took a walk around the courtyard with Yu Qingniang, trying to ease her digestion.

Even after half a year of absence, the courtyard was still immaculate. Several winter trees were planted in the corners, and she didn’t need to ask to know that Yu Qingniang had someone come to tidy up every day. Su Mi’s heart warmed, and she held Yu Qingniang’s hand a little tighter.

While walking and observing, Su Mi suddenly remembered her confusion at the dining table. “Mother, why didn’t I see my elder brother?”

Yu Qingniang paused her steps. “Su Qi is still at the shop in the county. He will come back early tomorrow morning.”

“But tomorrow is his wedding day…” Coming back early tomorrow morning seems a bit late.

Yu Qingniang held Su Mi’s hand and sat on a rattan chair in the corridor. “In fact, Su Qi doesn’t even know that he’s supposed to get married.”

“Ah?”

“When you left on the day of your return, Su Qi happened to arrive. As soon as he arrived, your father called him into the study. I found out later that your father wants him to marry the youngest daughter of the Zhou family.”

Yu Qingniang sighed and spoke about Su Qi. After all, he was adopted halfway, and she couldn’t treat him as her own. However, Su Qi’s temperament was different from Su Zhen’s and Aunt Zhao’s. He didn’t talk much on regular days, and when he encountered her, he would only address her as “Madam” and follow the rules. He was actually a good child.

“So, is my elder brother unwilling?”

“Well, of course, he is unwilling. That’s why he secretly ran back to the county. Who would have thought that Master and Aunt Zhao knew he was coming back tomorrow and arranged this. The master even gave instructions in the mansion that no one should tell Su Qi, not even me. I didn’t even know which county he returned to… Otherwise, I would have told him early!”

Su Mi looked at Yu Qingniang, who had a slightly angry expression after finishing her explanation. She vaguely felt that this matter was somewhat related to herself. After all, Su Mi knew that Yu Qingniang didn’t care much about Su Qi. If it were only about forcing him into marriage, Yu Qingniang wouldn’t have such an attitude.

“Mother, do you know something? Why is Father forcing Su Qi to get married now?”

“Hmph,” Yu Qingniang snorted. “Mi’er, your father wants Su Qi to have a child soon, a child who can be adopted under your and the Lord’s names.”

“What?” Su Mi was astonished. She never expected Su Mingde to have such an idea.

“Mi’er, I know the Lord treats you well, but we can’t guarantee that he will treat you well for a lifetime. You will need a child to rely on in the future. However…” Yu Qingniang’s tone changed: “This child cannot be from the Su family’s lineage.”

Su Mi hadn’t fully accepted Su Mingde’s idea, and Yu Qingniang’s words caught her off guard.

After furrowing her brows and contemplating for a while, Su Mi looked up and met Yu Qingniang’s gaze.

“Mother, I love the Lord.”

In a disjointed manner, Su Mi said something that puzzled Yu Qingniang: “Mi’er, what are you talking about? I meant…”

“I know what you’re talking about, but I just want to be with the Lord. If he has such a thought in the future, then I will discuss it with him. If the Lord doesn’t bring it up, then I’ll just accompany him as it is.”

“But without a child, how will you endure if the Lord grows tired of you in the future?”

That was exactly what Yu Qingniang was worried about. Currently, in their newlywed phase, the Lord doted on Su Mi, and she could see that. But what about the future? Who could guarantee a lifetime of love? When Su Mingde married her, he also promised to treat her well for a lifetime, but he married Aunt Zhao and then Aunt Lu.

“Anyway, I won’t bring it up. You should ask Father to let go of his thoughts.”

Su Mi knew that the Lord was saddened by not having an heir. She had never thought of mentioning it because, no matter who said it, she didn’t want to bring it up.

Yu Qingniang looked at Su Mi, who had a stubborn and resolute expression, and shook her head helplessly.

…