Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 410 Proposing marriage at home
Su Changying acted swiftly. The next morning, while Zhou Buhai was still yawning and the Zhou family's rooster was still crowing, he led his father, Marquis Lu, to the door.

Zhou Buhai rubbed his still sleepy eyes. "Brother Su, Changying, why are you here so early in the morning?"

How can there be such an impatient guest in this world? If he had arrived a little earlier, I could have cornered him on the bed.

As Zhou Buhai thought about it, he looked at the slick, no, impeccably dressed Su family father and son standing opposite him. He awkwardly straightened his wrinkled robes and regretted not getting up a quarter of an hour earlier today, so that he could at least have them comb their hair.

When the Marquis of Lu met him, he smiled, straightened his back, and raised his head with a rosy face, as if he were about to recite a poem.

Since hearing the news the day before yesterday that his son was getting married, he had spent a whole day pondering and finally wrote a masterpiece that he was satisfied with.

"clear……"

Lu Hou had barely uttered a single word when Su Changying interrupted him. His son, who was usually as calm as the stone lions in front of the Dali Temple, was now flushed, his voice trembling, and he was so excited that he could barely control his volume.

"Father, I want to marry Zhaozhao."

The sandstorm in Chang'an today is really strong. At the same time, the Marquis of Lu and Zhou Buhai felt that their ears were blocked by the sandstorm.

"Zhou Zhao is not my daughter."

Whom do you call father?

The Marquis of Lu forgot to recite the poem, and Zhou Buhai forgot to style his hair; both of them blurted out in shock.

Su Changying came to his senses, cleared his throat, and his ears turned a little red. He had rehearsed it in his mind last night, from coming to propose to marry Zhou Zhao to calling Zhou Buhai "father". Today, he was too excited and jumped straight to "father".

"Uncle, I have come to your door today to ask for Zhaozhao's hand in marriage."

Zhou Buhai instantly snapped out of his daze. He looked at Su Changying in front of him with a complicated expression. A thousand words were on the tip of his tongue, but when he remembered what Zhou Wan had said to him, the words circled around and came out as, "Did A-Zhao agree?"

He said with a touch of sadness, "If A-Zhao agrees, then let's get married. Otherwise, she'll be living alone outside with no one to take care of her."

Looking at Lu Hou's beaming face, Zhou Buhai felt more than just a pang of sadness; he also felt a stinging sensation in his palms.

"Marriage is a big deal. Brother Su and Changying, go have some tea first. I'll be there shortly."

Su Changying breathed a sigh of relief upon receiving the agreement. Heaven knows that during his rehearsal yesterday, he had already considered fifty-eight ways to deal with Zhou Buhai's refusal.

Fortunately, none of them were used.

The father and son entered the tea room for receiving guests. After waiting for a while, Zhou Buhai washed and dressed again, changed into a new robe without any wrinkles, put on a hair crown, and even changed the fragrance on his body. He looked like he had just returned from seeking out Min Cangzhi to learn martial arts.

Accompanying him were Madam Yu, Zhou Xuan, and Zhou Zhao, who was unusually well-behaved and quietly followed beside them.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Marquis of Lu opened his mouth to recite a poem, "Clear..."

As soon as he uttered the word "晴" for the second time, he felt a sharp pain in his thigh. He looked down and saw Su Changying poking him with a silk scroll.

Urgent! How impatient is his son? Does he want to consummate the marriage today?!
He was dissatisfied, but there was nothing he could do; after all, he couldn't beat this little brat!
Marquis Lu thought for a moment, took the scroll, and smiled ingratiatingly at Zhou Buhai, “The two children were betrothed from the womb. If it weren’t for what happened back then, they would probably have been married long ago and achieved a match made in heaven.”

Good things come to those who wait. Although they were separated for four years, their destiny was still intertwined.

Now, Changying is leading the Northern Army, and he may have to go on an expedition at any time; Azhao is the Left Supervisor of the Court of Justice, and he may become the Minister of Justice next. I have been fighting for many years, and I know that a campaign can last for a year or two. Brother Zhou, you used to be the Minister of Justice, so you know how busy that position is.

"Taking advantage of the children's free time, I've come to your door today specifically to discuss their marriage arrangements with Brother Zhou."

As Lu Hou spoke, his eyes reddened with emotion, and he handed the scroll to Zhou Buhai. "In the past, the two children were betrothed in their childhood. Before Changying's mother passed away, she had already exchanged the children's birth dates and given betrothal gifts to confirm their marriage."

Changying sincerely felt that there were reasons for what happened back then, and that it was too hasty and she was afraid of wronging Azhao, so she added a new one now.

Our two families have been friends for generations, and A-Zhao is like my own daughter. When I thought Changying was dead, I went to break off the engagement because I didn't want to hold A-Zhao back. I'm sorry for what I did to A-Zhao; it's Changying's good fortune to marry her.”

As he spoke, the Marquis of Lu hastily wiped his face with his sleeve.

“Brother Zhou, to show the sincerity of our Su family, I will make a promise here: from now on, the entire Lu Marquis’s residence will belong to Changying and Azhao. If the two children wish to live in the Lu Marquis’s residence, I will be more than happy.”

If the Lu Hou Mansion is too far away, it would be better to live near the Court of Justice. That would be as the children wish.

"Rest assured, once A-Zhao enters the Su family, she will absolutely not suffer the slightest grievance."

The Marquis of Lu thumped his chest loudly, showing no sign of weakness.

Even if she had no mother-in-law or sister-in-law at home, only an old man like him whom she couldn't beat; even if she had a whole host of wicked relatives, Zhou Zhao was not one to suffer injustice! Who could possibly make her suffer injustice?

Doesn't he know his son? This young couple only knows how to strike hard.

Zhou Buhai's mouth gaped open as he took the scroll, opened it, and became increasingly horrified as he read...

That's why they say you can make a fortune by fighting a war!
That old scoundrel, the Marquis of Lu, is so rich! How many feudal lords did he rob and how many bandits did he kill to amass such a fortune?
He asked himself if the Zhou family, with its long history of official service and profound heritage, could withstand the nationwide looting by others, no matter how much they had accumulated over the generations!

He was thinking about it, and a sarcastic remark was about to come out of his mouth when he remembered Zhou Wan's words. He turned to look at Zhou Zhao, and when he saw Zhou Zhao nod slightly, he coughed and put his hand to his mouth. "The marriage between the two children was arranged long ago. They are in love, so how could I, as their father, stop them? This is a good thing that should have come to fruition."

As Zhou Buhai spoke, his nose suddenly felt a little sore.

His mind was filled with a thousand thoughts. One moment he saw Zhou Zhao hugging his neck as a child and calling him "Father," her eyes filled with adoration for her father. The next moment he saw Zhou Zhao wearing the official robes of the Left Supervisor, standing in front of the Court of Justice.

She turned her back to him and grew into the child he had always longed for.

He thought that he, as a father, would never be able to stand up straight in front of his daughter again.

Just like the Marquis of Lu facing Su Changying.

"The ninth day of next month is an auspicious day, Brother Zhou, what do you think of that day?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Buhai looked at Zhou Zhao again.

Seeing the head that kept turning around, Zhou Zhao glanced out the window out of the corner of her eye. The sun wasn't rising in the west today, so why did she have this strange feeling that she was the head of the Zhou family? When did her father start asking her about everything?
She thought about it and nodded slightly.

Zhou Buhai opened his mouth, as if to say that next month might be too fast, but remembering Zhou Wan's words, he nodded, "Then the ninth of next month."

Zhou Zhao was somewhat taken aback upon hearing this. Did they really really listen to her completely?

She looked up in confusion and met Su Changying's gaze. The man was grinning from ear to ear, looking utterly simple-minded.

Her mind went blank for a moment, and she couldn't help but laugh along.

　The story is nearing its end, almost over.

　　(End of this chapter)