Full House Spring

Chapter 96 Who will win the flower?
Xia Li suppressed his emotions and said calmly, "What's in the brocade box? If it's too valuable, I'm afraid I can't accept it."

Zhang Jun'an tilted his head and replied lazily, "There are only a musical score and a jade bracelet inside, which are not very valuable."

Xia Li sighed secretly and said tactfully: "It would be a waste to give the music sheet to someone like me who doesn't understand music. Besides, I can't sit still. I have a lot to do every day. The jade bracelet will be easily damaged when worn. It's not appropriate to give it to me. Thank you for your kindness, Third Young Master."

After saying this, Xia Li bowed, his refusal being obvious.

Zhang Jun'an was stunned at first, then he smiled. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sparkling, and said in a very magnetic voice, "Miss Fang, do you think highly of me? Is it because my face is not pretty enough?"

His slender fingertips brushed across her face, and there was a kind of charming charm. Xiali's pores stood up. She subconsciously took a step back and said nonchalantly: "Mr. Zhang is the best among flowers, but I am a coarse man who doesn't know how to appreciate it. There must be someone who knows the value of things and will fall in love with you. I am not worthy."

Zhang Jun'an lowered his head and stared at her, his words becoming more serious, "What did you see? Or have you sent someone to check on me a long time ago?"

Xia Li evaded the question vaguely, "What can I see? I have not been back to Laizhou for long, and I don't even recognize all my relatives. How could I send someone to investigate you? Master Zhang is overthinking."

Zhang Jun'an's slightly raised eyebrows outlined a delicate and charming arc. He whispered in a bewitching voice, "Little liar, you are lying. If you didn't see anything, why are you avoiding me like this?"

He deliberately approached Xia Li, but Xia Li stood still, looked up at him, and said cryptically:

"I just smelled the scent of a sister. Sexual orientation is your personal choice. There is no right or wrong. But it's a bit unkind of you to drag me into this. You want a woman to carry on your family line, but you're unwilling to devote your feelings to a woman. It's quite despicable."

Zhang Jun'an's face changed slightly, then returned to normal. The corners of his mouth curled up with a deep meaning, "Miss Fang has a keen eye, and is indeed different from others. Do you really think it's okay for me to like men?"

Xia Li hesitated for a moment, then half chuckled and said, "Feelings are something that humans cannot control. Although your body is male, your soul may be female. It is your freedom to like whoever you want. Outsiders are not qualified to judge whether you are right or wrong, but you cannot deceive women. This is not very decent."

Zhang Jun'an's expression slightly changed, and the corners of his mouth rose with a barely perceptible sarcasm, "This is not what I want. My mother is too strong to be refuted. She asked me to marry into the Fang family, and I had no choice but to obey. However, since you look down on me, she can't do anything about it. Can you accept this gift first, and let me have an explanation."

Xia Li's brows were solemn and he said firmly, "No, I don't want to cause myself unnecessary trouble, and I have no obligation to cover up for you. After all, you were the one who schemed against me first."

Zhang Junan looked into her eyes and spoke in a light tone, like a sigh.

"Can't you help me? The emperor may issue an order to select a concubine at any time, and you won't be able to find a suitable man to marry into the family in such a short time.

If you find a man with ulterior motives, even if he has the support of the Fang family, you will probably suffer a lot if you want to get rid of him.

I am different. You and I can have a fake marriage and divorce when the time is right. There will be no loss. How wonderful it is."

Xia Li looked at the seductive face with cold eyes and said word by word:

"How do you know I can't find the right person? A fake marriage will cost me my reputation, allow the Zhang family to suck my blood, and help you break free from the shackles of the family. What else can I gain? You've taken all the advantages. Do you really think I was kicked in the head by a donkey?"

Zhang Jun'an's eyelashes trembled when he heard this, and he looked away with a guilty look. He sighed and said, "You are indeed different. Is there really no room for negotiation on this matter?"

Xia Li looked into his dark and calm eyes and said in a serious voice:
"I hate being schemed against the most, and I always fight back without mercy. You haven't caused me any irreparable losses, so I won't bother with you for now, so don't push your luck."

After that, she turned around and left with light steps. Zhang Junan called out in a low voice: "I have a good chat with you. Can we be friends?"

Xia Li stopped, turned around and looked at him with a sharp gaze, chuckled and said, "As long as you don't have any bad ideas, I don't mind having more friends. I recently made a perfume with a unique scent that matches your temperament. I'll have someone send it to you tomorrow."

Zhang Jun'an had never used perfume, but he could tell what it was. He held the brocade box and thanked her politely, "Thank you for your kindness, Miss Fang. I'm waiting to receive the gift. I'll chat with you next time I have a chance."

Xia Li's clear and lively eyes moved slightly, she nodded lightly and said nothing more. She was not a saintly woman. Although Zhang Jun'an was in trouble, it was not her fault. If she had not been sober-minded, she would have been plotted against by him.

Giving him perfume was not to make friends with him, but just to open up sales channels. After all, he was the son of the prefecture governor. In a sense, he could also play a role in leading the fashion trend. Xia Li had a very smart plan.

Although Aunt Xu couldn't hear the conversation, she felt relieved when she saw that the girl had nothing in her hands. She said respectfully, "Miss, I will take you to find the mistress."

Xia Li raised his chin slightly, motioning for her to lead the way, and then followed behind her.

At this moment, Zhong was chatting with Rong. Although she cared about the result of the interview, she did not dare to show it in front of Rong. She turned her head and saw Xia Li coming out. She was happy at first, but it was obvious that she had nothing in her hands and the nanny who served beside her did not take the brocade box either. Her heart sank immediately.

Zhong's eyes dimmed a little. When Xia Li came up to her, she said with some disappointment: "My dear girl, why did you confiscate the gift I prepared for you? But you don't like it. The jade bracelet is..."

Before Mrs. Zhong could finish her words, Xia Li looked at her with a deeper gaze and interrupted, "Madam, you are too polite. It is precisely because the jade bracelet is precious that I cannot accept it. Giving it to me would be a waste of talent. It is better for you to keep it for yourself."

There seemed to be a tiny light flashing in Rong's eyes. She said lightly, "If that's the case, then forget it. Thank you, Madam Zhong, for your hospitality. I'll send you an invitation to come to my house some other day. It's getting late, so we should go back home."

Zhong knew that this was difficult, but still hesitated and said, "Today is a bit hasty, let's take more time next time..."

Rong's eyes suddenly turned cold, and she said bluntly: "Mrs. Zhong, please stop bothering me. Let's just leave it at that. There's no need to force the children. What do you think?"

The corners of Mrs. Zhong's mouth curled up bitterly, and she changed her words awkwardly, "You are right, I was too anxious, I will send you out now." Mrs. Rong looked at her and said calmly, "You have guests in your house, just send them to the gate of the courtyard. We are so close, there is no need to be too polite."

Mrs. Zhong nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your understanding. If there is anything wrong with my hospitality today, I hope you won't take it to heart."

Rong patted the back of her hand to comfort her, and after some polite words, she led Xia Li out. When the mother and daughter got on the carriage, Xia Li leaned into her mother's arms like a cat.

Rong looked at her daughter, her clear eyes seemed to be stained with the sunshine of midsummer. She stroked Xia Li's soft hair and said in a gentle tone, "Can you tell me what happened?"

Xia Li said indifferently, "I can tell at a glance that Mr. Zhang San is a homosexual. I wonder if Mrs. Zhong knows about this."

Rong's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he said in a cold voice:
"What a disgusting Zhang family! How could she not see the clues of the evil that crawled out of her own belly? She knew her son was a worthless person, but she still dared to send him to you to embarrass herself. She really deserves to die."

Seeing her mother's angry face, Xia Li advised, "Don't be angry, mother. People like Zhong only care about their own interests. Why should we treat her as a figure? It's OK as long as she can't plot against our family."

Rong felt as if a knife was cutting her heart when she saw Xia Li being wronged. Her eyes were red and she said in a low voice, "What about your marriage? If the imperial edict comes down, it will be too late."

Xia Li buried his head and said in a muffled voice, "Don't we still have Kuang Chengrui? Let's not seek someone far away, let's use him first. Although the Kuang family is of low status, I can be high and mighty if I marry him. Life may not be difficult. You have to think more positively."

Rong didn't expect her daughter to already know about the engagement. No matter how unwilling she was, she had to bow her head. She said without any emotion: "I will go back and discuss it with your father and brother. If Kuang Chengrui is sincere and can agree to the conditions we put forward, there is still room for negotiation."

Xia Li curled up the corners of his lips and said in a gentle tone: "I will listen to my parents' arrangements. We have to choose the lesser of two evils. There must be a choice. Mom, don't worry too much."

Rong may not be unaware of this truth, but she just couldn't bear to see her daughter suffer. At the same time, in the inn near Fangfu Lane, Kuang Chengrui was sitting at the table, Shunzi was standing below him, shrinking his neck guiltily, and he said carefully:
"Brother, I heard that my sister-in-law and her mother went to the prefect's mansion to attend a flower banquet today in order to meet the third son of the Zhang family. I didn't expect that the Zhang family would be willing to let the third son marry into the family. I'm afraid this matter will be difficult to resolve."

Kuang Chengrui stared at his face and said in a cold voice: "You made a move last time, and I punished you. Are you still convinced?"

Shunzi lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "I give in! I just didn't expect my sister-in-law to be different from the young lady in the storybooks..."

Kuang Chengrui frowned and said seriously, "You are not smart enough. Don't follow me in the future. You came up with this stupid idea of giving and receiving things privately, which is just humiliating her. You have caused such a big mess for me, but you have no intention of repenting."

Shunzi lowered his face and said in a serious manner: "Brother, this is my fault. I have reflected on it. I can kneel down in front of my sister-in-law and apologize in the future. Please don't say anything that disdains me."

Kuang Chengrui's eyes were covered with a layer of coldness, and he said in a deep voice: "You'd better behave yourself. I'm going to investigate the background of Mr. Zhang San. You stay in the inn and don't go anywhere."

Shunzi was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly asked, "Don't you need to keep an eye on my sister-in-law? Or, should I go to Mr. Zhang's place?"

Kuang Chengrui stood up and said, "No need to do this, just don't cause me any trouble."

After saying that, he strode out, leaving Shunzi alone in the inn in a depressed mood.

After returning from Magistrate Zhang's residence, Xia Li went back to Cuihua Ting. She remained calm and continued to work on her perfume business. She also met with Hu Wanyou and Chan Yi. The extraction equipment at Zhuangzi's place had been almost set up, and the first batch of flowers had to be purchased. Hu Wanyou planned to go to the south and then come back as soon as possible.

Xia Li gave him a few silver bills and asked him to deal with them as he saw fit. Chan Yi stayed at the farm to continue supervising the work. With the help of the couple, Xia Li was indeed much less worried.

As for how her mother discussed her lifelong affairs with her father and brothers, Xia Li was not in a hurry to ask. Anyway, the matter would be decided sooner or later. She was not attracted to anyone, so it didn't make much difference to her who she married.

But she didn't expect that Kuang Chengrui would take the initiative to visit her the next day. Qiao He told Xia Li about this. She was surprised at first and then felt it was normal. Although the commotion she made during the visit was not big, Kuang Chengrui was not completely ignorant of it. No matter how nice the words were, if they really touched her bottom line, he would definitely take action.

When Xia Li heard that Kuang Chengrui was talking with his father in the study, she did not take it too seriously. When she was finishing the last stitch of the summer shirt she was making for her second brother, a maid came to tell her that Lord Kuang was waiting for her in the study in the front yard to discuss important matters.

Xia Li had a feeling that the wolf had finally come. She handed the summer shirt to Qiao He, and then took Shi Mi and Du Ruo to the outer courtyard. Shi Mi seemed to have sensed something and felt inexplicably nervous.

Xia Li walked to the eaves of the outer study room, looked up and saw her father smiling at her. She walked forward and bowed. Fang Zongru sighed and said in a low voice:
"Marriage is destined. Maybe God has already arranged it. Go in and have a good talk with him. If you have any requests, just make them. If he can satisfy you, just nod and agree. If he is not sincere, there is no need to bother."

Xia Li smiled and said sweetly, "Dad, just relax. I have never suffered any loss. No matter how powerful he is on the battlefield, he has to be humble and humble in front of me."

Fang Zongru's anxiety was dispelled by her words. He nodded slightly and said, "Then go in quickly. Dad is waiting for you outside."

With a gentle smile in his eyes, Xia Li walked towards the study with small steps. The servant standing outside the door gently opened the door, and Xia Li stepped over the threshold and went in.

A beam of dazzling sunlight shone in through the window lattice, and the mottled light and shadows were reflected on Kuang Chengrui's well-defined face. He looked at Xia Li obscurely, his emotions surging, and his voice was hoarse and low:
"The dragonfly hairpin incident was my fault. I originally wanted to give it to you through my uncle, but something went wrong along the way. I'm sorry!"

Xia Li raised her eyes and looked straight into those dark eyes. She said gently and calmly, "I accept your apology. I will be more careful when hiring people next time. Sir Kuang, do you have anything else to say besides this?"

Kuang Chengrui looked at Xia Li quietly, his eyes were still deep, but unconsciously softened, his voice also softened, and he continued:
"Zhang Jun'an has a tendency to be a lecher. The person he likes is the county lieutenant Hu Yongyun. He is not a good match for you. Don't let him ruin your life."

Xia Li slowly raised his eyelids, and said with a distant look in his eyes, "What does this have to do with Lord Kuang?"

(End of this chapter)