Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

Qin Mengting was focused on Meng Qingtang. Since everyone said that Xie Yunting would definitely choose her, she decided to go and talk to Xie Yunting to make things clear.

She introduced herself and approached Xie Yunting, saying, "General Xie, you know I don't want to marry you, right?"

Xie Yunting said he knew now, "You have a lover?"

Hearing the word "lover," Qin Mengting blushed. She remained rational and didn't admit her feelings for her cousin. "How could a young lady like me have a lover? It's just that I know for sure I don't like you. From childhood, I've hated warriors who wield weapons. I don't like you, and you chose me. Our lives won't be easy."

Xie Yunting: "That's true."

"My fourth sister is also very capable. If you choose her, she won't let you down," Qin Mengting strongly recommended her cousin.

Xie Yunting looked at Qin Mengting, and to be honest, he admired her courage.

He would rather accept Qin Mengting directly saying she didn't like him than resorting to underhanded tactics.

But Xie Yunting wouldn't agree immediately. "Your family tacitly approved of you marrying me before, but then they wanted to change the bride. To be honest, this marriage is very upsetting for me. I don't want either you or your fourth sister."

Hearing this, Qin Mengting was unhappy. Her Qin family had been a family of scholars for generations. Xie Yunting was not good enough for the Qin family. How could it be Xie Yunting's place to be picky?

"Miss Qin, please go back. I understand what you mean," Xie Yunting said.

"So what do you think?" Qin Mengting eagerly wanted an answer.

Xie Yunting deliberately kept them hanging, saying, "I don't even know what kind of person your fourth sister is, so why did you agree so quickly? Miss Qin, it's your Qin family that's in a dilemma now, not me, Xie Yunting."

Qin Mengting felt that Xie Yunting was being unreasonable; she had already said all that, but Xie Yunting still wouldn't give her a straight answer.

She grew to dislike Xie Yunting more and more.

But she had never argued with a man. Coming to the Xie family was already her greatest effort, let alone forcing Xie Yunting not to choose her.

Qin Mengting had no choice but to leave in a huff.

Xie Yunting was sitting on the stone table with one foot on a stone stool. When he saw the Cui mother and daughter enter, he hurriedly jumped to the ground. "Sister Cui, what brings you here?"

Cui Lingrong told about the two Qin sisters, "In my opinion, the fourth Qin sister is willing to marry you, but she is shrewd and somewhat snobbish."

"Thank you, Sister Cui. I understand now," Xie Yunting said.

Song Yu was very curious, "General Xie, which one will you choose?" Qin Mengting really wanted to marry her cousin, so in her opinion, Xie Yunting had no choice but to marry Qin Mengyao.

Similarly, Xie Yunting did not give a direct answer, saying, "It's still early, no need to rush to conclusions."

Cui Lingrong knew Xie Yunting had something on his mind, "Then if General Xie needs anything else, just let me know, and we won't bother you any longer."

"Sister Cui wants to visit Brother Cui, is that right? I'll go with you." Xie Yunting said with a smile, and had the horses prepared. He would accompany Cui Lingrong and her daughter to visit Cui Zeyu.

Cui Zeyu was young and quickly recovered. When Cui Lingrong saw that her younger brother could walk normally, she felt relieved.

Song Yu said happily, "Now that my uncle is better, my mother can finally get a good night's sleep."

Cui Zeyu reassured everyone, "I've been in business for many years, so I have some martial arts skills and my physique isn't too weak. In a few days, I'll be able to go to the cloth shop to do business."

When Cui Lingrong mentioned the shop given to her by the County Princess Rongjia, she said, "I've seen it. The location is excellent; you can make money no matter what business you do there. What do you think? Should you rent it out, or open a shop yourself?"

Cui Zeyu thought for a moment, "Since my sister has completely fallen out with Princess Rongjia, it won't be easy for her to do other business. There's always someone who might cause trouble. It would be better to sell it quickly while Princess Rongjia is still under house arrest."

The money is only real when it's in your own hands.

Cui Lingrong said she would listen to Cui Zeyu, and the two talked for a while before Cui Lingrong had to go back.

Xie Yunting then offered to escort Cui Lingrong and her daughter back to the Jiangyuan Marquis's residence, saying, "It's just a short walk. I won't feel at ease if I don't take you home."

Cui Lingrong had no choice but to agree.

She and her daughter rode in a carriage together, while Xie Yunting rode a horse.

On the way back, Song Yu wanted to eat some pastries from Bao Su Zhai. Cui Lingrong asked the carriage to stop, and Song Yu and Caiyue went to buy some pastries together.

As the setting sun painted half the sky crimson, the sounds of people discussing things drifted from a roadside teahouse:

"Do you know that Princess Rongjia of the Jiangyuan Marquis's mansion is extremely jealous? She actually plotted to murder her brother, the first wife's brother!"

"Tsk tsk, is that really true? Wait, I remember now, isn't it Princess Rongjia who married Marquis Jiangyuan as his concubine?"

"What princess? She's a county princess now!"

"Princess, she's lucky. If it weren't for her background in the Rong Prince's mansion, she would definitely have been divorced."

At this moment, the waiter came to remind them, "Gentlemen, please stop talking. Prince Rong is favored; how can ordinary people like us discuss this?"

"What are you afraid of? He was favored before, but after his daughter did something like this, does the Emperor still think he'll like Prince Rong?"

"That's not necessarily true. A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; what does Princess Rongjia's affair have to do with Prince Rong?"

The waiter said, "No matter what they are like, they are still a prince and a county princess. They could crush our bones with a single finger. But Jiang Yuanhou's first wife is truly pitiful. She has no birth and has to be suppressed by Rongjia County Princess. Only she knows the bitterness and hardship she has endured."

At this point, everyone nodded in agreement.

Then someone said, "If you ask me, this first wife won't have a good ending sooner or later. Right now, it seems like Princess Rongjia is being criticized, but Prince Rong is still very powerful. Who knows when the Cui family will fall, and Cui will also be divorced. Just you wait and see, she'll suffer even more... Hey, who are you?"

Before the man could finish speaking, Xie Yunting climbed in through the window, grabbed the teapot, and poured it over his face. "Who do you care who I am? Watch your mouth, or next time it won't be hot tea, it'll be boiling water!"

Everyone was startled. After a while, someone recognized Xie Yunting, "That one just now, doesn't he look like General Xie!"

Why would he help the Cui family?

Who knows?

Song Yu returned quickly. Xie Yunting and her daughter Cui Lingrong arrived at the gate of the Jiangyuan Marquis's residence. "Sister Cui, don't pay attention to what those gossipy mouths are saying. With your kind face, you will surely live better than anyone else!"

Cui Lingrong was very grateful to Xie Yunting for standing up for her. In that situation, she couldn't show herself. "General Xie, thank you. I remember you seem to like drinking. I brought some good wine from Suzhou. I'll have someone send it to you later."

She smiled gently, giving people a feeling of warmth and comfort. Xie Yunting watched Cui Lingrong enter the Jiangyuan Marquis's residence before riding away.

What he was thinking was that he absolutely could not accept this marriage with the Qin family.