Qiu Yan looked closely and saw that the person was none other than Mu Bai, the son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice and the bodyguard beside Xiao Ran.

On the day of the coup, he escorted Qiu Ling'er home, and therefore, he had a good impression of her.

"Greetings, General and Madam." Mu Bai cupped his hands in greeting, then turned to glance at the person beside him.

As the second-place scholar in the imperial examination, he couldn't help but feel ashamed of his own inferiority.

Gu Qian returned the greeting with clasped hands, and Qiu Yan smiled in return.

"Young Master Mu, there's no need for you to stand on ceremony."

Then, her gaze settled on another young man.

It was none other than Xie Yunzhi.

"It's you?"

"It really is you?"

The two spoke in unison, which surprised Gu Qian.

Qiu Yan explained:

“My lord, he is Xie Yunzhi, the son of Prefect Xie of Qin County.”

Xie Yunzhi greeted him again and explained the purpose of his visit.

"I've heard that the second daughter of the Qiu family is both virtuous and talented. I, Xie, am not so capable, but I would like to have the pleasure of meeting her." He didn't hold out much hope that it would work out.

After all, everyone knows that the general's wife's younger sister has refused many things.

He actually came to confirm whether the general's wife was the Qiu Yan he knew.

Now that it's been confirmed, he finds it hard to believe that Qiu Yan has multiple identities.

The two were old acquaintances, and after meeting, they naturally exchanged pleasantries.

The two matchmakers chimed in, praising each other's chosen sons.

"Sister..." The silver bell rang out, and Qiu Ling'er skipped along happily, just about to discuss the transportation of the herbs with her sister.

She encountered two young men who were both looking at her.

She forced a smile, patted herself to the two young men, and thought to herself, "If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have come."

"Since you're busy, I won't bother you any longer."

"Ling'er." Qiu Yan called out to Qiu Ling'er, "Greetings to the two gentlemen."

Qiu Ling'er observed that Mu Bai had a resolute look in his eyes and a dignified demeanor, while Xie Yunzhi was refined and knowledgeable.

She was quite embarrassed... After greeting them one by one, the three men greeted her with smiles.

Mu Bai and Qiu Ling'er had known each other for a long time because of their brother.

When I saw Xie Yunzhi again and heard him introduce himself, I was surprised to learn that he and his brother had both passed the imperial examinations in the same year.

But when it came to personal feelings, Qiu Ling'er shook her head.

Love at first sight is a lie.

In the reception room, Qiu Yan and Gu Qian learned about each other's situations from the two matchmakers.

In the courtyard, Qiu Ling'er looked at Mu Bai, then at Xie Yunzhi.

I felt somewhat embarrassed.

If it were just one person, it would be fine.

Both of them came at the same time, and she had a pretty good first impression of them.

However, it seems that they are all lacking.

To be frank, I still don't understand.

In the blink of an eye,

It turned out to be quite a mess... Another group of matchmakers arrived, along with the young masters they brought.

Good heavens, what merits does Qiu Ling'er possess?

She asked herself, although her background was more prestigious than others, it was still not as good as that of the native Kamitsu family.

"I presume this is Miss Ling'er?"

"Of course it is! I even consulted Miss Ling'er about her diagnosis."

"Miss Ling'er's medical skills are superb; she's a rare and wonderful girl..."

The matchmakers were all talking amongst themselves. Amidst Qiu Ling'er's stiff smiles and polite greetings, they entered the reception area to find Qiu Yan.

Looking in front of him,

They are either refined and cultured,

Or resolute and fierce

Or with gentle eyes and brows

Or graceful and poised...

Various shapes and colors, all kinds of things

Qiu Ling'er suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded.

Oh my god.

She felt like she was walking into a vegetable market.

Well… we can’t think of it that way. If the gentlemen could hear her true feelings, they would definitely be unhappy.

"Sister Ling'er."

Another one has arrived.

Just from the voice, Qiu Ling'er knew that Zhou Zifang had arrived.

She turned around, and the young men followed suit.

The instant their eyes met,

Qiu Ling'er instinctively wanted to slip away.

Wouldn't it be better to meet alone? Why do we have to force ourselves to meet together?

In fact, the General's Mansion was too prominent, and she didn't have that opportunity.

Normally, she would just slip away.

After greeting the assembled gentlemen, Zhou Zifang's eyes smiled, but his heart was filled with gloom.

He bypassed the other young masters and went directly to Qiu Ling'er, standing opposite her.

"Ling'er, these are some new pastries my mother made. I thought they were quite good, so I brought them to you."

Zhou Zifang was originally afraid that Qiu Ling'er would be disgusted, but he still couldn't control himself and came to find her.

After saying that, he stuffed the pastry box into Qiu Ling'er's hand and turned to leave.

Qiu Ling'er was forced to eat some snacks, and although she opened her mouth, she couldn't bring herself to say anything to persuade her to stay.

Looking again at the young masters,

Aren't they busy?

She is indeed very busy.

She laughed it off.

"I apologize, gentlemen, but I have other matters to attend to at my pharmacy, so I must take my leave now."

Qiu Ling'er slipped away.

The remaining young masters sat together and exchanged pleasantries.

The thought of this scene is enough to make anyone chuckle.

Qiu Ling'er had just left the manor.

They saw Zhou Zifang sitting sullenly in front of the general's mansion, secretly grieving.

Seeing Qiu Ling'er come out, his smile flickered for a moment.

"Weren't you busy? Why did you come out?"

"You haven't left yet?"

Qiu Ling'er and Zhou Zifang looked at each other and said in unison,

Finally, Qiu Ling'er said again:

"I'm busy, I need to go to the Hall of Forgetfulness."

"Oh, I'll go with you." Zhou Zifang stepped forward, his eyes filled with caution.

"No need, it's not far." Qiu Ling'er smiled and shook her head.

Her smile was the same as usual, just as sweet and charming.

But it still made Zhou Zifang very sad.

Seeing that Zhou Zifang looked tired and somewhat dejected, Qiu Ling'er didn't know what to feel.

With Qiu Ling'er's departure, Zhou Zifang felt desolate once again.

His steps were as heavy as if they were made of lead, as he walked step by step into the distance.

Those young gentlemen just now, some were learned and some were skilled in martial arts.

Moreover, how bad could the status and position of a family that could be related to the Prince of Zhenbei be?

Zhou Zifang felt somewhat ashamed of his status as the young master.

As he pondered, he walked to the mountains and forests on the outskirts of the city, and as usual, he looked up at the distant green hills and clear waters.

Whenever he felt lonely, he liked to paint here by himself, but today, he did not paint.

What's the point of drawing so many pictures?

If Ling'er liked his paintings, he would have won her over long ago.

August has arrived in the blink of an eye…

It was the height of summer.

Qiu Yan had a sudden inspiration and expanded into a new business.

That is, selling ice.

For more than a year, their saltpeter has been continuously transported back from various parts of the Western Regions.

Besides being used to replenish the gunpowder depot under Gu Qian's control, those saltpeter stones...

The rest were taken by Qiu Yan, either for medical treatment or medicine.

In addition, Qiu Yan uses it to make ice every summer.

This summer is no exception.

As for how and where to sell it?

Qiu Yan originally planned to sell Wangyoutang.

Later, I thought that if we were to expand the scale, we might as well just open an ice shop.

Therefore, her ice shop opened during the unbearably hot summer.

Gu Qian didn't want his wife to overwork, but he couldn't stop her.

We can only go along with her and suffer along with her.

In the end, Gu Qian was able to do business perfectly because of Qiu Yan.

And the workers at the ice shop

Gu Qian went directly to the brokerage firm and bought four male workers through a contract with no conditions attached.

Two people were responsible for production, and two people were responsible for sales.

Everything is ready.

The sweltering summer is just around the corner.

The ice shop was packed with customers as soon as it opened.

Simply put, it's too hot.

From royalty and high-ranking officials,

From small vendors to ordinary people, people flocked to buy ice.

On an ordinary afternoon,

The intense sunlight had not yet dissipated.

Seeing that the ice in the room was almost used up, Qiu Ling'er went to find her sister.

Upon entering my sister and brother-in-law's house,

She suddenly felt a cool breeze, which felt wonderful.

"Sister, do we have enough saltpeter?"

She had some doubts about how much saltpeter would be needed to supply a comparable amount.

"It's enough," Qiu Yan said with a smile.

"All of this is thanks to your brother-in-law, Baiyang Escort Agency."

That's right. These saltpeter supplies are continuously being brought back by Baiyang Escort Agency from afar, packaged and transported in batches.

The hardships involved are self-evident, and the transportation they provided was of great importance.

"I'll have Xue Ning bring you some more later." Qiu Yan said, taking her sister's wrist as she saw her arrive.

"My dear sister, you've met so many handsome young men, haven't you found one you like yet?"

When Qiu Yan asked this question, she sounded somewhat helpless.

I had planned to finalize Ling'er's marriage before the baby was born.

"It's fine if my sister decides." Qiu Ling'er smiled mischievously, pushing her own affairs onto her sister again.

"If you really want your sister to make the decision, then Xie Yunzhi is a good choice." Qiu Yan said, nodding as she spoke. She wouldn't mention anything bad about him.

“But I think that Mu Bai is not bad either.” Qiu Ling’er lowered her eyes and smiled slightly. “I heard from my brother that his father is the Minister of Justice and he is a first-class bodyguard. His future is limitless.”

Well, I should say that Mu Bai fits her aesthetic perfectly.

Moreover, his character is quite good.

After much deliberation, Qiu Ling'er finally decided to find a decent man and settle down to live a peaceful life.

But as soon as she said it, she felt it wasn't quite right.

“If my sister likes him, then let her get to know him better.” Qiu Yan had, of course, inquired about Mu Bai; he was a first-class bodyguard and had great potential.

"I wouldn't say I like him." Qiu Ling'er shook her head with a smile. "Feelings need to be cultivated slowly. Never mind, Young Master Mu Bai, let's just forget about it."

Qiu Yan: So, all that talk they did was for nothing?

"Ling'er, if you keep going like this, will you ever be able to get married?"

"If I can't get married, I'll stay with you for the rest of my life." Qiu Ling'er didn't want to continue the topic, so she said goodbye to her sister and went to the Hall of Forgetfulness.

No sooner had Qiu Ling'er left than an uninvited guest arrived at the General's Mansion.

It was Sun Wan.

………………

Qiu Ling'er didn't expect that as soon as she left the manor,

Behind him, a group of young men followed.

She had really had enough.

What should she do?

Qiu Ling'er clearly understood that the most urgent task was to find a suitable husband as soon as possible in order to get out of her current predicament.

She didn't look back, walking quickly, trying to shake off the tail behind her.

However, these tails only grew tighter and tighter.

Unexpectedly, he ran into Zhou Zifang again.

As soon as Zhou Zifang arrived, he naturally stood opposite Qiu Ling'er in front of the young masters who had been following him.

"Ling'er, what a coincidence."

"It is quite a coincidence." Qiu Ling'er wanted to say, how could there be so many coincidences?

She glanced awkwardly behind her.

"I'm sorry you had to see this."

"No." Zhou Zifang felt lonely. He reached out his hand to Qiu Ling'er, then slowly lowered it, preparing to leave.

However, after taking only a few steps, he suddenly turned around, grabbed Qiu Ling'er's wrist, and ran away quickly.

Caught off guard, Qiu Ling'er exclaimed, "Zhou Zifang, what's wrong with you?"

The two ran to a secluded corner, where Qiu Ling'er forcefully pulled her wrist away.

What are you doing!

"Ling'er, you're not safe," Zhou Zifang said in a muffled voice.

"What's unsafe about it?" Qiu Ling'er said dismissively. "They're just a bunch of rich young men. What can they do to me?" Didn't she have her older sister and brother protecting her?

At their age, it's perfectly normal for them to be talking about marriage.

Zhou Zifang wanted to say that they would take you home and make you their wife.

However, he had no stance.

They have ulterior motives towards you!

"Intent? It's nothing more than men marrying when they're of age and women marrying when they're of age."

Qiu Ling'er knew Zhou Zifang's feelings for her.

However, Zhou Zifang was more like an older brother to her.

The two have known each other since childhood and have a deep friendship.

"If your sister weren't a princess or a first-rank lady, and your brother weren't favored by His Majesty, do you think they would still come to propose marriage?"

"..." Zhou Zifang's words made Qiu Ling'er pause slightly.

"This... thank you for reminding me." Don't think she didn't know that Zhou Zifang's words were not for pure purposes.

However, upon closer reflection, there is some truth to what he said.

Originally, it's not wrong for someone to want to marry a woman who can help their family.

Qiu Ling'er realized that a large part of the reason those people came was because of her brother-in-law's dual status as a general and a prince, and her sister's status as a first-rank lady.

She was merely the carefree younger sister, sheltered under her older sister's protection.

“Sister Ling’er, you can know a person’s face but not their heart. Especially in this situation, you must not marry someone casually,” Zhou Zifang added.

"Oh." Qiu Ling'er nodded slightly.

What she wanted was the same pure and simple relationship she had with her sister and brother-in-law.

I don't want too much mess in it.

However, at present, it is a difficult decision.

It's such a difficult decision.

She even suspected that some of the young men were only after her sister.

For example, Xie Yunzhi.

Seeing that his words had persuaded Qiu Ling'er, Zhou Zifang pursed his lips and continued:

"Ling'er, I know why you look down on me. It's simply because you think I'm idle all day and have accomplished nothing."

"No, you're a very good painter." Although Qiu Ling'er thought so, she didn't want to hurt anyone with her words.

“But you’re tired of seeing my paintings.” Zhou Zifang’s voice remained muffled.

"No, I've kept them all since I was little. Brother Zifang, thank you for letting me look at them whenever I think of my childhood memories. Thank you for preserving what I look like from childhood to adulthood."

At this point, Qiu Ling'er looked at Zhou Zifang again.

My heart is filled with more feelings.

Previously, she had never paid attention to such details.

But now it seems that her brother Zifang accompanied her throughout her childhood.

After meeting around the bush, she finally concluded that none of those young men were as good as Zhou Zifang.

She truly only considered him her brother.

"I'm preparing to take the imperial examination this autumn. If I pass and become a Juren... will you choose me?" Zhou Zifang asked cautiously.

Qiu Ling'er: "...Brother Zifang..."

Zhou Zifang: "If I pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, will you choose me?"

Qiu Ling'er: "...I..." It will take another three years to pass the imperial examination.

"Forget about taking the imperial examination; you really don't need to go to such lengths for me."

A large part of the reason was that she didn't quite believe Zhou Zifang could rank among the top three.

After all, Zhou Zifang had absolutely no interest in books.

“These days, I’ve been forced to go on blind dates. The girls are nice, but they’re all boring to me. I know I’m useless, neither good at academics nor martial arts. If you agree, I’m willing to pick up my books again.” Zhou Zifang’s eyes were filled with anticipation.

"Brother Zifang, you're so thoughtful," Qiu Ling'er said, glancing into the distance at the young men who were following and watching Zhou Zifang as he approached.

"If you later find that I'm not as good as you imagined, will you regret your decision now?"