Chapter 31 The Childhood Betrothal of a Miao Girl (Part 1)

Jiang Yiqing was in the bridal sedan chair, extremely worried. If her identity were exposed, she didn't know what would happen...

Jiang Yiqing was in the bridal sedan chair, extremely worried. If her identity were exposed, she didn't know how much trouble it would cause her parents and the General's Mansion. She had been getting ready since nightfall, without eating anything. Jiang Yiqing felt like she was about to faint. Would she be the first bride to faint in the bridal sedan chair? The bumpy ride made her feel increasingly uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but close her eyes to rest.

This slight drowsiness was nothing serious; unexpectedly, I heard someone calling urgently from the side.

"Yiqing, are you alright?"

"Could it be alcohol poisoning?"

Jiang Yiqing groggily opened her eyes and saw three women dressed in strange clothes surrounding her.

Seeing that she was awake, they visibly breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her up by the arm: "Yiqing, you're finally awake."

Yi Qing? Yes, it's her. But where is this? And who are these people?

Jiang Yiqing was filled with doubt when, just then, her stomach growled.

Jiang Yiqing blushed, not expecting to make such a fool of herself in public, but they just laughed and said, "Yiqing, you have a really good appetite today. There are still two dishes left to be served, let's go eat."

There was something incredibly bright behind her; if it weren't moving with her, Jiang Yiqing would have suspected that it was another version of herself inside.

—But her clothes were strange too. Her arms were showing, and her skirt was a length she couldn't have imagined. She looked exactly like her and had the same name, but she didn't know why she was here.

The woman led her through a corridor emitting an incredible light, turning left and right until they reached the door of a room filled with men and women of similar age to her.

Jiang Yiqing had never seen so many people gathered together, regardless of gender. When she saw her return, a boy walked up to her.

Jiang Yiqing subconsciously took two steps back, because the separation of men and women was a very serious issue, but she didn't see the look of disappointment in the boy's eyes.

"Jiang Yiqing, your homeroom teacher asked me to ask if you are feeling unwell anywhere."

"Class monitor, Yiqing just drank too much and is hungry, she's perfectly fine," the woman replied on her behalf.

Class teacher, class monitor? What are these?

Where is this place, and who are these people?

However, Jiang Yiqing saw that there were tables and chairs. Although they looked different from the ones she knew, the food should be the same, right? At this moment, hunger overcame everything, and Jiang Yiqing picked up her chopsticks to eat.

"Yiqing, what are you doing? You didn't go to Hengdian to work as an extra without telling us, did you? Your movements are so affected, like someone from ancient times." The woman exclaimed.

Jiang Yiqing's chopsticks movements were extremely elegant. She picked up a little bit of food, carefully put it into her mouth, tucked her palm in, held the bowl, and then gently scooped up a mouthful of rice.

At that time, it had only been a week since summer vacation started, and N City was very close to Hengdian. Some students did go to Hengdian as extras and chase after celebrities as soon as the vacation started.

Jiang Yiqing forced herself to remain calm, but didn't know how to explain: "I..."

Seeing that everyone around was looking at her, the woman quickly waved her hand and said, "Actually, I think it looks pretty good. Yiqing, you were very lively before, which was nice, and now you're suddenly quiet, which is also nice."

Suddenly quiet... huh? Jiang Yiqing was certain that she had switched identities with a girl. This unbelievable thing had happened to her.

She ate until she was about 60% full, then put down her chopsticks, feeling embarrassed. She was afraid of being recognized as someone else, but she didn't know how to extricate herself from the unfamiliar environment.

Just then, she saw a pink object on the table make a sound.

Seeing her standing there in a daze, the woman asked, "Yiqing, why aren't you answering the phone?"

She watched as the woman waved the object in front of her, and the black thing lit up, revealing various patterns inside, like a kaleidoscope from a theater. Then, a woman's voice came out.

"Yiqing, your Aunt Shui and her daughter came to our house today. Come back after lunch and don't go wandering around."

“…I understand,” Jiang Yiqing replied cautiously.

After hanging up the phone, the woman said regretfully, "Yiqing, you're leaving so soon? I'm so reluctant to let you go."

"..."

"Remember to keep in touch with me when you get to university. Don't forget your old friends when you make new ones."

"Um."

Jiang Yiqing quickly took the pink cube and left. She wandered around the hotel and saw others go into something that looked like a door. She timidly followed them in.

After exiting, she arrived at the first floor without any problems. Jiang Yiqing walked out of the lobby and breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her chest. However, when she saw the surrounding tall buildings and the various oddly shaped sedan chairs of different colors speeding along the straight and wide road, she rubbed her eyes.

Jiang Yiqing suspected she was dreaming, having a very unbelievable dream.

But do people know they are dreaming?

Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Why did things turn out this way?

She didn't know how to get back, and felt that she would soon be arrested as a weirdo. Fear made her crouch in the shade of a tree, bury her head in her knees, and sob softly.

After some time, someone patted her on the shoulder.

Jiang Yiqing was startled and turned her head to look. It was a girl about the same age as her, wearing a blue dress with intricate floral patterns. Her hair was casually twisted into a bun and hung down in front of her chest. She had bright eyes and white teeth and was poised and elegant.

"Who are you?"

Shui Mingsheng sensed that she seemed to be crying, and hesitantly asked, "I am Shui Mingsheng, you must be Yi Qing?"

Jiang Yiqing nodded.

Jiang Yiqing's home is a kilometer away from here. Jiang's mother was getting a little anxious because she hadn't returned for a long time, so Shui Mingsheng volunteered to go find her. When she got to the hotel, she saw the girl squatting helplessly under a tree. She was wearing a light blue floral dress, just like the freshest tender leaves that sprout in March in Miao territory.

Shui Mingsheng hadn't expected that upon first seeing Jiang Yiqing, she would feel so helpless, as if she could be taken away by bad people at any moment. That fragility stirred up a dark desire in her heart, to the point that Shui Mingsheng felt an urge to hide her away, to hide her in a place where no one could find her.

Shui Mingsheng pulled Jiang Yiqing up. Jiang Yiqing stared at her blankly, like a lost cat, her black and white pupils clear, her eyes slightly red, full of a weak and pitiful look.

"Let's go home?" Shui Mingsheng said, extending his hand.

Jiang Yiqing held her hand foolishly. Her hand was soft and slightly cool, slender yet strong. In an instant, Jiang Yiqing felt that this unfamiliar world was not so scary anymore, and she had the courage to step out.

The two girls walked hand in hand on their way home. The sunlight overhead was dazzling, so Shui Mingsheng held an umbrella over their heads.

This was the first time Jiang Yiqing had ever seen an umbrella like this. It wasn't an oil-paper umbrella; it had a pink top with pink petals adorning it.

When they got home, Jiang's mother saw Jiang Yiqing's red eyes and smiled: "It's just graduation, no need to be so sad."

However, seeing the two holding hands and having a good relationship, Jiang's mother felt relieved and realized that the matter was not so difficult to bring up.

"Yiqing, take Mingsheng to the room and wait. I'll call you when it's time for dinner."

Shui Mingsheng led Jiang Yiqing to her room, a typical princess room, mainly pink and white. Half of the bed was piled with dolls, but the most eye-catching one was the large doll in the alcove. It had freckles on its face, was chubby but very cute, and had a vermilion sachet hanging around its neck. Mingsheng saw the sachet and smiled slightly. She noticed that Jiang Yiqing had an identical one tied around her waist.

Shui Mingsheng took a bottle of orange soda from the refrigerator, poured two glasses, and placed one in front of Jiang Yiqing. For a moment, she didn't know whether this was her room or Jiang Yiqing's room.

Jiang Yiqing sat in the chair, feeling quite thirsty. She picked up the glass and took a sip, but she had never drunk anything so stimulating before, and immediately started coughing. Shui Mingsheng hurriedly and nervously patted her back gently.

"Is it too cold?"

Jiang Yiqing shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. Only now did she begin to understand that she had arrived in a place completely different from her original world, and that she had swapped identities with someone who shared the same name and appearance as her.

This world was completely beyond her comprehension. She could only work hard silently to keep up with the pace of this place and learn everything here so that she could establish herself here in the future.

Shui Mingsheng may not have known that Jiang Yiqing's initiative to come to him was the key to motivating her.

"Yiqing, is it sad to be separated from your old friends after graduation?" Shui Mingsheng asked tentatively.

In Miao territory, everyone calls her "Young Master". Not to mention her peers, Shui Mingsheng's status is higher than that of people older than her. Therefore, she has never experienced the feeling of being separated from friends. According to Jiang's mother's speculation, Jiang Yiqing was sad for this reason.

Jiang Yiqing shook her head again.

"Is she worried about the future?" Shui Mingsheng racked her brains, but she couldn't figure out what the girl was thinking. This made her wonder if it was because the girl's thoughts were too hard to guess, or if it was her own problem.

Shui Mingsheng thought it was probably not that bad. Girls of this age have finally finished their college entrance exams and are like birds released from their cages, full of longing for university life.

"No, that's not it." Jiang Yiqing said, realizing that her personality was too mild and that it would worry her family and Mingsheng. She forced a smile and said, "I'm overthinking it. I'll be fine. I believe in myself."

"That's good." Shui Mingsheng sat down in another chair. She had originally wanted to tentatively tell her and her mother the purpose of their visit, but seeing her appearance, she couldn't bear to.

After dinner, Jiang Yiqing and Shui Mingsheng cleaned up the dishes together and washed them in the kitchen, while Jiang's mother and Shui Xi chatted.

"Xue Rou, do you still remember the promise we made fifteen years ago?"

Jiang Xuerou certainly remembered, and she also knew why Shui Xi had brought Shui Mingsheng along, but she had her concerns: "Shui Xi, are you referring to that matter?"

“That’s right. When the children were three years old, my Mingsheng and your Yiqing were betrothed. I even went to the Goddess Temple to have my fortune told for them. It was said that they would have a long and happy marriage. I also received two sachets for blessings, and I gave one to Yiqing as well. Now that the children have grown up, it’s time to tell them about it.”

Jiang Xuerou fell silent. At the time, she thought it was just a joke, but she didn't expect Shuixi to take it seriously. Some time ago, Shuixi told her that Shui Mingsheng, as the young master of Miao territory, had to get married when he turned eighteen, otherwise his status would no longer be recognized by the Miao people. She said it was their custom, and the Miao people were very conservative and didn't know how to adapt. Shuixi then asked her if the marriage between Shui Mingsheng and Jiang Yiqing could be arranged.

Jiang Xuerou didn't dare tell Jiang Yiqing at all, afraid that she would think that she, as a mother, was too unreliable and treated her marriage as a joke.

“But Mingsheng knows how to raise Gu worms. Gu worms are so dangerous, and Miao territory is so far away. How can I feel at ease letting Yiqing go there?” Jiang Xuerou began to pour cold water on the idea.

"Xue Rou, you don't have any prejudice against our Miao region, do you?" Shui Xi asked her, somewhat hurt.

Jiang Xuerou fell silent. She naturally harbored some prejudice; she hadn't been happy about Shuixi going so far away in the first place. Now that her own daughter was marrying there, how could she bear it?

“My daughter is the most precious thing in my life. Look at her, she is steady and poised. What is there to worry about in entrusting Yiqing to her? Yiqing can still go to school and work. Nothing will change.”

Jiang Xuerou still hesitated: "I heard that the Miao people are very xenophobic. Qing is very outgoing and I'm afraid she won't be able to adapt if she goes there."

“I just observed her, and Yi Qing’s personality is quite considerate,” Shui Xi said. “You’re overthinking it. I will have Ming Sheng protect her well and won’t let anyone touch a hair on Yi Qing’s head.”

"..." Jiang Xuerou didn't know what to say.

Shuixi asked again, "Has the agreement from back then truly expired?"

Jiang Xuerou sighed and finally conceded: "Never mind, I'll talk to Yiqing about this later. It's up to Yiqing to decide. I respect her decision."