Chapter 2 Proposal: I'm Determined to Marry You

She wanted to hold on to him tightly; her happiness in the next life depended entirely on him!

As long as I marry him, I won't have to worry about food, clothing, or daily necessities anymore, and I won't have to make a living by drawing erotic pictures anymore!

I hate erotic pictures!

Qingduo gritted her teeth and thought, "It's a pity my father isn't here. If he were, we could have a wedding ceremony in this dilapidated house today, and enjoy our wedding night together."

What a pity! She grabbed her thigh hard, filled with regret.

The most urgent task is to stabilize the people in front of us.

Seeing the girl's uncertain expression and her hands tightly gripping her dress, Zeng Zhengqing said, "Miss Tang, I apologize for the sudden intrusion. Please don't feel troubled by the marriage agreement. Since your uncle isn't here, let's..."

"Wait a moment!"

We can't let him go!

Qingduo stood up abruptly. Seeing Zeng Zhengqing's surprised look, she coughed awkwardly and said, "Young Master Zeng, since the elders have made an agreement, we juniors can only comply. I just remembered that my father said he would come back the day after tomorrow. Why don't you come back the day after tomorrow?"

Zeng Zhengqing frowned slightly. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "Very well. I will visit again the day after tomorrow. Farewell."

He and the old servant had just stepped out when Qingduo slapped her forehead, grabbed her oil-paper umbrella, and chased after them, saying, "I'll see you off!"

Zeng Zhengqing turned around, about to decline, when Qingduo, holding an umbrella in one hand and pushing the bamboo umbrella open with the other, revealed a camellia painted on it, blooming in the rain. Raindrops fell like dewdrops rolling on the petals. His gaze unconsciously drifted back to the camellia at her temple.

She opened her umbrella and smiled subduedly, "Take care."

Zeng Zhengqing subtly withdrew his gaze, leaned forward slightly, and bowed in farewell.

Qingduo stood in the rain for a while, making sure they were far away, before excitedly jumping up and down. After a few moments of jubilation, she hopped back into the house, where braised chicken legs were waiting for her.

*

After searching for a long time, winding through the streets, Qingduo stood in the middle of the road, looking at the two houses on either side, unsure of which to choose. Her gaze inadvertently swept to the left, where there were still remnants of Spring Festival couplets on the door. She instantly recognized the familiar handwriting, snorted coldly, and knocked on the door.

"Coming!" The moment the voice faded, the door opened, and a rich fragrance wafted out.

"Ah Zhao?" A woman opened the door. She had long, alluring eyes, and even heavy makeup couldn't hide the fine lines around her eyes. She said affectionately, "Oh my, it's been so long since I've seen you!"

"Oh, Aunt Zhu." Qingduo looked behind her. "Is my father home?"

"I'm here! Come in quickly!" She pulled Qingduo into the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn't large, with a trellis on the roof covered by grapevines. Below, there was a deck chair where a man sat. He had a thin face, his shirt casually draped over his shoulders, and his eyes were full of gentle smiles. This was Tang Qingduo's long-lost father, Tang Li.

"Ah Zhao! My precious daughter is here!" He patted the round stool next to him. "Come and sit down!"

"Hmm, your little one is in trouble." Qingduo replied casually, without moving.

Tang Li laughed and said, "You're still as funny as ever!"

Qingduo looked around, frowned, and asked, "I went to Fanwu Residence to find you, and they told me that you and Aunt Zhu had moved out. I couldn't believe it. Where did you get the money to buy a courtyard?"

“It wasn’t me, it was Zhu Niang who rented it,” Tang Li said.

"You? You're paying to support him?" Qingduo looked at Zhuniang and saw her smiling. Qingduo's gaze changed from shock to pity. "Aunt Zhu, let me give you some advice. You earn money with difficulty, so you should keep it safe and not spend it on useless things, or let the money go to waste."

"You're getting sharp-tongued more and more, you even dare to scold your father!" Tang Li said with a laugh.

Zhu Niang explained, "We live together, but it's not always me who pays. He also lets me manage his money. Ah, when it comes to living together, you can't be so strict about money!"

"Sit down, I'll cook you some sweet rice balls in fermented rice wine!"

As Zhu Niang's figure disappeared into the kitchen, Qing Duo lowered her voice and said, "How can you be so shameless as to let a prostitute support you!"

Tang Li said nonchalantly, "It was a matter of mutual consent. I didn't force her, so what's there to be embarrassed about?" He then changed the subject, saying, "You usually dislike seeing these 'women of the night' and never come to me on your own initiative. Why did you come today?"

“Oh,” Qingduo pulled over the round stool next to Tang Li, crossed her legs and sat down, saying, “I’m getting married.”

"What?" Tang Li was shocked. He reached out and grabbed the round stool Qingduo was sitting on, pulling her closer. "Who wants to marry my daughter?"

Qingduo was suddenly pulled by him and almost fell off. She put her legs down, sat up straight, and glared at her father: "You're asking me? I should be asking you!"

"The Zeng family has come knocking on our door with a marriage contract. What's going on?"

"The Zeng family?" Tang Li looked blank. He frowned, thought for a while, and then suddenly slapped his thigh. "That's right, I forgot about that!"

He looked at Qingduo with a serious expression and said, "Azhao, when you were three years old, your mother and I arranged a marriage for you with Zeng Zhengqing, the eldest son of the Zeng family. His father was my good friend, Zeng Wei. We got along very well at the time, and since he had a son and you were a daughter, we decided to be in-laws. But later something happened, and we parted ways and no one could take care of anyone else."

He realized something was wrong as he finished speaking and asked in surprise, "I don't even remember this anymore, how did you know?"

Tang Qingduo said irritably, "How should I know? Zeng Zhengqing came to our door!"

She said seriously, "Father, I want to marry him!"

Tang Li said with a serious expression, "Ah Zhao, I haven't been in contact with their family for more than ten years. I don't know what their eldest son is like now. I can't rush into agreeing to the marriage. I need to see what kind of person he is first."

He then jokingly asked, "You're in such a hurry to marry him, what is it about him that you like?"

"rich."

Tang Li was speechless for a moment. He glared at Qing Duo and said, "Nonsense!"

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Qingduo said confidently. “Once I’m in his family, I won’t have to live a frugal life anymore. I went to inquire this morning and found out that the Zeng family runs a bookstore business with shops on Yuntang Street. Their house is next to the Liu family’s. I could tell that Su Ri’an was no ordinary person, but I didn’t expect him to be this wealthy!”

“He came to visit yesterday, and I told him that since he was coming back tomorrow, he absolutely had to go home tomorrow and finalize the marriage before leaving!”

Tang Li was stunned for a moment, then sighed and said, "Ah Zhao, if you want money, I can give it to you. It's just a matter of painting a picture. There are quite a few people in Wuzhou who want my paintings. Some ask for hundreds of taels, not just tens of taels. Whatever I earn is yours. As for your marriage, that's a major event that concerns your entire life, and it can't be taken lightly. It can't be simply measured by money. Tomorrow I'll go home and see him. If he's loyal and kind, I'll agree. Otherwise, I'll cancel this engagement!"

"You're my only child. I can't push you into a fire pit and ruin your life!"

Qingduo sneered and asked, "Father, how long has it been since you came home?"

"One month? Two months?" Tang Li scratched his head awkwardly.

"It's been at least half a year!" Qingduo immediately exposed. "How could it only be one or two months? It's already April, and you didn't even come home for the New Year!"

“When I was little, you were there for me. In recent years, you’ve been frequenting brothels and don’t care much about my life or death. Since that’s the case, what difference does it make whether I stay at home or get married? Even if I don’t marry well, I’ll still have someone by my side, unlike now, where I have to face everything on my own!” she said, wiping away tears.

Tang Li remained silent for a long time before saying, "Zhao'er, I understand what you mean. When I see him, if he is not suitable, I will respect your decision."

"That's right! Don't forget to praise me in front of him, leave a good impression." Qingduo crossed her arms and legs, her eyes still moist, but she didn't look sad at all.

Tang Li stared in disbelief: "So, you're playing the victim with me!"

*

Zeng Zhengqing came to pay his respects as agreed. He exchanged greetings with Tang Li, and after they sat down, Tang Li asked, "Nephew, how is your father?"

Zeng Zhengqing said, "My father passed away three years ago."

Tang Li said in a daze, "Brother Zeng is gone... Our parting more than ten years ago turned out to be our last. No wonder you came to see me!"

“Before my father passed away, he was still concerned about this marriage. He told me that after I finished observing the mourning period, I must find you and fulfill the marriage agreement. I happened to have moved here to do business half a year ago. I was planning to inquire about it slowly, but I didn’t expect that Uncle Tang was here, so I came looking for you.”

When Tang Li heard "moving to this place", he was overjoyed. It seemed that his A Zhao would not marry far away. However, he still looked worried: "Alas, although my daughter will eventually get married, I am still very reluctant to part with her. Alas, it may be because I am old and I only have this one child by my side."

“Uncle is not yet forty, he is in his prime. The love of a parent for their child is a natural human instinct. There is no need to be sad,” Zeng Zhengqing comforted him.

Tang Li immediately seized the opportunity: "Oh dear, it's rare that you, my dear nephew, understand my heart as an old father! You see, since my daughter has married into the family, and you are still living in this place, if she wants to come back to see me from time to time after marrying you, I hope you won't stop her."

Zeng Zhengqing hesitated for a moment, but then, remembering that his Uncle Tang was an old friend of his father and was looking at him with such pitiful eyes, he couldn't bear it and nodded, saying, "Yes, it's only natural that Miss Tang would be worried about Uncle Tang, as he lives alone and wants to go back to visit and take care of him."

Seeing that he readily agreed, Tang Li felt there was still room for further progress and praised, "Nephew, you are truly an enlightened person! Thank you for your consideration for my daughter and me. By the way, nephew, if I remember correctly, you are twenty-one or twenty-two this year?"

"My nephew has just reached adulthood."

"Oh, only twenty? That's a promising age. Ahem, so, do you usually have someone taking care of you?"

Zeng Zhengqing lowered his head and said, "My father has been ill for a long time, and I have a younger brother. My nephews handle all the family affairs. To this day, I am still all alone and have no one to accompany me."

This means there are no concubines, Tang Li thought to himself. He and his father are just as old-fashioned. He said aloud, "I remember your father and mother were deeply devoted to each other. He once told me that your grandfather was the same way, having a wife but no concubines, and remaining faithful to his wife. Nephew, is this your family tradition?"

"Yes, having one kindred spirit is enough. I dare not be greedy, nor do I wish to let Miss Tang down."

Tang Li was satisfied with Zeng Zhengqing's assurance, but he still wanted to probe further, just in case it worked out. He added, "Nephew, I trust your father's character, and I see you as a sincere and honest man. I feel at ease entrusting my daughter to you. However, I still have one concern."

"Uncle, please speak."

“Nephew, look at me, I live in this dilapidated wooden house. I want my precious daughter to have a grand wedding, but I am powerless to do so! She only has this one wedding in her life, and it is to you. You used to have a large and wealthy family. If I send my daughter there in a small sedan chair, won’t people laugh at me? If your relatives see this, they will probably look down on her. Alas, I am useless!” He shook his head with exaggerated sorrow.

“Uncle, there’s no need to be sad. I’ll take Miss Tang’s dowry. We’ll all be family in the future anyway. Miss Tang’s dignity is also the dignity of my Zeng family,” Zeng Zhengqing replied quickly.

Tang Li was overjoyed. He slammed his hand on the table, making Zeng Zhengqing tremble. Then he shouted, "Good son-in-law! What are we waiting for? Let's discuss the wedding date!"

A note from the author:

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