She spoke sincerely; it was what she truly felt.

“My maternal grandmother wanted me to get married so that I would have someone who understands me and can protect me in the future. When you close your eyes one day, you can leave in peace. I understand that you did it all for my own good.”

"My fourth and sixth cousins ​​are both excellent. Everyone has their own way of living. Besides, there are no formal letters or gifts exchanged, so why should we ask them to do anything?"

“But I don’t just want to be an appendage to my husband. I have my own money, and I can use the business management skills that my aunt taught me to make money from money. What I’m more afraid of is that if I get married, the situations I described will happen. I will become a resentful woman, a useless person who only depends on her husband.”

Relying on men will eventually lead to ruin; having something of your own is what matters. This is something she learned from her own father.

"Who told you that once a woman marries, she must be an appendage of a man? Yes, those rules of etiquette, the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues have been passed down since ancient times, but our Great Yong is open-minded. Widows are allowed to remarry after three years of mourning, women can get engaged when they reach the age of 18, and can only get married when they are 18 years old. Women can engage in business and learn to read."

"Although she may seem confined to the inner quarters, her methods are no less sophisticated than those of her husband when he is out in the world. You are married, but you haven't signed a contract of servitude. You have your own things to do, as long as they don't harm the family. What's wrong with them as a form of entertainment?"

“Grandma isn’t taking your cousin’s side, but I can say with absolute certainty that your cousin and older cousin were raised by me until they were seven years old, a full seven years. Grandma knows their character better than anyone.”

"Erlang may seem cold-blooded, but he is actually the most affectionate, especially towards his family. He respects his elders and loves and teaches his younger siblings. If he doesn't want to, no one else will even give him a glance. It's hard to get into his heart, but it's also very simple."

"You said you hated everyone before, but you said you didn't know anything about Erlang. Why is that? Sincerity begets sincerity. You respect him as an elder, and he respects you as a person, so you don't feel offended. Doesn't this mean that you've gradually become more inclined towards him?"

"You two aren't ignorant children. Since he respects you, he naturally won't do anything wrong. Instead of doubting yourselves, you might as well go for it. Isn't it normal for family members to give and take? Through getting to know each other, you'll know if you're the one for each other. If it's not a good fit, it's better to end things sooner rather than later."

Seeing Li Shiyue remain silent with her lips pursed, Old Madam Xu took her hand and said, "Life is short, only a few decades. Don't wait until later to regret it. There are some things you can't insist on, but there are some things you absolutely cannot give up."

Li Shiyue looked up and met the gaze of Old Madam Xu. In those weathered eyes, she saw a hint of encouragement: "Thank you for your guidance, Grandmother. I think I understand now."

"Once you understand, just do it. Your grandmother will take care of everything."

Grandma Xu held her hand, scrutinizing her closely, as if trying to etch Li Shiyue's appearance into her mind. After a long while, she sighed softly, "Grandma's Jiaojiao has grown up."

"Actually, there is one good thing about marrying my cousin, which is my favorite thing: I can see my maternal grandmother every day and I don't have to worry about being separated from you."

Helpless, Madam Xu pointed a finger at her nose and said, "If you're so eager to get married, people will think you're desperate to get married."

“You were the one who proposed the marriage first, urging the other person every day, and now you’re saying that the other person is desperate to get married. Besides, there are no outsiders here, only my grandmother and I, so naturally we can say whatever we want.”

Li Shiyue lowered her eyes to hide the hot tears welling up in them. She was naturally moved, knowing that no matter which path her grandmother took, she was always on her side.

How unfortunate, yet how fortunate.

As I left Shousong Hall, night had just fallen. The cicadas chirping in the bushes played a melody in the quiet night, and my heart gradually calmed down.

"Has the young lady made up her mind?" She has decided to marry the young master.

Chunling followed behind her, holding Li Shiyue's cloak in her hand.

The evening breeze that rushed towards me brought a refreshing coolness to my face, enough to dispel my fatigue.

"Yes, there are some things I couldn't understand before. Grandmother is right. We can't live a life of fear and timidity. We only have a few decades to live. If we get stuck in our own inner struggles, we might as well give it a try."

Li Shiyue spoke gently, raising her head to look at the crescent moon hanging on the treetop: "It felt like a dream, that while I was alive I easily gave up what I shouldn't have given up, and persisted in what I shouldn't have persisted in."

"Then why can't I wake up in time, give up what I should have given up, and stick to what I should have stuck to?"

Just like in her past life, she clearly had the opportunity to turn back from her misguided path, but she insisted that it was the right thing to do, and the final result caused her immense suffering.

Chunling didn't understand, but she just felt that everything the girl said was right. What should be given up and what should be persisted in, the girl was right about everything.

"Go back now. There are some things you need to deliver to Songyuan; you must personally hand them over to your cousin."

Back at Chengyu Pavilion, Chunling learned what she was to send: a jade pendant with a necklace that Li Shiyue had just made yesterday.

The jade pendants are a pair, with faint patterns carved on them, and the connecting part in the middle is deliberately carved into two hollowed-out rings.

"If they ask, just say I asked you to deliver it, and don't say anything else."

Watching Chunling leave, Li Shiyue sat on the edge of the bed, wearing her undergarments, her loose hair without any jewelry, and her face completely bare of makeup.

She sat on the edge of the bed, holding a book in her hand, a collection of strange and bizarre tales that had recently piqued her interest, but tonight she couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

She glanced at the door every now and then, but didn't see Chunling. Her gaze then fell on the book in her hands. The dense handwriting annoyed her, so she simply put the book down and lay down.

After turning over, she sat up again: "Lian Dong, go and see if Chun Ling has returned. If she has, come see me immediately."

Lian Dong nodded in agreement, turned around and walked out, looking around at the courtyard gate.

She had been gone for a long time, and when she came back in, only Chunling came in by herself. As soon as she came in, Li Shiyue noticed that her hands were empty and couldn't hide the joy on her face.

"The young master accepted it and asked me if the young lady had said anything. I told her what she had told me, but she didn't say anything. She just ordered me to send the jade pendant over."

"The young master didn't react much when he heard this. He even smiled at the jade pendant and then told me to come back."

"Okay, go back and rest." Li Shiyue breathed a sigh of relief. What Chunling didn't know was that the jade used to make the jade pendant was the one that Xu Yunci had sent to her earlier.

Xu Yunci must have seen through it and understood what she meant.