Chapter 23 Questioning the Prospective Son-in-Law Sang Ji about the Wedding Date
The wedding date was set in a rush.
According to Sang Ji, the wedding will be held in January.
Coincidentally, Sang Ji and Liu Jiao, and Xin Yuehu and Li Du, are all getting married on the same day.
The reason it happened so quickly was that Xinpingyan and Lidu had already prepared the grandeur for marrying the princess, so the date was set in a hurry.
The summer rain fell unexpectedly, disrupting the Liu family's original plan to dine in the courtyard.
When Gu Su and Madam Xiao learned that their daughter Liu Jiao had been betrothed to Sang Ji, they were carrying a table back into the house. Both of them immediately felt dizzy.
When he learned that his daughter was getting married in a month, he was so upset that he could barely hold the table legs.
Then, the table and the people fell over. The two of them and the table all tumbled onto the muddy ground.
Madam Xiao looked at her husband with trepidation.
Gu Su's tiger-like eyes hardened; he had made his decision.
He needs to assess whether Sang Ji can be considered a good son-in-law and a good husband.
So, he immediately asked Liu Jiao to bring Sang Ji over so he could give him his opinion.
Furthermore, he invited his friend, the village chief, also known as Chen Chi's father, to interrogate this future son-in-law.
The night was desolate, and the hot dishes on the table had lost their heat in the cold wind, leaving only the bare color of their aroma and flavor.
Inside the house, Gu Su and the village chief sat at the table and chairs, silently looking at Sang Ji, who stood ramrod straight in front of them.
Liu Jiao was still peering out from outside the door, peeking out every now and then, looking very worried about Sang Ji.
Gu Su felt a pang of sadness upon seeing this.
Gu Su still remembered that Sang Ji had stood him up for the princess. Although he didn't have a good impression of Sang Ji, he could at least praise him for being loyal and devoted to the princess.
But now, he wants to marry his daughter to Sang Ji.
However, he could never find a single word to praise him for being loyal and devoted.
The thought that he stood up his future father-in-law for another woman—
Gu Su looked at Sang Ji with disgust, as if he had swallowed a fly.
In contrast, Sang Ji appeared completely at ease.
It's about time.
Gu Su cleared his throat, his face stiff, and began questioning his future son-in-law.
“I know all about your background, now let’s ask some other questions.”
Sang Ji, however, only looked at the village chief on one side.
Gu Su understood his concerns, so he explained, "He's not an outsider. He watched Jiaojiao grow up. His son, Chen Chi, and Jiaojiao grew up together. With him there, it's fine..."
After all, he was the future son-in-law, so Gu Su tried his best to maintain a friendly demeanor and asked the first question:
"Xiao Ji, what is the most important thing to you?"
Sang Ji glanced at the village chief, who was staring intently at him along with Gu Su, his gaze deep.
Then, Sang Ji simply said, "Protect the princess."
Gu Su choked, his anger rising.
But she held back for the moment, maintained her smile, and continued to ask, "Sang Ji, who is the most important person to you?"
Sang Ji answered without hesitation: "Princess."
Gu Su's forced smile vanished completely, and he squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, his face expressionless: "Fine, fine, fine, so for you, which comes first, Jiaojiao or your princess?"
Sang Ji blurted out, "The princess comes first in everything."
"Go to hell!" Gu Su could no longer contain his anger and grabbed the straw sandals on his feet, smashing them hard against Sang Ji's forehead.
Sang Ji was not hit by the shoe. Instead, he easily caught it and politely placed it on the ground, saying, "Uncle, I'll put it here. Please remember to take it."
"Get out!" Gu Su pointed at the gate.
Sang Ji obediently left.
Gu Su stared at his retreating figure, his chest heaving with rage. He gasped for breath and exhaled furiously:
"#$&……!!!"
Seeing the commotion inside, Liu Jiao quickly ran in:
Sang Ji left without looking back, and his father cursed him fiercely. One of his father's straw sandals, which belonged to his left foot, was left on the ground.
Liu Jiao immediately understood what had happened, and was extremely worried. Confused, she asked:
"Father, why do you insist on making things difficult for Sang Ji?"
"I made things difficult for him? Do you know what he said?" Gu Su was so angry that his hands trembled, and he just snorted coldly. The village chief quickly patted him on the back to help him catch his breath.
After his anger subsided, Gu Su became extremely worried:
Liu Jiao is already so protective of her daughter before she's even married. Once she's married in, won't her daughter be completely controlled by Sang Ji?
Afterwards, Gu Suqiang suppressed his anger and said to Liu Jiao, "Don't protect him anymore, no matter what—"
He waved his hand dismissively, "You can't marry him."
For the first time, Liu Jiao did not agree with Gu Su.
She simply said, "My daughter can't possibly not get married."
Gu Su's face turned red with anger: "Do you know that when I asked him just now, every single word he said was about the princess? You have no idea what it means for a man to care so much about a woman."
"You'll suffer if you marry him—"
Gu Su spoke earnestly and patiently.
Gu Su's throat was dry from talking, so the village chief quickly handed him some tea. He took a sip, which calmed his anger, and he finally said what he really wanted to say:
“My dear girl, you still have a chance. If you don’t want to marry him, your father can still swallow his pride and persuade His Highness to retract his decision.”
"Listen to your father, you should marry an ordinary person and live a peaceful and stable life. I'll find you a stable and reliable one."
Gu Su's proposed way to annul the engagement was to exchange his wife for the Crown Prince.
If he agreed to lead the Jiangnan gentry to join the Crown Prince, his daughter would not have to marry Sang Ji.
But Liu Jiao didn't respond; she firmly stated her position:
"I only love Sang Ji in this life. He is a good person and deserves my love. I will never regret marrying him. I will not marry anyone else."
She no longer wanted to listen to her father, nor did she want to give up her own choices for the sake of stability.
Is the stability gained by sacrificing oneself truly secure?
It scattered with a gust of wind.
Liu Jiao married Sang Ji not only because she liked him, but also because she wanted to rebel against her parents and no longer be bound by their constraints.
Going to Huajing with Sang Ji would allow them to escape their parents' control.
Let's give it a try.
This was the first time Gu Su had been so contradicted by his daughter. His slightly aged eyes were bloodshot, and he recalled her once obedient and sensible little girl appearance.
His lips moved, his mustache trembled, and finally he pointed at Liu Jiao's nose and said, "Unfilial daughter...!"
Liu Jiao reverted to her obedient daughter demeanor, only telling Gu Su and Madam Xiao to rest early.
She ignored her parents and went back to her room to sleep.
After Liu Jiao made those resolute words about marrying Sang Ji, Gu Su actually had his own thoughts and answers.
Perhaps it's time for him and his wife to let go.
Let your daughter choose for herself once.
All they need to do is be her strong support, and that's enough.
Even with their intervention, her fate wasn't much better.
That's enough.
Gu Su and Madam Xiao exchanged a glance, their thoughts aligned.
Gu Su spoke up, stopping Liu Jiao who was about to step out of the threshold with one foot.
He concluded by saying, "Don't be fooled by my constant calling you a heartless and unfilial daughter. I know you are a very loyal and affectionate girl. You open your heart to those who are kind to you, and you are easily hurt."
"Be careful of this kid. He's too young and too unfamiliar to you."
Liu Jiao turned her back and nodded emphatically, it was unclear whether she had really listened or was just too sleepy to tell.
*
Princess and Li Du, Liu Jiao and Sang Ji—
The wedding dates for the two couples are approaching, and preparations are in full swing.
Before the wedding, the princess suddenly held a banquet in the grass village to announce the wedding date.
But those attending the banquet each harbored their own ulterior motives.
Since Li Du failed to snub Liu Jiao last time, he has become completely disillusioned this time.
Since she missed the chance to reveal his identity last time, she might as well play along and never know that he is the heir of the Li family.
We should never see each other again in this lifetime.
The banquet begins.
Sang Ji arrived, and Liu Jiao was following behind him.
Li Du sat down beside the princess, his face covered by a mask, and dressed in the style of the heir of the Li family.
He glanced briefly at Liu Jiao, who was about to get married.
Liu Jiao did not recognize him.
Li Du only caught a glimpse of the woman's figure from afar before turning his gaze away.
From then on.
He would never care about her again.
Princess Crescent Fox, on the other hand, was dressed in her finest attire.
Today she wore a blue blouse with dove-shaped flowers on it, a pink skirt with plum-leaf patterns, and a rice-flower shawl. She wore a peony hairpin and gold earrings with lotus flowers on them.
With her hair piled high and her temples thick, she was more beautiful than any flower, exuding the air of a princess.
At the banquet, she deliberately arranged for Liu Jiao to sit next to her.
Crescent Fox thought that Liu Jiao was ugly and unsophisticated, and could not compare to her no matter what.
She wanted Sang Ji to remember her for the rest of his life, even if he married someone else.
-----------------------
Author's Note: What a jerk! [Cracks]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
