"A proposal with just a gold hairpin?" I said, deliberately putting on a stern face and feigning dissatisfaction. However, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of my eldest sister secretly making a heart shape with her hands behind the screen, while the young marquis raised his wooden sword and nodded vigorously. Their adorable appearance made me burst into laughter.
Jiang Yan panicked upon seeing this, and hurriedly pulled out a stack of rice paper from his bosom. There were still fresh traces of ink on the edge of the paper, which showed that it had just been completed. "And this!" His voice rose slightly with excitement, "I have made a five-year plan for Future Bookstore. In the first year, we will open three branches. In the second year, we plan to launch a girls' enlightenment textbook. In the third year..." He became more and more anxious as he spoke, and beads of sweat gradually seeped out of his forehead, as if he wanted to pour out all his aspirations and plans for the future to me. "I have already thought of the children's enlightenment book. It's called "Jin Xin Enlightenment". I will use your words to adapt it..."
"Who wants to have a baby with you?" I interrupted, blushing. However, the intense earnestness in his eyes burned like a scorching flame, sending a shiver through my heart. The coldness and loneliness I experienced at my bedside in my previous life and the warmth I felt in this moment strangely overlapped. Suddenly, I remembered my biological mother's dying words, "Good marriages are destined by heaven," and a wave of emotion washed over me. Perhaps this was fate.
"That's enough, get up," Su Xiang's steady voice echoed from the corridor. His father, dressed in casual attire, gently twirled his beard. The Hetian jade on his belt buckle gleamed with a warm luster in the light and shadow of the osmanthus. "Jinli, Jiang Yan may be a poor boy, but he's honest." His eyes revealed his recognition and admiration for Jiang Yan. As he spoke, he suddenly pulled a rosewood box from his sleeve and gently opened it. Inside lay a jade hairpin. "This is your mother's dowry, a jade hairpin. Wear it." His father's voice was filled with emotion and tenderness, as if conveying the warmth and heritage of the family.
I gently took the jade hairpin, feeling its warmth. The head, meticulously carved with a double lotus pattern, symbolized happiness and reunion. Just then, my eldest sister playfully shoved the entire box of rouge on my head, laughing and shouting, "Marry! Why not?! If there's one less red makeup piece on the Ten Mile Sugar painting, I'll dye Jiang Yan's champion robe into a palette!" The young marquis immediately raised his knife and shouted, "Sister! If he bullies you, I'll chop off his horse's legs!" Their words, filled with support and love, made me feel the warmth and strength of home.
Jiang Yan suddenly hugged me. The faint scent of ink on him, mixed with the sweet aroma of sugar painting, was like a warm embrace, wrapping me tightly. "Yes, ma'am! From now on, I will take care of your sugar painting, your troubles, your..." His voice was filled with determination and happiness, as if he was holding up a beautiful sky for me.
"Alright, alright, that's too corny!" The eldest sister smiled and threw a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake over, but she secretly wiped the tears of emotion from the corners of her eyes. Mo Zhu walked in with a red candle in hand, smiling broadly. Meanwhile, the bridesmaid's clear voice echoed outside the courtyard: "The auspicious time has arrived, it's time to discuss the marriage—" This voice, like a loud horn, announced the beginning of our happy life.
The afterglow of the setting sun gradually spread, dyeing the eaves of the prime minister's residence the color of honey. I gently stroked the jade and gold hairpins in my hair, quietly listening to my father and Jiang Yan discussing the wedding date in the front hall. The young marquis excitedly shouted in the courtyard that he wanted to be the general who escorted the bride, and my eldest sister was busy directing the maids to set up the bridal chamber. Jiang Yan suddenly leaned close to my ear, his warm breath caressing my temples like a spring breeze. "Jinli, thank you." His voice was gentle and low, as if telling a story of deep love.
"What are you thanking me for?" I turned my head slightly and looked into his affectionate eyes, my heart full of curiosity.
"Thank you for showing me that this world truly has the power to turn grievances into honey." His eyes reflected the glow of the red candles in the hall, a light more dazzling than any sugar painting, as if the love in his heart was radiating. "From now on, every penny of your royalties, every sugar painting of mine, will go to our sweet home." His words echoed in the air like the most beautiful oath, warming my heart.
The osmanthus petals outside the window fluttered down like snowflakes, gently landing on the Chinese character "囍", as if blessing our happiness. I leaned quietly in his arms, smelling the mixture of the fragrance of ink and the sweetness of sugar, and my heart was extremely certain that the road of this life has long been paved with the love of family and the protection of loved ones. All the hardships I have experienced are like the baptism of the phoenix nirvana, becoming the happiness tightly held in my palm at this moment. This happiness is very similar to the first sugar painting Jiang Yan gave me - although it is crooked, it is sweet to the heart and has a long aftertaste. And the splendid life that belongs to me has just opened the sweetest chapter in this room full of laughter. In the days to come, no matter what the wind and rain, we will go forward hand in hand and write our own romantic legend together, letting this sweetness and happiness, like the never-extinguished flame, illuminate our path of life forever.
As the wedding date approached, the entire Xiangfu residence was immersed in a bustling and joyful atmosphere. My eldest sister meticulously selected the fabric for the wedding dress, personally reviewing each piece, striving for perfection. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she were weaving the most beautiful dream for me. The young marquis was busy preparing the various arrangements for the wedding ceremony, meticulously planning how to make it a grand and lively one, so that everyone could feel our happiness. His earnest expression was both amusing and deeply moving.
Jiang Yan was incredibly busy. Not only was he busy preparing every detail of the wedding, he was also planning the future of the bookstore. He often discussed the bookstore's business philosophy with me, his eyes gleaming with hope and confidence for the future. He said he wanted the bookstore to be a paradise for women everywhere to pursue knowledge and dreams, and for every story to convey warmth and strength. Watching him with such passion, I knew he was not only my future partner, but also a capable business partner.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
