Chapter 265
Even Yan Shujin didn't expect the mountain man to send her such a generous gift, as if someone had just caught a pheasant and then delivered seasoning to her.
Bai Yan said, "Besides sending these people, I would like to meet with the princess one more time."
Yan Shujin thought for a moment and said, "Okay, same time and place, but this time I'll bring two more people."
Bai Yan agreed and immediately went to reply to the mountain man's messenger.
Cheng Zhi and Yan Shujin sat together, and after Bai Yan left, they whispered to each other, "Princess, what do you think Shanren is planning to do this time?"
Yan Shujin held a tiger-head doll in her hand. It was a gift that Han Jing had brought back after he went out, a gift he had prepared for their daughter. Yan Shujin was playing with it non-stop and said, "It can't be a bad thing."
Cheng Zhi glanced at Yan Shujin and saw longing in her eyes. Even though she knew that Aunt Yu and the others would take good care of her daughter, a mother still worried about her daughter: "What would the princess like to eat tonight?"
"Vegetarian noodles, please." Yan Shujin was observing mourning for the Empress, so she couldn't eat many things. Besides, she didn't want to be fed by others outside. In the Princess's residence, the kitchen had separate white and red dishes, as well as a special soup-making area, so even if she ate vegetarian food, she could eat something different every day. But in the South, there were only a few dishes, so Yan Shujin couldn't be bothered to think about it.
Cheng Zhi hesitated for a moment and said, "There are many kinds of fungi in Nanzhong, how about we prepare a vegetarian hot pot?"
Yan Shujin thought for a moment and said, "That works too."
Cheng Zhi smiled and said, "Then I'll have the kitchen prepare it."
Yan Shujin took Cheng Zhi's hand and said, "Let Yu Xing make the arrangements. Sister Cheng, sit with me for a while."
Yu Xing said from the side, "I'll have someone prepare some mung bean flour earlier; Miss Cheng likes it too."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Zhi's eyes and brows were full of smiles, and even with a birthmark on her face, she exuded a gentle tenderness: "Okay."
Yu Xing returned quickly, placed some cut fruit on the table, and then left again.
Yan Shujin put the cloth tiger aside and asked, "Sister Cheng, is there anything you want to tell me?"
Cheng Zhi hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'm thinking of staying in Nanzhong."
Yan Shujin paused for a moment, looked at Cheng Zhi, and asked, "Is there something wrong with Fuzhou?"
Cheng Zhi seemed to think for a long time before saying, "Fuzhou is very good."
Yan Shujin looked at Cheng Zhi for a long time and said, "Is it because of Sun Qiao?"
"It's not because of anyone else." Since it was just the two of them, Cheng Zhi didn't hide anything: "It's more because of myself. I know Sun Qiao is a good person, and I may never meet anyone better than him. Even my family is very satisfied with him."
Yan Shujin listened quietly to Cheng Zhi speak.
Cheng Zhi had calmed down and said, "I don't want to get married."
Yan Shujin held Cheng Zhi's hand, looked at her reddened eyes, and said, "Sister Cheng, I need to apologize to you first."
Cheng Zhi looked at Yan Shujin with a surprised expression.
Yan Shujin said, "I didn't notice any of that either, and I even thought Sun Qiao was a good candidate."
Cheng Zhi laughed upon hearing this: "It's not your fault. Actually, I was tempted when I was in Fuzhou, but after I came out, I calmed down. In that kind of environment, if you can't get out of it, it seems like you'll never be able to see what you want clearly."
“Princess, I may regret my decision today, and I may even be sad after Sun Qiao marries someone else.” Cheng Zhi’s voice was gentle, like a light breeze and drizzle: “But even after regret and sadness, I still insist on following the path I have chosen.”
Yan Shujin smiled and said, "Okay, I understand."
Cheng Zhi knew her decision was impulsive, and her hesitation stemmed from this rather than anything else. She wasn't prepared to let the princess solve it for her; this was something she had to face her family about herself. However, she needed someone who would agree with her. If everyone around her was denying and disapproving, she would doubt her decision: "Thank you, Princess."
Yan Shujin held Cheng Zhi's hand, and after a long while, she smiled and said, "After leaving the capital and doing so many things in Fuzhou, wasn't it all for the sake of living the life I wanted?"
Cheng Zhi pursed her lips and said, "Yes."
"As long as Sister Cheng feels that she is doing the right thing, that's fine," Yan Shujin said. "You can choose the life you like. Sister Cheng is just the beginning, not the end. It's not just you, but also Fuzhou, Nanyue, and even Nanzhong in the future. Whether you are a man or a woman, you can choose the life you want to live."
Actually, Fuzhou is much better now. Although girls are not highly valued, there are no more cases of female infanticide or selling daughters. Women in Fuzhou can now find jobs and earn money. Although many still hand over their money to their families, they have income and can interact with people outside the city. At least they no longer feel that their birth was a sin.
Yan Shujin looked at Cheng Zhi and said earnestly, "So, Sister Cheng, you can choose the life you want to live, and I will do my best, not just for you."
Yan Shujin has already started doing these things, but unfortunately, it's been too short and the results are too few. However, just like hiding this matter, the effects will be seen later.
In the evening, everyone ate hot pot, except that Yan Shujin and Han Jing ate vegetarian food, while the others ate meat. Each person had their own small pot, and they didn't interfere with each other, making it a very lively meal.
Yan Shujin and Han Jing looked particularly pitiful huddled together. It would be a lie to say they didn't want to eat the meat, even though they were craving it. They were quite satisfied with the various kinds of mushrooms.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
