Chapter 414 Sisters' Heart-to-Heart Talk
Lin Changning left after a short while. Just as he was about to leave, Li Minghua barged straight into his sister's courtyard.
After watching the tall, handsome Lin Changning leave, she glanced at the bouquet of flowers her older sister was holding and winked at her with some curiosity.
"Sister? Where did these flowers come from?"
Li Mingshu sighed softly as she looked at her lively younger sister, and instructed the maid to bring a vase for arranging flowers, preparing to trim the flower branches and put the flowers into the vase.
"It was a gift from Changning."
Li Minghua leaned on the stone table and gently pouted, "Sister, I want flowers too, I want them too, I want them too."
Li Mingshu glanced helplessly at her younger sister: "Haven't you ruined enough of the rare and exotic plants in Mother's courtyard? This won't do, and it's no use giving it to you anyway. You've driven away several old nannies by making you learn flower arranging."
Li Minghua watched with some envy as her older sister placed the bouquet on the stone table and slowly began to trim the flower branches with scissors, a hint of sadness flashing in her eyes.
From childhood to adulthood, everyone said she was not as good as her older sister. Her father and mother thought she was more lively than her older sister, and her older brothers would also say that she was not as sensible as her older sister.
However, her older sister did have a tough time. When she was little, she often liked to compete with her older sister for attention. Now that she's grown up, she understands that her older sister loves her family very much, otherwise she wouldn't have married into the capital.
My sister has had a tough time these past few years. She finally came back, and her life improved a bit, but she was almost forced into an arranged marriage. My older brother reminded her about it some time ago.
If you don't want to be forced into an arranged marriage, then you should learn to be more obedient. Last time, when the eldest son of the Shen family refused to marry my sister, he turned around and asked to marry her instead, which really scared her.
On the other hand, she felt that her sister was very lucky to have met such a good person as Lin Qianshi so soon after returning. When she first saw Lin Qianshi, she thought he was good-looking.
Her father always praised Lin Qianshi as a young talent. At first, she thought her mother was looking for a husband for her. She had even secretly wondered what life would be like if she married Lin Qianshi. She wasn't opposed to it, after all, Lin Qianshi was indeed very handsome.
When she smiled at people, it felt like the stars were shining brighter. It was unexpected that Lin Qianshi and her sister were actually in love. When her mother sent someone to the Lin family to ask Lin's mother to come and save the day, she felt a little disappointed.
Looking at the flowers in her sister's hand, Li Minghua's eyes flashed with envy. Lord Lin was a good man. Her sister had suffered so much, but things were finally starting to get better.
I only feel a little melancholy sometimes. My elder brother is right. For people in the royal family, especially someone like my father, their children's marriages will one day be used for political maneuvering.
I heard that my brother's marriage is about to be finalized, and I guess hers won't be far off either.
Watching her older sister carefully trim the flower branches one by one and place them in the vase, slowly arranging the wild-looking flowers into a very artistic arrangement, Li Minghua suddenly sighed and asked, "Sister, where can I find someone as gentle and considerate as my brother-in-law?"
In all her years in Taiyuan, Li Minghua had never seen many men who were so considerate before marriage, personally hunting for geese and treating Yue'er, who was not related to her by blood, as if she were their own daughter.
She wouldn't resent her elder sister being divorced. Although the news spread in the palace that the two were getting a divorce, everyone in the capital knew that her sister's damned ex-husband had issued a letter of divorce.
The purpose was to make things difficult for their own older sister.
For a moment, a small amount of jealousy and envy flashed through Li Minghua's mind. She was a little jealous that her older sister could find someone who was devoted to her, and she envied that her older sister would spend the rest of her life with someone who was gentle and considerate, good-looking, and who had sworn with her second brother never to take a concubine.
But the thought that her sister's life would be better in the future made her happy again.
Li Minghua lay quietly on the stone table, sighing softly.
Looking at her lively younger sister, who was now looking so dejected, Li Mingshu couldn't help but laugh and ask, "Why are you sighing like that?"
Li Minghua replied somewhat dejectedly, "Sister, you've managed to be betrothed to another good family. Lord Lin is handsome, gentle, and considerate towards you. He's even sworn he won't have any concubines. The key is that he's also one of Father's men, so I don't think he'll treat you badly. But it's different for me. Given the state of our household now, I don't know what kind of person Father will marry me off to. It will either be a son of a noble family or the eldest son of a powerful clan, who will be in charge of the household affairs and have countless concubines and illegitimate children. Just thinking about it makes me very sad."
Li Mingshu patted her younger sister's head: "There's always a way out. You're still young, and Father and Mother plan to keep you here for a few more years, so there's no need to worry about that now."
Li Minghua lowered her head, casually picked up a wildflower that Li Mingshu had discarded, and plucked the petals as she said, "It was only a matter of time. Since I was little, I have never been as quick-witted as my eldest brother, as steady as my second brother, or as gentle, virtuous, and noble as my sister. Father and Mother have worried so much about my marriage in the past few years, but now that war is imminent, I know that I will most likely be pushed out for a political marriage. Sister, I am a little scared."
As Li Minghua spoke, she moved into Li Mingshu's arms and buried her face in the crook of Li Mingshu's neck.
She sighed softly and said, "I don't want that, sister. I also want to be with one person for life."
Li Mingshu remained silent for a long time. She knew that what her sister said was the truth. Her mother was unwilling to let her suffer any more because she had already suffered in the capital for many years.
Her younger sister's personality was nothing like hers. Most of the powerful families that came to her door were after her father's influence, so her younger sister would most likely be betrothed to a similar family and become a gentle and virtuous wife.
"Hua'er, don't worry. In two years, your father will have conquered the world, and you will be the most honored little princess. At that time, there will be no need to consider marriage."
Li Mingshu gently patted her younger sister's back and soothed her in a soft voice.
Li Minghua nestled in her sister's arms and whimpered for a while before suddenly raising her head: "Sister, my mother gave me four shops and a hundred acres of fine paddy fields. I'll have someone deliver them to you tomorrow. The Lin family isn't wealthy, so giving all these things to you will make things easier for you in the future, at least you'll have more money in your pocket."
Li Mingshu blinked at her younger sister, who suddenly seemed to have become more sensible, and tapped her forehead: "I don't need money at all. Although I couldn't bring back my dowry this time, Father, Mother, and my two brothers gave me and Yue'er a lot of money. Hua'er can keep it for herself."
Li Minghua shook his head, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "My eldest and second brothers gave Lin Qianshi silver, and I couldn't directly give silver to outsiders, so I gave some shops and paddy fields to my sister. Sister, I hope you will live well in the future. As for the part of the dowry that was swallowed up by the Marquis's mansion, sooner or later they will make them spit it out with interest!!!"
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