Chapter 1
The spring chill lingered, and the grass was still covered with frost in the early morning. Xie Qinghong originally wanted to sleep a little longer, but today a guest came to visit, specifically saying that he wanted to see her. She couldn't be unprepared, so she had to get up early to do her hair and makeup.
It was so cold that she couldn't help but sneeze as soon as the window was opened a crack. The maid, A-Yue, quickly closed the window again and said with some dissatisfaction to the visitor, "Miss, you've only just recovered a little. Qin Sanlang wasn't very attentive these past few days, and now he says he wants to come and visit. You've made Miss get up early to brave the wind."
Xie Qinghong said helplessly, "That's alright, I'm almost fully recovered, but I wonder how Zheng Qiniang is doing?"
Mentioning Zheng Qiniang, Ayue was filled with resentment: "Of course she's fully recovered, otherwise how would Qin Sanlang still remember our mansion? If she hadn't accidentally pushed you into the water, you wouldn't have fallen seriously ill, Miss."
The older and more composed maid, Ah Xing, whispered, "It's quite a strange thing. I heard that after Miss Zheng Qi recovered from her illness, she seemed to have become a different person. She is quiet and composed, and she no longer chases after Qin Erlang. It's quite rare."
There's a reason for this. The story between Qin Erlang, Qin Sanlang, and Zheng Qiniang was quite dramatic. Zheng Qiniang was innocent and carefree since childhood and had long harbored feelings for Qin Erlang. No matter how others tried to persuade her, she would follow Qin Erlang around. At her most daring, she even disguised herself as a man and traveled to Jiangnan because Qin Erlang had gone to study at the Jiangnan Academy.
Although people were open-minded at the time, it was rare to find a young woman as uninhibited as Zheng Qiniang. After all, Qin Erlang had shown no particular interest in this sister of a family he had known for many years, and had even humiliated her on several occasions, including at banquets. Many people, including Xie Qinghong, did not quite understand why Zheng Qiniang could be so deeply in love with Qin Erlang.
At the same time, it's not very clear why Qin Sanlang, Qin Erlang's cousin, would still give to Zheng Qiniang so obviously. He wasn't as outgoing as Zheng Qiniang; he just silently accompanied her, but his affectionate demeanor was astonishing to onlookers, making it seem like a dramatic scene between the three of them.
Xie Qinghong frowned slightly upon hearing this and said, "Tell me in detail."
Seeing that her young lady was interested, A-Yue, who knew more about the matter, immediately explained: "Miss Zheng Qi recovered well the day before yesterday. She looked a little thinner, but she was in good spirits and went to Xiangguo Temple outside the city to offer incense. It just so happened that Qin Erlang went out of the city for a spring outing that day, but his carriage broke down on the road. Everyone on the road thought this was a godsend, and the beauty saved the hero, creating a beautiful story."
She paused here before continuing, "Who knew? Zheng Qiniang's carriage didn't even stop and just drove right past. It was Qin Erlang's servant who stopped the carriage, and Qin Erlang himself went up to ask Zheng Qiniang for a ride."
This was indeed unusual; in the past, it was always Zheng Qiniang who eagerly approached him, and it was rare for Qin Erlang to make a request.
Xie Qinghong couldn't help but laugh: "What goes around comes around."
“And there’s more,” A-Yue said, still quite shocked. “Although Zheng Qiniang’s carriage was stopped, she only lifted the curtain and glanced at it, saying, ‘It’s unfortunate today, I’m in a hurry. Since Brother Qin wants to go for a spring outing, why don’t you walk?’”
A-Yue imitated Zheng Qiniang's tone perfectly, as if she had witnessed it firsthand. Xie Qinghong was astonished: "How did you know?"
"The whole capital knows about it, which is why people say Zheng Qiniang seems like a completely different person."
Xie Qinghong satisfied her curiosity and didn't ask any more questions. After she finished dressing, she got up and opened the window. The soft sunlight fell on the eaves, a rare good day.
Actually, she asked the question not just out of curiosity, but because of today's guest, Qin Sanlang. The relationships between the prominent families in the capital are complicated. The Qin family and the Xie family also have kinship ties. When she was around ten years old, the two families had the intention to arrange a marriage between her and Qin Sanlang.
However, the young man's infatuation with her caused quite a stir, and the Xie family naturally couldn't let their precious daughter suffer any grievances after marrying into the family, so they ended the idea between the two families.
However, because of this past relationship, Xie Qinghong is occasionally dragged into love triangle dramas. Fortunately, she has always kept a low profile and has little contact with the younger generation of the Qin family, which has prevented her from being gossiped about.
Qin Sanlang showed deep affection for Zheng Qiniang, but was cold and indifferent to others. He treated her even more indifferently. For example, Xie Qinghong fell into the water and fell ill because Zheng Qiniang and Qin Sanlang had a quarrel on the Magpie Bridge that day.
The two stood at the bridgehead, completely blocking the way. Xie Qinghong waited for half an hour, but they showed no sign of moving. Finally, she had no choice but to approach them with her maid and persuade them. Upon seeing her, the two became quiet and said nothing more. To make way for Zheng Qiniang, Qin Sanlang moved closer to her.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Qiniang, in a fit of temper, stomped her foot and turned to walk onto the bridge. The Magpie Bridge was a winding bridge built over a small lake, and it was quite narrow. Her sudden step bumped right into Xie Qinghong, who had just taken a step.
Xie Qinghong was knocked into the lake on the spot, and she herself slipped and fell in as well. Qin Sanlang panicked when he saw this and jumped in to save Zheng Qiniang. Xie Qinghong, on the other hand, had to rely on her own strength to be pulled ashore by her maid.
She was soaking wet and shivering as she reached the shore, where she saw Zheng Qiniang nestled in Qin Sanlang's arms, crying sweetly, "I didn't mean to, Sister Hong, please don't be hurt, cough cough..."
Qin Sanlang gently comforted her, "Stop talking. Look, you're all wet. Go back and change your clothes." After saying that, he noticed that Xie Qinghong next to him was even more disheveled, so he added, "Sister Hong, you should go back too."
Xie Qinghong was furious. If it weren't for these two blocking her way, she would have gone home long ago! She immediately forced back her words, "You better not have done it on purpose, or I'll think you're plotting to harm me."
She developed a fever upon returning home that day, and didn't know what happened afterward. When she felt a little better, she heard from Ah Xing and Ah Yue that her brother was very dissatisfied after hearing about this, and went to the Qin family that night to kick Qin Sanlang into the frozen lotus pond.
Qin Sanlang was not a good-natured person, and it was normal for the two families to sever ties after this incident. Who would have thought that this person would send a visiting card to the Xie residence the day before yesterday, saying that he wanted to visit her and express his apologies in person.
Xie Qinghong sensed something was amiss. He had just heard that Zheng Qiniang seemed to have changed, and suddenly he felt that Qin Sanlang also seemed to have changed.
She leisurely finished her breakfast, and as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, she heard a message from the front yard that the Qin family had sent people, namely Madam Qi, the second wife of the Qin family, and Qin Sanlang and his son.
Upon seeing Xie Qinghong, Madam Qi stood up, took her hand, and said, "Good child, it's all because of Aheng that you've suffered. His father and I have already punished him. Fortunately, he knows his limits and knows to come to apologize to you. You can scold or beat him as you please, as long as you don't hold a grudge against him."
Qin Heng bowed deeply in apology, his attitude sincere: "It was indeed my fault that day, causing Sister Qinghong to fall into the water. I dare not ask for forgiveness, so I can only come to apologize."
After they expressed their opinions, Liang Yu, the matriarch of the Xie family and Xie Qinghong's mother, finally spoke up: "It's not like that at all. That day was an accident. I know that Aheng is always steady in her work. She was just frightened by the Zheng family girl falling into the water. It's not your fault. After all, there are always different degrees of closeness. You know my Qinghong's personality. She won't take it to heart. But my Erlang is a troublemaker. I can't control him. That's why he caused trouble. Aheng, if you're angry, just go find him and teach him a lesson for his lawless nature."
Xie Qinghong smiled gently: "Brother Qin did all this for me, I hope you won't hold it against him."
The mother and daughter both wore smiles, but their words were laced with barbs, causing Qi's expression to change but she couldn't reply. Seeing her son remain silent, and thinking of the girl from the Zheng family, she was so angry that her heart, liver, and lungs ached.
Qin Heng wasn't deliberately ignoring her; he was simply torn, unsure of what to do. In his previous life, he was nearly thirty and still unmarried. Everyone said he was deeply in love with Zheng Qiniang, but he knew his feelings for her had slowly faded over the ten years since her marriage. Instead, he felt pity for his younger sister, a family friend from his youth, who had been forced into a marriage to a remote, uncivilized land and was living a miserable life. The once vibrant and beautiful young woman hadn't returned to her hometown for ten years.
Sitting in the Xie family hall now, Qin Heng thought to himself, why not just follow his mother's wishes and marry her, giving her a place to settle down? Although there was no love between them, he would eventually rise to a high position in the government, and that wouldn't be treating her unfairly.
Seeing her son remain silent, Madam Qi took off a jade bracelet from her wrist and put it on Xie Qinghong's wrist, her face full of affection: "Good child, your aunt knows you are generous. If I had a daughter like you, I would be laughing in my dreams. It's a pity I gave birth to such a blockhead, a real pain in the neck. I don't know what's so good about that Seventh Sister Zheng, she saved her first when she fell into the water..."
“Mother,” Qin Heng frowned and stopped her, “I treat Seventh Sister like a younger sister, so don’t say anything more.”
What kind of sister is that!
Xie Qinghong felt disdain, and thought that Qin Heng was like a completely different person. In the past, he was deeply in love with Zheng Qiniang, but today he actually let slip that he wanted to distance himself from her.
She didn't seem to notice anything, but Madam Xie became alert. How could someone say such things when visiting a patient? Did she expect her to also say that Zheng Qiniang was a vixen who had bewitched Qin Sanlang?
Madam Xie spoke cautiously: "It's not a big deal for young people to like playing together; we might as well let them do what they like."
Madam Qi sighed, "I was thinking of going along with him, but he's already eighteen and still not settled. How can we mothers not be anxious? Luckily, he agreed this time, otherwise I wouldn't be able to go out and find a match for him."
Hearing her say this, Madam Xie sneered inwardly. So, knowing that her relationship with the seventh daughter of the Zheng family had failed, she was actually trying to rekindle their old flame.
She feigned surprise: "I thought you and the Zheng family were about to have a good time together, but young people often bicker, so let them be. Qinghong, don't you think?"
Xie Qinghong nodded in agreement: "Yes, Brother Qin and Sister Zheng are a perfect match."
Qin Heng watched the mother and daughter exchanging veiled insults and scoffed inwardly. He thought to himself, "Don't regret what you said today."
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