Gu didn't want to say it, but seeing that everyone present was a close relative, and there was nothing she couldn't say, she said, "Back in Qingshi County, when Qinghe had just passed the county-level examination, many people came to me to mention Qinghe's marriage. I mentioned it to him, but he said he wanted to focus on preparing for the provincial-level examination, so I agreed to his suggestion."
Later, when the results of the provincial examination were released, he passed with flying colors and became a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination). I thought it was time for him to get married, so I decided to arrange the marriage first and not rush into it. However, he declined, saying that he would wait until he went to the capital to take the metropolitan examination. At the time, I thought he was looking for a girl he liked in the capital, so I didn't stop him.
Who knew that after the provincial examination, he said he would wait for the palace examination. After passing the palace examination and becoming the top scholar, he said he would wait for the court's arrangements, fearing that being sent to a remote place would delay the girl's marriage. After he entered the Hanlin Academy, I thought I could finally arrange his marriage, but he claimed that he was too busy with official duties and had no time to meet her.
Later, it was Hanlin's wife who came to ask me personally, asking why I hadn't arranged a marriage for Qinghe. Only then did I realize that this child had been deceiving me all along! Now, he doesn't even bother to find a reason; whenever I bring it up, he's like a sawed-off gourd, completely silent.
Meng Dashan shook his head as he listened: "How can you listen to everything he says about such a big thing as getting married?"
Madam Gu looked helpless. "What can I do? He's an official now, and he's got power. It's not like in Qingshi County where I could hit him when I got angry. I really have no idea what to do."
Meng Dashan stroked his chin and said in a low voice, "But this doesn't make sense! What young man doesn't want to get married? Could it be that Qing and he..."
"Dad!" Meng Zhao knew exactly what his father was thinking, and hurriedly interrupted, "What are you guessing? Qinghe is still young, he probably just hasn't met someone he likes yet. When he finds someone he likes in the future, he will naturally take the initiative to bring it up."
Xu Yunrong looked disapproving: "Still young? I remember Qinghe will be nineteen next year, right?" She turned to Gu Shi for confirmation.
Madam Gu nodded with a worried expression: "That's right! I'll be twenty in another year, almost twenty-five." She grew increasingly anxious as she spoke, "How can someone so old not be married?"
"Godmother!" Meng Zhao said, both amused and exasperated. "You're getting more and more ridiculous. In my eyes, Qinghe is still a child. He's not that old."
Madam Gu counted on her fingers, saying carefully, "Zhaozhao, you do the math. Qinghe became the top scholar at seventeen, and this year will be his eighth. Now that the New Year is approaching, he'll be nineteen after the holiday."
"Godmother, it's not that I don't know Qinghe's age, but nineteen or twenty isn't considered old among scholars. Getting married a couple more years later wouldn't be a big deal."
"Where is it not big? When I was this age, Qing'an could already sit up." She turned to Xu Yunrong and Meng Dashan for help, "Don't you agree?"
Meng Dashan said seriously, "Although I didn't meet your mother until I was twenty, that's because your grandparents passed away early and no one arranged a marriage for me. In respectable families, who isn't engaged at sixteen or seventeen? Even if you were delayed for two years because of your studies, now that you've become the top scholar in the imperial examination, what could be more important than getting married?"
Xu Yunrong chimed in, "Zhaozhao, you can't just tell Qinghe not to rush into marriage because you don't want to get married yourself. This is a life-changing event that can't be delayed."
Seeing that someone shared her opinion, Madam Gu became more confident. "That's right, Zhao Zhao. You used to be Qing He's elder. You'll have to help me persuade him. Relationships are built over time. It's okay to see each other first."
Meng Zhao could only nod helplessly, "I understand, godmother. I'll try to persuade them when I have the chance."
Seeing Meng Zhao agree, Madam Gu was overjoyed. But then she suddenly remembered that Shen Qinghe wasn't the only one she was worried about. So she said, "Zhao Zhao, have you inquired about those two talented young men I mentioned to you last time? They are from good families whom I heard about from the Hanlin Madam. If you have a favorite, I'll have Qinghe sound out their intentions for you."
Just moments ago they were denouncing Shen Qinghe, how come they've suddenly turned their anger towards her? Meng Zhao was immediately at her wits' end; she really hadn't bothered to defend Shen Qinghe.
“Godmother, it’s the Little New Year today, why are you talking about these things?” Meng Zhao said, putting down her sleeves. “I’m going to check on the greenhouse vegetables that Xiaoyu brought over. Let’s see what we can eat and have something fresh today.” Before she finished speaking, she had already dashed out of the kitchen, leaving the people in the kitchen looking helpless.
Meng Zhao rushed out, and without paying attention, she bumped into a strong embrace. She cried out in pain, covered her forehead, and took two steps back. When she looked up, she met Shen Qing's concerned gaze.
"What's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?" Shen Qinghe frowned and reached out to check her forehead. "It's all my fault. I wasn't paying attention when I came in."
Meng Zhao knew it wasn't his fault; she had bumped into him because she was running too fast and wasn't watching where she was going. But she still slapped his hand away in annoyance and turned to leave.
Shen Qinghe glanced at Meng Zhao's departing figure, then looked at his own hand that had been slapped away, his eyes darkening slightly.
***
The Meng and Chen families have never had the habit of being served meals. Therefore, at dinner time, several older servants, such as Granny Sun and Aunt Li, set up a separate table and chatted about family matters while eating. Meanwhile, the younger servants, such as Huang Cui and He Jianxia, sat around another table and talked enthusiastically about their new experiences in the capital.
Inside the main room, candlelight shone brightly, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The two families sat around an octagonal table, which was laden with the delicious dishes they had just prepared together.
Meng Dashan picked up a mouthful of vibrant green vegetables with his chopsticks, marveling, "Who would believe it if I told them I could eat such fresh and juicy vegetables in the dead of winter!"
Madam Gu nodded repeatedly: "That's right! When I first saw it, I thought I was seeing things. It was only after Zhao Zhao explained that I realized that fresh vegetables can be grown in winter."
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