Seeing that the matter was not going to work out and would involve other people's privacy, Yuan Huiniang took the initiative to say, "Mother, aren't you still preparing some things for the trip to the capital? It's getting late, let's hurry up and go take a look."
It's too late; we won't be able to get everything we need today.
Yan Qingqing nodded upon hearing this and got up to take her leave.
Madam Ding disregarded everything else and stood up, saying, "Madam Mingzhao, Madam Li, please hear me out."
When Xiuer arranged this marriage, it was only a verbal agreement from the old lady; I had no idea about it at all.
I was originally planning to accept it, but who knew that the young master of that family was a sickly man, and they wanted our Xiuer to marry into the family to bring good luck.
I heard he's been in poor health since childhood. The old lady knew that, yet she still agreed to the marriage. Wasn't that clearly trying to harm our Xiuer?
Mrs. Ding spoke while crying, and she looked very sad.
Yan Qingqing and Xu Shi are both mothers, and to be honest, anyone would feel upset in this situation. If it were Li Yueniang or the others, Yan Qingqing wouldn't be willing either.
Finally, Xu and Madam comforted Madam Ding, and Madam Ding finally stopped crying.
Then Madam Ding spoke up again, saying, "I'm sorry to have made Madam Mingzhao laugh."
No matter what, I will not agree to Xiuer marrying that sickly man.
Seeing this, Yan Qingqing sighed and looked at Master Ding, saying, "Master Ding, although this is your family matter, I shouldn't say anything more."
However, all parents hope that their children will be safe and well.
If the man is truly frail and sickly, he is not a good match for Miss Xiu'er. I hope Master Ding will consider this carefully.
Yan Qingqing always carried weight with Master Ding, who actually didn't approve of the marriage. However, it was a promise made by the old lady.
Now that the old lady is gone, he is afraid that if he insists on breaking off the engagement, it will tarnish her reputation.
Madam Ding knew that Master Ding was a man blindly filial, and even Yan Qingqing couldn't persuade him. So she looked at Master Ding and said fiercely, "If you insist on harming my Xiu'er for the sake of filial piety, I will divorce you."
"Then I'll take the two children and leave the Ding family far away."
Madam Ding never said such things, whether when she was being suppressed by Old Madam Ding or when the Ding family was down on its luck. Now that things are better, she can actually say such things, which shows that she is really heartbroken.
Upon hearing this, Master Ding quickly stepped forward and said, "What are you saying, Madam?"
Xiuer is my daughter, how could I bear to push her into a fire pit?
"Aren't we trying to find a solution right now?"
Madam Ding snorted coldly and said, "I don't care what methods you use, this engagement must be called off."
Then he turned to Madam Xu and said, "I think highly of Xiang Bao. If the Li family is still willing to marry him after this engagement is called off, I will definitely marry Xiu'er to Xiang Bao."
Yan Qingqing couldn't respond to this, after all, Li Xiangbao wasn't her son, and even if he were, she couldn't guarantee that Li Xiangbao would wait for Ding Xiuer.
Xu Shi spoke up, saying, "Alright, Xiang Bao is still young, there's no rush."
"If these two children are truly meant to be, our family will still come to propose marriage."
Madam Ding was deeply moved. She was naturally pleased that her daughter received such attention from Madam Xu.
Besides, the family rules of Lady Mingzhao's household are there: a man can only take a concubine if he has no children by the age of forty, and even if a concubine enters the household, the children born must be registered under the name of the mistress.
Xiuer, from her own family, has always been gentle, virtuous, and compliant. The Li family would definitely be a good place for her to settle down.
Moreover, Li Xiangbao was an only son, so there was no infighting between sisters-in-law, and Xu Shi and Li San Niu were easy to get along with.
Moreover, with Lady Mingzhao, Yan Qingqing, as their backer, even if Li Xiangbao's generation doesn't amount to much, the next generation will surely rise to prominence.
The more Madam Ding thought about it, the more she felt that the Li family was a good place to go, and she became even more determined to get rid of the trap that Old Madam Ding had set for her daughter.
Master Ding and his wife personally escorted Yan Qingqing and the others to the gate.
After getting into the carriage, Madam Xu sighed and said, "I wonder if Xiang Bao is lucky enough to marry Miss Ding."
Yan Qingqing glanced at Madam Xu, who seemed to really like Ding Xiu, and said with a smile, "Third sister-in-law, what is destined to be yours will be yours, and what is not, you cannot force."
If the two children are meant to be, they will naturally become a couple.
Upon hearing this, Madam Xu quickly nodded and replied, "Second sister-in-law is right. I'll put this matter aside for now."
I'll go shopping with my second sister-in-law.
"It's rare for my second sister-in-law to come all this way with me for nothing, so I'll pay for whatever she wants to buy today."
Now that Xu has plenty of money, she naturally speaks with a lot of confidence.
Yan Qingqing laughed and said, "Let's forget about it. You should save your money for Xiang Bao as a betrothal gift."
It's getting late, let's head back to Canghe Town.
Upon hearing this, Madam Xu sighed and said, "Anyway, we won't need these betrothal gifts for the time being. Isn't Second Sister-in-law going to buy things for the trip to the capital?"
I can't offer much help, but I can offer some money as a token of my appreciation.
Hearing this, Yuan Huiniang smiled and said, "Third Aunt, I said those things just now to avoid making the situation awkward."
"We have everything we need at home; Mother has already prepared almost everything for our trip to Beijing."
Upon hearing this, Madam Xu sighed again. It seemed that she couldn't spend the money even if she wanted to.
Yan Qingqing and the others soon returned to Canghe Town.
For the next few days after returning, Yan Qingqing did not go out.
In addition to preparing luggage for the trip to Beijing, we also need to plan the development of the workshop in the coming months.
A few days later, Yan Qingqing finally finished her work and prepared to set off.
Li Yueniang got ready early in the morning and ran into Yan Qingqing's courtyard.
Li Yueniang was dressed in men's clothing and looked like a handsome young master from a wealthy family.
She learned this from Yan Qingqing.
Yan Qingqing glanced at him, then lowered her head and went back to doing her own thing.
Seeing that Yan Qingqing was in no hurry, Li Yueniang asked, "Mother, aren't we supposed to be heading to the capital today?"
Yan Qingqing said without even looking up, "Yeah, what's the rush? Everyone's not here yet."
Li Yueniang was a little confused. Wasn't it just her second brother and sister-in-law, plus Xiao Qi? Could there be anyone else?
Yan Qingqing didn't explain to her.
She also has a group of people she supports on the mountain, and she plans to take half of them with her when she goes to the capital this time.
Mu Xi has already gone up the mountain to select people.
Some of them served as their guards, protecting them from the shadows.
Most people had to disguise themselves and enter the capital unnoticed.
For some reason, Yan Qingqing had a premonition that the journey to the capital would not be smooth.
Mu Xi returned around noon.
Mu Xi reverted to his former guard attire and said to Yan Qingqing, "Madam, everything has been prepared as you instructed."
Yan Qingqing nodded and said, "Okay, let's set off now."
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