Chapter 130 But if I go back, will I never be able to come back?
It wasn't until Su Run left that Rong met her niece's gaze. At that moment, Su Ying, even if she tried her best to hide it, couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes and eyebrows.
Rong saw this and sighed helplessly, saying, "What they say makes sense. I can't say no. If I don't let you leave earlier and miss the date, wouldn't that be exactly what they want?"
"Aunt, I know you are doing this for my own good."
Su Ying's voice was very soft, as soft as the drifting duckweed.
But if I go back, will I never be able to come back?
The second half of the sentence was stuck in her chest. She couldn't ask, nor did she dare to ask, as she couldn't embarrass her aunt.
"Silly child." Rong guessed what she was thinking and couldn't help but rub her head. "Just now in the main hall, I was thinking, 'You're already a grown-up girl now, how come you look like this after just a short while? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by Heng'er?'"
"I haven't been back home in these years, and I miss your grandparents very much. Since you're going back for your coming-of-age ceremony, why don't I go with you?"
After that, she took Su Ying's hand, looked her up and down, and said jokingly, "Auntie will bring you back the same way as I did. I don't want Heng'er to blame me as his second aunt when the time comes."
"Aunt!" This sentence made Su Ying shy and happy.
Unexpectedly, Rong suddenly hugged her in her arms, gently stroked her back, and whispered in her ear: "The Su family has gone too far. We must settle the score with them for the past ten years."
…
They would be leaving in two days, so Rong naturally had to inform her mother-in-law.
"The Su family wants to hold a coming-of-age ceremony for Ying'er, so we can't stop them. We have to give them generous gifts in a grand manner."
How could the old lady not know why Su Ying had come in the first place? She knew the Du family's experiences over the past few days, and she knew the child's character like a mirror. It was precisely because of this that she could see even more clearly how cold-hearted the Su family was, forcing such a good child to go to Beijing alone to live with her relatives.
The old lady pondered for a moment, then slowly expressed her thoughts: "It would be most appropriate for you to accompany her back. I don't want her to suffer any injustice in the Su family. You don't have to worry about the household affairs. I will take Jiahui to take over. You can just go with peace of mind."
"Everything must be done in a proper and legitimate way. You can't just send Ying'er back this time. Although time is a bit tight, there's still time to prepare Heng'er's engagement letter and the gift list for the proposal. But I'm afraid the matchmaker can only be hired in Yueqing."
Rong was surprised when she heard this: "Mother, what are you doing?"
The old lady laughed and said, "Why, as an aunt, you only want to protect Ying'er and take her back. Have you forgotten that you are also Heng'er's second aunt? Why don't you take this opportunity to fulfill Heng'er's wish and go to the Su family to propose marriage?"
He patted Rong's hand gently and spoke more seriously, "Although I have never met the Su family, I can tell a lot about their character from what you have said. Since they are talking about etiquette now, let's follow their example and observe the proper etiquette so that they can't find any fault."
"After Ying'er's coming-of-age ceremony, you will bring a matchmaker to propose marriage. Since the in-laws have already made an agreement with the Su family that they cannot obstruct Ying'er's marriage without authorization, as long as the in-laws agree, they must also agree."
"By then, news of how Heng'er performed in the imperial examination should have come out. Once everything is settled, your sister-in-law will take Heng'er to personally go and pick up the bride, bringing Ying'er home in style. That way, you won't have to worry about the Su family going back on their word again."
Old ginger is still spicy.
Rong Shi originally only wanted to protect Ying'er and bring her back safely, but she never expected her mother-in-law to think further. This way, she not only protected the person, but also secured the marriage. She could safely send Ying'er back to the Su family and marry her back with a legitimate reason.
Her heart warmed and she stood up and bowed deeply to her mother-in-law.
The old lady accepted the gift with a smile and said, "Arrange for someone to book another passenger ship and take the steward, servants, and maids with her. You don't have to worry about the gift list. As for Heng'er's marriage, your sister-in-law will naturally arrange it herself."
After saying that, he turned around and called Zhaoxia: "Tell the eldest lady what I said. If she feels that what she has is not enough, she can choose from the ones in my storehouse. Oh, and take out my jade lotus pearl, mutton-fat white jade and red coral hairpin as well."
Then, turning to Rong, he said, "Please keep the hairpin. It's a birthday gift I gave to Ying'er."
Rong knew about this white jade hairpin.
The hairpin's body is crafted from mutton-fat white jade, smooth and flawless throughout. The head is carved with a blossoming lotus, its petals inlaid with red coral, creating a faint translucence. The pistil is embellished with pearls and gold sand, creating a delicate and elegant look, a testament to the intricate craftsmanship.
It goes without saying how much the mother-in-law values Ying'er.
…
There is a saying: "Before talking to someone, you are already drunk, and before parting, you are worried."
In the library, Du Heng and Su Ying, who were unaware that their elders were planning to hire a matchmaker, were filled with sorrow and reluctance to part because of their separation in two days.
Du Heng was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Take Taoxi with you. Although Second Aunt will accompany you back, she can't live in the Su Mansion after all. Taoxi is smart, steady, and knows her limits. I feel at ease with her by your side."
Su Ying nodded. The Spring Examination was approaching, and she didn't want him to be distracted any more: "With my aunt here, I have nothing to worry about. But you, my cousin..."
In the middle of her conversation, she suddenly turned around, pulled out something from somewhere, and hid it behind her back. When she reached Du Heng, she blushed and shoved it into his hand, saying, "My grandmother had a habit of sewing a pencil case for each student who left the academy before the Spring Examination."
"Before my grandmother sewed a pencil case, she would place the fabric in front of the shrine of Confucius for three days, euphemistically calling it "soaking in the aura of the sage." My grandfather often teased her, but she always said sincerity is the key to success."
Whenever Ying'er recalled the past of the academy, she always smiled broadly: "Every time the exams were held, all of my grandfather's students passed. Over time, my grandmother's pencil cases became famous far and wide. Every spring, people from outside the academy would come to ask for them with large sums of money, but she never gave them to outsiders."
"When I saw Wanyi embroidering that day, I thought, even if I can't pass the Spring Examination, I will embroider one in the same way to bring you some luck. So, I followed Wanyi and learned how to embroider a purse, but I didn't tell her that I was embroidering a pencil case."
"The library doesn't enshrine Confucius, but it does have his books. I put those books on the desk, and these days I sit in front of it embroidering book bags. Every time I embroider a stitch, I recite a line from the Analects. Thinking this way, I can be considered to be bathed in the aura of the sage. However,"
At this point, Su Ying's face flushed. She put her hands behind her back and said shyly, "It's just that I really can't focus on two things at once. Many times, I was so engrossed in reciting that the needle pricked my finger."
When Du Heng heard this, he hurriedly reached out to grab her hand hidden behind her back and take a closer look.
Su Ying refused and just let him look at the pencil case in her hand.
"I don't know if it's because of my sincerity, but now you can go on stage again. I wanted to give it to you on the day you go on stage, but now I can only give it to you in advance. Remember to bring it with you when you go."
From the moment they first met at the corner gate, she had always been stoic and restrained. But now, with a sense of security in her heart, she gradually began to show some childish behavior, which softened Du Heng's heart.
He looked down obediently and saw that the pencil case was made of blue silk and lined with yarn, just the right size to hold pens, inkstones, and stationery. He suddenly remembered how he had teased her not long ago about the object in her hand that looked neither like a purse nor a bag. He then realized that she had prepared it for him long ago, and his heart softened.
He carefully picked up the pencil case and examined it closely. His eyes fell on a corner, where he saw two words embroidered crookedly: Du Heng.
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