Chapter 73 The choice was something the younger brother had specially arranged for his son, Zhengqing, back then...
"Why are you looking like this?" Zeng Yong looked Huiying up and down, surprised.
Huiying subconsciously looked down, her gaze falling on the specks of mud on her skirt. She mumbled, "Just now... on the way here, I accidentally tripped and fell..."
Sigh, I can't exactly tell Dad that my sister-in-law tackled me, can I?
Just then, she ran to the vicinity of the pond and heard a desperate cry from behind:
"Huiying—"
She had just turned around and was still looking around when a dark figure pounced on her. Then everything went black, and she was thrown face-first to the ground.
Ouch!
Before she could recover from the excruciating pain, someone above her held her tightly, like a mountain pressing down on her, binding her like a crab from Yangcheng Lake. She cried out in a sob, "Waaah! Huiying, you can't kill yourself!"
Who wants to die?
Huiying's ears were ringing, and the weight on her back made it hard for her to breathe: "Let go, let me go!"
“No!” “Taishan” refused decisively. “I can’t just watch you die!” She hugged him even tighter.
Huiying then realized that this was a ridiculous misunderstanding, and she blamed herself for not explaining it clearly to Qingduo at the time. She immediately explained, "I was inspired by you to decide to go to my father and let him know my thoughts. I didn't want to commit suicide!"
Qingduo on her back didn't react for a moment until Huiying said helplessly, "Sister-in-law, can you get up? I really can't breathe." Only then did Qingduo hurriedly get up, pull Huiying up, and accompany her to Zeng Yong's place, standing outside the door to encourage her.
"What's the rush? Why did you have to come all this way to find me?" Zeng Yong asked, frowning.
Her knees were still throbbing, but Huiying had no time to pay attention to them. Her heart was pounding, her hands were twisting together, and a thousand words were stuck in her throat. She didn't know where to begin, so she could only call out again, "Father."
"If you came here to talk to me about that man, then don't say a word!" Zeng Yong's voice suddenly turned stern. "You're a young woman, running around and meeting men casually. What if he has bad intentions? Your whole life will be ruined! You'll squander the reputation that our Zeng family has built up over generations!"
Huiying met her father's gaze, her voice trembling: "But I met Brother Yin, and it didn't damage the Zeng family's reputation! Our relationship is completely aboveboard! Father, if I've done something wrong, you can scold me, and I won't complain at all. You know I'm not the kind of child who refuses to admit her mistakes. But now, where exactly did I go wrong?"
"I just met someone I like and want to spend my life with him!"
She took a half step forward, her tone becoming more resolute: "But you, you know perfectly well that I have someone else in my heart, yet you insist on breaking us up and forcing me to marry a complete stranger, someone I don't even like. Is it just because his father is in officialdom that you think this marriage is perfectly suitable, without even considering my feelings?"
Her eyes welled up with tears as she asked painfully, "Are you doing this for me, or to please the Zeng family through my marriage?"
"What are you saying? Are you accusing me?" Zeng Yong said angrily.
"I didn't!" Huiying cried, tears streaming down her face. She stubbornly declared, "Father! I won't marry that man!"
"What do you know, you're just a kid?" Zeng Yong's face darkened. "Lord Wang Zhiyuan is a compiler in the Hanlin Academy and is appreciated by the Emperor. He's about to go to Wuzhou to preside over the provincial examination! Our two families can form a marriage alliance and use the Wang family to open up opportunities in the officialdom!"
"His son is even more remarkable. He passed the imperial examination at a young age and is considered a promising young man. His future achievements will surely surpass his father's! As for the boy you like, who knows when he will pass the imperial examination!"
Seeing Huiying's aggrieved look, his voice softened: "Ying'er, your father is the head of the Zeng family, and there are many things I cannot do without considering the family. It's not that I haven't considered your happiness. I've met your future husband. He is upright, well-educated, and handsome. He is definitely not a vulgar person."
"Besides, the Wang family's financial resources are average. In the future, they will definitely rely on our Zeng family for help in many things. If you marry into the family, they will not neglect you."
He comforted you, saying, "Don't be afraid! Your father will always be there for you. Even after I pass away, you'll still have your older brother and sister. If you ever encounter difficulties, will they abandon you?"
"Of course, you are intelligent and virtuous, and you will manage your life well."
“But none of what you’re saying is what I want!” Huiying insisted. “I don’t want to be an official’s wife! I don’t care whether the Zeng family has officials as a backer! Even if the Zeng family really needs a backer, why can’t my brothers take the exams themselves? Why do they have to use my marriage to get one?”
“Father, I really didn’t mean to blame you,” Huiying said earnestly. “I know you have your reasons, and I understand you’re doing this for the Zeng family. I just feel this marriage is a win-win situation for both of us. But from my perspective, this isn’t what I wanted!”
"I don't want to spend my whole life on a 'comfort' that I don't want!"
"Why don't you agree to the suggestion your elder brother made? Yin Lang is willing to marry into the family. Although he doesn't have any official rank yet, I believe that with his talent, he will achieve it one day."
As if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath and said, "You have always hoped that someone from the Zeng family could pursue a career in government. I am willing to take on this responsibility. From now on, I will manage the Zeng family, cultivate the next generation, and fulfill your wish."
"As for our family business in Luzhou, I can handle it too. When my second aunt first came into the family, she knew nothing about business either. She learned slowly and gradually got the hang of it, eventually managing the shop very well. If she could do it, so can I! I will also protect and improve our business!"
Zeng Yong, unable to bear it any longer, pointed at her and cursed, "Foolish!"
"I think you're determined to be with that man! You'll regret it later!"
"Does marrying the person you chose mean I'll never regret it? I feel so choked up right now. If I really marry him, I'll be marrying him with regret. Even if I find out I've entrusted myself to the wrong person in the future, that's a matter for later. How can one predict everything in life? When that time comes, I'll be able to bear the consequences."
"No matter what, marrying him is my choice now, and I will follow my heart!"
In a daze, Qingduo's words echoed in her ears again, each word giving her boundless strength: "If you don't even have the courage to stick to your own choices, how can you expect others to do the same?"
Zeng Yong looked at his daughter and felt a sense of unfamiliarity. His youngest daughter was always quiet and reserved. He had always thought she was soft-hearted and lacked assertiveness. Only today did he suddenly realize that his daughter also had her own plans.
When she encounters what she wants, she is more determined than anyone else; she will not back down.
Zeng Yong leaned back in his chair and let out a long, heavy sigh, as if trying to expel all the weariness that had suddenly welled up inside him. He closed his eyes briefly, then felt a warmth on his legs. Opening them, he saw Huiying kneeling on the floor, her head resting on his knees. She looked up at him and said:
“Back then, because our family had no connections, we were ostracized and suppressed by other merchants. To make matters worse, my second uncle got into trouble, and the whole family was counting on you. You lived up to our expectations and pulled through on your own. You told me this story many times, and I have seen and remembered everything you have done over the years. I think my father is amazing, and I have always been proud of you.”
"Father, you raised me all these years, how could I bear to go to another family and be a filial daughter to strangers?" Huiying's eyes were filled with tears.
"I just want to stay by your side, continue to be there for you, keep you company, and share your worries at home. From now on, I will take over the responsibilities of our family, manage it well, and make the Zeng family better and better, so as not to let you down after all these years of hard work."
Her voice trembled: "Father, please don't send me away!"
Zeng Yong stared at his youngest daughter, his mind reeling, as if time had shifted and he had returned to the past. Little Huiying, whose teeth hadn't fully grown in yet, was just like that, hugging his legs and pleading, "Father, tell me again, tell me again!"
The eldest and second eldest brothers standing nearby laughed, "We're already tired of hearing it, only Ying'er can't get enough!"
He stroked Huiying's little head and said affectionately, "She's still young! Unlike you all who have been listening for years! Alright! I'll tell it again just for Ying'er!"
The light and shadow of yesteryear gradually faded from my sight like a thin mist. But the warmth in my hands slowly spread through my heart, filling it completely.
Zeng Yong stroked Huiying's hair, meeting her pleading eyes. From the past to this moment, he had never been able to refuse her, to refuse his daughter.
*
Zeng Yong relented and promised Huiying that he would no longer discuss the marriage with the Wang family.
As for the man named Yin Heng, although Zeng Zhengqing praised Yin Heng highly, Zeng Yong decided that he still had to meet him in person first before considering whether to invite him to his door.
Huiying was overjoyed that he was willing to cancel the marriage with the Wang family. She stood up and hugged him tightly, saying repeatedly, "Thank you, Father! Thank you, Father! You are the best! You are the greatest! You truly deserve to be the person I have always admired!"
Seeing his daughter's happy smile, Zeng Yong's serious face softened. After Huiying flew lightly out of the house, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and let the tea spread on his tongue. Just as he was about to quietly savor the aftertaste, a burst of cheers suddenly erupted outside. He choked on his tea and coughed awkwardly a few times.
A woman was repeatedly calling out something, and her voice sounded familiar. He listened intently:
"Great Huiying! Wise Huiying! Brave Huiying!"
What? It's great too.
That wasn't all; she also shouted:
"Huiying will definitely win!"
What utter nonsense!
Zeng Yong paused for a moment, put down his teacup, and went to the door to find out what was going on.
As far as the eye could see, a woman was holding Huiying, spinning rapidly in the golden sunlight. The skirts of the two women spread out layer by layer with the spinning, like the wings of butterflies dancing, or like a spring breeze blowing, with thousands of flowers blooming in succession, in full bloom.
Even as she gasped for breath, the woman continued to shout with all her might, "Huiying! Huiying! Hui, Huiying!"
Zeng Yong recognized the woman; she was the Tang family's youngest daughter, named Qingduo, whom his younger brother had specially arranged for his son, Zhengqing, to become his wife.
Huiying laughed heartily. The girls' laughter, like swings on a swing, swayed back and forth in the air, bright and fragrant.
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Author's Note: Thursday morning at 7 AM [shy]
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