Liu Ziqi was very happy to see that she agreed to stay for dinner. He picked up dishes for Yu Jiao several times during the meal. Although the two of them didn't communicate much, Liu Ziqi always had a faint smile on his face, and he secretly memorized all the dishes that Yu Jiao picked up more often with her chopsticks.
After the meal, Yu Jiao sat down and drank tea with Liu Ziqi for a while. Liu Ziqi told her who were the current members of the Liu family.
Yu Jiao was not surprised that Liu Ci Fu had a wife. Liu Ziqi was the son of that lady. Besides him, that lady had two daughters. The eldest daughter, Liu Yaozhen, was already married. Now there was only the second daughter, Liu Yaoyu, left in the family. She was one year older than Yu Jiao and was not yet engaged.
Liu Ci Fu did not take a concubine, so Yu Jiao's mother, Runiang, could only be considered Liu Ci Fu's mistress.
Liu Ziqi said this, holding Yu Jiao's shoulder and said, "In my father's eyes, he doesn't care about the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children. We are all his children, all the same. You don't have to be afraid. When you arrive in the capital, my father will register you under my mother's name, just like Yaoyu, a legitimate daughter of the mansion."
Yu Jiao didn't care about this. She was originally occupying Meng Yujiao's body. These relatives were really strangers to her.
"Grandfather passed away early, and there is still grandmother in the mansion. She has been vegetarian and chanting Buddhist scriptures all year round. She is very kind and loves us young people very much." Liu Ziqi said, "Grandmother likes quietness just like you. After returning home, if you like grandma, you can visit her often."
Yu Jiao nodded. Chen Yu's words today were a reminder to her. Yu Jiao said, "After returning to the capital, can I still decide my own marriage?"
If someone else heard what Yu Jiao said, they would definitely think that this woman was ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. Since ancient times, marriage has always been a matter of parents' orders and matchmakers' words.
But Liu Ziqi smiled dotingly and said, "Of course it's up to you. If it's not the person you like, and you don't want to marry, no one can force you."
When he said this, Liu Ziqi thought of Yu Qizhe, and then he said, "But even if you decide on your own, it has to be someone who can protect you for the rest of your life, otherwise I won't agree."
Liu Ziqi completely ignored Liu Ci Fu and Madam Liu, as if the two of them had no control over him at all.
In fact, Yu Jiao had long felt that it was a bit strange that Liu Zi was expecting her. They didn't seem like half-siblings at all, but more like real siblings from the same mother.
When Yu Jiao left the inn, Liu Ziqi saw her out the door and said, "I will pick you up at Sophora japonica Lane tomorrow morning. I have prepared food and clothes, so you don't have to worry about packing."
Yu Jiao nodded. She had to admit that Liu Ziqi was very considerate and always careful when talking to her. He took the trouble to explain things to her. In fact, she was not that fragile. As they spent more time together, the unfamiliarity would disappear.
Liu Ziqi watched Yu Jiao walk away and until her figure disappeared, then he turned around and went back to the inn.
A man and a woman in the distance stopped for a long time and witnessed this scene.
"Brother, that woman just now was Meng Yujiao, right?" Chen Rou asked, clutching the handkerchief.
Chen Zhiqing looked in the direction of the inn for a long time before he looked away. He nodded, "It should be her."
Chen Rou's beautiful eyes flashed with jealousy, "Yu Qizhe went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, but she is so popular that she even hooked up with another man. I just saw that the man was well-dressed. I don't know what's so good about her that she is so popular with men!"
Chen Zhiqing recognized Liu Ziqi and said, "That man...is not ordinary. I met him when I was in Qingzhou. He is familiar with the Qingzhou prefect Yang Yuanchen. He is from the capital. I don't know where he came from."
Upon hearing that he was a young man from the capital, Chen Rou also became interested, "Brother, his family should also be officials, right?"
Chen Zhiqing nodded, "Of course he is, but I don't know what the relationship between Meng Yujiao and him is."
Chen Zhiqing thought back to the day of the poetry gathering. He was reluctant to spend money, so he did not go to Fuyun Pavilion with Shao Zhong for dinner. However, Yu Qizhe went there. Shao Zhong invited Miss Yang, and Meng Yujiao also went to Fuyun Pavilion with Miss Yang and the others.
Now that she thought about it, Meng Yujiao must have met the young man at Fuyun Pavilion.
Chen Zhiqing couldn't help but feel a little regretful. If his family had prepared more money for him during the provincial examination, when Shao Zhong asked him to have dinner at Fuyun Pavilion, he would not have dared not to go because of his lack of money.
As a result, he missed the opportunity to make friends with those two noble young men from the capital.
“Yu Qizhe’s ability to stand in front of the Qingzhou prefect is due to the acquaintance of Meng Yujiao and Miss Yang. Arou, this time when you and I go to the capital for the imperial examination, you must make more useful friends. My brother’s future will depend on your help.” Chen Zhiqing retracted his gaze, suppressed his jealousy of Yu Qizhe in his heart, and whispered to Chen Rou.
Chen Rou smiled slightly, raised her hand to lift a strand of hair hanging beside her ear, and said softly, "Brother, am I not as good-looking as Meng Yujiao? She has a very annoying personality and her words are not pleasing to others. If I had the opportunity to meet those nobles, she would not have a place!"
Chen Zhiqing laughed and looked at Chen Rou and said, "My Ah Rou is naturally the most beautiful. She is worthy of being a prince or a noble."
Chen Rou smiled contentedly.
During this period of time, Chen Zhiqing talked a lot with Chen Rou, describing the capital as a place of wealth and splendor. With a beautiful appearance like Chen Rou, she should not be confined to a small mountain village and find a random country bumpkin. Unless he was the son of an official, he would definitely not be worthy of her.
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