Xu Di followed his mother to the Li family and saw the little girl following behind Madam Li in front of the hanging flower gate. She would be his wife in the future.
The little girl looked at him timidly, her eyes full of curiosity. With a hint of shyness, she forced a calm smile at him, but her face immediately turned red, her little face as red as a big apple.
Xu Di didn't feel embarrassed or shy at all. He was mentally quite old and had been on many blind dates, so he was quite experienced. This blind date was really special, only ten years old. No matter how he thought about it, he felt a sense of guilt. But that's the kind of environment we live in now. Everyone wants to settle their marriage early to avoid being caught off guard later. Besides, if he got engaged now, he could still control his marriage. Who knows who would use his marriage in the future? When that time came, he wouldn't know whether he would marry a nobody or a nobody.
After the two ladies finished their meeting, they had their children help each other with their luggage. The two young girls from the Li family, along with Madam Li's pregnant daughter-in-law, performed a curtsy to Zhang Zhaoci. Xu Di and Xu Zhi also bowed to Madam Li. Then, the two ladies joined hands and began to walk into the house.
Xu Di followed behind and saw the Li family's daughter-in-law and eldest daughter covering their mouths and laughing at him. Xu Di was not annoyed and smiled back at them in a generous manner, which made the two of them blush. The youngest daughter of the Li family kept blushing and followed behind Madam Li.
Madam Li invited Madam Xu to take a seat. The two ladies huddled together and whispered among themselves. Madam Li saw her second daughter following behind her and said with a smile, "Yuexi, the red plum tree we planted in the backyard hasn't bloomed much this winter. Why don't you take Young Master Xu to see it? It's cold outside, so wear more clothes and don't catch a cold."
This gives the two children their first chance to chat, which is already quite rare. Many people don't even know what their other half is like until their wedding night. It's really like gambling. The person you're going to spend your life with becomes a couple through an arranged marriage, then lives in the same house, and continues to have children and spend the rest of your life together.
Yuexi blushed even more, and her two fair ears turned red as well, but she still gracefully gave her mother and Zhang Zhaoci a curtsy before walking outside. Xu Di saw this and also bowed to his two mothers before following the young girl out of the house.
When this courtyard was built, Xu Di had come to see it. He knew that the Li family now lived in the front four courtyards, and the small courtyard at the back was the entrance to the underground granary. The Li family had sealed off the moon gate between the fourth and fifth courtyards and instructed their family members not to come here. The back courtyard that Li Yuexi brought Xu Di to was the third courtyard. This courtyard was used as a guest room by the Li family. There was a plum tree planted in the courtyard, and a few plum blossoms were blooming on the tree. The cold wind carried a few plum blossom fragrances, which made people feel much more clear-headed.
Coming to see the plum blossom tree was just an excuse to create an opportunity for the two of them to meet alone. Xu Di understood this, and Li Yuexi knew it too.
Li Yuexi, wearing a red cotton cloak, stood under the tree, constantly grinding the snow under her feet with her toes. It had snowed again a few days ago, and the snow in the yard had been cleared, but the snow near the plum tree hadn't been cleared much. Some of the snow that had been swept up was even piled up under the plum tree.
Xu Di didn't know what to say, but since he was a man, he couldn't expect a young girl to speak first. So he cleared his throat and said, "Miss Li, has Madam Li told you about our relationship? We're still young. In a few years, after we get married, we'll be people who will spend our lives together. I think there are some things we should clarify as soon as possible."
Li Yuexi kept nodding. She didn't know what to say to Xu Di, so she could only let him say what he wanted to say.
Xu Di said, "Although my family comes from a marquis's mansion, we are different from those families. My parents are excellent parents who don't care much about social status. My mother likes you very much. She says that you are not only good-looking but also have a great personality, which pleases her. My mother strongly advocated for our marriage because she believes that you and I will live a good life together in the future."
Hearing this, Li Yuexi blushed even more, staring down at her toes. Xu Di sighed inwardly, but there were still some things he had to say.
Xu Di said, "Don't worry, I will definitely protect you from now on." This reassured Li Yuexi, and she finally raised her head and looked at the somewhat thin boy standing in front of her. Because of the cold weather, his nose was a little red from the cold. She nodded with a blush and said, "Thank you, Brother Xu."
Xu Di then laughed and said, "Alright, there's nothing else to say. Let's treat each other as relatives for now, and you can get to know me better. In a few years, once I pass the imperial examination, we'll get married. I've already thought about it. After we get married, we'll travel around to see the beautiful landscapes of our country, and then go back to prepare for the metropolitan examination."
Xu Di chattered on and on about his thoughts to Li Yuexi, who listened with a blush and a smile until her sister-in-law came to call them. Only then did the two of them return to the front yard.
Everything went smoothly, and everyone had a peaceful Spring Festival. After the Lantern Festival, Zhang Zhaoci and Xu Di asked an elderly and highly respected staff member from the General's Mansion to act as matchmaker and propose marriage to Xu Di at the Li family.
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