Chapter 123 Qin Changgeng, you are disrespectful to your elders...
Dai Li was unaware of the origin of this Hetian jade ring, nor did she understand its significance.
But she wasn't blind; she could see that the box containing the treasure was incredibly beautiful, and she could also see Wei Congmu's narrowed, trembling eyes and the undisguised astonishment on his face.
Dai Li glanced down at the jade ring, then picked up the hanging cord and flicked it with her long fingers. As the jade ring turned, its flawless white color and smooth, oily texture were revealed, as if it were made of solidified milk fat.
It is indeed a rare and precious item.
Dai Li's hand rested on the knot of the jade ring, and she vaguely sensed that Qin Shaozong was glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.
I recently took his marriage certificate. Well, it's not a big deal.
Dai Li withdrew her hand.
Qin Shaozong's smile deepened as he continued to deal with Wei Congmu in front of him.
Wei Congmu tried to hide his shock and forced a stiff smile. He still had to say some polite words: "Time flies. Fifteen years have passed since Fei Niang passed away. The road ahead is long. How can you be trapped in the past and live a life of depression? My father asked me to return Yu Huan. I hope that you, my lord, will find a beautiful woman in the future and grow old with her."
Qin Shaozong's smile became more genuine. "Please thank your father for his kind words."
With a weight lifted from Wei Congmu's heart, and having laid the groundwork, he changed the subject, saying, "I've heard that there have been petty villains causing trouble in the prefecture recently, and they seem to be colluding with the people from Laimo Bookstore. My servants went to that bookstore a few days ago on my orders and had some conversations with them. But I can swear that the Wei family is loyal to the North and has no ulterior motives."
Qin Shaozong grunted in response, but didn't immediately reply.
His attitude caused Wei Congmu to push the boulder he had just moved back down.
What does Marquis Wu'an mean by this? Does he not trust him?
Dai Li glanced at Qin Shaozong and felt that this man was probably plotting something.
As the Qin family's in-laws, the Wei family couldn't possibly be unaware that Qin Shaozong himself utterly despised religious sects. And the more powerful the Qin family became, the less need they had to take risks and do anything that would provoke a tiger.
"Qin San is not young anymore, it's time for him to settle down and start a family. Your father is also getting old, there's a saying 'after sixty, one doesn't want to think about anything else,' go back and tell him that he doesn't need to worry about Qin San's marriage." Qin Shaozong said.
Wei Congmu was taken aback, and then his expression changed drastically.
Marquis Wu'an not only wanted to get the token back, but also wanted to resolve his son's matter as well.
Wei Congmu opened his mouth to speak, but then Qin Shaozong said, "The Chief Secretary just said that the Wei family has no ulterior motives towards the North. How loyal they really are? I'll wait and see."
In the end, it became a veiled threat.
Not long ago, a servant of the Wei family was arrested. His fate is now unknown, and it is also unknown whether he was forced to confess anything.
Obedience is loyalty. Disobedience is rebellion.
It all depends on their single thought.
...
Wei Congmu left, his mind elsewhere.
Dai Li sighed, "Qin Changgeng, you're quite adept at taking advantage of people's misfortunes."
Qin Shaozong smiled enigmatically, "Madam, you are mistaken."
Dai Li thought he would object to the unpleasant label of "profiting from someone's misfortune," but to her surprise, he said, "I started the fire, not took advantage of the situation. This time, I am luring you into a trap, giving you an eye for an eye, and settling the score from back then."
Dai Li: "..."
This person even became proud of it.
"So you should know that I have a very good memory." He changed the subject, "Remember to give me your marriage proposal after the winter hunt."
With the bet in place, Qin Shaozong felt uneasy if he didn't get her "marriage agreement".
Dai Li got up and walked inside. "I understand."
He followed her, saying, "My wife has broken her promises too many times in the past, so I always feel that this 'I know' carries little weight."
"Oh? Since you think it's meaningless, then forget it, pretend I didn't say anything." Dai Li didn't even turn her head.
But as soon as she finished speaking, her arm was grabbed, and an irresistible force pulled her off balance and turned her around.
Previously she had her back to Qin Shaozong, but now she was facing him, trapped against the wall of the side corridor. The servants who served in the main hall had not entered the side corridor, so only the two of them were in the corridor at this moment.
His brown eyes were heavy, as if showing displeasure. "If Madam goes back on her word..."
Dai Li raised an eyebrow. "So, what's the plan?"
In a little over an hour, Zhouzhou's treatment should be over. To put it bluntly, the medicinal herbs are no longer a threat, and her son can go wherever he wants, anywhere in the world.
Her eyes held a hint of provocation, yet also a touch of smugness, as if an invisible fox's tail was wagging high.
Qin Shaozong felt a ticklish, tingling sensation in his heart, as if a tiny claw had scratched at his heart. He plucked a few stray hairs from her temple and poked her soft cheek. "Madam, take back what you just said."
Dai Li deliberately went against him, pursing her lips and remaining silent, her eyes filled with even more provocation.
Seeing this, Qin Shaozong clicked his tongue lightly, "Alright, since Madam is so determined to know, telling you isn't impossible, of course..."
He bent down slightly, whispered the lewd remark into Dai Li's ear, and finished the sentence.
Dai Limu paused for a moment.
At that moment, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. Dai Li subconsciously turned her head to look and saw Qin Qinian and Shi Rongyue standing at the other end of the corridor.
The two cousins both had their mouths slightly open, looking completely dazed.
Dai Li: "..."
Dai Li didn't blush when she heard Qin Shaozong's lewd remark. After all, this man was not only adept at various things in bed, but he could also say anything. She was used to it.
But now, facing the gazes of the two younger people who seemed to be under some kind of shock, Dai Li instantly felt a sense of shame for corrupting minors.
A flush of pink quickly rose to her cheeks, spreading rapidly down her neck. Dai Li pressed her hands on Qin Shaozong's waist and abdomen, pushing him away, saying, "Disrespectful to your elders."
The phoenix-shaped hairpin adorning the woman's hair swayed, and the dangling pearls wobbled violently, a rare occurrence. With that, Dai Li abruptly turned and walked in another direction.
Whether it was the words that were too hurtful or Qin Shaozong's lack of preparation, he was pushed back a step.
The man's face darkened, and he noticed the two younger men not far away. He looked over at them expressionlessly.
From Qin Qinian's perspective, the surroundings suddenly became extremely dark, a cold wind blew around them, and a huge shadow stretched out in front of them. From within the shadow, a pair of terrifying beast eyes radiating red light stared straight at him.
The young man shuddered, instinctively took a step back, then moved another step to the side, standing behind Shi Rongyue.
Shi Rongyue: "..."
"Qin San."
His actions undoubtedly displeased Qin Shaozong, who immediately found an outlet for his anger: "What kind of behavior is it for a grown man to be so timid and cower behind a woman? Come here and come with me to the training ground."
Qin Qinian was struck dumb, his heart filled with despair.
*
Dai Li wandered around the mansion, and just as the sun was about to sink below the horizon, she arrived at Qin Yanzhou's courtyard.
Less than fifteen minutes later, Dai Li saw the door in the distance open.
The first to emerge was Ding Luying. Having not seen him for three days, Dai Li noticed that he looked rather haggard, and even his white beard seemed to have lost its luster.
Of course, it's understandable. These three days have been extremely stressful. Although I'm getting older and need less sleep, I'm bound to have a lot to worry about.
Dai Li bowed to Ding Luying and said, “I will never forget the great kindness that Mr. Ding has shown to Yanzhou. If you ever need any help in the future, I will do my best to help you.”
Ding Luying smiled broadly. He didn't mince words with Dai Li, but instead accepted her kindness, saying, "I hope that the Ding family will never need your help in the future."
Dai Li smiled and shifted her gaze to the side, where she saw a tall figure emerge from the room after Ding Luying.
After not seeing him for three days, Dai Li immediately noticed that her son had lost a lot of weight. His face was pale, and his facial bones were more prominent, making him look thin and frail.
But his eyes shone brightly, as if a mountain that had been weighing on his back had been removed, or as if a dusty sword had been wiped clean, revealing a lightness and cheerfulness different from the past.
Ding Luying stroked his beard and smiled, deciding not to disturb the mother and son, and left with his grandson Ding Lianxi.
“Zhouzhou…” Dai Li was overwhelmed with emotion, feeling that her son had truly come back to life at this moment.
"Mom, I'm all better." Qin Yanzhou's lips curled up slightly, a mixture of shyness and unspoken joy. Compared to his previous stiff smile, he now possessed a rare youthful spirit.
After saying that, the young man lowered his eyes and said, "I'm sorry to have worried you."
Dai Li pretended to be angry and patted her son's shoulder: "What nonsense are you talking about, child? What is there to apologize for? You were under someone else's control and had no choice in the past, but that's all in the past."
Dai Li said solemnly, "Today is the Beginning of Winter, the start of winter, and also the rebirth of Zhouzhou. My son will surely have everything go well for him in the future, and be happy and healthy."
These words seemed to carry immense power, capable of dispelling the clouds and revealing the sun. The young man stood there stunned for a long time, then looked up and gazed into the distance.
The afterglow of the setting sun spread across the entire sky, like an oil painting, magnificent and beautiful. The warm orange light was very soft, like a warm spring without any sharp edges.
Soon, night will fall, and darkness will swallow the light and engulf the earth.
But Qin Yanzhou knew that every day from now on would be bright and clear, without a trace of cloud.
...
"Qin Yanzhou, you've come out of seclusion!" Qin Qinian, who had been dejected, perked up when he saw Qin Yanzhou, his dejection vanished, and he ran up to him happily.
The boy circled him twice, but instead of smelling blood, he caught a fresh scent of soapberry and spices. "Am I just imagining things? You seem to have lost a lot of weight. I heard you had to have bloodletting done for your treatment, and you must have bled a lot, otherwise why would your face be as white as a young lady's... Ouch!"
Qin Yanzhou slowly withdrew his hand, "How can you, the son of a marquis, not even speak properly?"
Qin Qinian clutched his lower abdomen, not refuting the statement. He tilted his head and suddenly exclaimed, "I remember when you first came to Yuyang more than two months ago, you wouldn't respond when I spoke to you, at most just saying 'hmm'. You're quite different now!"
Qin Yanzhou ignored him and continued walking towards the main hall.
Before he returned to Yuyang, he lived in a side room in the main courtyard, where he and his mother ate together.
There were only three of us at the time, so we were too lazy to move.
Later, when they arrived at Yuyang, more and more people joined them. First, the brothers Qin Yunce and Qin Qinian joined, and later Qin Hongying and her daughter Shi Rongyue joined as well.
With so many people, it was no longer appropriate to dine in the main room, so they moved to the main hall.
Qin Qinian was still rambling on, trying to put his arm around him, "Thank you so much in the passage that day. If you hadn't reacted quickly, it would have been the seventh day after Rongrong and I's deaths in a few days! Actually, you already consider me a friend, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have risked your life to save me back then. Tsk, to be honest, you're just cold on the outside, but you're actually quite warm-hearted."
"You're covered in mud, don't touch me." Qin Yanzhou avoided his hand, too lazy to explain.
"I fell in the training ground just now. A real man doesn't need to be so clean," Qin Qinian said nonchalantly. He suddenly remembered something, "Qin Yanzhou, what do you like to eat?"
The topic suddenly shifted, and the young man tilted his head, a hint of doubt in his peach-blossom eyes. "What?"
Qin Qinian scratched his head, unsure of what to say.
At this moment, the two had already entered the main hall.
They arrived neither too early nor too late; everyone except Dai Li and Qin Shaozong was already present.
"Yanzhou is here. I see you are in much better spirits than before. Congratulations," Qin Yunce said with a smile.
Knowing all the inside details, Qin Hongying nodded: "After hardship comes happiness, and a new life is about to begin."
Shi Rongyue glanced quickly at the young man, then lowered her eyes and said congratulations.
Qin Yanzhou nodded in response to their words, "Thank you."
Not long after, Dai Li and Qin Shaozong also arrived.
Seating arrangements in the hall are always particular, with the seat facing the entrance being the most honored and usually the host's seat.
However, Dai Li doesn't like serving individual portions, so they set up a large round table.
Initially, this large round table did not have a turntable. Later, Qin Hongying and her daughter Shi Rongyue arrived, making a total of seven people dining together.
Without a turntable, the dishes are placed far apart, making it inconvenient to pick them up.
So Dai Li had a carpenter make a turntable to place on the table, and then put the dishes on the turntable, which was two sizes smaller than the round table. Apart from Qin Yanzhou, no one else had ever seen it before, and even Qin Shaozong found it very novel.
After sitting down at the round table, the positions have changed, but overall they are largely the same.
Facing out of the main hall were Dai Li and Qin Shaozong. On Dai Li's other side sat Qin Hongying, and next to Qin Hongying was her daughter, Shi Rongyue.
On Qin Shaozong's other side was Qin Yunce, next to whom was Qin Yanzhou; while Shi Rongyue and Qin Qinian sat side by side.
Everyone had arrived, and the food and drinks were ready on the table. But the person at the head of the table didn't immediately start eating; instead—
"Before we begin our meal, I have an important announcement to make," Qin Shaozong said.
Dai Li's brow twitched inexplicably.
Sure enough, the next moment she heard the man beside her say, "My wife and I plan to get married next year on the first day of spring."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Yanzhou suddenly turned to look at Dai Li.
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