Qingying leaned back slightly, resting her chin on her hand, quietly appreciating her wonderful expressions.
A greedy heart is the most easily provoked.
Sure enough, after a short while, Feng Ruilan changed her attitude and her voice softened, "What do you want me to do?"
"Don't rush things. To gain your full trust, I'll give you a heads-up first." With that, she beckoned with her finger.
Feng Ruilan leaned closer with suspicion.
Qingying whispered a few words in her ear, and finally said, "Aunt Feng, you should act sooner rather than later, don't give them too much time to dig a hole."
She blinked, half-believing, but nodded nonetheless.
When Qingying returned to the General's Mansion, she saw a man in red standing under a tree in the courtyard as soon as she entered the gate.
"Why are you here?" Qingying asked with a smile as she stepped forward.
Wei Dongchen turned around, her eyes smiling, "At your future mother-in-law's request, I've come to visit her future daughter-in-law."
"Oh? Did you bring me any gifts?"
"You want a gift too? Isn't my presence enough?"
Qingying rolled her eyes. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Wei Dongchen pouted, looking somewhat childish, "I've figured it out, you don't miss me at all after not seeing me for a few days."
"I have too many things to think about, how can I have time to think about you?"
"You won't even say a few nice words, humph."
Qingying chuckled, glanced at him, and said lazily, "Alright, young master, stop fooling around."
"I'm not joking, I'm serious."
Qingying raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Wei Dongchen took out a wooden hairpin, placed it in her hand, and said, "I made this myself, using the finest peach wood. I asked a craftsman to teach me the craft. Although it's not worth much money, it represents my sincere feelings."
Qingying looked down at the peach wood hairpin in her palm. The seemingly simple pattern had taken a lot of thought and effort to create.
A thought struck her, and she looked down. "Hold out your hand so I can see it."
Wei Dongchen immediately put his hands behind his back, dodging the question, and said, "No... there's nothing to see..."
Qingying ignored his excuses, grabbed his hand and turned it over. Sure enough, she saw a crisscross of small wounds on it, as well as scratches from friction on his fingertips.
"Is it really worth it to make a hairpin?" She pouted. "Are you just trying to see if I'll feel bad about it?"
Wei Dongchen looked down at her without blinking and said, "Yeah, so don't you feel even a little bit sorry for me?"
"No!" Qingying released his hand in an annoyed tone.
"The faster you deny it, the more you are admitting it in disguise."
She turned and walked into the house, deliberately making it seem like she didn't want to talk to him.
Wei Dongchen quickly followed, clinging to her like a lapdog wagging its tail, "Second Girl, tell me, admitting it means you care about me..."
Why must I admit it myself?
"There's no particular reason, just do me a favor, okay?"
Qingying was worn down by his nagging and had no choice but to tug at his sleeve and say in a soft voice, "Yes, yes, my dear young master, it hurts my heart to see you hurt your hand while making a hairpin for me."
Wei Dongchen looked down into her clear eyes. Her stunning beauty, coupled with her gentle and soft-spoken manner, was truly captivating.
"How is it? Are you satisfied, Master?" She blinked brightly with a smile.
"Satisfied, satisfied."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, she quickly wiped the smile from her face, walked to the table, sat down, sighed, and said, "Every day, I appease one after another."
Upon hearing this, Wei Dongchen immediately sat down in front of her, his eyes drooping and looking aggrieved, and said, "Who else did you coax before me?"
“Feng Ruilan.” She poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and said softly, “But this kind of coaxing is not the same as that kind of coaxing.”
It was all a deception of Feng Ruilan.
I just hope that Ms. Pan won't disappoint her.
...
Meanwhile, Madam Pan received a letter sent by Feng Ruilan. Without even opening it, she roughly guessed its contents and casually burned it on the fire.
"You can't even sit still after just a few days." She turned her gaze to Pan Hongyu, who was sitting not far away, happily enjoying her tea and snacks, and said with a smile, "My dear sister, you should know what to do, right?"
Pan Hongyu quickly nodded in flattery and said with a smile, "Don't worry, elder sister, I will persuade her gently. If she doesn't comply, we'll tie her up and stuff her into the bridal sedan chair on the wedding day."
Madam Pan nodded in satisfaction, waved her sleeve, and said, "Go."
"yes."
Pan Hongyu boarded a carriage and left the General's Mansion.
When we arrived at Feng Ruilan's house, we saw her lying in a rocking chair, basking in the sun, looking very relaxed.
Seeing her carefree demeanor, completely unaware of what was about to happen, Pan Hongyu felt a rare pang of secret sympathy and guilt.
He sighed silently, thinking to himself: This is not my fault; you can only blame yourself for getting into trouble.
"Second Sister," Pan Hongyu called softly.
When Feng Ruilan saw her, she greeted her with a look of delight, "Sister-in-law, you're here! Is there any news from the General's wife?"
“Yes…” She awkwardly turned her face away, not daring to meet Feng Ruilan’s ardent gaze. “My elder sister has found you a good marriage, and I came here specifically to congratulate you.”
Feng Ruilan happily pulled her to sit down at the table, pouring tea eagerly while asking expectantly, "What kind of marriage is it? What is the other party's family background? How old are they?"
Pan Hongyu thought it over in her mind before saying, "It's a family that Madam personally approved. They have a good family background and a prominent status. Our family was truly marrying into a higher social class."
Feng Ruilan didn't trust Qingying much to begin with, and upon hearing this news, she completely forgot her instructions. She smiled expectantly and said, "Sister-in-law, could you please tell me the other party's family name? I'll write a letter to my family. You'll deserve the most credit for this."
Pan Hongyu hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips guiltily and whispered, "He is Minister Wen's eldest son, and he is... twenty-seven years old. Although he is much older than you, he is in his prime. His wife passed away last year, and although you are marrying into the family as a second wife, you are still his principal wife, no worse than other families."
Hearing this, Feng Ruilan gradually sensed something was wrong, her smile faded, and she asked stiffly, "Does he... have any children?"
"No, no, if you marry into that family, you will give birth to Minister Wen's grandson. You will surely rise in status and have a bright future."
Her expression softened a bit, and after a moment's thought, she said, "Sister-in-law, may I ask my parents before making a decision?"
"No need. I wrote to them a few days ago, and they should have arrived in Ruzhou by now."
"What?!" Feng Ruilan stood up abruptly and demanded, "How could you make such a decision without consulting me first!"
Pan Hongyu glared at her, slammed her hand on the table, and said angrily, "What, am I your sister-in-law and I can't make decisions? Don't you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me by bringing you to the capital this time? I begged and pleaded with everyone for this marriage, and it was finally settled. You should be grateful and accept it, not so ungrateful!"
Looking at her expression, Feng Ruilan felt a sudden chill run down her spine.
It turns out that what Liu Qingying said was true...
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