He Heihu took He Tuyuan to the family that had arranged a marriage for his child with the Du family. After the father and son got off the carriage, their steps were firm and steady, and every step revealed their unquestionable determination.
He Heihu was wearing an elegant dark blue robe that he would not wear on a normal day, with an exquisite belt tied around his waist, looking solemn and majestic.
He Tuyuan followed closely behind, wearing a neat moon-white gown, with a gleam in his eyes.
They came to an ancient courtyard with ivy climbing all over the walls, making it look quiet and secluded.
There are a lot of fallen leaves in front of the door. It seems that this family doesn't like to go out much.
He Heihu took a deep breath and gently knocked on the iron ring on the gate. Soon, an elderly man opened the door with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Who are you looking for? What can I do for you?" asked the old man.
He Heihu smiled slightly and bowed, saying, "I am He Heihu, and this is my son He Tuyuan. We have come to visit your old lady to discuss the marriage between your family and the Du family."
Upon hearing this, the man's face showed surprise, but he quickly regained his composure and invited them into the house. The furnishings inside were simple yet elegant, with several landscape paintings hanging on the walls, revealing the owner's good taste. Although the house no longer looked as wealthy as it once was, its grandeur remained.
After they sat down, a woman who was about the same age as Gu Wanping came out and sat down, supported by her maid.
He Heihu said straight to the point, "Mrs. Qin, the purpose of our visit is to discuss with you the dissolution of the engagement between the Qin and Du families. We understand that this involves the long-standing friendship between our two families, but considering the future and happiness of our children, we believe this is necessary."
After hearing this, the woman frowned and looked a little angry. She tried to suppress her unhappiness before slowly speaking: "Why? Is it that the Du family dislikes our family because we have fallen on hard times and are not as good as before?"
He Heihu immediately waved his hands when he heard this. "No, no, no, no. Mr. Du is a man who values his promises very much. If he didn't, I wouldn't be visiting him today."
The woman glanced at him and asked, "Who are you? The new housekeeper of the Du Mansion?"
"No, no, no, I'm He Heihu from the He family, and this is my son He Tuyuan, who just passed the imperial examination and became the top scorer." He Heihu introduced himself and He Tuyuan, and He Tuyuan nodded to the woman.
"What is your relationship with the Du family? The Du family didn't send anyone to resolve the marriage contract. What are your intentions?" The woman stared at the two people angrily.
"We have no relationship with the Du family for now, but my son is in love with that young lady from the Du family. At first, I didn't know that Miss Du had a child marriage with your son. I know that we are a bit of a bother by coming here so rashly, but there is nothing we can do about it..." He Heihu said a little guilty.
He Heihu started to persuade him again, "Mrs. Qin, I see that the two children have never had any contact. I think you don't want to marry a daughter-in-law who will make your son unhappy, right? I think marriage should be based on mutual love. What do you think?"
"Okay, so you are a love rival. How dare you say this? Even if my son doesn't want it, it was my son who had to propose it. Besides, which eye of yours saw that my son doesn't like that girl from the Du family?" Mrs. Qin stared at He Heihu.
He turned around and scolded He Tuyuan again, "I see you are the top scholar. Is being the top scholar so great? How come you are attracted to someone else's engaged wife?"
He Heihu was a little angry when he heard this. Although He Tuyuan was angry, he felt that now was not a good time to lose his temper. He suppressed his anger and said with a smile, "Mrs. Qin, I know you are doing this for your son's good. Everything is from your son's perspective, but you'd better ask your son if he really likes Miss Du. How can there be feelings between the two of them when they haven't even met?"
He Heihu nodded in agreement. "We understand your feelings very well. I think from the child's perspective, you should ask your son if he likes Miss Du. It would be bad if they become a pair of resentful couples. What do you think, Madam Qin?"
"And we are willing to provide certain compensation, whether it is material or other support. We just hope to give children a chance to make their own choices." He Heihu added.
Qin Guangzu, who was eavesdropping outside, originally thought it made sense, but he felt that the voice sounded familiar. He looked closely at the new number one scholar, and found that it was the one who had snatched the lantern with him that year. Originally, Qin Guangzu thought that this child engagement could be cancelled, as he did not like marrying a woman he had never met. But when he saw that it was this person, he felt in his heart that it should be the girl from that year, and he felt that this child engagement could not be cancelled.
"Mom, we can't cancel it. That was decided by Dad. We can't agree to them!" Qin Guangzu walked in yelling.
When He Tuyuan heard the familiar voice, he turned around and saw that it was an old acquaintance. "It's you, you've lost weight..."
Qin Guangzu didn't expect him to say this, and he was furious. "Don't mention this, I am not the same person I was back then!"
Mrs. Qin asked, "Why? Guangzu, do you know him?"
"Mom, it was this brat who stole my lantern back then!" Qin Guangzu said angrily.
"There was a beautiful woman beside him at that time. I wonder if she was the Du Yinye you mentioned?" Qin Guangzu added.
Upon hearing this, Madam Qin felt that Du Yinye and He Tuyuan might have been secretly in love, and she didn't want such a daughter-in-law. "Guangzu, why don't we just cancel this marriage..."
Qin Guangzu was shocked. "Why cancel it? That was arranged by Dad. Mom, it can't be canceled. Du Yinye is so beautiful!"
Mrs. Qin was helpless and whispered to him, "What's the use of being beautiful? Can it be used to make a living? Look at our family now. We can't even afford to support a few servants, and you've squandered everything. Besides, didn't you say that these two people have been together for a long time? Then why did you marry a slut?"
When He Tuyuan heard this, he said angrily, "Madam Qin, please be careful with your words. Ye'er is innocent and you cannot tarnish her!"
Mrs. Qin originally wanted to curse back, but when she thought of He Tuyuan being the top scholar, she shut up.
Qin Guangzu just wanted to compete with He Tuyuan, and refused to give up the engagement. In the end, he ordered them to leave, "You guys go, we need to rest."
He Tuyuan and He Heihu had no choice but to withdraw from the Qin family first.
"What should we do?" He Heihu was very worried.
"It's okay, Dad. There will always be a way when you reach the mountain, and there will always be a way when you reach the bridge. Let's go find my sister. She is smart and will definitely be able to give us a best of both worlds." He Tuyuan thought of Yi Yami.
"Okay, let's go find Xiaomi. This girl is quick-witted!" He Heihu agreed.
The two people rushed to Yi Ji.
…………
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