Chapter 64 Qiu Xuan's Plans
"Worries? I have no worries." Xue Han pushed Hu Si's hand away and picked up the wine pot.
Hu Si pressed down on the wine pot: "You say you have nothing on your mind? Who drinks like this without any worries?"
"I love drinking it."
Hu Si didn't believe it at all: "If you like to drink, that's not how you drink it."
Xue Han remained silent for a while, then asked in a casual tone, "Hu Si, you're three years older than me, right?"
Hu Si grinned: "Yes, I'm twenty-one this year."
The young man looked at him, his originally clear eyes now hazy from drinking: "You're already twenty-one, how come you're still not married?"
Hu Si's smile froze.
If you ask him that, he's about to start drinking!
Hu Si picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, then slammed the glass down on the table: "Sir, have you forgotten that my parents are no longer here? There's no one to take care of me."
"Feel sorry."
"It's nothing, it's been many years." Hu Si took another sip, his eyes lighting up. "Does Your Excellency ask this because you want to find me a wife?"
Xue Han paused for a moment, then asked, "What kind of girl do you like?"
Hu Si perked up: "First, she has to be good-looking, preferably exceptionally good-looking. Then she has to be generous and straightforward; I don't like people who are coy and hesitant. Finally, and most importantly, she has to be able to provide me with delicious meals and snacks every day, like red bean cakes..."
Xue Han felt increasingly uneasy as he listened.
Why does it sound like Hu Si is talking about Qiu Liu?
As Hu Si was speaking, he noticed Xue Han's silence, scratched his head, and asked, "Sir, am I asking for too much?"
Xue Han gave him a deep look: "There are indeed quite a lot."
"And what about you, sir?"
"I—" Xue Han tightened his grip on the wine glass, "I don't know."
He had never considered getting married, but hearing his adoptive father mention it today filled him with fear—the fear of forming an intimate relationship with an unknown person and becoming inseparable from them.
For example, a foster father.
"How could I not know? Tall or short, round-faced or pointed-faced, plump or slender, lively or quiet, everyone has their own preferences," Hu Si said, puzzled.
As he said these words, a beautiful figure unconsciously appeared in Xue Han's mind.
"Has Your Excellency thought of this?"
Xue Han remained silent.
Hu Si chuckled: "You're thinking of red bean cakes, aren't you, sir? I've always thought you two were a perfect match—"
Xue Han raised an eyebrow: "Red bean cake?"
Hu Si suddenly sobered up: "Ah, this humble servant would like to offer you a toast, come, come..."
Qiu Heng returned to the Yongqing Marquis's residence and invited Qiu Xuan and the others to Lengxiang Residence.
The room, though not incense-filled, is permeated with a sweet, pastry-like aroma.
"Fangzhou made some mung bean cakes and hawthorn cakes, sisters, please try them."
Qiu Fu asked quickly, "Did you find out anything?"
Who's in the mood for snacks?
Facing several tense gazes, Qiu Heng nodded: "I asked someone to investigate the Xiping Marquis's residence."
"Wait a minute, what does this have to do with the Marquis of Xiping's residence?" Qiu Fu asked, puzzled, and casually picked up a piece of hawthorn cake and stuffed it into her mouth.
Sweet and sour.
"Not long ago, a matchmaker came to our door, wasn't it to ask for the second sister's hand in marriage on behalf of the fourth young master of the Marquis of Xiping's family?"
Qiu Fu and the other two nodded in agreement.
They all know about this.
"It didn't work out later because Young Master Zhao had an affair with his cousin—"
"What?" Qiu Ying was stunned.
Qiu Fu and Qiu Yun's expressions weren't much better.
They had vaguely heard that there were problems with the marriage, but they didn't know the details.
"At that time, we found out that the young lady was already pregnant."
"Huh??" Qiu Fu and the other two were dumbfounded.
Qiu Xuan pursed her lips tightly.
"That's the premise." Qiu Heng paused.
Several people looked confused.
Is this... just a prerequisite?
"I just found out that the Lady of Xiping Marquis gave that cousin medicine to induce an abortion. The girl died from postpartum hemorrhage, and Young Master Zhao and his mother had a falling out."
After a while, Qiu Ying finally came to her senses and covered her mouth, exclaiming, "Oh my god!"
Qiu Yun asked in a trembling voice, "Then, what is the connection between that and Second Sister falling into the water—"
"It must be Zhao Si taking his anger out on us!" Qiu Fu said in a deep voice.
Qiu Xuan's voice trembled slightly: "Sixth Sister, is it as Fourth Sister guessed?"
Qiu Heng slowly shook her head: "We can't be sure it was the work of the Marquis of Xiping's family just because we've only found this much information."
Qiu Xuan remained silent for a long time before her voice became steady: "But such a drastic change could easily lead people to act impulsively, wouldn't it?"
Qiu Heng did not answer.
She suspected something was amiss with the Marquis of Xiping's residence, so she investigated and indeed discovered the unusual circumstances. However, this only increased the suspicion surrounding the Marquis of Xiping's residence, and did not confirm anything.
"I think it's Zhao Si." Qiu Xuan clenched her fists tightly.
Qiu Yun whispered, "But there's no evidence."
Even if there is evidence, are we going to take it to court and let people talk about it?
Thinking this, Qiu Yun shook her head: "Second sister, there were so many people on Qixi Festival, this matter won't be clear. You should go out less in the future, and if you do go out, take more people with you."
“No.” Qiu Xuan raised her eyes, her expression resolute. “There’s no such thing as being a thief for a thousand days without being able to guard against them. I want to find this person.”
The man specifically targeted her; it's very likely that Zhao Si, out of resentment over her cousin's death, rejected the marriage proposal.
If I'm not mistaken, this man harbors murderous intent towards her and will marry another woman and harm other girls in the future—it's terrifying to even think about.
"How did Second Sister manage to find this person?" Qiu Ying asked.
"I want to lure the snake out of its hole!" Qiu Xuan said, looking at Qiu Heng.
It wasn't that she wasn't afraid, but she didn't want to live in constant fear from then on, and even if her sixth sister didn't do anything, she would feel at ease.
Qiu Yun's face turned pale upon hearing this: "Luring the snake out of its hole... wouldn't that mean putting yourself in danger?"
Qiu Xuan gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Many times, even if you do nothing, danger will still come."
Because the Lady of Xiping wanted her son to settle down, she chose her, who hadn't done anything.
"As long as Second Sister has made up her mind." Qiu Heng didn't say much about this matter.
Qiu Heng's support made Qiu Xuan even more determined: "Sixth Sister said that the Lady of Xiping Marquis has been going to burn incense frequently lately. Which temple is it?"
"Ganquan Temple".
Ganquan Temple is located within the inner city, making it very convenient to visit and offer incense.
The next morning, Qiu Xuan ran to the room of the second wife, Lan Shi, with a pale face.
"Mother, there's a water ghost! The water ghost keeps pulling on my feet!"
Seeing her usually composed daughter so frightened, Madam Lan's heart sank: "What water ghost? Xuan'er, what are you talking about?"
The maid who had followed Qiu Xuan had tears in her eyes: "Second Madam, the young lady is having a nightmare."
Qiu Xuan threw herself into Lan Shi's arms: "Mother, the moment I closed my eyes I was in the water. I struggled to get ashore, but one hand pulled me down forcefully... Mother, I'm so scared..."
Upon hearing this, Madam Lan realized that her daughter had been frightened.
In this situation, you can either invite a sorceress or Taoist priest to your home to exorcise evil spirits and appease the soul, or go to a Taoist temple or Buddhist temple to worship gods and Buddhas.
It wouldn't sound good for a teenage girl to invite a sorceress, so Madam Lan thought for a moment and comforted her daughter, "Xuan'er, don't be afraid. Mother will take you to the temple to offer incense and pray for peace."
"Mother, I don't want to go too far away."
"Then let's go to Ganquan Temple, it's close by."
Having made her decision, Madam Lan took Qiu Xuan to see the old lady.
(End of this chapter)
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