What's wrong with these two?
The two people who were eating melon seeds in the kitchen were a little stunned to see the sweet young couple suddenly part ways. Not only them, Huo Xiaocheng was also a little stunned.
No, did he say something that upset her? Was it a bit abrupt? Perhaps he should have his parents send a matchmaker to propose marriage, but if Chunying wasn't willing to marry him, wouldn't it be even more abrupt to just send a matchmaker directly?
"Brother, did you make Sister Chunying angry?"
As the courtesan turned to go inside, she teased Huo Xiaolong's double chin twice as she passed the kitchen. After she could no longer see Chunying, she quickly ran over to ask Huo Xiaocheng.
"No," the boy replied.
"Then why did you go inside, sister?"
Huo Xiaolong didn't know that this feeling was called gossip. She was eager to know what had happened, but her brother wouldn't tell her.
The boy ruffled his younger sister's hair twice and went home feeling melancholy.
This feeling persisted until dinner at the Huo family home. He Yi was the first to notice that something was wrong with her son. Usually, this child would be all smiles after seeing Chunying, so what was wrong with him today? Why was he so quiet and not enthusiastic about eating?
"Cheng'er, if anything's wrong, talk to the family. Don't keep it to yourself."
Huo Xiaocheng inherited this trait from his father, who liked to keep things bottled up. However, Huo Shuwen was better in that he listened to He Yi and would speak when she asked him to.
"It's nothing, Mom, it's alright, let's eat," the young man tried to gloss over the matter and think about what he had said wrong.
Huo Shuwen didn't care. It's normal for a young man to have worries. He was like that with He Yi back then. If He Yi was a little cold to him, Xiong Ying would be sad for days.
The woman pinched her husband's thigh under the table and winked at Huo Xiaocheng as he finished eating and left.
That's your son. If you don't care, who will? Go and ask him right away.
Huo Shuwen reluctantly put down his chopsticks and followed the boy out.
"What's wrong with you? Aren't you usually quite happy after seeing that girl at the brothel?"
Huo Xiaocheng remained silent, a silence that angered his father.
"Speak quickly!"
He said that so he could go back and continue eating; he was so slow.
"I proposed to her today..."
"ah?"
You two have only known each other for a few days and you're already proposing? Huo Shuwen thinks it's better to have a son than a son. It's not a matter of status or position. You've only known this young lady for a few days and you're already proposing? How presumptuous is that?
"And then?" Huo Shuwen asked.
She didn't agree...and she got angry.
That would definitely make her angry. Any girl would be angry in that situation. Why don't you just say you'd have a child with her?
"oh"
After hearing the reason, Huo Shuwen turned around and went back into the house, repeating what his son had said to He Yi.
The boy was stunned by the commotion inside. This father, who should be his own, why did he tell his mother about such a trivial matter between men?
He Yi nodded, signaling Huo Shuwen to sit down and continue eating with Erhei, and then left the room.
"mother……"
Huo Xiaocheng was a little embarrassed to look at his mother. The thoughts of a young man were written all over his face. He was a little ashamed that he hadn't managed to win over his daughter-in-law.
"A beautiful and graceful lady is the object of a gentleman's affections, and our Cheng'er has grown up too."
The gentle woman gazed at the moonlight, occasionally hearing the cawing of crows from afar, followed by a dark shadow that landed on a withered tree branch.
"You acted rashly," she said, turning to look at her son with a hint of arrogance in her eyes.
He Yi didn't understand. She considered herself quite shrewd, so why were her two children so naive? Was it so hard to say "slowly but surely"?
"Perhaps, Miss Chunying is angry because of her status."
"What's your identity?"
The woman felt the veins on her temples were about to bulge. She took a deep breath, suppressing her frustration.
"Her indenture is still in Madam Cen's hands; in other words, she is of low social status."
"You don't agree, Mother?"
He Yi raised her hand and slapped her son on the back of the head. She really couldn't stand it.
How can you be so stubborn?!
My brain doesn't work when it should, but it works incredibly fast when it shouldn't.
Huo Xiaocheng looked at his mother in astonishment. To be honest, He Yi had never laid a hand on him since he was a child, and she had never even raised her voice at him.
"We are not from a wealthy or powerful family. If it were anyone else, it wouldn't matter, but Miss Chunying, as a mother, can see that and has no objection."
"Then why do you think she's angry, Mother?"
The boy hadn't been able to lean on his mother and talk like this in a long time. Now, the fledgling young eagle also needed some support.
"Perhaps the time was too short, and they felt you weren't sincere enough."
"Mother, how much money do I have with you?" Huo Xiaocheng asked.
What do you want to do?
"Rule her out."
"..."
He Yi felt like she had said nothing at all, as if the person sitting next to her wasn't a person, but even a dog would have understood what she meant.
"Don't rush. Spend more time with her and show her all your sincerity. Cheng'er, Chunying doesn't belong to you, understand?"
The woman had no other choice but to translate and speak frankly to her son, mainly because it was too late to put him back in and have another child.
Yes, the cherry blossoms were never meant to be his.
He himself is trapped in the dream and can't get out...
Even in her dreams, she didn't agree to it, did she?
Huo Xiaocheng seemed to have suddenly understood everything, and transformed back into the spirited young man he once was. He stood up and said to He Yi...
"Mother is right! I should do more to help. Mother, give me some money."
How much do you want?
The Huo family is not short of money now. As long as they don't go out to buy antiques and jewelry, they can still afford it.
"Twenty taels?"
The boy was a little embarrassed; it was somewhat awkward for someone his age to ask his own mother for money.
"Here's fifty taels, go."
He Yi took out a silver note from her purse and handed it to him, saying...
Inside, Erhei and Huo Shuwen had finished dinner. Not knowing whether He Yi wanted to come back and continue eating, the two didn't dare to move and could only sit there staring at each other.
The burly, dark-skinned boy kept peeking out of the house, wondering if his brother was coming back. He was left alone with his uncle, and the atmosphere was incredibly awkward.
Just then, He Yi lifted the curtain and walked into the room.
"What are you two doing sitting here? Go clean up after you're done eating."
"Ah Yi, won't you eat something else?"
I've finished eating.
Upon hearing this, Huo Shuwen rolled up his sleeves, intending to move the things into the kitchen and wash the dishes. Before he could even touch the plates, Erhei had already gathered everything onto himself with remarkable speed.
He got up and walked towards the kitchen, talking as he went.
"I'll take care of it. Uncle and Aunt, you two can rest in the room."
Finally out, Erhei breathed in the slightly pungent air, thinking that in all the time he'd been at the Huo family's house, the only people he felt could spend a lot of time with Huo Shuwen were He Yi and Huo Xiaolong. His uncle never said a word, as if he was tired...
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