By July, Zhong Qingyi's injuries had almost fully healed. No bones were broken, only skin and flesh injuries, so they healed faster. A few days ago, he even went into the mountains to hunt some game and didn't feel any discomfort when he came back.
That day, Zhang Qingyu suddenly came to see Song Zhuiyan. When the latter opened the door and entered, she was stunned for a moment. What a rare guest! Since Zhang Qingyu moved out of the stone house, she rarely came to her house.
Oh dear, thinking about it, it's been more than two years since I last came here. What else could I be but a rare guest?
"Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Zhang?" He didn't bother with formalities and asked directly.
Zhang Qingyu's smile froze for a moment, not expecting the other party to be so direct. However, she quickly recovered and said in a gentle voice, "Miss Song, won't you invite me in? I did come here today to talk to you about something. Shall we go inside and discuss it?"
Judging from Zhang Qingyu's determined tone, she was determined to talk to her, clearly not giving her any room to refuse. Fine, let's hear what she has to say.
"Come in." Song Zhuiyan stepped aside to let her into the courtyard, then closed the gate.
Leading Zhang Qingyu to the main room, Song Zhuiyan poured a bowl of water and placed it in front of her. Then she sat down in the chair opposite her. "Miss Zhang, just say what you need to say." There was no need for preamble. The other party looked down on her, and she didn't like the other party much either. Get to the point and stop with the nonsense.
Perhaps because she had been stimulated at the door earlier, she had become somewhat used to it. Zhang Qingyu took a deep breath and continued to smile.
"Didn't we discover outsiders had broken into the mountains a while ago? Although things have been relatively peaceful since then, given that incident, it won't be long before someone breaks in again. Maybe someone will even come into the village next time. I'd like to know if you and Young Master Zhong have any plans?"
When did she start caring about village affairs? Zhang Qingyu used to stay at home and not care about anything. Suddenly she came to inquire personally. She must have an ulterior motive. What is she planning to do?
"What does Miss Zhang want to know?" Beating around the bush is pointless. Does she want her to guess? She has no time to guess her intentions.
This person is too blunt; talking to her is really annoying. "Miss Song is twenty this year, right? I'm eighteen, and my sister is seventeen. Our Zhang family used to be a prominent and prestigious family, although we've fallen to our current state..."
But my sister and I can't just settle for any random person. There are only so many people in Songlin Village, and their social status isn't suitable for us. Although Miss Song is skilled in farming and hunting, I can tell you're different from the others, and I'm sure you don't want to settle for just anyone.
But dragging it out like this isn't a solution; a woman eventually has to get married, and she can't live like this forever.
Song Zhuiyan blinked, and finally understood. Zhang Qingyu probably saw that Xiaoyu and Xiaomei had gotten married, so she started to worry about her own marriage. Perhaps she had been secretly anxious for a long time, unable to find the right family for her, but had not found a solution.
Now I can't hold back any longer. Eighteen is considered old in ancient times, and if I delay any longer, I'll really become an old maid.
But what does this have to do with her?
“I’m not in a hurry to get married, and I don’t think women have to get married. Anyway, Songlin Village is isolated from the world. Even if outsiders break in, it’s only a few. There are many wild beasts in the deep mountains. You have to be able to save your life to enter the village. I think it’s not impossible for me to live alone without getting married.”
In her previous life, she was already over thirty and still unmarried, but she was doing quite well. Although being alone might have been a bit lonely, everything has its advantages and disadvantages.
You can live a carefree life, with no one to control you and no family burdens. As long as you can endure loneliness, everything will be peaceful and serene.
"You." Zhang Qingyu seemed to be taken aback by her words, but thinking about it, this person was different from ordinary people. She seemed to really not care about worldly opinions, doing what she liked to do as she pleased, and living the life she wanted.
For a fleeting moment, she felt a pang of envy for Song Zhuiyan, but it was only for a moment. She also had her own principles. Her upbringing from childhood instilled in her the belief that she should marry someone from a wealthy family, preferably someone with an official title, so that her later years would be fulfilling.
There is no happiness without marriage. Even if you enjoy yourself for a while, what about the future? Ten or twenty years later, you will still be alone. Even the most beautiful woman will wither away. By then, it will be difficult to get married. Even if you do get married, you will not be able to marry into a good family. You will not have children to take care of you, and your old age will be very lonely.
I disagree. How can a woman not get married?
Zhang Qingyu wanted to say something to change her mind, but seeing the other person's indifferent expression, all her words got stuck in her throat. Oh well, we're on different paths, so it's best to mind her own business.
"Miss Song, do you and Young Master Zhong have any plans to leave the mountain? If so, I would like to join you." This was her real purpose for coming today.
Song Zhuiyan raised an eyebrow and gave her a deep look. "Possibly. She'll probably go out before winter."
Zhang Qingyu's eyes lit up, and she couldn't hide the joy on her face.
"However, we won't bring anyone with us. Wild beasts roam the deep mountains, and even if Brother Zhong and I are skilled in martial arts, we dare not be careless. We don't even know if we can get in and out unscathed, let alone bring people with us. We are not planning to be anyone's bodyguards." The refusal was very decisive.
“Uncle Zhao is also very skilled in martial arts. He can protect us. You don’t need to worry about our safety. Just travel together.” Zhang Qingyu pulled Zhao Zhongnian out.
It sounds nice to say that she and Zhong Qingyi don't need to care about their lives or deaths. If they really don't need to care, why do they have to travel with them? Isn't it just because they want their protection?
They were certain that neither she nor Zhong Qingyi were the type to abandon someone in distress, so they clung to them desperately. If they really did ignore them, who knows how they would be reprimanded.
Under Song Zhuiyan's scrutinizing gaze, Zhang Qingyu's heart tightened. The other party had seen through her thoughts. Although she was somewhat embarrassed, she really had no other choice. The road into the mountains had been blocked by a mudslide, and the only way out was to go through the deep mountains.
“Miss Song, I know you suspect me of having ulterior motives, and I do indeed have my own selfish reasons. But I really don’t want to drag you down. Young Master Ye knows how to make poison, right? I can buy it from him at a high price. With those drugs, the wild beasts won’t dare to approach us, and we will definitely be able to safely cross the deep mountains.”
"Stop talking. I don't agree, and Brother Zhong won't agree either. We're just scouting ahead. Zhang Qingyu, you're willing to risk your life for your own happiness, but why should others risk their lives for you? Your brother is only a few years old. Going into the deep mountains is no joke. Who knows what might happen then?"
"You can bear to see Shen'er suffer like that with you? I can't bear to do that myself." Besides, even if she really manages to leave the mountain safely, is she guaranteed to find a suitable man to marry outside?
The fact that refugees would risk their lives to flee into the mountains shows that they have no other way to survive and have been driven to desperation. It means that the situation outside is terrible, and everyone is too busy trying to escape to even think about getting married.
Zhang Qingyu isn't stupid; on the contrary, she's quite intelligent. How come she can't even figure this out? Is she so desperate to get married?
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