Chapter 5 (2/2)

”Sister, if you don't tell me quickly, I will bite you!”  Qian Ying Ying lowered her head and made a biting gesture.

Hua Ming Zi looked at her and burst into laughter.  Then she told her the truth.

”Brother Mei really treats me differently from other people and because of this, I told him my true ident.i.ty is Hua Ming Zi and not your cousin sister.  You also know the reason why I am anxious to get married recently, which is to have children and give my Father some comfort.......  It is because the doctor said my Father may not live longer than a month.”

Hua Ming Zi became silent for a while and then she gripped Qian Ying Ying's hands which were stretched out to her in comfort.

”Although Brother Mei wants to marry me, it is also unknown how long he will live.  What if he dies earlier than my Father, will my Father be able to take it?........”

Hua Ming Zi stopped speaking and asked Qian Ying Ying who was using her embroidered handkerchief to wipe her tears.

”Why are you crying?......”

”Mei Gongzi is so pitiful......beautiful people have unfortunate lives.  I pity him for losing his love.......”

Qian Ying Ying cried even more.  Hua Ming Zi looked at her tears and could not understand why she was feeling so sad.  Everyone eventually will have to die.  This is the reason why she works so hard.  The days in life are limited and life should be lived to the fullest every day to be worthy of oneself.

”Are you so heartless that you won't see Mei Gongzi again?”  Qian Ying Ying said while twisting her embroidered handkerchief.

”What are you talking about?!  There are no feelings of a man and a woman between us.  He is only a good friend who I can talk to.”

”Since Mei Gongzi has given his heart to you, he will definitely want to see you more often.”

Hua Ming Zi picked up a cup of tea at the side to rinse her mouth.  After rinsing with several mouthfuls of tea, she already had no intention to eat again.

A lot of times, when she looked at Brother Mei's expression, she often could not detect any liking for her instead she could only detect envy.  But what did Brother Mei envy her for?  With just a look, every brick and every tile in Qingcheng Mountain Villa exuded extreme wealth.  Probably she was thinking too much.

”Mei Gongzi is so pitiful.  Do you intend to let him die with a grievance in his heart?”  Qian Ying Ying sniffed and felt like crying again.

”Today you did not come especially to see me just to have a leisure talk with me on this matter, did you?”

Hua Ming Zi impolitely interrupted her words.  In her mind, she was already going over the things she had to do.  ”I just returned home today.  Later, there are still hundreds of things waiting for me to do.  The sooner I finish them, the earlier I can go home to accompany my Father.”

”Sister, you are at it again!  Every time when we talk, you will always say you have a lot of things to do.”  Qian Ying Ying pouted but she still obediently said.  ”Today I came purposely to ask a favor from you.  My Mother went to the temple to seek a spiritual sign* and she was advised not to travel this month, so she can't accompany me to the Banquet tomorrow.  Therefore, my Mother told me to come and request for Sister to accompany me instead.  Fortunately, you have returned today.”

(Spiritual Sign - The actual word used here is Qiu Qian and it is the act of requesting a divine guide or spiritual sign using a wooden cylindrical container with wooden sticks marked with numbers.  The wooden container is shaken in front of the altar whilst making a wish or asking a question and when a wooden stick falls out, that will be the answer or the spiritual sign.  Questions asked can be on work, love, children, marriage, etc., and the answers will be on the slips of paper corresponding to the number on the stick.  The explanation is usually written in the form of a poem and there will be a person sitting nearby to explain the poem for a small fee. There are still temples that offer this kind of  service.)

Hua Ming Zi nodded but she did not agree immediately.

Madam Qian was fully aware of her and Qian Ying Ying's good relations.h.i.+p and although Madam Qian did not stop them from being friends, however, she was still afraid that Hua Ming Zi's powerful name as Hua Dangjia would affect Qian Ying Ying's marriage.  So, when they were outside, she allowed them to address each other as cousins.

(TA:  I am not sure why HMZ's name would affect QYY's marriage as the Author did not explain.  For them to be friends or cousins, it should not affect QYY greatly.)

Originally, Hua Ming Zi had wanted to pay a visit to the Ying Mansion tomorrow to discuss the possibility of her marriage with Ying Xue Wen.  Now, she feels maybe she should have a simple discussion with Ying Yan Long at the Banquet first to see whether they share the same consensus and also to simplify some matters.  Of course, when they reach Qingcheng Mountain Villa, she will pay a visit to Brother Mei.  Although she is unable to marry him, the two of them are still friends and she does not want the frail man to have any regrets.

”Alright, I will accompany you.”  Amidst the cheers of Qian Ying Ying, Hua Ming Zi gave the girl a knock on her head.  ”The next time you come to visit me you have to settle the main matter first.  This is the proper way to handle things.”

”It doesn't matter whether I tell you earlier or later, as long as I've told you.  Besides, are you not curious how Ying Yan Long looks like?  This is a chance for you to take a look.”  Qian Ying Ying said.

”Why should I be curious?  I am not marrying him.”  Moreover, she had to discuss with him the marriage between her and his brother, so they would meet sooner or later.

”Sister, you are really boring.”

”Hurry, go and look for other entertainment to fill your time.  I will not send you off.”

She really has a lot of things to do.

”Sister, you are really heartless.  I had used a lot of effort to design the new short coats for Hua Ji Restaurant.  Take a look......”  Qian Ying Ying quickly held up the paper scroll in her hands.

”The matter of the short coats is not so urgent for the moment but the matter of Hua Ji Restaurant......”

”Just give me a time span equivalent to the time of drinking a cup of tea, and I will finish speaking.  No, just the time of half a cup of tea will be enough and I won't delay you.”  Without blinking, Qian Ying Ying stared at Hua Ming Zi and tugged her sleeve.

Hua Ming Zi sighed.  What else can she do?!  She could only sit down and listen to Qian Ying Ying talk enthusiastically about the benefits of the short coat she had just designed.  Towards this kind of amicable relations.h.i.+p that is not harmful, there was no way she could resist.

However, the more she looked at Qian Ying Ying's short coat design, the more interesting it seemed.  The color and tailoring were both attractive and elegant.  It seems this little girl is also talented in business.

”Ying Ying, are you interested in designing clothes for the various shops?  Sister can help by funding you to open a shop......”

”You must not!  I don't want to be like Sister who is busy every day.  I want to continue to be a wealthy idler and occasionally let you marvel at my skills.”  Qian Ying Ying's emerald hairpin shook violently.

Hua Ming Zi shrugged and did not comment.  After all, Qian Ying Ying is going to marry sooner or later and not every husband is tolerant of a wife who has a successful career.

However, if Qian Ying Ying marries Ying Yan Long in future, and she has successfully recruited Ying Xue Wen as her husband, then both she and Ying Ying will be sisters-in-law which can be considered as something good.

She hopes that Ying Yan Long is really like the rumors said........a humble gentleman.

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