AST 1528 - Everyone Needs Kinship, Friendship, and Romantic Relationships (2/2)
There were 4 ladies and 6 men among them. Among the 4 ladies, there was Qin Qing and the lady who made the comment earlier, as well as 2 other graceful, married women.
Among the 6 men, Qing Shui recognized Qin Chuan and Qin Shan, and from the looks of it, it seems like they were all Qin Baifo’s wives and children!
Looking towards the lady who laughed earlier, she looked like she was in her 20s, and younger than Qin Qing. Even so, she was also good looking, her bright eyes had a glint of wittiness to them. Her figure was slender, obvious that she had developed well, and she seemed cheerful in personality.
Qin Qing naturally introduced them again. These were Qin Baifo’s 8 children and the 2 women were his wives. Qing Shui was already told that Qin Qing’s birth mother had passed away.
The lady who laughed was called Qin Ying. She was the youngest in Qin Qing’s generation, and among their siblings, they were the only 2 ladies. In Qin King Manor, the daughters were more pampered than the sons.
Qing Shui took out a few gifts for each of them that he had prepared beforehand. Seeing Qing Shui with this gesture, Qin Qing was inwardly happy but she didn’t express it.
“Wow, Brother Shui’s drawing is magnificent. Can you draw one of me too?” Qin Ying observed the portrait of Qin Qing and asked in glee.
“Sure, but it might not be as good as this.”
“Why not? Why is my sister’s portrait so well drawn?” Qin Ying blinked in curiosity.
“I could vividly picture your sister even with my eyes shut. It was like there’s an invisible force guiding me as I drew. This is only our first meeting so why don’t you wait a while before I draw you a portrait?” Even though his words were exaggerated, there was still an inkling of truth.
“Oh, I understand, so you like my sister!” Qin Ying exclaimed loudly, and Qing Shui thought that she must have done so deliberately.
They had lunch together. None of the women from Qin Chuan’s generation, as well as the other four generations, came. They were planning to come by only in the afternoon.
Qin Qing was an exceptional case in the Qin King Manor; since she had brought a man home, then others would approve of her choice accordingly. The relationship between the brothers in Qin King Manor was cordial, and Qing Shui liked the feeling very much.
When afternoon came around, a few dozen young people came. They were even younger than Qin Ying, some were even underaged. There were 5 women; they were the women of Qin Chuan and the others, as well as the primary wife.
These women were all beautiful and the gifts Qing Shui gave were to help them in retaining their youthful looks. For the kids, there were toys and snacks, and for Qin Chuan and the others, he gave medicinal pills that would help increase cultivation…
Gifts were the best at closing the distance in relationships. It was the intention and thought behind the gifts that counted, not just about giving things away.
“Oh right, Sister Qing. You mentioned about an elderly who needs my help. Who’s that?”
“Oh, it’s my grandfather. Let’s go, I’ll bring you to meet him.” Qin Qing laughed. With a wave, they both bid their farewells to the others.
“Sister Qing, your family members are really friendly!” Qing Shui chuckled.
Qin Qing was gloomy about it; she hadn’t expected it to be this way. It was as if they had trouble marrying her off. With a huff, she said, “Don’t assume that I like you just because my family does.”
“Sister Qing, you look beautiful even when you’re angry!”
Qin Qing knew better than to respond; she would hardly gain an edge bantering with this man.
In no time at all, the two of them stopped by an exquisite courtyard. It was tranquil, as though it was far away from the hubbub of the city. It seemed isolated here; there’s was a river to its side and looked more like a resort.
There weren’t many people that passed by here and there weren’t many pedestrians either. The area was mostly occupied by elderly who preferred serenity. The river here wasn’t big, but it was still at least a few meters in width. You could see people fishing by the shore…
Qin Qing walked into a small courtyard not far from the river. There were huge Weeping Willows in front of it. They were thick in circumference; even with a few people, it may not be enough to link their arms to wrap around one of them.
A gentle breeze blew, and Qing Shui thought the place seemed decent. Entering the courtyard, he saw a man laying on a deck chair with his eyes closed.
The old man wasn’t that tall in stature, but he still felt like a huge monster, a snoozing lion of sorts. It was the spiritual conflict at work.
“Little Qing’er is back!” A benevolent voice sounded and the old man opened his eyes, smiling at Qin Qing.
When Qing Shui saw the old man, like the sea, he was overwhelmed by a profound feeling. The old man was unfathomable but after a quick look at him, Qing Shui knew that he wasn’t sick. Instead, Qing Shui realized that the old man was dying.
Qin Qing introduced Qing Shui to the old man who was just as friendly, but not to the extent of Qin Baifo and the rest.
“Grandfather Qin! How do you do?” Qing Shui greeted with a smile.
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Note: Dear patreons, we will be slowly transiting advance chapters to in-house during the month of may. The transition is supposed to come fully online at the start of june.
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