Chapter 90 - Propose Marriage (1/2)

Shi Qingxue stayed in King Rui’s mansion for a long time. When she came back home, the other ladies had returned from the spring outing dinner.

As soon as she was back, she was asked to go to the East House. Shi Junhe and Dong Hui was talking and laughing happily.

“What’s the matter?” Shi Qingxue moved close to Dong Hui curiously.

Seeing that Qingxue came, Dong Hui concealed her smile and poked her daughter’s forehead with her index finger, asking angrily, “Baoning said you left the Moon Mountain earlier, but you come back till now. What did you do?”

Shi Qingxue felt it was bad. Usually, Dong Hui wouldn’t ask about her whereabouts, but now she asked. Qingxue couldn’t say that she went to King Rui’s mansion. Otherwise, her mother would be more than getting mad.

In secret, she looked at Shi Junhe to ask for help pitifully.

Shi Junhe coughed. Although he also wanted to know where Qingxue had been, he still helped her. “It’s normal for a child to go out for fun. Why did you ask?”

Dong Hui glared at him. “She is not a child anymore. Other girls would stay at home to learn about makeup and etiquette at her age. If in the future, her husband knows that she is still wild and often goes out, what should she do…”

She was striking up the same old tune.

Shi Junhe and Qingxue lowered their heads to listen to the lecture obediently but exchanged glances from time to time.

Shi Qingxue hinted, “Father, when will Mother finish her speech? I can hardly stand it.”

Shi Junhe replied, “I can do nothing. Why did you go out without telling us?”

Shi Qingxue suggested, “How could I tell you when I was outside? Father, tell her to stop. My ears are suffering.”

Shi Junhe couldn’t resist Qingxue’s spoilt manner and had to say, “Well, it’s a good day today. Why did you say that?”

Shi Qingxue was clever and hurried to ask, “Why is it a good day? What happened? Tell me.”

Her questions stopped Dong Hui from saying more. Dong Hui certainly knew what the father and daughter were thinking but still replied happily, “Of course something nice happened.”

“Something nice? What is it? Mother, don’t keep me in suspense, okay?” Shi Qingxue shook Dong Hui’s arm and her eyes were glittering.

Dong Hui could do nothing to her spoilt daughter and said, “Just now your big brother told someone to send a letter to your father. He wants to marry your sister Baoning!”

“Ah?” Shi Qingxue was petrified and couldn’t react.

Dong Hui patted her head and rebuked her, “Ah? Your brother and sister will become a couple. Are you unhappy?”

Qingxue shook her head in a hurry and feared that Dong Hui would misunderstand. “But it is so important to propose marriage. Why didn’t Chi ask Baoning in person?”

He just sent a letter to finish the job? It was different from what had happened in the previous life.

Back then, Shi Baoning was in poor health and often got sick. She seldom left the Jingshu Boudoir, but Wenren Chi proposed marriage perfectly. He expressed his love to Shi Baoning romantically, which made all the other ladies envy. Why was it different in this life?

Qingxue’s casual question made her parents frown and look at each other speechlessly. Shi Junhe finally said, “The marriage is suggested by a matchmaker and decided by parents. Chi pays attention to etiquette and it is natural to ask for my advice first. What’s more, he was transferred at the last minute to guard the mountain for you idle girls today. How could he have time to come here in person?”

Shi Qingxue felt awkward and thought she worried too much, so she changed the subject in an instant. “How about my sister? Does she know? What did she say?”

“She certainly agrees. I have asked someone to choose a lucky date. October 20th is a good day for marriage, and it’s more than half a year later. We have enough time to prepare for the engagement and wedding gifts,” Dong Hui said joyfully. One would doubt that she had planned everything long ago.

While speaking, Dong Hui had another question. “Junhe, Baojin will get married in a few days. Shall we tell Mother about it after her wedding? But time is limited for now. If we mention it after her wedding, we would arrange the gifts in a hurry, and I am afraid that we will make mistakes.”

They had even less than two months to prepare for Baojin’s wedding, and Dong Hui’s words contradicted herself, but Shi Junhe knew that his wife desired to excel over others.

He felt it laughable but still nodded. “It will be in haste indeed, and it is better to talk about it earlier. I will tell Mother later so that we can set it in stone.”

Since Mo Shujun had forced her son to divorce his wife, Dong Hui didn’t like her. Except for the greetings in the morning and evening, she tried not to go to the Shou’an Hall. Hearing Shi Junhe’s words, she heaved a sigh of relief. “Go now. I have something to tell Qingxue.”

Shi Qingxue wanted to go away, but Dong Hui told Shi Junhe to leave and left her in the room.

Shi Qingxue couldn’t escape and called with a sad face, “Mother.”

Dong Hui looked cold and prevented her daughter from pleasing her. “Tell me frankly. Where on earth have you been?”

Shi Qingxue faltered, “I just went out for a walk.”

Dong Hui retorted, “A walk? But I heard from Zheng that she saw you leave the Moon Mountain with King Rui’s eldest son.”

Shi Qingxue felt nervous. She had forgotten that Dong Hui had sent someone to go to the Moon Mountain with the ladies. So they must have seen everything.

“You have seen that. Why did you ask?” Qingxue said in a depressed voice recklessly.