Farewell

Xu Zhiyong bid farewell to each family member. After all, he wouldn't return until after the New Year.

"Little sister, take care of yourself." Xu Zhiyong said earnestly: "If you need anything, come to your eldest brother. I won't be around every day. You mustn't work as hard as before. Wait for your second brother to become successful. Whatever money you want, I'll give it to you!"

Qibao smiled and nodded, handing him a flask: "Second Brother, take this water. It might be useful in a critical moment. Stay safe out there, and I'll miss you!"

Xu Zhiyong nodded, embraced his younger sister, then climbed back into the carriage. He feared seeing his family's lingering gazes would make him change his mind.

After everyone finished packing and double-checked their belongings, they bid farewell. The carriage slowly began its journey away from Xujia Village.

Qibao watched until the carriage disappeared into the distance, stifling a yawn. She felt immense sadness at parting from her second brother. Grandfather and the others might return after two days at Qingyun, but who knew when she'd see her second brother again.

Xu Laosan exclaimed: "Daughter, it's not even fully light out yet. Go back to bed and get some more sleep!"

Qibao nodded, turned around, and went back to her room. She fell on the bed and closed her eyes for a long while, but she couldn't really sleep. Instead, she decided to go into her space and make some pills.

Only Second Uncle Xu and his brother were staying at home. Mrs. Wang gave them quite a bit of silver, just in case of any emergencies.

The two brothers had never held so many silver notes before. They felt dizzy with excitement, unsure of where to put them. They even started walking down the street as if they'd taken wings.

At first, they planned to give the silver to Qibao to keep safe, but she refused. She wanted to stay hands-off and not get involved.

Meanwhile, the old man's group set off before dawn, but because they had so many people and so much stuff, they didn't reach Qingyun until nightfall.

By then, the city gates were closed. Luckily, the soldiers guarding the gates recognized Xu Wenwu, so they were able to enter without a problem.

The group first found an inn to stay in. Yueyang and Yue Xiao offered to stay in the wagon and watch over the bridal gifts.

The old man and Mrs. Wang got one room, Xu Dabo and his wife got another, Mrs. Li and Mrs. Lin shared a third, and everyone else got their own rooms.

The innkeeper delivered more hot meals to their rooms. After a long day of travel, even the men were tired, and the women looked exhausted.

"This is my first time leaving town!" Mrs. Li said with a smile: "The streets here are much wider than ours!"

"Yes, that's true!" Mrs. Lin added: "Even the houses look grander than the ones back home!"

The old man spoke calmly: "It'll be even more lively during the day. Tomorrow, you two—eldest son and your wife—together, find out if there's a well-known matchmaker in the city with a good reputation. We're heading to the Wen family the day after tomorrow, so it's best to prepare everything ahead of time."

Xu Dabo and his wife nodded. They had stayed in Qingyun City before and knew it better than the others.

After eating, it was getting late. Everyone was tired from the long journey, so they went to their rooms to sleep.

Xu Wenwu couldn't sleep. This was a big moment in his life, and despite being calm most of the time, he felt nervous. He wondered what Die'er was doing now—it must be late, so she was probably asleep by now.

Xu Wenwu wanted to go see Wen Die right away, but it was too late at night. He decided to wait until tomorrow to visit her.

Early the next morning, Xu Dabo and his wife left the inn to find a matchmaker. Xu Zhiyong went to the Juxiang Pavilion, while Xu Wenwu hurried to the Wen family's home. After all, his family was coming the next day to propose marriage, so he needed to talk to his future father and mother first.

Xu Wenwu's sudden visit shocked the Wen family greatly.

After hearing Xu Wenwu's purpose, Magistrate Wen burst out laughing: "Well, well! I didn't expect you to move so fast!"

Madam Wen rolled her eyes at her husband: "It means the Xu family values our Die'er, not that they're rushing things! Wenwu, your grandparents, parents, and other relatives are here now. Why didn't you ask them to stay with us instead of staying at an inn? It's so inconvenient!"

"It was too late last night." Xu Wenwu explained: "I didn't want to disturb your sleep again. Besides, this is a serious matter of asking for your daughter's hand in marriage. Shouldn't we be respectful of the rules?"

Madam Wen smiled with satisfaction: "Wenwu, you'll be part of our family soon. There's no need for such formality! I'm sure Die'er would be overjoyed to see you. Go find her!"

Xu Wenwu agreed and headed towards Wen Die's small courtyard.

Wen Die sat cross-legged before a low table, a guqin placed on it. Her slender, pale fingers plucked at its strings.

The sound of her music filled the room, captivating Yuan Er, who listened with eyes closed, cheek resting on her hand, completely entranced.

Even before entering, Xu Wenwu could hear the beautiful chords coming from the room and stopped in his tracks.

The maid sweeping outside saw Xu Wenwu and hesitated, about to go inside and announce his presence. However, Xu Wenwu gestured for her to stay quiet.

The maid understood immediately. Everyone in the Wen Manor knows their young mistress and Xu Wenwu are close. He might even be a future son-in-law someday!

Xu Wenwu stepped inside the room. There he saw the girl he admired, dressed in simple clothes, sitting by the window and playing the guqin with dedication.

A ray of sunlight streamed through the window, casting onto the girl's smooth, fair face, enhancing the beautiful scene before him.

As the piece ended, Yuan Er opened her eyes and noticed Xu Wenwu standing by the door. Initially startled, she was about to excitedly call out but caught sight of Xu Wenwu's subtle gesture. She quickly covered her mouth and, while her young mistress was still engrossed in the music scores, quietly slipped out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Once outside, she breathed a sigh of relief. No wonder my little cousin wants a guqin so much—it really is beautiful.

Xu Wenwu quietly watched Wen Die's serious expression, reluctant to disturb her peaceful moment.

Wen Die studied the sheet music, trying different notes. The melody was different from the previous song, sensing something amiss, she furrowed her brow, paused, and continued examining the music.

"Yuan'Er, I'm a bit thirsty. Could you get me a cup of water?" Wen Die asked, not taking her eyes off the sheet music.

A smile played across Xu Wenwu's face as he stepped up to the table, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to Wen Die.

As Wen Die took the cup, her hand suddenly froze. Yuan-er's hands aren't this big, and usually, she would respond when I ask her to do something. This time, she didn't hear her answer.

She quickly turned around, nearly dropping the cup when she saw the person behind her.

Grasping Wen Die's hand holding the cup, Xu Wenwu gently warned: "Be careful, it's hot."

Wen Die's unbridled delight was evident on her face as she set the cup down beside the guqin. She wrapped her arms around Xu Wenwu's waist, unable to contain her excitement: "What are you doing here?"

Xu Wenwu replied: "Die'er, I'm glad to see you so happy."

At that moment, Wen Die's girlish nature shone through, nodding rapidly like a pecking chick.

Xu Wenwu couldn't help but chuckle, finding Die'er truly adorable at this instant.

"It's not just me. My grandparents, my parents, and my aunt are all here too. Die'er, can you guess why we're all here?" Xu Wenwu asked, smiling as he gently brushed her long hair behind her ear.