Chapter 170 The Sinister Son's Sister-in-Law 45
Chapter 170 The Sinister Son's Sister-in-Law 45
The doubts about hearing spirits were quickly cleared up.
The next day, Qin Shen came to propose marriage and go through the formalities.
Because of the tight schedule, I had to bring the items twice, which was practically a formal engagement.
Because it was at the General's Mansion, the General's wife had no intention of accepting these betrothal gifts, so they were all delivered directly to Xie Qingyu's courtyard.
Watching the boxes being carried in, Tingling was busy helping Hongdou and didn't even have time to react.
Once everything was settled here, Xie Qingyu had already gone to see Qin Shenzhi with the General's wife.
At this time, arranged marriages were not common. Before the wedding, the man and woman could meet, or talk to each other in front of others.
The general's wife gave the two of them some time alone.
"Where did you get so much stuff?" That was Xie Qingyu's first question.
Qin Shenzhi sent far too many betrothal gifts.
It seems to be twice as much as when Qin Lingrong got married.
“Some were from the Marquis’s residence, and some were bestowed by the Emperor,” Qin Shenzhi answered truthfully.
The previous confiscation of the Marquis's mansion was merely for show; in reality, none of the valuables were moved from the mansion, which was tacitly approved by the Emperor.
"That's too much," Xie Qingyu said, somewhat disagreeing.
“The General’s wife won’t want it. It will still be your dowry. Anyway, it’s all yours. A little more or a little less doesn’t matter.” Qin Shenzhi stood next to Xie Qingyu, with one person’s distance between them.
This was in the main hall, and the other servants were far away and couldn't hear what they were saying, but they couldn't be too overt in their actions.
So Qin Shenzhi's eyes lingered greedily on Xie Qingyu's face, but he still didn't get too close to her.
Qin Shenzhi's statement was reasonable, and Xie Qingyu couldn't refute it.
"The wedding date is set for ten days from now." Qin Shenzhi stared intently at Xie Qingyu's expression.
Xie Qingyu was somewhat surprised, "So fast."
"The general doesn't have much time to return to report on his duties, and with winter approaching, conflicts are likely to break out on the border. Getting married early will put their minds at ease before they go back," Qin Shenzhi explained.
Actually, there was still some time, so the general and his men weren't in a hurry to leave.
But Qin Shenzhi couldn't wait.
He had never liked the Marquis's mansion, especially when those people still lived there.
But now that those people are gone, he still doesn't like going back.
It's too deserted, and he has other things on his mind.
Every time he returned to the cold, empty house, he would think of Xie Qingyu sleeping under the lamp that night.
He now finally understands what he felt back then: his heart was pounding wildly, and it was what he wanted most.
Just thinking about what would happen after marriage made Qin Shenzhi incredibly excited.
I don't want to wait a moment longer.
"That won't be long. Will my father be back by then?" Xie Qingyu asked.
"Yes," Qin Shenzhi said succinctly. "Are you worried he'll recognize you?"
Xie Qingyu shook her head, her tone somewhat certain, "He won't recognize me."
She will be wearing a veil at the time. Judging from her figure, she might be a familiar face.
Her father, who lived in the Ministry of Rites, saw her only a handful of times.
It's probably impossible to recognize her just by her figure.
Besides, no one would think of it that way.
Xie Qingyu didn't think about it; she was just asking casually.
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Ten days passed by in a blink of an eye.
On the day of her wedding, Xie Qingyu was still somewhat dazed.
Although the general's wife had few connections in the capital, she did have some acquaintances, so many other ladies came that day to give Xie Qingyu gifts to bolster her dowry.
Xie Qingyu looked around and realized that none of her social circles overlapped with Xie Wei's.
It could also be said that Xie Weishi didn't put much effort into the preparations at the time; only the aunts from other courtyards came to add things for her.
Thanks to Xie Qingyu's habit of staying at home, none of the ladies noticed anything amiss.
"In the blink of an eye, your daughter is already of marriageable age, and we've all grown old," a lady joked to the general's wife.
"Yes, so much time has passed in the blink of an eye."
“Your daughter is beautiful. She’s been with you since she was little, and we’ve never even seen her. Luckily, she wasn’t roughed up in that desolate place with you. She still has delicate skin and tender flesh. But she’s getting married soon after she comes back,” another lady said.
"She's our only daughter, so naturally we cherish her and raise her with utmost care." The general's wife choked up as she spoke.
Xie Qingyu patted her hand, knowing that she was thinking of her daughter.
But it's not appropriate to say that in this situation.
“You cried too. So it turns out that everyone cries when their daughter gets married. Luckily, I don’t have a daughter,” the lady said, pointing at the general’s wife.
The general's wife shook Xie Qingyu's hand in return, indicating that she was alright.
"It's good that you don't have a daughter. I'll be leaving soon, and I'm entrusting my daughter to you. You can't let her be bullied," the general's wife said.
Xie Qingyu was touched; the general's wife had already done a great job.
"I don't know what kind of person Qin Shenzhi is, but aren't all men the same? This marriage is actually a good one. She doesn't have a mother-in-law, so she doesn't have to wake up early and wake up late every day. She can just close the door and live her own life," a lady said.
"That's right. There's no one else in the backyard. Once you go there, you'll be in charge of the household. From now on, the entire backyard will be in your hands, and you'll be the one making the decisions. Have two children early, and then who cares what happens to them later? It doesn't matter if they come into your house or not."
“Your aunts are all saying this for your own good. You may have a good relationship right after you get married, but men’s feelings come and go quickly. They can give it to you and then give it to someone else. When the time comes, just do as your aunts say: raise the children and hold the reins of the household. No one can surpass you.”
"Anyway, without your mother-in-law, your life will definitely be good, not difficult!"
Qin Shenzhi had a bad reputation, especially since rumors of patricide and fratricide had always followed him, which only made him seem indifferent.
However, on their joyous occasion, these ladies would naturally not say such unpleasant things.
They only say the nice things.
The loudspeakers outside were blaring excitedly.
The ladies also stood up one after another, saying, "Alright, alright, they're coming to fetch the bride, quickly put the veil on."
Xie Qingyu put on the veil, and Hongdou and Tingling stood on either side of her, reaching out to support her.
EBE