Wishful Things

Cao Lang, the new top scholar who just entered the Hanlin Academy, got engaged yesterday.

The marriage of the new top scholar is a new thing that the common people pay attention to and discuss, not to mention that the Yue family that the new top scholar climbed to is the Xia family—the person who is about to marry is the youngest daughter of Xia Shoufu's family!

After the news of the engagement spread, countless people came to congratulate the already lively Zhuangyuan Mansion recently.

There is still one or two taboos in the officialdom, but in the past when classmates get together, there is no need to worry too much, and the words are more straightforward.

"Brother Cao Xian is a double blessing this time!"

"That's right, Brother Cao is really a blessing... When I first entered the Imperial Academy, I had an extra chief assistant to be my father-in-law... When I am admitted to the imperial examination in the future, I will have to ask Brother Cao to support me a lot."

"I heard that the fourth girl of the Xia family has a lively temperament and a good appearance... She is a beauty that many noble children in Beijing cannot ask to marry."

"Either way you say brother Cao is lucky, you're just envious of me..."

Listening to these words in his ear, Cao Lang had a humble and gentle smile on his face, but he was smiling wryly in his heart.

After staying in the afternoon, after sending off all the guests, Cao Lang went to the study.

Picking up a pen to write a letter, but in the middle of writing, he sighed, and finally crumpled the letter paper and threw it into the wastebasket.

He didn't know the temperament and appearance of the fourth daughter of the Xia family, and he didn't dare to look closely through the screen when he came to the door that day, but no matter how good she was, she was not the one he really wanted to marry.

He already has a sweetheart.

Although he is not engaged, the two have long been in love. When he went to Beijing to take the exam, he had promised Fang Niang that he would go to her home to propose marriage and marry her in a beautiful way when he was in high school.

The news of his high school has been sent back to his hometown, and Fang Niang must be waiting for him with joy...

However, how dare he, a person with no powerful background, refuse the proposal of the current chief minister to get married?

Once refused, it is an enemy.

He studied hard for more than ten years in the cold window, and only in exchange for today, a bright future is in front of him... He dared not and could not tell the fact that he already had a sweetheart.

He just wanted to write to Fang Niang, telling her his difficulties, and asking her to wait for him, and then pick her up in the capital when he really gained a firm foothold in the officialdom.

But this is so selfish...

What happened in the future was unpredictable, he couldn't make her wait like this, even in the end, all he could give her was the status of a concubine.

Cao Lang suppressed the pain in his heart and wrote a new letter.

It's because he can't help her, so now she can only find another good family to marry.

After writing the letter, Cao Lang sealed a few ingots of Wenyin, found a trustworthy person, and entrusted him to send it back to his hometown.

His and Xia Xi's wedding is scheduled to be two months later.

The Xia family has already begun to prepare for this.

From the dowry to the sewing of the wedding dress and other trivial matters, all need to be prepared in advance.

"Stop embroidering!"

Xia Xi accidentally pricked her finger, frowning, she threw away the embroidery frame and needle and thread in her hand.

Let her embroider handkerchiefs and pillow covers again, what's the use of her embroidering these?

When she thought that the old-looking man who couldn't hide his shabby air would be lying on the pillow cover in the future, she felt extremely disgusted—would he be worthy of lying on the pillow cover embroidered by her own hands?

Seeing that she lost her temper again, the little servant girl didn't dare to say anything, she stepped forward to pick up the embroidered cloth, and put it back in her hand.

This move still angered Xia Xi.

She stood up suddenly, and slapped the little maid on the face.

"Snapped!"

"I said no more, are you deliberately against me! Hurry up and throw it away!"

The little servant girl held back her tears, answered "Yes", quickly took the things, and left the inner room quickly with her head bowed.

Xia Xi sat back, closed her eyes, and tried her best to control the anger and unwillingness in her heart.

But she still couldn't control it, the more she thought about it, the more she felt wronged, she raised her hand and grabbed the little beast incense burner and threw it out.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of broken porcelain bottles and other objects sounded one after another.

Hearing these noises, the maids guarding outside looked at each other in blank dismay, none of them dared to go in.

Until guests came to the courtyard.

"Girl, Miss Zhou is here to see you..." A servant girl boldly came in and announced.

Zhou Wei?

Xia Xi frowned.

Zhou Wei is the daughter of the servant of the Ministry of War, and she has been playing handkerchiefs with her since she was a child. When they were young, they occasionally had some friction, but the older they got, the more docile their temperament became, and they always listened to her.

After smashing things all over the room, Xia Xi's anger almost disappeared, she got up and went out to meet the guests.

"Ah Xi, I came here specially to congratulate you."

Zhou Wei is only fifteen years old this year. Like his elder brother, he is slightly fatter and has round cheeks. When he smiles, he shows a pair of small canine teeth, looking innocent and harmless.

Seeing the gift in the hand of the maid behind her, Xia Xi twitched the corner of her mouth with a half-smile, and said, "You have a heart."

If she didn't know that the other party was a solid eye, she would even wonder if he came here to make fun of her.

"Here is a pair of butterfly hairpins. I picked them out for you, Axi, let's try them?" Zhou Wei smiled and pulled Xia Xi into the inner room.

Xia Xi stood still and hurriedly said, "Try again later!"

The inner room was smashed into a mess by her, she didn't want the other party to see her joke, and then looked at her with a surprised expression, waiting for her to explain something.

Faintly saw a piece of broken porcelain beside the curtain, Zhou Yu's eyes flickered, and when he turned to look at Xia Xi, he still showed a puzzled expression: "A Xi, what's the matter with you?"

"It's nothing, it's just that I just wanted to go out for a stroll, so I'll try again later." Xia Xi said casually.

Zhou Wei took her arm in surprise: "Then I will accompany you, we haven't gone out together for a long time."

Xia Xi sneered in her heart.

This is true.

Since her second brother's accident, she has been reluctant to go out for a long time, just because she doesn't want to face those strange discussions and gazes.

Fortunately, there are always new things that attract everyone's attention, and no one will always focus on an old thing.

The two left Xia Mansion together and went to visit two rouge shops on Xiyi Street.

When Xia Xi was picking rouge, Zhou Yu's maid came in from the door and whispered a few words in Zhou Yu's ear.

Xia Xi glanced at her friend, and asked calmly, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just that Xiaoyun reminded me that there is a study not far ahead - before going out today, my brother asked me to buy an inkstone for him to go back."

Xia Xi let out an "oh", and continued to choose Rouge.

After paying the money and leaving the shop, Zhou Wei dragged her to the study.

"Just now I saw a lot of literati gathered in front of your door, what are they looking at?" a guest in the study asked.

The clerk replied with a smile in a proud tone: "Just now, the champion of the new department came to the small shop to buy pens and inks!"

In front of the bookshelf beside her, Xia Xi, who was wearing a fence on her head, frowned subconsciously.

Goodnight everybody.