719 The Fifteenth Year
With that, Su Sanlang slept outside and left the warm inner side to Madam Zhao. He did not ask further. He was just using his actions to tell Madam Zhao that he will always be by her side.
Madam Zhao’s heart warmed. She took off her coat and went to bed.
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve. The family had also received many New Year’s gifts.
Su Chong and Su Hua’s friends in the imperial court had all sent over gifts.
Sun Baoqian took care of the logistical matters at home. All the New Year’s gifts were recorded and she returned gifts. She was the one who handled them.
On this point, Lin Yaoyao was very grateful to Sun Baoqian. She didn’t know how to do this, so she poured tea for Sun Baoqian so that she could drink a cup of hot tea.
“Sister-in-law, it’s been hard on you.”
Lin Yaoyao said softly.
Sun Baoqian smiled and shook her head. She said jokingly, “I know a lot about family matters. It’s a little hard on me, but I’ll have to trouble Sister-in-law to teach my children in the future.”
Sun Baoqian did not have a child yet. At the mention of children, she could not help but blush.
She had not given birth for two years and her mother, Madam Lian, had urged her to have children many times. She had no choice but to tell Madam Lian about Su Hua’s plan. Madam Lian was shocked and surprised. After understanding it, Madam Lian sighed and stopped rushing her.
When Sun Baoqian returned, Madam Lian asked more about their relationship.
So now, when she talked about children, she couldn’t help but feel shy.
Lin Yaoyao smiled and nodded. “Alright, leave it to me in the future.”
The sisters-in-law looked at each other and smiled. They got along well and were both very gratified.
Sun Baoqian thought about how Madam Lian often sighed and said that she was lucky. Sun Baoqian laughed. Wasn’t she lucky?
The sisters-in-law chatted for a while before Lin Yaoyao left. Sun Baoqian continued to deal with the records.
She had full control over this family. Her mother-in-law respected her, and so did her sisters-in-law. She had also carefully arranged the lives of everyone in the family and was grateful to each other. It was really good.
Su Hua did not take concubines, which made her even more enviable among the officials’ wives.
After the New Year’s Eve ceremony was arranged, the New Year’s Eve dinner was almost ready.
Every year, during New Year’s Eve, the family would gather together and liven up.
As usual, they paid New Year’s greetings and received red packets.
Su Xiaolu had also prepared red packets this year. She wanted to send red packets to her nephew, Su Shiyu.
Sun Baoqian looked at the chubby child with envy.
When Su Xiaolu saw this, she smiled and did not say anything. Actually, when she came back this year, Su Hua had already asked her to remove his acupoints.
If everything went smoothly, Sun Baoqian would be a mother next year. However, looking at Second Sister-in-law, she should not know it yet.
After the New Year’s Eve dinner, Su Xiaolu followed Chen Shi and Chen Xing out to shop.
The capital on New Year’s Eve was extremely lively. It would be lively all night.
There was delicious food, fun things, fireworks, and so on.
Su Xiaolu went crazy with the two children because she was still young.
Chen Xing wanted to eat candied hawthorns. The three of them got one each and bought rabbit lanterns to place by the moat.
There were many people setting up the lanterns. Chen Xing smiled cleverly and said, “Sister Xiaolu, I know a place with very few people. It can allow our lanterns to drift very, very far away.”
“It’s just relatively remote.”
Chen Xing was a little hesitant, but he looked at Su Xiaolu hopefully. His sparkling eyes were clearly saying, “Let’s go, go.”
Su Xiaolu pinched Chen Xing’s cheek. “Let’s go. We’re not afraid of being remote.”
They were all people with martial arts skills. They were not afraid no matter how remote it was.
Chen Xing’s eyes were filled with happiness as he jumped to lead the way.
It was on the other side of the moat. There were people here, too, but very few indeed.
The three of them arrived above the moat and circled down the other side of the path. It was quiet here. No one came here to set off lanterns. Only occasionally, people would pass by in a hurry on the bridge.
“From here, there will be thousands of rivers and streams of the Great Zhou Dynasty.”
Chen Xing was very proud. He was the one who discovered this small secret passage. He didn’t even tell his brother.
Su Xiaolu stroked Chen Xing’s hair. “Thank you, Little Xing.”
“Sister Xiaolu, let’s quickly release the lanterns. If we go out from here, our lanterns won’t be salvaged by others. Only then will our wishes be fulfilled.”
Chen Xing revealed his white teeth and smiled.
The three of them lit the small candles in the lanterns and gently put them down. The lanterns carried a little candlelight in them and quickly flowed into the distance.
The three small lanterns went far away.
The three of them decided to return.
There were footsteps on the bridge. Su Xiaolu thought that there were people passing by, but in the next moment, the footsteps stopped and a voice came.
“Young Master Sun, why did you ask me to meet you? What do you mean?”
The woman’s questioning tone seemed to be filled with resentment. She sounded like she was crying, but she also sounded aggrieved.
Su Xiaolu reached out her finger and pulled Chen Xing and Chen Shi to make a shushing gesture.
The three of them stopped in tacit understanding and stood quietly in the shadows under the bridge.
She hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but she’d accidentally bumped into them. Now that she was going up, it would be awkward with so many people up there, so the best thing was to wait for them to finish talking and leave.
Not long after the woman spoke, a man’s voice sounded.
“Ah Li, I, I heard that a man has recently come to your house. Your parents intend to matchmake you. Is that true?”
The man’s voice was gentle as he asked softly, anxious.
In the darkness, Su Xiaolu was as surprised as Chen Shi and Chen Xing.
They were all familiar with this voice. It was Sun Baoqian’s younger brother, Sun Baoshan. Chen Shi and Sun Baoshan were in the same school. He could tell immediately.
Now, it was even more impossible to go up.
After Sun Baoshan finished asking, the woman fell silent.
After a while, the woman spoke again. “It’s true.”
After hearing the answer, Sun Baoshan panicked. He said anxiously, “Ah Li, can you wait for me a little longer? Don’t agree, okay?”
“Young Master Sun, how long will I have to wait? I’m turning 17 after the new year. How long will I have to wait? Father and Mother have already been mocked because of me. You and I haven’t got together yet. If there are any changes in the future, what should I do?”
In front of Sun Baoshan, a beautiful woman looked at him in a daze and asked.
Faced with her question, Sun Baoshan pursed his lips. He swallowed and said, “Ah Li, I’ll participate in the imperial examination this year. I want to give you something better. I don’t have anything now. I don’t want to make you suffer.”
He was 19 years old this year. He had studied for so many years, and it was time for him to work hard. Facing the woman he liked, he did not want to aggrieve her. He had nothing now, and she would suffer to be with him.
“Young Master Sun, if you like me, come to my house to propose marriage within three months after the new year. If you don’t come during this period of time, I won’t wait for you. I like you, but I can’t make a stupid bet. I hope you like me because I’m Chu Li. I like you only because you’re Sun Baoshan, not because of what kind of family background you have or what kind of family background I have. We both have a good family background. This is a good thing, but if we want to be together, we need the sincere feelings of walking towards each other. Do you understand?”
Chu Li looked at Sun Baoshan and said seriously.