Song Mingyue beamed, planting a kiss on Qi Zhenzhen's cheek. "My mother said you were clever, and she was right."
Qi Zhenzhen wrinkled her nose. "Go on with you. A young lady like you, and not even shy."
"Shy about what? We're good sisters. What's wrong with me kissing you?" Song Mingyue flashed a row of white teeth, her almond eyes crinkling with laughter.
Qi Zhenzhen pounced, tickling Song Mingyue, and the two tumbled into a playful heap.
"Right, you still haven't told me about Gu Sinian looking for you," Song Mingyue asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Didn't I tell you? He was looking for Little Niu. Little Niu didn't return on time, and Gu Sinian was a bit worried, so he went to look for him," Qi Zhenzhen mumbled, a hint of guilt in her voice as she turned her face away.
"Stop, stop. You can fool my mother and the others with that story, but you can't fool me. Why would a noble heir like him go to such lengths for a mere subordinate?" Song Mingyue shot Qi Zhenzhen a knowing glance, her expression clearly saying, *Don't think I'm easily fooled.*
Between good sisters, secrets were meant to be shared. Mingyue hadn't kept her dealings with Ge Yusheng from her, so she couldn't hide Gu Sinian's matter either.
"There's a Granny Lu at the noodle shop. She had a few words with Gu Sinian and said she wanted to play matchmaker for us. I thought she was joking and didn't take it to heart. But when I went out to look for people, Gu Sinian followed. He said, 'I am unmarried, and you are unwed'..." Qi Zhenzhen's voice trailed off.
Song Mingyue's eyes lit up, her expression one of pure excitement. "What did you say? What did you say? That's a wonderful thing to say! Unmarried, unwed, I think it's perfect."
Qi Zhenzhen wriggled free from Song Mingyue's grasp. "Don't get so worked up. What's there to be excited about? My mother said I have a betrothal. Although I don't know if the person is flat or round, tall or short, handsome or ugly..."
Song Mingyue suddenly remembered Qi Zhenzhen mentioning the betrothal. She deflated slightly. "But I don't think there's a man in this world who could be better looking than the heir. My mother says he's like a banished immortal. Sigh, what a shame. I thought I'd hear a story of a talented scholar and a beautiful maiden."
Qi Zhenzhen glared at her. "What talented scholar and beautiful maiden? Are you telling a story?"
"He's the scholar, and you're the maiden. How is that telling a story?" Song Mingyue retorted, unyielding. "So, after you mentioned the betrothal, what did he say?"
Qi Zhenzhen repeated Gu Sinian's words verbatim to Song Mingyue. Song Mingyue sighed mournfully. "The heir is truly pitiful. After being rejected, he can only use such methods to mask his feelings. Alas..."
Mask his feelings? Qi Zhenzhen had considered that possibility, thinking Gu Sinian had said those things deliberately. Mingyue's words now made her more certain.
"Hey Mingyue, tell me, why would Gu Sinian like me? I'm just a country girl. I'm not ugly, but I'm not so stunning that people fall in love at first sight. We've only met a few times, how could he like me?" Qi Zhenzhen was puzzled.
"It's hard to say. My father said he fell for my mother at first sight," Song Mingyue said earnestly. "Some people, they bicker and argue all the time, but they end up together. That's called a 'happy couple.' Some people, they know at first glance that this is the person they want. That's love at first sight."
Love at first sight?
Qi Zhenzhen mused inwardly. She hadn't fallen for Gu Sinian at first sight; at most, she was attracted to his looks. It's human nature to appreciate beauty, and she didn't believe anyone could be indifferent to Gu Sinian's handsomeness.
"If the person you marry in the future can't compare to Gu Sinian, will you regret it?" Song Mingyue asked wistfully.
"The person I marry in the future? I'm only twelve. It's still three years until my capping ceremony. Why think about something so far off? If he's a good person, I'll naturally live a good life with him. But if he's not, I can't throw my whole life away. Look at my aunt, isn't she living quite well now?" Qi Zhenzhen said casually.
"That's true. Even if it draws a lot of gossip, it's still better than being unhappy yourself. I don't care what others say; being happy is the most important thing," Song Mingyue said with great seriousness.
Qi Zhenzhen poked her forehead. "You're always thinking about such frivolous things."
Song Mingyue chuckled. "It's not my fault. Which girl my age in the village isn't thinking about these things? Zhenzhen, don't be shy. They say marriage is a woman's second life. Parents can sometimes misjudge, and matchmakers always exaggerate. We have to open our own eyes and choose carefully."
"Do you think everyone is like you? When a woman marries, if they aren't from the same village or neighboring villages, how many get to meet each other? It's all based on the words of the matchmaker, right? Most matchmakers are quite reliable; they won't just exaggerate wildly. After all, marriage is about two parties coming together happily. If they become enemies, the matchmaker will be held accountable. If they ruin their reputation just for money, they won't be able to do this job anymore," Qi Zhenzhen argued.
Song Mingyue hummed. "Exactly. Do you remember that matchmaker Song? The one we rode with to the county town? She's recently ruined her reputation! My aunt hired her to see the daughter of the grain shop in the county town. She described the grain shop's daughter as heavenly, like a fairy descended from the ninth heaven, and my cousin was overjoyed. A few days ago, he went to the county town himself, planning to secretly see his future wife. But when he returned, he stayed in his room for two days, threatening to die and calling off the engagement."
Everyone has a bit of gossip in them, and Qi Zhenzhen was no exception. Hearing this, her previous melancholy vanished, replaced by curiosity. "Don't keep me in suspense, hurry up and tell me."
"I secretly asked my cousin, and he said the young lady from that family looks just like Big Black from our village."
Dark-skinned, burly, strong, with small eyes, a flat nose, thick lips, a fleshy face, and a hoarse voice.
The grain shop in the county town had a business relationship with the noodle shop. Qi Zhenzhen had been there once and had seen their owner. He seemed to be of the same type as Big Black. This meant his daughter had completely inherited his looks. If that were the case, Song Mingze would certainly not be interested.
Song Mingze was scholarly, with clear and handsome features. He wasn't exactly dashing, but he was a handsome young man, and he truly wouldn't match the grain shop owner's daughter.
"The two families were already engaged. My cousin insisted on breaking the engagement. My aunt refused, and the matter escalated to my grandfather. My grandfather asked my cousin why. My cousin then described the girl's appearance. My grandfather first lectured my cousin, saying things like one shouldn't judge by appearance, and that even if the appearance wasn't good, the character might be." Song Mingyue said slyly, "My cousin said he was afraid he'd judged her wrongly, so he followed her for a while. He said the young lady could eat a lot, treated the servants poorly, and even slapped a waiter at a restaurant. He said if he really married her, and they had a disagreement later, he was afraid he'd get beaten."