Chapter 48 Marriage

Zhang Wenchi looked at Qi Sui with a half-smile and said, "But it won't be today."

"Sir."

The familiar voice broke Zhang Wenchi's last line of defense. He turned around to see who was coming and froze in his place. The steward came to the court with the coroner's wife and children. Behind him, Mother Song was staring at him coldly. The coroner saw that his wife and children were safe and sound, and his heart finally felt at ease. He immediately knelt on the ground and said everything while trembling.

"A few days ago, Master Zhang threatened me with the lives of my wife and children. He told me to do an autopsy today. No matter what the result is, I must insist that he died from eating the fruit." His wife and children also came to his side and whispered cry.

The county magistrate clenched the gavel and shouted angrily at Zhang Wenchi, "How dare you! Where do you think our laws stand?"

Zhang Wenchi turned a deaf ear to him and laughed out loud. He quickly turned cold again and said to the steward, "You are so bold again! What does this mean?"

The steward lowered his head, "I just don't want the master to make the same mistake again."

"You traitorous dog!" Zhang Wenchi cursed, walked quickly to the steward, and slapped him hard. "You are also trying to add insult to injury!"

Mother Song said sternly, "You have disregarded human life and framed my miss, and you even want to drag your subordinates into the same trap with you!"

Zhang Wenchi felt so angry that his eyes turned red, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes. He wanted to hit her with his hand but The county magistrate slammed the gavel on the table. The loud noise made everyone shut up. His arm stopped in mid-air and he could only withdraw it with hatred.

"Who is the people coming down the hall?"

"I am the head maid of Qi Mansion, Mrs. Song."

"I am the manager of Zhang Mansion, Mr. Liu."

The county magistrate looked at Shen Yu and asked in a deep voice, "Madam Shen, are they your witnesses"

"Yes."

"In that case, is there any falsehood in the coroner's words?"

Manager Liu said respectfully, "Every word is true."

The county magistrate ordered him to tell everything he knew.

Manager Liu glanced at Zhang Wenchi, then lowered his eyes and said slowly, "My master asked the fourth master of the Qi Mansion to find Qi Changsheng very early. He should have killed the fourth master to silence him, but I am worried that the truth will be revealed and I will have a hard time getting away, so I stopped the master."

"Until yesterday, the master had been plotting how to frame Madam Qi. First, he threatened the coroner, then he asked Qi Changsheng to take poison and die in Madam Qi's shop in front of everyone. Finally, he sent someone to Report to the police, spread rumors, and make it difficult for Madam Qi to defend herself."

Zhang Wenchi's hatred and calculations were really vicious, with each step linking to the other and threatening Qi Sui's life.

Shen Yu couldn't help but feel terrified after hearing this. Mother Song was shaking with anger, her eyes full of resentment, and she said, "What a cruel heart!"

The county magistrate frowned, his eyes shot fiercely at Zhang Wenchi, and asked, "Do you plead guilty?"

Zhang Wenchi lowered his hands, remained silent for a long time, and finally closed his eyes and said, "I do."

The county magistrate and the magistrate and others discussed it for a long time, and finally agreed. Qi Sui was found not guilty, and Zhang Wenchi was sentenced to death and executed the following year.

"Court is adjourned!"

Amid the mighty shouts of the guards, Zhang Wenchi was put into shackles. Qi Sui finally stood up straight. Who could have thought that yesterday it was Zhang Wenchi who watched her being taken away by the officials, but today everything was completely different.

Zhang Wenchi stopped and did not meet her eyes, but stared at Manager Liu. Manager Liu lowered his head slightly and said, "Sir, please speak."

"When did it start? Who do you belong to?"

The manager looked cold and said, "I have been from Zhang Mansion from beginning to end."

Zhang Wenchi seemed to understand everything, and smiled sadly: "So that's how it is."

Qi Sui watched him being taken away, unable to come back to her senses for a long time, until Mother Song almost threw herself on her body, while crying uncontrollably, "Miss... Fortunately... you are safe."

"I'm sorry to have made you worry about me." Qi Sui looked tired, but her hand holding Mother Song's is firm and strong.

Mother Song wiped away her tears, finally calmed down, and said, "Let's go back home."

Shen Yu gently took her hand, feeling relieved, and said, "Let's go home "

After Qi Sui returned to the Qi Mansion, she took a bath as soon as possible, She always felt that she's full of the damp smell of the cell and did not dare to approach Shen Yu. So Shen Yu looked puzzled and watched her lock herself in the room. Half an hour later, she came out. She's wearing new clothes, but her hair is still dripping with water.

It is now deep winter, so Shen Yu is worried that Qi Sui will catch a cold, so she took the dry cloth from Qiu Yun's hand and said, "I will wipe your hair."

Qiu Yun tactfully went to the yard to chat with Ruo Wei. Qi Sui agreed immediately, then lowered her head to sniff her own hand, smelling a faint floral scent, before she confidently took her hand. She took Shen Yu to sit on the couch, then brought a stool and sat in front of her obediently.

"Sister, you won't feel tired if you sit like this while wiping my hair."

Shen Yu smiled, and seeing the dark circles under her eyes, she said distressedly, "You didn't sleep well last night."

"You didn't sleep either." Qi Sui looked at her. She looked down and whispered, "I dare not sleep."

Qi Sui suddenly felt her nose getting sore, and she didn't dare to get red in front of her, so she leaned over and hugged her, saying in a muffled voice, "We will all be perfect."

Shen Yu smiled and replied, "Okay."

The sunlight outside shone through the window, shining on the two of them, warm and peaceful. Although Qi Sui is innocent, rumors are hard to stop. Once spread from one person to ten people, and from ten to a hundred, it becomes a different story in the mouths of everyone. She simply closed the shop, took a good rest, and prepared for the New Year.

Mother Song said that this Spring Festival should be celebrated well and lively, so as to drive away the bad luck from Qi Sui and let God bless her with a smooth and safe year ahead, without suffering any unnecessary disasters. Qi Sui actually nodded obediently this time. She's cutting paper with Qiu Yun. This year Shen Yu would be spending the New Year at The Qi Mansion, so she wanted her to write a couplet for the Qi Mansion.

Mother Song said with a smile: "Last year, you thought that God would not bless you, but now you seem to believe it a little bit."

Qi Sui heard this and smiled faintly: "I didn't believe it at first, and I didn't ask for it even in the prison cell. I have never seen gods and Buddhas, but Madam Shen told me not to be afraid and said she would protect me. I knew that the gods and Buddhas would appear to me too."

She suddenly thought of Zhang Wenchi and felt sad. If it weren't for the betrayal of him by the people around her, Shen Yu would not be able to break the game at all.

After Qi Sui came back, she asked Shen Yu and Mother Song and found out that when Zhang Wenchi came to the court that day, Mother Song and the servant waited at the door of Zhang's house without leaving for a moment. Manager Liu should have kept a close eye on the coroner's wife and children, but he brought them directly to see Mother Song, as if he had guessed that Mother Song would be here.

"I asked him why he did that," Mother Song recalled. "Manager Liu said Zhang Wenchi owed him a life."

"Miss, do you remember that I told you that Zhang Wenchi beat a concubine to death a few years ago? That young lady is the daughter of Manager Liu."

Qi Sui sighed: "It turns out that the root of this disaster was planted long ago. She stood up, clapped her hands, stretched, and said, "I'll go find Madam Shen."

The Spring Festival is coming in a few days. After the Spring Festival, the original owner's mourning period will be over.

Shen Yu were teaching the children in the school. She lowered her eyes and read the last poem softly. When she looked up, she saw Qi Sui Sitting in the corner, hugging her knees with her arms, and she looked at her seriously. The sun slowly set, and the afterglow shone into the house through the window. Shen Yu said New Year's wishes to the children and watched them go home. Qi Sui stayed in the corner, waiting for Shen Yu to come back to find her.

Shen Yu put away the boxes, walked up to her and asked, "Why are you here today?"

"I missed you so much. "Qi Sui stood up straight, stretched her muscles, then took her box very naturally, and said with a smile: "I have asked Ruo Wei to go back to the house and wait. Sister, please accompany me back home today."

Shen Yu naturally wouldn't refuse her request, since the two hadn't been alone for a long time. Qi Sui quietly hooked her fingers, and the two walked along the street. When they passed Wufangzhai, they bought Shen Yu's favorite cakes and then went to Tangshui. They brought some pear juice from the shop. When they passed by Wanbao Pavilion, they saw Fang Chunhan directing people to change a new plaque outside.

She protected Yunchan by her side and said to her, "Wait inside to prevent dust from dirtying your clothes."

Yun Chan thought she's making a fuss out of nothing, so she held her hand and said, "There are no guests in the pavilion, so I just came out to get some fresh air. "

"Madam Fang, Yunchan." Qi Sui called them softly.

Yun Chan turned to look at her and Shen Yu, lowering her eyes slightly, "Ladies, long time no see."

Fang Chunhan saw Qi Sui and Shen Yu walking very close, lowered her head and saw the rings on their hands, smiled knowingly and said, "Ladies, long time no see."

"We just happened to pass by. Madam Fang, are you changing the plaque?"

"This plaque is a little loose, so as the New Year is approaching, I asked someone to replace it with a new one. This will add some festivity and avoid hurting others by mistake."

"That's a good thing."

Qi Sui exchanged a few simple greetings with them, then left with Shen Yu.

Yun Chan glanced at Fang Chunhan from the corner of her eye, but was caught by her, "If you want to look, just look openly. Why are you doing it secretly?"

She really raised her eyes and looked at Fang Chunhan, but Fang Chunhan couldn't resist it first, so she raised her hands to cover her eyes and said with a smile, "You always take jokes seriously."

Yun Chan pulled her hand down, looked at her sincerely, and said, "The New Year is coming."

"Are you asking me for money? "Fang Chunhan teased her and raised her eyebrows and said, "If you don't even say a word of auspiciousness, I won't give it to you."

"Let's get married."

As soon as the words fell, Fang Chunhan seemed to feel that the world had stopped, and the sounds around her suddenly stopped," What did you say? Say it again."

Yun Chan held her hand and said, "Let's get married and live together happily."

Fang Chunhan heard it clearly this time. She grabbed Yunchan's wrist, walked into the inner room, and closed the door tightly. She turned around, held Yunchan's face, and said helplessly: "My dear, you are making a fuss. What's going on? You know I'll take it seriously."

"Then take it seriously." Yun Chan's ears turned slightly red, but she still refused to change her words.

"No, you have to tell me why... you want to marry me? " Fang Chunhan's voice became smaller and smaller.

"These days I recall an incident from the past. That year I was still a maid beside the top prostitute in Yanchunlou. A drunk customer thought I was also a prostitute, so he flirted with me wantonly. If it weren't for my sister who Block it for me, I'm afraid I won't be able to escape."

Yun Chan looked sad, as if she was recalling something bad. Fang Chunhan noticed her disappointment and comforted her, "If you don't want to say it, don't say it."

Yun Chan shook her head and said, "You asked me a long time ago, when was the first time we met?"

Fang Chunhan suddenly felt her heart tremble slightly, and couldn't help but feel a little expectant, and asked tentatively: "Do you really remember it?"

Yunchan suddenly smiled and nodded: "After my sister blocked it for me, the guest was still unwilling to give up, so he slapped me. I ran away in grievance and hid in the backyard and cried secretly. Later, a Master squatted beside me, asked me why I was crying?"

"You say you are stupid, made the guests angry, and always let your sister worry about you." Fang Chunhan took her words, her eyes glowing.

Yunchan's eyes moved slightly, the scene in her memory became clearer, and she continued: "The master wiped my tears for me, and even picked a crabapple hairpin in the yard and put it in my hair."

Fang Chunhan seemed to have returned to the age of sixteen. She pretended to be her brother and saw Yunchan crying so hard that her makeup was smudged. She raised her finger to smooth it over for her and said softly, "Young lady, don't worry about irrelevant people. your sister will only be more sad if she sees it."

"So I stopped crying and stared blankly..." Yunchan was talking, her eyes fixed on Fang Chunhan's face, and said, "You...."

On the night of the New Year, the Qi Mansion set off a lot of firecrackers, and Qi Sui brought Shen Yu, QiuYun and Ruo Wei clamored to ask Mother Song for New Year's money. Mother Song let them make a fuss and only gave them big red envelopes after they finished paying their New Year's greetings.

Qi Sui took Shen Yu to the street to play again and said excitedly: "Sister, let's go light lanterns and watch fireworks. I want to make a wish."

Shen Yu asked her: "What do you wish for this time?"

Qi Sui answered subconsciously: "I wish for You and I will be together forever and never be apart."

The two walked to the riverside, and under the fireworks, they slowly raised the lantern together, and then closed their eyes and silently prayed. After a moment, they opened their eyes at the same time and smiled at each other.

In early spring, Shen Shu and Shen Jin returned to Luoshui Town, but the mansion was empty, so they asked the servant, "Where is the third lady?"

The servant said, "The third lady usually lives in the manor of Yunyan Village and doesn't come often. But the third lady asked us to clean the house every few days."

When Shen Yu got out of class, she saw the servant of the Shen Mansion waiting at the door and said, "Miss, the eldest brother and the fourth lady are back."

It happened that Qi Sui had just Busy with spring ploughing, so she took the Shen Mansion's carriage directly back to the Shen Mansion. Shen Yu returned to the mansion then she saw that Shen Shu and Shen Jin were counting boxes of all sizes in the yard. Many things were carried in from outside, filling the main hall.

"Brother and sister just came back from the capital, why are they so busy?" Shen Yu walked slowly in front of them, "What are these?"

Shen Shu and Shen Jin looked at each other before asking her, "You don't know?"

Shen Yu Yu glanced between the two of them and shook her head.

"Silly sister, these were sent by Madam Qi."

"When?" Shen Yu felt stunned, she didn't even know about this.

"Just after the Chinese New Year, our father received a letter from Madam Qi. The words in the letter were very sincere and heartfelt." Shen Shu couldn't help laughing when he mentioned this: "It's just that Madam Qi's handwriting is a bit embarrassing. Our father read it several times before he could understand it. After sorting it out, I found another copy of the letter, with neat handwriting. On that day, the elder of the Qi clan personally proposed to Madam Qi. The etiquette was very thoughtful, and there were several meeting gifts."

Shen Yu then remembered that In the days after the Chinese New Year, Qi Sui always went out and asked her about her relatives' preferences from time to time. It turned out to be because of this matter.

Shen Shu continued, "Our father is in the capital and can't leave, so he asked Our fourth sister and I to come back first. He has already informed our uncle and aunt about your marriage, and he will come to the mansion in a few days."

Shen Shu led people to register these gifts. Shen Jin saw her smiling face, pulled her into the house, and said: "Sister, who is this Madam Qi? Do you want to marry her? Does she treat you well?"

Shen Yu nodded and said. "She treats me very well, and marrying her is what I want."

At sunset, Qi Sui returned to the mansion. The servant of the Shen Mansion said that Shen Yu had returned home. She immediately took out the gift she had prepared for a long time and hurried to Shen Mansion. Shen Shu saw Qi Sui in the main hall, his expression serious, staring at her until her back was sweating.

"Don't blame me, Madam Qi. This is about my Sister Yu, so I have to be careful."

Qi Sui felt nervous inside, but she looked calm on the outside and said, "Of course."

"I came back this time because I was instructed by my father to arrange the marriage for Sister Yu."

Qi Sui nodded and said, "This is also what I want to do most."

Shen Shu felt amused by her reaction, but he could see that she cared about Shen Yu very much, so he felt more at ease and said, "Madam Qi, don't panic. Everything will be up to Sister Yu's wishes. We will not interfere."

Three days later, the elder of the Qi clan took the matchmaker to meet with Shen Yu's uncle on behalf of Qi Sui's parents and presented gifts to express his intention to propose marriage. The two sides asked each other for their names. Since Qi Sui had calculated her and Shen Yu's birth dates eight hundred times and said they were a match made in heaven, the two families arranged the marriage quickly.

After a month of hard work, on the eve of the wedding, Mother Song took out the dowry list that the eldest lady had prepared for Qi Sui a long time ago and said, "These are all saved by the master and the eldest lady for the miss. Now we can finally give them to her. I will feel relieved if the miss gets it." Her eyes were moist, and she looked at Qi Sui's features and said, "It would be great if the master and the lady could see the miss get married."

Qi Sui lowered her head and whispered: "I want my mother to see it, too."

In the dead of night, Qi Sui walked around the yard, stopping and starting, sighing all the time, causing the system to wonder: "Is the host nervous?"

"No, I just feel that I have been with my sister for too long. Without seeing each other, it feels unreal."

During this period, the two were indeed too busy to see each other, which made Qi Sui feel even more suspended.

The system kindly comforted her: "After today, you will see each other every day."

"You're right, then I will go to find her now!"

System: "That's not what I meant!"

"You reminded me, it would be boring if I went empty-handed." Qi Sui picked several flowers from the yard, tied them into a bow with a silk ribbon, and then walked out of the house in a swagger.

System: ······

Shen Yu had just finished a heart-to-heart talk with her aunt, her cheeks flushed red, and her mind is full of Qi Sui's face. At this time, Ruo Wei pushed the door open and walked in, her movements were extremely cautious, as if there's something hidden behind her. She walked mysteriously in front of Shen Yu.

Shen Yu stopped thinking about it because of her appearance, and asked softly: "What are you holding in your hand?"

"Miss, this is what Madam Qi just asked someone to send to me."

Shen Yu took the bouquet she handed over, and There's a piece of paper between the flowers. Ruo Wei opened it after she retreated to the door. It said: "The flowers in the yard are blooming, so I picked them for you."

The next day at twilight hour, the wedding procession marched down the street. There's a loud bang from gongs and drums, attracting the attention of neighbors. They arrived at the Shen Mansion in a short while. Qi Sui had no brothers or sisters, so she was not stopped much at the door of the Shen Mansion. They exchanged a few festive words, gave each other a big red envelope, and then entered smoothly.

Shen Yu, holding a round fan in her hand, was led slowly into the main hall by someone beside her. She noticed Qi Sui standing on the side. She wanted to glance at her, but heard a low laugh. She felt so embarrassed that she quickly covered her eyes with the fan.

After bidding farewell to the elders, Shen Yu was carried to the sedan chair by Shen Shu himself. After getting on the sedan chair, she dared to put down her fan. Just then, she saw a food box in the sedan chair. She opened it and found that it's full of her favorite cakes and sweet soup. Qi Sui left a note, which read: "My lady, thank you for your hard work. Please do as you please."

When they arrived at the Qi Mansion, Qi Sui and Shen Yu paid their respects in the main hall and then went into the bridal chamber together. Mother Song spread dried fruits such as longan, lotus seeds, chestnuts, and dates on the wedding bed. The maids sang: "Red surrounds and green surrounds the fragrant dust, smilingly lifting the scented towel to pay respect to the jade seat." Then they cut off a pinch of their hair and tie it together, "We will be married and share the same pillow, and our love will never leave each other."

The maid brought two glasses of wine, Qi Sui and Shen Yu picked up the glasses and drank from them. After the wedding ceremony, everyone said a few more words of blessing and then took Qi Sui out for a drink.

Apart from the Qi family members, there were also Qi Sui's acquaintances in Yunyan Village and Luoshui Town. Ying'er raised her glass and said with a smile, "Congratulations to Madam Qi for having her wish come true." As soon as these words came out, Cheng An, Fang Chunhan, Yunchan and others stood up and toasted.

"Thank you very much." She responded one by one. The wedding dress she's wearing made her look radiant and she could not hide the smile between her brows.

After busying around for a while, Qi Sui finally got away from the banquet, and the rest was left to her good brother Cheng An. She walked to the door of the wedding room and suddenly called out to the system. The system didn't understand why and asked, "What does the host want me to do?"

"Can you leave work early?"

The system felt speechless, "I have professional ethics! I'll get out of here right now."

"Thank you."

Qi Sui curled her lips into a smile, then pushed open the door, and saw Shen Yu panicking and covering her face with a fan. When she came closer, she found that there were a few cakes missing from the table. Her smile deepened and she said, "Sister, I'm hungry. Please eat with me."

Shen Yu slowly lowered the fan, revealing a pair of eyes, and looked at her motionless.

Qi Sui then brought the cakes and took away her fan, and said with a slight curve in her lips, "Let me see you."

At the moment when the lines of sight met, Qi Sui felt startled. Shen Yu in front of her wasn't as cold as usual, but a bit more delicate.

Shen Yu lowered her eyes in shame, her cheeks couldn't stop burning, she whispered: "Isn't it pretty?"

"It's pretty." Qi Sui said seriously, stuffed the pastry to her, then gently took off her crown and hairpin, her tone was very regretful: "I wish I could draw it."

Shen Yu felt much more relaxed, her brows relaxed, and she inadvertently revealed a bit of fatigue.

"If you're tired, let's go to bed early." Qi Sui made the bed and sat beside her.

Shen Yu lowered her head quickly, and suddenly remembered what her aunt said to her in the room last night. She became flustered and stammered, "Okay... okay."

Qi Sui saw that she's uncomfortable and began to get nervous, so she blew out the candle and the room became dark.

Shen Yu raised her hand and groped in the dark, Qi Sui grabbed her hand and carried her to the bed, saying, "Sister, you don't have to be afraid now."

"Call me wife." Shen Yu leaned on her arms. In a low voice.

When Qi Sui heard this, she felt her throat feeling dry, and her voice was slightly low, "Wife."

Shen Yu was shaken all over, and rested her forehead on her chest, and replied softly: "Hmm."

Qi Sui held her face in both hands, her fingers moved from her eyebrows to her lips, she leaned over and held it, with a hint of caution in her gentleness. Until Shen Yu slowly catered, Qi Sui seemed to be encouraged, and her movements became bolder and bolder. Before she knew it, her fingers had reached a soft place.

She asked in Shen Yu's ear, "Is it okay?"

Although it was pitch dark, Shen Yu was too shy to look at her and just nodded while hiding in her arms.

Following Qi Sui's movements, Shen Yu's breathing quickened and her consciousness gradually dissipated in the waves. The night was long and she cried countless times before she fell into a deep sleep. It wasn't until noon that Shen Yu finally woke up slowly. There's no warmth left by the bed. She propped herself up and sat up, unconscious for a long time.

"My lady is finally awake." Qi Sui seemed to have guessed that she would get up at this time, so she brought hot water and prepared to help her wash.

When Shen Yu saw her, she thought of the passionate love last night, so she hid under the quilt and didn't dared to look at her.

Qi Sui chuckled and said, "The flowers in the yard are in full bloom, my lady must not miss them."

"Okay."

The spring sun is bright and the wind is gentle. The petals fell into Shen Yu's hair with the wind. Qi Sui gently took them off and said with a smile: "we will be together every Spring, summer, autumn and winter."

"Okay."

(End of full text)