Dai Li was stunned for a moment, not expecting Qin Shaozong to be so sudden. She noticed her son's gaze, but everyone was present, and the matter of marriage was not false. It seemed inappropriate to say anything at this time.
Not only Qin Yanzhou, but the other people also looked over, looking at Qin Shaozong and then at Dai Li.
Qin Hongying had long guessed that he was going to marry, so she smiled and said, "Second Brother, you acted much faster than I expected. By the way, is that jade ring coming back?"
The jade ring was the Qin family's heirloom, or more accurately, the token of every matriarch or future matriarch.
Dai Li lowered her eyes. At this moment, she only had a small purse at her waist. She had already taken off the jade ring earlier and put it back in the box in her room.
Not only because it was conspicuously large, but also because it was too heavy.
Hanging on her waist, its presence was very strong.
"I brought it back today," Qin Shaozong said.
Hearing this, Qin Hongying tutted softly in her heart. He brought back the token today, and announced the marriage to the family at the dinner table that very night. Her second brother really couldn't wait a single day.
But on the surface, Qin Hongying still raised the teacup in front of her. "What a joyous occasion, congratulations. I will substitute tea for wine to wish you and Dai Li a long life together, growing old together in harmony."
The smile in Qin Shaozong's eyes deepened. Qin Hongying raised a teacup; he picked up a wine goblet. "Alright, thank you."
He drained it in one gulp.
With Qin Hongying leading the way, Qin Yunce also came to congratulate them. His body couldn't handle alcohol, so he also substituted tea for wine.
Qin Shaozong poured himself a full cup of wine and drank it all again.
Generally speaking, when drinking with subordinates or those of a lower generation, just touching the lips was already giving face. Drinking it all in one gulp meant he was either extremely appreciative or very happy.
Qin Hongying's mouth twitched, feeling that her second brother must be the latter.
People are in high spirits when involved in happy events. This happy event had only just begun, yet it could make him so thrilled.
After Qin Yunce, Qin Qinian, who liked to drink, also raised his cup. After Qin Qinian came Shi Rongyue.
The young girl held her tea bowl and also said auspicious words. Qin Shaozong also drank another cup, treating her equally.
Shi Rongyue put down her tea bowl and quietly raised her eyes to look at the person across from her.
The young man was currently looking down, his long, straight black eyelashes casting faint shadows under his eyes. He was much thinner than before, and his straight nose looked somewhat sharper.
As if sensing her gaze, those beautifully shaped peach blossom eyes looked up, as dark as ink.
Shi Rongyue stared blankly.
But the next moment, the other party looked away and turned to the main seat.
After Shi Rongyue put down her tea bowl, Qin Yanzhou felt a gaze from the main seat fall directly on him.
It was intense and carried other meanings.
He turned his head to meet those narrow brown eyes, expressionless.
When Dai Li saw the two of them looking at each other, she immediately felt a headache.
Her son had just come out of seclusion, not only thin but also with a face as white as paper. She originally wanted to wait until Zhouzhou's health improved a bit before telling him about this.
But she didn't expect Qin Changgeng to announce it tonight.
Qin Yanzhou's gaze only paused for a moment, then moved to Dai Li. From just now, his mother hadn't made a move.
She neither spoke nor left the table.
He saw the helplessness on Dai Li's face. The young man paused, picked up the wine goblet on the table, and gestured to Qin Shaozong.
He didn't say any auspicious words, just raised his cup.
Qin Shaozong smiled, also raised his cup, and drained it in one gulp.
Today was the Beginning of Winter.
There is a saying about eating mutton and dumplings on the Beginning of Winter.
However, the dumplings of this era were not yet called dumplings; they were called jiao'er. A famous doctor used dough to wrap some medicinal herbs to dispel the cold, such as mutton and pepper, boiled them, and distributed them to patients suffering from frostbite. Because they looked like ears, they got the name jiao'er.
Later, in many places, to commemorate the famous doctor, and also to welcome the arrival of winter, the custom of eating jiao'er on the Winter Solstice was passed down and gradually became a tradition.
The dumpling filling was mutton, which Dai Li wasn't used to eating, so she only ate one as a token gesture. The others, including Qin Yanzhou, were very good at eating mutton.
A large plate of dumplings, dipped in some mature vinegar or soy sauce, and with some minced garlic, was quite a delicacy.
This dinner was similar yet different from usual. Dai Li saw that Qin Shaozong had finished the pot of yellow rice wine next to him.
He was visibly in a good mood tonight.
After the meal, everyone dispersed.
The sky outside was already dyed black. According to the usual time, it was time to rest and sleep not long after dinner.
"Zhouzhou, come with me," Dai Li said to her son.
Qin Yanzhou followed his mother without a word.
Qin Shaozong watched the backs of the mother and son leaving, turning his jade thumb ring.
...
Dai Li didn't let Nianxia and Bipo follow her. She carried a lantern herself and left the main hall with her son.
She walked towards the way back.
Not back to the main courtyard, but back to Qin Yanzhou's own courtyard, to see him off.
The mother and son didn't speak along the way, until they reached the front yard of Qin Yanzhou's pavilion, Dai Li finally spoke, "Zhouzhou, originally I wanted to wait a few days, until your health was better, to tell you about this. It's just that just now..."
Dai Li sighed, observing her son's expression. "I didn't expect him to announce it so suddenly. But although what he said was hasty, it wasn't false. Qin Changgeng and I will get married in a while."
The last sentence was a bit quieter, somewhat muffled in the night wind.
Perhaps the silence on the way had been long enough, or perhaps various emotions had been digested a lot during the dinner just now. At this moment, Qin Yanzhou immediately asked, "Mom, are you willing to marry him? The Gu poison in my body has been cleared now. If you're not willing, I can take you away."
Burning bridges after crossing the river was indeed distasteful and would be condemned by thousands. But he felt that compared to his mother's own wishes, those were not important.
Dai Li looked at her son, who was already much taller than her, and smiled gratifyingly. "I am willing."
The Gu poison on Zhouzhou was cured, and the White Elephant was dead, but this absolutely didn't mean that she and the Green Lotus Sect could wipe the slate clean.
This score would eventually have to be settled with the real sect leader. But the Green Lotus Sect was a powerful force, highly likely entrenched across several provinces.
Qin Shaozong certainly hated the sect, and on his path to pacifying the world, he would most likely confront the Green Lotus Sect. But for things like revenge, it was definitely more satisfying to be involved in it, and without someone fanning the flames from the inside, who knew when they would ever face the Green Lotus Sect?
More importantly, she and Zhouzhou might not actually be able to leave smoothly.
Qin Changgeng promised not to take concubines, and there was also the winter hunt bet to fight for later.
What else could they do? Make do for now.
Of course, she couldn't tell her son about dealing with the Green Lotus Sect now, otherwise he would feel guilty again. Zhouzhou had finally been made a bit more lively by Nalan Wugong and Qin Qinian, he couldn't go back to how he was before.
Qin Yanzhou pursed his lips, and then said something Dai Li didn't expect, "Mom, do you think the Marquis of Wu'an is better than Uncle Zhong?"
Dai Li froze, her thoughts drifting back to the past.
In the second year after her husband passed away, she met an old flame at a high school reunion. The other party had never married, and upon learning that she was widowed, directly launched a pursuit.
Her taste in men had never been poor. Zhong Mingze had indeed gone on to achieve great success in his career, starting his own company over the years and achieving financial freedom.
Zhong Mingze had good looks, a fine character, and excellent financial standing. He pursued her passionately and frequently expressed his fondness for Zhouzhou. After testing him for a period of time, she eventually brought Zhouzhou out to let her son interact with him.
Zhouzhou did not resist at the time. As they spent more time together, the man and the boy became quite familiar with each other.
Later on, Zhong Mingze even visited her home.
But those were all things of the past, happening before the school bus plunged into the river.
Daili thought for a moment before replying tactfully, "Both of them have their own merits. You cannot just lump them together."
She sounded very much like she was trying to walk a tightrope, so Qin Yanzhou pressed further, "Do you think he treats you well?"
When people panic, they tend to make small, nervous gestures. Daili raised her hand and scratched her cheek with one finger. "He is alright, I suppose. He is quite generous."
Materially, Qin Shaozong had not mistreated her.
Eight out of ten clothing chests in the inner room of the main quarters were filled with her dresses, and her jewelry boxes were packed to the brim, mostly with items of top-tier craftsmanship.
Even in modern times, if those items did not end up in a museum for their historical value, they would still be considered rare masterpieces.
Aside from his occasional bouts of madness, his unspeakable dark hobbies, and his sharp tongue, if one set aside emotional matters, Qin Shaozong was actually a decent man.
So, yes, he was alright.
Qin Yanzhou frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this answer. "Mom..."
Daili pushed open the door in front of her and gently shoved her son inside. "Rest assured, your mother knows what she is doing. You should not overthink things. Go to bed early, wake up early, and recover your lost vitality."
After tucking him into the room, Daili was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something else. "By the way, Zhouzhou, I need your help with something."
The thick clouds in the sky were blown away by the wind, revealing the full moon. Under the moonlight, Daili's eyes glinted like jewels. "Zhouzhou, Qin Changgeng and I made a bet regarding the upcoming winter hunt. The bet is whether he can hunt down a tiger in a single day. The loser has to promise the winner one thing. When the time comes, I need you to help me..."
This was a secret plot that could not see the light of day. Even though there was no one else around, Daili subconsciously lowered her voice.
She lowered it more and more, until she was practically whispering into her son's ear.
Qin Yanzhou listened carefully, his handsome features shifting slightly as a similar light emerged in his eyes. "Okay, Mom."
Daili smiled brightly. "Alright, it is a deal then. Goodnight, Zhouzhou."
"Mom, let me walk you back." Qin Yanzhou belatedly realized that her maid had not followed her here.
Daili waved her hand in refusal. "No need, go to bed early. I have a lantern, and there are plenty of patrolling guards in the estate. I can walk back by myself with the lantern."
Not giving her son a chance to say anything else, Daili carried her lantern and started heading back.
...
However, just as she turned out of the moon gate of her son's courtyard, Daili was startled by a dark silhouette standing right next to it.
The figure was exceptionally tall, standing there in silence like an insurmountable peak. The light of the lantern dispelled the darkness at his feet, its warm glow casting a bright sheen over his black robes.
Near his feet, the shattered pieces of a jade thumb ring could faintly be seen.
Daili had absolutely not expected to run into Qin Shaozong here. The string in her mind instantly pulled taut, vibrating to its absolute limit, as her head filled with one thought:
When did Qin Changgeng get here?
How much had he heard? The part where Zhouzhou said he could take her away, and the plan she had just discussed with her son at the end, had he heard all of it?
Under extreme shock, Daili's hand trembled uncontrollably, and the lantern in her grasp clattered to the ground.
It fell quite hard, extinguishing the candle inside.
Qin Shaozong reached out a long arm, wrapping it around the woman's waist and pulling her tightly into his embrace. "Madam, just who is this 'Uncle Zhong' that the boy Qin Yanzhou speaks of?"
Daili gasped sharply.
Had he really arrived that early?
Could it be that he had followed them shortly after she and Zhouzhou had left the main hall?