Chapter 1844: Chapter 940: Adding the Finishing Touch (Part 2)

The two of them bowed to Madam Qin and Lady Zhang, then took their leave to go to Qin Ruojian’s room, leaving Lady Zhang and Madam Qin to talk privately. After all, with Qin Ruojian present, it wasn’t convenient for Lady Zhang to discuss marriage matters directly with Madam Qin.

The Qin family resides in the Tongpan Mansion, a compound with four courtyards, not particularly spacious but quite elegantly arranged. Qin Ruojian’s boudoir is located in the rear rooms behind Madam Qin’s main quarters.

Lian Manman was familiar with the place, so after sitting down in Qin Ruojian’s room, she felt at ease. Qin Ruojian personally served fragrant tea and offered Lian Manman some fruit.

"I must thank you for the vegetables and flowers you brought; they’re quite rare and delightful in this chilly winter," Qin Ruojian smiled and said to Lian Manman.

"It’s nothing between us, no need to say thank you. You’ve only been here a short while, and there’s plenty of good food and fun things here, as long as you don’t mind it being simple... After a few days, I’ll have someone bring over some frozen persimmons and frozen pears for you to try. That’s the true flavor of our Liaodong," Lian Manman replied with a smile.

"Great," Qin Ruojian said with a smile.

"If we’re talking about gratitude, I should thank you, Sister Ruojuan, for the persimmons you sent last time; we all loved them. Although we have them locally in Liaodong Prefecture, they aren’t as glutinous as yours," Lian Manman said.

"If you enjoyed them, we have more here. Back at our old home, there’s a mountain full of persimmons. There’s another mountain with golden dates. After years of selecting, only the best remain," Qin Ruojian said.

Qin Tongpan has some ancestral property back home.

"Are you feeling cold?" Lian Manman asked again.

Qin Ruojian’s hometown is in Hejian Prefecture, close to Baoding Prefecture. Later, she followed Qin Tongpan on his assignments and lived in the south for several years. Liaodong Prefecture is the farthest north they’ve been and the coldest place.

"It’s alright," Qin Ruojian replied, "colder than when we were in the Capital City... We’re using half again as much coal as we did in the Capital City."

Unlike those dainty young ladies, Qin Ruojian is quite adept at household matters and pays attention to them, clearly helping Madam Qin manage them regularly. As the eldest daughter in the family, this is often the case, and Lian Manman thinks it’s not a bad thing.

The two talked for a while, and Qin Ruojian took out the cloak that Lian Manman had just mentioned, letting her see it. Qin Ruojian had obviously devoted a lot of effort to needlework and embroidery. A large red peony, with petals, stamens, leaves, and branches, covered with five or six different stitches, and the color matching of the thread was exceptionally meticulous.

Lian Manman, who has been home for over two years, has also spent some effort on needlework but finds it difficult to be as attentive. Lady Zhang has seen Qin Ruojian’s needlework and always praises it endlessly. Lady Zhang’s favor for Qin Ruojian is greatly related to her excellent needlework.

Lian Manman admired the cloak carefully, unable to resist praising it repeatedly.

Qin Ruojian then mentioned that when they were in Jiangnan, Madam Qin had invited an embroidery lady who had served in the palace to instruct her in needlework.

"The work was quite demanding then, and I was very young at the time. After a full day, it was quite wearisome..." Qin Ruojian said. "Manman, if you like these stitches, I can teach you, though it might be tiresome for you. It’s no trouble; if you want anything in the future, just tell me, and I’ll embroider it for you..."

"You say it so nicely now, to make me happy." Lian Manman deliberately laughed. "Later, when you get married, have a brother-in-law, if you still remember me, not to mention embroidering things for me."

"You..." Qin Ruojian’s face turned red from Lian Manman’s teasing.

"I’m willing to learn, Sister Ruojuan," Manman laughed again when she saw Qin Ruojian’s embarrassment.

The two talked a bit about needlework, and then Lian Manman suddenly sighed.

"Why the sudden sigh? Is something troubling you?" Qin Ruojian asked immediately.

"Ah, it’s Mr. Loo. He just sent a letter to my brother about matchmaking..." Lian Manman said, then secretly observed Qin Ruojian’s expression.

The blush on Qin Ruojian’s face had just faded, but hearing Lian Manman’s words, it returned. Worried that Lian Manman might notice, Qin Ruojian quickly hid the cloak, turned around, and was about to go inside.

Lian Manman, seeing Qin Ruojian like this, couldn’t help but laugh silently.

A moment later, Qin Ruojian came out holding a silk handkerchief stretched on a hoop, her face less red, saying she wanted Lian Manman to see the new embroidery she made.

Lian Manman pretended not to know, took it over, and examined it carefully while making a few remarks.

"Sister Ruojuan, your needlework is truly exceptional, my mother always praises you in front of me. You don’t know, if it were possible, my mother would absolutely love to have you as her daughter." Lian Manman said again. "I have an older sister who’s married now. If Sister Ruojuan were in my family, being my sister would be wonderful. My parents would be overjoyed, and my brother..., and my younger brother, would surely all agree."

"Just saying silly things." Qin Ruojian said, her face slightly red.

"Sister Ruojuan, can you guess which family’s girl Mr. Loo is proposing for my brother?" Lian Manman suddenly asked.

"I... I don’t know." Qin Ruojian’s face grew redder, lowering her eyes slightly as she spoke softly.

"Aren’t you curious to ask me?" Lian Manman teased further.

"I..." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"I just worry that the girl might not agree. Sister Ruojuan, do you think she will agree?" Lian Manman asked again.

"You silly girl, if you keep talking like this, I won’t respond to you." Qin Ruojian’s face became completely red, and she reached out to tickle Lian Manman.

Mr. Loo sent letters to both Lian Manman’s family and the Qin family at the same time. Such matters were likely already communicated to Qin Ruojian by Madam Qin. If Qin Ruojian kept being reserved and evasive, Lian Manman might become worried instead. But as things stood, without outright saying it, they mutually understood each other’s feelings. Moreover, the future sisters-in-law laid everything bare, reducing a layer of distance.

The two young girls laughed and played for a while, becoming even closer. Meanwhile, Lady Zhang and Madam Qin had long broken through the unspoken tension, smiling knowingly at each other.

In the front hall, Qin Tongpan stroked his beard with a smile, accepting Wu Lang’s bow.

...

Here’s an extra Chapter, asking for your support.

During my nap, I had a nightmare. I dreamed of a mother and daughter, stealing Ruoyan’s belongings right in front of her eyes. Ruoyan chased after them to demand her things back, but they refused and spoke harshly, eventually throwing her belongings all over the ground.

Ruoyan tried reasoning with them, had so much to say, but couldn’t make a sound. I wonder if any fellow readers have had similar experiences, the kind of feeling...

Eventually, Ruoyan woke up crying...

Upon waking, my mood was terrible, and I associated it with many things, eventually thinking of the story I’m writing.

How exhausting and demanding writing can be; without experiencing it, one can’t fully understand. To borrow a common phrase, better to strike a golden bell once than to break a drum three thousand times. I’ll just say one thing: pirating (dao), publishing (ban), crowds, please respect yourselves and the author’s labor. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to visit qidian.com to vote for recommendations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)