On the sixth day of the second lunar month, Qin Fangfang was carried into the Sun family through the side door in a small green sedan chair.

  Concubine Li cried her heart out, while Qin Yongtao’s face was as grim as frost.

  A few days ter, Nanny Fu came to inform Qin Shuying that Qin Fangfang seemed to be doing well in the Sun family.

  Qin Shuying responded with a faint smile.

  Sun Qingping was notorious for indulging in novelty, always showing temporary affection toward something new. Qin Fangfang was no exception, so her initial days were naturally tolerable.

  Madam Xu had chosen Sun Qingping precisely because he was a man of no ambition, skilled only in idle pastimes like drinking, gambling, and womanizing. Even before marriage, he already kept four or five concubine maids.

  Sun Qingping's status was passable. If anything went wrong, making Qin Shuying his wife wouldn’t have been a disgrace for an orphaned daughter like her.

  After all, Sun Qingping was still the legitimate eldest son of a marquis. The current Zhuangmu Marquis, weakened from overindulgence, was barely in his forties yet already in poor health. When he eventually passed, wouldn’t the title naturally go to Sun Qingping?

  Zhuangmu Marquis was prolific, having married two wives. Sun Qingping and Madam Sun, wife of Mo Wuren, the eldest son of the first branch of Duke Chu's household, were siblings from the first wife. The current matriarch was the second wife, who had given birth to two sons and two daughters. In addition, there were several children born to concubines, bringing the total to over ten.

  Yet they had scant income and hefty expenses, with its condition worsening by the day.

  Qin Shuying lightly pinched her handkerchief.

  Qin Fangfang, the best days are yet to come.

  __

  The Old Madam had been eating vegetarian and chanting sutras for over a month, during which Qin Shuying’s usual practice of massaging her had been put on hold.

  Qin Shuying had offered to accompany the Old Madam in her devotions, but the Old Madam had firmly refused.

  Qin Shuying understood the Old Madam’s reasoning. Having already performed three years of devotions, she had done more than enough. Moreover, as a young dy, excessive devotion could harm her reputation if word got out.

  With Qin Fangfang married off and Duke Chu’s scandal a month behind them, the Old Madam finally resumed receiving visitors.

  That morning, Nanny Gu conveyed the news that everyone could come pay their respects.

  As Qin Shuying looked into the mirror, Hongxuan was fixing her hair while Nanny Fu chatted by her side:

  "Miss, the gift you sent to Madam Liu has been accepted. She returned two bolts of Hangzhou silk as thanks, but when her attendant came, she said nothing about the matter. She merely conveyed Madam Liu’s gratitude for your thoughtful gesture."

  Qin Shuying sifted through her jewelry box, choosing a pair of smooth pearl earrings. Hongxuan carefully fastened them for her. The gentle swaying of the pearls enhanced Qin Shuying’s radiant, soft beauty.

  Nanny Fu’s heart filled with joy as she looked at Qin Shuying in the mirror.

  Over the past six months, her young dy had not only grown taller but also blossomed into an elegant beauty, increasingly resembling her father. With her delicate features and a figure now more mature, she had even experienced her first menstruation. These changes delighted Nanny Fu.

  What pleased her most was Qin Shuying’s improved health. In the past six months, she hadn’t fallen ill even once—a true blessing.

  __

  A month earlier, Madam Liu and Liu Junqing had visited. After they left, Nanny Fu’s heart had been in turmoil, anxiously awaiting Madam Liu’s reaction.

  Yet, despite the visit, Madam Liu maintained her usual polite demeanor, saying nothing about any marriage proposal.

  Nanny Fu grew increasingly concerned. By now, the young dy was already fourteen, with her coming-of-age ceremony set for next year. It was time to start discussing marriage.

  In this era, most women married shortly after their coming-of-age ceremony, typically at sixteen.

  Thus, a few days ago, on Madam Liu’s birthday, Nanny Fu had sent a carefully prepared gift to her residence in the capital, taking the opportunity to gauge her response. Madam Liu accepted the gift but maintained her customary politeness, making no mention of any marriage arrangement.

  This left Nanny Fu deeply disappointed.

  In most families, it was customary to use such opportunities to meet the prospective daughter-in-w or discuss the marriage proposal with her family. At the very least, casual remarks or pyful hints would be made to broach the subject. The typical process involved both families’ elders meeting to set a date and pn the wedding arrangements.

  Preparing the dowry for a daughter of Qin Shuying’s status was no small task. A proper dowry included all the furniture for her bridal chamber, and the preparation alone required at least half a year. Measuring the husband’s family’s residence, designing furniture to fit, crafting the pieces, and allowing time for ventition were all necessary steps. It couldn’t be done hastily.

  Qin Yunyun’s situation had long been prepared by Madam Xu—her dowry and furniture were already ready. Now that her engagement hadn’t been decided, it didn’t seem like a big issue.

  As for Qin Shuying’s dowry and furniture, these were started by Qin Yongzhou and his wife but left unfinished when they passed away. Since then, everything had been put on hold.

  Now, with no updates, was this supposed to wait until the year after next? By then, Miss would already be sixteen! If the Liu family had other pns by then, wouldn’t that dey ruin Miss’s prospects?

  Nanny Fu, deeply worried, had brought this up repeatedly in recent times.

  Seeing Nanny Fu mention it again, Qin Shuying sighed. Nanny Fu treated this matter as the most important thing, and if they didn’t discuss it properly, it might soon become her obsession.

  Once Hongjuan finished combing Qin Shuying’s hair and left, Qin Shuying finally spoke.

  “Nanny, what do you think Madam Liu intends to do?”

  Nanny Fu, relieved that Qin Shuying finally asked, immediately perked up and said, “In this old servant’s opinion, Madam Liu is likely waiting for Young Master Liu to achieve success in the imperial exams before addressing this matter.”

  With the spring exams approaching next month, Nanny Fu’s reasoning seemed pusible.

  “And if Young Master Liu achieves success, what do you think Madam Liu will do?”

  Clearly, Nanny Fu had already considered this. She replied, “Master Liu is known for his integrity. If Young Master Liu succeeds, this servant believes that Master Liu will prioritize his reputation and arrange for Young Master Liu to marry Miss as soon as possible.”

  “And how do you know Master Liu values integrity?”

  “Ever since Miss returned to the capital, Master Liu has sent gifts every year and frequently asked about Miss’s well-being.”

  Qin Shuying shook her head gently. “Nanny, you’re too involved to see clearly. Ziteng, what do you think?”

  Ziteng stepped forward hesitantly. “Miss, this servant dares to speak boldly and asks for your forgiveness.”

  “I asked you to speak, so go ahead.”

  Ziteng nodded and said, “Nanny Fu, this servant has a question. If Master Liu truly values this engagement, why has Madam Liu, who has visited the household before, never met with Miss?”

  Nanny Fu expined, “Miss is a young dy from the inner quarters. Madam Liu likely avoided meeting her to spare her from feeling shy. Besides, while Madam Liu may not have met with Miss, she has always visited the Old Madam. With the Master and Madam gone, it’s naturally the Old Madam who makes decisions for Miss.”

  “In that case, Madam Liu must have known that Miss was ill. Why didn’t she visit Miss then?”

  “Madam Liu is an elder. Miss was in mourning at the time and avoided most people, even the Old Madam. Madam Liu was probably aware of this and chose not to visit.”