After more than a month of getting along, Xia Lin was increasingly reluctant to part with this little brother who accompanied him. The two of them always had endless things to talk about. Sometimes they would sit on the bed facing each other across the wooden screen and chat until midnight. Qin Li had obviously read a lot of books, but had not been able to put them into practice. It was a good fit for him to meet Xia Lin, who had been traveling around since he was a child. He asked endless questions. Sometimes he was lively and cheerful, sometimes quiet and well-behaved. When he was naughty, he would tease Wangcai around. When he was in a good mood, he would squat at the stern for half a day to teach the boy who boiled water to practice writing and write his name and surname neatly...
Overhearing Wangcai and his colleagues talking about how Qin Li looked like a woman, Xia Lin sighed inwardly, remembering that he was often viewed in the same way. Even his mother would sigh and say: You are the eldest son, can you act like a real man
Xia Lin was helpless. Wasn't he his mother's son? Didn't his mother know whether he was a boy or not? Apart from his feminine temperament, how else had he failed to take responsibility? He asked himself if he had not dishonored his status as the eldest son.
Since he was a child, he has been practicing martial arts and qigong with his father. In the end, due to his weak body and poor foundation, he could not compare with his younger brother who was two years younger. But he has been working hard. He is smart, hardworking, and willing to endure hardships. He traveled around with his master. At the age of fifteen, he had made great achievements in medical skills. This time, his father was away from home, so he took over the batch of medicinal materials in Maoxian from his naughty brother who broke his leg. Although he was unlucky to encounter bandits, he was lucky to escape danger. Yes, it was because he was not good at martial arts and had no strength. If his younger brother had come, he would not have suffered such a serious injury, but no one is perfect, right
Qin Li was young, smart, and simple. He was not a criminal who ran away. No matter what had happened to him and his family, since he was out, he should take the opportunity to travel around. This was very important for a boy. Xia Lin liked Qin Li for no reason. He felt that he was a bit like himself. He was willing to help him and help him travel around. He believed that he would want to go home one day.
The fleet docked at the shore, and Butler Wang came over with a smile and said to Xia Lin, "Master, the master and mistress are here to greet you in person!"
Xia Lin hurriedly said, "Help me get off the boat quickly - you guys are just being nosy. I told you not to write about encountering bandits. Now you've made my parents worry for so long!"
"Ah, I asked them to write it to save the day. The master and mistress just miss the eldest young master!"
Xia Lin turned around to look for Qin Li: "Come on, brother. I'll take you to meet my parents!"
Meiyi stepped back: "Is it okay, Brother Xia? I will get off the boat and leave in a moment..."
She retreated to Wangcai's side, and Wangcai pulled her over and handed her to Xia Lin: "How can that be? You took our ship to Jinling, so you should at least say a few words of thanks to the head of the family, right?"
Xia Lin held Meiyi's hand and his heart skipped a beat: in the more than a month they had been together, Qin Li did help him, but that was through clothes, and they had never had such intimate contact. Qin Li's hands were soft and smooth, and it felt very comfortable - he couldn't help but glare at Wangcai, he was just a rude man, pulling people casually without caring whether they were willing or not.
Meiyi pulled her hand away without revealing a word, and instead helped Xia Lin sit on the sedan chair, smiling and saying, "Wangcai is right, it is my fault for not being polite. Then I'll pay my respects, and I really should say thank you to your father!"
"You're welcome, you're my friend, you just want to meet my parents!"
Qin Li is going to Lingnan. Xia Lin's father had been to that place a few years ago. Xia Lin wants Qin Li to meet his father. His father will tell Qin Li some local customs and habits. If Qin Li is willing to live in the Xia family for a while and wait for Xia Lin to recover from his injury, he can accompany him on the trip.
No one expected that when they met at the dock, Father Xia would not even look at his son, but only stare at Meiyi's face. After a long while, he asked quietly:
"It's a good intention, right? How are your parents?"
Meiyi stared at the elegant and kind middle-aged man in front of her with wide eyes, and suddenly guessed who he was. She was struck by lightning and collapsed in an instant: Xia Lin's surname was Xia, and the fleet was going to Jiangnan. She thought of her parents' talk about Uncle Xia who came all the way to watch them and their sisters being born. She also heard some things about Lingxuzi from Uncle Jingyun. She also asked seriously that Xia Lin's family lived in Jinling City, but Lingxuzi's home was in Changzhou, Jiangnan. Why did he come to Jinling
Xia Lin explained to Meiyi that the Xia family had extensive businesses, with most of their pharmacies and shops located in Jinling City. Changzhou was the location of the Xia family's old house and family ancestral hall, and Xia Lin and his four brothers and sisters were all born in Jinling City.
Meiyi was taken back to the Xia family without explanation. The news from the capital had already reached Jinling. Xia Lin watched Meiyi take off her mask, revealing another beautiful face. He was so shocked that he almost fainted: he knew that some people used masks, but this mask was too good to be seen. Although they lived in the same room, he never watched Meiyi wash, so...
Meiyi knelt in front of the hall and bowed deeply to Lingxuzi and his wife Wu again: "Meiyi greets Uncle Xia and Aunt Xia!"
Xia Wu received the greeting, then stood up and helped Meiyi up, stroking her face with her hands. She looked left and right, full of love. She was a plump, blessed woman with a gentle smile and soft words. Meiyi took a while to digest what she said:
"My dear child, the more I look at it, the more I like it. It's a good thing we've come. We're almost home!"
Looking back at Lingxuzi, he said in the local dialect, "Master, I haven't forgotten that when you came back from Beijing, you told me that the Xu family had two girls. At that time, our Xia Lin was more than two years old, and Xia Jiang was born not long ago. You wanted to become in-laws with Lord Xu, but Lord Xu said that the children were still young. You came home and were still angry, saying that he looked down on us country people... Why are you angry? You came here by yourself, so are you going to send them back to the capital?"
"Look at you, you're talking nonsense about something that doesn't even exist in front of the children!"
Lingxuzi scolded his wife lightly, but took Meiyi into the study. He asked her questions for a long time before coming out. He asked his wife to take Meiyi to change clothes. He glanced at his eldest son who was standing outside the study door and refused to leave despite his leg injury, and waved to him to come in. Behind Xia Lin, his second son Xia Jiang, and daughters Xia Ke and Xia Rui also wanted to follow in, but he waved them away.
The father and son sat in the study and talked:
"Why did you bring her on board? You knew she was a girl and you liked her?"
"From her behavior and the horse she rode, I guessed that she was a noble lady. I just wanted to make friends with her and didn't realize she was a girl! But I really like her because she... I just like her! If what mother said is true, please help me, father, and don't send her back!"
"Xia Lin, you were right to bring Meiyi back to prevent her from falling into the wrong hands. It's not that easy to marry into the Xu family! Weiyuan Hou is now the Duke of Rong, an important official in the court. Meiyi is a noble lady of a duke, how could she be easily promised to a family like us! Do you know why she ran away from home? She and the prince were childhood sweethearts, and everyone thought she would be the crown princess, but when the crown prince got married, she was not the one he married. The royal family wanted to bring her into the palace as the crown prince's concubine, so she ran away. The method she used was very tragic - jumping into the river! Many people thought she was dead, but her parents and family believed she was not dead. The Duke of Rong's men were still looking for her whereabouts. Your uncle Zhang also believed that she would not die, so he sent me a letter. After receiving the letter, I immediately arranged for people to look for her everywhere, but I didn't expect that I could find her without any effort, and you brought her back."
Xia Lin lowered his head and remained silent for a long while. Then he looked up at Lingxuzi and said, "Father, I have been able to read and write since I was young. I mostly read medical books. You said that being an official is boring, and I don't want to be an official either. Therefore, I don't ask much about the affairs of the court and don't understand how the powerful and wealthy people interact with each other. But I don't think Meiyi must marry someone of equal status to live a good life. She may not like that, otherwise she wouldn't run away from home! It is the flood season now, but Meiyi took the risk of jumping into the river. I guess that she and the prince may be really good. They should have a vow, but the prince betrayed her. Meiyi is arrogant and refuses to be a concubine. She is still willing to die to end it. This shows that she is cruel enough to donate her past to the river... The original Meiyi is dead! The current Meiyi has nothing to do with the prince, and even with the Xu family. She is just an ordinary woman who has been wandering outside and doesn't know who her parents are or where they live. I, Xia Lin, picked her up on the road! Father, I don't want to let her go!"
Lingxuzi looked at his son, "Such words should only be said in front of your father! Our Xia family has been rich for generations and has lived in peace. In fact, we also rely on the government to maintain it. It's just that the housekeepers took care of it in the past, and you don't know much... You can say this and think this way, so you must really like Meiyi. Your father will make the decision for you. When your father was young, he knew her parents. Meiyi looks like her mother. Madam Xu is a strange woman. She appears to be gentle on the surface, but she is very strong-willed in her bones and does not easily obey others. Your father does not know what kind of girl Meiyi is, but like mother, like daughter, usually it is correct. Do you think you can win her over? What if she doesn't like you?"
Xia Lin recalled the time he had spent with Meiyi on the boat for more than a month, and a faint blush appeared on his face. Meiyi was actually a very reasonable girl, especially when he used his knowledge to solve her doubts, she was full of admiration, and did not hide the admiration in her eyes, which made him feel warm in his heart. Fortunately, he didn't know she was a girl at that time...
"Father, I will accompany her patiently. I will follow her wherever she goes. I believe she will like me too. On the boat, I live with her in the same room, and she listens to me very much!"
Lingxuzi spat out a mouthful of tea: "What? You, you actually live in the same room?"
Xia Lin was very calm: "It's nothing. We have similar interests and a lot to talk about, so we live together... Our beds are separate!"
"You, you are so ignorant! Who cares how you separate them? Living in the same room is enough to ruin her innocence, not to mention that you have lived together for such a long time!"
"Yes! We will live together! I only want Meiyi, and Meiyi can only marry me!"
Lingxuzi stared blankly at his eldest son who was growing up day by day. His face and figure were very similar to his own when he was young. He thought of Zhang Jingyun for no reason and couldn't help but sigh:
"It turns out that life is formidable. You are braver and luckier than someone else!"
A month later, the Xu family in Beijing received a letter from the Xia family in Jiangnan. The content was as follows: Meiyi fell into the river and was rescued by a merchant ship. She was taken to a dock and dropped off. She happened to meet the Xia family's cavalry. Xia Lin, the eldest son of the Xia family, took good care of her all the way and brought her back to Jinling. Because Meiyi's brain was damaged, she had no memory of who she was and was willing to recognize Xia Lin alone. She was inseparable from Xia Lin in terms of food, clothing, housing and transportation. Lingxuzi recognized her as the daughter of the Xu family based on her appearance and the things on her body. He also received a letter from Jingyun, so he quickly wrote to report that she was safe. The Xia family's medical hall tried its best to treat Meiyi. She is no longer in danger of life, but in order to cure her brain, Lingxuzi's master Wei Zhenren must immediately take her to the south to find medicine. Xia Lin is willing to accompany her. The Xia family had asked the Xu family's daughter that day, and today they still do not change their original intentions, hoping to agree to the marriage of their children.
Meimei was relieved after receiving the letter. She discussed with Xu Junying about going to Jiangnan to see her daughter, but she saw in Lingxuzi's letter that Meiyi had gone to Lingnan with Master Wei and Xia Lin to look for medicine, so she had to give up. Because of Meijuan's matter, she couldn't get away for a while, so she quickly wrote back and asked the housekeeper of Xu's house to personally send her to the Xia family in Jiangnan. As for the marriage of the two children, Meimei was willing. Zhang Jingyun said that the children of the Xia family were all outstanding, especially the eldest son Xia Lin, who was smart, wise, gentle and honest. This was very good. With a father like Lingxuzi, the son would not be bad. But she deliberately let Xu Junying make the decision. Her daughter was dependent on other people's children and lived in someone else's house. What else could she say? Although Xu Junying was reluctant, he had to agree. Lingxuzi had known about the horoscope for a long time, and everything was handled by the Xia family in Jiangnan. When Meiyi came back from the south, the Xu family would bring the dowry and go to Jiangnan to visit her in-laws and daughter and son-in-law.
The Xia family couple was afraid that the Xu family would come to Jiangnan to see their daughter immediately. In order to create an opportunity for Xia Lin and give him more time to get to know Meiyi, Lingxuzi arranged for his master Wei Zhenren to come and take Xia Lin and Meiyi with him to travel south in the name of looking for medicine. In order to meet Meiyi's wish, they went to Liuzhou in Lingnan and found Cen Guiquan. Cen Guiquan treated her as his niece and left her to live in Lingnan for nearly half a year. They traveled to various places within a radius of 100 miles before reluctantly letting her go. Then the Taoist priest took the two children to Yelang, Yunnan and other places to look for medicine and visit friends. Sometimes they lived in deep mountains and dense forests, sometimes they lived in cities and towns. They traveled around and came back. It took a year and a half. When Lingxuzi saw Meiyi again, he was amazed. She was just like Qin Meiniang back then! And his son Xia Lin had grown taller and stronger.
For a year and a half, Xia Lin accompanied Meiyi and they were inseparable. They gradually transitioned from having similar interests when they first met to having a tacit understanding, knowing each other and falling in love. They always had endless things to talk about. When Meiyi found that Xia Lin was always her first choice for seeking answers to her doubts, comfort and shelter, she silently accepted the fact: she was no longer sad for the prince, and Xia Lin was the most real and precious person in her heart.
While Master Wei was still willing to live in the Xia family in the countryside of Changzhou, Lingxuzi and Xia Wu took out the marriage certificate they had prepared long ago and started to hold a wedding banquet for the two children. It was half a year later when Xu Junying and Meimei learned that their daughter had returned from Lingnan to the Xia family in Jiangnan and brought the children by boat.
At this time, Meiyi has grown up, like a blooming lotus, bright and beautiful, and has become the new bride of the Xia family. She happily and sweetly leans on her husband Xia Lin to welcome her parents, brothers and sisters. Xia Lin supports Meiyi and looks at the big ship slowly approaching on the river. He is a little impatient. He has been standing for a long time. Is his wife tired? He can't help but reach out and gently stroke Meiyi's belly. The couple smiled at each other: just diagnosed, there is a little life quietly nurturing in there that they need to cherish forever... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian. to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)