Poor Lady

Chapter 12: Face to face

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In the study room of the Taiwei Mansion, Liu Muhan laid several pieces of Buddhist embroidery flat on the desk and looked at them carefully. His eyes finally fell on the Buddha statue embroidered by Qi Surong. It was still hard for him to believe that Qi Surong's hand had embroidered this Buddha. Not to mention that she was only sixteen years old, and with her usual character, it was impossible for her to embroider such a fine piece of work.

The stitches and threads are even and fine, without any flaws. What's even more amazing is that the back of the embroidery is actually a different scene. It is a different color from the front. The back is embroidered with gold and silver threads to create a golden Buddha, which looks like the light of the Buddha. shine. The two sides are distinct and seamless. It's amazing!

Previously, this Buddhist embroidery was priced at nine hundred and ninety-nine taels, which was not low. Now it seems that four thousand taels is not necessarily worth it.

At this moment, Liu Qian'er walked into the study and brought a cup of ginseng tea to Liu Muhan. When she saw some embroidery on the desk, she smiled and said, "Is this a gift for mother?"

"Well, what do you think?" Liu Muhan took a sip of ginseng tea and stepped aside.

Liu Qian'er stepped forward to take a closer look, nodded and said: "Several embroidery pieces are all of the highest quality, but this one shows the most aura and is a step above."

She was referring to Qi Surong's embroidery.

"Sister's vision is indeed the same as that of a brother." Liu Muhan praised.

Liu Qian'er pursed her lips and smiled: "So, brother is planning to give this piece of embroidery to mother?"

Liu Muhan nodded: "Exactly."

There was a hint of reluctance in his tone.

Liu Qian'er glanced at him and said: "If my brother is reluctant to let go, why not stay at home? When mother comes back, you can still give it away. If you give it away now, you will definitely stay in the temple."

Liu Muhan thought for a moment, then shook his head: "Forget it, let's send it over. If mother comes back and knows that I left better Buddhist embroidery at home, I'm afraid she will blame me for being disrespectful to gods and Buddhas."

"Hehe." Liu Qian'er couldn't help but laugh, and then asked, "Where did you buy this embroidery?"

"Yunrong Xiuzhuang."

"So it's this one." She didn't ask for Xiu Niang's name anymore. If she asked just one more question, she would know that Qi Surong was the owner of Xiuzhuang.

"Sister, what do you think of Miss Qi's personality?" Liu Muhan asked casually.

"Huh?" Liu Qian'er asked strangely, "Why did my brother suddenly ask about this person?"

"I'm just curious. After all, the Qi family's qualifications in the capital are somewhat higher than the Liu family's. Now that they are in such a state of desolation, I can't help but feel a little sad."

Liu Qian'er said indifferently: "Qi Surong's temperament is the same as her father's. She has always been arrogant and arrogant. They are the ones to blame for their current fate."

Liu Muhan was a little surprised by her sister's harsh words.

Liu Qian'er seemed to realize that this statement was inappropriate, and added: "My sister just thinks that it is a great blessing that they can save their lives. If there is a chance in the future, they may be able to revive the family. Su Rong was once my My best friend, even if she is not good at all, I don’t want to see her in poverty. If my brother has any news about her, please be sure to tell her, and I also want to help."

Liu Muhan opened his mouth, but in the end he did not tell her about the Buddhist embroidery. He himself was not very sure, and it would not be too late to tell her after he was sure.

Fortunately, he didn't say anything, otherwise he would have caused big trouble for the Qi family for no reason, and Qi Surong barely escaped.

Beside the Jinghu Pavilion.

Qi Surong and Miss Zhang's family were sitting in the pavilion, drinking tea and playing chess.

"I'm really sorry last month. I had something to do at home and couldn't keep the appointment." Qi Surong apologized.

"Girl, there is no need to apologize. Everyone has inconveniences. Am I the kind of unreasonable person?" Miss Zhang's expression was gentle, not angry.

Qi Surong smiled, stopped talking and concentrated on the chess game.

After sitting down for a moment, Qi Surong suddenly asked: "Miss, is there something on your mind?"

Miss Zhang paused in her twisting movements, "Why do you see that?"

"The young lady seems to be a little absent-minded in her chess game today."

Miss Zhang put down her chess pieces and frowned.

"Miss, what's on your mind, can you tell me?" Qi Surong still had a good impression of this gentle and dignified Miss Zhang. If her father hadn't been rude in the previous life, he wouldn't have offended her.

Miss Zhang hesitated for a while and said, "My father is planning to find a marriage for me in the near future."

"This is a good thing." Qi Surong said with a smile, "It's time for men to get married and women to get married. With the girl's appearance, she should marry into a good family."

"I know that my father has always loved me very much." Miss Zhang said gently, "He gave me two families and let me choose."

"Oh? Which two households?"

"One family belongs to the second son of Wang Duanwang of the Wang family in the south of the city, who is also the younger brother of Wang Jing, the master in question. The other family belongs to Huaizhang, the doctor of the four sects of Zhangfu in the west of the city."

Qi Surong asked: "Who does the young lady prefer?"

Miss Zhang said: "My family is a businessman. Although we have a lot of wealth, we are not qualified to join the family. The second young master Wang is also a businessman, but he is a close relative of my family, and he also has an elder brother who is from the fifth rank. And that Mr. Zhang , is thirty years old, has been an official for five years, and is still a seventh-rank petty official. My father feels that he may be doing his job honestly, but he has no hope of being promoted to an official position, and since he has not married yet, he may have hidden problems. "

"In other words, the young lady prefers the Second Young Master Wang?"

Miss Zhang did not respond, looking at the chessboard in trance.

Zhang Zhihuai, Wang Duan... Qi Surong felt that he had an impression. He tried to remember it and finally remembered it! In her last life, because her father had a lawsuit with the Zhang family, she had been paying close attention to the Zhang family's movements for a while. When Miss Zhang got married, there was a sensation because the dowry prepared by the loving father Zhang for his daughter was extremely generous, and the queue to welcome the bride almost stretched from the south to the north of the city, making countless young girls envious.

But less than half a year later, Miss Zhang's marriage turned into a tragedy. The second prince she chose was a lustful person. After marriage, he still lingered in the flowers, and eventually died suddenly in the bed of a prostitute.

After that, Qi Surong stopped paying attention to her news. She only knew that Mr. Zhang’s mother-in-law loved her son as much as he wanted her and was quite superstitious. Miss Zhang’s life must have been difficult for the rest of her life.

On the other hand, Zhang Zhihuai is a typical late bloomer. He got married late and was promoted slowly, but he is down-to-earth, low-key, and has a smooth life. Before Qi Surong's death, he seemed to have taken the position of Vice Minister of Zhongshu.

Qi Surong hesitated for a while and said: "Miss, I heard that the Second Young Master Wang often goes to Fengyue Place..."

"I know this too." Miss Zhang said softly, "My father said that when a man is outside, he will inevitably need to socialize, and his character cannot be judged by this."

Qi Su tolerated it, but finally did not want to see Miss Zhang fall into the fire pit, and said: "I have met this Second Young Master Wang several times."

"Oh?" Miss Zhang's eyes brightened and she asked quickly, "How is it?"

Qi Surong straightened her expression and said cautiously: "Miss, you can think of me as nonsense, but I still want to say it to you. If I offend you, please don't blame me."

"Girl, just say it's okay." Seeing her look like this, Miss Zhang couldn't help but become nervous.

"To be fair to you, young lady, I am actually pretty good at physiognomy." Qi Surong said seriously, "The second young master Wang seems to have pretty features, but his hall is dark, and there is a faint sign of premature death. The eyes are the most understanding of people's hearts, and this is His eyes are cloudy, his spirit is listless, his blood is low, and his daily behavior may be quite disorderly, so he is not a good choice for a son-in-law."

Miss Zhang's face changed slightly and she looked at Qi Surong carefully. Seeing that her eyes were clear and unfailing, she couldn't help but believe her.

"Miss, this matter is related to your lifelong happiness. Even if you don't believe what I say, you can send someone to verify it yourself." Qi Surong sincerely persuaded.

"I understand." Miss Zhang nodded, "That's the end of today's chess game. I lost."

"Winning or losing in a chess game doesn't matter, but losing in a marriage is something you can't afford. Miss, be careful."

After Miss Zhang left with her servants, Qi Surong sat alone in the pavilion, admiring the scenery.

She can see other people's futures, but not her own. Even if you have the advantage of foresight, you still have to be extremely cautious.

She can't afford to lose.

When I returned home, I heard shouts and shouts coming from the backyard. Qi's father was training several of his disciples.

Qi Surong smiled and went into the kitchen to make a pot of herbal tea. After letting it cool down, she sent it to her father and his disciples to relieve the heat.

Then, she called Ping'er over to cook together. Nowadays, the family is short of manpower, and her mother, wet nurse, and maids are all busy with Xiuzhuang affairs. Qi Surong will cook by herself when she has free time. She had lived a difficult life alone for several years, doing everything herself, and her original pride and childishness had long since faded away.

Remember when she cooked for the first time, Qi’s mother was shocked. She couldn’t believe that her daughter, who had never touched Yangchun water with her hands, could actually cook? Although it is just a common side dish, it is enough to make people astonished.

It wasn't until more than a month later that Qi's mother finally adapted to Qi Surong's changes. Different from the pampered and pampered woman in the past, now she is not afraid of being dirty or tired. She is a little less elegant than a lady, but more energetic and firm like a green pine.

Heaven and earth have no intention, and all things value their true nature.

Go straight to the strong mountains. The beauty is unparalleled.

The experience and frost will last for thousands of years.

The sky tower is high and straight, standing out from the spring breeze and blue clouds. ("Poetry on Pictures of Green Pines and Strange Rocks")

A month later, Qi Surong heard that Miss Zhang quit the Wang family and chose Zhang Zhihuai, and a smile appeared on her face.

Miss Zhang's marriage was scheduled for two months later. At the beginning of the marriage, she felt quite regretful because Zhang Zhihuai had an ordinary appearance, breezy sleeves, and no outstanding character. The only thing worthy of praise was his writing skills. Good calligraphy and good chess skills.

But within half a year, the news of the sudden death of Prince Wang in the brothel spread. Only then did Miss Zhang rejoice. She was extremely grateful to Qi Surong. From then on, she regarded Qi Surong as a close friend. She also admired his fortune-telling skills and made him a strange person...