The carriage stopped at the carriage yard of the Duke of Qi's mansion.
A maid had been waiting here early. When she saw Qu Moying coming, she hurried forward and bowed, being extremely respectful.
"Our lady heard that you were coming, so she specially asked me to wait for you."
Qu Moying nodded and followed the old woman's footsteps inside. Looking at the road ahead, it turned out that it was not the direction of the lady's courtyard in the past.
"Aren't we going to the lady's yard?" Qu Moying asked casually.
"No, the madam heard that the fourth young lady liked plum blossoms, so she waited for you at the place where the fourth young lady admired the plum blossoms that day." The old woman said with a smile.
They walked all the way to the pavilion, and the two maids waiting downstairs hurried forward to pay their respects.
Going up the stairs, Madam Qi was indeed waiting there early. When she saw Qu Moying come in, she straightened her back while sitting on the chair.
Qu Moying stepped forward and saluted. Madam Qi said kindly, "Miss Qu Si, there is no need to be polite. Please sit down first!"
After expressing his gratitude, Qu Moying sat down on a chair at the side. The maid brought him tea. The color of the tea was good, and it was actually the same tea that Prince Qi had carefully prepared that day.
The eight exquisite dim sums looked even more carefully prepared than that day, and it was obvious that they were all freshly made and carefully arranged.
"I heard that Miss Qu Si came here to sit for a while. I came here today to take a look. It is indeed a good place. It is not cold here, and you can enjoy the scenery. But in the past, I was too old to move, especially in the winter. I didn't know there was such a good place in my house."
Madam Qi looked at Qu Moying and smiled, then sighed and started chatting about family matters.
"It was someone in the mansion who brought me here. I didn't expect that this is a good place that even the old lady hasn't discovered." Qu Moying said softly.
"In the past, this was a place young people loved to come. The older we get, the more inconvenient our legs and feet become, and the lazier we become to move. There are some things that young people do but old people don't do anymore." Madam Qi sighed again, reached out and used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of cake for Qu Moying.
"This pastry is good. It is my favorite in the past. You can try it."
Qu Moying had no choice but to pick up the chopsticks, pick it up, take a bite, then smile with the corners of her lips slightly curved, "Thank you, Madam, it's really good."
"These are a few of the things I like. I specially asked the kitchen to make them and send them over. In the past, it seemed that you used similar things to me, so you should like them too." Madam Qi said with a smile, and pushed a few plates in front of her towards Qu Moying. Her attitude was more friendly than usual.
There was no sign of strength or anger, but his eyes looked a little haggard, probably because he didn't sleep well last night.
"If you like it, take some back and let your grandmother try it. Some of the recipes are from my dowry, and other houses don't have them." Madam Qi smiled as she watched Qu Moying take a bite.
Qu Moying put down the chopsticks in her hand, wiped the corner of her lips with a handkerchief, and thanked her again: "Thank you, Madam."
"You don't have to be polite to me. Your mother's family is the Jiangnan Qu family. The friendship between them and the old Duke is like crawling out of a pile of dead bodies. Even if the two families are now on their own sides and don't interact with each other, this friendship between the old Duke and me is extraordinary."
Mrs. Qi sighed.
Qu Moying remained silent for a moment, knowing that Madam Qi didn't want to hear what he said at this time, so he just needed to listen.
"Your mother can be considered my...
"My son," Madam Qi's voice trembled slightly, but then calmed down again, "You are naturally my granddaughter. No matter when you see me, you don't have to be nervous. I really want to help you. I was a little hasty about what happened that day, mainly because I was afraid that you would miss your future. But if you really don't like Yongning Marquis Mansion, then there is no need to mention this matter. I can always find a more suitable one for you."
Madam Qi brought up what happened that day, and her eyes fell on Qu Moying. Not only was she not angry as she was that day, she even looked at her with a bit of kindness.
“Madam…” Qu Moying wanted to say something, but was stopped by Madam Qi.
"That day, I was too impatient and my attitude was a little bad, but you don't have to take it to heart." Madam Qi leaned back and looked out the window, seeming to be looking at something, but also not looking at anything.
"Madam, you're too polite. My grandmother and I really don't mind it. I should thank you very much." Qu Moying finally had the chance to speak and said with a smile.
She spoke sincerely and her posture was elegant. Even though her face was hidden by a veil, one could still sense the smile on her face, which made people feel close to her for no reason.
"It's best that you think this way. I... was a little anxious before... worried that you would ruin your life because of this." Madam Qi turned her gaze back and examined Qu Moying once again. Seeing that she was sincere, a smile appeared in her eyes. She was very satisfied with her attitude.
"You really don't want to marry into the Yongning Marquisate anymore?"
"I don't want to!" Qu Moying shook his head decisively.
"Okay, we have to find a suitable one. I'll keep an eye out for you." Mrs. Qi said gently.
Qu Moying shook her head again: "The marriage... Grandmother and father have almost arranged it. Thank you, Madam."
"Have you already met?" Mrs. Qi asked in surprise. She originally thought it was an excuse.
"My grandmother specifically told me this when she came over today. Thank you for your kindness, Madam." Qu Moying stood up and bowed sideways.
"So you have really chosen one, but you don't know which one it is?" Madam Qi gestured to Qu Moying to sit down and continued to ask.
"This... Grandmother didn't elaborate..." Qu Moying was not in a position to mention Pei Yuanjun at this time.
"Let your grandmother take a look at it again. Don't rush to make a deal. I will come to your house in a few days and discuss it with your grandmother." Mrs. Qi suggested.
"Yes!" Qu Moying didn't feel comfortable saying anything more about it, so she bit her lip and responded.
Seeing how docile she was this time, Madam Qi said again: "Looking at you reminds me of your mother. If...your mother had been closer to me that day, it wouldn't have...been like this. This is fate!"
Mrs. Qi's voice choked up when she said this, her eyes slightly reddened, she turned her head and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and explained with a smile, "When I think of what happened to your mother back then, I regret it so much. If I had known earlier... if I had known earlier, I would never have let your mother get hurt."
Qu Moying lowered her head, looked at her hand holding the handkerchief, and said calmly: "Even if my mother is in the underworld, she will be grateful to know that the lady thinks so highly of her."
Madam Qi's eyes were sore and she didn't know what to say for a moment. It took her a long time to find her voice: "The past is the past. I missed your mother and don't want to miss you again. I can't let you be as helpless as your mother. I can't be careless about marriage. You are still young, so choose carefully. Don't let your grandmother and father
If you agree, you have to be satisfied with it. "
The old lady's words were full of earnestness, and she spoke almost entirely on Qu Moying's side. She was no longer the somewhat distant elder she used to be.
Qu Moying nodded, still without raising her head, and said softly: "Yes, Madam, I understand."
"You are still young... If you marry a bad man, it will be a lifelong thing." Madam Qi was afraid that she didn't understand, so she added.
Qu Moying twisted her handkerchief together and nodded.
There was silence in the room for a moment, as if no one knew what to say. Such a heartwarming conversation seemed more suitable for a grandparents and grandchildren, rather than for the two of them.
The silence lasted too long, and the atmosphere in the room became inexplicably awkward.
Mr. Qi's gaze fell on Qu Moying, filled with pity, sadness, guilt, and confusion.
After a long while, he said, "I have sent people to Jiangnan to discuss your mother's affairs with the Yue family. I want to adopt your mother as a goddaughter. Then I can also directly intervene in your marriage. No matter where you marry in the future, you will be the granddaughter of our Duke of Qi's mansion."
As soon as these words were spoken, Qu Moying suddenly raised her eyes and looked at Madam Qi in astonishment. She had never expected to hear these words. Her fingers suddenly pressed on the fingertips of her other hand.
"Madam, there's no need to be like this. Mother's matter is over. There's no point in talking about it anymore." Qu Moying heard herself refuse.
"Your mother's matter is over, but your matter is still there. If you had the Duke of Qi's Mansion behind you, this marriage would be much better." Madam Qi was not surprised by her surprise and explained.
"It's better not to do that. Mother is not here. This doesn't make sense. If I continue to bring up mother, it may not be good for the Duke of Qi's Mansion." Qu Moying said calmly.
“As long as you are fine now… Duke Qi’s Mansion will be fine. This is also our guilt for neglecting your mother back then.” Madam Qi closed her eyes and forced a smile.
"Even if that's the case, there's no need to do this. Besides, my grandparents treated my mother very well. She was later killed by the Yu family because Jiangnan was too far away." Qu Moying insisted.
Anyone who hears this will feel that it is inappropriate. If my mother were still alive, there would be a chance to talk about it. But now that she is gone, saying these things will only cause people to gossip.
Yu Dong glanced at Madam Qi. Madam Qi was very smart. How could she come up with such a suggestion? Would this approach really be good for the young lady
"If you really feel bad, forget about your mother's matter. Why not take a step back and become our godparents? This will always make the relationship closer."
Seeing that Qu Moying strongly objected, Madam Qi looked at her and continued.
"A godparent?"
"Yes, it means you can become our goddaughter. To me, you are my goddaughter. From now on, you can rely on our family for everything. No one will dare to harm you. Whether it is your future marriage or your marriage, the Duke of Qi's Mansion can support you."
Madam Qi was afraid that Qu Moying was too young to understand, so she spoke in a simpler tone. Her eyes were filled with eager anticipation, and her eyes were a little red.
This repeated concessions were all for Qu Moying's own good. Anyone who heard this would be moved and would agree to it. This was also the solution that Madam Qi had come up with after struggling for a long time last night.
If you find a godparent, everything will be solved, right