Chapter 530
Chapter 530
"Big brother, there's no hurry about this." Wen Xiu had no idea of Zhang Yanchu's good intentions.
She simply felt that when it came to marriage, rushing was useless.
Besides, she had already given up hope by now.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhang Yanchu frowned, looking at his sister's defeated attitude, and felt another pang of sorrow in his heart.
"What do you think of Eldest Young Master Li?" Zhang Yanchu looked at Wen Xiu and asked cautiously.
He thought that if his sister didn't like Young Master Li, he would look for other suitable candidates.
Wen Xiu looked at Zhang Yanchu in slight surprise.
Young Master Li?
Was it the Young Master Li she was thinking of?
"When you say Young Master Li, big brother, you mean...?" Wen Xiu bit her lip and decided to clarify — was it Jiang Yuanrang?
"The son of Lord Li next door. Have you met the young man?" Zhang Yanchu figured that if Wen Xiu hadn't seen Jiang Yuanrang, he would find a way to arrange a meeting.
"I have seen him." Wen Xiu's face turned red as she spoke, feeling a little uneasy.
Why would her big brother bring up Young Master Li with her?
Could it be that Young Master Li had taken a liking to her?
At that thought, Wen Xiu remembered how Li Zhiwei and Cheng Qingli had teased her before.
Could this have been brought up to Lord Li by Zhiwei?
"How do you find Young Master Li, sister?" Zhang Yanchu, not noticing Wen Xiu's embarrassment, asked again.
"Big brother, have you asked Young Master Li about this?" Wen Xiu bit her lip and asked.
She would be willing to marry Jiang Yuanrang.
It's just...
Wen Xiu thought to herself — if Young Master Li already had someone in his heart, then she wouldn't want to be the one to break up a couple.
"You don't need to worry about him. If you like the kind of man he is, I'll take care of it for you," Zhang Yanchu said casually, since wasn't this match arranged by Xu Heming anyway?
Whether Jiang Yuanrang agreed or not was Xu Heming's headache, not his.
"Big brother, marriage is about two people spending their whole lives together." Wen Xiu shook her head disapprovingly.
"Fine, I'll have someone ask around later." Zhang Yanchu thought it over and said.
He was quite optimistic about having Jiang Yuanrang as his brother-in-law.
My sister's concerns were reasonable, after all.
Rather than letting her marry into a household where she'd be left alone, it was better to ask beforehand.
Either way, he wouldn't let his sister be wronged.
When Li Zhiwei and the others returned to the Li residence, the house was filled with a warm, happy atmosphere.
Lady Yao and Lady Qin were happily gathered around Yao Qisheng, chatting about something, while Li Tianyou beside them looked gloomy.
He thought resentfully — wasn't it just a minor provincial administration commissioner?
Why were they making such a fuss?
"The eldest young miss is back." Zhou Tong, seeing Li Zhiwei and Xu Heming enter, quickly called out with a smile.
"Weiwei, you're finally back." Li Tianyou hurried over to his daughter.
"Father, where's uncle?" Li Zhiwei asked cheerfully.
Li Tianyou's smiling face immediately darkened — another person looking for Yao Qisheng?
Back when he was appointed Vice Minister of Revenue, why hadn't anyone been this happy?
Li Tianyou felt a sour pang of jealousy.
"He's sitting right there." Li Tianyou said grumpily, pointing.
"Grandfather!" Xu Qingshi happily popped out from behind, grabbed Li Tianyou's hand, and called out affectionately.
"Oh, Qingshi!" Li Tianyou was delighted to hear Xu Qingshi's sweet voice.
"What happened to the injuries on your face?" Li Tianyou's joy faded as he noticed Xu Qingshi's face covered in cuts and bruises, and couldn't help asking angrily.
Though Xu Qingshi wasn't his daughter's child, the boy was very close to their family.
How on earth did a good kid end up with a battered face?
"Your Highness, did you hit him?" Li Tianyou looked at Xu Heming with some anger.
Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs! Xu Qingshi was such a small child — how could Xu Heming bear to strike him?
Or was it that Prince An didn't consider the boy his own flesh and blood, so he beat him without mercy?
A wave of fear washed over Li Tianyou — what if he beat his own daughter next?
"Father, what are you thinking? Qingshi got into a fight with his friends today." Li Zhiwei said with exasperation.
Sometimes, she truly admired her father's imagination.
She figured that if she didn't explain, Li Tianyou would soon be imagining Xu Qingshi beaten to the point of not being able to get out of bed.
"I didn't say anything." Li Tianyou rubbed his nose awkwardly.
He would never admit that he thought the injuries were from Xu Heming.
"Rest assured, Father-in-law. I would never lay a hand on Weiwei." Xu Heming, seeing Li Tianyou's concern, quickly assured him.
"Grandfather, can I stay at your house from now on?" Xu Qingshi tugged at Li Tianyou's hand with a scared look and asked cautiously.
He thought — his father said he wouldn't hit his mother, but he never said he wouldn't beat him.
For the safety of his little bottom, he'd better not return to the Prince An residence. Too terrifying.
Li Tianyou was confused.
"If you want to stay over at the Li residence, you're most welcome." Li Tianyou laughed.
Li Tianyou simply assumed that Xu Qingshi had no idea about his mother, Zhou Yuxin's, affair.
"Xu Qingshi, stop causing trouble." Xu Heming, however, frowned at Xu Qingshi, his tone carrying a note of warning.
He thought to himself, this brat really needed a good beating—he'd been too lenient lately.
The boy dared to go out and get into a brawl, and now today he was thinking of not returning home.
It had been some time since he'd properly disciplined him.
"Grandfather, I'm scared!" Xu Qingshi quickly hid behind Li Tianyou, his face full of grievance.
"He's still a child!" Li Tianyou shot an annoyed glare at Xu Heming.
"Alright, Qingshi didn't do it on purpose today." Li Zhiwei knew exactly what Xu Heming was angry about and quickly moved to soothe him.
"Qingshi is coming back to the manor with us today." Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Qingshi again, speaking with certainty.
"Uncle, I heard you were promoted today?" Li Zhiwei stopped paying attention to the childish squabble and instead smiled at Yao Qisheng, who stood on the other side.
"Weiwei's back!" Yao Qisheng was delighted to see his niece.
After all, everything he had now—he owed it all to having such a wonderful niece.
If not for her, he wouldn't have even laid eyes on the emperor, let alone set foot in the capital.
"I heard you received an official post, so I came specially to congratulate you." Li Zhiwei said with a smile.
"This is all thanks to the prince and your father." Yao Qisheng replied with a smile.
"This is what you deserve, Uncle." Xu Heming quickly stepped up beside Li Zhiwei and said.
"Why hasn't Eldest Brother come?" Li Zhiwei glanced around and noticed Jiang Yuanrang was nowhere to be seen.
She asked out of curiosity, since she still wanted to ask Jiang Yuanrang what he thought of Wen Xiu.
"He..." Lady Yao felt a pang in her heart at the mention of her son.
"What's wrong with Eldest Brother?" Li Zhiwei, seeing Lady Yao's expression, couldn't help but ask with concern.