Qingmu sighed and said with a small laugh, "I’m not angry, just... a little bumd out. I can’t quite explain it. You know, I hadn’t even thought about it before. I didn’t want to agree yesterday, but Mom said that if I don’t even consider a good match and just stubbornly insist on waiting a few years to marry, I might miss the boat. I thought she had a point, so I ca up with a plan. I said if her family could afford to wait, we could get engaged. But who would’ve thought it would end like this."
Juhua said, "It’s all Gou Dan’s mother’s fault for misreading her own daughter’s heart. She thought izi liked you, so she rushed to ask Grandma Huang to co over. It’s no big deal. We’re about to build a house, and our family’s fortunes are looking up. Plus, you’re more educated than you were before. With prospects like these, you’ll only have more and more marriage proposals coming to our door. You just need to keep your eyes peeled for the right wife."
Qingmu started to laugh. "Finding a wife is such a hassle," he said to her. "There was another reason I agreed to the match yesterday. Since izi is from our village and hangs out with you all the ti, I already know what her personality is like. I figured marrying her wouldn’t lead to any major problems, and it would save the trouble of having to pick out a wife. I guess even taking a shortcut doesn’t work out."
Juhua looked at him seriously. "You can’t think like that next ti. You need to pay attention, too, and see if there’s a girl you actually like. I think it’s better to marry soone you like than soone you feel nothing for. Look at izi and Changming. They don’t seem like a good match at all, but I’m sure they’ll be happy together. Changming likes izi, and the amazing part is that izi actually likes him back. That’s not sothing you see every day."
Qingmu fell silent again. After a long mont, he said, "That’s easier said than done. Guys like us barely see any girls all year. How are we supposed to just start liking soone? It’s not that simple for ."
Juhua felt her brother was still truly clueless when it ca to romance. She laughed and said, "I’ll invite girls over to visit more often, then you’ll get to et more of them. Even if you don’t end up liking anyone, you’ll at least get to know what girls are generally like. That way you won’t end up like our second uncle, getting smitten with the first girl you et only to find out she’s not a good person after you’ve already married her."
Qingmu couldn’t help but laugh. "So, you’re saying that the more girls I et, the wiser I’ll get, and the less likely I am to ss up when picking a wife, is that it? But Dad didn’t et many won, and he and Mom are doing great, aren’t they? And what about the daughters from rich families? They never leave the house, and they end up marrying n they’ve never even t, right?"
Juhua had to admit her idea sounded a bit ridiculous.
’So people get so overwheld by their options that they end up missing the best one. And besides, I can’t just apply the rules of my past life to this world. That could just end up causing trouble.’
The two of them chatted and laughed softly while autumn insects chirped from the nearby riverbank.
Juhua asked Qingmu, "Brother, have you ever thought about just studying all the ti? I an, do you want to beco an official? Do you want to stop farming?" She was very curious about the young man’s ambitions.
Qingmu gazed at the distorted reflection of the moon in the water and answered with conviction, "I don’t want to be an official—I’m not cut out for that. I do like to study, but I’m not obsessed with having to pass the exam to beco a Scholar. There’s nothing wrong with farming, either. Our teacher taught us that if you truly internalize what you read, it doesn’t matter what you do for a living. The real fear is not learning anything at all, because then you’ll never accomplish anything."
Juhua smiled. "But, Brother, do you actually *like* farming? Haven’t you ever wanted to go see the world outside?"
But Qingmu just laughed. "I can’t even manage the fields properly, and it takes ages just to figure out the plans for a house. I don’t have the ntal energy to think about anything else. Once we’re better off in the future, I’ll take you to see Qinghui County. But our teacher says that even high officials and wealthy magnates don’t all have it easy. They have their own kind of suffering and troubles, which is sothing I’d never considered. He said that no matter what you do, as long as it’s what you’ve truly set your heart on, you’ll find joy in it, no matter how hard or tiring it gets."
He paused, then turned to look at Juhua. "Right now, I just want to build a good foundation for our family and live a peaceful life with Mom, Dad, and you. As for anything beyond that, I haven’t really thought about it."
Juhua laughed softly. ’A practical, down-to-earth ambition,’ she thought. ’I like it!’
As they were talking, Black Dog ca bounding over out of nowhere, giving Juhua a fright. She couldn’t help but scold, "You silly dog! You didn’t even make a sound. You scared !"
Black Dog wagged its tail beside her. When Juhua shooed it away, it trotted over to Qingmu and sat down right next to him.
Qingmu patted its head, his mood lifting considerably. He stood up and said to Juhua, "Let’s go. You still have to do your face mask. I’ll help you with it when we get back."
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