Lu Shi, worried about any oversights, still asked a few more questions before leaving, ensuring all necessary preparations were made.
"You go and get these things ready first, then we'll talk about other matters."
Feng Jin rubbed her temples in exasperation, truly tired of being bothered. They gave her no peace, not even for a single day.
Lu Shi was about to say something else, but upon catching Chu Qing's gaze, he wisely retreated.
He was also concerned about annoying the young madam if he continued to talk. The most important matter had been settled, and as for the remaining minor issues, he wasn't in a rush.
"Young Madam, this subordinate will take his leave."
After cupping his hands in a salute, Lu Shi cleverly departed.
Once everyone was gone, the air instantly grew quiet. Feng Jin breathed a sigh of relief, sat lazily on the chair, and took a slow sip of her tea. The quiet felt so good.
"Young Madam, Lord Lu is truly in a hurry. He must be already preparing things by now."
Chu Qing found Lu Shi's elated and hurried departure amusing.
"He… finally found a wife, so naturally, he's overjoyed."
Thinking of Lu Shi's uninspired demeanor earlier, she couldn't help but chuckle.
It had taken these two so long to make progress, and it was not easy.
If Lu Shi had been more sensible, they probably would have gotten together long ago. Why would it have been so troublesome, going through such a long and winding path? Still, to have such an outcome in the end was good.
She had also completed a matter that had been on her mind, and no longer had to constantly remember Cai Qing's situation.
After a moment of pause, Feng Jin shifted her gaze to Chu Qing, standing by her side. She appraised her from head to toe and slowly asked, "Chu Qing, how old are you this year?"
Upon hearing this, Chu Qing first froze, then felt a bad premonition wash over her.
She also felt that the smile on the young madam's lips was… so unnerving. Almost instinctively, she said, "Young Madam, this servant… this servant is still young and doesn't want to get married yet."
How could this little maid be so perceptive? She had only casually asked her age, and Chu Qing had already guessed her intentions so quickly. She was much harder to handle than Cai Qing.
Clearing her throat slightly to hide her embarrassment, she said, "Look how scared you are, your face has turned pale. I only asked you a question, I didn't mean anything else. Why did you jump to that conclusion?"
"Besides, it's perfectly normal for men to marry and women to wed when they come of age. You're not young anymore either, and you should start thinking about such matters. Since you've followed me, I wouldn't want you to be alone and miserable."
"Young Madam, following you is the greatest happiness of this servant's life. This servant never felt wronged."
Compared to her life before, being able to be by the young madam's side was a tremendous blessing. She couldn't have asked for more, so how could she feel wronged?
Feng Jin slowly stood up and helped Cai Qing, who was kneeling on the ground, to her feet. "I'm not blaming you at all. Don't kneel down so readily. The ground is cold, and if you damage your knees, what will you do in the future?"
"Alright, everything will be as you wish. You can go and rest for a while. I don't need you to serve me right now."
"Yes, Young Madam, this servant will take her leave."
Chu Qing curtsied and walked out. Just as she reached the door, she coincidentally bumped into Ling Muzhu, who was hurrying over. Already preoccupied, Chu Qing momentarily forgot to pay her respects to Ling Muzhu. Realizing he was right in front of her, she quickly curtsied and said, "Second Young Master."
Ling Muzhu glanced at Chu Qing. Why did she look so flustered today? His gaze dimmed slightly. He waved his hand, signaling Chu Qing to rise.
"Why are your eyes a little red? What happened?"
"No… no…" Chu Qing repeatedly denied, then after a pause, quickly explained, "My eyes were just irritated by the sandstorm."
Chu Qing's flustered explanation was followed by a hasty remark, "Second Young Master, if you have nothing else, this servant will take her leave."
As soon as she finished speaking, without waiting for Ling Muzhu to say anything else, Chu Qing hurried away.
Ling Muzhu stood there in a slight daze for a moment before continuing forward.
"Why have you come?"
Feng Jin was very surprised by Ling Muzhu's presence. Why did he have the leisure to come see her when he should be preparing for his provincial assignment?
"I'll be leaving in two days, so I came to see my sister-in-law and my two nephews. I've prepared a small gift for them."
With that, Ling Muzhu took out a very exquisite cricket cage from his embrace and placed it in front of Feng Jin. "The two of them saw these cricket cages a few days ago and were very delighted, so I went and found these two for them."
"Why didn't you give it to them yourself?"
"I went earlier, but couldn't find them. So I'll have to trouble my sister-in-law to pass them on."
"Alright, I'll give them to them for you."
Ling Muzhu paused for a moment, then remembered meeting Chu Qing earlier. After some hesitation, he finally asked, "Sister-in-law, I saw Chu Qing with red eyes earlier, and her complexion wasn't right. Did something happen?"
"Oh, her… she's a young girl with a delicate heart. I just casually asked her how old she was. This little maid thought I was going to marry her off, and she got so anxious and scared that she cried."
She didn't expect Chu Qing to actually cry from fear. This little thing usually seemed quite brave, but she was frightened to tears by just a few words. It seemed like she had made a mistake.
Upon hearing about marriage, Ling Muzhu's expression instantly changed. He felt an inexplicable discomfort, but it was fleeting, and he didn't dwell on it.
"However, as she grows older year by year, it is indeed time to find a good family for her to marry into…"
Before, she had thought Chu Qing was too young and hadn't paid much attention. Now, she realized how quickly time passed, and Chu Qing was growing up.
"Actually, I don't think Chu Qing is that old yet. There's no need to rush. Marrying a few years later wouldn't be impossible."
"No, you don't understand these things…"
Feng Jin's gaze fell on Ling Muzhu, and suddenly a thought struck her: "Muzhu, I think you…"
Ling Muzhu instantly tensed up and quickly stood up to decline, "Sister-in-law, I have no intention of getting married or starting a family right now. I only want to focus on serving the people…"