Fu Xinci noticed Qi He kept looking behind her and recalled his barely concealed smile when he mentioned Dan Xiaocong, a flicker of suspicion crossing her mind.
She wondered what had made Qi He so cheerful today.
Qi He didn't overthink it. Once he'd had his fill of smiling, he told Fu Xinci about Dan Xiaocong's request for him to act as a go-between.
"Sister Fu, I never imagined that at my sixteen years of age, I'd get to play the role of a matchmaker."
"Who asked you to be a matchmaker?" Fu Xinci understood that an "old red person" was a matchmaker, but she couldn't comprehend what kind of eccentric would ask Qi He to be one.
How foolish would someone have to be to do something so unreliable?
"It's that fellow Dan Xiaocong."
The mere thought of Dan Xiaocong's face turning red with embarrassment, wanting to speak but being too shy, made Qi He chuckle again.
"Dan Xiaocong?"
"Yes, him."
"Why would Dan Xiaocong think of asking you to be a matchmaker?" Fu Xinci truly couldn't understand. "If he likes a girl from a certain family, he should go home and discuss it with his parents, then invite a matchmaker to propose for him."
After hearing Sister Fu's words, Qi He corrected her. "Actually, it's not exactly being a matchmaker, just asking if he's good enough."
"Good enough for what?" The more Qi He spoke, the more confused Fu Xinci became.
"Ah, it was my fault for not explaining clearly," Qi He preemptively apologized before continuing. "It's just that he likes Han Xue, and now that Han Xue has turned eighteen. He hadn't had a chance to make his move when he heard whispers recently that another family had taken notice of Han Xue and planned to approach her aunt. So, with a red face, he came to me, asking me to find out if he's good enough."
"Dan Xiaocong wants to marry Han Xue?" Fu Xinci was momentarily dazed by this bombshell.
"Mmm, that guy pestered me all day. He rushed me back early just so I could talk to you and persuade Han Xue to marry him."
"Brother Qi, I still can't quite understand why Dan Xiaocong would want to marry Han Xue."
"I can guess some reasons."
"Tell me."
"Our Mengjia Town isn't that big, and there aren't that many teenagers. Dan Xiaocong grew up with us, and he hangs out with me every day. It's common for him to see Han Xue. Over time, he might have developed feelings for her."
"How old is Dan Xiaocong?"
"He's eighteen this year; it's about time for him to get married."
Hearing Qi He say Dan Xiaocong was eighteen, Fu Xinci remembered that Han Xue was also eighteen this year.
Considering the common practice of early marriage in those times, a woman past eighteen who remained unmarried would have difficulty finding a husband.
She berated the evils of the old society once more and chided herself for her oversight. "Brother Qi, if you hadn't brought it up today, I would have completely forgotten about Han Xue."
"You can't blame yourself for that. You're so young, you wouldn't be thinking about these things all the time."
"Even so, Han Xue's marriage really needs to be put on the agenda. I can't let Han Xue become an old maid who can't find a husband."
Fu Xinci was a woman of action. After Qi He went back to his room to wash and change, she found an excuse to send Chunyu away and asked Han Xue what her thoughts were on marriage.
Han Xue hadn't expected her mistress to ask her such a question, and her face immediately turned bright red. After stammering for a long time without uttering a single useful word, she covered her face and fled.
Fu Xinci: Is this how you play the game?
Helpless, Fu Xinci, being completely out of her depth in such matters, recounted to Madam Fang what Qi He had told her and Han Xue's reaction after dinner.
Madam Fang also sighed at how quickly time had passed. "With no worries at home, I think less about things, and suddenly several years have flown by. Come to think of it, Han Xue has been with us for several years now. We should really help her find a suitable husband."
"Mother, I'll leave this matter to your care." Fu Xinci pondered for a moment, mentioned Dan Xiaocong's proposal again, and then bid farewell to Madam Fang to return to her own room.
After the events of the afternoon, Han Xue didn't dare to look up. She only breathed a sigh of relief after serving her mistress and seeing her to bed.
"Sister Han Xue, what's wrong with you today?" Although Chunyu was usually carefree, she sensed something different about Han Xue today.
"It's nothing." Han Xue's voice was much softer than usual today.
Hearing her say "nothing," Chunyu didn't press further. With a keen sense of observation, she followed Han Xue and completed the day's tasks.
Once the room was quiet, Fu Xinci lay down and thought about things for a while. Then, she remembered her unfinished business in the space.
However—
The space seemed inaccessible.
Suppressing her fluttering heart, she tried several times, all in vain.
The space indicated it was undergoing an upgrade.
Thinking of a possible explanation, Fu Xinci dared not laugh out loud. She pulled the thin quilt over her head and, kneeling in bed, giggled to herself.
As she laughed, tears began to flow. The thought of her companions being able to leave that hellish place made her cry even harder.
After an unknown amount of time, she sat up, her hand stroking the damp pillow.
Alone in the spacious room, feeling a touch of loneliness, she lifted a corner of the curtain.
Fu Xinci had no desire to sleep now. She rubbed her swollen eyes and rested her arms on the windowsill, gazing out through the gauze screen at the vast and brilliant starry sky. Her thoughts, however, seemed to transcend this time and space.
As she was lost in thought, she heard something tap against her windowpane.
She followed the sound and saw a copper coin land on the windowsill. She then looked ahead.
In the darkness, she vaguely saw a figure moving by the back window of Qi He's room, so she gently waved her hand.
Qi He didn't know if it was Dan Xiaocong's influence that night, but he too couldn't sleep.
He decided to get up and sit by the north window. Ah, it was quite uncomfortable not being able to sleep, so he thought watching Sister Fu's window might pass the time. Who knew Sister Fu would surprise him, lying on the windowsill, gazing at the night sky.
If he were not afraid of disturbing Grandpa Meng and Uncle Fu, he would have climbed out of the north window and asked Sister Fu to come downstairs, and they could have been night wanderers.
It was summer, and the north windows of every room were open. To protect Sister Fu's reputation, he decided not to make a sound, but just to accompany her secretly.
Fu Xinci couldn't be so selfish as to let Qi He keep her company for half the night, as he had to be on guard duty the next day.
After waving, she closed the curtain and lay down. She silently admonished herself that even if she couldn't sleep, she had to close her eyes and rest.
Seeing that Sister Fu had gone to bed, Qi He slowly withdrew his restless energy and sprawled out, finally going to dreamland.
Before falling asleep, one thought lingered in his mind: it turned out that a mere wave from Sister Fu was enough to help him sleep soundly.