Chapter 8 : I Want the Biggest!

Xue Chengdong spoke, then quickly changed the subject, “Qinghe and Qingyin were only a few months apart, so let’s just have them match up.” He looked at Mrs. Xue and said, “It’s up to you, Madam, to take care of everything.”

Mrs. Xue almost lost her smile.

She hated Xue Qinghe’s mother and by extension, didn’t like Xue Qinghe either. It was natural to be concerned about her daughter’s marriage, but why did she also have to worry about Xue Qinghe?

Xue Chengdong continued to look at her, “You’re the head of the household, everything here is in your hands, isn’t that good?”

Mrs. Xue stuttered for a moment and replied, “Of course it’s good. The wife of the Imperial Censor sent me an invitation to have tea at her house today, so I’ll take them with me.”

Xue Chengdong nodded in agreement.

The meal ended on a rather bland note.

Xue Chengdong was not someone who easily showed his emotions, and dining with someone like him was never particularly enjoyable.

Especially for Mrs. Xue, who had been cheerful before but now felt quite stifled. When a woman keeps everything bottled up, it’s inevitable that it will affect her health.

Xue Qingyin furrowed her brows, but she knew that in this era, paternal authority was supreme. She wasn’t yet in a position to challenge her father.

After the meal, they returned to the courtyard.

Soon after, Mrs. Xue came in.

“Your father really knows how to prick at my heart. That wretched woman ruined our lives back then, and now he expects me to show the grace of the mistress of the house and take care of her daughter’s marriage…”

“I know what your father is thinking. He just wants me to handle Xue Qinghe’s marriage. I can marry her off to any scoundrel I like, and he won’t interfere. That way, I’ll get rid of some of my anger. But can I really do that?”

“If I do that, my father will say I’m narrow-minded! And the whole capital will gossip about me, saying I’m not satisfied after all these years and I must go to extremes before I can stop.”

“Well, I don’t mind others gossiping about me, but if they start calling me a cruel mother, they’ll say I must have raised a heartless daughter. It will ruin your reputation and hinder your own marriage. That’s enough to drive a mother to death!”

Mrs. Xue was truly frustrated, and she vented all her dissatisfaction in front of Xue Qingyin.

Xue Qingyin actually felt a little sorry for her.

Xue Chengdong seemed to be giving his wife more power, consolidating her position and making up for the harm she suffered during her pregnancy.

But in reality, he was putting her in a difficult position.

He wouldn’t share any of her burdens, but he acted as if he was pampering her.

“Mother…” Xue Qingyin started to speak.

But Mrs. Xue interrupted her suddenly: “Look at me, why am I saying all this to you?” Mrs. Xue sighed and calmed herself down. She forced a smile and said, “Your father still cares for you, I saw the screen was delivered, didn’t it?”

“Madam, Miss, the eldest young master is here,” a maid’s voice called from outside.

Mrs. Xue’s smile immediately became more natural. “Look, your older brother is here to visit you. They all care about you.”

As she spoke, He Songning was brought in.

He first greeted Mrs. Xue, then turned to Xue Qingyin and asked, “There’s a kite-flying event in the suburbs today, do you want to go?”

She didn’t need to be asked twice—Xue Qingyin was really excited about this!

Her eyes brightened as she jumped to her feet.

Seeing this, Mrs. Xue pushed Xue Qingyin out the door. “Go, go! Have fun with your brother. After a while, your brother will be busy with the imperial exams.”

Xue Qingyin understood this would make Mrs. Xue happy, so she didn’t hesitate and followed He Songning out.

Mrs. Xue sat there for a long while.

A servant helped her rise. She murmured, “If Qingyin can marry a good family, I’ll feel at ease.”

The servant replied, “She will, surely.”

But in her heart, the servant was worried. With her temperament, perhaps her in-laws wouldn’t tolerate it.

Meanwhile, Xue Qingyin and He Songning went to the marketplace to buy kites.

As they walked…

“I want this one,” Xue Qingyin pointed to a small ring-shaped pastry at a stall.

The vendor quickly wrapped it up and handed it to her.

Xue Qingyin wasn’t shy. She pointed to He Songning, who was standing beside her. “This is my brother, he’ll pay.”

He Songning didn’t mind these small amounts of money and paid without hesitation.

But this was just the beginning.

Next, they passed by stalls selling rouge, flowers, combs, jade, and more…

She wanted it all.

“This is my brother, he’ll pay,” Xue Qingyin said, becoming increasingly proficient at repeating the line.

He Songning: “…”

At this rate, half of the capital would know who her brother was.

However, He Songning, despite feeling embarrassed, was getting quite used to pulling out money.

“It’s getting late…” He Songning reminded her.

“Okay, okay, let’s go,” Xue Qingyin responded, finally entering the kite shop.

The shopkeeper immediately fetched the expensive and exquisite kites as soon as he saw two well-dressed customers.

One was a pink butterfly, the other a green dragonfly, along with a magpie and a floral arrangement kite…

Without a second glance, Xue Qingyin said, “I want the biggest one.”

“The… biggest?” This was the first time the shopkeeper had heard a young lady say this.

“Yes, and it should be long. The bigger and longer, the better! If I like it, I’ll give you a reward.”

He Songning’s mouth twitched.

It was his money.

After some hesitation, the shopkeeper couldn’t resist the prospect of a reward and had two assistants bring out two giant kites.

One was an eagle, about nine feet long, with wings spanning nearly twelve feet.

The other was even more impressive—a giant snake-shaped kite that stretched about twenty-four feet long, from the shop to outside.

Xue Qingyin was very satisfied and pointed to the snake. “I want this one.”

He Songning: “…”

When King Wei arrived in the suburbs and saw other girls flying pink butterflies, Xue Qingyin would be the one flying a giant snake in the sky… Could this work?