“Okay, young mistress,will do!”

“It looks like we willhave fruits soon enough!”

In the morning shortlyafter daybreak, Cheng Xiao Xiao was kicked away by her sister’s little LanLan’s little feet. When she woke up, she could already hear noises from theoutside. She knew those were her father’s disciples by name cultivating.”

Cheng Xiao Xiaocarefully pulled the blanket over her sister before she got up, washed up, andwent to help her mother one some household matters. As for breakfast and whatnot, there were others to take care of those. They didn’t need to worry aboutthem anymore. After a busy morning and everybody had breakfast and back towork. Innkeeper Zhu was teaching the servants and maids the proper way to greetguests.

Cheng Xiao Xiao didn’tleave the house but casually picked up some notes to read. Her mother Mrs.Cheng walked in from the outside and quietly handed her a letter to read.

“Mom, who’s the letterfor?” Cheng Xiao Xiao was surprised.

Mrs. Cheng seemed abit uneasy and said, “Xiao Xiao, you read first, then we will talk about it!”

Cheng Xiao Xiao didn’tsay much more and started reading the letter. This was a letter for her mother.After she had finished reading it, her look was stone-cold. She handed theletter back to her mother and didn’t say a word.

“Xiao Xiao, do youwant to meet her?” Mrs. Cheng studied her daughter’s face cautiously.

Cheng Xiao Xiao felt a slight headache.Of course she knew who her mother was referring to as “her”. She couldn’t helpbut to ask, “Mom, you want to meet her?”

“Xiao Xiao, I think we should. No matterwhat, you’ve had a marriage arrangement when you were kids, now that your Gu

da niang

send a letter to point thatout. It’d be rude of us to just ignore her!” Mrs. Cheng expressed her thoughtson the matter.

Ever since they have opened up thepathways to Willow Village, there had been more and more strangers coming toWillow. Or, to be more precise, more and more individuals sending letters tothe Cheng’s. There were never one relative visited previously, now there’s aline of people outside delivering letters claiming that they were theirfather’s brother, father’s sister, mother’s sister, husband of a cousin. Justan endless string of relatives.

Most of them they could just ignore.Even Mrs. Cheng wouldn’t pay attention to those who tried to claim they werehowever remotely related. Except for the Gu’s of the city of Yin. She couldn’tnot accept their letter. And as soon as she has finished reading it, she wentlooking for her daughter to discuss.

“Mom, I am going to be brutally honestwith you. It’s best that we don’t meet them. Once we’ve met, you will never beable to get rid of them!”

“But why would we want to get rid ofthem? Xiao Xiao, she is going to be your mother-in-law…”

“Wait, mom! Stop!” Cheng Xiao Xiaoquickly interrupted her mother and said in her most serious tone, “Mom, I amnot in a hurry. I don’t care what kind of family the Gu’s are. I won’t begoing. I hope you’d understand?”

“Why? Xiao Xiao, I have met Junxian.He’s not a bad looking kid, he should be a goo….”

As she was explaining, Mrs. Cheng sawthe indifferently way that her daughter was looking at her and stopped but sheadded softly, “Your dad won’t agree to ending this betrothal either.”

“We’ll talk about it later!”

“You are not young any more!”

“Mom….” Cheng Xiao Xiao felt helplessfacing her mother, finally she had to remind her, “Mom, even you have once gaveup everything for your own happiness to be with the one that you love. So whywouldn’t you give me that chance too? Was the parents’ orders or thematchmakers’ words really that important?”

“Xiao Xiao, you, you are right!”

Mrs. Cheng paused for a second andnodded. She took a look a the letter in her hand and said, “Xiao Xiao, ifthat’s the case, we will just ignore this!” as she put away the letter in herhand!

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