The Reincarnated Minister's Second Daughter Wants To Live A Happy Life - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It was the 114th year of Emperor Qing’s reign. With the start of the new year, people were busy preparing for new obstacles they would face.

Li’s manor wasn’t different. There was the hustle and bustle inside the estate. The day the oldest son was born was nearing, so there was a festive mood inside the compound.

Servants walked to and fro, busy decorating the Li residence. There were also joyous chatters amongst them. The hottest topic was the Eldest Young Master’s wedding.

“Have you heard? As soon as Eldest Young Master turns 20, he will be marrying Minister Zhous’s second daughter.”

“Is that the promise between the two families?”

“That’s right. Second Lady Zhou will also turn 18 next month, so the wedding will take place not long after.”

“I bet they will be the most beautiful pair in the capital!”

“Yes! Just look at our Eldest Young Master! Not only is he good-looking, but his strength is also formidable!”

“You’re right, you’re right! Minister Zhou will not regret having him as a son-in-law!”

“If I was a noble and I have such a beautiful daughter as Minister Zhou, I would gladly marry her into this family!”

“Hahaha!”

“What are you doing here chattering to yourselves?”

“Young Master!”

Just then, the topic of their conversation was standing in front of them. He stood tall with the sun behind him, like the tall Rhododendron tree in the middle of their garden.

The servants talking about him quickly fell to their knees and bowed down on the floor. They banged their heads, asking for his forgiveness.

Li BaoHe immediately asked them to stop and helped them to stand back on their feet. He was just passing by and happened to hear they were happily talking to each other. He merely wanted to ask what they were happily talking about.

The servants were embarrassed to be caught talking about their Eldest Young Master. They kept their heads bowed and dared not look up to Li BaoHe.

“Ah, stop this. I saw you joyously talking to each other. I am simply curious.”

“Eldest Young Master….”

“I’m sorry if I scared you. Please don’t cry.”

The eldest among the servants apologized once again before proceeding to excitedly congratulate him on his birthday and endlessly praising him. The other servants did the same.

Li BaoHe was perplexed to hear the servants throw him excessively flattering. Nevertheless, he thanked them and let them go on their way.

He smiled, quite happy to hear other people praising him for his achievements. Li BaoHe entered the study room where his father was waiting for him.

His father was General Li. He contributed to the Empire’s victory against their enemy country 30 years ago. He wasn’t even born at that time yet.

“Oh, you’re here.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Good. I met Minister Zhou earlier with his second daughter. You’ve met her, right?”

“I’ve seen her a few times before when I patrolled in the capital.”

General Li nodded his head as he sat down at his table. Li BaoHe followed his movements with his gaze.

General Li rummaged through the drawer under his table and took out something. He then handed it to Li BaoHe.

“Do you remember the promise Zhou and I made back then?”

His father was talking about when he was only seven years old. At that time, Minister Zhou visited their family with his second daughter and proposed an arranged marriage with their family.

Li BaoHe didn’t know why during that time as he was still a young boy who didn’t know anything. But now that he’s grown up, he understands it was because of political gains. He was reminded that he was to marry that five-year-old little girl as soon as he turned 20 and she turned 18.

He recalled the first time he met Minister Zhou’s second daughter. She had such a beautiful pair of clear, brown eyes. When she looked at him, her eyes were lovely, like the moon in the night sky.

“Yes, I remember.”

“Good. You’ll turn 20 in three days, and Minister Zhou’s second daughter will turn 18 the next month. We should prepare for your wedding by then.”

“… Yes.”

Li BaoHe quietly answered. As he was the Eldest Young Master, he had to obey his father’s arrangements for him as the future head of the family. He must do this even if it was uncomfortable for him, too.

‘Minister Zhou’s second daughter must be in a predicament too.’

General Li nodded his head again and told Li BaoHe that he could go back. Li BaoHe bowed his head and went out of his father’s study.

Contrary to his expectations, Second Miss Zhou was inside her father’s room without saying anything.

Minister Zhou, her father, was sitting in front of her with her mother beside him. Madam Zhou had a pained expression, but women had no power over men at this time. They must obey.

Zhou MeiHua kept silent and stared at the floor. She had nothing to say or complain about it. As usual, her lips were tightly pursed and sealed as if it was glued with something strong.

“Are you alright with this? You’ll be turning 18 next month.”

Zhou MeiHua raised her head and looked straight to her mother, who shook her head, then to her father, who had a firm look. It was as if he was telling her he didn’t accept any refusal.

Zhou MeiHua’s tightly pursed lips opened – a once-in-a-lifetime sight.

“I have nothing to say, Father. After all, a girl like me is not allowed to speak.”

“MeiHua!”

Madam Zhou hurriedly called her name with complex emotions in her eyes.

After Zhou MeiHua’s words fell, the air inside the room tensed up in an instant. Madam Zhou had to go out of the room for a breath of air, leaving the father and daughter pair inside the room.

Left behind, Zhou MeiHua and her father were locked in a tense staring contest. Minister Zhou couldn’t bear his daughter’s stare, so he backed down first. He waved his hand at her and drank the cup of tea.

“MeiHua, you already knew this would happen whether you like it or not. No need to be this hard on your father. Look, even your mother is scared of you.”

Minister Zhou loved his daughters all the same, but this second daughter of his, he didn’t know if she took after him or his wife. She was too silent for a lady.

When she was a little child, Minister Zhou thought that his daughter didn’t want to say the wrong things, so she deliberately stayed silent. However, as she continued to grow up, her silence made him more and more worried about her.

Fortunately, she knew how to speak, or he might have thought he had a mute daughter. There were only a handful of times she spoke, and every time, his daughter would stare at the other person straight into their eyes – just like what she is doing now.

“MeiHua.”

Minister Zhou called for his daughter once again in a much gentler tone. He couldn’t take his overtly serious daughter.

Zhou MeiHua’s expression softened, and she once again looked down at the floor.

‘In the end, I shouldn’t have said anything.’

Minister Zhou was all too familiar with that look on her face. It was self-deprecating. He couldn’t stand it anymore and approached her. Minister Zhou held her hand and softly talked to her.

“MeiHua, you don’t need to think so negatively. Look, even though your mother and I were initially in an arranged marriage, we came to love each other.”

“…”

“What you said earlier was right. I can do nothing about it, and I’m sorry that I am too weak to raise a voice against the other nobles.”

“…”

“Alright, I will stop here now. You like making things, right? How about you make a tassel for your wedding and give it to your husband? Hmm?”

“…”

Zhou MeiHua stayed silent, but she liked the idea. Since she couldn’t do anything about it, she might as well look forward to it even though her heart was leaning toward someone else.

Minister Zhou could see that the initial sharp look on his daughter’s face was now replaced with calmness. Minister Zhou was relieved.

His daughter had never once got angry, but that doesn’t mean he wished for her to get angry. Over time, she liked her silence over the other nobles’ flattery.

In no time, Zhou MeiHua finished making the tassel her father told her to make.

‘This isn’t the best I could make, but this is enough for that man.’

She met her husband-to-be when she was five years old. She heard that he’s now the captain of the royal guards. Considering that she rarely went out of their manor and attended parties, she had never seen him. Or she might have seen him but couldn’t remember what he looked like.

She heard from her maidservant that Li BaoHe was handsome, but she had yet to see him, so she had no reaction.

‘I think Fu Qing is better.’

She looked at the red tassel she had made with a blank expression and looked out at the moon in the sky.

‘I look forward to meeting you, Li BaoHe.’