(a)

In the years of war, the average life expectancy of people is very short. At that time, the age of marriage between men and women was generally very young.

Soon after I returned from the barracks, I turned 15 years old, and I did the courtesy, but you were busy outside and did not come back to participate.

In the first month of turning 15, my family welcomed the first people to propose marriage. Xia Wenhou, a member of the Southern Han clan whose fief was in Miansui, brought his fourth son to visit his father and asked me to conclude a marriage with his fourth son and become a son and daughter with my father.

Xia Wenhou was an upright and loyal elder, and he had been close friends with his father for many years. His son is handsome and handsome, and his articles and martial arts are all good. Whether it is measured from the perspective of the right person or the appearance of a talented woman, this is a very ideal marriage.

Xia Wenhou and his son were full of confidence here, thinking that their father would accept it happily and would never refuse.

Their arrival made the news of the proposal spread, and it spread at home at once.

When Xia Wenhou and his son were talking to their father in the living room, Jing Yun, who had not seen each other for a long time, came to my room sweating profusely and told me about it first. He always brings me a bolt from the blue.

As soon as I heard the news, I was completely stunned, I had never thought that this would happen again.

Jingyun anxiously walked up and down my room, walking around.

He said angrily, "It's over! Xia Wenhou is an old friend of his father! This time my father will definitely agree! ”

He stared into my eyes and asked, "Xia Wenhou's son, why did he suddenly think of marrying you?" Have you met him? ”

When he said that, I remembered. Before the ceremony, I did see a young man from afar at my aunt's place.

This handsome and handsome son, his mother is Xia Wenhou's stepfamily, and she is also a concubine, and she is good friends with her aunt because of her common background. This time, when I heard that I was going to make a good ceremony, I asked my son to come to visit my aunt on my behalf, and brought some jewelry as a gift for me. When my aunt saw that the jewelry was very valuable, she called me out to meet the boy and thanked him in person.

When I came out to thank him, he was red-faced, flustered, stammering, and his eyes were fixed on me all the time. I couldn't feel comfortable seeing it.

I remember that he had the audacity to compliment me a word or two, and I don't remember what he said, but I remember feeling very embarrassed at the time.

After seeing each other in a hurry, I forgot about it a long time ago, but who would have thought that my figure would remain in the heart of this son from then on, making him think about it for a long time and linger.

After returning to the Miansui fiefdom, he thought about it day and night, and even languished, and the tea and rice were not fragrant. After seven or eight days, the whole person withered. His mother found out the clue, and after several interrogations, she finally figured out her son's thoughts. So, his mother informed Xia Wenhou.

Xia Wenhou laughed when he heard this, and said, "I think it's something amazing, it's easy." He decided to take his son to visit his father, and asked his father privately what his opinion was on the matter, and if the father had no objection, he would come back and send an official matchmaker to bring a dowry to the door to propose marriage, and ask the king of Han to give him a marriage.

About the visit of Xia Wenhou and his son, my father received a letter very early, and he also told you, asking if you have time to come back from the barracks and meet Wenhou Shibo and Shiji. You were in the barracks and couldn't get out of it. So you wrote back to your father and said that you would not be coming back for the time being. Your father and son thought it was an ordinary visit from an old friend, and neither of you thought of proposing marriage.

When Xia Wenhou said what he meant to his father, his father was quite surprised. He looked at Xia Wenhou's son and hesitated. After pondering for a while, his father said to Xia Wenhou: "If Qin'er were my own daughter, I would definitely agree to this marriage without saying a word." But Qin'er is the daughter of the Chen family. Her biological parents are no longer alive. I'll have to ask Qin'er for her own opinion on this. I promised her parents to take good care of her, so I had to decide her marriage if she was willing. Xia Wenhou understood this very well. So my father took his leave and went to the study to see me.

When Xia Shibo and his father were talking in the study, Jing Yun was asking me one after another, "What are you going to do?" and he said, "You can't sit here and wait. You have to go to your father and make it clear that you don't want to! He said, "Miansui is a remote place, and you don't know anyone there." There was also a plague there last year. If you want to get married, you will definitely regret it! ”

Seeing Jingyun restless there like an ant on a hot pot, my heart was also fluctuating and very anxious, but I thought about it and felt that it was not appropriate to act, and I was really helpless.

The little guy in charge of your hospital was shocked when he heard the news. He felt that the matter was urgent, and that he could not fail to report it to you, so he found the fastest horse, jumped on it, and galloped towards the camp of Qingfeng Village.

In the midst of all the disturbances in our backyard, my father sent someone over and sent me to the study. Jingyun said: "Father must have asked you about it. You have to say you don't want to go! You have to make it clear that you don't want to! Don't be vague and let your father misunderstand your mind! ”

On the way to my father's study, I saw the maid in the room. She's with another guy in your yard. They winked at me and made all sorts of complicated expressions. So, I knew in my heart that they had gone to report to you. I felt a lot more settled. I pray that they will bring the news to the barracks soon, and that you will come back soon.

(b)

Father's study.

I stood with my head bowed.

My father looked me up and down. He sighed: "Time flies so fast. The situation when my father held you in his arms in swaddling clothes is still vivid, and in the blink of an eye, you have grown into a big girl. ”

I said, "Qin'er thanks my father for his nurturing grace." ”

The father said, "All right, don't say such polite words. Father called you today to ask you about your plans. This is the most important decision of your life, and you need to think about it. Father listens to you completely. Whatever your will is, Father will fulfill it. ”

So, my father introduced me to the situation of Xia Wenhou's family, and then asked me what I meant.

This question is very difficult for me.

I lowered my head and thought for a long time before I whispered to my father: "My daughter and the son of the Shibo family are only one side, and I really don't know how he treats others." Therefore, the daughter is left to the father's decision. The daughter has been in the Cui family for so many years, and she has not repaid her parents' nurturing grace, if she marries away immediately, she will not be able to fulfill her filial piety in front of her parents. ”

When I answered my father, Jingyun had been hiding outside and eavesdropping. Hearing my answer, he rubbed his hands in a hurry.

My father listened to me, thought about it, and then smiled and said, "I understand what you mean." The father said, "I will go and refuse Xia Wenhou." ”

I bowed my head and knelt down to my father. I said, "Qin'er will always be my father's daughter." ”

After his father left, Jing Yun slipped in and said, "How can you say that you are up to your father's decision? Why don't you say what I taught you?! ”

I looked at Jingyun and sighed, and said, "You also heard what my father said." ”

I said, "I don't want to talk about it anymore." ”

Then, I turned and walked away, leaving Jingyun behind, and stood there uneasy.