Li Hua’s smile froze, she spoke eloquently and tried her best to persuade. However, Miao Cui Lan had already made up her mind, she wouldn’t give in to her sweet-talks.
Li Hua had no choice, she got up and forced a smile, “Fine. I won’t bother you anymore, since you still have work to do. Please excuse me!”
“Goodbye!” Miao Cui Lan nodded and showed her the way out.
Miao Cui Lan secretly sighed, This hassle has finally come to an end!
Unexpectedly, not even three days had passed, and Li Hua came to their doorstep smiling again.
Miao Cui Lan had a headache when she saw her. She couldn’t help but sigh. She unwillingly invited her in and sent her daughters away.
“Li Hua, I thought I had made myself clear last time, why are you here again?” Miao Cui Lan was dumbfounded by the matchmaker’s determination. Not everyone can be well-fitted for this profession!
She was bewildered, was her daughter so great that the young man wouldn’t marry anyone except her?
“Geez, Mistress Lu,” Li Hua raised her hand to stop her, and she grinned, “I didn’t make myself clear last time, so I’m here again! Hehe, please don’t be annoyed by me, Mistress Lu. Please give me a chance and listen to me.”
“Okay, say all of the things you want this time so you won’t have to visit me again and again anymore. I feel bad for you!” Miao Cui Lan smiled in a sarcastic but serious manner.
Li Hua didn’t care about what Miao Cui Lan had said. She cleared her throat and grinned, “Actually, I didn’t tell the truth to you last time! Hehe, your daughter had actually met Young Master Zhou before, so…”
“What did you say!” Miao Cui Lan had a bad feeling, there was a slight change in her expression.
Although Li Hua was interrupted by her, she smiled and continued, “Young Master Zhou fell in love with your daughter at first sight. Hehe, that was why he requested his parents to matchmake both of them! Zhou Yuan Wai and his wife only had their one and only son for half their lifetime, how would they not spoil him? That was why they requested me to come and ask for your permission again and again! Hehe, you should be relieved by now, right? Your daughter is being favored even before marriage!”
“Li Hua!” Miao Cui Lan was so furious that her face turned pale and her body was trembling in anger. Her face darkened and she said coldly, “Nonsense! How would my daughter know Young Master Zhou?”
Miao Cui Lan couldn’t be blamed for being angry. After all, it depended on how others would interpret what Li Hua had said! It made perfect sense that Xiao Xue and Young Master Zhou must’ve met in private! How would Miao Cui Lan not be furious!
If Li Hua wasn’t a matchmaker, she would have definitely smacked her!
However, Li Hua said sincerely, “Mistress Lu, I’m telling the truth! How would I joke about this? It’s not like I have run this business for a day or two! If I failed to be trustworthy to my customers, who will take my business in the future?”
Miao Cui Lan sneered in her mind: So you know! She said coldly, “I don’t believe what you just said, I know my daughter all too well!”
Li Hua smiled and sighed, “As the saying goes, grown-up daughters will not listen to their parents anymore. Mistress Lu, you aren’t by your daughter’s side all the time, how can you know everything about her? Hehe, did your daughter go to the temple fair in town during the Spring Festival?”
Miao Cui Lan gasped and she felt dizzy. She slightly stunned, and merely nodded, “Yes, she did. But she didn’t go alone. She went with her sister and other children from this village!”
“That’s right!” Li Hua grinned, “I have something here, I think you should have a look!”
Li Hua took out a piece of turquoise handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms as if she was taking out a precious item. She smirked, “It’s embroidered with a ‘Xue’ word on it, does this belong to your daughter?”
Miao Cui Lan anxiously grabbed the handkerchief, but how would Li Hua allow her to grab it successfully? She swiftly put away the handkerchief and carefully kept it. She smiled, “You can ask your daughter later, then you’ll understand everything! It’s only human nature where a beautiful woman deserves a talented man. Zhou Yuan Wai and his wife dote on their son, they will definitely treat your daughter well in the future, otherwise, Mistress Zhou will not ask me to persuade you again and again! Hehe, I’ll leave now. Please carry on with your work, I’ll come back again to receive your reply in a couple of days!”
Li Hua beamed as she got up to leave.
Miao Cui Lan just sat there, blankly. She turned a deaf ear to her, and she didn’t send her out. At that moment, her mind was blank.
“What an unfilial girl! How could she do such a thing!” Miao Cui Lan clenched her teeth and chided. Her tears suddenly trickled down her cheeks.
She was truly heart-broken.
Xiao Xue was the most obedient child among her three children in her eyes. She didn’t have to worry about Xiao Xue. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was Xiao Shu who ran into any trouble, but it turned out to be Xiao Xue, who foolishly got into trouble that could ruin her whole life. How could she not be shocked and heart-broken?
Miao Cui Lan sat there alone, weeping. The more she thought, the more heart-broken she got.
Not long later, the sisters came back. Lu Xiao Shu cheerfully cried, “Mother!”, she jumped and embraced Miao Cui Lan coquettishly.
Only to find out that her mother was acting differently that day. Her mother was out of her spirits and was forcing her smile.
Lu Xiao Shu felt suspicious and questioned. Miao Cui Lan vaguely answered before getting up to go to the kitchen to prepare lunch. She ordered the sisters to pick some fresh vegetables in the garden. The two of them had no doubts, so they cheerfully responded before leaving.
After lunch, Miao Cui Lan made an excuse to be in a room with Xiao Xue. She questioned, “I remember that you once have a turquoise handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms, where is it now?”
Miao Cui Lan would never beat around the bush. Now that she was mad and she was facing her own daughter, there was no point for her to beat around the bush.
However, Miao Cui Lan had blatantly questioned her, which surprised and stunned Xiao Xue.
Xiao Xue’s surprised expression fell into Miao Cui Lan’s eyes, which she interpreted suspiciously: She is clearly guilty and afraid!
Miao Cui Lan got even more annoyed, her face darkened and she questioned coldly, “I’m asking you a question, where is the handkerchief? Bring it to me!”
“Mother, why are you asking for that out of a sudden?” Xiao Xue muttered softly.
Miao Cui Lan sneered, “Why? I just wanted to have a look at the handkerchief, can’t I?”
“No, no!” Xiao Xue smiled and awkwardly answered, “But, but the handkerchief was missing without me knowing…”
“Hmph!” Miao Cui Lan was furious until she felt a slight dizziness. She sneered, “Went missing? Or was it because you gave it to someone! Explain! Explain it clearly to me!”
“Mother!” The unexpected loss of Miao Cui Lan’s temper had startled Xiao Xue. Her face turned pale, and she stared at her mother, horrified. She didn’t know what happened that made her mother so angry!
“Can’t say a thing? Tell me! Say it clearly, you disappointing girl!” Miao Cui Lan was so outraged that she couldn’t help but nudge Xiao Xue’s forehead with her finger.
“Mother!” Xiao Xue had never been wronged and treated like this since she was young. Her eyes turned red, she stomped her feet and sobbed, “Isn’t it just a handkerchief? I really lost it, I didn’t lie to you, why are you so angry?” She covered her face and ran out of the room.
Miao Cui Lan was exasperated, she yelled at Xiao Xue, but she refused to listen to her. Xiao Xue ran out of the yard in anger.
“Run! You better run to Zhou Family’s house now! You better not come back ever again!” Miao Cui Lan cried.
She couldn’t contain her anger and bursted out.
Lu Xiao Shu had realized her mother was not in a good mood earlier that day. Her mother made excuses to be in a room with her sister to talk after lunch, how could Xiao Shu resist not eavesdropping? She was leaning against the wall beside the window all this time to eavesdrop.
She heard her mother scolding her sister just because of a handkerchief, and her mother made her sister cry. Lu Xiao Shu couldn’t help but feel resentful for her sister. She thought to herself: When did Mother become so narrow-minded? It’s just a handkerchief embroidered with plum blossoms, what’s the big deal? If it’s missing, then just let it be! If Mother likes it, can’t she just make a new one for her? Xiao Xue’s embroidery work is good too, so it’s not like she can’t make a new one……
Not long after, Lu Xiao Shu saw her sister sobbing and running out of their yard, and she was not surprised: Xiao Xue is clearly wronged by Mother. No wonder a good-tempered person like her will get angry! Oh no! Xiao Xue has never been wronged before, how heart-broken can she be! No, I can’t leave her alone, I have to accompany her!
She was going to catch up with her sister before she heard her mother mention something about the ‘Zhou Family’. She was puzzled but she continued to run to her sister.
Xiao Xue rushed out of their backyard and stopped in a bamboo forest near their backyard. She leaned against a bamboo and sobbed. The more she thought, the more upset she got: What did I do wrong? I have lost and broken things that are more valuable than a handkerchief in the past, and Mother was not as angry as she is right now!
Xiao Xue couldn’t think of any reason. So, she thought this was her mother’s excuse to not dote on herself anymore.
The more she gave that thought, the more heart-broken was Xiao Xue.
“Xiao Xue!” A crisp but concerned voice came from behind, Xiao Xue knew it was her sister. She wiped away her tears before she muttered softly with a nasal voice, “Why are you here?”
“I’m here to accompany you!” Lu Xiao Shu grumbled, “Geez, Mother is making a fuss over a handkerchief! It’s just a handkerchief, why is she this angry?”
Xiao Xue slightly froze, she kept her head down without replying to her sister.
“But then again,” Lu Xiao Shu was curious, “Xiao Xue, is that handkerchief so precious? Why is Mother so concerned about that handkerchief?”
