My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 33 Part 2

Ji Yangzong picked up a comb and ran it through Ji Taoyu’s hair a couple of times. "Look at how messy your hair is. You’re grown up now, you should tidy yourself up properly."  

Huang Manjing, watching her husband return in such a fussy manner and interrupt their important conversation, couldn’t help but scold, "It’s so cold outside, and you’re sending him out to catch a chill?"  

"The sun’s out, it’s not cold."  

Ji Taoyu asked, "Did delivering the grain go smoothly today?"  

"Very smoothly. We delivered it straight to the prefectural office, and the paperwork went quickly too."  

Ji Yangzong said, "Now we can celebrate the New Year in peace."  

Hearing his father’s words, Ji Taoyu felt reassured. He put on his thick coat and, seeing the winter sunlight dancing on the windowsill, said, "Then I’ll go pick some early plum blossoms from the foot of the mountain."  

"That’s more like it, getting some fresh air."  

Ji Yangzong nodded approvingly, then glanced at the plainly dressed ger. He pulled open the drawer of Ji Taoyu’s dressing table, rummaged through it, and pulled out a green jade hairpin.  

"You bought all these things but never wear them. Here, put this on."  

"Why wear it for no reason?"  

Ji Taoyu frowned, refusing.  

"Ah, isn’t it said that dressing up neatly makes you feel better? If you go around looking gloomy all day, how can your health improve?"  

Ji Yangzong stood up. "Let me help you put it on."  

"I’ll do it myself."  

Seeing his father’s insistence, Ji Taoyu quickly took the hairpin himself.  

Watching the now well-groomed ger, Ji Yangzong smiled. "That’s more like it."  

"It’s almost noon, why go out now?"  

Huang Manjing frowned. "At least eat first."  

But Ji Yangzong said, "The first blooms are the best. If you go late, others might pick them all. Go ahead, we’ll wait for you to eat."  

Ji Taoyu nodded. "Then I’ll go."  

"What nonsense are you up to now?"  

Once Ji Taoyu left, Huang Manjing glared at Ji Yangzong. Knowing her husband, this couldn’t be for no reason.  

"Let me tell you, if you’re scheming to arrange another unsuitable match for Xiao Taozi, I won’t cover for you in front of Father again."  

"I’m planning for Xiao Taozi’s future."  

"Planning?!"  

Huang Manjing said, "Don’t. I advise you not to meddle anymore. Just look at the You family, that was your ‘good planning’ for a marriage."  

"People don’t step into the same pit twice."  

Mentioning the You family made Ji Yangzong frown, but thinking of his plan, he soon smirked again. "I told Huo Shu to wait over there."  

Huang Manjing’s brow twitched. "What are you doing?!"  

"Good thing sells fast, and a good-looking man is no different. If we don’t act quickly, he’ll be taken. Everyone in the village is secretly trying to matchmake with Huo Shu."  

Ji Yangzong said, "Huo Shu’s so reserved he barely speaks, it’s frustrating. They hardly ever meet, so if I don’t intervene, nothing will happen for months."  

"If I get them to meet more and talk more, things will naturally fall into place."  

Huang Manjing exhaled sharply. Surprisingly, this aligned with her own thoughts. Whether it would work depended on how they got along, but this wasn’t a bad approach.  

"Just don’t push too hard. Xiao Taozi doesn’t know anything."  

"I know. That’s why I’m finding ways for the young ones to talk naturally."  

____

Clear days were rare in the winter months. Even at noon, when the sun was brightest, its warmth felt weak and lukewarm, as if it had just been fished out of snowmelt.  

Still, sunlight was better than none, at least it brightened the mood.  

Ji Taoyu strolled toward the foot of the mountain. Seeing there wasn’t much wind, he pushed back the hood of his cloak.  

Just as he adjusted the brim, he spotted a tall figure standing ahead.  

Ji Taoyu widened his eyes slightly and tilted his head, calling out tentatively, "Brother Huo?"  

When the man turned around, it really was him. "What are you doing here?"  

Huo Shu didn’t answer the question. Instead, he held out a packet of chestnuts. "Want some?"  

Ji Taoyu glanced at the oil-paper package in Huo Shu’s palm and carefully took it.  

The moment he touched it, he could tell they were sugar-roasted chestnuts - a seasonal snack he’d been craving. But with the bandits causing trouble, he hadn’t been able to go to town, so he hadn’t had any this year.  

Holding the chestnuts, Ji Taoyu hurried happily to a nearby rock and sat down. "Did you buy these when delivering grain to the city?"  

As soon as he spoke, there was a crunch underfoot. Looking down, he saw the ground was already littered with chestnut shells.  

Seeing this, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Huo Shu. "So you’ve been eating them here alone in secret."  

Huo Shu said nothing, just stepped forward and sat beside Ji Taoyu.  

Ji Taoyu opened the oil-paper packet and saw a pile of golden chestnut kernels inside. He blinked in surprise, then looked at Huo Shu beside him.  

Huo Shu said, "Eat."  

Sitting so close to Huo Shu for the first time, Ji Taoyu felt inexplicably nervous.  

His ears warmed as he picked up a shelled chestnut and popped it into his mouth. The sugar-roasted chestnut was fragrant and soft, but he barely tasted it.  

Huo Shu watched quietly as the little ger chewed the chestnut, his head slightly lowered. "Is it good?"  

"Mm."  

Huo Shu noticed Ji Taoyu seemed unusually quiet today.  

He asked, "Have you been well lately?"  

Ji Taoyu almost answered that since You Lingxiao was too busy with his own troubles to bother him, of course he was fine.  

But if he really thought about it, was he fine? Staring at his toes, he avoided the question and instead said, "Brother Huo must be doing well."  

Huo Shu looked at him, puzzled. "Hm?"  

Hiding his nervousness, Ji Taoyu said casually, "A few days ago, Master Qiao came to our house. I heard he wants you as his son-in-law."  

"Not just him, the villagers are all eager to matchmake for you. Doesn’t that mean things are getting better?"  

Ji Taoyu muttered, "All your efforts haven’t gone unnoticed."  

Huo Shu replied, "If being ‘well’ is measured by how many people want to arrange marriages for you, then the number of suitors coming to the Ji family for you must mean you’re doing very well."  

Ji Taoyu was stumped.  

He slumped forward, resting his chin on his knees, and stared at the withered grass. "The whole mess with our family and the You family has spread everywhere. Even though You Lingxiao was the one who schemed, and the truth came out, it still damaged my reputation."  

"Even though nothing improper happened between me and You Lingxiao, breaking off an engagement always invites gossip. And with how ugly things got between our families, people are bound to think I’m troublesome. They’ll hesitate because of the rumors."  

His voice grew quieter. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but now that he was talking about it, he felt more and more wronged.  

He took a deep breath. "At this rate, I’ll probably never marry."  

Huo Shu watched the little ger with bowed head, his voice so soft it almost sounded tearful, looking utterly pitiful. His brow furrowed.  

While waiting here, he’d rehearsed in his mind what to say and do.  

Should he ask: It’s been a while since we visited Zhao Pan. Want to go see how his calligraphy is coming along?  

But he couldn’t judge calligraphy, he’d only be relying on Ji Taoyu’s help.  

Or maybe, as Ji Yangzong suggested: The Xuanhu Hall in town just got a new batch of medicinal herbs. Want to go take a look?  

But the moment he saw Ji Taoyu, he felt content. Even if they didn’t speak, just watching him seemed enough.  

All those rehearsed lines now felt forced, like insincere tricks.  

Looking at Ji Taoyu like this, only three words came to mind.  

Huo Shu’s lips parted slightly.  

"I’ll marry you."