My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 36 Part 1

Chapter 36

Ji Taoyu dashed out excitedly, then suddenly remembered that he wasn’t supposed to show his face when someone came to propose marriage.  

He quickly stopped in his tracks and hid behind the door, preparing to observe secretly.  

Huang Manjing slowly approached from behind. Seeing the little ger crouching behind the door, peeking curiously, she found it both exasperating and amusing. She stood behind him, ruffled his hair, and then stood beside him.  

Under Ji Taoyu’s hopeful gaze, however, the person who entered his line of sight was a woman with her hands tucked in her sleeves.  

"Xiao Liu, have you eaten breakfast yet?"  

Ji Yangzong had perked up when Daniu told him someone had arrived, thinking it was Huo Shu. He hurried out from the study hall, only to find his third elder sister.  

He wasn’t particularly pleased, but since they were siblings who had grown up under the same roof, he knew grudges shouldn’t last overnight. So, he didn’t show a sour face.  

"I’ve eaten. Third Sister, come inside and sit."  

Ji Wanglan followed Ji Yangzong into the courtyard house and entered the main hall.  

She rubbed her hands together and glanced around. "The house is spacious, alright, but it’s still chilly in the winter months."  

"Back when the family split, I told you not to renovate and expand it so much. The original size would’ve been plenty. Wasting so much silver… Well, but then again, you were getting married at the time, and Manjing’s family had high demands. After all, a city girl marrying down here shouldn’t have to suffer too much."  

"Still, after all you’ve done for her, all she’s given you after so many years of marriage is a single ger."  

Ji Yangzong’s expression darkened as his third sister’s words poured out like a flood the moment she arrived. He said stiffly, "Where isn’t cold in winter? There’s no charcoal burning in this room. If Third Sister finds it too chilly, you can go sit in the kitchen for a while."  

"Oh, I was just joking! You’re the village head, after all. When there are gatherings, a bigger house is more convenient for everyone, it’s the face of our Ji family!"  

Ji Wanglan patted Ji Yangzong’s arm. "Look at your temper, always so serious over little things, just like when you were a kid."  

Hiding to the side, Ji Taoyu was greatly disappointed by the visitor. Hearing his third aunt’s usual unpleasant remarks, he gently shook his mother’s hand, signaling her not to take it to heart.  

Huang Manjing wasn’t too bothered. Ever since she married into the Ji family, this sister-in-law had never had anything nice to say. After so many years, she was used to it.  

Ji Yangzong didn’t respond. He poured some tea for Ji Wanglan and asked, "How’s Yuan Fei doing?"  

"Don’t even get me started on that boy. It’s like I owed him in a past life, why else would I have such a troublesome son? But yesterday, Eldest Brother and his father talked some sense into him, and he finally came around. He’s stopped yelling about going out to make his fortune. With the world in such chaos these days, it’s safer to stay in the village."  

Ji Wanglan added, "He said he wants to settle down and get married."  

Ji Yangzong nodded. "It’s good that he’s come to his senses. He’s past twenty already, he doesn’t need to achieve anything grand, but he should at least be sensible enough to worry his elders less."  

"Exactly! That’s what Eldest Brother and his father told him too."  

Ji Wanglan agreed, then continued, "But part of why he’s been so unsettled is our fault. Most village men his age already have two kids by now, and we still haven’t found him a suitable match. There were good candidates before, but he refused, always hung up on childhood feelings. He kept dragging his feet on marriage talks."  

As she spoke, Ji Wanglan glanced meaningfully at Ji Yangzong.  

Ji Yangzong immediately caught her implication but pretended not to notice, sipping his tea instead.  

Seeing this, Ji Wanglan went on, "Back when they were kids, Xiao Fei and Tao ger got along well."  

"Sure, Xiao Taozi has a gentle temper, he got along with all his cousins."  

Ji Wanglan chuckled. "Those were lively times when the kids played together. Though Tao ger's health wasn’t great, so he couldn’t roughhouse as much as the others."  

"Now that Tao ger's engagement with the You family is off, and Xiao Fei isn’t married yet, why not pair up two kids who already have a bond? Wouldn’t that save us all some trouble?"  

Ji Yangzong’s tone turned stern. "Third Sister, I’ve told you before, I don’t like this kind of talk."  

"You’re just being stubborn! They're a perfect match, both families know each other well, and we’re all in the same village. Parents can’t just follow their own whims without considering what’s best for their child."  

Ji Wanglan pressed, "Tao ger's health is weak to begin with. His engagement with the You family was decent, but look how they turned on him the moment they got ahead, after all the support you gave them. Outsiders can’t be trusted, who knows what they’re really thinking?"  

"After this whole mess, everyone’s heard about it. Word spreads fast. It’s been so long since things ended with the You family, and yet no matchmakers have come knocking. He’s the only ger of the village head’s family, if even he isn’t getting proposals, doesn’t that prove people care about gossip?"  

"I’ve watched Tao ger grow up. Seeing him suffer like this, I’m just trying to help!"