"What's wrong, Xiao Die?"
Luo Qingzhou approached her. He frowned. "Did someone bully you again?"
Xiao Die shook her head and wiped her tears. "Young Master, I just heard from Xiao Cui and the others that Old Master and First Madam are not getting a wife for you. Instead, they want you to marry into the Qin residence. Is that true?"
Upon hearing that, Luo Qingzhou heaved a sigh of relief.
So she was crying because of this.
He reached out to wipe away the tears from her cheeks and said gently, "It's true, but I think it's not a bad idea. Why are you crying?"
When Xiao Die heard this, she immediately burst into tears and shook her head while crying. "No, no, no, this is a bad idea! How can they let you marry into the Qin family? Young Master, you're already an Elementary Scholar. In the future, you can still become a High Scholar and bring glory to your family. How can they chase you out? It's beyond humiliating for a man to marry into his wife's family. He will be looked down on by others. In the future, your children can't even take your last name! Even those maidservants and servants are laughing at you behind your back!"
Luo Qingzhou smiled and said nonchalantly, "It's fine. It's not the first time they're looking down on me and ridiculing me. Anyway, I won't lose anything. As long as I can leave this place quickly, it doesn't matter if I have to marry into the Qin family. Xiao Die, I thought you also wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. This is a good opportunity."
Xiao Die said, "Even so, you can't marry into the Qin family! If you do, you'll be inferior to everyone there. Even the maidservants and servants can bully you. Xiao Cui and the others said that men who marry into the family are worse than servants. Even if you want to have sexual intercourse with your wife, you have to ask her for permission."
Xiao Die sobbed so hard, it was as if she was the one marrying into the Qin family.
Luo Qingzhou gently wiped away her tears and teased, "So what? If she doesn't agree to sleep with me, I still have you. It's not as if I can't find a girl to sleep with me. I could care less about my wife as I already have such a beautiful girl by my side. Am I right, Xiao Die?"
When she heard that, Xiao Die became bashful. A pink flush stained her cheeks and she anxiously said, "I can't believe you are still in the mood to joke around, Young Master! You're the third young master of the Luo family, yet they want you to become a matrilocal son-in-law and serve the Qin family's daughter! You should be served by others instead… How can Old Master and Madam treat you like this?"
Luo Qingzhou's eyes flickered, but his face showed no emotion. He helped Xiao Die wipe her tears and said, "All right, Xiao Die, don't cry anymore. Perhaps we will have a better life there than here. When I'm there, I can still continue to study and when the time comes, I can take the exam."
Xiao Die sobbed. "Young Master, I heard from Xiao Cui and the others that Second Young Master was the one engaged to Miss Qin, right? Miss Qin, she… Something is wrong with her brain, so Old Master, First Madam, and Second Young Master don't want her anymore. However, the Qin family is not to be trifled with, so they decided to ask you to marry her instead, right?"
Luo Qingzhou's eyes flickered. "Maybe."
"But Young Master, the young lady of the Qin family… She…"
Before Xiao Die could finish her sentence, Luo Qingzhou interrupted, "Don't listen to other people's words. You haven't seen her with your own eyes, so how would you know? Perhaps when the time comes, I'll realize that it's a blessing in disguise and that my wife is the most beautiful woman in the world. Everyone will regret having made this decision."
"Young Master…"
"All right, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go and eat. Remember to get a few more steamed buns. After dinner, we'll go shopping. I'll buy you candied hawthorn," Luo Qingzhou said.
"Young Master, I don't know if I should say that you're stupid or that I should say that you're a good person. Even at a time like this, you're actually still thinking about those two beggars in the back alley. You even have the mood to go shopping," Xiao Die whined.
"Then do you want to eat candied hawthorn? If not, forget it," Luo Qingzhou said.
"Yes, yes, I want the candied hawthorn!" Xiao Die blurted.
"You little glutton," Luo Qingzhou teased.
Xiao Die giggled.
She smiled through her tears.
After the two of them finished their meal, they went to the back alley and left after giving the steamed buns to the two beggars.
Mo City was very big. It was divided into inner and outer cities.
Because it was located near the border mountain and there were demon beasts roaming outside the city, the city walls of the outer city were extremely tall and sturdy.
Other than the soldiers guarding the city, the people living in the outer city were usually poor people or people with lower status.
Although the Luo family's noble title had been passed down for three generations, they lost the land that they were endowed with.
Despite that, in Mo City, they were still a powerful family and considered aristocrats. Hence, naturally, they lived in the inner city.
The inner city was very prosperous.
Merchants from all over the world gathered here. There were even merchants from other countries who had traveled a long way across the border just to do business here.
Shops lined both sides of the street.
There was a dazzling array of goods for sale.
Luo Qingzhou wandered about with Xiao Die in tow while observing these ancient yet interesting goods and street scenery. He very much enjoyed the different scenery.
Across the crowded South Street was an arched bridge.
There was a river underneath it.
The river water was clear and there was a thin layer of ice at the edge.
On the river stairs not too far away, a woman was holding a basket full of clothes. She raised her wooden paddle to pound her clothes, and there was the sound of splashing as water splashed everywhere.
Swans swam under the bridge.
Coincidentally, there were four people wearing thin scholar outfits standing on the bridge. They were holding folding fans and speaking loudly.
When Luo Qingzhou saw this scene, he felt that these scholars would suddenly start reciting poems. "There are many geese under the mountain. They rushed down to the river…"
If that were the case, it would be very interesting.
When he got closer, he could hear the few of them discussing state affairs.
"The outcome of the battle three days ago has been decided. While both sides were locked in battle with each other, the Grand Princess personally led 10,000 cavalry to attack the enemy troops. She killed them all and caused rivers of blood to flow. I heard that even the Black River outside Mo City has turned blood red…"
"Yuanzheng, you've underestimated the Grand Princess. She didn't lead 10,000 soldiers, but only 3,000 soldiers! I heard from the soldiers guarding the city, at that time, she was dressed in red. She rode a fiery warhorse and held a Blood Moon Spear. She was like a divine being that had descended to the mortal world and charged straight into enemy fire to kill their leader…"
"That can't be right. The Grand Princess didn't wear armor? But I heard that she always wears red fiery armor to the battlefield."
"That's not the main point. What's most important is that the enemy was defeated the moment the Grand Princess appeared, and our army's morale instantly soared, and they killed countless enemies…"
When Luo Qingzhou passed by with Xiao Die, the few of them stopped talking and looked at him first before looking at his maidservant.
"This maidservant is really pretty. Unfortunately, she's a little too thin and her butt is a little small."
"Her figure is slender and supple, and her hands are delicate-looking. I presume that her feet are small and delicate too, and they must be fair and tender. If I can hold her feet and play with them, it would be a marvelous feeling…"
"I wonder how much this little maidservant cost. If I keep her at home for a year or two and train her well, she'll definitely be a charming little beauty…"
Luo Qingzhou looked into their eyes and clearly heard what they were thinking.
He frowned and pulled Xiao Die in front of him, using his body to block their malicious gazes. He did not stay on the bridge and quickly left.
When those people saw that, they could only retract their gazes, feeling that it was a pity.
After a pause, they continued the topic from earlier.
Luo Qingzhou knew that scholars were lecherous.
However, he did not expect these well-dressed fellows to have so many lecherous thoughts just by seeing a woman on the streets.
Of course, this also indirectly portrayed the tragic fate of women in this era.
Not everyone was born into a powerful noble family like the Grand Princess.
Most women were merely toys for men's sexual pleasure.
Luo Qingzhou sighed inwardly and became even more determined to become stronger.
Only in this way could he protect himself and the people around him.
Xiao Die was his family.
He swore to protect her!