Chapter 107.3
Ning County.
Li Wenjian sat in the courtyard, enjoying the cool breeze.
It was midsummer, and without ice at hand like at home, he could only sit by the well in the courtyard, feeling the cool breeze.
Today was a full moon night, and the soft, radiant light shone generously, illuminating the entire courtyard. The lilacs in the corner exuded a faint fragrance under the moonlight, carried by the night breeze.
After sitting for half a cup of tea, the heat on his body gradually dissipated. He raised his hand to press his forehead and looked up at the room on the second floor where Zhao Heng was.
The room was still lit, the candlelight casting a shadow of a figure bent over a desk on the emerald window screen.
"Is Ah Heng studying a lot lately?" Li Wenjian stared at the figure for a moment, asking his companion beside him, Mu Gui.
Mu Gui shook his head, saying, "He's been busy preparing to leave the capital, so Elder An hasn't been so strict with their studies."
If it were the Zhao Heng from the previous life, he might not have found it strange.
With a sigh, Li Wenjian picked up some pastries from the stone table and walked towards the second floor.
Zhao Heng's eyelids were heavy with sleep, the cool breeze from the window grooves occasionally bringing bits of wakefulness. But as soon as she stared at her writing for a moment, her eyelids grew heavy again.
Creak. The window was pushed open from the outside. Her head hit the table heavily, causing her to wince and inhale sharply. As she rubbed her forehead and sat up straight, she looked out the window, meeting Li Wenjian's clear and gentle eyes.
Thinking she was dreaming, she mumbled incoherently, "Brother Shulang."
Li Wenjian reached over the long table and tousled her messy hair, asking, "Why are you still awake at this hour?"
His icy hand touching her skin brought her to full wakefulness. Instinctively, she organized the homework on the table and asked, "Brother Shulang, what are you doing here?"
Zhao Heng tilted her head slightly and noticed a large porcelain plate on the desk, filled with various pastries, all her favorites.
She paused for a moment before looking back at him.
"What's that?" Li Wenjian asked, eyeing the scattered papers she hastily collected.
Zhao Heng just looked at him in silence, not saying a word.
"Let me see," Li Wenjian reached out his hand to her.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhao Heng eventually handed the stack of papers to him.
"Penalized for copying homework?" Li Wenjian lowered his head and flipped through several pages.
Unable to resist, Zhao Heng glanced up at him discreetly, seeing no anger in his eyes. She sighed in relief, "Yes."
"Why?" Li Wenjian remembered the homework that Grandpa had shown him that day and chuckled silently. "You helped someone else with their homework?"
"Wanyu, Qilang, and Qingyin," Zhao Heng replied in a muffled voice.
Li Wenjian raised an eyebrow lightly at her response. "Are they bullying you?"
"No," Zhao Heng took the blame upon herself, "I asked them to let me copy their homework. They helped me voluntarily."
Li Wenjian gave her a pointed look. "Help you with what?"
Picking up a fan from the desk and shaking it haphazardly, Zhao Heng's pitch-black eyes darted around before whispering, "Help me save up my dowry."
Li Wenjian's hand trembled slightly as he held the homework, surprised at her words.
"Save up, save up what?" he inquired.
Looking up at him, Zhao Heng replied, "Save up my dowry. Grandma said that if I get married in the future without a dowry, my in-laws will look down on me."
Li Wenjian's throat tightened, and he inexplicably faltered for a moment, his heart pounding rapidly. "Whom do you want to marry?"
"I don't know," Zhao Heng lowered her eyelashes, staring at the moon in the sky with a hint of longing, "I originally wanted to marry Brother Silang, but Grandma said our status would look down upon. So, I thought of marrying brother from Ning Family or brother from Xu Family."
After speaking, she looked at him hopefully, "Brother Shulang, what do you think of them?"
Li Wenjian decisively denied, "They are not good enough."
Shocked, Zhao Heng asked, "Huh? Why?"
Li Wenjian drooped his eyelids, not responding to her words.
Inadvertently, Zhao Heng glanced at Li Wenjian, noticing his darkening expression and pursed lips, seeming unhappy.
Carefully, she reached out and tugged at his sleeve, "Brother Shulang?"
"They are all not good," Li Wenjian lightly pressed his forehead, "Don't like them."
Surprised by his response, Zhao Heng exclaimed, "Why not?"
"Ning Family's son is too short, Xu Family's son is too dull, not interesting," Li Wenjian recalled the appearance of those two young men, "They are not worthy of you."
Zhao Heng rubbed her round face with a puzzled expression, sighed softly, and asked, "What should I do? None of the men my grandmother picked seem good?"
"They're not good enough for you; you deserve better, the best," the lump in Li Wenjian's throat caused his voice to sound hoarse.
Zhao Heng averted her gaze, and upon looking up, she met Li Wenjian's deep and dark narrow eyes fixed on her. Nervously, she asked, "Do you not mind my humble status?"
A glint of excitement finally appeared in Li Wenjian's eyes, "I don't mind."
"What about your family's elders? Do they not mind?" Zhao Heng hesitated.
Li Wenjian's lips curved slightly, shaking his head, "They don't mind."
Standing up, Zhao Heng reached over the desk and held his fingertips, asking joyfully, "Can I marry Brother Silang then?"
Li Wenjian fell silent for a moment, his previously lifted lips drooping down instantly.
"No, you can't," his voice came out cold and icy.
Zhao Heng was stunned, "W-why? I thought you didn't mind?"
A surge of nameless anger rose in Li Wenjian's stomach, but he had nowhere to vent it. He looked into Zhao Heng's eyes, filled with confusion and fear, and sighed lightly, saying expressionlessly, "Xiao Silang is always jumping around, sweating profusely all day and not washing his feet at night. Do you want to marry someone like that?"
Zhao Heng's expression changed, not giving a definite answer as she looked at him.
After pausing for a moment, Li Wenjian nodded earnestly, "I'm not lying to you."
Seeing her hesitation, Li Wenjian's built-up frustration eased slightly. He rolled up the remaining papers on her desk, patted her head, and said, "Get some rest first. We can think about marriage later."
*
The next morning, Zhao Heng finished grooming and went to find Li Wenjian to go out together. Running to his door, she heard Wei Zhan complaining from inside, "You left the light on all night, and I couldn't sleep properly."
Li Wenjian, sounding tired, retorted, "I'm already showing kindness by sharing my bed with you. After all, you didn't remember me when you were eating peaches in Xiaotao Village."
Wei Zhan's thoughts were suddenly exposed, but he didn't get angry. He picked up his round-collared robe hanging on the wooden bed and said, "I'm off to do important things. Do you remember what you were supposed to do?"
"Are you going to see Yue Li for some important business? Discuss hunting together?" Li Wenjian glanced at him, "And what's with that injury on your face? I advise you to tread carefully; winning a girl's heart is not as simple as fighting a battle."
"Don't lecture me. The Xie Third Miss traveled all the way to the capital for you, but you didn't even meet her. A person like you, who doesn't understand romance, won't find anyone willing to marry you in the future. You'll end up a bachelor for life," Wei Zhan couldn't explain where his sudden burst of anger came from as he retorted.
Without waiting for Li Wenjian's retaliation, Wei Zhan adjusted his belt, opened the door, and rushed out.
Turning around, he saw Zhao Heng standing in the sunlight. His eyes narrowed with a smile as he reached out, pinching her cheek, "Little Ah Heng, you mustn't learn from him."
Before Zhao Heng could react, he hummed a tune and bounced away.
"Come in," Li Wenjian called out to her from behind the door.
In a hurry, Zhao Heng lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold. Li Wenjian was still sitting at the desk, his youthful and sharp features gleaming in the morning light like they were touched with a golden hue. The tiredness around his eyes couldn't hide his radiant aura.
"I've written all the homework for you," Li Wenjian picked up the neatly stacked papers on the table and handed them to her, saying, "Take these to Grandpa."
Overjoyed, Zhao Heng smiled softly, "Thank you, Brother Shulang."
"Go wait in the carriage for me. I'll come to find you after getting ready," Li Wenjian thought of how she had considered all the potential suitors for marriage except him last night, feeling a bit off today.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng picked up the pile of homework and walked back. But when she reached the door, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at Li Wenjian. After hesitating for a moment, she opened her mouth several times but couldn't speak a word.
Li Wenjian stood up, straightening his shoulders after a night of sitting, and noticed she hadn't left yet. Turning his head, he asked, "What's the matter?"
"I heard Brother Wei say that no woman would want to marry you in the future⦠Iâ¦." Zhao Heng sounded a bit shy, her eyes turning red with urgency, "You don't have to worry. If no one wants to marry you, when I grow up, I can marry you."
"..." Li Wenjian was left speechless.
Last night, Zhao Heng had been worried about her marriage prospects, with none of the suitors approved by her grandmother catching her eye and Brother Silang being negligent about washing his feet. She had felt it would be difficult to find someone close by to marry.
However, when Brother Wei mentioned that no one wanted to marry Li Wenjian, she suddenly felt relieved.
Although he was a bit older than her and she tended to see him as an elder, he cared for her and seemed intelligent. He must smell good and probably washed his feet every day. If no one wanted him, she would do just fine!