Chương 458: Chae Jung-hee is willing

The two sisters held hands and arrived at Cai Zhenji's courtyard.

Cai Zhenji's courtyard was located to the east of the Cai residence. It was not large, but it was exquisitely maintained.

Several plum trees were planted in the yard, and they were in full bloom, their pink and white petals shimmering in the sunlight.

Several pots of orchids were placed on the windowsill, their leaves lush and green, a pleasing sight to behold.

The two sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, and a maid brought them tea and snacks.

Cai Zhenji personally poured her sister a cup of tea and handed her a piece of osmanthus cake, saying, "Sister, try this. I had the kitchen make it fresh, but I added less sugar to suit your taste."

Cai Yan took the osmanthus cake, took a bite, and nodded repeatedly: "Hmm, not bad. When did you learn to make desserts, you little rascal?"

"I learned from the kitchen maids when I had nothing else to do," Cai Zhenji said with a smile.

"Anyway, I didn't have much to do, so I learned to make desserts to pass the time."

Looking at her graceful younger sister, Cai Yan was filled with emotion.

In the blink of an eye, the little girl who used to follow her around has grown into an eighteen-year-old young woman.

Cai Yan smiled and said, "Zhen'er, you're already eighteen in the blink of an eye, and you're getting more and more beautiful."

She paused, her tone slightly teasing:

"Speaking of which, back in Zhuo County, Youzhou, your brother-in-law casually remarked, 'Sixteen is still a bit young for a girl; it's not good to marry too early.' And you, on the other hand, used that as a shield. Father has arranged so many marriages for you, but you've turned them all down, saying you'll wait until you're eighteen."

Cai Zhenji's face flushed instantly. She lowered her head, fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, and muttered softly:

"That's true, my brother-in-law said so, there must be a reason. Besides, if I get married, there will be no one to keep Father company. And... and my brother-in-law also said that a woman is not young even at twenty, not to mention that we have those skin care products that my brother-in-law gave us, we use them every day, and we look much younger than our actual age."

As she spoke, she turned and ran into the house, brought out a mirror, looked at herself in it, then moved closer to Cai Yan and said with a smile:

"Look at you, sister. You've already had a child, but you don't look like you're in your twenties. You look like an eighteen-year-old girl. If I didn't tell you, who would know you're my sister?"

When we stand together, people think we're sisters; they can't tell who's the older sister and who's the younger sister.

Cai Yan was amused by her and reached out to tap her forehead:

"You're so sweet-talking. Even if I'm young, I'm still several years older than you. In two years, you'll be younger than you are now."

She paused, her smile fading, and looked at Cai Zhenji seriously, asking:

"Zhen'er, tell your sister the truth, do you not want to get married, or do you look down on those suitors? Tell your sister the truth today, don't try to fool me."

The smile on Chae Jung-hee's face slowly faded.

She lowered her head and stirred the tea in her cup, remaining silent for a long time before whispering:

"Both. Those people are either pedantic scholars who only know how to compose poems, or spoiled brats who live off their family background. None of them are worthy of my attention. Besides... I don't want to leave Father, and I don't want to leave Sister."

She looked up at Cai Yan, her eyes slightly red:

"Sister, you know that our mother passed away early, and it wasn't easy for Father to raise us all by himself. If I get married, Father will really be all alone."

"Even though you're in Luoyang, you have your own home and your own things to do, and you can't come back to be with him every day. I... I don't want him to be all alone."

"Sister, do you think I'm being too picky? But I really don't want to just marry anyone. I want to find someone like my brother-in-law... someone who is both scholarly and athletic, gentle and considerate, responsible, and capable..."

As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Cai Yan stared intently at her, making Cai Zhenji feel uneasy, and she couldn't help but lower her head to avoid her gaze.

"Then..." Cai Yan took a deep breath and asked earnestly, word by word, "Then... would you be willing to marry your brother-in-law?"

Upon hearing this, Cai Zhenji shuddered and slammed her teacup down on the table with a clatter, spilling the tea.

Her face instantly turned bright red, all the way to her ears. She lowered her head, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, unable to utter a single word for a long time.

Cai Yan understood immediately upon seeing her like this.

This young lady, though she doesn't say it aloud, has actually long been smitten with her brother-in-law, who is both scholarly and martial, gentle and considerate... but she's just too shy to say it out loud.

She couldn't help but smile, reached out and patted Cai Zhenji's hand, and said softly:

"Alright, alright, don't be shy. I know what you're thinking. Wait here, I'll go tell Father about it right now."

Cai Zhenji suddenly raised her head, her eyes sparkling, and looked at Cai Yan, whispering, "Sister..."

"Um?"

"... Talk to your father nicely, don't make him angry. He's stubborn, don't argue with him."

Cai Yan smiled and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

When Cai Yan turned to find Cai Yong, she was actually a little nervous.

After all, she's his own sister, and she's going to marry his husband. Any father would probably feel uncomfortable in that situation.

(Zhen Yi (๑＞؂＜๑): Ah~ It smells so good~ Oh my!) As she walked, she pondered how to bring it up, wanting her father to agree without making him feel that Zhen'er had been wronged.

She entered Cai Yong's study and saw him practicing calligraphy.

The old man's only hobby in his life is writing a few large characters every day; he feels uneasy if he doesn't do so.

A table was covered with Xuan paper, and the air was filled with the fragrance of ink.

Cai Yong held a brush in his hand and was writing a large character. His strokes were vigorous and powerful, completed in one go.

Cai Yan stood quietly to the side, watching, and only after Cai Yong finished writing the last character did she whisper:

"Father, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."

Cai Yong put down his brush, wiped his hands, and looked at her, saying:

"What is it? Tell me."

Cai Yan took a deep breath, walked to Cai Yong's side, and without beating around the bush, went straight to the point:

"Father, it's about Zhen'er's marriage. I just talked to Zhen'er, and she doesn't want to marry anyone else. In her heart... she wants to stay with her husband."

"I'm thinking that since my husband is a reliable man, I can take care of Zhen'er after she marries him. The two sisters can also look after each other. What do you think, Father?"

Cai Yong was stunned for a moment after hearing this.

He put down the handkerchief in his hand, put his hands behind his back, and paced back and forth in the study a few times, muttering, "A daughter is like a bird that flies away when she grows up. A daughter is like a bird that flies away when she grows up."

Cai Yan quickly stepped forward, took Cai Yong's arm, and gently advised him:

"Father, please don't be angry. You know what kind of person my husband is. You've seen how good he is to us sisters. Zhen'er will definitely not suffer any injustice if she marries him."