coobybook Chapter 24 Looking at Each Other
Chapter 24 Looking at Each Other
At dawn, under a clear blue sky, daylight slowly replaced darkness.
When Xiao Siyue woke up, the Xiao family members were already dressed and ready to leave at any time.
Today, Xiao Siyue was actually not supposed to go, but Old Lady Xiao thought she would take Xiao Siyue out for a stroll.
Today, the elderly couple from the Xiao family, along with Xiao Qiren and his family of three, visited the Qu family.
They were all dressed in new clothes and looked particularly energetic.
I was thinking of buying clothes for Xiao Siyue yesterday, but Liuyuege doesn't have any for children. Besides, Xiao Siyue doesn't need any. Her aunt just made her a new outfit a while ago, and it fits her perfectly today.
Although no clothes were bought, Old Lady Xiao bought two hair accessories for Xiao Siyue. Today, Lin Qin specially styled her hair into two buns, making her look especially cute. She also wore a red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), making her look like a little fairy under the God of Wealth.
The most eye-catching person today was undoubtedly Xiao Siqi. He changed out of his usual waiter's clothes and into a sky-blue cross-collar long gown. The clothes were tailored to fit him perfectly, making him look tall and straight.
His long hair was tied up high with a matching headband, with a few strands framing his forehead, adding to his dashing and debonair appearance. A light blue belt cinched his waist, making his figure appear even more slender. He looked like a refined and elegant gentleman, charming and captivating.
After waiting for a while, Aunt Fang arrived. They set off together to the door, boarded Grandpa Liu's oxcart, and headed towards their destination, Nanlin Village.
Along the way, everyone chatted and laughed, creating a very harmonious atmosphere. Time flew by, and before they knew it, they had been traveling for about an hour. Finally, at noon, the group arrived safely at Nanlin Village.
Nanlin Village is a relatively large village, larger than Xiaojia Village. It is nestled at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by three high mountains, resembling a tranquil paradise.
The village's architectural style is similar to that of Xiaojia Village, but there are more houses, and the layout is more compact. A crystal-clear stream flows through the village, its babbling water seemingly telling the story of the village. Several ancient willow trees stand by the stream, their branches swaying in the wind, giving a sense of tranquility.
The Qu family's house is located at the west end of the village, requiring one to walk through the entire village to reach it. After entering the village, it took about fifteen minutes to finally arrive at the Qu family's door.
When they arrived at the Qu family's door, Aunt Fang took the lead and went inside.
Directly opposite the main gate were three mud-brick and tiled houses, which looked quite old, though the gray tiles on top seemed to have been added in recent years. To the right were two thatched huts, presumably kitchens, while to the left was a fence containing some chickens.
Xiao Siyue pondered to herself that, judging from the layout of these houses, this family's living conditions should be considered average. After all, most poor families nowadays couldn't afford roof tiles and basically used thatched roofs.
"Is the Qu family home?" Aunt Fang called out as soon as she entered the gate.
"Yes, yes." A woman who looked to be around fifty years old came out of the main room, followed by a couple in their thirties. The woman warmly welcomed Aunt Fang and the Xiao family into the house.
After everyone was seated, Aunt Fang spoke first, introducing the two sides.
"Siqi greets Grandma Qu, Uncle Qu, and Aunt Qu. This is a small gift we brought," Xiao Siqi said after Aunt Fang finished introducing the family. She stepped forward, put down the gifts, and bowed to the Qu family.
"Good, good, a fine young man." Seeing the young man before him with his sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, tall stature, and resolute face, Qu's father couldn't help but feel even more satisfied.
After everyone was seated, Xiao Siyue secretly sized up the Qu family members.
Grandma Qu lost her husband early in life and raised her children alone with great hardship. Perhaps due to overwork in her early years, she looks much older than her actual age, even though she is only fifty years old this year.
As for Mr. Qu, who was standing to the side, he was tall and had a kind face. Although Mrs. Qu was dressed simply, it was not hard to tell that she had a beautiful face.
The family's clothes were a bit old, but clean and tidy. The room was also spotless, showing that they were a very hardworking family.
The Qu family members were also secretly observing the Xiao family.
Looking at the Xiao family members dressed in brand-new clothes, Grandma Qu felt a little uneasy. They didn't look like ordinary farmers at all, but rather like the gentry and ladies of town. Would such a family even be interested in them?
Aunt Fang had told me before that the Xiao family was well-off, but I didn't think much of it at the time. After all, we were all from the countryside, and even if a family was wealthy, there wouldn't be much difference. But after seeing them today, I realized that I was wrong.
With Aunt Fang's help in striking up a conversation, the two groups gradually became acquainted.
During the conversation, the Xiao family learned that the Qu family was small, with only two children: their eldest daughter, Qu Yin, and their youngest son, Qu Jie. The siblings were two years apart and had a close relationship since childhood. The Qu family had sent their youngest son to school for a few years, and he would teach his sister when he returned. Qu Yin was smart, so she learned some of the lessons as well.
Not long after, a slender girl wearing a light blue, narrow-sleeved ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) walked in through the door.
Only recently did I notice that the girl had delicate features and gentle eyes; however, upon closer inspection, I felt as if I had seen her somewhere before.
Xiao Siyue looked up at Old Lady Xiao and saw that she also seemed to be deep in thought.
"This must be your daughter, she's so beautiful," Old Mrs. Xiao said, her eyes almost closing into slits as she looked at Qu Yin.
"Yes, this is our Qu Yin." Grandma Qu smiled broadly and replied with pride. Her granddaughter was not only smart and clever, but also beautiful. Everyone praised her.
"However, he looks somewhat familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before?" Old Mrs. Xiao asked in confusion.
"Have you seen him?"
"Have you seen her in town? My daughter Yin'er helped out at the pastry shop there for a while a while ago," Grandma Qu suddenly remembered.
“Yes, yes, that’s it,” the Xiao family members also remembered.
Xiao Siyue also remembered that she had seen Qu Yin when she went to buy snacks last time.
"Yin'er, come and greet the guests," said Qu's father to Qu Yin.
"Qu Yin greets Grandma Xiao, Uncle Xiao, and Aunt Xiao." Qu Yin stepped forward and bowed to the Xiao family members.
“Miss Qu, this is my good-for-nothing son. Siqi, come and greet your Miss Qu,” Xiao Qiren said, quite pleased with the Miss Qu, who was gentle and polite.
"Greetings, Miss Qu." Xiao Siqi smiled slightly and greeted Qu Yin elegantly.
After the two met, the Qu family and the Xiao family had a simple meal together.
"Everyone, please eat first. Don't be offended, we don't have anything fancy to offer, just some simple home-cooked food, please make do with it." Grandma Qu invited everyone to the table.
"Not at all, it's already very good, thank you for your trouble," Old Mrs. Xiao replied politely.
After the meal, the two families exchanged a few pleasantries and then got up to return to Xiaojia Village.
On the way, Aunt Fang asked, "What did you think of the Xiao family's daughter after meeting her today?"
Xiao Siyue looked at her older brother and saw that his ears were red. He said shyly, "I think it's fine."
Tsk tsk, this older brother is clearly experiencing his first love, he seems quite satisfied. Their family is probably getting married soon. She saw Qu Yin secretly glancing at Xiao Siqi at the dinner table, looking shy, she's probably satisfied too.
"Okay, I'll get back to you tomorrow."
Qu Family House
"Yin'er, you met the Xiao family today. What do you think of Xiao Siqi? Is it a good match?" Old Mrs. Qu asked her granddaughter.
"Grandma, I'll listen to you." Qu Yin lowered her head, her voice tinged with shyness and sweetness, as if she were reminiscing about something wonderful. The image of that handsome young man from earlier that day floated into her mind, and a ripple of emotion stirred within her.
His clear, bright eyes, gentle and kind smile, and elegant and noble demeanor deeply attracted her. Especially when he looked at her, a special emotion shone in his deep eyes, making her heart race and her face flush.
Recalling these details now, she couldn't help but feel a flush on her face, her fingers gently stroking her cheeks, and the corners of her mouth slightly turned up.
"Good, good. I think that young man is quite nice. He's handsome, and the Xiao family seems very kind. They must be a good family. Our Yin'er will have a good life if she marries into that family." Grandma Qu could tell from her granddaughter's reaction that she was happy.
"Mother, judging from the Xiao family's appearance, they seem to be quite well-off. I wonder if they would even consider our family," said Mother Qu with some concern.
Upon hearing this, Qu Yin's face immediately turned pale, her shy joy turning into a grimace. Yes, could someone like that possibly be interested in her?
"Don't worry, I saw today that the Xiao family is very satisfied with Yin'er. Besides, with Yin'er's excellence, why would she have trouble finding a good family?"
“Yes, yes, Mother, you’re right. Our Yin’er is so wonderful, I don’t believe that the Xiao family boy wouldn’t like her. Besides, our Yin’er and the Xiao family boy are a perfect match.” Seeing that Qu Yin’s face had turned pale because of her words, Mother Qu quickly said.
"Mother, what are you saying?" Qu Yin felt a little shy when she heard her mother say that.
Both sides were very satisfied with the meeting, and Xiao Siqi and Qu Yin officially tied the knot.