Qing'er stared at her lipsticked lips in the mirror.
Her clothes, shoes and flowers in her hair are all red.
Just now, the eldest sister put on makeup for her.
The sound of neighbor children playing could be heard in the alley outside the room.
...How long will it take for the sun to set?
Her head became heavy because of the hairpins and flowers, Qing'er slowly turned her head and looked inside the house.
Before becoming a palace concubine at the age of thirteen, she lived in this room with her second sister.
The second sister got married a long time ago, and today, she will leave here and marry into her husband's family.
However, she has no sense of reality...
Qing'er was wearing heavy bridal clothes and could hardly move. She couldn't help but sigh and looked in the mirror again.
Her shoulders were sore.
The sunlight streaming in from the window gradually faded, and the room began to darken.
After the sun goes down, she will get on the sedan chair and set off for Zhuge's house.
Just now, her parents and several older sisters praised her for her beautiful makeup today. The eldest sister was very satisfied with the results of her makeup and nodded repeatedly.
Qing'er is very happy, of course she is happy...but if her future husband doesn't think she is beautiful...this outfit is meaningless.
...Looking forward to Zhuge Qing's praise is simply asking for fish in a tree...
She couldn't help but sigh.
She remembered the day her eldest sister got married. She was only eight years old at that time.
The eldest sister, dressed in bridal clothes, was as beautiful as a fairy, which made her envious.
She begged her mother to dress herself up, put on new clothes, and put many flowers in her tied hair... Then she went to Zhuge's house.
She clearly remembered Zhuge Qing's expression at that time.
Zhuge Qing opened his mouth wide and was speechless. He stared at her blankly. He thought he was going to say something, but he suddenly burst into laughter.
"There are flowers on your head..."
After Zhuge Qing finished speaking, he burst into laughter.
Qing'er kicked his calf hard, turned around and ran home.
She would never dress up and go to Zhuge Qing's house again... At that moment, she swore in her heart.
...He was actually willing to marry me? When did he change his mind?...
Qing'er wanted to ask Zhuge Qing, but was too afraid to ask.
…
"Ah, I can't wait. Qing'er is finally going to marry into our family~"
Zhuge Qing sat lazily on the bench and looked at his mother impatiently.
She kept repeating this sentence since just now and walked around the room excitedly.
"Mom... I have heard this sentence hundreds of times. Can you sit down quietly?"
"Zhuge Qing, why don't you sit up and sit down? Sit down quickly. It's rare for you to dress so grandly today. Don't wrinkle your clothes when you sit down."
"well……"
Zhuge Qing sat upright impatiently.
My mother still couldn't hide her excitement. She opened the tea can and shook the shawl on her shoulders.
"I'm so happy. When Qing'er came to our house for the first time, I hoped that she would marry you when she grew up."
"……when?"
"I remember when you were four years old and Qing'er had just turned one."
"..."
"Do not you remember?"
"How could I possibly remember...?"
Mother finally sat down on the chair and laughed thoughtfully.
"When Mrs. Zhang came to our house to deliver oil, she came with Qing'er in her arms and said it was her fourth daughter. Qing'er was so small at that time that she was so rare~"
"oh……"
"You were there at that time. You had never seen a child younger than you, and you curiously said you wanted to see it. Mrs. Zhang brought Qing'er to you. Qing'er, who was sleeping, suddenly opened her eyes and woke up.
.”
"……Then what?"
"When you looked over at her, she reached out and grabbed your face hard."
"..."
"It was so shocking. You burst into tears suddenly, and Mrs. Zhang turned pale with fright. She apologized desperately. It was clearly Qing'er who caught you, and it had nothing to do with her."
"So, the first time I saw Qing'er, she made me cry..."
Zhuge Qing couldn't help but hold his head.
Even if he remembers it, he wants to forget it as soon as possible.
"Yes, yes! Qing'er's eyes widened to see you crying so hard."
"...Mother, you are really surprised. Why do you want your son to marry someone who makes him cry when they first meet?"
"Because it's fun!"
"..."
"I think if you marry that child as your wife, the family will not be boring in the future. That was my intuition at the time, but my intuition was not wrong. Every time Qing'er comes to play at home, it is very interesting."
Is there any mother in the world who would be happy to see her son being thrown into the mud and kicked by a girl three years younger than him...?
Zhuge Qing sighed heavily and scratched the back of his head.
"I actually want to marry that monkey as my wife..."
"You obviously liked her before."
"Have it?"
"You know best. Qing'er makes you cry every time, but you never take other girls seriously."
"..."
Yes, why is this happening?
The Zhang Family Oil Company has four daughters. Qing'er's sisters are also very beautiful and more gentle and virtuous than Qing'er.
Moreover, I have also met women other than several daughters of the Zhang family.
But, I don't know why... Qing'er is always different.
"Eiko, where are you?"
Zhuge Ciyun, dressed in fine clothes, poked his head in.
"Guests are coming one after another."
"Really? Are the dishes ready?"
"It's too early to go to the sedan chair now."
"Is it too early?"
The mother still couldn't calm down and looked back and forth between her son and her husband.
"Zhuge Qing, I really envy you for being able to hold such a grand wedding. I remember when I married your father, I just arranged it briefly."
"If you are envious, would you like to do it again?"
"Oh, at such an old age, wearing bridal clothes is too fancy."
"Eiko, you must look beautiful in what you wear."
"Really? Then let me think about it seriously..."
Mother became excited again, and father naturally put his arm around mother's shoulders and left.
Zhuge Qing watched their backs with a blank look on his face, and couldn't help but sigh.
…Am I really their son?
If it weren't for the fact that he looks exactly like his father, I might not even be able to believe that he is their son.
Although they are older, they still love each other so much, but as an only child, why do I never feel this way with Qing'er?
...Speaking of which, Qing'er and I are evenly matched...
We are both very brave.
I really hope to imitate the couple from my parents and the imperial officials... As for whether I want to be as sweet and affectionate as the couple in the palace to the point of numbness, then there is no need, as the saying goes that everything is too much and not enough.
"..."
Zhuge Qing sat on the bench and turned to look out the window. The banana leaves planted in the courtyard were swaying in the wind.
After the sun sets...how long will it take for the sun to set?