The next day, Zheng Huier was busy attending to the customers at the snack counter. She didn't say a word to Ye Pa for the whole day and didn't even throw a glance in his direction.
Ye Pa felt miserable.
He wasn't drunk yesterday. He was just scared when he saw Aunt Zheng turning around and staring at them.
He was also afraid of hearing Huier say no.
He didn't know what came over him at that time. In a fit of impulse, he lay down and pretended to be drunk. It was better than facing the awkward situation.
Seeing that Huier ignored him today, Ye Pa felt extremely sad.
Suddenly, he saw Jiao Niang and Pei Xia coming back from shopping.
Ye Pa went to the door to help carry the things.
Ye Pa used to be jealous of Pei Xia. But when he truly tasted the feeling of liking someone, he finally understood Pei Xia.
Pei Xia and Jiao Niang weren't always together. They were rarely intimate in public.
But Ye Pa could sense the sweet affection from their words and deeds, from their looks and eyes. It was like a thin thread, twining and never-ending.
When they were together, people around them could immediately feel the different atmosphere.
Even a glance of reproach could be full of love.
Ye Pa felt sad and envious. He also wanted to have a sweet love!
Ye Pa helped carry the fresh vegetables to the backyard. When there was no one at the counter, he put his arm around Pei Xia and talked to him in private.
"What's going on? Why are you being so secretive?"
Pei Xia's side face was cold and handsome, but his tone was teasing.
Ye Pa forced a smile. "I want to tell you something."
Pei Xia responded with a grunt and pretended to listen attentively.
Ye Pa opened his mouth several times. Finally, he managed to blurt out, "I like Huier and I want to marry her. Could you help me find out if your aunt will agree?"
Pei Xia was slightly shocked. But then he thought it was expected.
Huier and Ye Pa had been getting along every day these days. They were both young people. It was only natural for them to develop feelings for each other.
Pei Xia still remembered how Ye Pa used to play tricks on him.
He lifted his lips and smiled. "Although the chance of success is not high, I can go and sound out my aunt for you."
Ye Pa was disappointed at first. But when he heard the second half of the sentence, his face lit up. He grabbed Pei Xia's arm and called him a good brother. "My whole life's happiness is in your hands. You must talk to them nicely."
Pei Xia glanced at him and grunted in agreement.
In the following days, Ye Pa was in a difficult situation.
On one hand, he was dependent on Pei Xia.
At Pei Xia's call, Ye Pa would run as fast as he could.
In addition, Ye Pa tried his best to please Qi Jiao, hoping that she would speak well of him in front of Huier.
At night, when they were whispering in the bed curtain, Pei Xia told Qi Jiao everything. Qi Jiao found it funny and specifically told Ye Pa to behave well in front of Huier.
Encouraged by this, Ye Pa worked even harder.
On the other hand, Zheng Huier started to talk to him.
After he finished his work at the counter every day, he would shamelessly squeeze next to Huier and help her pack and weigh the goods. He enjoyed it very much.
Even if Huier rolled her eyes at him, Ye Pa still felt sweet in his heart.
*
On the day off, Ye Pa got up early. He tied up his hair, changed his clothes, and put on a silk summer robe. He looked at himself in the mirror and felt full of energy.
Walking on the street, everyone would say that he was a handsome and elegant young man.
Ye Pa specifically asked Hua Sanniang and Qi Jiao about Aunt Zheng's preferences. Then he dragged Pei Xia to the best jewelry store in the city to choose gifts.
Ye Pa first chose a silver hairpin with kingfisher feathers for Aunt Zheng.
The kingfisher feathers suited her age. It was beautiful but not lacking in dignity.
If he wanted to marry the beauty, he knew he had to pass the test of the mother - in - law.
After thinking for a while, Ye Pa bought a pair of gold gourd earrings for Aunt Zheng.
But his main purpose was to choose a gift for Huier.
Ye Pa left home when he was young and had been running goods outside for many years. He still had some basic aesthetic sense.
He immediately fell in love with a pale yellow silk flower. It was so lifelike and delicate that he could even distinguish the stamens.
Ye Pa couldn't help but imagine that if this silk flower was worn on Huier's temple, the flower would set off her beauty.
The owner of the bead flower store saw Ye Pa holding the yellow peony silk flower with a silly smile on his face. He was quite puzzled. What was wrong with this young man? He seemed a bit stupid.
But the owner was a businessman after all. He stepped forward with a smile and said, "This young man has really good taste. The artificial flowers are a new product in our store. They are very popular among the ladies in the prefectural city and the capital."
Artificial flowers, as the name suggests, are made to resemble real flowers.
They are colorful flowers made of materials such as silk, brocade, velvet, paper, pith, pearls, and gemstones.
They are meant to never wither and can be worn all year round.
Ye Pa came back to his senses and nudged Pei Xia with his elbow.
Pei Xia picked up one and played with it. He also thought it was good. "Boss, I'll take this red begonia, this peach - colored hollyhock, and this pink and white rose..."
Seeing Pei Xia spending so generously, the boss's smile reached his ears. He sent a clerk to get a silk box and carefully put the various artificial flowers into it.
Ye Pa snorted. Not to be outdone, he said, "Boss, I'll take them too! This one, this one... Pack them all up for me!"
The boss was naturally very enthusiastic when he sold so many items at once. In the end, he even gave them each a handkerchief for men.
When it was time to pay, Ye Pa felt a bit of a pain in his teeth.
He weighed the money bag in his hand and secretly thanked himself for bringing more. Otherwise, he would have made a fool of himself and had to borrow money from Pei Xia.
However, the monthly allowance that Jiao Niang gave them was really generous. Five taels of silver a month was much more profitable than his previous job of running goods in the wind and rain.
Thinking of this, Ye Pa wanted to buy a small gift for Jiao Niang.
Of course, Jiao Niang didn't lack money now. But he just wanted to show his gratitude.
He turned to ask Pei Xia's opinion.
Pei Xia saw that Ye Pa now had someone he liked and wanted to buy something for Jiao Niang out of gratitude. Naturally, he had no objections.
Seeing that Pei Xia didn't object, Ye Pa bought two silk handkerchiefs for summer for Qi Jiao. They felt cool to the touch - this was his gift as the third elder brother.
The two brothers walked back after buying the things.
Since they had left early, the sun was now rising high in the sky. The weather was getting hotter day by day.
Ye Pa wasn't as strong as Pei Xia. After walking a long way, there were beads of sweat on his nose. His fair face looked even fairer, with a touch of jade - like texture.
Pei Xia was going to be a go - between today. Jiao Niang had gone to bed late last night and was still sleeping.
He walked to the window and took a look at Jiao Niang. He put the things where she could see them as soon as she got up. Then he turned around and went to Lihua Alley with Ye Pa.
When they were almost at the door of the small courtyard, Ye Pa felt that the cloth of the bundle in his hand was slippery. He swallowed nervously.
It was his first time officially visiting someone. Ye Pa was very nervous.
Pei Xia found it funny. He pushed Ye Pa forward to knock on the door.
Ye Pa knocked on the door three times seriously. Soon, Aunt Zheng's voice came from inside. "Who is it?"
When the door opened, Aunt Zheng was a bit stunned when she saw the well - dressed Ye Pa. "Third Brother? What are you doing here?"
Then she saw the delicate gifts in Ye Pa's hand. She understood most of it. Her expression became a bit subtle.
Ye Pa used to be very sociable. But now, when he wanted to recommend himself, he stammered and couldn't speak.
It was Pei Xia who came from behind him. He called out "Aunt" and said, "We're just free today, so we came to visit you."
Pei Xia was very thoughtful. He had gone to the vegetable market to buy a piece of fresh meat before coming. As a nephew, he couldn't go empty - handed.
Aunt Zheng smiled. "You should just come. Why did you buy things? Young people don't know how to cherish money."
Although she said so, she was actually happy in her heart. She welcomed Pei Xia and Ye Pa in.
When they entered the main hall, Aunt Zheng shouted towards the west room, "Huier, your cousin and Third Brother are here. Hurry up and come out to serve tea."