Ji Shihan couldn't hold back, and a tear trickled down her cheek.
"Sister-in-law, do you know? Five years ago, my elder brother said the same thing to me. He told me not to care about worldly opinions and buy the hairpin I fancied, but I didn't listen to him."
This was the first time Zhao Luoning had heard someone mention Ji Shijun, the eldest son of the Ji family.
Zhao Luoning knew very little about Ji Shijun.
Since Ji Shijun's disappearance, to avoid reminding the old matriarch of her grief, the Ji family members had long been forbidden to talk about him.
What Zhao Luoning knew were just some gossips in the market, half true and half false.
But now, she understood one thing, that is, Ji Shijun had a good relationship with Shihan before his disappearance. Otherwise, Shihan wouldn't have kept him in mind all the time.
"Shihan, trust me. You will definitely find the hairpin you like. And big brother will surely come back too."
Ji Shihan nodded. At this moment, sky - rocketing fireworks bloomed in the sky. The blessing - praying ceremony had begun. Without time to think further, Zhao Luoning took Ji Shihan and quickly pushed through the crowd towards the bridge where they were going to worship the Seven Sisters.
Not long after Zhao Luoning left, someone walked up to the stall.
"Boss, was the hairpin the masked girl just fancied this one?"
The man picked up a hairpin with engraved plum blossoms in hollow on the stall. Although Zhao Luoning's reaction was not very obvious, he still noticed something.
He knew that Zhao Luoning liked this hairpin very much, but he didn't understand why she didn't buy it.
So he asked the boss to wrap up the hairpin, paid the money, and headed towards the bridge.
By the time they reached the bridge, it was already bustling with people. Some were holding love knots to pray for good marriages, and some were holding needlework kits to pray for dexterity.
Ji Shihan also took out the sachet she had prepared long ago and stood quietly at the back of the crowd making a wish. This area was cordoned off with red strings, forming a small space, and there were soldiers guarding it all around. Men were not allowed to enter.
Zhao Luoning had never had the tradition of worshiping the Seven Sisters. She didn't pray for wealth, dexterity, beauty, or marriage.
The only thing she wanted was freedom.
It was a pity that this was not within the jurisdiction of the Seven Sisters.
Seeing Zhao Luoning standing alone under the tree bored, Caixue came over to chat with her.
"Caixue, don't you need to worship the Seven Sisters?"
Caixue shook her head. Standing beside Zhao Luoning, she said with a smile,
"Caixue has you, miss. That's enough."
Zhao Luoning smiled. The atmosphere between the mistress and the maid was very harmonious.
Zhao Luoning always treated Caixue like a younger sister.
She clearly knew how hard it was to be deprived of freedom, so she had always been very tolerant towards Caixue, who was like her younger sister.
She had already made up her mind that if she couldn't find Caixue's biological parents, she would take care of Caixue until Caixue really met a man who truly loved and cared for her and got married.
While watching others praying, Caixue casually asked,
"Miss, they are all praying for good marriages. Why don't you go and worship too? At least pray to the Seven Sisters and see if there's a chance to get along better with the second master. Then you'll feel more comfortable."
Although Zhao Luoning had said that she would leave the Ji family after finishing her business, Caixue felt sorry for her. She saw that Zhao Luoning not only had to outwit the madam and the second madam every day but also had to guard against the second master.
Zhao Luoning was amused by Caixue's naivety. She whispered with a smile,
"You silly girl. If praying to the Seven Sisters could make a husband - wife relationship harmonious, there would be nothing but happy marriages in this world."
Caixue was not convinced and wanted to continue persuading, but was interrupted by Zhao Luoning.
Only then did Caixue come to her senses. It turned out that everyone had finished praying.
After worshiping the Seven Sisters, the girls went in groups to the marriage tree to draw a marriage lottery.
Ji Shihan was a bit shy at first, but with the encouragement of Zhao Luoning and Caixue, she still followed Zhao Luoning to draw the lottery.
"The thousand - mile marriage is tied by a thread. A happy union for a hundred years requires trials. If love can be as firm as jade, true love will blossom even at the end of despair." The Taoist priest read out the words on the lottery paper. "This young lady has drawn an above - average lottery. Although the young lady's marriage will encounter some obstacles, as long as she is determined, she will surely have a good marriage."
After hearing this, Ji Shihan felt as if she had taken a reassurance pill.
Although it was not the best lottery, Ji Shihan was already very satisfied. Seeing that Zhao Luoning had been accompanying her but didn't seem to care about her own marriage at all, she picked up the lottery tube, shook it, and asked Zhao Luoning to draw a lottery too.
Zhao Luoning couldn't bear to dampen Ji Shihan's enthusiasm, so she just casually drew one.
Ji Shihan excitedly handed the lottery paper in Zhao Luoning's hand to the Taoist priest. Unexpectedly, after the Taoist priest read it, he was greatly shocked.
"What's wrong?"
Ji Shihan was more worried about Zhao Luoning's lottery than her own.
"It's clearly the best lottery, but I can't interpret the words on it."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You made these lotteries. How can you not interpret it?"
Caixue didn't believe it. She snatched the lottery paper from the Taoist priest's hand and turned it over. It was really a strange lottery she had never seen before.
"What does it mean?"
Zhao Luoning didn't really care about her own lottery at first. But seeing everyone so surprised, she also became curious. She took it and saw that it was blank.
Ji Shihan had whole - heartedly hoped that Zhao Luoning could draw a good lottery. But unexpectedly, this was the result. What was the difference between drawing and not drawing?
Zhao Luoning didn't really care, but Ji Shihan was a bit gloomy. Caixue couldn't bear to see Ji Shihan disappointed. After paying the divination fee and just about to leave, the Taoist priest called them back.
The Taoist priest gave one of the two pieces of silver Caixue had given him and the bamboo stick Zhao Luoning had drawn to Zhao Luoning.
"Miss, since I can't interpret this lottery, according to the rules, I can't take this divination fee. So please take the silver back. As for this lottery stick, I believe only you are worthy of it."
Zhao Luoning never really believed in such vain words. She just didn't want to waste too much time on this Taoist priest, so she asked Caixue to put away the silver and the bamboo stick.
Not long after they left, the man who had been following them all along stepped forward and asked about what had happened.
"You self - promoting Taoist priest. You must have been careless when making the lotteries and put the blank one in."
"Sir, don't talk nonsense. This set of lotteries has been passed down from my ancestors. Since that young lady drew the blank lottery, it's her fate."
"What fate?"
"This young lady is not an ordinary person. She has her own ideas. Her fate is in her own hands. Not to mention others, even the heavens can't decide for her."
The man was stunned when he heard this. Looking at the direction where Zhao Luoning and the others had left, he fell into deep thought.
Zhao Luoning didn't know that there had been a shadow following her all the time. The mistress and the two maids were still chattering about the blank lottery.
Zhao Luoning didn't take this matter to heart. It was like the emperor was not worried but the eunuchs were. Ji Shihan, Hongshao, and Caixue couldn't forget about it.
Caixue was still whispering to Hongshao about this matter while walking until Zhao Luoning spoke up to remind them, and then they stopped.
Suddenly, all three of them stopped in their tracks.
Because they suddenly found that one person was missing.
Ji Shihan was gone!