He Came to Ask for Her Hand in Marriage

Zhang Rui did not look at Li Qiuying. He only asked Qiu Feng, "Little Cousin, is this your sister?"

Qiu Feng nodded. "Yes, she's my older cousin."

Zhang Rui knew Qiu Feng had two older female cousins. One was already married, while the other was still unmarried. He gave Li Qiuying a polite glance. "Hello, Older Cousin. I'm Zhang Rui. Zhou Chenglei is my Fourth Brother."

Li Qiuying's heart pounded. "H-Hello."

After greeting her, Zhang Rui did not look at her again. He lowered his head toward Qiu Feng and asked with a smile, "Little Cousin, didn't you say there were lots of bamboo shoots and mushrooms in the mountains back home? When will you take me up the mountain to dig up bamboo shoots and pick mushrooms?"

Qiu Feng said, "Did you come just to dig up bamboo shoots and pick mushrooms? It's the New Year. Don't you have relatives to visit?"

Zhang Rui looked at Qiu Feng's delicate, flowerlike face. "No, I came to pick flowers—to pick phoenix flowers."

Qiu Feng: "..."

Qiu Feng had told him that she had been born during the season when phoenix flowers bloomed, which was why she had been named Qiu Feng.

Qiu Feng's face turned red again despite herself. "Phoenix flowers don't bloom at this time of year. You have to wait until May."

Zhang Rui smiled at her shy face. "Is that so? Then I can come again when the flowers bloom. Do you have pheasants, wild rabbits, or birds to shoot in your mountains?"

He had come this time to confirm their relationship.

He only wanted to confirm their relationship. As for marrying her and bringing her home, she had said she wanted to study and did not want to get married so soon. He could wait.

He just