A life of leisure is worse than a life of flowers and splendour

Not long after, a servant knocked on the door. "Miss, the old master wants you to go to the front for dinner. The general's mansion is hosting a banquet to thank the second young master Su. The master wants you to come."

By the time Du Shuangshuang arrived, everyone was already there. The Great Xia Kingdom was relatively open-minded; men and women accompanied by family could sit together. The general's residence was particularly sparsely populated, so even on festivals and the like, all the masters would eat at the same table. Now, with the addition of the Second Young Master Su, they still sat at the same table, but he sat to the left of his grandfather, with his second uncle, then his second aunt, and his cousins on the other side. Du Shuangshuang sat to the right of his grandfather. The group formed a perfect circle.

The two male hosts exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Su and thanked him. Du Shuangshuang was also called upon to offer Mr. Su a glass of tea instead of wine. After taking her seat, Du Shuangshuang lowered her head and ate quietly.

While eating, a portion of shredded pork belly with green peppers was brought to Du Shuangshuang. Du Shuangshuang was stunned for a moment, then started eating as if nothing had happened.

She silently complained in her heart. After seeing her family, this man had restrained himself a lot. Why was he so bold as to serve her food at the dinner table? Wasn't he pretending to be nice? Wasn't he afraid of getting beaten? Although she didn't care much, after all, she was not bound by the concepts here. She knew what this man was thinking and had expressed her own opinions, but he still went his own way. As long as he didn't offend her, Du Shuangshuang didn't care much.

Before, whenever she took a few more chopsticks at a meal, she would see him again, and he would even move his favorite dishes to her side. What could Du Shuangshuang say? It was impossible not to be moved, but the Su family was definitely not hers to choose, so she remained true to herself and would never be tempted. The young man might be curious, but she couldn't bear the consequences of that. If she were to marry someone, she would have to control the other person. If she was in a weak position and was being manipulated, it would be completely unworthy of the risk. It was said that the ancients were very precocious, knowing how to pursue girls so early. Compared to them, she really was a perpetual bachelor. Du Shuangshuang sighed as she ate her meal.

But in the eyes of others, it was different. The old man glared at Mr. Su, and the second uncle stared back and forth between the two of them, while the second aunt smiled like an aunt. The cousins didn't know what was going on. When Mr. Su realized what was going on, he felt hot and his ears turned red.

Du Shuangshuang didn't know what expression to make, and ate quietly. Everyone ate with their own thoughts. After the meal, Grandpa asked Grandpa to stay for a talk with Mr. Su, and Du Shuangshuang left after finishing her meal. She didn't know what they talked about, but she could probably guess. But no matter what, Grandpa would definitely ask for her opinion. Grandpa Ping doted on her, so she didn't worry about being married off by Grandpa's own decision.

Du Shuangshuang patted her butt and left, and the second aunt also left with her two children. The second uncle and grandfather sat in the living room, and the second young master Su looked like a child who had done something wrong.

"I wonder what Mr. Su means?" The old man spoke first.

"I, I like Sister Shuang'er. I liked her the first time I saw her, but we didn't do anything inappropriate. I really like her. Can you give me a chance?" Su Yichen clenched his hands tightly, obviously very nervous, but after he spoke, he spoke more and more fluently.

"Your Sun family should have many old friends in Beijing. Since you are here, you should at least visit them. If you don't change your mind later, we can talk about it later. Besides, the daughters of our general's mansion will never be concubines. If you marry my general's daughter, you can only take a concubine after three years without having a child. If you can't do that, there is no need to come again." The old man first showed his attitude and gave the other party enough time to understand Du Shuangshuang, hoping that the other party would be scared away by Du Shuangshuang's reputation, so as to save himself trouble. He knew his granddaughter too well. She could not stand grievances and had a bad temper. Although she had changed a lot recently, he loved and spoiled her and did not want to send her to another family to suffer grievances. If she married into the Su family, he could not get his hands on it. It would be better for her to marry into a family with no prominent background or even a poor family, which he could accept. The general's mansion was not powerful, but it was financially strong. It was enough to support his granddaughter for her whole life, including the other family's.

"I can agree to all of that, but I won't take the imperial examination, let alone become an official. I'll only be the second son of the Su family for the rest of my life. Marrying me would be unfair to her."

If the Su family didn't enter the government, they were engaged in business. While their reputation wasn't great, they were the Sun family, and their power and prestige were considerable. Even the emperor couldn't move them at will. In other words, they were the local tyrants of Jiangnan. A prominent family with centuries of history, they had accumulated connections and wealth over generations, and the power of the underworld was behind them.

But large families are so complicated. Considering Du Wushuang's reputation and her personality, the old man couldn't help but sigh. Although he doted on his granddaughter, she had a dog-like temper and was particularly stubborn and foolish. He knew in his heart that she was really not suitable for such a large family. The old man wanted to make the other party give up, preferably without offending anyone. If that didn't work, he could do some ideological work on his granddaughter. In short, in the old man's eyes, this was not a good marriage. Moreover, the elders of the Su family would certainly find it difficult to accept his granddaughter. So as long as the second son Su inquired about Du Wushuang, he would probably back down. Even if he still insisted, it would likely alarm the elders of their own family, and then he might not have to be the bad guy and offend others.

The second son of the Su family left with confidence. The old man was not very happy. Trouble! Uncle Du, is this a good idea? To be honest, if this were his daughter's marriage, he would be quite satisfied. But for his niece... it's so difficult!

It's not that he can't bear to see his niece doing well. She's a good person, but her family is not good. What kind of person is suitable for his niece? She should be good-tempered, obedient, come from a simple family, and be reasonable. Otherwise, her life will be full of chaos.

Uncle Du went back to discuss things with Aunt Du.

"You're overthinking it. Whether this woman can live a good life depends entirely on the kind of man she meets, whether this man cares about her, and how much it has to do with his family. If this man is responsible and cares about women, he won't let his woman suffer any grievances. If there are any problems, he will find a way to solve them. What's your intention in following Xia Cao?"

Uncle Du suddenly had an epiphany, "Right! Then it depends on Su Er."

Du Shuangshuang didn't care about the others. After returning to her room, she sent the maid away and continued to practice with the spiritual spring water. In one night, half of the bottle of spiritual spring water was consumed. Du Shuangshuang soon entered the bottleneck period of the third level of Qi Refining. The next breakthrough would be the fourth level of Qi Refining, that is, from the early stage of Qi Refining to the middle stage of Qi Refining.

After a night of practice, she opened her eyes in the morning and didn't feel tired at all, but rather refreshed. After breakfast, she wanted to continue practicing, but the little bracelet reminded her that she was now at the third level of Qi Refining and could try to learn a few small techniques, and it would be best to practice sword techniques as well.

Speaking of swordsmanship, I do have some basics. After all, I am very good at sword dance and have practiced sword moves before, but I have never really used them in a fight. Xiaozhuo picked and chose two sword manuals from the bracelet, one is the Flower Sword Manual, and the other is the Sword of Mountains and Rivers. The two are highly compatible with my own skills. The Flower Sword Manual is more suitable for women, and it requires the study of formations. The swords form a formation, and when dancing, flowers are all over the sky, which is very beautiful and lethal. However, it is more difficult to learn. The Sword of Mountains and Rivers is more suitable for heavy swords. Imagine a woman carrying a heavy sword and dancing with it vigorously. It gives me a sense of déjà vu of Du Wushuang. But forget it, just follow your heart. Du Shuangshuang still prefers something more beautiful.

Upon closer inspection, these techniques and swordplay were surely carefully selected by the mother, specifically for her own flesh and blood. Embodied within them is an endless tapestry of maternal love and earnest hopes for her children's futures. One can only imagine the mother's careful consideration and deliberation in making her choices, seeking to leave her children with the most suitable and powerful legacy. Such meticulous care truly inspires admiration for the greatness and selflessness of a mother's love; truly a profound act of devotion!

Du Shuangshuang held the jade slip containing the Fanhua Sword Technique close to her forehead, using her spiritual sense to read its contents. A small figure was demonstrating each sword move, while also explaining it.

The first thing that caught my eye was the ordinary yet profoundly profound foundations of swordplay. These seemingly mundane movements were, in fact, as crucial as the cornerstones, each subtle detail potentially determining the direction and power of subsequent swordplay.

Next, more than a dozen enigmatic formations unfolded before his eyes. They shone as brightly as the stars in the night sky, but fully understanding their secrets was no easy task. He needed to calm down and delve deeply into each one, not only memorizing their specific locations but also mastering each formation thoroughly.

And finally, the grand finale, the truly captivating and longed-for Flourishing Flower Sword Technique! This sword technique resembles a gorgeous flower in full bloom, its beauty concealing a deadly threat. Only when the sword technique and formation techniques are perfectly integrated, complementing each other, can the sword formation be unleashed with unbridled freedom, its transformations infinite and its power multiplied. Only then can one truly reach the realm of the Great Perfection of Sword Technique!

Du Shuangshuang's face was filled with excitement, her eyes, bright as stars, gleaming with a fiery brilliance, as if filled with endless anticipation and longing for what she was about to do. She ran briskly to where the swords were kept, carefully picking up her own, razor-sharp, gleaming blade. Though merely an ordinary weapon, it was a rare and precious one in this world. She loved wielding swords and clubs, and held an almost obsessive yearning for the role of a martial artist. She longed to one day wield her sword and travel the world in search of her missing father and her forgotten mother. This sword had been given to her by her grandfather on her thirteenth birthday.

Then, in a flash, she arrived at the center of the spacious courtyard. She stood still, took a deep breath, adjusted her breathing rhythm, and slowly raised the longsword in her hand. The blade traced a graceful arc in the air, like a graceful dragon dancing.

Du Shuangshuang concentrated intently, practicing the most basic techniques. Each movement was executed with meticulous precision, without a single slack or slackness. Her posture was nimble and agile, like a lithe swallow flitting through the flowers; her swordplay was fierce and swift, like a violent storm sweeping through.

As time went by, Du Shuangshuang gradually immersed herself in the world of swordsmanship. She forgot everything around her, her focus solely on the precious sword she had wielded for years and the ever-changing sword techniques. Sweat streamed down her forehead, but she remained oblivious, completely immersed in her practice.