Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

Master Liu had actually noticed something was wrong with Old Master Huo long ago. Old Master Huo had become emaciated, his face was ashen, and he was exhausted. With a little attention, it was clear that his time was not far off.

Old Master Huo didn't have the energy for idle chatter. After drinking a few sips of tea, he got straight to the point: "I need to ask you for a favor, in-laws. I'll have to trouble you to put in the effort."

Master Liu asked in surprise, "My dear in-law, why are you being so polite? Is it because of Hong and his wife? My dear in-law, what is destined to be will be, and what is not destined to be cannot be forced. Besides, you are a doctor, so I should be the one asking you for help!"

"It's not for Fengxian! Once Fengxian enters your Liu family, he becomes a member of your Liu family. If he is destined to have no children, you can divorce him, take a concubine, or adopt him as you please. It's your family matter, and I won't interfere!"

“Why are you talking nonsense, in-laws? If they are destined to have no children, we can just adopt one. They can raise it from birth, and it’s almost the same as raising a biological child. There are plenty of childless people in the world, are we going to kill them all?” As Mr. Liu spoke, he looked at his mother, and the old lady nodded sincerely, saying, “Whether or not they take a concubine is their business, and we will never interfere! In-laws, please rest assured, we will never let Hong’s wife suffer any injustice!”

"My dear in-laws, you're too kind. I really didn't ask you for Fengxian's sake!" Old Master Huo laughed. "Do you think I don't know that the old lady dotes on Fengxian the most? I'm asking you for Xiaoqi's sake."

The Liu family mother and son exchanged a glance, and the old lady smiled and said, "What's this talk of begging? Just give the order, in-laws!"

Old Mr. Huo sighed, “As you know, my in-laws, the Liu family has done my family a great favor. Before Changsheng died, he entrusted Liu Ye’er to me. I have always raised her as my own daughter. However, now that I am about to die, I would like to entrust her to you, my in-laws. I wonder if it is convenient for you?”

The Liu family mother and son hadn't expected this. It was a respectable thing to have someone entrust their wife and child to them, and besides, they weren't short of food. However, Mr. Liu had a worry in his heart, so he hesitated slightly. The old lady, on the other hand, reacted quickly and readily agreed, "Convenient, convenient, so convenient! To tell you the truth, in-law, I really like this girl! However, my wife is busy arranging Qian'er's marriage, so I'm afraid she won't be able to take care of her. I'm getting old, and there might be places I can't look after. I'm afraid it will be unfair to the Seventh Miss!"

Master Liu suddenly cursed himself for being stupid. Master Huo's emphasis on "the Liu family" clearly meant that Xiao Qi's surname was Liu, and he had no intention of arranging a marriage at all. Why had he meddled in this? He quickly chimed in, "Not to mention that this matter concerns Brother Huo's promise to the Liu family, even Brother Changsheng and I have been related by clan. Although it's business dealings, we get along very well. Besides, Liu Ye'er and Xiu Luan are also good friends. The two children can keep each other company, so they won't be too lonely!"

"It's her good fortune to have caught the old lady's eye, but it's inconvenient to trouble her. Let her go with Fengxian." Seeing that the old lady was about to say something, she quickly stopped her. "I know the old lady's good intentions, but if Xiaoqi goes with you, will your grandsons still have to pay their respects to you? Will they have to talk and eat with you? Will they have to avoid suspicion? Because of her, the three brothers will feel uncomfortable. It's better to let her go with Fengxian. Hongge doesn't come back to stay often, so it's good for the two of them to keep each other company."

“Brother Huo is right. There are three small courtyards in Hong’er’s courtyard. They have just been cleaned up. Let Seventh Miss choose one to live in. That way, when Hong’er comes back, Seventh Miss can stay in her own courtyard. Hong’er’s wife can also take care of her. It will also be convenient for Xiuluan to visit her. It’s a win-win situation. Brother Huo has thought things through very well!”

"Thank you, Brother Liu, but there's one more thing. Xiao Qi receives fifteen strings of cash every year, which is more than enough for her. Let her make her own food."

"Brother Huo, are you afraid my family can't afford to raise a little girl? And you expect her to cook and eat for herself? Why don't you just slap me across the face?"

“In-laws, in-laws! What are you thinking? I’m not afraid that Brother Liu is stingy, but this child should learn to manage a household. Let her learn to run her own home first, so that she can be independent after marriage… Alas, she doesn’t have a family to support her…” Old Master Huo lowered his head sadly.

Master Liu felt a pang of sadness, a sense of shared fate washing over him. After a moment of silence, he nodded, “Brother Huo, I’ll do as you say!”

Old Master Huo nodded. "Brother Liu, please make sure to find her a kind and reliable family with a clean background. You can let her secretly meet the man and try to find someone she likes. I'm afraid it's too late for me. Let her stay for a couple more years until she's seventeen or eighteen before she gets married—she'll be more sensible when she's older. At that time, take out one hundred strings of cash for her dowry, and keep the remaining four hundred strings as a dowry."

"Alright, Brother Huo! I won't keep a single penny of the bride price; I'll give it all to her as part of her dowry. I'll prepare a few tables of wine for her and give her a grand wedding. Is it alright if I pay for these few coins? For Changsheng's sake, let me do my part!"

"Thank you very much, brother. I'm afraid I'm no longer of any use. Once I've finished my business, I'll have Fengxian pick her up."

"Brother, don't think like that. Everyone gets sick or has misfortune sometimes. How can you think about dying so easily? If all else fails, we can go to the capital. With me here, I'm sure we can find a good doctor."

Old Mr. Huo shook his head with a bitter smile, "I'm not going to make a fuss anymore. Even if I'm in dire straits, can't I even handle a life-or-death situation? Let's not talk about that, I know what I'm doing! Brother Liu, my little Tiger and my eldest son both like Xiao Qi, and Xiao Qi often takes them to play. When I'm here, it's nice for Auntie to play with her nephews. But if I'm gone, things will still be the same, but the tone will change, and it won't sound good. If Xiao Liu gets pregnant again, Aunt Jiang won't be able to handle it all by herself, and Xiao Qi might have to lend a hand. The Liu family's main branch is eyeing us covetously, and Xiao Liu is straightforward; I'm afraid she won't be able to cope. Brother Liu, do you understand what I mean?"

"Understood, understood, in-laws, we all agree. I will treat Miss Seven as my own granddaughter. After she gets married, our family will be her maternal family. We will never let you, in-laws, be left with a reputation for entrusting her with the wrong person!"

Master Liu didn't actually think much of Old Master Huo, finding him lazy and unambitious. Now he realized he'd misjudged him. Old Master Huo was simply indifferent to fame and fortune, and when faced with a crisis, he was calmer and more thoughtful than anyone else—not the spineless pushover he usually portrayed. He could face death with equanimity and arrange everything with composure; how could he be a coward? The debts he owed weren't uncollectible; he simply didn't want them anymore—this was what Master Liu despised most about him! Master Liu's face flushed slightly.

"Thank you so much, in-laws!"

Silence fell over the room. The Liu family mother and son didn't even exchange a few more polite words. It was almost noon when the cook who had stayed in the kitchen brought in a food box. The old lady of the Liu family greeted them, "In-laws, I won't stand on ceremony. Shall we sit at the same table?" With that, the three of them sat down.