Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Flirt and Run
Gu Jinli felt helpless and complained inwardly: It’s winter, not spring, why is everyone’s "peach blossoms" blooming? Can’t they wait a few months until spring?
Gu Jinli followed Gu Daya into the house and asked the kneeling Chang Errui: "Does Brother Chang Er really wish to marry my cousin? Will you not mind? Will you not look down on her in your heart?"
Chang Errui looked up at Gu Jinli and replied: "I don’t mind, nor do I look down on Sister Le. In this life, I will only marry her!"
His answer was quite loud.
"Do you know why my cousin refuses to marry you?" Gu Jinli continued to ask.
Chang Errui said, "I know, she doesn’t want to drag me down."
Gu Jinli nodded, but added, "That’s only one of the reasons. What else?"
"More?" Chang Errui frowned, unable to think of anything else for a moment.
Gu Jinli straightforwardly said, "Beyond worrying about dragging you down, my cousin also fears that when the trouble comes, you won’t have the courage to face the scandal and gossip with her."
"If she marries you, you will be her closest and dearest person. If you cannot bear the scandal and abandon her, that would be a more terrifying blow to her than death."
One can be an Iron Wall when alone, but once it’s two people, if one runs away midway, it would be a devastating blow to the other.
Hearing this, Qi Kangle let tears fall...
Seeing her cry, Chang Errui was utterly shocked.
Sister Le had always been strong; she hadn’t cried even when he came to propose, but now she was shedding tears.
"Sister Le..." Chang Errui said softly, looking at her.
Finally, Qi Kangle turned to him and said, "Do you understand now, Brother Chang Er? The reason I do not accept your proposal is this. Scandal can kill; not everyone can bear it. If the news about me being sold into a brothel leaks out, I can take the silver and leave. But if I marry you, Brother Chang Er, could you leave your family behind and run away with me?"
"And can you endure if others say... say that you married a prostitute?"
Chang Errui was left speechless by her question. He thought he had considered everything clearly and arranged everything well, but at this moment, he realized he had still thought too superficially.
But he didn’t want to give up on Qi Kangle: "Sister Le, we’ve kept this matter very well hidden. As long as we’re careful, we can keep it hidden for life, you don’t need to worry too much."
Qi Kangle, however, said: "If we don’t think everything through now, how will we deal with it when the trouble arises? I know you mean well to me, Brother Chang Er, and for that very reason, I cannot be so selfish as to marry you."
Gu Daya, anxious upon hearing this, cursed from the side: "You stupid girl, what are you stretching this out for? Do you think you’re a young lady from a wealthy family? Brother Rui and his parents have agreed, yet you’re still hesitating, I’ll beat you to death, you silly girl!"
Saying so, she moved to pick up a wooden stick to hit Qi Kangle, only to be stopped by Chang Errui, who firmly grasped the falling stick, "Aunt Gu, don’t hit her."
Seeing Chang Errui still protecting Qi Kangle, Gu Daya was deeply moved and cried out: "Look at Brother Rui, he’s so good to you, what more do you want?!"
"Aunt, stop scolding, wait a moment," Gu Jinli, looking at Chang Errui and Qi Kangle, hoped that the two could be together. However, she also understood Qi Kangle’s worries. In this era, not to mention being sold into a brothel yourself, even if a sister from the clan was sold into a brothel, as a girl of the clan, you would be implicated.
Gu Jinli took out the paper and pen she carried with her and began to write. She wrote for an hour, filling five large sheets of paper before she stopped.
She stood up and handed the five sheets of paper to Chang Errui, "Take these back and read them, ask yourself if you can bear it? And think about it, if the news breaks, how will you and my cousin live?"
The content she wrote on those five sheets was very harsh, containing many unspeakable jeers and mocking words.
After discussing Chang Errui, she crouched down in front of Qi Kangle and said, "Cousin, everyone says you are strong, but actually you are weak because you have not had the courage to face the past."
She continued, "There’s nothing shameful about your past. Your honor remains intact; nothing went wrong. And we have kept this secret for three years, which can be kept indefinitely. Though there’s a risk, you shouldn’t let it affect you, making you live in constant fear of impending doom."
"That’s not right. You should look forward and not lie in the pit of your past unable to get out."
She looked at Qi Kangle and said, "If Brother Chang Er gives it serious thought and comes to propose to you again, I hope cousin can let go of the past, accept Brother Chang Er, and live a good life with him."
"Both of you are capable and intelligent people; you shouldn’t be bound by the current deadlock."
I really don’t want to be your relationship expert every day. If you like each other, just be together and stop dragging it out.
Suddenly, Gu Jinli paused... She grasped a piece of grass, wondering why the more she spoke, the more she felt it was similar to the current situation between her and Brother Qin. Could it be that she’s also being difficult?
After pondering, it seemed to her that she had liked teasing Brother Qin since three years ago. But after teasing, she also thought about not taking responsibility... Indeed, it seemed quite difficult.
Gu Jinli shook her head, shook the thought of Brother Qin out of her mind, stood up, and said, "Both of you should think it through. Everyone is busy and can’t gather every day for a meeting about your marriage."
Qi Kangle, listening to Gu Jinli’s words, was completely stunned... Xiao Yu was right; it seemed she had always been immersed in the fear of her past, being sold into a brothel, never getting over it.
She shouldn’t be like this.
Chang Errui, after being lectured by Gu Jinli, also understood why Sister Le was reluctant to marry him.
He looked at Qi Kangle and said, "Sister Le, let’s both think carefully. Once we have thought it through, let’s make a decision. Don’t keep pushing me away, alright?"
Qi Kangle was already in tears and nodded saying, "Okay."
Chang Errui, hearing this, smiled, looked at Qi Kangle a few times, stood up, and bid farewell to Gu Daya’s family, "I apologize for disturbing Aunt Gu and Uncle Gu tonight."
Gu Daya wouldn’t feel disturbed at all, on the contrary, she wished he would visit every day, hurriedly saying, "You weren’t disturbing us, not at all, it’s our family..."
Gu Daya stopped mid-sentence because anything said at this point would be pointless.
Qi Kangming said, "Mom, I’ll see Brother Chang Er out."
Gu Daya nodded, "Alright, go ahead."
Qi Kangming took Chang Errui away, and on the way, told him a lot about Qi Kangle’s worries. After returning home, it took Chang Errui a long time to think things over before he went to see Sister Le again.
Gu Jinli asked Qi Kangle, "Cousin, do you want to come and sleep at my place tonight?"
Qi Kangle nodded, "Okay."
Staying at home would just make my mind a mess. Better to sleep with Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu’s mind is quick-witted, and her words are the most enlightening. Perhaps if Xiao Yu scolds me, I’ll wake up.
After staying a night at Gu Jinli’s house, Qi Kangle woke up the next day and said to Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, I have thought it through. If he comes to propose again, I will agree. You were right, I should not be bound by the past. One should look forward to life and when encountering a good man, I should hold on to him, not keep pushing him away."
Gu Jinli was very pleased to hear this. Although she supported Qi Kangle staying single, she knew well that Qi Kangle liked Chang Errui. If she kept pushing him away, Qi Kangle would not be happy and would become more distressed.
"Cousin, you are right to think that way." Gu Jinli felt relieved, but it wasn’t long before she started thinking of Qin San Lang again.
Therefore, when Brother Cheng came knocking on her door, calling for her to wake up, she grabbed him and asked him a terrifying question, "If in the future, your Second Brother-in-law turns out to be a fugitive, causing our whole family to be implicated and beheaded, would you still want your Second Sister to marry him?"