The Sect Leader's New Daughter Has Her Hands on My Hips novel · Chapter 21 of 24

Chapter 21: Su Meiqing's Blessing

The border post at the river fork was a square stone tower with a courtyard, a stable and a row of low whitewashed rooms.

The guard at the gate read the senior elder's letter twice and saluted.

He showed them to the end room of the row, with a small window facing the water and a bed wide enough for two.

Another room beside the clinic had been aired for Meiqing.

She sat on the edge of her own bed with a cup of tea and watched them both with bright eyes.

"I am too old to be surprised," she said. "So tell me, please, and I'll pretend."

Yuxi set her sword on the floor.

She took a clay teapot from the guard's tray and poured, and her hands were steady until the cup was full.

Then she knelt on the floor of the little room, and held the cup up in both hands.

"Su Meiqing," she said. "I am Lan Yuxi. I have no seat, no house and ten years of service."

"I have an old jade pin, a sword, and a great deal of love for your daughter."

"Please give me permission to marry her."

The room was very quiet.

Wanning stood by the window with her arms folded, pretending to look at the river.

Her ears were scarlet.

Meiqing took the cup.

She sipped, slowly, and set it on the bedside table, and looked at Yuxi for a long time.

"My late husband," she said, "was a road guard who could not read."

"He asked my father for my hand with a bag of dried plums."

"I said yes before my father had finished frowning. I never regretted it for one day."

"Yuxi."

"Yes."

"My daughter is rude, stubborn, impatient with fools and terrible company before breakfast."

"Yes," said Yuxi.

"She will never ask you for anything. She will simply take it and then be furious with herself."

"I know."

"You will have to ask her for her."

"Yes."

"Then you have my blessing," Meiqing said, and her voice broke on it.

"And you have my thanks, for what I failed to do myself."

Wanning made a noise.

She crossed the room in three strides and knelt beside Yuxi and put her forehead on her mother's knee.

Meiqing's thin hand came down on her short hair.

"My Ning-er," she said. "I was so afraid you would never find anyone."

"You were not afraid," Wanning said into the quilt. "You were hoping."

"I was doing both."

They stayed there for a long time.

At dusk the guard brought rice and river fish.

Meiqing ate very little, and yawned, and sent them out of her room with a shooing gesture.

"Go to your own bed, you two. I will hear you tomorrow."

"Mama!"

"Go on."

The little white room at the end of the row was warm.

Someone had lit a lamp, and drawn the blue shutter closed, and left a wooden tub of steaming water in the corner.

The bed stood against the wall under the window, with a clean quilt and two pillows.

Wanning closed the door, and slid the bolt, and leaned against it.

"Our own bed," she said.

"Our own room."

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