Until she was seventeen, Qi An did not believe in fate.
A few days before she turned seventeen, she went to Master Zhao’s house to deliver eggs and have a meal, as she often did. The only difference this time was that Shang Ziliu, who had been following her for the past two years, was with her.
When they arrived at Master Zhao’s door and were about to knock, the door opened from within. Master Zhao was escorting a middle-aged woman dressed as a matchmaker. Seeing them, the two hurriedly stepped aside. The matchmaker caught sight of Qi An and scrutinized her from head to toe with profound intent before saying to Master Zhao, “Mr. Zhao, no need to see me out. Do take your time considering what I just said. I will also be mindful of the matter you mentioned.”
Master Zhao nodded. “That would be a bother.”
After the matchmaker left, Qi An and Shang Ziliu followed Master Zhao inside. Qi An and Shang Ziliu helped Mrs. Zhao serve the meal. After sitting down, Qi An asked curiously, “Was that Madame Qin, the matchmaker from town?”
Master Zhao nodded. “Yes, she came to discuss a marriage for Yue’er. She said the owner of the liquor shop at the end of town has taken a liking to Yue’er and wishes to unite our families.”
Zhao Yue was one year older than Qi An, having just passed his eighteenth birthday. According to local customs, he should have been engaged two years prior. Mrs. Zhao had mentioned it to him many times, but whenever the topic arose, he would mumble and insist he had no such intention. Two years had dragged by, and they hadn’t expected the girl’s family to send a matchmaker to discuss marriage.
Qi An recalled the liquor shop owner’s daughter—she was gentle by nature, clever, and would be a very good match for Zhao Yue. Mrs. Zhao was clearly quite satisfied with the girl, adding, “I think she is quite good. Although she was raised as a pampered child, she is not arrogant, and her personality is quite likable.”
Master Zhao pondered for a moment. “I will go find Madame Qin tomorrow to discuss this further.”
As they were talking enthusiastically about Zhao Yue’s future, Zhao Yue arrived late. Hearing them discuss him, he flushed red and said hurriedly, “No need to discuss it. I don’t want to marry yet.”
Mrs. Zhao’s expression darkened immediately. “You are eighteen now; if you don’t want to marry yet, when do you intend to?”
Zhao Yue glanced at Qi An, his face turning an even deeper shade of red. “I don’t want to marry a girl I don’t love.”
Hearing this, it was clear he already had someone in mind. Mrs. Zhao’s expression softened slightly as she asked, “Then tell your father and me, which girl do you fancy? If she is unmarried and has good character, we will go talk to the matchmaker.”
Zhao Yue glanced toward Qi An again, blushing, but remained silent. Mrs. Zhao and Master Zhao exchanged a look, suddenly understanding the feelings their child had hidden for over ten years.
Master Zhao stroked his thin beard, looking at Qi An with a mixture of love and expectation. “Little An, you aren’t young anymore either; you’ll be seventeen in a few days. Have you ever thought about getting married? As a young woman, you cannot simply continue living this way forever.”
Qi An was stunned. This was a question she truly had never considered. Mrs. Zhao added, “Actually, we have always been concerned about your lifelong happiness. When Madame Qin was here earlier, we told her to keep an eye out for suitable families for you as well. Come to think of it, we neglected to ask you first do you have a sweetheart?”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yue became instantly anxious, his face beet red. “Mother!”
Mrs. Zhao glared at him. This child of hers was a stick-in-the-mud; he liked a girl but didn’t dare say it. If she didn’t force him today, when would he ever succeed? After signaling Zhao Yue to remain silent, she urged Qi An for an answer.
Qi An replied almost without hesitation, “No.”
Aside from Zhao Yue, the only other male her age she interacted with was Shang Ziliu. When she was with them, she never thought of romantic feelings and was quite ignorant of such things. She had occasionally felt a flutter of the heart while with Shang Ziliu, but she considered that feeling no different from the joy she felt when she found a treasure.
When Zhao Yue heard this answer, he couldn’t tell if he felt more relieved or disappointed; regardless, his flushed face drained of color. Mrs. Zhao had long anticipated this answer and showed no further emotion, simply laughing, “Then what kind of husband do you want? Look at our Yue’er…”
Mrs. Zhao’s intentions were so obvious that everyone present, except Qi An, guessed what she was about to ask. Shang Ziliu’s eyes flashed with dark emotion, and he suddenly spoke up, cutting off Mrs. Zhao’s words: “Mrs. Zhao, the food is getting cold. Shall we eat first?”
Mrs. Zhao gave him a deep look before changing the subject. “I was too impatient. Let’s eat first and talk about it later.”
Shang Ziliu slowly loosened his tightly clenched fist hidden in his sleeve and picked up the chopsticks to pass them to Qi An. The atmosphere at the table was chilly for a moment; everyone had their own thoughts, save for Qi An, who was entirely focused on filling her stomach, looking incredibly heartless.
On the way home after the meal, Shang Ziliu was uncharacteristically quiet. Usually, Qi An was the one chattering away, but today he didn’t even respond, only occasionally letting out a perfunctory “Mmm.” Qi An found it strange, assuming he was sick, and asked, “Are you not feeling well?”
Shang Ziliu hadn’t paid any attention to what she asked, lost in his own thoughts, and gave another mindless “Mmm.”
Upon hearing this, Qi An reached out to feel his forehead. Shang Ziliu’s body stiffened. When he snapped out of his trance, he saw Qi An retract her hand, touch her own forehead, and mutter, “It’s not hot…”
Shang Ziliu stared blankly at Qi An and suddenly asked, out of the blue, “Would you agree?”
Qi An looked at him in confusion. “Agree to what?”
Shang Ziliu pondered for a moment before saying, “If Master Zhao and the others find a marriage for you, would you just accept it?”
Qi An replied seriously, “How could I? I would have to see who it is. If I’m not satisfied, how could I force myself?”
Before Shang Ziliu could sigh in relief, he heard her add, “However, Master Zhao and Master’s wife will surely screen them for me. I probably wouldn’t dislike someone they are satisfied with.”
Shang Ziliu froze, asking in a deep voice, “What if it were Zhao Yue?”
Qi An didn’t understand why he was asking about Zhao Yue, but she gave the question serious thought before honestly stating her thoughts: “I grew up with Zhao Yue, so we can be considered childhood sweethearts. I know his character well, and he treats me exceptionally well. If it were him, I probably wouldn’t oppose it.”
Hearing this, Shang Ziliu’s eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe it. “You decided on your future husband so casually?”
Qi An frowned, looking slightly displeased. “It wasn’t casual. If Master and the others didn’t mention it, living alone for the rest of my life wouldn’t be impossible. But since they are willing to plan for the rest of my life, why wouldn’t I accept? You may not understand how much I envy others for the warmth of a family. If someone can give me a home and treat me well, why would I refuse?”
Perhaps feeling that her tone had been a bit sharp, Qi An moderated her breath and said peacefully, “No matter how well Master and the others treat me, it’s not the same as a real family. I just want someone to treat me well and love me. Whether that love comes from romance or family, I don’t care.”
Shang Ziliu was left speechless by her words. He stared at her for a long time with an inscrutable expression, then turned his head away without a word and stomped off.
Qi An didn’t know if this counted as their first argument. She only knew that her mood was quite sour, especially with Shang Ziliu acting as if he didn’t want to bother with her anymore, which left her feeling restless. To avoid adding to each other’s frustration, she didn’t follow Shang Ziliu home but went to the riverside alone to space out, listening to the murmuring water to organize her chaotic emotions. She squatted by the riverside, pulling up a blade of grass with every sigh; by the time she realized it, a patch of the lawn in front of her was bald.
Seeing that it was getting dark, she stood up, patted the dirt off her back, and prepared to go home. Upon turning around, she saw an old man in Taoist robes standing five paces away, staring at her unblinkingly, which gave her quite a scare. She nodded to the old Taoist and intended to walk past him, but after only two steps, she heard the old Taoist say, “Wait!”
Qi An turned back in confusion. Seeing no one else around, the words were clearly meant for her. “Is there something you need, sir?”
The old Taoist didn’t say a word, circling her twice, his eyes continuously scanning her with intent, which made her heart tremble. After coming to a stop, he moved closer to Qi An, and a scent of alcohol wafted toward her. He said, “Young lady, let this old Taoist tell your fortune!”
Qi An understood she had encountered a con artist, a drunk one at that. “No need.” She was already in a bad mood and had no interest in humoring him. After a casual refusal, she intended to leave again.
The old Taoist said, “Young lady, you will turn seventeen in seven days. You live alone, and two years ago you picked up a strange man and brought him home. Am I correct?”
Qi An turned back, frowning. “Everyone in town knows me. You could easily find out these things by asking anyone; it doesn’t mean anything.”
The old Taoist smiled mysteriously. “Then let me tell you about your future.”
Upon hearing this, Qi An said urgently, “Don’t! Since you’ve asked about me, you should know that I’m the poorest person in this town. Even if you tell my fortune, I have no money to give you.”
The old Taoist stroked his beard and looked at his reflection in the river. “Do I look like someone who swindles people for money?”
Qi An nodded. “The few people who come to town to swindle money look exactly like you.”
The old Taoist was bitter inside but decided not to argue with a child. He persisted patiently, “Don’t worry, I won’t charge you; I’ll tell your fortune for free.”
Qi An was doubtful. “Really?”
The old Taoist raised his chin. “I never lie.”
Qi An thought that since it was free, listening wouldn’t hurt. Regardless, whether she believed him after the fact would be her own business. Seeing her agreement, the old Taoist pinched his fingers, rolled his eyes upward, and muttered to himself for a long while before suddenly slapping his thigh and shouting in alarm.
“Young lady, you have a solitary life rarely seen in a hundred years!”