Chapter 5752: Matchmaking
Qiao Lin reached out, stroking the familiar objects within the residence. The furnishings still looked pristine, and all the items in the room appeared spotless. The sweet osmanthus tree she had planted in the courtyard had now grown taller than her. Everything still seemed fine. It was just a pity that time had flown by, and a glance back revealed years had passed.
Qiao Lin wandered around her small courtyard, her eyes brightening slightly as she stared at a large tree in the center. She remembered perfectly that she had buried many of her beloved trinkets under this tree. She took a small shovel from her inner world and began to dig.
After just a couple of scoops, she heard a cool voice from behind her. "Digging a dog hole?"
You're digging a dog hole, your whole family's digging a dog hole. Qiao Lin turned and glared at the person. She hopped up from under the tree and handed him the small shovel. "You do it." With male labor present, why not use it? Why should she do the digging herself?
Mo Yu raised his slender eyebrows, subtly curving his lips. He walked over to the young girl and took the shovel from her hand. "What's buried here?"
"So much nonsense, just dig," Qiao Lin urged him to get to work, while she propped her chin on her hand and squatted nearby, watching.
A few scoops from Mo Yu unearthed something metallic. After all, Little Lin was young back then, so she wouldn't have buried things very deep. After peeling back the layer of soil, a dark box was revealed. Its texture felt neither like metal nor jade, but rather like raw iron. Mo Yu held the box in his hand and shook it. A small golden lock hanging from it also rattled in his hand, making a clear sound.
"Stop shaking it!" Qiao Lin stood up and bounced. Mo Yu expressionlessly held the box above his head. Little Lin raised her small hand to grab it but couldn't reach, so her eyes widened, and she glared at him in exasperation.
"What are you doing?"
"I never thought such a wild little girl could have such a tender side."
"What did you say?"
Mo Yu made a gesture as if pulling something. "I still remember, back then in the military camp, you were this tiny..." He pressed his hand down, indicating a smaller height. "...but your strength was immense. Several big men were knocked down by you in a row."
"Again!" Qiao Lin exasperatedly tugged at his arm, directly snatching back her precious box. She turned and made a big goofy face at him, then quickly ran back into the house with the box, slamming the door shut in his face.
"Hey!" Mo Yu knocked on the door, amused. "Contact my brother, okay? See when he can come."
Who's contacting you! I'm contacting your sister! Qiao Lin secretly grumbled twice in her heart, then took out a communication jade talisman and left a message for her sister: Sister, I ran into that annoying Mo Yu. He's asking me when you guys are arriving.
After a short while, Little Lin, holding the box, turned over in bed and pulled out the warm communication jade talisman to look at it.
Change of Plans
On the communication jade talisman, a message appeared: "Little Sister, we have some temporary business here, so we won't be coming over for now. You and Little Yu should head back to the capital first, and on the way, check on our residences in various places."
"How can Sister just change her mind like that?" Qiao Lin angrily pounded her small pillow. Earlier, her sister had said she would come to Xijiu City in a few days to meet her, and then they would return to the capital together. Why had it changed now? And she had to make do with that annoying Mo Yu all the way back to the capital; how irritating!
Qiao Lin angrily tugged at the corner of her clothes, rolling on the bed with her box. She took out a small key, unlocked the box, opened the lid, and began counting her beloved childhood items, giggling non-stop as she looked at them. Holding a small rattle drum and shaking it, Qiao Lin couldn't stop laughing. She never imagined she was so silly back then, actually burying such toys in the ground before leaving. Thinking about it now, it was quite comical.
She rolled over onto her back, staring up at the pink flowers embroidered on the gauze bed canopy. "Sigh, I don't know how many more days it'll take to get to the capital." The girl murmured, then dozed off.
A Matchmaking Scheme
Meanwhile, Qiao Mu put down the communication jade talisman and winked at Mo Lian.
"Wife, seeing that mischievous expression on your face, I know you're plotting something," Mo Lian's eyes lit up. He moved closer to her, whispering.
"What could I be plotting?" Senior Qiao Qiao gave him a serious side-glance. "Oh, by the way, where's our son?"
"Don't worry about him, let him play next door," Mo Lian said with a smile, embracing Qiao Mu. "Wife, tell me quietly. Are you trying to set up Little Yu and them?"
Qiao Mu glanced at him, her lips suddenly twitching. "Don't you think those two are quite a match?"
"They are. Little Yu's character is quite good; he's definitely a good candidate."
"That's not necessarily true," Qiao Mu pouted. "He seemed alright as a child, but who knows if he'll turn into a rotten melon after a few years."
"Your Mo family doesn't seem to have many decent ones either. Just that Mo Kun..."
"Hey, hey, hey," seeing his wife about to complain about the Mo clan again, Mo Lian's lips twitched. He quickly reached out and grabbed her small arm. "You can't say that; we can't generalize, can we? Yu'er is still alright."
"What if he's like your father? Like your adoptive father, with a different girl every day? Wouldn't I be screwing over my sister?"
"Don't worry, Yu'er will absolutely not be as unreliable as Father King. He takes after his mother, after his mother's family. Look, the Zhao family, like our uncles, rarely have concubines."
Qiao Mu chuckled, the expression on her small face completely still. "Do you remember? That Zheng Ji! Hmph, when she was favored back then, she caused me no end of trouble."
"Yes, yes, yes," Mo Lian nodded repeatedly like a dutiful husband, echoing his wife's curses. "That Zheng Ji, she deserved what she got."
"If Mo Yu turns out to be like that!"
"We'll cripple him!" Mo Lian instantly sided with his wife.
Qiao Mu glanced at him, unable to hold back a "pfft" of laughter.
Mo Lian grinned and pounced, hugging her, gently swaying her body. He said softly, "Wife, don't worry. Your husband will definitely raise the banner and stand by your side. Forget a mere Little Mo Yu; even Father King, if he dares to mess with us, I'll make him bleed back, okay? Okay?"
"You're so annoying," Qiao Mu said, exasperated, reaching out to push away his handsome face that was leaning in.
"Wife..." Mo Lian was about to reach for her when he saw a small object flip down from the bed canopy, dangling upside down right in front of him with a rustle.