Chapter 1217 - 11: The Pearl Collector and the Princess
Chapter 1217: Chapter 11: The Pearl Collector and the Princess
Li Qinghe had grown into a graceful young woman.
Although Li Anqing often prevented her from collecting pearls, she still went. For she loved the sea, loved the feeling of swimming freely in the water. Whenever she had free time, she would still visit Tianmiao to learn and play.
But on this day, Tianmiao said goodbye to her.
"Where are you going?" Li Qinghe urgently wrote on the ground with a stick.
"I’m going home," Tianmiao smiled, cupping Li Qinghe’s face with her hands. "But don’t be like this; we’ll meet again."
"When?" Li Qinghe quickly wrote again. Her writing now exhibited great style, surpassing many calligraphers, though she was unaware of this.
"You will know when the time comes. Will you miss me? Remember, I’m your mentor!" Tianmiao pinched Li Qinghe’s cheek. She had watched this child grow up and increasingly adored this pure-hearted, clear-eyed girl.
Li Qinghe nodded repeatedly. Was Tianmiao really going home? Where was Tianmiao’s home? She wanted to ask, but felt Tianmiao wouldn’t tell her, so she held back.
"We will meet again, trust me." Tianmiao smiled, suppressing a laugh.
Li Qinghe could only nod again, her eyes full of reluctance.
Before Tianmiao left, Li Qinghe gave her a pink pearl. Such pearls were extremely rare. Li Qinghe felt it suited Tianmiao perfectly.
"You silly child." Tianmiao patted Li Qinghe’s head. My dear child, I will make sure you are happy.
...
And so, Tianmiao disappeared from Li Qinghe’s life. Later, Li Qinghe visited the exquisite little courtyard many times, but she never saw Tianmiao again. She missed Tianmiao deeply and looked forward to the day they would meet again. Tianmiao had never deceived her; if Tianmiao said they would meet again, then they certainly would!
Three years later, Li Qinghe was nearly eighteen, but still, no one meeting Li Anqing’s criteria had come to ask for her hand in marriage. Others were anxious, but Li Anqing remained as steady as a mountain.
As it turned out, on the afternoon of Li Qinghe’s eighteenth birthday, she rescued an unconscious stranger from the sea. She wrote to Li Anqing, "This man, I saved him. Shouldn’t he repay the kindness of saving his life by becoming my husband?"
Li Anqing was dumbfounded. Was his daughter really so bold? He understood the logic of repaying a life-saving debt with marriage, but wasn’t that usually the line for a great hero who saved a delicate woman? And who was this man? How could an unknown person become his son-in-law?
"Who is he?" Li Anqing asked.
Li Qinghe shook her head, indicating she didn’t know. She wrote again, "This man was floating on the sea, clutching a piece of wood, completely soaked and bleached pale. He was still breathing a little, and I saved him. Of course, his life is mine to claim."
"Do you like him, my dear?" Li Anqing asked cautiously. Could this man have said something sweet to his daughter, deceiving her? That wouldn’t do! Best to throw him back into the sea.
Li Qinghe shook her head. Li Anqing felt somewhat relieved.
"Then why marry him?" Li Anqing asked again, puzzled.
"Because he’s handsome," Li Qinghe quickly wrote.
Li Anqing: "..." His daughter was a sucker for a pretty face?! Why hadn’t he noticed before?
"It seems like he has a head injury too. Go find a doctor right away." Li Anqing inspected him and instructed the servants to summon a doctor quickly.
As for the matter of marriage that his daughter mentioned, it needed further consideration. First, they needed to revive the man and find out more.
Meanwhile, Tianmiao sat in front of the Heavenly Mechanism Mirror, watching the scene unfold, sipping tea with a smile. To use a common phrase, it was as if the wheels of fate had finally begun to turn.
(Going out for dinner tonight, so updating early)