Chapter 1390: Chapter 1368: Love at Second Sight
The attendant behind him quickly said, "The Eldest Young Master said he wanted to go out shopping and didn’t let the family send a carriage. In the end, he walked to the street corner, bought a meat pie, and then returned."
The three of them turned to look at Bai Dalang together. After a moment of realization, they watched him with interest.
Bai Dalang waved his hand and said, "Go, go, hurry back home."
Before they had the chance to head home, a commotion arose at the street corner. They turned to see the Bai Family’s convoy arriving.
Everyone: ...
Bai Shan and the others instinctively jumped onto their horses and fled before the people in the carriage behind could see them.
Bai Dalang reached out to snatch a guard’s horse and rode away.
Instantly, only one guard and the attendant were left, exchanging glances, speechless for a while.
The group rushed to the other residence, quickly knocking on the door, shouting, "The carriages are here, hurry and dismantle the threshold..."
Old Master Bai came out after hearing the commotion, saw the four sweat-drenched people, and asked, "Why are you the ones delivering the notice? Where are the servants?"
Bai Shan and the other two laughed awkwardly.
The guard thought to himself, the young masters were riding fast ahead, how could the Old Madam still bother to send someone to deliver the notice?
They hurriedly dismantled the threshold, cleared out the courtyard based on the number of vehicles Bai Shan mentioned, and soon, the convoy arrived. First, the passenger carriages entered, and once everyone got off, the luggage carts entered the courtyard.
Old Master Bai bought this other residence as a place to rest when he occasionally came to Mianzhou City, so it wasn’t big—just a two-section courtyard with a small garden.
As soon as all the carriages and horses came in, the courtyard instantly became crowded.
Luckily, he was prepared beforehand. The back yard was ready, with Old Madam Liu and her daughter-in-law sharing a room, Bai Shan and Bai Erlang rooming with Bai Dalang, and Manbao with Sanya together...
With several people in one room, accommodation was quickly arranged.
These trivial matters didn’t need Bai Shan’s involvement, and Old Master Bai even found them getting in the way, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. Only then did the three squeeze in beside Bai Dalang, watching him.
Bai Dalang had no choice but to confess openly, "I just wanted to go out and buy something to have someone send it to her. We just had a minor engagement and I have to go to the capital soon; I do feel guilty."
Manbao curiously asked, "Then why didn’t you go?"
Bai Dalang coughed lightly, "I suddenly thought that sending things to someone’s house so presumptuously would be too impolite..."
So he came back.
But he had said he would go shopping, and returning empty-handed would be too embarrassing, so he casually bought a meat pie at a shop on the street corner.
Bai Dalang generously offered the now cold meat pie, saying, "Look, this store’s meat pie is delicious. Here, for you."
The three looked disdainful, "We’ve already eaten, and it’s cold."
Passing by, Santou was not picky at all. He stopped and poked his head in, "Is it cold? Then give it to me, I’ll take it to the kitchen to heat it."
Bai Dalang smiled and handed the meat pie to Santou.
After taking his stuff, Santou responded in kind, "Eldest Young Master, it’s important to pay attention to manners when forming a family alliance, but between a married couple, being too particular can make life hard."
It wasn’t just Bai Dalang and his brothers; even Manbao was stunned, looking at Santou in amazement, "You know so much?"
Santou swayed his head, "Of course, I learned it all from watching my dad and mom. When my second uncle and aunt got engaged, my second uncle knew she had a hard time at home, so he did odd jobs to earn money. With the little left, he bought some eggs, boiled them, and traveled a long way to give them to her."
The four looked bewildered, then what happened?
Santou said gravely, "Then my mom complained for years that my dad gave her nothing after their engagement, not even plucked flowers, and my maternal grandparents’ house is much closer than my aunt’s..."
Then he looked down at Bai Dalang sitting and said, "Eldest Young Master, whether it’s proper to give your fiancée something, just go ahead and do it. Look at my second uncle and aunt, my mom envied them for a long time. After my elder sister and brother-in-law got engaged, he occasionally sent things to my house, and no one said it was improper. Every time he sent something, my grandpa and parents were really happy."
Bai Dalang coughed lightly and murmured, "It’s different; after some time or during a festival, sending her things would be proper. But it’s just the second day of our engagement, giving her something separately now..."
It would make others think more than necessary.
Bai Erlang poured himself some tea, took a sip, and said, "Big Brother, you’re strange; you never used to care about these things."
Bai Shan remarked, "When you like someone, you tend to worry more."
Manbao and Bai Erlang turned to look at him, Bai Shan coughed lightly, sincerely saying to Bai Dalang, "If you’re worried that sending a gift separately might trouble her, why not send something to Madam Cheng as well?"
Santou shrugged, "If you’re really wealthy, just send gifts to several people. By the way, does her family still have a grandfather? If there is, don’t forget to send something to him, too. My grandfather used to complain about how my brother-in-law only sent things to my elder sister..."
Taking the meat pie with him, he felt he had repaid the favor.
Bai Dalang felt even more tempted, and looking at Bai Shan and the other two, said, "Then should I send it?"
Bai Shan replied, "Do whatever you feel is right."
Bai Dalang then went out, but this time he didn’t rely on his legs; he took a horse out and rode with the attendant.
Old Master Bai and Mrs. Bai were busy and didn’t notice at all.
Bai Erlang watched his brother leave, feeling a bit emotional, "It seems my brother really likes the Second Miss Cheng. Strange, I looked earlier and didn’t find her particularly pretty. Why does he like her but not our cousin?"
Manbao said, "This must be what’s written in books as love at first sight."
Bai Shan countered, "No, the first time he saw her, he didn’t fall in love; it was clearly after the second meeting."
Bai Erlang: "Love at second sight?"
The three were curious about exactly what Bai Dalang’s criteria for choosing a wife were, especially Bai Erlang. He expected to go on marriage meetings within the next year or two, just thinking about it made him a bit nervous.
Old Master Bai’s explanation was, "Who knows? Your brother and she just had a stroll in the garden, chatted for a while, and came back saying he thought the Second Miss Cheng was nice."
Old Master Bai said, "It’s strange, though. After just one meeting, even Chancellor Cheng, who initially said they needed to consider, also said Dalang was good. Knowing he had to hurry back to the capital to study, he immediately agreed to the engagement."
Originally, the Bai Family spoke highly of the Cheng Family. Old Master Bai felt they were not bad; Chancellor Cheng and his two sons seemed decent people so far, so he was fully in favor.
Once Chancellor Cheng agreed, Old Master Bai naturally settled it on the spot.
Thus Bai Erlang was even more convinced, "This must be love at second sight."