Chapter 144 Engagement
The marriage of Lu Ji and Wang Fengyi was settled, and they began to go through the six rituals, with the wedding scheduled for the autumn of next year.

The marriage of the prince of a noble family had always attracted much attention. After the news came out, it caused a sensation in the capital. The engagement banquet was scheduled for that month. Although it was just an engagement ceremony, there was an endless stream of dignitaries who came to show their support, and the banquet lasted for a whole day.

Qin Xiaoning didn't go.

Qingsong Garden was not far from the banquet hall in the front yard. Even though the doors and windows were closed, the sounds of gongs and drums and the lively noise from the party could still be heard clearly.

After enduring the whole morning, Qin Xiaoning went out in the afternoon, wanting to find a secluded place to be alone.

When passing by the front yard, he happened to see several maids surrounding Lu Ji and Wang Fengyi as they walked towards the lady dowager.

Both of them were wearing bright red wedding gowns.

One is the son of a noble family, and the other is the daughter of the famous Wang family of Langya. They are of equally noble birth, talented and beautiful, and seem to be a perfect match.

Qin Xiaoning stood on a small path shaded by trees, silently watching the backs of the two people, until the two dazzling red spots completely disappeared from her sight, then she raised her feet with difficulty.

After wandering aimlessly in a remote corner of the mansion for a long time, Qin Xiaoning went to Mr. Su's residence.

There was a wedding going on in the mansion, so the private school was closed for the past two days. The sun was bright at noon, so Mr. Su didn't have to go to class and was sitting leisurely in the courtyard sipping tea.

Seeing Qin Xiaoning coming over, Mr. Su quickly welcomed her into the house. Seeing that she looked unhappy, he comforted her and said, "I'm afraid the mansion has been very busy these past two days. If you find it too noisy, why don't you stay with me for a few days?"

Qin Xiaoning smiled bitterly: "A Ning can hide here for a while, can she hide here forever?"

feeling terrible.

Although she was prepared, seeing her beloved man with another woman with her own eyes, even just seeing his back, was enough to make her heart break.

"If you feel sad, just cry." said Mr. Su.

This little girl who was usually spoiled didn't cry. She forced a smile and said, "Sir, do you have any wine? I suddenly feel like drinking."

"some."

As he said that, Su Xian ordered the maid to fetch some wine. After a while, two maids came in with wine and some exquisite snacks. Su Xian raised her hand and poured two glasses of wine: "I'll drink with you."

"Okay, let's not go home until we are drunk today."

After saying that, Qin Xiaoning picked up the wine cup and drank it all.

She couldn't drink much, and usually Lu Ji only allowed her to drink fruit wine. Although the rice wine today was not strong, when the wine went down her throat, it still choked her and made her tears well up.

The moment she put down the wine cup, the little girl quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes and asked Mr. Su directly: "Sir, do you think that if I leave the mansion and the protection of men, I can make a living on my own?"

Su didn't seem surprised at all by what Qin Xiaoning said. She said confidently, "Yes."

As she said this, she laughed at herself and said, "Look at me, I don't have a man to rely on, but I'm still living well."

Mr. Su really lived a good life.

She was skilled in the art of playing the zither. Female teachers were rare these days, and the rich and powerful fought hard to hire her to teach their daughters. As far as Qin Xiaoning knew, the government hired Mr. Su with an annual salary of 300 taels of silver. With her own efforts, Ms. Su had already become quite wealthy. She had bought a spacious house in the capital, and in addition, she also had farmland in the suburbs of Beijing to harvest.

In this male-dominated world, women like Ms. Su are rare.

That's why Qin Xiaoning came to ask her for advice.

Even if she has made up her mind to leave, she can't just go out blindly. She has to survive and live a comfortable and prosperous life.

Qin Xiaoning had been accustomed to a life of luxury over the years, and even if she went out, she didn't want to live that hard life.

Qin Xiaoning asked Mr. Su: "Apart from the capital, are there any places outside that hire female teachers?"

Mr. Su has always been a teacher in a powerful family. He is knowledgeable and knows more about external affairs than she does.

Su Nu said, "Yes, there are some. There are many wealthy families in the rich prefectures and counties, and there are private schools in the mansions, but they don't pay as much as the powerful families in the capital."

Qin Xiaoning asked: "Given my skills, do you think I am qualified to be someone's master?"

Ms. Su thought for a moment and said truthfully, "You are good at playing the zither and calligraphy, which is good enough for you to be a teacher. But you are still young, which is a weakness."

Qin Xiaoning sighed upon hearing this, and then humbly asked, "Sir, what do you think of my calligraphy? If I take it to a calligraphy shop, can it be sold for money?"

When this was mentioned, Su said suddenly, "That's fine."

As she spoke, Su smiled and said, "Your calligraphy is excellent. I see that in the calligraphy museum in the capital, a piece of calligraphy inferior to yours can be sold for more than ten taels of silver. If your calligraphy is put out there, it will be worth at least twenty or thirty taels of silver."

After hearing what Mr. Su said, Qin Xiaoning's sadness on her face was immediately swept away, and she sighed, "I practiced my calligraphy from the young master, and I often received his hands-on teaching. I heard from the Sixth Miss that the young master's calligraphy is worth a hundred gold coins. Although I can't imitate his calligraphy 100%, I can at least achieve 70% to 80% of it."

Then he smiled and said, "So, if I go out, I can make money to support myself by selling calligraphy."

This was not just a whim of Qin Xiaoning's. She had planned her future career a long time ago.

Over the years, she has studied and practiced music, chess, calligraphy and painting diligently in order to carve out a way for herself in the future.

Su nodded and said, "You can sell calligraphy. When you are older, you can also become a teacher for rich families and make money."

As she spoke, Su raised her hand to pour wine for them again: "These days, there are only a few women who have skills and can show their faces to be teachers. There are quite a few actors in Qinlou and Chuguan who have skills, but the rich and powerful are more willing to spend a lot of money to hire those with clean backgrounds. So women like us who have some skills, as long as we have a strong character, will not have to worry about not having a way to make a living."

Qin Xiaoning was delighted to hear this and drank a cup with Su: "Thank you Mr. Su for your guidance."

Seeing that the little girl was no longer as depressed after hearing these words, Su Nv tentatively asked her, "Are you really planning to leave the prince?"

Seeing Qin Xiaoning lower her eyes and remain silent, she continued, "The prince is a very good man. If you can calm down and follow him for the rest of your life, it will be a good destination for you."

Qin Xiaoning smiled faintly upon hearing this and whispered, "I know Lu Ji's goodness better than anyone else in this world, but our fate is destined not to end."

She picked up the wine cup and took a sip. The hot liquor went into her stomach, choking the little girl and causing her to sniff. "I'm an orphan, what can I ask for?"

As she spoke, she forced a smile and comforted Mr. Su: "Sir, please don't feel sad for me. Ning knows what she is talking about. I won't dwell on things that are beyond my reach. What I should really consider right now is to live a good life in the future."