Drink This Bowl of Toxic Chicken Soup

Song Ruqi felt a vague sense of hopelessness regarding her upcoming marriage, and her grandmother, Song Ci, shared the exact same sentiment.

"Oh heavens, why did I have to be the one landed with this mess!" Song Ci massaged her temples as she looked at a roster compiled by her personal maidservants, feeling a dull, aching throb in her head.

This roster recorded the young ladies who had attended her eldest daughter-in-law's birthday banquet, noting down their family backgrounds, birth order, and ages. If the maids had known how to sketch quickly, Song Ci suspected she would have asked them to draw portraits of each one.

As she read, Song Ci tried to recall the appearances of the young ladies she had met, comparing them with their family lineages. No matter how she looked at it, and no matter how hard she searched, she simply couldn't find a girl who was a suitable match for her youngest son.

Seeing her distressed expression, Matron Gong advised, "Old Madam, there is no need to fret. Matters of the heart cannot be rushed; we will slowly find someone eventually."

Song Ci offered a bitter smile. She certainly didn't want to rush, but didn't a certain old lady dangle a massive pie right in front of her eyes as a promise? What if she actually managed to eat that pie?

Therefore, she simply had to rush.

To make matters worse, that damn blockhead of a son turned his nose up at Wang Qiuman. Pah!

"Would you like me to accompany you for a stroll to clear your head, Old Madam?" Matron Gong suggested.

That fell right in line with her wishes.

"Let's go, let's go," Song Ci said, standing up with the support of the matron's arm. "Let's head over to Lin Qing's place."

"Very well."

The two of them walked toward the Bamboo Studio. Lin Qing was dressed in simple, lightweight linen clothes and was currently holding a small hoe to tend to her medicinal garden.

Truth be told, the Prime Minister's estate paid meticulous attention to her opinions. When she expressed a desire to set up a small garden to cultivate medicinal herbs for her research and experiments, Song Ci gave a single command, and a plot was promptly cleared right behind the Bamboo Studio for her use.

Over these past few days, aside from administering acupuncture to Song Ci, preparing her medicinal diet, or keeping her company with idle chatter, Lin Qing spent all her time tending to this patch of herbs.

Hearing that Song Ci had arrived, she straightened up and offered a respectful bow. "Old Madam."

Song Ci waved a hand. "No need for such formalities. Go ahead and finish what you're doing; I'm just here to take a look."

Lin Qing smiled and said, "I don't have much left to do. Why don't we go inside to talk? I've recently brewed some medicinal tea that can calm the mind and soothe the spirit. Would you like to try a cup?"

"In a bit," Song Ci replied, looking over the garden. "Your medicinal garden is really taking shape now. The new shoots are already coming up."

The garden wasn't solely planted with herbs; she had also cultivated several varieties of medicinal flowers. Scattering herb seeds near the flowers helped them grow better while also serving as a convenient cover.

A beaming smile spread across Lin Qing's face. "All thanks to your blessing, Old Madam. But speaking of which, why do you look so troubled?"

After days of interacting, she had grown comfortable enough to speak freely with Song Ci.

"Oh, it's all because of that unfilial little scamp, Xiaobaoyu, and the trouble he's causing. Well, I mean my fourth boy. I've broken my heart and strained my eyes trying to find a wife for him, yet I simply cannot find anyone suitable. It is driving me out of my mind."

Lin Qing: "..."

You may be driven out of your mind, but why are you tearing off the leaves of my herbs?

"Old Madam, children's marriages are destined by the heavens and cannot be rushed. The more anxious you are, the more flustered you'll become, and the harder it will be to find the right match," Lin Qing said, hurrying forward to link her arm with Song Ci's, fearing the old woman might pull up more of her precious plants. She coaxed, "As for matters of marriage, the moment you stop worrying about it is usually when it finally arrives."

Song Ci glanced at her sideways. "Oh, Lin Qing, you're feeding me toxic motivational soup."

She certainly didn't believe that romance would just drop from the heavens. If you just wait around, it won't even come if you wait until you're a stray dog; you still have to take the initiative yourself.

Lin Qing looked utterly bewildered. "Toxic motivational soup?"

Who on earth was the Old Madam trying to scare? Even if she were given a hundred times her current courage, she wouldn't dare.

Song Ci let out an awkward, dry laugh. "Ah, I just mean deceptive, empty encouragement. Ha, not actual chicken soup."