There Really Is a Golden House in Books

The shop owner and the pharmacy owner did not dare to be careless. Neither of them were professional veterinarians, but one ran a pharmacy and understood basic pharmacology, while the other raised horses year-round and had a considerable understanding of them.

Both did their utmost, using their respective skills to care for the Snow Qilin, which lay on the ground still frothing at the mouth.

Taking a brief rest, the shop owner saw Xu Qin still standing leisurely to the side, a look of yearning on her face, and his anger flared up.

He snapped, "Xu Qin, what are you still waiting there for? Hurry home and bid farewell to your parents. Have them prepare a coffin for you and arrange your funeral."

"Damn it, it would have been so much better if you had just left earlier."

"Now, you are seeking your own death and dragging me down with you. I really should have risked my life to stop you from coming into my shop in the first place!"

The pharmacy owner cast a sympathetic glance. After all, his shop was not far from the shop owner's; they were considered neighbors, and he was well aware of Xu Qin's past glorious deeds.

He deeply sympathized with the shop owner's unprovoked disaster, but in the next instant, his own face suddenly changed drastically.

Oh no, the croton beans and poisonous herbs Xu Qin had just bought were purchased from his pharmacy.

And he had just handed them right over!

"It is over, it is all over..."

"That military officer from earlier, by the looks of it, is likely from the imperial army that just entered the city. Have I become an accomplice in killing their fine steed?"

"Oh my, my entire extended family is doomed!"

In stark contrast to the mental collapse of the shop owner and the pharmacy owner, the excitement in Xu Qin's heart had reached a point where it could hardly be concealed.

That common soldier from earlier definitely could not bear this responsibility and had gone back to fetch someone.

It was highly likely that the horse's owner was about to appear.

Her springtime of romance was finally arriving.

The horse's owner was about to see her heart of gold.

Her face was full of joy, and she paid no mind to the shop owner's cynical mockery. Instead, she continuously craned her neck in eager anticipation.

However, after a good while, Bangchui had still not returned.

Xu Qin then figured that the horse's owner must be quite a distance away and she would probably have to wait a little longer. This disappointed her slightly, but soon, another idea popped into her mind.

"At a time like this, why do not I play hard to get?"

"I will let the horse's owner think I am shirking responsibility. In reality, I am more than willing to stay by his side to compensate him for his horse."

"He will first have a small misunderstanding about me. Once that misunderstanding is cleared up, he will understand even better just how extraordinarily unique I am!"

Xu Qin's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

The books she had read over the years had thoroughly integrated into her mind; she could effortlessly organize and synthesize them to generate brilliant ideas for herself.

As soon as this thought emerged, Xu Qin no longer lingered. She said, "Boss, I am going to head back for a bit."

The shop owner had absolutely no time to pay attention to her, which she did not mind at all. This kind of ambiguous attitude was exactly what she wanted. She immediately turned and left.

She quickly returned home.

As soon as she walked through the door, Xu Qin's mother came out to greet her.

Her face bore an expression of impatient eagerness.

"Daughter, did not you say a new matchmaker came to Huai'an City who is especially good at finding suitable marriage prospects? Were not you supposed to go see her today? Why are you back?"

"Daughter, could it be that you have already found someone, so you could not wait to come back and share the good news?"

"Daughter, to be completely honest, your conditions are so good, you must not let that matchmaker trick you. If our family does not find a truly fine gentleman, you absolutely must not marry."

"That is right. Er Ya next door found a man who dotes on her endlessly, spoiling her every day and not even bearing to let her work in the fields. We must find someone better than hers."

"Daughter, I heard that Ah Fang from the neighboring village married into a wealthy and influential family. They are far inferior to you, so you must not settle for less."

...

Xu Qin's mother kept talking, and it was all about Xu Qin's matchmaking. It was evident that finding a husband for Xu Qin was the top priority in their household.

And the people they compared her to were all those they felt were of lesser standing than Xu Qin but had married well. They all hoped Xu Qin could marry into a high-status family.

Xu Qin had always loved hearing such words.

Therefore, she revealed a smiling face with a grin that was hard to conceal, saying, "This time, that matchmaker was no good at all. She was terrible."

"However, God has finally opened His eyes."

"He has given me an opportunity."

"If nothing else, the person I am going to marry is absolutely a hundred times better than Er Ya or Ah Fang!"

"No, ten thousand times better!"

Hearing this, Xu Qin's mother also became excited.

"Daughter, I knew it! You surely would not let your mother down."

"Daughter, what kind of prospect did you find? Hurry up and tell me, hurry up and tell me."

Xu Qin smiled leisurely, looking entirely confident as she said, "I do not know the specific details yet, however..."

"The horse he rides is extremely precious."

"The horse tack is invaluable."

"It is foreseeable that he must perfectly match the ideal image in my heart."

"However..."

Pausing for a moment, Xu Qin said, "Right now, there is a small issue. I have to use some tactics to firmly capture his heart."

"Without delay, Mother, you all need to quickly take out all the money we have at home. Furthermore, we need to sell everything we can to scrape together more money. This way, my sincerity will appear even greater."

"The chances of marrying that man will be countless times greater than expected!"

Xu Qin's mother was overjoyed to hear that Xu Qin was about to catch a wealthy son-in-law, but upon hearing about taking out money, she was instantly dumbfounded.

"Daughter, other families receive money when marrying off a daughter. Why is our family paying money?"

Xu Qin grew somewhat impatient and said, "Of course this is the right way. This is my hook..."

Saying so, Xu Qin recounted her encounters from today one by one, including how she made the Snow Qilin eat the croton beans and poisonous herbs mixed with fodder, as well as her thoughts and her subsequent plans.

As she revealed everything, Xu Qin's mother's face filled with pleasant surprise. By the time Xu Qin finished explaining everything, her mother was so excited she was about to jump up.

"Daughter, is not this exactly the kind of stuff from the books? Mother has read so many, but my mind is not as flexible as yours. You grasped the essence right away."

"There truly are houses of gold within books!"

...