Everything was fine in the Gu family. There was no news of any of the children suddenly becoming successful, nor was there any news of any of the children marrying into a powerful family.
Then why did Cheng Jing act as a matchmaker to help Cheng Yi marry Gu's Seventeenth Aunt
Old Mrs. Guan was completely puzzled.
Cheng Mian said, "Why not write a letter to ask Mr. Zhou? He is an official in the court and is also in charge of Baoding Prefecture. He will know the news in the capital in less than a day."
Mrs. Miao said even more quickly: "It would be better to talk to Mr. Zhou directly and settle Shao Jinyi's marriage before the news spreads."
The older people get, the more afraid they become.
"Nonsense!" Old Madam Guan couldn't help but shout in a low voice, "Master Jing wrote a letter to us, can you guarantee that he didn't write a letter to the Gu family? Shao Jin and our Yi Ge'er are not engaged, people outside don't know, and people in Jiuru Lane don't know either? What do you think Master Jing will think? Instead of letting Master Jing think that Yi Ge'er's marriage is an excuse for Shao Jin, we might as well find fault with the Gu family and report it directly to Master Jing. I'm afraid Master Jing will feel better. Besides, in a few years, Gao Ge'er will take the exam, and it is really not appropriate to offend Master Jing."
Mrs. Miao always thought Zhou Shaojin was a good person and wanted to keep him at home. Especially after Zhou Shaojin went to Hanbi Mountain Villa, his behavior changed a lot. He became gentle and docile, but also more graceful and dignified, which was really rare.
She muttered softly, "This won't work, that won't work either. Are we just going to watch Brother Yi marry Miss Gu's Seventeenth Family and enter the family?"
Old Mrs. Guan was unwilling too.
The daughter of the Gu family didn't have much dowry, which was known to the whole Jinling City. Zhou Zhen's career has been prosperous in recent years, and the dowry prepared by the Zhou sisters has become more and more expensive. Zhou Shaojin's biological mother, Zhuang, happened to be the apple of Zhou Zhen's eye. Although Zhuang didn't have any dowry, Zhou Zhen would never treat Zhou Shaojin badly. The father of the seventeenth daughter of the Gu family was a scholar who failed in the imperial examinations many times. He was either very pedantic or not very smart. Zhou Zhen is now a prefect of the fourth rank, and his career will get better and better in the future... In comparison, the Gu family is not better than the Zhou family except for the good reputation of their ancestors, the prosperity of the family, and the large number of children. After marrying into such a family, the people from the mother's family can help to support them in any problems.
But they are scholars, not common people. If something happens, do they still have to compete to see who has more people or who has the stronger fist
Mrs. Guan groaned and said, "I think I have to ask Mrs. Guo for help on this matter!"
Cheng Mian nodded repeatedly and said, "Mother is still far-sighted. I'm afraid only Madam Guo can figure out the cause and effect of this matter!"
Mrs. Miao said anxiously, "There is no time to lose. Then shall we go to Hanbi Mountain House later?"
Just as Mrs. Guan agreed, Sier said through the curtain, "Master, Mrs. An, Madam, Mrs. Guo is coming!"
All three of them were stunned.
Cheng Mian guessed, "The eldest aunt probably came here for Yi'er's marriage to the Gu family."
Old Lady Guan and Mrs. Miao came to their senses. Old Lady Guan told her son, "You should stay away for now. If there is no way to change the situation, we will have to ask you men to come forward and try again."
"I understand!" Cheng Mianxu helped Old Lady Guan to the door and said, "Why don't you invite your aunt to sit in the banquet room? I can just listen to what your aunt has to say!"
Mrs. Guan's inner room was connected to the banquet room. Usually, when Mrs. Guo came over, Mrs. Guan would either entertain her in the inner room or in the banquet room to show her affection.
If it was because Cheng Mian took refuge in the inner room that Old Madam Guo was brought to the flower hall, especially at this time when they wanted to keep Zhou Shaojin at home and Cheng Jing was acting as a matchmaker for the Gu family, it would be easier for people to imagine.
In fact, Mrs. Guan and others were overthinking it.
Old Madam Guo didn't notice these things at all, and even if she noticed them, she didn't take them to heart. She came here just to give an explanation to the fourth house, so the marriage between the Cheng and Gu families was tied tighter.
She went straight to the point and asked, "Are you particularly fond of Shao Jin? Have you ever made a verbal agreement or exchanged tokens with Zhou's son-in-law?" After that, she sighed with a wry smile, "Ziming thought he could be the head of Jiuru Lane, so he wrote a letter to the Gu family first. The Gu family was overjoyed to hear that, so Ziming was able to write to you.
“Who knew such a mistake would happen
"It's just that he's used to being the eldest master, and it's embarrassing for him to go back on his word. I happened to send someone to ask him, and he handed the matter over to me. Tell me the original agreement with the Zhou family, and I'll be the bad guy.
"No matter how wrong it is, it's all Ziming's fault! We will compensate the Gu family, so you don't have to worry."
Ziming is Cheng Jing's courtesy name.
Old Madam Guan's face flushed red as she said, "How can you blame nephew Jing for this? He has good intentions. As for compensation, we in the fourth house will pay for it. We can't let the eldest house get involved. Let nephew Jing do the work and pay for it."
Originally, Mrs. Guan was very sure about Zhou Shaojin marrying Cheng Yi, but who knew such a thing would happen in the middle of the process. She was a little worried and afraid that she would be too enthusiastic, so she was vague about the token of love and only talked about compensation.
In this way, if the Zhou family does not agree to let Zhou Shaojin stay, she will have a way out.
Who knew that Mrs. Guo said, "This is not a matter of money! I'm afraid Ziming will have to find some suitable official positions for the children of the Gu family. When the ninth master of the Gu family takes office, he will also have to spend money and think about it."
Old lady Guan and her daughter-in-law were speechless.
They dared not even think about paying back such an apology.
After Mrs. Guo left, the mother and her two children remained silent for a long while.
After a long while, Cheng Mian forced a smile and comforted his mother: "Just think of it as our fourth branch owing the eldest branch a big favor. Let Cheng Yi pay it back in the future."
Cheng Yi was capable of repaying the favor of the eldest son, but Cheng Mian himself did not believe it, let alone Old Lady Guan and Madam Mian.
Old Mrs. Guan didn't sleep all night again.
The next morning, he called Cheng Mian over and said hesitantly, "How about we wait and see about Yi Ge'er's marriage... the children are still young anyway..."
Cheng Mian said nothing.
The couple almost did not sleep last night, tossing and turning in bed. His wife, He, repeatedly emphasized that she liked Zhou Shaojin and only wanted Zhou Shaojin to be her daughter-in-law.
Seeing this, Mrs. Guan couldn't help but guess what her son was thinking.
She said helplessly: "It's not that I'm treacherous and want to climb up the social ladder, it's just that we can't repay the kindness of the eldest house! There's still a long time to go, and we still have a lot to ask of the eldest house. We've troubled the eldest house for Yi'er's matter, but what about Gao'er's matter in the future? What about your brother's matter?"
The palms and backs of your hands are all made of flesh!
Cheng Mian whispered: "Let me think about it again!"
Old Lady Guan nodded dejectedly, asked Si'er to send Cheng Mian out, and went to Hanbi Mountain House herself.
Although it was morning, the sun in the dog days of summer was so bright that it hurt the eyes.
Zhou Shaojin was wearing a moon-white Songjiang three-shuttle fine cloth shirt and a scarlet boa constrictor. Her snow-white face was rosy as she was bathing the puppy named Snowball under the big locust tree in the yard.
Biyu and Zhenzhu, who were originally serving Madam Guo, were waiting on the side, holding handkerchiefs or basins of water.
The sunlight filtered through the lush branches and leaves, falling dappled on Zhou Shaojin's body. Her scarlet bodice enveloped her like a wisp of mist.
Old Mrs. Guan narrowed her eyes as if they were burned by the sun.
That is Yunxia, a new tribute from the Hangzhou Prefecture's weaving factory, which was delivered to the palace in April this year.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, the He family came to send New Year gifts, and Mrs. He secretly brought a handkerchief like this to her in-laws, Mrs. Mian. It is said that she bought it in Beijing for thirty taels per square.
She looked again carefully.
Zhou Shaojin wore a bracelet inlaid with various treasures on his wrist. There were emeralds the size of pigeon eggs, cat's eyes the size of lotus seeds, and South China pearls the size of rice grains... They were just casually hung on the chain, but they were well-arranged, gorgeous and beautiful. Not to mention anything else, the emeralds and cat's eyes alone were worth a lot of money... Was he going to wear it like this to give his dog a bath
Old Mrs. Guan was in a trance for a moment.
She raised three children, and the family tradition of the Fourth House was always simple. The sisters had lived in the Fourth House for many years, and although she had never lacked food, clothing, and daily necessities for them, she had never had such luxury as this.
It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.
After Shao Jin married into the fourth room, could she adapt to the hard life there
Old Mrs. Guan looked at the pink face and listened to the tender voice, and for a moment she was at a loss as to what to do.
Zhou Shaojin turned around and saw Old Lady Guan. He quickly held the bathed Snowball in a towel and handed it to Chunwan, then ran over: "Grandma, when did you come? Why didn't you let the maids inform me in advance so that I could go and greet you?"
Old Madam Guan calmed down, laughed a few times, and said, "The vest you are wearing is very beautiful. When did you make it?"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Uncle Chi brought them back from Huai'an, and Madam Guo gave them to me as a reward. There's also an emerald green one and a pink-purple one, both very pretty. I also used the remaining edges to make a few purses, and I plan to send a few over in a few days."
There are three in total!
Old Mrs. Guan secretly counted a number in her heart, and then let Zhou Shaojin support her and go upstairs.
On the way, he taught her a lesson: "Why are you carrying such an expensive chain when you are giving a dog a bath? What if you lose it?"
Zhou Shaojin said with a smile: "It's in Hanbi Mountain House. It doesn't matter if it's lost. We can always find it back."
It was as if she was wearing a hollow gilded bracelet. The carelessness that she unintentionally revealed was the true indulgence.
Old Mrs. Guan went into the upper room in silence.
Mrs. Guo had received the letter, changed her clothes and sat down in the banquet room.
Seeing Zhou Shaojin walking in with Old Lady Guan, she smiled and said to Zhou Shaojin, "You are so old, but you are still bathing Snowball like a child. What if there is dirt on Snowball? Don't do this again in the future."
Zhou Shaojin replied "yes" with a red face, without a trace of fear on his face.
When everyone sat down, Madam Guo instructed Madam Lu again: "Don't give Shaojin ice cream. She has eaten too much these past few days!"
If you don’t know, you would think Zhou Shaojin is Mrs. Guo’s granddaughter!
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Sisters and brothers, today’s update.
PS: Regarding the marriage proposal for Cheng Yi, I saw the comments from the sisters. I originally wanted to write that Uncle Chi did it because his mood changed, and then Mrs. Guo went to question it... I didn't expect it to be like this... ~~~~(>_