Wei Nian, on the other hand, was more inclined to modern thinking. With Chen Xuan's concerns, Wei Nian privately mentioned to his father that Mrs. Lu was difficult to deal with, but Old Master Wei didn't think much of it. Old Master Wei said, "Let's not talk about being a daughter-in-law. It's my duty to serve my mother-in-law. I heard that the third child of the Lu family also studied in the New School. You always say that modern people have open minds. Ah Yin also likes to follow the latest fashions. The Lu family is well-off. Besides, our two families are still relatives in a roundabout way, which is better than those who don't know their background."
Old Master Wei was a foreigner who had settled in Beijing. Although his two sons married wives from their hometowns, Old Master Wei chose Beijing families to marry his daughters. This showed that he did not intend to let his descendants return to his hometown. As for his two daughters, Old Master Wei wanted to marry them closer to home.
Wei Nian was quick-witted and discussed with Grandpa Wei, "Dad, blind dates are popular among the new-style young people nowadays. Both parties should bring a female elder to the coffee shop to sit and let the young people chat and see if their personalities are suitable for each other."
As soon as he said this, he was immediately stopped by Old Master Wei. Old Master Wei's face darkened and he scolded Wei Nian, "Although our family is not a wealthy family, your sister has been raised like a baby since she was a child, and I have never wronged her. How can you let your sister go out and show her face to be criticized by others? Our family does not have the tradition of treating daughters as worthless!" Old Master Wei firmly believed that marriage was the order of parents and the words of matchmakers. His daughter must not go out and drink foreign coffee with men and let men look at her. How cheap! Old Master Wei knocked his pipe on the edge of the kang and said, "How can my vision be bad? When you and your wife got married, didn't you threaten me with your life? How about now? Is your wife good or not? As the old saying goes, if you don't listen to the advice of the elderly, you will suffer in front of you." He waved his hand, "What kind of vision do you have, and what is good and bad?"
Wei Nian almost choked his father to death, after all, Wei Yin was his only sister, and the siblings had a good relationship. Wei Nian said, "We can't just agree to it because the Lu family is rich. I have to ask about Lu San and see what kind of person he is."
"Go, go." Old Master Wei waved his hand and sent Wei Nian away.
Wei Nian went to ask about Lu San, but Lu San didn't need anyone to ask. He came with his mother, Mrs. Lu. Mrs. Lu came to play cards at Wei's house, and Lu San drove his mother and two sisters-in-law to come. When they arrived at Wei's house, they naturally had to go in and sit for a while. Wei Nian was not at home, so Chen Xuan saw Lu San. How should I put it? It's not that Chen Xuan is used to seeing people with outstanding looks like Wei Nian and Rong Yang. In fact, Lu San's appearance is not bad. He can be called thick eyebrows and big eyes, and his appearance is regular. However, I don't know what's wrong with this hairstyle. Wei Nian also often uses hairspray to comb his hair shiny, but Wei Nian's hair is combed back, combed into a big back, matched with Wei Nian's handsome features, it adds a bit of handsomeness. Lu San is also a person who uses a lot of hairspray, but he made a 5:5 middle part, combed left and right, and it was also combed shiny. Chen Xuan knew that using hairspray was probably a trend among the city's new-style men, but Lu San's hairstyle did not do justice to his handsome appearance and instead added a lot of greasiness to it.
In short, Chen Xuan felt that Lu San's outfit was not very good.
What's more, Wei Yin, who always pays attention to her clothes, knew that there was a man at home, and he was a member of the Lu family, so she didn't show up in her room at all. Wei Jin brought out a plate of snacks from Daoxiang Village and said, "Mom, isn't Ah Yin here?"
Although Mrs. Wei was willing to marry into the Lu family, the main reason was that the Lu family was well-off. In Mrs. Lu's opinion, when looking for a husband for her daughter, she had to find one that was rich and had enough food and drink. However, Mrs. Wei had the same view on marriage as Mr. Wei. Even if she was willing to marry into the Lu family, she would not ask her daughter to meet Lu San. She said, "A Yin is doing needlework in the room. She is shy and is not used to meeting people."
Wei Jin was very clever about this, and said to Mrs. Lu with a smile, "That's right, that girl likes to do needlework when she has nothing to do on weekdays."
Lu San showed some disapproval in his eyes, shaking the car key ring in his hand. Chen Xuan brewed tea and brought it over. The eldest daughter-in-law of the Lu family held a cup for her mother-in-law, the second daughter-in-law of the Lu family held a cup for her brother-in-law, Li held a cup for Mrs. Wei, and Wei Jin took it herself. Then Lu San put down the tea bowl and asked, "Nowadays, many young ladies go to school. Don't you study?"
Old Madam Wei curled her lips, showing her disdain for Lu San's words. She took advantage of her seniority to teach Lu San, "I'm not saying this, nephew. The old saying is right: a woman without talent is virtuous. How can the old saying be wrong? What's the point of studying? Your sister Jin didn't study either, but she still gave birth to two big fat boys for your cousin Zhao. What's wrong with that? Nephew, don't learn from those ignorant boys and girls outside. They keep talking about new and old things all day long. They are all crooked ways. Girls who study too much will have their temperaments ruined. It's better not to study. Be honest and work hard. This is the duty of women."
Because he was a guest at the Wei family, Lu San tried hard not to roll his eyes to express his contempt for Mrs. Wei's argument. Fortunately, Lu San was a young man in his twenties after all, and he still knew the etiquette, so he endured it. However, he glanced outside the door and wanted to leave. As a result, Lu San saw that the second young lady of the Wei family, who had just served tea, was now outside the door carrying a hoe and turning the vegetable garden. Chen Xuan's appearance now has completely lost the appearance of a country girl, but she still shocked Lu San to see her turning the vegetable garden with a hoe. Mrs. Lu followed her youngest son's gaze and said admiringly, "I heard from my sister-in-law that the second young lady in the mansion is an expert at growing vegetables and fruits."
"That's how life should be. If you can grow something at home, grow it yourself. If you can save something, don't waste it."
Regardless of the fact that the Lu family is rich, what Old Lady Wei said really suited Old Lady Lu's heart. Only Lu San, who had not paid attention to Chen Xuan at first, came here with the sole intention of meeting Wei Yin, but instead of seeing Wei Yin, he saw Chen Xuan carrying a hoe and digging in the vegetable garden. For a modern person like Lu San, he could see mountains, fog, and poetry, but he could not stand Chen Xuan's earthy behavior, which he felt was really not worthy of being in a refined place.
Lu San sat for a while, then found an excuse to leave. Mrs. Lu knew that her son did not like the Wei family, but she was very satisfied with the Wei family. She even said to Mrs. Wei, "My two daughters-in-law combined are not as capable as you, my sister."
Mrs. Wei was very proud in her heart, but she was modest in her words, "No, she is just a country girl, she only has the strength left in her arms."
Old Lady Lu sighed, "This family wants to marry a daughter-in-law like the second young lady in the mansion. The benefits are all there." Although the Wei family is not rich, the daughter of the family is good. In the eyes of Old Lady Lu, she belongs to the category of benefits. The key is that the three views of the two old ladies should not be too compatible. Just listen to what Old Lady Wei said:
"This is the marriage arranged by our great grandfather when Ah Nian was a child. Now people outside are talking about free love. Oh, I feel embarrassed when I hear such words. I really don't know if those girls outside are crazy. Is the marriage arranged by the family not good? The marriages of our eldest and second sons, as well as the eldest daughter, were all arranged by our great grandfather. Which one of them is not good? Those silly girls outside, it's okay for men to be a little free. Once you are free, others will take advantage of you. The man will just walk away. As long as he has a promising future, it won't be difficult to marry someone else. Do you girls still want to be human beings?" Old Mrs. Wei shook her head and sighed with Old Mrs. Lu, "I don't know what those people outside are thinking. They are free all day long. Isn't this harming others?"
"Who said it wasn't!" Mrs. Lu felt like she had found a soulmate, and she and Mrs. Wei cursed the new culture until dark. Even when Mrs. Lu brought her son to her house, Wei Yin didn't even show her face. Mrs. Lu didn't think there was anything wrong with Wei Yin, but thought that Wei Yin was respectful, a hundred times better than those frivolous girls out there.
Chen Xuan was also concerned about Wei Yin's marriage. Wei Yin was a little unhappy, so Chen Xuan asked her if she didn't want this marriage. Wei Yin had always had a good relationship with Chen Xuan, so she was willing to talk to Chen Xuan about her worries in private. Wei Yin lowered her head and twisted the handkerchief in her hand back and forth. "That day, the young master of the Lu family came over. I secretly peeked through the window. He looked so slick, always talking about how rich his family was. What about him? He looked down on those who hadn't been to school. He wasn't a college student. Besides, what job did he have? He just relied on his family to eat for free!"
"I heard from your second brother that the third master of the Lu family also works in the government, doing some copying work, and he earns thirty dollars a month."
"That's all thanks to Old Master Lu. The three masters of the Lu family all work for the government." Wei Yin had heard her eldest sister talk about it with envy many times.
Chen Xuan heard that Wei Yin was not very willing to get married. Chen Xuan explained to Wei Yin, "Ah Yin, if you tell this to the old lady and the grandfather, it won't stand. It's like this now. Even Brother Anian is following the grandfather to run the shop business."
Wei Yin pulled the handkerchief with both hands, repeatedly pulling it until it was about to tear, and then he whispered, "Even if everything is good, it depends on whether the two people have the same temper. As soon as I saw that Lu San, I didn't like him."
Chen Xuan understood that Wei Yin just didn't like Lu San.
If it were in the previous life, Chen Xuan would probably think that marriage is decided by parents, so why should children have any say? But this life is different. Although Chen Xuan didn’t know whether Wei Yinle was happy with this marriage in the previous life, in this life, at this moment, Chen Xuan is sure that Wei Yin really didn’t like Lu San. Chen Xuan looked at Wei Yin, the crepe handkerchief in her hand was about to be torn. Chen Xuan heard herself boldly ask Wei Yin, "Yin, let’s talk in private, don’t be shy. Let me tell you first, don’t be disgusted by what I say. If you are not happy with the marriage, I will talk to Brother Nian and ask him to find a way for you. But, you must know in your heart that the Lu family is indeed well-off. If you miss the Lu family, you may not be able to find a family with such a good family in the future."
This speech is not surprising to the new-school people who promote new liberalism and break the feudal remnants. However, although Chen Xuan yearns for the new culture, in fact, she is not a new-school person. Although Chen Xuan has not seen much in her two lives, she knows in her heart that getting married is a big deal. Chen Xuan asked Wei Yin about her opinion on marriage out of concern for Wei Yin. After all, in terms of family background, the Lu family is indeed good. If Wei Yin regrets not finding a family with a family background like the Lu family in the future, will he be angry and blame her when he thinks of what Chen Xuan said to her today? Even if Old Master Wei and Old Lady Wei knew, they would dislike Chen Xuan.
After all, whether Wei Yin's marriage is successful or not, objectively speaking, has little impact on Chen Xuan and has little to do with Chen Xuan.
However, Chen Xuan and Wei Yin have always been good friends, and her concern for Wei Yin has surpassed the pros and cons of this matter. Of course, Chen Xuan does not understand the meaning of "pros and cons" yet. Chen Xuan simply thinks that she is good friends with Wei Yin, so she has to stand on Wei Yin's side.
Or maybe there was something that Chen Xuan herself didn't realize, that is, Chen Xuan herself didn't think highly of this Lu San.
Chen Xuan's understanding of herself was not as sharp as Wei Nian's. Because, that night, when the two of them went back to their room to talk privately, Chen Xuan quietly told Wei Nian what Wei Yin meant, "If you want to say what's wrong with him, Ah Yin can't say it, but she just doesn't like him. That Third Master Lu doesn't suit Ah Yin's taste."
"What do you mean? You have to find out what the other person is wrong about before you can refuse. If you just don't like each other, what will you do if you do like each other in the future?"
Chen Xuan said, "I think it's hard. Mr. Lu San looks like that kind of person. I can't explain it. I feel that he is not a down-to-earth person."
Wei Nian asked someone to find out about Mr. Lu Sanye, but there was no response for a while, so he asked Chen Xuan, "Tell me in detail why you are so uneasy."
"You don't know, today they came, I made tea for everyone. Old Madam Lu has Madam Lu to serve her, this is as it should be, shouldn't a daughter-in-law serve her mother-in-law. But Third Master Lu, Madam Lu handed him the tea without even saying thank you, this is his own sister-in-law. Don't Beijingers value politeness the most? Also, Lu San's way of speaking is not very nice. As soon as he came, he asked Ah Yin if she had studied in the New School. Ah Yin was very unhappy. That Lu San, he only graduated from high school, he is not a college student, nor a master or doctor. Judging from the way he speaks, even Professor Chu is not as arrogant as him. And the way he dresses is not the same as our family. Although you, Brother Anian, also comb your hair all day long until it is as shiny as a cow licked, you look steady when you comb it, but that Lu San looks frivolous. There is an old saying that goes, appearance is determined by the heart."
Wei Nian asked Chen Xuan what she thought of Lu San. Chen Xuan was always honest and blurted out everything in her heart.
Wei Nian smiled, "It seems that not only Ah Yin doesn't like it, but you don't like it either."
Chen Xuan said seriously, "It doesn't matter whether I like her or not. It's Ah Yin who is talking to the Lu family about marriage. If Ah Yin likes her, I hope she will be happy. But Ah Yin doesn't like her. I have a feeling that I can't explain. Although the Lu family may be richer, when it comes to marriage, you can't just look at money. Brother Anian, you have to find out for Ah Yin."
Wei Nian would naturally do his best for Wei Yin's marriage. What surprised Wei Nian was Chen Xuan. Thinking of how cautious Chen Xuan was when she first entered the family last year, how hard she studied this year, and how she had such insights and knowledge when facing the Lu family, which was better off than the Wei family.
However, Wei Nian squinted his eyes and looked at Chen Xuan for a moment, then smiled, but asked Chen Xuan with a malicious look in his eyes, "What do you mean by 'make your hair as shiny as if it was licked by a cow'? I just used a little hairspray. Tell me, do you usually say this about me in front of others?"
Chen Xuan came back to her senses a little late, and covered her mouth, "Oh, why did I say that!" Then, Chen Xuan gave an explanation that made Wei Nian laugh and cry, "Usually I just think about it in my heart and never tell anyone. Brother Nian, don't worry."
Yes, that's what you think all day long.
I am more than relieved, I am extremely relieved!
The author has something to say: ps: I only wrote half a chapter yesterday. I got up early this morning and wrote it. The first update is a little late. I can't guarantee the update at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. Please follow Shitou's Weibo on Sina. His Weibo name is Jinjiang Shitou and Water. Good morning everyone~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I haven't corrected the typos yet, please take a look first~~~~~~~~~~~~~