Тhе уоung mаn wаs gentle аnd rеfinеd, stаnding tаll and straight like bаmbоo, with a grаceful аnd rаdiаnt dеmеаnor.
Chеng Chi couldn't help but smile аnd sаid, "Your grаndfathеr аnd I аrе friends dеsрitе thе аge diffеrence, аnd оur temрeraments аre well-mаtched. Тhаt's whу wе саn sрeak withоut rеservаtiоn. Хiuzhi, yоu neеdn't wоrry toо muсh."
An еighteen-yеar-old yоuth, lаst уeаr's top schоlаr in thе two Нu рrоvinсеs, wаs not tо bе underеstimatеd.
Xiuzhi was his сourtеsу nаme.
Sоng Мu smilеd аpologеtically and cuрped his hands tоward Chеng Chi.
Нis smilе was gеntle and dignified.
Suddenly, Cheng Chi had an idea and went to Old Master Song's room.
Old Master Song was leaning against the large kang by the window, reading a local gazetteer. Hearing the sound, he looked up and saw Cheng Chi, immediately sitting up and asking, "Has there been progress on the Kaifeng Prefecture matter?"
The old man seemed almost obsessed.
Cheng Chi laughed, "How could it be that simple?"
Old Master Song said discontentedly, "In your hands, I'm sure there's a way." Then he asked, "What brings you to me?"
Cheng Chi sat on the kang opposite him, leaning on the kang table and tilting his body as he asked, "Has your family's Xiuzhi been betrothed yet?"
"No!" Old Master Song said suspiciously, "Why do you ask?"
Cheng Chi didn't answer but continued, "Has there been any verbal engagement with another family?"
Old Master Song said, "Do you perhaps want to arrange a match for our Xiuzhi?"
Cheng Chi smiled, "If it's suitable, why not?"
Old Master Song became interested and eagerly asked, "Which family's young lady is it? What is her character like? How did you come to be a matchmaker for that family?"
Cheng Chi smiled, "You've met her before. Last time, she went to Putuo Mountain with me..."
Old Master Song suddenly understood, his interest growing even stronger, and said, "I remember, that young lady was like morning dew on a pearl—unforgettable once seen. What? She hasn't been betrothed yet? I recall the young lady is your niece. Which branch of the Cheng family is she from?"
Cheng Chi smiled, "She's the granddaughter of the fourth branch. Her surname is Zhou. She's the second daughter of Baoding Prefect Zhou Dacheng. She lost her mother at a young age and grew up with her elder sister in Nine Prosperities Lane. When she was little, she was raised by Auntie Guan of the fourth branch, and when she grew older, she was raised in my mother's quarters. Her elder sister married the eldest son of the Liao family in Zhenjiang and now lives with him in the capital, having just given birth to a precious son. She came to the capital with her stepmother and stepsister to visit her sister and happened to be in the capital... I just didn't know why your family's Xiuzhi hasn't been betrothed either?"
Her background was somewhat complicated, but since Cheng Chi was the matchmaker and he had met her himself, Old Master Song set aside thoughts of her losing her mother at a young age and sighed, "You know, my current daughter-in-law is a second wife. Xiuzhi was born to the first wife. At that time, my family's status was low, and I carefully selected the eldest daughter of the Wang family, a provincial scholar from Jingzhou Prefecture, for Jingran to marry. After Wang entered the household, the couple was harmonious, she managed the household well, and she was very filial to me. She also gave birth to four sons and a daughter, and I had no complaints whatsoever. But later, Wang contracted an epidemic and passed away before she was thirty. I arranged for Jingran to remarry his current wife.""The current daughter-in-law is also very good. She has a gentle temperament, respects her elders, cares for her children, and honors her husband. The family is quite harmonious. In contrast, the Wang family has gradually declined since Scholar Wang passed away, and Uncle Wang has turned to business. However, with the help of Jingran and me, his business has flourished, and now they are one of the top families in the two lakes region. Uncle Wang, besides his principal wife, has five or six concubines, and his fourteen sons show no aptitude for scholarly pursuits. He wishes to marry one of his legitimate daughters—either the eldest or the second—into our family. Although Jingran is not entirely satisfied, for the sake of the previous daughter-in-law, he reluctantly agreed.
"But Xiuzhi is unwilling.
"And he is absolutely unwilling.
"He says he has met both cousins and neither is a suitable match for him.
"Yet the Wang family insists on marrying a daughter into our family, specifically naming Xiuzhi.
"Huang-shi, being the stepmother, fears offending both Xiuzhi and Jingran, standing in the middle like a fence-sitter. This matter has dragged on, delaying not only Xiuzhi's marriage but also those of his three younger brothers. His father is extremely anxious about this. Two days ago, father and son argued over it... That’s why I brought Xiuzhi here to visit you and take his mind off things."
Uncle Wang, besides his principal wife, has concubines, with a total of fourteen sons, both legitimate and illegitimate... It’s clear the family’s conduct is rather ordinary.
This is likely why Song Jingran did not outright insist on his son marrying a Wang daughter. Otherwise, if Song Jingran had agreed, even if Song Xiuzhi opposed, it would probably have been futile.
Given the complexity of the Song family, Cheng Chi felt somewhat hesitant.
Seeing this, Old Master Song instead grew more interested in seeking a marriage alliance.
In his view, girls raised in prominent families, sheltered from worldly hardships, tend to have gentle and generous temperaments, with pure and kind hearts. Especially those favored by elders—their character and conduct are unlikely to be poor.
Huang-shi was such a person.
Though a stepmother, she treated her stepchildren with kindness and genuine care.
This was the kind of daughter-in-law the Song family desired.
"How about this," Old Master Song thought for a moment and quickly formed an idea. "I’ll be staying here for a couple more days. The Zhou family’s young lady is no stranger either. Let’s arrange for them to meet. If they take a liking to each other, we can discuss the marriage proposal then. Marriage is about uniting two families in harmony. If it leads to an unhappy couple, both families will suffer, and parents will worry. Turning allies into enemies would be unfortunate."
Cheng Chi hadn’t expected Old Master Song to be so open-minded.
And that Song Xiuzhi was also quite decisive...
He smiled and said, "That works. In a couple of days, I’ll invite the Zhou family’s second daughter over for a chat and let them meet..." As he spoke, a sudden, piercing pain struck his heart. Even Old Master Song noticed his discomfort and asked with concern, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"It’s nothing," Cheng Chi replied with a smile. "Perhaps I’ve been bent over calculating for too long and now feel a bit dizzy."
Cheng Zichuan had been walking briskly up the mountain earlier—wasn’t he usually strong enough to wrestle a tiger?
Old Master Song pondered this briefly, but with his eldest grandson’s marriage now urgent, he exchanged a few more words with Cheng Zichuan and went to see Song Mu.
Song Mu gazed at the landscape map, feeling more and more how insignificant life seemed.
The person who drew this map was truly remarkable.He was beginning to understand why his grandfather was so obsessed with traveling far and wide!
If given the opportunity, he too would like to travel and see the world.
Song Mu’s expression grew somewhat more serious.
When Old Master Song entered and saw his eldest grandson’s demeanor, he nodded inwardly in approval. After dismissing the servants in the room, he told Song Mu about the arrangement he had made with Cheng Chi.
Song Mu’s face flushed red, and a hint of something unusual flickered between his brows.
He had heard others refer to the young woman as "Second Young Miss." Could it be that the woman Cheng Chi had mentioned to him was the same one he had bumped into in the resting room?
Song Mu still remembered that fleeting glimpse.
He had never seen a woman so beautiful.
Just standing there casually, she radiated a warmth that felt like a gentle spring breeze.
He stammered, "I... I leave it entirely to Grandfather’s discretion!"
Old Master Song was taken aback for a moment, then recalled that while he and Cheng Chi were discussing flood control in the study, a servant had come in to announce someone’s arrival... He chuckled, squinting his eyes as he teased his eldest grandson, "You wouldn’t have already seen that young lady, would you? She is exceptionally beautiful."
Song Mu mumbled, unable to form a coherent reply.
Old Master Song laughed heartily and patted Song Mu on the shoulder. In a cheerful tone, he said, "Don’t worry. With your stepmother’s help, you and your father are evenly matched. And with me on your side, your success is practically assured. In a few days, when Zi Chuan invites the young lady over for a chat, you must make a good impression and win her favor."
Song Mu was too embarrassed to speak.
Old Master Song happily went to see Cheng Chi. Urging him, he said, "Hurry up and draft the flood control plan so we can invite the young lady over for a chat."
A dull ache lingered in Cheng Chi’s chest.
He knew why!
But if the matchmaking candidate was Song Xiu, and she had the chance to get to know him, she probably wouldn’t object to marrying him, would she?
Even if she couldn’t accept it at first, over time, she would gradually settle down, wouldn’t she?
Besides, Song Xiu was so outstanding in both demeanor and learning, and compared to Cheng Xu, he possessed an added resilience and composure. She should like him.
Cheng Chi took a few deep breaths, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his heart, and said with a smile, "I thought you would be more concerned about your eldest grandson’s marriage."
Old Master Song certainly wouldn’t reveal his own plans.
For one thing, the matter was still far from settled. For another, given his grandson’s indifference to fame and fortune, he might not even want to pursue an official career.
He had his own ways to draw him in.
"Do you know how many commoners died in the Kaifeng Prefecture levee breach last year?" Old Master Song said solemnly. "When I visited Kaifeng Prefecture recently, the siltation there was worse than before. And this year’s temperatures are higher than usual—it’s only March, yet it already feels like midsummer, and even wearing layered clothing feels hot. If heavy rains come during the summer, even if the levees don’t breach, Kaifeng Prefecture will likely face a complete crop failure. You may be safe and sound, but what about the commoners? If the government offices could be relied upon, why are there so many unregistered households in Dezhou? This is a matter of national importance. If you lacked the ability, it would be one thing, but having the ability and remaining indifferent is unacceptable."
Cheng Chi smiled bitterly at his words.
Compared to Old Master Song, he felt more like an old man nearing the end of his days.
Cheng Chi said with a smile, "After I return from Elm Tree Alley, I’ll work through the night to draft a plan, alright?"
Old Master Song reluctantly agreed.
Cheng Chi then headed to Elm Tree Alley.Zhou Shaojin waited until her sister had finished nursing Guan Ge and handed him over to the wet nurse to be taken away before mentioning her visit to Yuqian Lane: "...Uncle Chi was busy, so I didn't get to see him. I’ll have to visit another day."
Zhou Chujin didn’t mind and said with a smile, "Anyway, Uncle Chi already knows we went to visit him. When we go next time, he won’t blame me for it—each of us has done our part."
Zhou Shaojin nodded, feeling somewhat downcast.
Zhou Chujin quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Or did something upset you?"
"Not at all!" Zhou Shaojin immediately perked up and smiled, saying, "I just feel a little tired. Maybe it’s spring fatigue."
"Then you should go back to your room and rest," Zhou Chujin replied with a smile. "Don’t come over to keep me company tonight. Guan Ge has the wet nurse, and there are maids and servants on night duty. I have people to attend to me. You should get a good night’s sleep."
Zhou Shaojin truly wasn’t in the mood.
She smiled and agreed, "Alright," and was about to take her leave when a young maid came in to announce, "Master Chi from the Cheng family in Yuqian Lane has arrived."
※
Dear readers, here’s the update for yesterday.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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