Shen said, sitting up with her hands clasped together in fists, "What's to be done? My poor daughter, who barely managed to scrape together a life and has only just begun to live a peaceful life. I say, why did you invite Lin Xiaozi to dinner without thinking it through? Where can we find someone suitable in such a short time? Even if we do find someone suitable, how can they compare to the Wen family? They're from the capital, with officials in high positions."

  Zeng Ruixiang stood up and grasped Shen's hand, saying: "Don't worry for now, things haven't reached the point of no return. Let's carefully plan something for Zi Qing. I'm not saying that according to what Zhou Zhuang said, the Wen family may not be willing to let Zi Qing enter their household. The other side is a first-class official's daughter, and Qing Er is just a country girl - can she tolerate Qing Er? And it doesn't make sense for a newlywed wife to take in a concubine right after entering the household. So if we settle on an engagement first, the Wen family may not dare to ask Qing Er to become a concubine. People from that kind of family always pay attention to their reputation, and they won't do things that damage their reputation. Besides, maybe they don't even take us seriously, and after the novelty wears off, they'll forget about it."

  Shen listened thoughtfully for a moment, then said: "What you say makes some sense, but I just can't find the right person for now. As for Lin, I'm not too willing to consider him, after all, he used to be a servant, and it wouldn't sound good if word got out. Actually, I was planning to have a good talk with Qing'er today and tell her that the two of them shouldn't see each other anymore, after all, they're getting older by the year."

  "But I have some misgivings about Lin Xiaozi. The Wen family may be poor, but they can't just go and take a wife who used to be their servant. Moreover, Kangping has grown up with Young Master Wen since childhood, and although they're not exactly like brothers, they're close enough. Besides, Kangping's family is simple, it's just him alone, so Qing'er won't have to suffer if she marries into his family. Most importantly, he takes responsibility for his actions, and he's said he's liked Ziying for several years now. I say, why does this kid always come running to our house?"

  "Qing'er seems to have handed over all his private silver to that young man, saying they're going to do some business together. Today, he even sent over an account book. Qing'er gave him over ten taels of silver and a piece of embroidery, which the man claimed to have sold to foreigners for thirty taels of silver. Qing'er also invested this sum. Back and forth, they've been wheeling and dealing, and now they claim to have over a hundred taels. This is all in just a few years' time - quite a remarkable turnaround. Logically speaking, that young man does seem to have some ability."

  "Listening to you, isn't Qing'er also fond of that little guy?"

  "Qing'er is still young and doesn't seem to have that kind of thought, I think she's just focused on saving her own money. However, she does treat Lin Xiaozi well, the two of them are together, laughing and chatting, but she's much colder towards Wen Shaoxia."

  The couple discussed for a long time, and after Zeng Rui Xiang's analysis, Shen also felt that Lin Kangping was okay. The two had known each other since childhood and had some emotional foundation. Moreover, Lin Kangping was not encumbered, and he agreed to settle down nearby, which moved Shen's heart. In recent years, she had been disheartened by her husband's many relatives, so she naturally hoped that her daughter could live a simpler life.

  Shen's mother specifically asked Zi Qing again, laying out the pros and cons of the Wen family and the reasons why Zi Qing must get engaged immediately. "Reasonably speaking, I shouldn't be asking you this directly. Your father and I will make the decision for you. However, I know your temperament and don't want to force you into anything. After all, it's your own life that you'll be living in the future. I still hope you can find someone who suits your heart. Don't end up like me, suffering for so many years. You two have known each other for several years now, and from what I've seen, you get along extremely well. Otherwise, you wouldn't have given him all your private savings. Give me a definite answer. If it's not going to work out, I'll have to hurry up and ask around about other people. Your father thinks that Lin is an okay person, although he didn't study much. I think being able to recognize characters, write, and earn money to support the family is what's most important. I just feel that it's a bit shameful that he used to be a servant."

  Zi Qing lowered her head in thought for a moment, and Shen Shi thought she was unwilling, so he opened his mouth to ask:

  "Isn't it that you're unwilling? Or do you want to find a scholar? After all, marrying a scholar is more respectable when mentioned in public. You have high aspirations and can't be humiliated by staying in this countryside, marrying a scholar who will pass the imperial examination and secure an official position would make good use of your talent and demeanor. I'll ask someone to discreetly inquire if there's a suitable candidate nearby, preferably a xiucai."

  "Mother, being a scholar is not necessarily a good thing. Rich families in the city will definitely look down on our village people as being rough and unrefined; poor families, if they fail to pass the exam once or twice, are useless bookworms that I still have to support; even ordinary rural gentry with some family background, it's hard to understand their personality and temperament at first, so it's not easy to find a good match. Even if we find one, whether rich or poor, if they pass the imperial exam and become officials, in the future, they will probably have three wives and four concubines, which I don't want either. Let's just go with Lin Kangping, I've thought it through, after all, we are familiar with each other and understand each other, there's just one condition, let's agree on it first, he can't take a concubine in the future."

  Shuō lái zǐ qíng duì lín kāng píng yě bù shì méi yǒu yī diǎn gǎn jué de, zhǐ shì méi xiǎng dào zhè me kuài jiù yào jué dìng zì jǐ de zhōng shēng dà shì, hǎo xiàng yǒu xiē bèi bī pò de wú nài, méi yǒu nà zhǒng shuǐ dào qú chéng de tián mì.

  Translation:

  Shuo Lai Zi Qing has some feelings for Lin Kang Ping too, but didn't expect to decide on her lifelong matter so soon. It feels like she's being forced into it and doesn't have that sweet feeling of things falling naturally into place.

  Zeng Ruixiang had originally said that he would send a message to Lin Kangping in a few days, but unexpectedly, the next morning, Lin Kangping came over and even brought his own household registration book. Shen felt both angry and amused, but after last night, looking at him again today, it seemed as if he was more pleasing to the eye than before, truly fulfilling that saying: "A mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law, the more she looks, the happier she becomes."

  Zeng Ruixiang thought that since the candidate had been decided, he might as well get things over with as soon as possible to avoid any further complications. When Zeng Ruixiang mentioned Zi Qing's conditions, Lin Kangping readily agreed and excitedly jumped up before laughing and rushing out, leaving behind only one sentence: "Please tell Miss Zi Qing that I will not let her down, I'm going to find a matchmaker right now."

  Zeng Rui-xiang went to the old house to inform Old Master and Tian Shi. Tian Shi was very displeased when she heard the news, still resentful of Da Mao's past wrongdoings. She pouted and asked: "I thought you were looking for a better family, but after searching far and wide, you've only found a servant. What makes him better than my Da Mao? But I do want to know, why haven't the two brothers gotten engaged yet? What's the hurry with Zi Qing?"

  Zeng Ruixiang listened to the explanation and said, "Kangping is no longer a slave, how can I marry Qing'er to a slave?" As for the details, Zeng Ruixiang was too lazy to say more. His dissatisfaction with his mother was growing more and more.

  "Now isn't a slave, but also a slave-born, saying it out loud doesn't sound good either. You're at least a scholar, and your nephew is studying in that academy now. In the future, he might even take the imperial exam to become an official. Can you bear to let others mock him by saying 'your brother-in-law is a slave'? It's not like I'm biased towards Big Fur, but how can this Big Fur be better than a slave? Even if your sister's family is poor, couldn't you just help out with the dowry a bit more? Besides, that one slave might not even bring out a decent betrothal gift. In the end, won't you still have to give Subei a generous dowry? I just don't understand as a mother, why are you willing to use your things to curry favor with unrelated outsiders, but not take care of your own sister and nephew?"

  "Daughter, don't worry, how could I not have inquired clearly before agreeing to marry Qinger off? Kangping may not have great prospects and can't read books or take exams to become an official, but he's a hard worker who can support a family. Where do we need to make up for him?" Zeng Ruixiang didn't want to explain too much because he also knew that no matter how much he said, it would be impossible to change his mother's way of thinking. So he handed over the household chores and made an excuse to leave.

  Zilu knew that Ziqing was going to be engaged, and he didn't understand it either. He asked Shen Shi about it, but Shen Shi just brushed it off vaguely and warned him not to ask too many questions. Zilu had no choice but to suppress his doubts and said to Ziqing: "Sister, second brother knows you've always been determined, if you can agree with father's arrangement, you must have thought it through carefully. Second brother just thinks he's not good enough for my sister, I think my future brother-in-law should be knowledgeable and able to give you a carefree life. But plans don't keep up with changes, you'd better think twice, second brother doesn't want you to regret it in the future."

  Zi Qing pushed him into the study and said, "Second brother, rest assured, Father and Mother have their reasons for doing this. You should focus on preparing for your exams instead. Don't you trust me?"

  Because both parties had already agreed, the eight characters of the two people were also compatible, and it was a perfect match. Zi Qing not only had a prosperous fate, but also had the ability to give birth and raise children, and could bring prosperity to her husband and family. Lin Kangping was overjoyed when he found out, while Tian Shi and Chunyu were even more resentful, as if Lin Kangping had snatched their wealth and glory away from them.

  The matchmaker was just going through the motions. On March 20, Lin Kangping brought the matchmaker and Zhou Zhanggui together, because Lin Kangping's parents had passed away, and his adoptive parents had sold him out, stripping him of his slave status, his household registration was independent, without any elders, so they invited Zhou Zhanggui to act as a senior, for both families, Zhou Zhanggui could be considered the matchmaker who knew both parties, this elder was more reasonable than anyone else, and he could also pass on the message to the Wen family, killing two birds with one stone.

  In rural areas, there aren't many formalities to observe, and since the Zeng family's matter was already urgent, they only invited Old Master Zeng, Tian Shi, and He Shi over to witness the ceremony. Zhou Zhanggui and Zeng Rui Xiang each wrote their own wedding vows, signed them, and then exchanged documents with each other's families, with the matchmaker signing or stamping both sets of documents before exchanging them, which basically completed the formalities.

  Lin Kongping gave Ziying a pair of dragon and phoenix gold bangles, as well as a pair of golden butterfly hairpins that were exquisitely crafted with a small pearl in the center. They were even more delicate than the ones Wen San had given her before. They suited Ziying perfectly, who was now at an age where she wore her hair in double buns on either side of her head, with some hair ornaments inserted and a long braid down her back, making her look even more elegant and refined.

  Lin Kangping personally put the butterfly hairpin on Zi Qing and whispered: "I've been holding it in my hand for a year, today I finally put it on you, I dreamed of this day." After that, he also gave her a dragon and phoenix bangle.

  Ziying glanced at him sideways, not daring to say anything. Tian Shi's eyes were fixed on the golden bangle on Ziying's hand. She really hadn't expected that Lin Xiaozu wouldn't be a poor slave after all? How could he produce a pair of golden bangles? And the hairpin was also made of gold, how is this possible? Moreover, why did Ziying's marriage get settled so hastily? Even if Lin Xiaozu's conditions weren't too bad, after all, he had been a slave before. The second couple kept saying they pitied Ziying, but how could the engagement be settled so simply? Tian Shi couldn't understand it no matter how hard she thought.