When Qin Yu returned to the county government office, he walked with a brisk pace. He would stop and dance with the branches hanging from the trees, and he would greet the crows perched on the eaves with enthusiasm. He felt that everything was good today, everything was good, incredibly good.

Officers Huang and Zhang stood aside, keeping their eyes down, afraid that their young master might vent his anger on them. However, seeing his cheerful appearance, they assumed that the matter had been settled. But who knew if this was a case of extreme joy turning into sorrow?

"Brother Yu, Chunniang, she..."

"Good, good, very good."

These words and his mental state truly frightened Huang and Zhang, especially Zhang, the constable who had misspoke, and he immediately tried to make amends:

"Brother Yu, I'll go talk to Chunniang right now."

"Hey, what did you want to say to my future wife? Tell me what you had to say first."

"Future daughter-in-law? That means..."

“Then what’s the point of saying anything?” Officer Huang slapped the ignorant Officer Zhang and continued, “If you’re going to say anything, you should say it to your wife.”

Officer Zhang slapped his forehead, belatedly realizing what was happening:

"Yes, yes, yes, Madam just went to the dining hall, Yu-ge'er, hurry up and go."

Where is my father?

"The master is in the main hall."

After much deliberation, Qin Yu decided to first discuss the matter with Madam Hu, and then discuss it with his father together with Madam Hu. This would be the best course of action.

Qin Yu headed to the dining hall, thinking about it. When Madam Hu heard the good news, she almost smashed the bowl in her hand to pieces. Good heavens, only God knows how much she longed for her son to get married and start a family.

Since Yun Ruochun came to the county government, this young man has given up his playful and carefree nature, and now he's devoted himself entirely to being by Yun Ruochun's side, working tirelessly for the county government every day.

She was happy to see it, and her father was also very pleased. However, he was already twenty-five years old this year, and if they didn't get married soon, he didn't know if she would have the chance to hold her grandson when she died.

She had been thinking of visiting the Yun family during the holidays last year, but she was worried that the timing wasn't right and that it might upset Yun Ruochun, making her feel that they had deceived her, which would ruin this good marriage.

Fortunately, Heaven has a benevolent heart and likes to help others achieve their goals, so by some twist of fate, Constable Zhang mentioned it and revealed the matter, which led to the success of the plan.

"Mother, when shall we go to the Yun family to propose marriage?"

“You silly son, we can’t go. We have to ask the matchmaker to exchange invitations. If both sides are satisfied, we can continue to discuss the details.”

"Then Mother, hurry up and invite a matchmaker. If you ask me, invite a top-notch matchmaker. Chunniang is so old, she must be the subject of a lot of gossip in the village. I'll let them all know that our Chunniang is a treasure."

Hearing this man repeatedly use terms like "Chunniang," Madam Hu got goosebumps all over, but she couldn't help being happy. So she quickly put down what she was doing and ran a few steps to the main hall to discuss it with Master Qin.

Meanwhile, Yun Ruochun's return home delighted her mother, who examined her closely from all angles, murmuring:

"I was just talking to your sister-in-law yesterday about when you would come back, and before I knew it, you were back."

Zhang also came out of the kitchen with a smile. Seeing Yun Ruochun reminded her of Yun Ling. If Yun Ling came back, she would probably talk about her even more than her mother-in-law.

"Sister Chun is back! Oh, why is her face so red? Is it because of the hot weather? How about a cup of iced tea to cool her down?"

Yun Ruochun's mind was filled with what Qin Yu had just said to her, and the absurd act of picking her up and spinning her around. She couldn't hear what Zhang Shi had said to her.

Old Lady Yun immediately sensed something was amiss. Yun Ruochun's demeanor was exactly the same as when Yun Ruoxia returned and told her that someone had confessed their feelings to her. Besides, this person was usually only concerned with catching thieves, so why would they be willing to go home?

There's definitely something fishy going on here; maybe she's met some lover outside...

Old Lady Yun gripped Yun Ruochun's hand tightly and earnestly advised her:

"Oh dear, Chun-jie has grown another year older after the New Year. A few days ago, Old Madam Lin came to my door and said she wanted to become in-laws with me. I'm thinking about it..."

"Mother wouldn't have agreed, would she?"

Old Lady Yun turned her face away, avoiding Yun Ruochun's gaze.

Yun Ruochun immediately pulled her hand away and complained:

"Mother, how could you do this? You know what kind of person Lin Sanlang is. How could you just marry me off like this because of my age? Aren't you just pushing me into a fire pit?"

Zhang frowned. When did Old Lady Lin discuss Yun Ruochun's marriage with Old Lady Yun? How come she had no idea? Was Old Lady Yun keeping it a secret, or was there another reason?

Just as she was about to stand up for Yun Ruochun, she saw Old Madam Yun winking at her, which calmed her down and eased her brows.

"Sister Chun, I'm doing this for your own good. You haven't found anyone yet, I—"

"Who said I haven't found anyone? The person I'm talking about is the young master Qin's son. I bet those two have already sent a matchmaker to propose marriage. Now that you've promised me off, how are you going to explain this to the Qin family?"

Yun Ruochun blurted out everything in one breath, but as soon as she finished speaking, she noticed the subtle expressions on her mother's and Zhang's faces. She immediately realized that she had been tricked by her mother. When she mentioned Qin Yu, her cheeks flushed red again.

Although Old Lady Yun managed to get the information out of her, she didn't seem particularly happy. How could she have been tricked by that spoiled brat at the county office? What happened to the person she had gotten along so well with before?

Oh no, oh no, how can the common people fight against the officials?

"Chun-jie, was it that young master coerced you? Just tell your mother, and I'll risk my life to make sure you live a good life."

"Mother is confused. You were the one who arranged this marriage for me."

"Did I find this place for you?"

Old Lady Yun had only gone to the matchmaking corner on behalf of Yun Ruochun, but she quickly realized the key person, and was immediately both surprised and delighted.

"My God, my God, you're not talking about my dear sister's son, Yu-ge'er, are you? Good heavens, they're officials in the Qin family?"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Yun nearly limped his already lame foot again. He had overheard their conversation and was delighted to learn that Yun Ruochun had someone she liked, but this person was truly unexpected...

Master Qin is an official in their county government, while he is just a commoner, and a cripple at that. Don't they really care?

Zhang was also very uncomfortable; she desperately wanted someone to talk to her…