Chapter 143 I have been ordered to propose marriage on behalf of the Du family in Beijing

The neighbors' words "getting married" were originally a joke made when they saw the hustle and bustle in front of the Su Mansion.

Who would have thought that on the day after the coming-of-age ceremony, two teams of carriages would actually come slowly from the east and the west respectively. There were so many carriages and horses, and the ceremony was so grand that it was even more grand than the previous few days.

Passersby stopped to see what was going on.

After several days of welcoming and seeing off guests, the doorman was just thinking of taking a break after the coming-of-age ceremony, but early in the morning he heard someone knocking on the door.

I haven't seen the master give any instructions, and there are guests so early?

The concierge yawned, opened the small door impatiently and stuck his head in to look.

Just as he opened the door a crack, two hands reached in from the left and right and blocked it. The doorman's sleepiness disappeared immediately. He looked carefully and found that they were all familiar faces!

The person on the left is the young steward who accompanied the eldest daughter from the Du family in the capital. His name seems to be Qingyun.

The person on the right is the steward of the Yuan family. He has come here several times in recent days, and the doorman has already memorized him.

Seeing that the visitors were all distinguished guests, the doorman did not dare to neglect them. He hurriedly said "Hello, stewards" and went to open the gate to let the carriage in.

But the Su family was not as wealthy as the higher-class families, and the two carriages could not run side by side. Only one could go first, and the other would naturally fall behind.

Seeing this, the Yuan family steward said to Qingyun, "We are from the Yuan family. Young man, please move aside."

Although his tone was polite, his face was filled with arrogance. This was not surprising, as the Yuan family was a family that could make Yueqing tremble with a single stomp of their foot.

When Qingyun heard this, he laughed and thought to himself: I don’t care whether you are from the Yuan family or the Fang family, we are here to propose marriage, do we have to give way when proposing marriage?

So he raised his eyebrows and said, "As the saying goes, a guest is always welcome from afar. Our Du family came from the capital. Could it be that the Yuan family doesn't even know this little bit of etiquette?"

The Yuan family's steward was stunned after hearing this.

This was the first time he'd encountered someone who'd dared to speak back at the mention of "Yuan family." He wanted to retort, but then he thought about his wife, who was in the car and hated people who abused their power, and hesitated. Normally, giving in would be fine, but today?

So the two of them stood shoulder to shoulder, eye to eye in front of the Su residence, like two black-eyed chickens with their necks stiffened. Although they were not arguing, neither of them was willing to give in.

"Qingyun, please let the Yuan Mansion carriage go in first."

During the stalemate, Rong's voice came from the car.

The Yuan family's steward raised his eyebrows, a smile appeared on the corners of his lips, and his eyes were full of smugness of "getting an advantage and still acting ungrateful".

Qingyun glanced at him coldly and didn't bother with him. He just retreated to the carriage, nodded to the coachman, and signaled him to turn the horse around.

Unexpectedly, a maid suddenly got out of the Yuan family's carriage, walked to the steward and whispered a few words.

The manager's expression changed and he responded quickly. He stepped aside respectfully and ordered the driver to move the car sideways to make way for the main road.

Seeing this, Qingyun said nothing more and asked the driver to drive the carriage steadily into the gate of the Su Mansion. Then, Madam Yuan's carriage slowly followed.

When the carriage stopped, a matchmaker got out of Rong's carriage first, holding a gift list in her hand. She said to the doorman with a smile, "I have been ordered to come to the capital to propose marriage on behalf of the Du family. Please inform Master Su."

As soon as these words were spoken, the curtain inside the Yuan family carriage moved. The servant girl stepped forward and said loudly, "Madam Yuan has an appointment with Master Su. Please let her know for us."

Su Jianrong usually stayed in the outer house in the west of the city, but he stayed in the mansion because Mrs. Yuan had already arranged for him to meet her the day after her coming-of-age ceremony.

When Su Jianrong thought about marrying into the Yuan family, he felt refreshed and even drank two more cups of tea in the morning.

He has always had complicated feelings towards his eldest daughter, Su Ying.

Initially, she was the apple of his eye. On the day she was born, he, a new father, held his sweetly sleeping daughter in his arms, thinking only that if she wished in the future, he would do his best to give her the best of everything in the world.

However, after receiving the title of scholar, his path to the imperial examinations was not smooth. Taking advantage of his daughter's birth, he shared his long-held ambition to enter the business world with Rong Zhilan, who was still in confinement. However, his father-in-law, Mr. Rong, flatly rebuffed his idea, rebuking him for his impatience. The rebuke stung his pride, and the next day, despite his wife's confinement, he and his daughter left Yandang and moved back to their dilapidated old house.

Initially, Rong Zhilan gave all her dowry to help him, and he also worked hard. Coupled with his already handsome face and sociable nature, his tea business gradually improved. He went from being a scholar to a boss, and then a master, and naturally, he had many beautiful women around him. It was also during this time that he met the delicate and frail Lin Meifen, redeemed her from the brothel and bought her a house outside. From then on, he was so engrossed in her that he neglected his business and his family.

Over time, his business naturally went downhill, and he had no choice but to return home. At this time, Rong was seriously ill, so he took the opportunity to embezzle her dowry without authorization.

When Rong died, the Rong family launched an attack, and he was furious, so he simply welcomed Lin into his family, claiming to be looking for a mother for his daughter. The Rong family then stopped making any noise. In order to take Ying'er away from him, they not only forgave their past grudges but also gave him a sum of money. From then on, in his mind, this daughter became a stranger, a relative at best.

It wasn't until two years ago that Su Ying returned home. After all, he hadn't seen her for years. His daughter had grown into a beautiful young woman, and her eyes occasionally reminded him of Zhilan, naturally causing him to feel a sense of guilt. However, this affection was quickly eroded by Lin's constant whispering. He found her distant and cold, not as close as the twins, and even more so, she carried the arrogance of the Rong family. Over time, he heeded Lin's advice and decided to marry her off quickly. After all, finding her a wealthy family, where she would have no worries about food and clothing, would be a way of honoring her late mother.

However, he never imagined that this daughter, whom he had almost ignored, would actually win the favor of the Yuan family. If he really married into the Yuan family, the Su family would be able to rise to a higher level. This unexpected joy made his heart warm slightly, as if he had suddenly rediscovered the fatherly love for Ying'er, his eldest daughter.

In the past few days, he had seen Lin busying herself for Ying'er, not stinging with her money. It was true that the Yuan family was watching, so she had to maintain her dignity. Thinking of this, he felt much more at ease.

Just when I was thinking of sending someone to ask if the young lady was ready, I heard a servant come in with a panicked look on his face and report, "Master, the Yuan family's carriage has arrived."

He blew his beard, glared, and scolded, "We're here, so why are you panicking? Don't let people think that our Su family has never seen the world."

After hearing the lecture, the servant hurriedly said, "Master, the Du family is here too."

When Su Jianrong heard this, he didn't react for a moment and asked, "What Du family?"

"It's Madam Du from Yandang Academy, the eldest daughter's aunt. She also brought a matchmaker with her, saying she's here to propose marriage to the eldest daughter on behalf of the Du family in the capital!"