Chapter 4 004 The Marriage is Set!

The Luo family owned a mule. Luo Song rode the mule to the county town and returned in just over half an hour. A carriage followed closely behind him, inside which sat Luo Lan and Pei Xingshu, a married couple.

Before Pei Xingshu could bow to his parents-in-law, Luo Lan stepped in front of him and excitedly asked, "Is that man really the Marquis of the capital?"

Luo Dayuan: "It's true, he showed me the Marquis's waist tag, pure gold, bestowed by the emperor, absolutely genuine."

Xiao Rong showed off his waist tag not to show off, but also because he was worried that after so many years, his sudden appearance would make the Luo family suspect that he was trying to kidnap his beautiful daughter and sell her for money.

Soon, the family reunited in the main room, where Luo Lan questioned Luo Dayuan in detail, and Luo Dayuan then broke down his conversation with Xiao Rong to answer his eldest daughter.

Roland also went to see the gifts brought by the Xiao family father and son, which were all the finest goods in Guangling City: famous wines, teas, spices, and silks, costing at least two hundred taels.

The gifts were all piled up in the west room where Rosie lived. The two sisters looked at them together. Rosie touched the last piece of satin, then looked at her sister and saw that her sister's cheeks were rosy and her eyes and mouth were full of smiles.

Roland put down the satin, pulled his sister to sit on the edge of the bed, and whispered, "It seems you're a hundred percent willing?"

The two sisters were eight years apart. Luo Fu had always followed her older sister around since she was little and would tell her all her little secrets. At this moment, she didn't hide anything and said with a slightly flushed face, "He is good-looking and good in every other way. Marrying him will fulfill my wish and I won't have to trouble my sister to worry about my marriage in the future."

Her parents lived in the countryside for a long time and had difficulty knowing any outstanding young men. Her older sister was worried that matchmakers were unreliable, so she kept looking for suitable men for her through the Pei family and her brother-in-law's connections.

Roland could imagine the wealth of the Marquis's mansion, but not Xiao Yu's appearance. He regretted it and said, "I should have stayed one more night before leaving. I could have seen with my own eyes just how handsome my sister's carefully chosen brother-in-law really is."

Luo Fu lowered her head and tugged at her sleeve: "It's not decided yet, sister, please call him Third Young Master."

Roland smiled and pinched her younger sister's rosy cheeks. Unlike her slender figure, her sixteen-year-old sister was quite plump and round, with smooth skin everywhere, and looked like a blessed person.

Luo Fu harbored some concerns, obediently letting her sister massage her. When her sister was done, Luo Fu looked up at her sister, who, though a mother, remained radiant and beautiful. She lowered her eyelashes several times, finally whispering, "Sister, this was originally your engagement to the Marquis's family, will you…?"

It wasn't that Luo Fu thought too much of her sister, that was the case. It was just that in the village, it was common for close brothers and sisters to argue fiercely over a little money, sometimes even to the point of never speaking to each other again. This included her brother-in-law's family. Her brother-in-law's elder brother from the same mother and his younger brother from his stepmother's family had both complained that Master Pei was too biased towards her brother-in-law and gave him and his wife too much money.

Upon hearing this, Roland grabbed his sister's hand and slapped her palm: "What nonsense are you thinking? Do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Luo Fu shook her head repeatedly.

Roland continued to reason with her younger sister: "The marriage agreement between the Luo family and the Xiao family is neither yours nor mine; it was just an empty promise made by our father and Marquis Xiao. If they wanted to be in-laws, a verbal marriage agreement could be made a reality. If they changed their minds, the marriage agreement would be nothing but empty words. Therefore, long ago, when Marquis Xiao broke off contact with our father, I had no relationship with his eldest son. Now that Marquis Xiao has brought his third son to propose marriage, this is your destiny. Your older sister will not be jealous; she only hopes that her younger sister will find a good match."

Luo Fu's eyes stung, and she leaned on her sister's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her sister's waist.

Roland changed the subject and snorted, "Of course, it's only because I'm doing well with your brother-in-law that I won't be jealous of you. If your brother-in-law doesn't pass the exam next year and I can't become an official's wife, you'll have to send me some good materials and jewelry from the capital from time to time so that I can continue to treat you like a good sister."

Luo Fu: "First, my brother-in-law will definitely win. Second, my sister has given me so many clothes and jewelry. In the future, as long as I have the means, I will give them to you without my sister having to ask."

It's not about who owes whom, but rather a normal bond between sisters.

Having resolved their concerns, the two sisters returned to the main room with smiles.

Pei Xingshu's gaze swept across the faces of the two sisters, guessing that his wife and sister-in-law both approved of the marriage. How could he be so tactless as to disagree? He simply suggested that after he and his wife returned to the city, he would visit the inn where the Xiao family father and son were staying, and then the next day at noon, he would host a banquet for the Xiao family father and son at the Ruyi Restaurant in the city to show his sincerity in entertaining them.

Perhaps a meal cannot reveal the true nature of the Xiao family father and son, but it can reveal something. If the father and son show the slightest dislike for their own family, Pei Xingshu would rather pour cold water on his wife's sister than not tell them the truth.

Luo Dayuan asked doubtfully, "Tomorrow? Aren't you supposed to be setting off tomorrow?"

Roland glared at her father: "There are still six months until the imperial examination. There's no rush to go to the capital in a few days. Let's wait until this matter is settled before making any decisions."

Pei Xingshu nodded: "We won't feel at ease leaving until this matter is resolved."

After saying all that, Wang Qiuyue looked at her eldest son-in-law with much more affection than she looked at her son Luo Song. He was reliable and useful!

Before parting, Pei Xingshu whispered to his mother-in-law, "If the marriage goes through, tell everyone that Lord Xiao remembered his old friendship and came to visit my father-in-law. He proposed the marriage on a whim because he liked my sister's talent, beauty and temperament. That's how it is in the village, and I will tell my father the same thing."

Marquis Xiao had enjoyed the prestige of a marquis for over twenty years. He only came to the Luo family to repent because of his eldest son's injury. If the Luo family constantly brought up his mistakes, Marquis Xiao would certainly find it unbearable.

Wang Qiuyue understood, glanced meaningfully at her husband and son, and nodded, saying, "Don't worry, anyone who dares to gossip will be kicked out of the house!"

Luo Dayuan was talking to his eldest daughter when Luo Song noticed the sharp look in his mother's eyes, and suddenly felt both inexplicable and aggrieved.

Pei Xingshu followed Roland into the carriage.

After the carriage set off, the couple sat at opposite ends of the main seats. It wasn't intentional; they simply had a habit of leaving the middle seat for the child.

Pei Xingshu sat upright, glancing at his wife out of the corner of his eye. He saw her leaning lazily against the car floor, her right elbow resting on the window, her palm supporting her chin, lost in thought.

Pei Xingshu thought about many things, recalling when they were newly married and had no children. Every time they went to and from his father-in-law's house, his wife would either cling tightly to him or lie on his lap, and sometimes she would sit in his arms like a child, letting him carry her the whole way. Even after the children were born, whenever they had a chance to go out alone, his wife would still cling to him, after all, they were still a young couple.

Why aren't you bothering me today?

It's understandable that they were anxious when they came and knew about the Xiao family's situation, but now...

Was she regretting that she missed an opportunity to marry into a noble family?

Suddenly, the carriage jolted.

Roland's hand, which was supporting her chin, shifted. As soon as she shook her head, her husband leaned over and cupped her face with his long, warm hand to prevent her from hitting the car window.

The car came to a stop, and the couple exchanged a glance. Roland then leaned on her husband's shoulder.

Pei Xingshu's Adam's apple bobbed as he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Roland sighed, "I wonder if Prince Xiao's leg injury can heal. If it can, my sister's life in the Marquis's mansion will be much smoother."

Lord Xiao seems to favor his eldest son. For the sake of some vague notion of retribution, he'd rather his third son marry a village girl. His own family is happy that his sister is marrying a noble young master, but is the third young master truly willing? If the young master Xiao ultimately becomes crippled, the third young master might be the first to blame his sister for being useless.

Pei Xingshu: "...Young Master Xiao has rendered meritorious service in suppressing the bandits, and his fortunes should turn around."

Roland tilted her head, finding a position where she could see her husband's profile, and smiled, "Speaking of Prince Xiao, Fu'er was worried that I would envy her."

Pei Xingshu then looked at his wife, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "Not only is my sister worried, but I have the same concerns."

Roland laughed, and then pinched his waist: "You have two kids already, why are you so jealous? Don't worry, my dad is a rough old man, and even in his forties he's still often tricked into lending money. I don't believe the marriage he casually promised me when he was in his early twenties. I chose my own husband, and he suits me better."

She and Pei Xingshu hit it off at first sight. She liked his face and the scholarly air he exuded from his silk robes, while Pei Xingshu liked her looks. As for their affection, it was all developed little by little after their marriage.

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Upon returning to the county town, Pei Xingshu first sent his wife back to the Pei residence, where she changed into a brocade robe before heading to the Fulin Inn.

He rode his horse, followed by a servant, along the long main street. Suddenly, he noticed a figure who stood out from the crowd. The man was standing in front of an old man's stall, only revealing his fair and handsome profile. He looked like a scholar, but Pei Xingshu couldn't possibly not recognize a scholar of that age and appearance in the area.

Pei Xingshu wasn't walking fast to begin with, and now he made his mount walk even slower. When he finally passed the other man, he heard him ask, "Old man, you have difficulty moving around, why don't you let the able-bodied men in your family go out to make a living?"

Pei Xingshu turned his head and looked at the old man with a weathered face and cloudy eyes, saying, "There are no young men left. All three of my sons died on the battlefield, and my daughters-in-law remarried. I only have an old woman and a few grandchildren left. If I don't come out, the whole family will starve to death."

The scholar, who had his back to him, didn't ask any more questions. He casually bought two wooden carvings from the stall, paid one tael of silver, and told the old man not to keep the change.

The horse slowly moved forward, widening the distance between Pei Xingshu and the man.

It was clearly a trivial matter that had nothing to do with him, but Pei Xingshu felt heavy-hearted.

Upon arriving at Fulin Inn, Pei Xingshu politely asked the waiter to announce his arrival, saying that he wanted to visit guests Xiao Rong and Xiao Yu. The waiter immediately recognized them and glanced at the second floor, saying, "Master Xiao had some wine at noon and went to bed after returning. He told us not to disturb him. Young Master Xiao has been out for more than an hour and has not yet returned."

Pei Xingshu smiled and said it was no problem. He chose a table by the window, ordered a pot of tea, and began to slowly savor it by himself.

He looked out the window and waited for about fifteen minutes. The young man in plain clothes he had just met on the road appeared at the entrance of the inn. The waiter who had been questioned by him saw the newcomer and immediately looked at him again.

Pei Xingshu gave him a wink, stood up, and smiled at the young man in plain clothes, "Young master, please wait a moment. May I ask if you are Young Master Xiao the Third from the capital?"

Xiao Yu turned around, quickly looked the other person up and down, and replied, "It is indeed me, Xiao."

Pei Xingshu bowed and said, "I am Pei Xingshu, and I have come to visit you and Uncle Xiao on behalf of my father-in-law, Luo Dayuan."

Xiao Yu had heard about the Luo family from his father and knew about Pei Xingshu. Thinking that the two might become brothers-in-law, Xiao Yu smiled and returned the greeting. The two then sat facing each other on either side of the tea table.

Pei Xingshu first explained his purpose and proposed the banquet to be held the next day.

Xiao Yu accepted the invitation on behalf of his father.

When Pei Xingshu praised Xiao Yu's handsome appearance and demeanor again, Xiao Yu humbly replied, "It's just a physical appearance, not worth mentioning."

In just a few words, Pei Xingshu confirmed that this third young master from the capital seemed to dislike empty talk and social niceties, and was not fond of initiating conversations, unlike the scholars he usually associated with.

Since the other person was quiet, Pei Xingshu didn't want to waste their time. He agreed to meet again the next day and then took his leave.

Back home, after dealing with his brothers who had come to inquire, Pei Xingshu praised his wife privately, saying, "The Third Young Master is indeed a handsome and talented man, kind and generous. I just don't know if he is naturally aloof or if he is not familiar with me, because he was very sparing with his words during our conversation."

After hearing about his chance encounter on the roadside, Roland quite agreed with Xiao Yu's character. Not to mention the noble young masters in the capital, some wealthy young men in the county looked down on the poor, treating them like pigs and dogs, which was despicable.

“It’s okay to be quiet, as long as you’re kind-hearted. No wonder he doesn’t mind our family’s low social standing and is willing to fulfill the marriage agreement on behalf of the Marquis’s family.”

The following morning, Luo Dayuan, Wang Qiuyue, and Luo Songxian arrived at the Pei residence. Luo Fu was a girl who was to be engaged, so it was not appropriate for her to appear in front of the man.

Hearing their eldest daughter and son-in-law praise Xiao Yu's kindness towards the poor, Luo Dayuan and his wife felt even more at ease. When the time came, the family, led by Pei Xingshu, headed to Ruyi Restaurant.

Xiao Rong and Xiao Yu arrived earlier than them. Xiao Rong specially asked the restaurant owner to order a table of fine wine and dishes and paid in advance—he didn't bring much luggage when he left the capital, but he brought a lot of banknotes.

Hiding by the window of a private room on the second floor, Xiao Rong looked out anxiously: "A banquet, a banquet... I don't know if they'll accept or refuse."

Xiao Yu sat in silence.

Xiao Rong stared at his son for a while, then reassured himself, "It should be a done deal. Young girls all like handsome guys. You three brothers are the best, you've taken all the best traits from your mother and me."

The eldest son inherited his wheat-colored complexion; the second son had narrow eyes and thin lips, giving him a somewhat treacherous look; only the third son was fair-skinned, handsome, and upright. The prime minister had praised the third son for his otherworldly demeanor when he was in a good mood.

Hsiao Yu: "If I were to marry off my daughter in the future, I would place even more importance on the groom's family traditions."

Xiao Rong turned to look out the window: "I don't understand. Oh, they're here. Come on, come downstairs with me to meet them."

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Fifteen minutes later, the Luo family of three and Pei Xingshu and his wife surrounded most of the table, leaving Xiao Rong and his son in a slightly isolated position, with only two against five.

Xiao Rong was eager to return to the capital to take up his post and urged him to hurry up. Luo Dayuan was honest and simple, and the two families quickly finalized the marriage agreement.

This is just the first step; the next essential steps include discussing the wedding date, betrothal gifts, and other necessary arrangements.

Xiao Rong prioritized his eldest son's leg injury and hoped to set the wedding date on the auspicious day of October 12th, which he had chosen in advance. This would give both families more time to prepare and also be before his eldest son was able to walk. This way, he could prove his sincerity to Buddha and avoid Buddha worrying that he was just deliberately delaying the wedding and would break off the engagement once his eldest son recovered.

"Don't worry, we prepared the betrothal gifts for Xiao Yu's marriage three years ago, and we will definitely not mistreat Fu'er. In addition, I have also prepared a house as compensation for neglecting Da Yuan for so many years. Da Yuan, you should move to the capital. Firstly, it will be convenient for Fu'er to get married, and secondly, Xing Shu and Lao San will definitely stay in the capital to serve as officials. Are you two willing to stay in Yangzhou and be separated from your daughters?"

Luo Dayuan and Wang Qiuyue exchanged a glance.

Luo Song was worried that his parents would abandon him when Xiao Rong smiled and said to him, "Song-ge'er is also coming to the capital. I will arrange for you to work under me. If you perform well, with my help, I can't guarantee much, but I can at least get you promoted to centurion within three years."

The rank of centurion is not high, but without war, even ordinary soldiers would hardly have the opportunity to become centurions.

Luo Song didn't care about these things; he was happy as long as he could live in the same place as his parents and sisters.

Luo Dayuan didn't struggle for long. After speaking quietly with his wife and eldest son-in-law, he said to Xiao Rong, "I appreciate your kindness, Brother Xiao, but I have difficulty walking and it would be hard for me to make new friends in the capital. It would be more comfortable for me to stay in the village. Besides, as I said before, I don't resent you, so I don't need your compensation. You can keep that house for yourself."

Wang Qiuyue: "Yes, that's right. We are already content that Fu'er can marry such a wonderful husband as the Third Young Master. We can't take advantage of you any further. If the Marquis truly cherishes the old friendship with the Yuan Dynasty, then he should treat Fu'er well in the future. The wedding arrangements are also easy to handle. We will stay temporarily at the residence of Xing Shu and his wife. Once the wedding is over, we will return to Yangzhou. Song Ge'er will also come back with us. He is simple-minded and would easily cause trouble if he stayed in the capital. It's good for him to be a soldier here. If he is truly capable, he can rise to the capital on his own. We will trouble the Marquis to put in more effort."

Listening to Xiao Hou's complaints to her husband, she learned that the Xiao family was being ostracized by truly prestigious and powerful families in the capital, and that if their own family members went there, it would only drag down their daughter and son-in-law.

Content with a modest life, Wang Qiuyue and her husband were not greedy and let their young daughter and son-in-law make their future in the capital!

A note from the author:

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Here they are! 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow!