Chapter 58 Is he impotent?!

Zhou Mujiao's premonitions have never been wrong.

In the days that followed, Young Master Chen would come to the Zhao family every few days to tell Zhou Mujiao about his entry into the county school, his performance there, the teacher's evaluation of him, and his plans for their future.

It seemed quite respectable and sincere, but to Zhou Mujiao, it sounded like a small company boss giving employees pep talks and empty promises—all sincerity and no substance.

Of course, even if Young Master Chen undergoes some substantial internal change, that's none of her business; Young Master Chen isn't her cup of tea.

Her teacup... lately, apart from doing the things she asked me to do, she's either in the fields every day or hiding in her room, she's been quite quiet.

On this day, Young Master Chen came again, this time bringing with him his newly composed poems.

However, he didn't come alone this time. He brought four or five classmates with him, saying that he wanted to show them the beautiful landscape of the Great Liang Kingdom.

As a result, instead of appreciating the beautiful scenery, she gained several rivals in love.

Those young men fell in love with Zhou Mujiao at first sight and immediately composed poems for her.

There was a young master named Liu Xiankai who wrote three poems in one go: a five-character quatrain, a seven-character regulated verse, and a ci poem. His words were ornate but not frivolous, and his emotions were sincere and not at all reckless. Young master Chen regarded him as his number one rival in love, and they almost got into a fight on the spot.

Zhou Mujiao rubbed her forehead. So it really was a bad romantic encounter!

The next day, just as Zhou Mujiao and Xiao Wushiba entered the mountain, Young Master Liu arrived. He didn't bring any of his classmates or friends, but instead brought his family elder, his second aunt.

The entire Liu family are all energetic and outspoken people. When Young Master Liu returned home last night and expressed his feelings to his parents, they had nothing more to say. At daybreak, Liu's mother went to find her sister-in-law and gave her a long explanation. Then, Liu's second wife came over with the matchmaker.

When Madam Liu arrived at the Zhao family, after exchanging simple pleasantries, she immediately gave a wink to the matchmaker, Granny Hua.

Grandma Hua then pulled Aunt Zhao aside and got straight to the point: "Sister-in-law, the Zhao family has great joy!"

Aunt Zhao feigned ignorance: "Huh? What did you say?"

"Young Master Liu is the son of the Liu family, the most prominent family in Peach Blossom County. His learning, talent, and family background are all top-notch in Peach Blossom County. Now he has taken a fancy to your beautiful daughter and has come here today to propose marriage!"

"That lady just now is Young Master Liu's second aunt. The whole Liu family are open-minded people, so they don't stand on ceremony. They came here today to finalize the marriage between the two children. Sister-in-law Zhao, please feel free to name your conditions!" Granny Hua smiled broadly.

Aunt Zhao laughed: "Then Aunt Hua must not have found out clearly. Ajiao is only staying at the Zhao family temporarily. Her surname is Zhou and mine is Zhao. I can't make decisions about her marriage."

Granny Hua was taken aback: "She's not a girl from the Zhao family? Then who will the Liu family ask for her hand in marriage? Does the Zhou family still have any elders?"

Aunt Zhao smiled and said, "If Ajiao doesn't agree, it's no use asking anyone else. Aunt, as you can see, I have a lot of things to do at home. Why don't you take Young Master Liu and Mrs. Liu back first? I'll let Ajiao know about this when she gets back."

Just then, Zhou Mujiao returned.

She went into the mountains today and had a very fruitful day. She was followed by a string of wild rabbits, pheasants, and wild ducks, and she even got three or four pieces of Ganoderma lucidum and ginseng.

Aunt Zhao was initially relieved that Zhou Mujiao had gone into the mountains early in the morning, so she wouldn't have to face the Liu family. However, she didn't expect that she still couldn't escape it in the end. Since that was the case, she could only leave the decision to Zhou Mujiao herself.

Upon seeing Zhou Mujiao, Young Master Liu was overjoyed: "Miss Zhou, I greet you!"

Madam Liu looked Zhou Mujiao up and down, thinking that her face was pretty, but her figure was not good, she was too thin. However, she was still young and would be fine in a couple of years. The key was that Young Master Liu liked her, so there was nothing more to say.

Aunt Zhao pulled Zhou Mujiao behind her and whispered the Liu family's intentions: "I think the Liu family is indeed well-off, and this young master Liu is quite handsome. If you're interested in him, then why not—"

"Is my aunt going to marry me off?"

"Of course, your aunt is reluctant to part with him, but Young Master Liu—"

"She comes from a good family, is good-looking, and has good character and talent. Logically speaking, she shouldn't have trouble finding a spouse. Moreover, Young Master Liu will be taking the imperial examination the year after next. Instead of studying hard, he rushed over to propose marriage the day after he met me. This doesn't make sense, does it?"

Zhou Mujiao said, "I'm afraid she has a hidden illness. If I really marry into the family, it would be the least of my worries to be left alone in an empty room. If I become a widow at a young age, in a large family like the Liu family, I'm afraid everyone would kick me while I'm down."

Aunt Zhao paused and fell silent.

To be honest, although she felt that her son was not good enough for Zhou Mujiao, she did not want Zhou Mujiao to marry off so easily. She felt that neither Young Master Chen nor Young Master Liu in front of her were suitable matches. However, she was worried that if she stopped him, it would delay Zhou Mujiao's marriage. That's why she forced herself to say those things against her conscience.

Fortunately, she didn't make any big mistakes, and fortunately, Zhou Mujiao was clear-headed, otherwise it would have really ruined her life.

After a long pause, she said with lingering fear, "Ah Jiao, your aunt almost let you down."

Zhou Mujiao offered a few words of comfort to her, then nodded to Madam Liu: "Madam Liu's visit is an honor to my humble abode. However, I am unworthy of Young Master Liu's kindness."

Mrs. Liu looked on in astonishment: "You're not happy about it?"

"Yes, I'm not willing."

"Xian-ge is the most outstanding young man of our Liu family. Originally, the family had high hopes for him and wanted him to marry a girl of equal social standing. But Xian-ge almost fell out with his family for you and even threatened his future. Putting everything else aside, his affection for you is unmatched by anyone in the world!"

"Thank you for your kind words, Young Master Liu."

Madam Liu's face immediately darkened, and she yelled at Young Master Liu, "Xian-ge'er, didn't you say she was sensible, well-mannered, and a good girl capable of shouldering great responsibilities? I think she doesn't even respect our Liu family! I think you should reconsider this marriage!"

When Granny Hua heard this, her face turned very ugly.

The Liu family is very generous. Today, she came and gave five taels of silver. They also said that if the marriage can be settled today, the Liu family will give another ten taels of silver. On the wedding day, the matchmaker's thanks will also be given.

An ordinary farm girl, barely literate, being chosen by a rich young man from the city is incredibly lucky; it should be a piece of cake for them to be together. Who knew this girl's situation was so complicated?!

"Second Madam, please don't be angry..."

Granny Hua calmed down Madam Liu with a few words, and also kept Young Master Liu in check. Then she pulled Zhou Mujiao outside and whispered, "Miss Zhou, you didn't even agree to marry into a family like the Liu family. Do you have someone you love?"

"Whether I have someone I like or not has nothing to do with what happened today. If you really want to make money from the Liu family as a matchmaker, you should find another girl for Young Master Liu as soon as possible. Don't waste your time on me. To be honest, I don't like Young Master Liu."

Granny Hua's eyes widened: "You, you're just a village girl, how dare you say you haven't taken a liking to Young Master Liu! What a big mouth you have!"

"If you don't like it, you don't like it. What does that have to do with how loud you are?"

Granny Hua went in and chatted with Young Master Liu for a few minutes. When she saw that Young Master Liu wanted Zhou Mujiao and had even increased the matchmaking fee to one hundred taels, she gritted her teeth and used her trump card on Zhou Mujiao.