After hearing Xu Zhi's words, the girls fell silent. Xu Zhi, however, smiled when she saw the expressions of her older sisters after she finished speaking and said, "Look at me, why did I say all this? Come, let's have some tea."

It was getting late, and Xu Mian said, "It's getting late, let's go and rest first, and have a proper talk with Ninth Sister tomorrow."

Xu Zhi escorted her sisters to the backyard. In the backyard, apart from Xu Ru who lived in a small courtyard, the other courtyards were assigned to the girls, each with their own room. Their maids and servants had already prepared their bedding and put away their personal belongings. In each courtyard, a small room was specially prepared with a large pot and hot water for everyone to wash up.

Lying in her warm bed, Xu Mian let out a long sigh of relief.

After Xu Tao got married, Xu Mian became the eldest daughter in the family. She was already fifteen years old. Xu Mian's birthday was in winter, and she would be coming of age at the end of the year. However, her marriage was still undecided.

Xu Mian's mother, Chen, did not come from a prominent family. In fact, apart from some collateral branches that remained in the capital, the direct descendants of Chen's family had already returned to their hometown, which was a hundred miles away from the capital, after Chen's grandfather resigned from his official post.

Chen's maternal family had no successor. Chen's grandfather was an official of the third rank. Unfortunately, none of the male members of Chen's father's generation, or even Chen's generation, had any talent for studying. Chen's father was the eldest son in the family, but he had no interest in an official career. After Chen's grandfather retired, he returned to his hometown with him. The current member of the Chen family in the capital is Chen's second uncle's cousin, who only holds a sixth-rank position in the Ministry of Works.

Xu Mian was Chen's eldest daughter, and naturally she was carefully taught from a young age. Chen wanted to marry Xu Mian into her family. There was a nephew in the family who was only two years older than Xu Mian. At the age of sixteen, he had already obtained the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examination at the county level) and was an ambitious young man. What Chen valued most was that Chen's brother and sister-in-law had a very good relationship with her. Xu Mian had also been loved by her maternal grandparents since childhood. She was sure that Xu Mian would have a good life after marrying into the family.

Xu Mian was still undecided. Although she was not the current Marquis of Yongning's biological granddaughter, she was still born into the Marquis of Yongning's family. It was hard for her to marry into a family of farmers and scholars outside the capital. Xu Mian felt somewhat resentful.

Chen had mentioned this matter to Xu Mian last year. Xu Mian had naturally met that cousin; he was a handsome and refined person. Xu Mian had no objection to him, but she was dissatisfied with his family background. However, Xu Mian could not tell her mother that she looked down on her maternal grandparents' family background.

Since Xu Mian didn't agree, Chen kept the matter to herself. She only told Xu Mian that she had such a plan. If Xu Mian agreed, she would write to her family and ask them to propose marriage. If Xu Mian didn't agree, then she would have to give up.

After listening to Xu Zhi's words today, Xu Mian thought a lot.

Although Xu Zhi was the daughter of an illegitimate son in her family, her conditions were the best, except for the Xu Gao and Xu Yao sisters in the heir's family. This was because Xu Zhi's father and brothers were all men with promising futures. With such a supportive family, how could she not have a bright future?

But Xu Zhi insisted on returning to this desolate land, and even married the adopted son of the Zheng family who suddenly appeared. Wasn't Xu Zhi aggrieved? But Xu Mian saw that Xu Zhi seemed to be happy about it, and Xu Mian couldn't help but ponder Xu Zhi's words carefully in her heart.

Xu Mian's maid slept in the same room as her, while several rough-working old women slept in the same room.

After days of travel, Xu Mian's maid had already fallen asleep, and the quiet space was filled with soft snoring. Xu Mian couldn't sleep at all. After turning over a couple of times, she thought carefully about the people in her maternal grandparents' family.

When Xu Mian's maternal grandparents left the capital, Xu Mian was already seven or eight years old. Naturally, she had an impression of everyone in her maternal grandparents' family. She remembered that her eldest uncle was a kind and honest person, and her eldest aunt was also a kind person. As for her cousin, who was two years older than her, he took good care of his younger siblings and even his cousins. Whenever everyone gathered together during festivals, it was this cousin who would invite everyone to eat and play. Later, her maternal grandparents moved back to their hometown, and Xu Mian never went there again.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye. I wonder what my cousin, who used to have two small dimples when he smiled, looks like now. I only heard my mother say that my cousin was studying in our hometown and had already passed the county exam. He would be taking the provincial exam this year. My mother said that my cousin was the best student in my maternal grandparents' family and had the same demeanor as my great-grandfather. My mother also said that when the results of the provincial exam came out, it would be my birthday, and she would ask my uncle and aunt to come to the capital to propose marriage to me.

Thinking of this, Xu Mian was so embarrassed that she covered her head with the blanket, but then felt a little suffocated and took the blanket off again.

It was still a bit chilly at night, and after all that commotion, Xu Mian gradually calmed down.

She planned to go back and agree to the marriage with her cousin with her mother. Her mother was a loving mother, and Xu Mian knew that her mother would always consider her children first. The fact that her mother mentioned her cousin meant that he was someone she could entrust her life to. For a girl, it didn't matter whether her husband's family was wealthy or not; the key was that the husband's family members had to treat her well. All she wanted was a soulmate to accompany her through the rest of her life.

Xu Mian finally understood the troubles that had been bothering her for days, and felt completely relaxed. She didn't even know when she fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes again, it was already broad daylight.

Xu Mian quickly got up and saw that her maid had already gotten up. Upon seeing her get up, the maid quickly went forward to serve her.

Xu Mian said reproachfully, "Qingliu, why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

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