In ancient times, when travel by carriage was slow, sending a message back and forth took far too much time.

By the time this matter was basically settled, it was almost the end of the year.

Madam Gu wants to arrange a meeting between the two people, taking advantage of the remaining time before the end of the year.

"Xiao Qi, go and tell Shao Ming that he has a day off tomorrow and will accompany me to Baiyun Temple outside the city."

"So, are we meeting up?"

"Well, if we hit it off after the meeting, we'll settle things after the New Year."

"When the time comes, you should accompany Shao Ming. That way, if you run into acquaintances, no one will say anything."

Madam Gu looked at her youngest son, who was about to leave after passing the imperial examination and becoming a scholar.

If I hadn't mentioned that the Jiang family might come to Beijing after the New Year, this child would already be with the Jiang family.

"Brother Shaoming is handsome and talented, and Sister Jinyu is also beautiful. The two are a perfect match."

Now that their arrangements are settled, Aunt Jiang will have to come to the capital.

"Mom, Aunt Jiang really dislikes going out."

Gu Zheng couldn't help but laugh when he thought of Aunt Jiang's expression.

"From the prefectural city to the capital, the journey is arduous; who would enjoy going out?"

"You can ride horses, but we women can only ride in carriages. We can't stretch our legs or straighten our backs; it's too tiring."

Madam Gu also disliked going out; she was a little better when she was younger.

Now, if I go out for a while, I come back with a sore back, aching legs, and cramps, and it takes me several days to recover.

Madam Gu sent Xiao Qi to deliver a message, and she also wrote an invitation to Yun Wan. This was her last trip out before the New Year, and she also wanted to pray for her husband and son's safety and donate some money for incense oil.

Even though I know these donations don't count, I still can't help but donate every year for peace of mind.

On his day off, Jiang Shaoming got up early, dressed in his best clothes, fastened his belt, put on his cloak, and prepared to go out with Jiang Mo.

He went to the Gu family first, to be with Aunt Gu and Gu Zheng.

"Brother Shaoming, shall we ride horses or take a carriage?"

"Let's take a car. It's so cold, riding a horse is too much of a hassle."

Horseback riding is impressive, but the weather is too cold.

"I was also thinking of giving you a grand entrance, so I'll gladly accompany you."

Gu Zheng didn't want to ride a horse on this day and get his hands cold.

"Stop joking around, hurry up and get in the carriage. You two can ride in one carriage, and your sister-in-law and I can ride in the other."

Madam Gu laughed and scolded, then got into the carriage with her eldest daughter-in-law.

I don't know if my eldest son will be able to come back this year. My eldest daughter-in-law has been married for several years and only has one daughter. I'm getting anxious.

The second daughter-in-law gave birth to a son as her first child, and now she's pregnant again.

Madam Gu and her entourage arrived at Baiyun Temple without incident.

She and Yun Wan agreed to meet at the main hall and then go together to donate incense money.

Upon arriving at the main hall, we first burned incense.

Before long, Madam Zheng and her entourage arrived.

"Yuzhen, are you here to offer incense too?"

Madam Zheng entered with her daughter-in-law and daughter, seemingly unaware that Madam Gu was also there, her face beaming with surprise.

There was no other way; people were coming and going in this hall all the time, and she didn't want her daughter to get involved in any more gossip.

"Yun Wan, you're here too. I just came to donate some money for incense before the New Year, hoping for peace and safety."

The two actors acted very similarly.

"Aunt Yun, sister-in-law, Sister Jinyu." Gu Zheng quickly came over to greet them.

"Xiao Qi is here too. And who is this?"

"Yun Wan, this is the child of a family friend. She is currently an editor at the Hanlin Academy and is this year's top scholar in the imperial examination."

Shao Ming, come over and say hello.

This is my friend, Mrs. Zheng. You should call her Aunt, just like Gu Zheng did.

Shao Ming stepped forward and bowed.

Madam Zheng was satisfied when she saw the tall and handsome Shao Ming.

Unlike other scholars who are frail and weak, the young man in front of me has a lot of energy and spirit.

"Alright, you guys go outside for a stroll, your aunt and I are going to donate money for sesame oil."

Madam Zheng spoke to her eldest daughter-in-law, knowing the purpose of their visit.

"Mother, I'm taking my sister and Gu's sister-in-law out for a stroll. Let Xiaoqi show us the way."

"Go, go, but don't go too far."

Madam Zheng and Madam Gu exchanged a smile and walked inside together.

Shao Ming and Gu Zheng walked behind the three women, keeping a respectful distance.

Miss Zheng is dignified and elegant, with bright and composed eyes.

After going through so much, Shao Ming felt it was good that he could still be cheerful and generous, without being full of resentment.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, every household has a ton of things to do, especially the matriarch of the family, who is incredibly busy.

After the two sides met, it was impossible for them to have a private conversation, so they parted ways in a hurry.

At the Gu family residence, Madam Gu invited Shao Ming to stay for dinner.

"Shao Ming, how is it?"

"Miss Zheng is dignified, generous, and resilient; she is a very good girl."

Inside the room were Gu Zheng, his mother, and Shao Ming, so he spoke the truth.

"Aunt Gu, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you with the next few things."

My parents can't come right away. If the Zheng family is satisfied, I'll do what I can to proceed with the rest of the process. We'll discuss the timing for anything that requires my parents' involvement later.

Shao Ming knew that his parents could say in the letter that if he liked Miss Zheng, the marriage could proceed.

Of course, this is on the premise that Miss Zheng also finds him pleasing to the eye.

Shao Ming knew his parents. If they could say that, then there was nothing else to criticize about the matter, except for that vague notion of being a jinx to one's husband.

"Okay, I'll talk to the Zheng family about this, and then Xiao Qi will tell you."

Whether it succeeds or not, let's keep a low profile and handle it amicably.

Shao Ming, you're a good person; your parents have raised you well. You're just still young, and some things require experience. In Beijing, it's always better to have one more friend than one more enemy.

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