The Chancellor of the Imperial Academy is a fourth-rank official. For a family like the Wei's, even marrying a son of a concubine would be considered a high-status marriage! Let alone the fact that the other party is an only son!

Furthermore, the chief priest is in charge of the source of official students, which can play a significant role in the academic path of his eldest son, Wei Chengxu. Therefore, when Meng heard about this background, she was secretly delighted and quickly asked, "Has this young master Du expressed his interest in you?"

Wei Shuyao slowly took a jade hairpin from her hair and handed it to her mother: "This was given to me by Young Master Du today. I don't know if this counts as a token of his affection..." After saying this, two pink clouds rose on Wei Shuyao's cheeks.

Madam Meng carefully took the jade hairpin. She saw that the white jade was incredibly delicate and smooth, like mutton fat. Her face immediately lit up with joy, and she said with a smile, "Silly girl, you've accepted someone's token of love but you don't even know what it means?"

"A token of love?" Wei Shuyao stared intently at her mother with her clear, bright eyes. "But... but Young Master Du didn't say it was."

"There's no need to spell it out so clearly! Since he gave it to you and you accepted it, that's an agreement. The next step is for each of you to inform your parents and begin the marriage proposal process!"

After saying this, Madam Meng clasped her hands together and looked up at the sky: "This is truly a blessing from our ancestors! They have allowed my Yao'er to find a good match in Shengjing, and from now on she will have no worries about food and clothing and will no longer have to be subservient to others! Our Wei family of Wu County has finally turned the tide and seen the sun after the clouds have parted!"

"Quickly! Go and tell your grandmother about this! Isn't this exactly what she's been longing for?!"

Meng Shi was overjoyed and sat on the couch laughing so hard she almost fell over. Wei Shuwan also stopped crying and smiled, wiping the tears from her cheeks as she asked, "Then Mother, aren't we going back to Jiangzuo?"

"Why go back to Jiangzuo!" Madam Meng glared, then laughed again: "Before, I was in a hurry to go back because I didn't want to see the second branch of the family's attitude. Now that you have such a good home, you are my pillar of support! Let's see if the second branch of the family can still hold their tails in the air!"

Seeing her mother regain her fighting spirit, Wei Shuyao felt even more proud of herself, so she pressed her advantage and said, "My birthday is in half a month. I would like to hold a banquet at home and invite friends from the poetry club to come and be guests. Is that alright?"

"That Young Master Du is here too?" Madam Meng's eyes lit up instantly.

Wei Shuyao nodded shyly, then frowned and looked worried: "But this Wei family mansion in Shengjing belongs to my second uncle and aunt after all. I just don't know if they will agree..."

"They dare not agree!" In her haste, Meng blurted out, only realizing afterward that she had reversed the roles of subject and object.

Clearing her throat, Madam Meng continued, "What I mean is that this matter concerns your lifelong happiness, and your second uncle and aunt would never interfere at this time."

"Besides, your grandmother is there to stand up for you. Even if they don't care about the monk, they should at least consider the Buddha."

...

Meanwhile, Wei Shuwan, unaware of the changes occurring in the eldest branch of the family, was personally delivering white fungus and lotus seed soup to Fukangyuan. With her father away, she naturally wanted to spend more time with her mother, who had just lost her maternal grandfather.

Wei Shuwan placed the soup bowl on the small table, stirred it a few times with a spoon, and then pushed it in front of her mother: "This lotus seed soup helps with sleep, Mother, drink it while it's hot."

“Okay.” Sun Lurong smiled and took the spoon, feeling that her daughter was being filial. But after only two sips, she suddenly stopped, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, spat out a lotus seed, and looked slightly bitter.

Wei Shuwan couldn't help but tease, "Lotus seeds are bitter by nature. How can Mother be so childish as to not be able to bear even this little bit of bitterness?"

For some reason, these words reminded Sun Lurong of what Granny Bai had mentioned, which touched a nerve. She said, "Wanwan, men in this world are like lotus seeds. Some are bitter, but that doesn't mean we should reject the rest. Your grandmother is right. Mother should look around for you again."

Mentioning this matter displeased Wei Shuwan, but she pretended not to hear it and changed the subject, saying, "By the way, my maternal grandmother and my eldest uncle's family are leaving tomorrow. Mother, would you like to see them off when they leave the city?"

Seeing that she had interrupted, Sun Lurong was somewhat displeased, pushed the soup bowl aside, and stopped eating.

Seeing this, Wei Shuwan could only say, "Grandfather has only been gone for a few days. Although Mother is not in mourning, she must be feeling very bad. Why don't we talk about this later? Mother, don't worry. I would never condemn all men in the world for the sake of Song Zichen."

Mentioning her maternal grandfather, Sun Lurong's mood indeed became gloomy again. She nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. Let's talk about it again in a few days."

...

The next morning, Sun Lurong sent people to listen to the movements at Songheju and the eldest son's house, but by noon, they still hadn't packed their bags.

When they arrived at the dining hall, they saw the old lady sitting there with a radiant face, and Wei Hai and Meng Shi were also in high spirits, completely different from yesterday. Even the two younger ones, Wei Chengxu and Wei Shuyao, were all smiling, as if the whole family had encountered some great joy.

Wei Shuwan was also quite surprised. After greeting the elders, she took her seat and asked with a smile, "Grandmother looks very well today. Is something making you happy?"

"Indeed!" The old lady's steady voice was filled with joy, and she didn't beat around the bush: "Originally, it was agreed that I would take the eldest son's family back to our hometown in Jiangzuo early this morning, but fate is hard to defy, and your sister has found a good match in Shengjing, so I'm afraid we won't be able to leave for a while."

"A good match?" Wei Shuwan was taken aback upon hearing this, blinked a few times, and subconsciously shifted her gaze to Wei Shuyao.

This was indeed unexpected, but considering that Wei Shuyao had stayed up late studying poetry and books a few days ago, it seems that everything can be traced back to something.

Wei Shuyao seemed to have been waiting for Wei Shuwan's reaction. When she saw that Wei Shuwan finally looked at her, she deliberately straightened her posture and raised her chin slightly.

Sun Lurong was also surprised, "Yao'er has only been in Shengjing for a few days, how could she have..."

Halfway through his sentence, he realized that his words were inappropriate, so he smiled and changed the subject: "However, it would be best if things could go smoothly, but I wonder which family's young master or talented man the other party is?"

"He is Du Xun, son of the fourth-rank Imperial Academy Chancellor, Lord Du." The old lady spoke as if she herself had instantly been granted the rank of fourth-rank official.

Although a fourth-rank official was not low, Sun Lurong had seen many powerful and influential officials during her two years in the capital, so she wasn't intimidated by this fourth-rank Chancellor. Seeing the old lady and the eldest son's arrogant demeanor, she smiled inwardly and asked, "Then when does Lord Du plan to come and propose marriage?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the heads of the old lady and the eldest son's family. The old lady cleared her throat and said, "It's not that fast, it's just the beginning."

"What is this stroke?" Sun Lurong asked, puzzled.

As if eager to prove herself, Wei Shuyao quickly took out the white jade hairpin: "Aunt, look, this is a token of love that Young Master Du gave me."