Chapter 151
"My husband, you're finally back. A few days ago, a matchmaker came to my door, saying she wanted to find a husband for our eldest son."
Xiuyu looked very excited. Wen Chuanzong was taken aback, and after a moment of reaction, he frowned.
“It’s true, I’m not lying to you. There’s a town nearby called Qingshan Town, which your parents used to visit often. There’s a wealthy merchant in that town named Xu who has taken a liking to our Hui’er. He said he’s willing to marry his daughter to us and will give her a generous dowry to support her education in the future.”
With Wen Chuanzong present, she couldn't possibly agree outright in private. After all, he was the head of the household, and whether it would work out was up to him to decide.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate. Although Wen Hui is of age, there’s no need to rush into marriage for him. If he becomes successful in the future, there might be someone better.”
Overall, the Wen family's situation is acceptable.
Firstly, they have already settled down here and haven't separated their households. To outsiders, they appear to be a harmonious and loving family.
Wen Chuanzong moved out with his family for some reason, but since they lived in the same village, they didn't feel like strangers, so they were still family.
Secondly, although the Wen family is large, a closer look reveals that they are no ordinary family. Not only has one member become an official, but of their five brothers, three are still studying, and all the younger generation are also studying. They have not yet divided the family property.
This is why some people in the village were willing to offer fertile land as a dowry in exchange for marrying their daughters to Xiao Wu; no one is stupid.
If Xiao Wu hadn't passed the imperial examination, Old Man Wen would have definitely agreed. But if he had passed, it would have been hard to say what would happen afterward. With his status as a successful candidate in the imperial examination, and being so young, he would likely not be interested in ordinary farm girls, and the Wen family wouldn't have been willing either.
Among the next generation of the Wen family, Wen Hui, the eldest son of Wen Chuanzong, is the eldest. At his age, he is ready to get engaged or married.
He has successfully passed the imperial examination and is now a proper scholar. If he can live up to the expectations of his third and fifth uncles, it's not impossible that he can marry his daughter off to them first, which will benefit his maternal family in the future. Wealthy families have no shortage of daughters.
Most of the matchmakers in the Ping'an Village area knew about the Wen family. Old Man Wen and Mrs. Liu had also privately consulted a few matchmakers, hoping to find a match for Xiao Wu.
As his two grandsons grew up, Old Man Wen felt that Wen Chuanzong was unreliable, so he told the matchmaker that he had an older grandson who was of marriageable age.
Through word of mouth, some well-informed matchmakers, eager to make money, would run around and spread the news far and wide.
For some families that are not very wealthy, they sometimes consider families with potential when choosing a son-in-law.
“Husband, this test isn’t easy. Our situation is different now than before. Now that this daughter-in-law is here, we have to seize the opportunity. The matchmaker said that if we agree to marry the Xu family’s daughter, the Xu family will not only give us money, but also a shop in Qingshan Town. It’s a shop, you know, it can make money.”
Xiuyu didn't think that far ahead; she was very tempted.
"Don't overthink it. Dowry is traditionally meant for a daughter to have something to rely on. If the couple divorces, the daughter can take it all with her. If you let your son spend his wife's dowry, he'll be at someone's mercy in the future. If the couple has a falling out and outsiders find out, his reputation will be ruined, and his path to the imperial examinations might be cut off."
Wen Chuanzong, on the other hand, was very clear-headed.
"Is she a legitimate daughter or a concubine's daughter?"
"She was a concubine's daughter, but she was raised by her stepmother from a young age."
“I think it’s a good idea. This way, you won’t have so much pressure, and it can also improve our family’s life. Don’t you want the younger one to go to school?”
Xiuyu thought there was no problem. She couldn't openly accept her daughter-in-law's dowry, but she was sure she had a way to manage it secretly. She didn't believe that the young lady would be able to get used to her current residence. Maybe she would even buy a house herself. Then, as the mother-in-law, she wouldn't have to worry about not being able to move in or not eating well. She would definitely buy her some good food in secret.
Thinking of his youngest son, Wen Chuanzong's expression changed. Seeing that all the other sons in his family were going to school, he really couldn't let his son fall behind. Even if his grades were mediocre, as long as he had the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations), he wouldn't starve.
"Now that you're bringing a wife into the house, do you think this place will be big enough for her to live in?"
This is a real problem that can't be solved in a short time.
Wen Chuanzong looked at Xiuyu. Xiuyu remembered the three rooms and said, "They can live there. That bitch can live with me. You and your two sons are studying away from home and are not usually at home. When you come back, you can live with me. The eldest son can use that room first. When the second son comes back for vacation, he can stay at his grandmother's house first. I don't believe that his parents can kick him back."
"Are you really sure?"
Wen Chuanzong is more concerned about himself right now. It is undeniable that a merchant family's daughter-in-law can improve the family's conditions to a certain extent, but they are concerned about their reputation and will not ask for it willingly.
If she were to take it out herself, that would be a different story, and the family's life would definitely improve significantly.
“I’ve seen the girl’s portrait. She’s beautiful. Let’s choose her. Don’t hold back the eldest brother. I also want him to get married soon and give me a grandson.”
“I’m telling you this beforehand, you can’t do anything shameful. Your wife will bring her dowry with her, and you can’t ask for more. She’s not without her own family.”
"Don't worry, my son's future is very important."
Xiuyu stood up after she finished speaking.
“Give me some money, and I’ll buy some betrothal gifts later. They know our family’s situation, so a token amount will suffice. I’ll also tell my parents about it later.”
Wen Chuanzong was no ordinary commoner after all; he got up and took out one tael of silver from his pocket and gave it to Xiuyu.
He wants to study, and in his spare time he also wants to copy books to make money. He is really tired every day. Wen Hui is also his son. Thinking about it carefully, this matter is not bad at the moment. It may even solve his urgent problem.
"I plan to use one tael of silver to buy a few catties of meat and a few bolts of cotton cloth as a betrothal gift, and the rest will be used for the banquet."
Nowadays, marriages are mostly arranged by parents and matchmakers. If the parents agree, they can directly help you get married.
Xiuyu first went to the matchmaker's house and told her that her family had agreed.
Afterwards, he went to see Liu and Old Man Wen and told them that Wen Hui was getting married and was going to marry a rich young lady. Old Man Wen and Liu did not object.
She stood in the hall, and seeing that her two younger siblings were not there, she mumbled a few words, implying that the family did not have enough money.
Liu subconsciously looked at Old Man Wen.
Old Man Wen didn't hesitate. He had several hundred taels of silver on hand, but he didn't give more. Most of it was for Xiao Wu's future use. He thought that everyone was family after all. Although there had been some unpleasantness before, it was impossible for them to never see each other again. It hadn't come to that point.
"Eldest daughter-in-law, when you're arranging Hui'er's marriage, bring your wife here first. It's spacious here, and we can hold the banquet. You can go back later."
"Take this two taels of silver and buy some wine and meat. Don't be too stingy. Pick an auspicious day and get things done for the child as soon as possible."
With Wen's words in mind, Xiuyu smiled and went out. The place they were living in was really not good enough. It would be much better to get married here. At least they would save face and not look too bad.
Wen Shi built a truly respectable house, one of the best in the village.
“Old man, why don’t we have Xiao Wu write a letter to Lao San and tell him about this?”
“I’m the head of this household, so there’s no point in saying anything. He can’t come back for the banquet anyway, so we’ll just have to do what needs to be done. But we still need to let him know later. Have Xiao Wu write him a letter tomorrow. Judging from the way the eldest daughter-in-law is acting, she wants her daughter-in-law to come into the family as soon as possible. That’s good. It’s a good thing that you and I can see our great-grandson in our lifetime.”
"What about our fifth child?"
"He's not in a hurry. It'll definitely be settled this year. Let's get it done for Wen Hui first; he's our eldest grandson."
Mrs. Liu smiled, clearly also looking forward to it. It was wonderful that there were two great events in the family this year.
The Xu family saw that their family was also gambling on the future, and things went exceptionally smoothly afterward. They had limited money, so they couldn't make it too extravagant, but they weren't too shabby either.
When Wen Hui was called back by his mother, he didn't refuse and enthusiastically joined in the preparations. Getting married was a good thing, especially since it was from a merchant family. No matter what, it was definitely better than the one from the village, and he had no objections.
"Mother, I will listen to you and study hard from now on."
Xiuyu had already started planning how to hold the banquet. They had lived in this village for several years and knew some families. There were quite a few of them, and their money was limited, so the banquet couldn't be too lavish. But those who came to eat the wine certainly couldn't come empty-handed; they had to bring gifts.
She gets excited just thinking about it.
Besides, there are also his son's classmates with Wen Chuanzong, so quite a few people will come.
When Wen Chuanzong heard Xiuyu say that the old couple wanted him to marry his wife into their family first, he felt much better. Afterwards, he gave Xiuyu an ounce of silver and tried his best to prepare good food and wine.
He didn't want to lose face too much, and he also wanted to receive gifts.
"Xiao Wu, Wen Hui is your eldest nephew. If you are free that day, your older brother would like to entrust you with the task of registering the gifts received."
Wen Xiaowu is still waiting for the results of the college entrance examination. He does not object to his nephew getting married first.
"Don't worry, brother. I'll definitely come early that day. You can prepare in advance, and I'll help you remember when we get there."
"good."
Wen Hui's marriage went very smoothly. Xiu Yu had someone choose an auspicious date, and they picked the closest one. Half a month later, his wife would be able to move in.
The Xu family wasn't particularly unhappy about it; many procedures were simplified, but ultimately, marrying off a concubine's daughter wasn't a big deal.
Coincidentally, the day before the results were announced was Wen Hui's wedding day.
In Ping'an Village, there were quite a few villagers who came to eat the feast, as well as some of Wen Chuanzong's classmates. Wen Hui had also studied there for a few years and naturally had some close classmates as well. In the end, there were nearly twenty tables set up, which was quite lively.
The bride, dressed in a red wedding gown, rode in a small red sedan chair and entered the Wen family home.
Wen Leqian sat at the front of the table, next to Liu.
"Leqian, now that your older brother is married, I'm just waiting to attend your wedding. It shouldn't be long before we get married."
Wen Leqian smiled but didn't say anything. The wedding was simple, but overall it was acceptable.
He wondered if his new sister-in-law would be easy to get along with. He glanced at his uncle and aunt, both of whom had smiles on their faces.
He's rarely home; he won't come back unless something comes up.
With one happy event after another in the family, Old Man Wen looked very energetic. Madam Ma, Yuqin, and the others also drank as usual. They were also very curious about what kind of person this eldest nephew's wife was, but they would see tomorrow.
The thought of becoming a mother-in-law in the future made Xiuyu's face beam with joy; she had finally made it through the ordeal.
The next morning, Wen Xiaowu didn't have time to drink tea with his elders. He had been studying hard for many years and was eager to go to the city to see the results. He didn't even have breakfast.
Wen Leqian took two days off and will return tomorrow. Today, he also met his new sister-in-law.
Standing next to Wen Hui, Xu Yi wasn't much shorter than him. She had fair skin, delicate features, and wore a blue long robe with her hair tied up with a silver hairpin. She was indeed much prettier than the average country girl, and her attire was also very simple.
When serving tea, the elders naturally go first, starting with Old Man Wen and ending with Madam Ma.
Wen Hui introduced them to her one by one. She remained expressionless, showing no emotion. She then greeted the younger generation.
"This is my second brother, Wen Heng. This is my third brother, Wen Jinyu. My fourth brother is Wen Leqian. My fifth brother is Wen Yong. My sixth brother is Wen Xing. There is also a younger brother who lives with my third uncle and aunt. He hasn't returned to Beijing yet."
The two brothers who shared the same father as Wen Chuanzong were Wen Heng and Wen Yong. One was his younger brother, and the other was born to his aunt. The rest were cousins.
After the introduction, the brothers all received a pre-prepared red envelope. They could receive a red envelope for calling her "sister-in-law".
Xiuyu felt a pang of heartache watching this, but with so many people around, she couldn't say anything.
"Alright, it's a happy occasion that our family has one more person from now on. You will also be parents-in-law and elders. With many children in the family, you must be fair in your dealings."
"Father, Mother, don't worry."
Wen Chuanzong quickly spoke up, saying that the whole family would eat together later. Xu Shi's behavior was lukewarm; those without tact wouldn't notice, or perhaps she didn't care.
"Eldest granddaughter-in-law, how much dowry did your family bring you?"
Upon hearing Liu's words, Wen Chuanzong nearly spat out his tea, and the others all looked at Xu.
Madam Xu dressed simply, using only a silver hairpin to hold her hair up, and then said, "Grandma, there's not much. My own mother passed away long ago, and my stepmother is in charge now, so she can't give much."
"mother."
Upon hearing Wen Chuanzong's words, Liu Shi pursed her lips. When Old Man Wen looked over, she immediately turned her head away.
Mrs. Xu wasn't unhappy at all.
She married into the family alone, without any dowry maids. But having grown up under her stepmother's care since childhood, she was no pushover. Just because she couldn't resist the marriage didn't mean she was a pushover who could be manipulated at will.
Her dowry was her lifeline. Although it wasn't much, it was all for crucial moments. She brought back the worthless betrothal gifts the Wen family had given her. Glancing at her somewhat anxious mother-in-law out of the corner of her eye, she didn't change her expression and inwardly felt that she had done the right thing.
If they had just brought her over, the whole family might have divided her up right away.
After the meal, Wen Hui led her to the room where they were staying. She was prepared and did not show any displeasure. After the three-day homecoming, Wen Hui would go back to his studies. As for the rest of the Wen family, they would not be difficult to get along with.
Thinking about this made her feel much better.
Inside the city
The moment Wen Xiaowu saw his name, he jumped up excitedly.
After the initial excitement, he noticed many people looking dejected. Since he hadn't run into anyone he knew, he went home first and told his family about it.
He was very confident in himself, as there was still the palace examination to be held next.
As the weather gets warmer, it's impossible for Wen Shi and Ying Xiang to know about things happening at home immediately.
Since submitting his memorial to the emperor, Wen Shi has been waiting patiently. His promotion this time should go smoothly, barring any unforeseen circumstances, as he has a very good reputation.
I just don't know where we'll end up. Yunzhou is nice, but it would be even better if we could go straight back to the capital.
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