Chapter 129 Chapter 129 Questionnaire.
Among those who were excited about Shen Yan winning the top spot was the Tao family.
Ever since Chen Yan became the provincial governor, several families in Bianjing City found out through a little inquiry that Chen Yan's parents had passed away, his bloodline was thin, and his closest relative was his aunt Shen, who was married into the Tao family.
In addition, Chen Yan had lived in the Tao family for several years, so the Tao family welcomed wave after wave of matchmakers, all of whom wanted to arrange a marriage for Shen Yan.
Mrs. Shen was extremely happy about this. You know, after her brother passed away, the Shen family fell into decline. If she had not been married to the Tao family for many years and raised two sons, her life would probably have been very difficult.
Despite this, there were two or three more maids and concubines in the house. It was not until Dalang's academic performance became more and more outstanding and he even passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi that she could straighten her back.
Chen Yan was the only child left by her elder brother, and she was raised by him. Now she has become the top scorer in the imperial examination, which finally made her proud in front of her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law.
Madam Shen still remembered that her aunt was always complaining about everything and mocking her for being a poor family and a mere clerk who wanted to get involved in her family's affairs.
Now that I think about it, wasn't she the one who was broke?
Mrs. Shen thought about how her aunt had left in disgrace and then returned in a high-profile manner, claiming that she had found a talented son-in-law for her daughter Jinjie.
Unexpectedly, the son-in-law had bad luck in the exam. He suffered from vomiting and diarrhea when he took part in the autumn examination and ended up failing.
The more the aunt boasted before, the harder the slap in the face. When she found out that Chen Yan had won the provincial championship, she returned home with her daughter and son-in-law without even saying hello.
Mrs. Shen was secretly pleased, but the Tao family had other thoughts. The old lady complained that her daughter-in-law was not attentive enough, for having Yan'er move out before he could take the imperial examination. She also complained that her daughter was not motivated enough, and that a good son-in-law was about to be married off to another family. The two sons also discussed how to make Chen Yan closer to the family.
How to get close to each other? The simplest way is kinship.
In short, the Tao family intends to interfere in Shen Yan's marriage, and it would be best if Shen Yan could marry a girl from the Tao family, or a daughter of a close relative.
Unexpectedly, before they could make any move, they learned from Manager Jiang who brought the news that Chen Yan had invited a matchmaker to come to his house and wanted to marry Miss Lin from Linzhiji.
The Tao family was instantly in an uproar!
Unfortunately, Chen Yan acted first and reported later, and it was not until the next day that the Tao family learned about it.
Mr. Tao came hurriedly with a bad look on his face.
Madam Shen glanced at her furious husband and frowned.
She was not as anxious as the Tao family. Although she said she liked Lin Zhi, she didn't like her very much, but she certainly didn't hate her either.
When Ce'er got married, the Lin family came to congratulate him. Mrs. Shen was very busy at the time, so she only took a glance and felt that the family had a very close relationship.
After asking a few questions, she found out that Manager Lin and Madam Song only had one daughter. This alone was enough to surprise Madam Shen.
No matter whether men have power or money or not, there are very few who can control themselves. Many men are proud of the number of concubines they have in their backyards, and those who love only one person are called henpecked.
Mrs. Shen was used to seeing messy people around her, so such a clean and refreshing family would leave a deep impression on her.
Moreover, despite her family's ordinary background, Miss Lin has made some impressive achievements and accumulated a wealth that is eye-catching.
Not to mention that Mrs. Shen admired the Linzhi family. Besides, Mrs. Shen had already lost interest in the old lady's actions and her gentle attitude towards the old lady, and had no intention of speaking for the official at all.
Therefore, she spoke before the official could, angrily saying, "You child, why are you hiding this from us? Could it be that your aunt and I, your uncle, are the kind of people who would force a couple to break up?"
Just as Mr. Tao was about to speak, he was choked by Shen's words. If he reprimanded her now, wouldn't he really become the kind of person his wife described?
He was silent for a long time before he sighed, "You've been like your father since you were little. You've always had your own ideas. Your uncle is not as good as you."
"But you've just entered officialdom, and you're marrying a merchant girl, especially one who was born a slave. I'm afraid that in the future, you'll have little support and will be subject to a lot of gossip."
Mr. Tao felt that he was speaking from the heart, and it was all for Chen Yan’s own good: “If you like it, I’ll do it later!”
Mrs. Shen was quick-witted and stuffed a candied date into his mouth, directly blocking Mr. Tao's mouth. She knew what this man wanted to say next, most likely he wanted Yan Ge'er to hire someone as his second wife.
Men have this kind of brain, just like the location of the second room is like honey, which always attracts people to come forward. But they never thought that the nectar flowing from the flowers would not only attract bees and butterflies, but also attract a group of bugs.
Just like those guys in your backyard, who keep saying whether they love you or not, but if the Tao family falls into decline, I guess most of them will run away with their skirts in their hands. Do they really think they like you, this piece of old pickled meat?
Mrs. Shen didn't say anything, but her gaze was like a knife, slamming into someone. Mr. Tao, who had just wanted to resist, shook his body and felt inexplicably a little listless.
Although he was listless, he still insisted on continuing. However, Mr. Tao's gun was not aimed at Chen Yan, but at Mrs. Shen: "Why are you stopping me? I am doing this for Yan'er's own good."
Madam Shen frowned and was about to speak when she heard Shen Yan say, "My aunt and uncle have always taken care of me as their own child. I know your intentions. But I entered the officialdom only to fulfill my dream. I will do my best to protect my family."
"If anyone laughs at Sister Zhi behind my back, it means I haven't done enough."
"Why are you ignoring me, kid?"
"Ignore your uncle." Madam Shen rolled her eyes secretly and pulled Shen Yan: "He failed the provincial examination three times and finally could only enter the officialdom under the protection of the emperor. He has been a salaried official for many years. What he said does not count and cannot be taken seriously."
As Mrs. Shen started to sabotage him, Mr. Tao's face turned increasingly pale.
He was about to speak when Madam Shen changed the subject and talked about the officials in the court: "As for family background, you don't have to worry too much about it. Think about the wife of Prime Minister Xu, I remember she was not from a famous family either. In her early years, she worked as a private school teacher to supplement her family income."
"It is said that she later went to the Xu family as a female teacher, and was chosen by Prime Minister Xu's parents and hired as his wife."
When Mrs. Shen said this, she glanced at Mr. Tao. Sure enough, Mr. Tao's face changed for a moment, and he finally fell silent.
Madam Shen laughed secretly. Look! He was so majestic before, but he fell silent when he heard about Prime Minister Xu. He is really a bully who only fears the strong and bullies the weak.
"I think what Brother Yan said is right. Although external forces from the wife's family are important, in the end it all comes down to personal ability."
Mrs. Shen said this to Shen Yan, but she was also saying it to herself.
When the Tao family married the Shen family, they also wanted to take things a step further. However, they did not expect that the Shen family would almost be extinct, and the Tao family also went from bad to worse, and no longer had the glory of the past.
When she was young, she followed her mother to entertain guests and could still sit in the first seat. But later she sat further and further behind. It was ultimately because her husband was not capable enough, which made her lose face.
Even so, she had to act like a noble person, helping the official to build relationships and inquire about news, and many years passed in a daze.
However, after Tao Yingce solved cases frequently and was transferred to Hangzhou Prefecture as a magistrate, her position was moved up a few places, and ladies often asked her how she educated her children.
Mrs. Shen couldn't help but smile bitterly when she thought of this: As an official's wife, how could she not appreciate a woman like Lin Zhi?
Mr. Tao only said a few words before his wife refuted them completely. He wanted to say more, but he didn't know where to begin. In the end, he just shook his sleeves angrily and said, "As long as you don't regret it."
"Thank you, uncle and aunt."
"Have Madam Sun and the Lin family ever told you when they will come to visit?" Mrs. Shen came here mainly for this matter.
After exchanging engagement letters, the two families will have to match their horoscopes, and then meet to discuss matters such as the betrothal gifts. These matters will all be handled by the female family members - as Shen Yan's aunt, Mrs. Shen naturally has no choice but to do so.
Before Chen Yan could answer, Manager Jiang hurried in and said that the Lin family had sent a letter, and specifically asked Yan Ge'er to open it personally.
When Chen Yan heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately asked Manager Jiang to come forward.
At the same time, upon hearing this, Mr. Tao was immediately furious: "Look! Look! It's already time to discuss marriage, how can you send a letter privately?"
Nowadays, marriages are about formal matchmaking, and matchmaking is a key step for both families to finalize their children's lifelong plans. All matters need to be passed through a matchmaker to convey information. Both men and women must abide by etiquette and refrain from having extramarital affairs. In other words, men and women are explicitly not allowed to communicate on their own.
If children meet and correspond privately, they will be considered frivolous and improper at best, and accused of secretly giving and receiving things, which will damage the reputation of both families.
Even Madam Shen frowned and looked troubled. If this matter were to spread, not only would the marriage be cancelled, it would also damage Miss Lin's reputation.
Lin’s parents are both here, how could they allow it?
Just as Mrs. Shen finished her thoughts, she heard Shen Yan's words: "Don't worry, uncle. This letter was written by Uncle Lin. I think Uncle Lin knew that all the elders of the Shen family had passed away, so he sent someone to deliver the letter to me."
Mrs. Shen heard what he said and thought it made sense. She stood up and walked forward, lowering her eyes to look at the letter in Chen Yan's hand. Sure enough, there were four big words written on it: From my nephew Yan.
Mrs. Shen breathed a sigh of relief and nodded to Mr. Tao. She watched Chen Yan open the letter, looked at the contents carefully, and was stunned for a moment.
Mr. Tao noticed Mrs. Shen's surprise and asked cautiously, "Do you want them to meet?"
Mrs. Shen had a strange expression on her face, and she hesitated to speak. It was not until Mr. Tao pressed her again that she replied, "That's not the case. It's just—"
"What is it?" Mr. Tao couldn't help but stand up and look. He took a look and immediately jumped up and said, "What do you mean by asking Yan'er to answer the following questions? If he doesn't want to answer, this marriage proposal will end here?"
"Brother Yan is the top scholar! Top scholar!"
"What are they thinking? They don't even know how to take a bite of the pie that falls from the sky? Are they going to leave it at that without an answer? Brother Yan, let me tell you something!"
Mr. Tao was furious. He didn't expect that his family didn't complain about the success, but the Lin family on the opposite side actually complained about this and that and came up with some new things.
He had a dark face, thinking that he must show Yan Ge'er his attitude and let the other party know.
But when Mr. Tao turned around, he saw Chen Yan's eyes shining brightly. He actually sent someone to get paper and pen, and immediately prepared to start replying!
Tao Guan was extremely angry: "Sink the inkstone!"
Mrs. Shen's mouth twitched when she saw Chen Yan not wanting money. It was true that a grown-up son is no longer under the control of his mother. Oh, no, Yan'er is her nephew.
Thinking of this, Madam Shen calmed down. She couldn't even control her two sons, let alone Chen Yan, so she simply pulled Mr. Tao back to his seat and said, "Look! Yan'er is happy, why do you have to be a bad person? Let's just sit up and wait for Yan'er and Zhijie to kowtow to us, right?"
"I'm doing this for his own good!"
"Well, well, after all, Sister Zhi is rich and capable, and she only has one daughter! When she gets married to Yan'er, won't she be able to devote all her attention to him? It's much better than those who have brothers to support!"
Madam Shen tried to persuade him earnestly for a few words, and seeing that Mr. Tao was still mumbling, she added, "You are the uncle of the number one scholar, you should be more generous!"
"Even if everyone is against it, you still have to support it!"
"No one outside is saying anything, but you, my dear uncle, the closest person to me, are already making a fuss. Isn't that Chunchun giving Yan Ge'er face?"
While Mrs. Shen was trying to persuade her husband three times, Chen Yan was looking through the questions and writing down the answers carefully: He had a feeling that if he didn't answer them well, he might not have another chance.
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