Cao Ying and the others were right.
"I've come here today specifically for Qingruo's marriage. I have a candidate in mind. Please listen to his/her story. If you think he/she is suitable, I will arrange a time for the two families to discuss it."
When Mo Qiaoniang heard that someone had been chosen, she was overjoyed. She had been eagerly awaiting this moment ever since she wrote to Madam Gao.
"But what about the families we know? Please tell us, my sister-in-law is already extremely anxious."
Liu Yun picked up the conversation and casually teased Mo Qiaoniang.
"Hahaha, don't rush, I'll tell you now."
Actually, Li Qingruo's age is a bit awkward. Most women her age are already married and have children.
Therefore, there weren't many good candidates. After all, there were plenty of younger women with the same status, and besides, Li Qingruo had previously broken off an engagement.
This person was chosen by Madam Cao after much deliberation.
Gao Chuan, the illegitimate son of Madam Cao's cousin.
Her cousin-in-law was a strong-willed woman, so the child's life in the Gao family was just so-so. However, she herself was quite resilient and has now passed the imperial examination to become a Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).
Because he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, his cousin-in-law began to manipulate his marriage and cause trouble at home.
The Li family can now be considered wealthy merchants at best, and Li Xushi is just the second owner of the workshop, a small and insignificant family.
Gao Chuan and Li Qing are a perfect match, which is why Gao's cousin-in-law might agree to let Gao Chuan marry her.
After hearing this, Mo Qiaoniang felt a pang of sadness. How could her daughter have ended up like this?
"Don't worry, Gao Chuan is already a scholar, and the clan values him highly. This is the only thing my cousin's wife can control him now. If Gao Chuan gets married, my cousin will separate the family and send Gao Chuan away, so he won't have to serve my cousin's wife."
Madam Cao knew that the Li family cherished their daughters and would certainly not want their daughters to suffer in front of their stepmother, so she quickly spread the news of the family division.
"Sister, you must have thought this through carefully before telling us about this person. My family has given it considerable consideration."
"Of course, just keep in mind that if you'd like to meet him, just let me know."
After speaking, Madam Cao looked at Yan Min, who was standing to the side.
"Qingyao is also sixteen. Have you thought about what kind of woman you want to marry?"
Yan Min was taken aback; how did the conversation turn to her own family? But she reacted quickly.
"You know my family's situation. This child said before that he wouldn't consider marriage unless he became a scholar. Fortunately, he's still young, so it's still possible to arrange a marriage a few years later."
Since Li Qingyao was exiled, he has been the one in charge of the household. This boy is proud and Yan Min is not someone who can make decisions about marriage directly.
This can be considered a polite way of declining.
Whether Madam Cao asked on behalf of someone else or had her own intentions, there's nothing wrong with her response.
Madam Cao sighed inwardly. She had thought of this before: no marriage without becoming a scholar. Li Qingyao had a long-term vision and was probably going to use his marriage as a bargaining chip.
"They'll be exiting the competition next year?"
"That's right."
Cao was quite knowledgeable about the county examination, so she changed the subject and gave Yan Min many suggestions on how to help the candidates.
Yan Min listened attentively. She had indeed known little about this before, as it wasn't the right time for her to do so.
If someone is willing to talk to her, she should naturally take good notes. Scientific expeditions are important matters, and no amount of caution is too much.
Not only Yan Min listened attentively, but Liu Yun's three sisters-in-law also listened very carefully. Although it was Li Qingyao who was taking the imperial examination, they were all relatives. Now, Li Xuming's family had a lot of say in the clan, so they had to express their opinions on this matter.
Besides, there are other children in the clan who will take the imperial examinations in the future, so it's not a bad thing to know more about them.
Cao Ying and Li Qingruo seemed to be having a great time, chatting about the design drafts of hairpins or the newly released fabrics.
Women are most interested in these.
That evening, in the second branch of the Li family, Mo Qiaoniang told Li Xushi about Gao Chuan.
"During the day, Madam Cao mentioned to us her cousin's illegitimate son, a scholar who passed the imperial examinations, but he wasn't favored by his stepmother..."
"Tell me about it in detail."
Li Xushi didn't react much at the beginning. What did it matter if he was a son of a concubine or not? His family was just a branch of the Li family anyway.
Apart from the eldest son, everyone else is just a figurehead.
What matters is a person's character.
"...They say that once you get married, you will separate from your family, and even if you are not favored by your stepmother, you can still pass the imperial examination and become a scholar. They sound like pretty good people."
After hearing about Gao Chuan's situation, Li Xushi felt more at ease.
"Madam, I think it's feasible. Let's meet the person first and then discuss it further."
"Should I reply to Madam Cao?"
"Um."
With Li Xushi's words, Mo Qiaoniang felt at ease.
That's right, once the child is separated from the family, the disadvantage will disappear.
The Gao family was not a small clan. If his stepmother wanted to ruin Gao Chuan's future, he wouldn't have been able to pass the imperial examination and become a scholar.
For now, they are only controlling Gao Chuan's marriage, preventing him from marrying a wife who can help him. This is not a problem for the Li family.
Upon receiving Mo Qiaoniang's reply, Madam Cao immediately sent an invitation and visited her cousin-in-law's home.
Madam Gao knew perfectly well what her cousin-in-law was thinking. Her cousin-in-law also had a son, but he was only a student at the time. She was afraid that if Gao Chuan married a woman of good status, he would suppress her son in the future.
Gao had considered marrying Ying'er to Gao Chuan, but her cousin-in-law resolutely refused.
Therefore, Gao only told her cousin-in-law about Li Qingruo's actual situation, and she agreed to meet.
There's no other reason than that the Li family was previously exiled and is now just commoners. Although they have a workshop, they can't say how many of them actually belong to the Li family.
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