Chapter 154 Mother Wants It Too
Everyone readily agreed and decided that night to stay in the area for a few more days until the Liu family had finished their marriage proposal.
The next morning, after having breakfast at the inn, the seven of them followed the crowd to the place where the marriage contest was to be held.
The Liu family built a high platform in front of their farm.
When everyone arrived, the area around the platform was already crowded with women who had come to participate in the marriage selection; they came in all shapes and sizes, from tall to short, fat to thin, old to young.
Lu Jinlan was squeezed in the crowd and could hear the discussions of the people around her from time to time.
“The Liu family is wealthy, and she only has two sons. Whoever marries one of her sons will instantly become a rich man. Sisters, if I marry the Liu family’s son, I will throw a banquet and treat you all to a feast that will last for three days and three nights.”
"Haha, don't blame me for teasing you. People from all walks of life have come today, a gathering of heroes, even more exciting than going to the capital for the imperial examination. How can such a good thing be left for us roughnecks to just watch the show? You're taking it so seriously."
The man retorted, "So what if he's a roughneck? Roughnecks have strength too! That weak and frail young master, isn't he just someone we roughnecks are good to pamper? If he doesn't marry us, who else would he marry? The Emperor?"
The group of people laughed heartily. Lu Jinlan glanced at them, patted one of them on the shoulder, and said, "Sister Ren, I'd like to ask about something. What kind of competition is Master Liu holding for his son's marriage proposal?"
The man turned and glanced at her. Seeing her elegant attire and distinguished bearing, he smiled and said, "Oh, you've come from out of town to find a husband, haven't you? They haven't said what the competition will be, but I reckon it'll be either a literary contest or a martial arts contest, it can't escape that. Sister, what are you good at?"
"I," Lu Jinlan smiled slightly, "I'm good at all of them."
The man exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, what a boastful tone! Anyone who didn't know better would think the Emperor himself had arrived."
Someone nearby joked, "Our Hua Kingdom has more than just the Emperor as a person skilled in both literature and martial arts; perhaps it's His Excellency the Prime Minister who has arrived."
As everyone was chatting and laughing, Xiang Ruzhen came over to find Lu Jinlan.
The rough women were quite envious of Xiang Ruzhen's robust figure and long arms, which allowed her to manipulate the people around her as if it were child's play.
One person hurriedly asked her, "Sister Ren, are you better at written exams or martial arts exams?"
Xiang Ruzhen paused for a moment, then answered honestly, "Anything is fine."
She passed the rigorous examinations at the Royal Academy back then.
The man who asked the question was taken aback. "Hey, you look pretty honest, how come you can brag so much? People from the capital are all so proud. Don't be good at either literature or martial arts, or you'll be outdone by us dockworkers."
Lu Jinlan and Xiang Ruzhen exchanged a glance. Lu Jinlan smiled and said to everyone, "Don't worry, we won't lose. My friend here used to be a hunter, and he's naturally strong."
The two chatted for a while before hurrying to rejoin the main group. Just as the seven of them gathered, a sprightly woman in her sixties walked to the center of the stage and said in a strong voice, "Gentlemen, my name is Liu Rong, greetings."
She clasped her hands in a fist salute to the left and right, and the noisy scene immediately quieted down.
Master Liu said, “Thank you all for coming from afar, ladies. I have prepared some wine and local gifts. Everyone here today, whether you are the one who marries my son or not, can take some wine and food and gifts with you when you leave. I will make sure that your trip is worthwhile.”
"Wow!" Ping Xiyu sighed softly, "This Master Liu is quite generous. His arrangement is impeccable, but it must have cost a lot."
Lu Jinzhao nodded slightly, "I heard that this person had a stroke of luck in her early years, finding a sunken gold ship at sea and accumulating a lot of wealth. However, her Liu family's business is singular and lacks momentum, unlike our Lu family, which has a great reputation and is getting stronger and stronger."
Both of them had a business mindset, and as they listened, they started talking about business.
Lu Jinlan and the other young people, however, were focused on the stage.
As Master Liu was speaking, a handsome man stood at the entrance of the stage, and all three of them were simultaneously drawn to him.
Lu Jinlan took a closer look and was somewhat disappointed. "That's Master Liu's son. Is this considered a beauty? I knew the people here were ignorant. What do you mean by 'as beautiful as a flower'? She's just of average appearance. She looks to be at least in her twenties."
Hearing this, a local nearby laughed and said, "That's not Master Liu's son, that's Master Liu's husband, Madam Lin. He had two sons when he was sixteen, so he should be thirty-two this year. But he takes good care of himself and looks like he's in his twenties."
Oh! So it's an older wife and a younger husband.
The three nodded, huddled together, and whispered among themselves.
Lu Jinlan said, "If the father looks like this, the son should be good too."
Yan Wuxin said, "That's not necessarily true. What if they take after their mother? Although Master Liu is a good person, she's dark-skinned. It doesn't matter if a woman is dark-skinned, but what if her two sons are also dark-skinned? That would be so ugly."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "Don't worry, since Master Liu is holding such a grand marriage proposal ceremony, he won't hide his true face from us. We'll see him soon."
Before he could finish speaking, Master Liu said, "I am unfortunate, having only these two sons. The reason for holding this marriage contest today is to find virtuous and accomplished wives for my two sons. I, Liu, am willing to give all my wealth to the chosen one."
Before he could finish speaking, the crowd gasped in surprise.
Master Liu smiled and pressed down on his wrist, "Please be patient, everyone, and let me finish."
"This is a major event, and as such, it will not be easy. Please observe!"
She gestured for everyone to look at the wooden frame, which was more than ten meters high, on the side of the platform.
“My servants are setting up the mechanism. There are pens and numbers in the ten cloth bags hanging on the top of this wooden frame. There is an inkwell on the east side of the platform and paper on the west side.”
"Later, all of you heroines will climb up the wooden frame together. The first person to reach the top and take down the cloth bag can dip their brush in ink, write their number and name on a piece of paper, and hand it to the old woman."
"After I review them, I will select five heroines from the ten winners and invite them to the back room for a brief talk with my son."
"This marriage cannot be a one-sided affair. Both sides must agree upon it upon meeting. Once the meeting is settled, I will immediately have preparations made; there will be no delays or excuses. Gentlemen, do you understand?"
"Alas!" A chorus of lamentations erupted below.
Putting aside everything else, that towering wooden frame alone could deter more than half of the applicants.
The wooden planks weren't thick, and there were at least ten thousand people present. Who knows how many would fall if they went up on them?
Just now, when Master Liu mentioned making arrangements, he wasn't referring to reinforcing the structure, but rather placing sharp spikes under the wooden frame. Many people grimaced at the sight; if someone fell on it, their flesh would be pierced through, and they might even die.
Moreover, with so many people, only ten will be selected. Isn't that a joke? Many people looked worried and backed out, not wanting to participate.
On Lu Jinlan's side, the group was also discussing things.
Lu Jinlan said, "With our skills, this obstacle is nothing. The problem is, we don't know what those two young masters look like. It would be ridiculous if we went through all that trouble just to snatch a couple of pork slices."
Yan Wuxin's eyes darted around. "That's easy. Didn't Master Liu just say that her two sons are in the back room? Let's sneak over there and check the goods first."
Xiang Ruzhen advised, "There's a difference between men and women. What if you two sneak into someone's young master's boudoir and get discovered?"
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "If we're careful, we won't be discovered."
As she spoke, she pulled Yan Wuxin out of the way, and the two of them went around to the back of the manor and nimbly climbed over the wall to enter.
Upon seeing two male servants delivering snacks and tea, the two exchanged a glance and followed them in tacit agreement.
Two male servants entered a room, and I could vaguely hear them saying, "Young Master, Second Young Master, it's just starting outside, it's still early. Please have some refreshments first."
"Found it!" Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin's faces lit up with joy. They went up to the roof. Lu Jinlan lifted the roof tiles, and Yan Wuxin hung upside down from the eaves, peering inside through the window.
Liu, the wealthy man, had two sons, one named Liu Sibao and the other Liu Siyu.
At this moment, Si Bao is combing her hair in front of the mirror, and Si Yu is tidying her clothes; the two are in different locations.
Yan Wuxin saw the older brother, and Lu Jinlan saw the younger brother. After they finished looking, they quickly huddled together to discuss the results.
Lu Jinlan: "How is it?"
Yan Wuxin smiled and said, "The eldest son of the Liu family is a typical Jiangnan man, slender with a narrow waist, gentle features, and a gentle, watery quality, much like the weather here. His eyes are bright and lively, as if he's talking to me. I'm not naive, but I think this young master Si Bao is stunningly beautiful, at least a nine out of ten. And what about that Si Yu?"
Lu Jinlan recalled for a moment, then said somewhat uncertainly, "It seems to be exactly the same as your description, probably a little more lively than his brother."
Yan Wuxin didn't believe it. "How could two people look exactly alike? Although they are brothers, they are not twins..."
The two were both taken aback. They switched places to look and immediately realized that they really were twins.
*
The two of them jogged back and excitedly told everyone the result.
"They are twins, look exactly alike, and are both extremely beautiful, truly stunning. Marrying one would be a good deal for us, marrying both would be a bonus."
Lu Jinzhao nodded thoughtfully. "The arrangements here are complete. It's about to begin. Let's go in."
By this time, more than a hundred warriors had entered the enclosure, including the dock women who had spoken to Lu Jinlan earlier.
Anyway, everyone who entered looked young, strong, and skilled.
Some scholars, who were too weak to even kill a chicken, simply gave up on participating and just cheered from the sidelines, enjoying the spectacle.
Lu Jinlan, Xiang Ruzhen, and Yan Wuxin entered together. Everyone stood there waiting for the gong to be struck. Suddenly, Lu Jinlan felt that something was wrong.
She turned around and exclaimed in surprise, "Mother, what are you doing here?"
Lu Jinzhao said calmly, "Didn't you say they were beauties? Since they are beauties, Mother wants them too."
Lu Jinlan stood speechlessly, hands on her hips, and pursed her lips. "Mother, how old are you this year?"
Lu Jinzhao said, "I'm just fifty. Just now, Master Liu said that it's open to people from sixteen to sixty years old, regardless of their place of origin or where they come from. Your mother just happens to fit the bill."
Lu Jinlan said in surprise, "But that Master Liu is almost the same age as you, and even if she doesn't mind, and I don't mind, you still can't compete with us young people! It's extremely dangerous here, don't hurt your old arms and legs."
Lu Jinlan tried to persuade him with earnest words, but Lu Jinzhao insisted, "Your mother has been traveling the world for decades. Do you think I'm just an ordinary person? Don't worry, your mother is still as sharp as ever and won't hold you back."
"Today I'm going to prove to you young people that a fifty-year-old woman is in her prime, not only skilled but also possessing a lifetime of wisdom. Old ginger is spicier, just you wait and see."
Lu Jinlan had no choice but to acquiesce.
At the sound of a gong, more than a hundred people rushed toward the wooden frame and began climbing from all four sides.
Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin were originally behind, intending to protect Lu Jinzhao from the left and right, but Lu Jinzhao, as soon as the gong sounded, immediately shook off the two of them and rushed out in one stride.
She deftly tucked her clothes behind her waist, then swiftly moved away from the young man beside her, using the wooden frame as a springboard to create distance between herself and the young man.
The three of them below were stunned. Yan Wuxin said, "Your mother is quite skilled! Didn't you know that before?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head. "She's never laid a hand on me."
Xiang Ruzhen: "We, these heroines of so many years, won't lose to your mother, will we?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head again, "Impossible. Putting aside what others might say, with us around, how could she possibly choose my mother? What would Si Bao Si Yu be after? Her age? Her daughter, who's also older than her, and so many other young people? She can't possibly lose to an old woman like her..."
As she was speaking, she suddenly noticed two young men playing tricks, grabbing Lu Jinzhao's feet and pulling him down forcefully.
Lu Jinlan roared angrily, "Hey, what are you two doing? Let go of my mother!"
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