Lu Chengyu failed the imperial examination and became a scholar, so the atmosphere at home was very gloomy.
The old man sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) all day, smoking with a worried expression, and Lu Tong no longer dared to act arrogantly like before.
Lu Tong has been really anxious lately. She knows very well that her family will never pay her taxes, so they will definitely marry her off before the taxes are paid. Before, she rejected several men who were acceptable, but she didn't like them. Recently, matchmakers have been coming to her door, but the men they introduce are getting worse and worse.
When Lu Tong returned after washing the clothes, she heard people talking in the hall. Listening carefully, she heard her mother and the matchmaker Wang's voices.
“Matchmaker Wang, is the Li family in Dafeng Village really as good as you say? They own more than 20 acres of land, and their young master is a scholar.”
Matchmaker Wang smiled and said, "Would I lie to you? Although the Li family can't compare to the wealthy families in town, they are still among the best in the countryside. Moreover, that young master Li is a scholar. If he passes the imperial examination, the young lady can become an official's wife. How come I didn't know that Dafeng Village has such a good family?" Tang has been very concerned about Lu Tong's marriage recently, so she has inquired a lot about outstanding young men in the surrounding villages and towns.
Suddenly, Madam Tang thought of something, her face darkened, and she said, "That young master Li, could it be the one from Li Yuan's family? That young master Li lost his wife a couple of years ago, leaving behind a five-year-old son?"
Seeing that she couldn't hide it any longer, the matchmaker smiled awkwardly and said, "Yes, Young Master Li's ex-wife was unlucky and passed away early. However, the Li family's conditions are really quite good."
Mrs. Tang was furious. The Li family was indeed well-off, but that old lady was not an easy person to deal with. It was said that the young master Li's first wife was tortured to death by that old hag. And this matchmaker actually introduced her daughter to a widower who had lost his wife.
That young master Li's ex-wife left behind a son, so if her daughter marries into that family, wouldn't she become a stepmother? Young master Li's son is already five years old; he must be quite old.
"You fat, ugly woman, how dare you introduce someone like this to my daughter? Get out of here!" Tang's eyes reddened with anger.
Matchmaker Wang, who had facilitated many marriages and was always treated with respect, suddenly became furious, revealing a sharp and sarcastic face. "You should be more discerning! Do you really think your daughter is some kind of precious gem, looking down on this one and despising that one? She's already seventeen, a money-losing daughter, and she still dares to look down on Young Master Li, asking for twenty taels of silver as a betrothal gift. Only a generous family like the Li family would be willing to pay that much. Who else would want to be a sucker like that!"
Upon hearing what Wang the matchmaker said, Tang was so angry that she trembled all over.
Madam Tang had always hoped that her daughter would become an official's wife so that she and Lu Chengyu could support each other. However, since her son failed the imperial examination and could no longer delay, Madam Tang decided to settle for a less desirable marriage to a wealthy farming family. As it turned out, the men introduced to her were all undesirable.
The matchmaker left cursing, and Lu Tong had already slipped away before she came out.
Lu Tong hated Wang the matchmaker intensely, but she also resented her mother for rejecting several decent women before, and now the women she introduced were all worse than the last.
Lu Tong only went inside after Wang the matchmaker left.
Madam Tang glanced at her daughter, forced a smile, and said, "Daughter, don't pay attention to that fat old woman. I'll definitely find you a good family."
Lu Tong nodded, but felt somewhat uncertain.
When the marriage negotiations failed, Matchmaker Wang didn't mince words either, launching into a tirade of sarcasm against the Lu family. She implied that the Lu family had excessively high standards, likely only interested in high-ranking officials, and didn't even consider their own circumstances. Many people agreed with Matchmaker Wang's assessment.
With Wang the matchmaker spreading the word, the villagers all felt that Lu Tong was too picky and shouldn't humiliate herself if she didn't have some money.
At the dinner table, the old man smoked a cigarette, looked at Tang Shi, and said with some worry, "Girl, haven't you found a suitable family yet? Not yet."
The old man sighed and said, "If we really can't find one, let's lower our standards a bit."
Wang shifted her position, giving Lu Tong a somewhat disdainful look, and muttered, "Why haven't any good families come to propose marriage?" Lu Tong remained silent; he could sense that his family was becoming increasingly disgusted with him lately.
Lu Tong looked at Lu Chengyu for help. Lu Chengyu had a gloomy face and didn't say anything. Lu Chengyu was determined to pass the imperial examination, and failing would have a huge impact on him.
Lu Tong gritted her teeth, feeling a little wronged. Lu Tong admired her brother very much and always felt that her brother was different from Lu Lin and was destined to become a high-ranking official. However, at this moment, Lu Tong felt that her brother was nothing special.
While the Lu family was shrouded in gloom, Chen Xiaomi's life was getting better and better.
Chen Xiaocai shoveled rice into her mouth and said, "Brother Lin, it seems the Lu family is looking for a husband for Lu Tong. Everyone says that Lu Tong's standards are too high and she won't be able to find a husband."
Chen Xiaocai has become much more cheerful lately, and her relationship with Lu Lin has also grown closer. If she hears any news, she will tell Lu Lin.
Lu Lin glanced at Chen Xiaocai and said, "You're still talking about this? The kids here are really precocious!"
Chen Xiaocai said somewhat awkwardly, "I heard it from someone else."
Lu Lin smiled and said, "It seems I've offended the matchmaker." In this era, rumors can kill. The gossipy women in the village can ruin a person's reputation by spreading some dubious rumors, and matchmakers are among the most powerful in this regard.
Chen Xiaomi shook her head and said, "Those matchmakers are really hard to deal with!"
Chen Xiaomi didn't have a good impression of Tang Shi, nor did she have a good impression of the matchmaker.
"I heard that the Tang family seems quite anxious."
Some men in the village had wanted to marry Lu Tong before, but Madam Tang had been too firm in her words, telling them they were like toads dreaming of eating swan meat. Therefore, although some young men in the village were interested, their families didn't agree. It seems there's no suitable person in the village right now, and finding someone from the neighboring village probably won't be easy either.
After dinner, Chen Xiaocai took Xiaomai to bed.
Lu Lin sighed and said, "It's really not going to work out with the small dish!"
Chen Xiaomi shook her head. "No."
Lu Lin and Chen Xiaomi have recently made a lot of money, so they're not short of cash. Other things are on their agenda now, such as Chen Xiaomi wanting to send Chen Xiaocai to school. However, people here value reputation highly, and Chen Xiaomi's bad reputation is dragging Chen Xiaocai down with her. Although the two are willing to pay tuition, the town's teacher won't accept them.
"That teacher is really pedantic," Lu Lin said with dissatisfaction.
Chen Xiaomi bit her lip and said, "If you can't study, then you can't study. With Xiao Cai's situation, even if she passes the imperial examination, her degree might still be rejected."
To become an official here, one must undergo a moral examination. Even if Xiao Cai actually passed the county-level examination, his grandparents could easily cause a scene and have his degree revoked. Passing the county-level examination is incredibly difficult! Even though Madam Tang constantly boasted that Lu Chengyu was a reincarnation of the God of Literature, he still failed the exam.
Lu Lin sighed and said, "Then we'll think of something later."
Even if you force Xiaocai into the academy, it's not a good thing if she gets ostracized there; school violence is terrifying.
Chen Xiaomi paused for a moment, then said, "Studying isn't all that great." Chen Jing also studied, but he didn't seem to have much of a future. Most of the Chen family's profits went to his cousin. His grandparents practically doted on Chen Jing. Whenever Chen Jing asked his grandparents for money to buy writing materials, they would always grant his request.
In contrast, this family works themselves to the bone, and no matter how much money they earn, they have to hand it all over to the government.
Chen Xiaomi always felt that Chen Jing had a feminine air about him, and that he probably didn't study at all when he went to town, but instead went to brothels to fool around.
Many wealthy young men in town seem to regard going to brothels as a refined pursuit. Those young masters are not short of money, but if Chen Jing were to bear the cost of going to brothels, it would probably be a bit of a stretch.
Lu Lin thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait a bit longer. When the conditions are better, we can just hire a tutor." Lu Lin didn't expect Chen Xiaocai to be extremely learned; he just wanted her to be literate.
Another half month passed silently. During this time, they were busy with spring planting and finding suitable families for Lu Chengyu and Lu Tong. It was a chaotic period.
Someone from the Lu family came again, asking Lu Lin to go back to work. This time it was the old man.
"Lin boy, come back with me to work." The old man was used to giving orders at home, and when he met Lu Lin, he didn't know what politeness was. "You brat, you don't even listen to your grandpa anymore?"
"Grandpa, I'm still chopping firewood. If I don't finish today, I won't have dinner tonight."
"All you do is shirk your duties and make excuses." Old Master Lu was vaguely angered by Lu Lin.
If Lu Lin had initially said that Chen Xiaomi treated him badly, Grandpa Lu would have believed him, since everyone in the village knew Chen Xiaomi's temper. However, during this period, Lu Lin and Chen Xiaomi had been inseparable, chatting and laughing together. Lu Lin had even gained a lot of weight, and anyone with eyes could see that Lu Lin and Chen Xiaomi were getting along well.
"You brat, you've gotten married and you've become ungrateful. You've forgotten who raised you all these years," the old man said, somewhat exasperated.
Lu Lin sighed and said, "Of course I will not forget that it was the Lu family that raised me, but I am afraid that going back will bring back painful memories! I dreamed about my father a couple of days ago. He said that he died a terrible death. Many big knives were slashing at him. He was in so much pain. He couldn't even rest in peace after death. He died a miserable death outside and couldn't even be buried in the ancestral grave."
When the old man heard Lu Lin's words, his face changed immediately. Back then, he had hesitated to send his second son to the battlefield. However, his wife said that his second son was tough and would definitely be fine. He might even be able to earn some military merits. So the old man was tempted.
"Grandpa, my father was the most filial and missed you the most. Did he appear in your dream? Did he say anything to you?"
The old man glared at Lu Lin fiercely before slinking away.
Lu Lin watched the old man leave and gave a cold laugh.
Chen Xiaomi came out of the house, looked at Lu Lin, and said with some worry, "You just keep talking nonsense."
Lu Lin shrugged, thinking to himself: People in this era still have a great deal of awe for ghosts and gods. Chen Xiaomi knows that he is not the original Lu Lin, so he may be a little worried that he brought up the original owner's dead father as a cover.
Chen Xiaomi instinctively gripped Lu Lin's arm tightly.
"It's alright," Lu Lin said, patting Chen Xiaomi's hand reassuringly.
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