Chapter 2401: Marriage
It's no secret that Zhou Man and Bai Shan are engaged. Nine out of ten people in the capital know about them, and the remaining one is probably just naive.
Although the old lady who asked this question was not from the capital, she knew that she was asking this question just to lead to the next question.
After Manbao said he was engaged, the old ladies' eyes all fell on Zhou Liru. They smiled and said, "Is this Master Zhou's niece? She's really pretty. How old is she this year? Is she engaged?"
Zhou Liru glanced at his aunt, held his breath, and lowered his head after his face turned red.
Manbao saw it and quickly said, "She is still young, there is no need to rush."
"Since she's about the same age as Master Zhou, we can postpone the marriage for two years, but we can get engaged."
"Yes, a girl can start talking about marriage after she turns thirteen, otherwise all the good men will be picked up by others."
Manbao looked around and found that they were surrounded. Now they couldn't find a good reason to run away, so they simply took up arms and asked, "Does the old lady have any good candidates to recommend?"
When the other person saw her asking, his eyes were startled for a moment, and he immediately said, "Yes, I have a nephew who is about the same age as her and is very handsome. He came with me to the wedding banquet this time. If Master Zhou is willing, I will let him come in to meet you."
Manbao laughed and said, "Old Madam is too impatient. They are still young and there is no need to rush to see each other. However, we adults can help take a look first. I wonder what the family is like?"
The other party immediately introduced himself as a relative of the Liu family in Jinyang. His family was an official in Jinyang. Although the official was not high-ranking, only the fifth rank, it was quite respectable.
Manbao listened with a smile and asked, "What's your nephew's name? Which school is he attending now?"
"His name is Liu Yi. He's very mature, so he's working for his brother now," the old lady said with a smile. "Master Zhou, you can tell at first glance that he's a good-looking man, tall and strong. Just looking at his face, he's a perfect match for your niece."
Manbao raised his eyebrows slightly, brought the tea and said with a smile: "He is a good child, but my Liru still needs to study. It will probably take him another three or four years before he can barely graduate."
Manbao tried hard to recall the words her mother had said when she rejected the marriage proposals for her fourth and fifth brothers, thinking it over. After a moment's deliberation, she said, "If you ask me, a girl shouldn't be so anxious to get married. Even though she's a girl, she should still cultivate her skills so that when she leaves her parents in the future and can support herself, she won't have to worry about anything."
The old lady was stunned and forced a smile, saying, "Why would a family like ours need a daughter-in-law to go out and earn a living?"
The old lady also agreed with the others, but Mrs. Liu looked at Zhou Man in surprise.
Manbao smiled and said, "That's true. It's not shameful to be able to support myself and my family. What's more, I'm doing something I like, which makes me even happier."
An old lady hesitated for a moment, then said, "Women should focus on supporting their husbands and raising their children."
Man Bao smiled and said, "Of course they have to support their husbands and raise their children, just like men have to work hard to gain a good career and provide for their wives and children. If the husbands take up official positions, we can help them in their careers. This is supporting the husbands. We have read a lot and experienced a lot, so we can better teach them when we have children. Isn't that right, old lady?"
Old ladies: ...
Zhou Liru nodded repeatedly and whispered, "The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess like my aunt, and they also like my uncle-in-law very much."
This was a heavy blow, and no one could say that Zhou Man was wrong because this was indeed "supporting the husband".
The old ladies looked at Zhou Liru, whose eyes were shining, and knew that this person was the same as Zhou Man, so their intention to act as a matchmaker faded a lot.
Madam Liu suddenly became enthusiastic. She glanced at the dessert plates beside the aunt and niece, then turned and ordered the servants, "Go to the kitchen and ask for a plate of dessert that's not too sweet. I want crispy pork, and I want it hot from the pan."
The Liu family rarely served crispy pork as a snack to guests, but the servants were only stunned for a moment before bowing and retreating.
Madam Liu turned around to meet the gazes of the older sisters and said with a smile, "Two young girls, they must have good appetites. It's been a while since dinner, so it's a good time for them to replenish their energy."
Mrs. Liu smiled and asked Zhou Liru, "Is studying medicine tiring?"
Zhou Liru shook his head, "Not tired."
"Silly child, studying is tiring. My son... doesn't complain of being tired, but it hurts to see him getting up early and going to bed late to study."
Manbao almost choked on his tea.
She coughed twice and put down her teacup. Madam Liu smiled and said, "Although he never complains about the hardship or tiredness of studying, he tends to slack off if no one is watching. Thanks to your care and supervision during last year's trip to the Western Regions, he was able to pass the Mingjing exam this time. By the way, what books did he read along the way?"
Zhou Liru could actually answer this question, because along the way, she had been studying and listening to lectures in front of Mr. Zhuang with them. Unfortunately, her academic performance was the worst, so she and Liu Huan were always left alone to recite the text.
Zhou Liru then said, "I have learned six passages from the 'Edict of King Kang' and the 'Edict of Marquis Wen', and a few passages from the Book of Songs. The rest are just homework."
Mrs. Liu's eyes lit up when she saw how clearly she explained it. She paused and smiled, "Then what is the first chapter of 'King Kang's Edict'?"
This question-and-answer format was so similar to Mr. Zhuang's that Zhou Liru tensed his spine and said, "It's called 'Bi Ming'. King Kang ordered the Bi to be made, and they lived separately in the villages, forming Zhou suburbs, and wrote 'Bi Ming'."
The old ladies standing by were stunned when they heard this, especially Liu Yi's great-aunt. Looking at Madam Liu's happy face, she couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
She lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then looked up and said to Zhou Man with a smile, "Master Zhou, I have a little grandson who is studying in the county school. It's a pity that he is not coming to the capital this time, otherwise, Master Zhou could let him meet him."
Before Zhou Man could say anything, Madam Liu interrupted and said with a smile, "So this is fate. Next time, sister-in-law, bring him here. I'll ask his cousin to show him around the capital."
Madam Liu suddenly frowned slightly and said to Manbao, "Huan'er was drunk before, right?"
Manbao nodded.
Madam Liu sighed and said, "It's hard for you to take care of him. I've heard everything he said. You encountered many hardships and dangers on your journey west. You went through life and death to reach the Western Regions, and it took a long time to return to the capital from the Western Regions."
Manbao immediately said that this was what she should do. After all, she was the chief officer and naturally had to protect the people accompanying her as much as possible.
He added, "He also helped the delegation a lot, otherwise Your Majesty would not have granted him the title of County Baron."
See you at nine in the evening. It's so cold today. It's been raining all the time. I wish I could stay in bed forever.
(End of this chapter)
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