"Sit down."
Gu Jiu scolded Gu Yue harshly.
"Third sister, don't you see where we are? This is the meeting hall, not a place for you to act like a spoiled child. How dare you hit someone with an abacus? How outrageous!"
"What right do you have to scold me? Big sister scolded me, why didn't you care? I wanted to hit someone, and you interfered with me?"
Gu Yue was furious.
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Zhen who was laughing with sharp eyes.
Gu Zhen met Gu Jiu's gaze, her smile froze on her face, and she slowly lowered her head, not daring to laugh openly anymore.
Gu Jiu said seriously, "No matter what the reason is, you can't hit anyone. Qingmei, take the abacus from the third lady's hand."
Qingmei followed orders, stepped forward, and said, "Third Miss, I'm sorry."
Then Qingmei forcibly pried open Gu Yue's fingers and took the abacus from her hand.
Gu Yue sat down dejectedly, very unhappy, and said aggrievedly: "Second sister, are you satisfied now?"
Gu Jiu was too lazy to pay attention to Gu Yue.
She even felt wronged. I really don't know where she got the nerve to do that.
She looked at the eldest wife, Zhang, and bowed slightly, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Auntie."
Mrs. Zhang, the eldest wife, felt a little guilty. "It's my fault for neglecting to bring this up."
Then, Zhang said solemnly with a stern face, "Miss Zhen, Miss Yue, you two are sisters. You scolded and hit each other in front of everyone. You don't even take me, your aunt, seriously. Xiaojiu was right to scold you. You are just being presumptuous."
Gu Zhen and Gu Yue both lowered their heads and pretended to admit their mistakes.
The eldest wife, Zhang, snorted coldly, "I don't know how my second brother and his wife disciplined you. But under my watch, I won't tolerate your insolence. If you dare to do this again, you won't be allowed to come to the council hall to help manage the household. The council hall is small and can't accommodate the two of you."
"Aunt, I know I was wrong. Please give us another chance." Gu Zhen looked humble and submissive.
"Aunt, I will never dare to do it again." Gu Yue looked like she had been wronged and was about to cry.
Zhang said with a cold face, "Alright, alright, you're still feeling wronged. This matter ends here, and you are not allowed to mention it again."
"yes!"
As the Spring Festival approaches, there are many things to do in the mansion.
Gu Jiu and her sisters were very busy following the eldest wife Zhang every day.
As for Mrs. Xie, she has been in a bad mood. She looks sick and listless.
The doctor examined her several times and said she was depressed and frustrated, and advised her to be more open-minded.
Mrs. Xie nodded, seemingly having listened to the doctor's words.
But as soon as the doctor left, Mrs. Xie said, "It's not easy to be more open-minded. It's easier said than done. I can't let it go."
Chun He advised, "Madam, the third lady's marriage has been decided, so don't worry about it."
Xie laughed at herself, "That's easy to say. Yue'er's dowry alone would cost me my life."
Xie was unhappy.
Gu Yue was betrothed to Zhao Erlang, and Xie had been holding back her anger, unable to vent it.
But she couldn't show it openly, and had to do her best to prepare the dowry for Gu Yue.
As a legitimate daughter, Gu Yue married the second legitimate son of the Earl's family, so her dowry must not be less than 20,000 taels.
At least 25,000 taels and 120 sets of dowry must be prepared.
Xie rubbed her eyebrows.
If she had planned this marriage, she would be willing to prepare the dowry for Gu Yue.
However, this marriage was planned by Gu Yue himself, and Xie was a little resentful when she was preparing the dowry.
I feel resentful but have no way to vent it.
No wonder Mrs. Xie was in low spirits all day and had no time to discuss the distribution of housekeeping power with Mrs. Zhang, the first wife.
The maid Dongmei came in from outside, "Madam, a matchmaker has come to visit."
Mrs. Xie was stunned for a moment. "What matchmaker? Is there no one in the mansion who wants to get married? Are you looking for the eldest wife?"
Dongmei shook her head. "The matchmaker said herself that she would discuss the marriage with my wife."
Mrs. Xie frowned, "Did you ask the matchmaker whose marriage she came to propose to? Whose marriage is she discussing?"
"I asked, but the matchmaker didn't tell me. She said she would tell me after she met the lady."
Xie snorted coldly, "Even matchmakers dare to make trouble these days. Who gives them the face?"
Chun He hurriedly advised, "Madam, you should meet the matchmaker. The matchmaker is a bit of a gossip. If you don't meet him, I'm worried that he'll make up some nonsense and ruin the girls' reputations."
After a pause, Chun He continued, "Madam, the fourth young lady's marriage has not yet been arranged."
The implication is that for Gu Shan's sake, Xie should not offend the matchmaker.
Even though matchmakers are considered low class, they go from street to street, visiting every household, and are so well-informed that ordinary people can only admit defeat.
Many of the private affairs of wealthy families were spread by them, and the reputations of many young girls were also ruined by them.
The best strategy is to keep your distance from these matchmakers and give them generous rewards.
As long as you use money to shut them up, they will keep their word and basically won't talk nonsense outside.
Xie frowned, "Go and invite the matchmaker over, and I'll meet him reluctantly."
"yes!"
Dongmei went to ask for help and soon found Li the matchmaker.
Matchmaker Li has a typical matchmaker's face, and her speech and actions are very exaggerated.
"Congratulations, ma'am. Congratulations, ma'am."
Xie raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Why are you so happy?"
Without waiting to be called, Matchmaker Li sat down on the chair and said, "Madam, you may not know, but someone has taken a fancy to your second daughter and asked me to be a matchmaker."
"Are you interested in my second daughter?" Xie was surprised.
Even that sickly Gu Jiu was actually liked by someone, who even asked someone to come to his house to act as a matchmaker.
Xie immediately became interested. "Which family has taken a fancy to my second daughter? Tell us quickly."
Matchmaker Li smiled and said, "To be honest, madam, the family that likes your second daughter is from a very wealthy and noble family. They said they are not picky about anything else, but they like your second daughter's intelligence and virtue."
"Stop keeping us in suspense. Which family is it?" Xie said impatiently.
Matchmaker Li smiled complacently, and then said mysteriously: "It was the wife of the Marquis of Lu who asked me to come to your house to propose marriage. She said that she wanted to marry her youngest son to your second daughter.
Madam, I am not talking nonsense, am I? The Marquis of Lu is one of the richest and most powerful families in the capital. He commands a large army and holds a high position of power. Many families want to curry favor with the Marquis of Lu but cannot.
Now, the wife of the Marquis of Lu has taken a fancy to the second daughter of your family. Tsk tsk, your second daughter is so lucky. She is about to marry into a wealthy family and enjoy a happy life.
Xie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you saying that Lady Lu has asked you to propose marriage?"
"Exactly! Madam, this is a match you wouldn't find even if you searched with a lantern. Just give me a nod, and I promise to help you make it happen."
Matchmaker Li patted her chest, looking as if everything was under her control.
Matchmaker Li thought that as long as Xie was not stupid, she would definitely agree to such a good marriage.
Next, the two families can discuss the engagement.
As soon as the marriage is settled, she will receive a generous amount of money as a thank you to the matchmaker.
Matchmaker Li felt happy when she thought about how generous the wife of Marquis Lu was.
Xie was in a complicated mood. Lady Lu actually fell in love with Gu Jiu. This was no joke. How could it be possible?
Is Lady Lu a blind person? Why would she fall for Gu Jiu?
Chun He secretly reminded Xie, and Xie came back to her senses, coughed lightly, and asked, "Did Madam Lu Hou say anything else?"
Matchmaker Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, Madam. I've seen the youngest son of the Marquis of Lu with my own eyes. He's handsome, has practiced martial arts since childhood, and already serves in the army. He's a true talent. He and your second daughter are a perfect match, a match made in heaven."
By the way, Madam, would you like to invite the second young lady from your family out so that I can take a look at her for the Marquis of Lu’s family as well?”
Mrs. Xie smiled and said, "My second daughter has been weak since she was young. It's cold today and she can't stand the wind. It's better not to let her go out."
oh!
Matchmaker Li said "oh" meaningfully, secretly observing Xie's expression and trying to guess what she was thinking.
Matchmaker Li had already found out everything about the Gu Mansion's situation before she came.
The second Miss Gu was born to the original wife, and Xie was the second wife.
It's easy to imagine how much the second wife dislikes the children left by the original wife.
When Xie heard that the daughter left by the original wife was going to marry into a wealthy family, she would definitely be unhappy.
Matchmaker Li smiled and said, "Madam, you are right. Young girls are delicate and cannot go out in such cold weather. So, what do you think of the marriage at the Marquis of Lu's mansion? This is a good match that you can't find even with a lantern. If you miss this opportunity, you won't have such a good opportunity next time."
Xie smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will carefully consider this marriage. However, the children's marriages still need the approval of my master.
How about this, you go back first, and I'll send someone to invite you to my house in a couple of days to personally tell you what my master thinks."
Matchmaker Li laughed. "You are indeed very thoughtful, Madam. This is a matter concerning the marriage of your second daughter, and it deserves careful consideration. In that case, I will take my leave."
"Wait a minute!"
Xie suddenly called out to Matchmaker Li.
Matchmaker Li smiled and asked, "Madam, do you have any other instructions?"
Xie pondered for a moment and asked, "Is the wife of the Marquis of Lu really interested in my second daughter?"
"Of course it's true." Matchmaker Li said very seriously.
Mrs. Xie smiled and said, "Then I'm relieved. With so many girls in the family, except for the third girl, none of them are married yet. As a mother, I'm terribly worried. I'm afraid this will hinder the children's future."
Matchmaker Li came up immediately and said, "Madam, are you looking for a match for your children? Leave it to me. If you have a crush on a young man, just tell me and I'll run errands for you."
Mrs. Xie smiled and said, "My sons' marriages are still uncertain. Especially the third son, he's not young anymore. Can you help me find a match?"
"Of course! Which girl does the madam fancy?"
"I'm not very familiar with the girls in the capital. Can you introduce them to me first?"
The two people chatted together.
Matchmaker Li introduced families one by one, and most of them were families of equal status to the Gu family, and some were even lower in status than the Gu family.
Matchmaker Li did not introduce any family to any family whose status was higher than that of the Gu family.
Marrying a daughter of a higher status and marrying a daughter-in-law of a lower status is an old rule.
When Gu Ting married, he could only marry a girl of equal status, or even a girl of lower status. If he wanted to marry a girl of higher status than the Gu family, he would have to be very lucky.
Therefore, when matchmaker Li introduced the girls, she was very pragmatic and directly filtered out the girls from high-class families.
Xie listened very carefully. It was obvious that she was really thinking about arranging a marriage for Gu Ting.
The two chatted for half an hour and even changed the tea twice.
Xie said to Matchmaker Li in a particularly affectionate manner, "Thanks to you, otherwise I would be like a blind man, unable to tell who are the rich and powerful families in the capital."
Matchmaker Li smiled and said, "There are many wealthy families in the capital, and the relationships are complicated, with relatives connected to relatives. Madam, you have just returned to the capital, so it is understandable that you are not clear about these relationships for the time being. Madam, you are worried, but with more time, you will be able to sort out these relationships."
"I hope so. The Marquis of Lu's wife has given birth to three legitimate sons and one legitimate daughter for him. She is truly blessed. Has the Marquis of Lu's second legitimate son married?"
"We are currently discussing marriage, and the marriage should be finalized soon."
Xie said "oh" with an unclear expression.
As a shrewd person, matchmaker Li naturally saw through Xie's thoughts.
But she wouldn't say anything now.
The person who invited her was the wife of the Marquis of Lu, and she would only work for Xie unless she could offer more benefits.
Xie asked again, "The youngest son of the Marquis of Lu's mansion is not very old, right?"
"After the New Year, I'll be seventeen."
Mrs. Xie nodded. "He's only seventeen, not too old. He's a good match for my second daughter in terms of age, but I'm not sure what his personality is like."
My second daughter has been weak and sickly since she was young, and has a sensitive temperament. If she meets a careless boy, I am worried that she will be wronged."
Matchmaker Li flattered him, "Madam is truly kind. You're truly worried."
"To marry into such a family, the requirements for a girl are not only to be smart and virtuous, but also to be sensible and well-mannered, and to be in good health."
"Madam, you are absolutely right."
Xie smiled and said, "I was just saying that. When you meet the wife of the Marquis of Lu, please give her my regards."
"Don't worry, ma'am. I'll definitely deliver your greetings."
Matchmaker Li stood up to say goodbye, and Xie asked Chunhe to see her out.
Chun He escorted Matchmaker Li to the gate and handed her a purse, "This is a little gift from my wife."
Matchmaker Li pinched the thickness of the purse and immediately smiled happily, "Madam, you are so thoughtful."
Chun He said, "My fourth daughter is not young anymore, but her marriage has not been planned yet. My wife has lost her appetite because of this. If you find a suitable husband, please don't forget my wife and the fourth daughter."
Matchmaker Li grinned, "Don't worry, Miss Chunhe. I'll never forget the Madam and the Fourth Miss, even if I forget anyone else. You can rest assured. The Fourth Miss's marriage is in my hands."
"There is also the third young master's marriage." Chunhe reminded.
Matchmaker Li readily agreed, "I know, I know. I will definitely not forget it."
For the sake of money, I will not forget it.
After seeing off Matchmaker Li, Chunhe returned to Furongyuan.
"Has Matchmaker Li left?" asked Mrs. Xie.
Chun He nodded, "Matchmaker Li has already been sent away. I reminded her, and she said she would take Madam's instructions to heart."
Xie frowned, looking unhappy.
"What is Madam worried about?"
Xie was furious. "Back when I was in the northwest, I tried my best to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Lu, but not only did it fail, I also lost so much and even made the master furious. Now, without any effort, the Marquis of Lu actually took the initiative to come to my house for a marriage alliance. It's really..." She was so angry.
Xie was upset and her face turned ugly.
Chun He hurriedly advised, "After all, the Northwest is a bitterly cold place, and there aren't many options. Fortunately, now that we're back in the capital, the marriages of the young ladies and young masters will be sorted out one by one. Madam, you should relax."
Mrs. Xie gritted her teeth, "Madam Lu has no eyes. Not only does she dislike Yue'er, but she also doesn't like Shan'er. Yet, she chooses that sickly girl Gu Jiu. What kind of vision is this? What's so good about that damned girl Gu Jiu that she deserves the initiative of the dignified Madam Lu to marry her?"
Chun He was full of praise, thinking that the second young lady was quite good, good at accounting, managing the household, and good-looking, tall, and that she had recovered from her illness. It was normal that Lady Lu Hou did not despise the Gu family's low status and fell in love with the second young lady.
Of course, Chunhe only dared to say these words secretly in her heart and never dared to say them out loud.
Chunhe was still clear about Xie's thoughts.
Chun He advised: "The fourth lady is going to be the mistress of the house, so there is no need for Madam to keep an eye on the marriage in the Marquis of Lu's mansion.
Even if the second young lady married into the family, she would be just one of the many young ladies. No matter how capable she was, she would never be able to manage the household affairs.
The eldest young lady of the Marquis of Lu's mansion is no pushover, and her brothers from her natal family are all promising. If the second young lady marries into the mansion, she will definitely not be able to compete with the eldest young lady of the Marquis of Lu's mansion."
Xie was feeling depressed. She didn't hide it at all and said directly, "I cannot accept Gu Jiu marrying into the Marquis of Lu's mansion. Why is she valued by the Marquis of Lu and married better than Yue'er?"
Chun He asked cautiously, "Madam, do you want the fourth daughter to marry into the Marquis of Lu's Mansion instead of the second daughter, or do you consciously reject the Marquis of Lu's Mansion's proposal?"
Xie frowned, "Let me think about this again."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
Gongzi Zhao: How dare you compete with me for my wife? Are you looking for death?
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