Chen thought of her mother-in-law, who was a person with a rather weak presence. In fact, the entire second branch of the family had a rather weak presence. The important life events of her children really had to be left to the eldest branch of the family.
Thinking about her eldest daughter Xu Mian's age, Madam Chen couldn't sit still. She pondered this in her room for a long time before finally making up her mind and going to the old lady's courtyard.
It was afternoon, and the old lady had already woken up from her afternoon nap. After washing her face, she heard that Chen was coming over, so she asked Chen to go to her usual resting place and pulled Chen to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Madam Chen was quite open-minded and got straight to the point, saying, "Grandmother, I've come today to discuss my son Mian'er's marriage with you and would like to ask for your advice."
Upon hearing this, the old lady asked with great interest, "Are you looking for a good family for them?"
Madam Chen said, "Grandmother, not yet. I've discussed it with Mian'er's father, and we want to find a suitable candidate for Mian'er from among the poor scholars."
After listening, the old lady pondered for a long time and said, "In this case, character is of utmost importance. Our family has been a noble family for a hundred years, and our status is well-established. However, while we enjoy this supreme glory, we are also accompanied by great risks. We are looking for husbands for our daughters in order to find someone who can always love and care for our children, someone who will treat our children the same even if our noble family falls into decline."
Madam Chen nodded and said, "Grandmother is right. Mian'er's father told me that we are not familiar with such people and wanted to ask our eldest young master to help inquire about them. It doesn't matter what their family background is, as long as they are of good character and well-educated."
The old lady said, "Di Ge'er should be in the study in the front yard right now. Gui Xiang, send someone to invite the eldest young master over. Tell him I have something urgent to discuss with him."
Granny Shen agreed and sent a nimble person to the front yard to find Xu Di.
In the past few days, besides helping the steward of the mansion to arrange Xu Tao's wedding, Xu Di has been in charge of the renovation of his new courtyard. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he and Li Yuexi will continue to live in the courtyard. Even if he is selected as an official and goes to take up a post in another place, he will still have a place for himself. Therefore, Xu Di has requested that the renovation of many places be done perfectly from the start.
The young maid sent from the old lady's courtyard, who hadn't yet grown her hair back, was quick-witted and explained clearly what Granny Shen had arranged for her to come and find Xu Di. However, the maid didn't know the specifics of what the urgent matter was.
Xu Di quickly put aside what he was doing and ran to the backyard in a flash.
When the old lady saw that Xu Di's face was flushed from rushing here, she scolded him, "Quickly take a handkerchief and wipe your face. I only said that I had something urgent to ask you to come, not that you had to run all the way here."
Granny Shen had already handed him a warm handkerchief. Xu Di wiped his hands and said, "I was just worried that Grandmother would get impatient. Second Aunt is here too."
Madam Chen smiled and nodded, watching Xu Di's handsome face flush slightly with anxiety, making him look even more dashing. However, this dashing handsomeness was not at all effeminate. Indeed, although the Third Master of the manor was a very low-key person, spending most of his time at home studying, Madam Chen had heard that this uncle was the most handsome among all the brothers in the manor. And his wife, who usually liked to immerse herself in herbs, was also the most beautiful among all the sisters-in-law in the manor if she dressed up properly. How could their children not be good-looking?
Chen nodded to Xu Di as she thought to herself. Xu Di was a little puzzled that the old lady had called him over because of an urgent matter, but his second aunt was sitting there. After thinking about it, he realized that the reason she had called him over must be related to Xu Mian's marriage.
Xu Di had considered everyone in the manor. For Chen Shi and Xu Pu, the most worrying thing was probably the marriage of their children. After all, they were just the children of the Yongning Marquis's brother, and their relationship with the Marquis was even more distant. This position was actually very awkward. Not to mention that none of the three children in the family were outstanding individuals, they were not interested in those from good families, and Chen Shi and Xu Pu, whose social status was too low, were unwilling to marry them.
Xu Di quickly realized that Madam Chen probably wanted to choose a husband for Xu Mian from among the poor scholars, someone capable and promising, to support her well, and perhaps even benefit from it in the future.
Knowing what had happened, Xu Di felt relieved and sat down with a smile on a grand chair in front of the kang (a heated brick bed).
The old lady didn't mince words and went straight to the point, saying, "Di'er, I was just talking to your second aunt about your third sister's marriage. Your third sister isn't an arrogant or domineering person. Your second uncle and aunt are worried that she might be bullied if she marries into a wealthy family. So they're thinking of choosing one from among the scholars from humble backgrounds. I called you here to ask you if any of the scholars you usually associate with are suitable for our Mian'er."
Xu Di smiled and said, "Grandmother, this matter is really difficult for me. Although I am a candidate for the imperial examination, I don't usually go out and socialize much. Most of the candidates from the same cohort have already taken the metropolitan examination, or they have been selected as officials, or they have returned to their hometowns after being appointed. It's really not easy to find someone like this in a short time."
The old lady smiled and said, "Did I ask you to bring the person to me right away? You should keep a close eye on him. We don't ask for much else, but his character must be reliable. A girl's marriage is like being reborn. If she encounters a wolf in sheep's clothing, our Mian'er's life will be ruined."
Xu Di smiled and said, "Grandmother, I can't make a big promise and say that I can definitely find someone for you. How about this, if I think someone is suitable, I'll invite them to our house for a visit. Then you and my second aunt can take a good look at them. What do you think?"
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