Zhang Zhaoci knew that children this age would talk about anything, especially things that adults considered private. These things might be good topics for conversation among children. This was actually a child's nature; they felt that adults talked like this every day, so they should talk like this when it came to themselves.
Zhang Zhaoci felt that Xu Zhi and the other young girls could only have a few years of easy life. They had to find husbands at fourteen or fifteen and get married at sixteen or seventeen. After marriage, they had to take care of the family's food, drink, and daily needs. If she became the eldest daughter-in-law, she would have to take care of the whole family. Don't be fooled by the seemingly powerful appearance of the wife in charge of the household; only she knows what kind of life she was going through.
Zhang Zhaoci knew that the girl from Xu Pu's family was Xu Mian, the third daughter of the family. She was probably the eldest child in the family, and her younger brother was quite close to her in age. She was very sensible from a young age. Xu Pu was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations) and he and Xu Rao took the Jinshi (a higher-level imperial examination) twice. They couldn't pass the Jinshi exams, so they relied on their family's influence to buy an eighth-rank official position. He was now in the Ministry of Revenue.
Although Chen's family had declined, she had learned poetry, calligraphy, and painting from her grandfather in her early years and was a talented woman. After getting married and having children, she had more free time because she didn't have to manage the household. In addition, she wanted to have more in common with her husband, so she didn't give up these things. She also started teaching her children at an early age. Xu Mian read a lot of books and learned a lot from the female tutor invited by the old lady. Now she is a well-known talented woman in the capital.
Zhang Zhaoci thought of Chen's family and realized that Xu Pu's reluctance to let his daughter marry into their family was understandable.
A few years ago, thanks to Master Chen, the Chen family was doing fairly well. Unfortunately, after Master Chen passed away, no one in the family could take over his connections. Gradually, the Chen family fell out of the upper echelons of the capital. Although the Chen family still lives in that large mansion, they are not good at practical matters, nor are they academically gifted. They are all self-righteous and think that as scholars, they should be aloof and not get involved in anything related to money. But the family still has to make a living. I heard that the Chen family has sold several shops in recent years.
Xu Pu was a very pragmatic person. Moreover, working in the Ministry of Revenue meant dealing with very practical matters. He looked down on the Chen family's ways and naturally did not want his child to marry into the Chen family. However, he couldn't reason with his wife. Xu Mian herself really liked her cousin from the Chen family.
Zhang Zhaoci was naturally unaware of these matters, but the old lady did. Because of this, Xu Pu went to the old lady's courtyard after dinner.
The younger generation in the family doesn't need to come to the old lady's place to pay their respects regularly. Whoever has time to come and visit is fine. This is what the old lady instructed. When she saw the second master of the mansion coming over with a sullen face, Granny Chen's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly helped Xu Pu lift the curtain.
After dinner, the old lady strolled around the courtyard twice and was sitting on the daybed drinking tea when she saw Xu Pu coming over. She quickly invited him to sit down and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
After Xu Pu bowed to the old lady, he said, "Grandmother, I have already eaten. How have you been these past few days?"
The old lady smiled and said, "I'm fine, don't worry about me. Just do your jobs well. You don't look well, is something wrong?"
Xu Pu said, "Grandmother, Madam Chen wants Mian'er to marry into the Chen family. I don't want to, but Madam Chen and Mian'er both want to."
After listening, the old lady pondered for a long time and then asked, "Why are you unwilling?"
Xu Pu said, "The Chen family is not a good place. I don't deny that the child in the Chen family is quite good, but the Chen family members are no good. Grandmother, you know Chen Shi. She doesn't know anything about household affairs. We are still in the Marquis's mansion now. After we separate from the family, with someone like her, our whole family will starve."
The old lady laughed and said, "Look at you, how can you talk like that? Chen has been married to you for so many years, and has given you children. Doesn't she deserve credit for her hard work? If she hasn't done well, you can talk to her slowly. In the future, you will have to watch your children get married and start their own families, and spend the rest of your lives together."
Xu Pu shook his head and said, "Grandmother, it's not that I look down on her, it's just that she's really not cut out for it. I've saved up some money over the years, and I told her to buy a small shop and run it slowly, so that we could have some property for the family. But she said that while her parents are alive, their children can't have private property. Doesn't she think about the fact that we will eventually move out? Instead of thinking about how to make a living in the future, how can she spend her days thinking about how to write poetry and paint?"
The old lady said, "I know you mean well, but don't be in such a hurry."
Xu Pu shook his head and said, "Grandmother, I'm already over thirty. My eldest daughter will soon be looking for a husband, and my son will be looking for a wife. These are all things that will be settled in two or three years. With you here, we can live in the Marquis's mansion legitimately. But what about the future? Grandmother, can you help Mian'er find a good family? I don't expect Mian'er to marry into a wealthy family, just a well-off one, so we can live a peaceful life together. I don't want her to be like the Chen family, who always have to put on airs. They look good on the surface, but they're all empty inside."
The old lady sighed and said, "Pu'er, I know what you mean, but marriage is all about mutual consent. Mian'er is currently focused on her cousin. What I'm afraid of is that helping her find a husband won't lead to marriage, but rather to enmity."
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