Five days passed in the blink of an eye. Shi Lan was taking Mo Yun's measurements, preparing to make him a quilted coat, when someone knocked on the door. Uncle Wang answered, and Aunt Wang came over to report that Granny Liu had come to visit.
Shi Lan had been waiting for news from Granny Liu for days. When she heard that the person had come to her door, she was overjoyed. She quickly tidied up the fabric on the kang (a heated brick bed), pushed Mo Yun to sit in the main seat, and ordered Aunt Wang to invite the person in.
Soon, Granny Liu came in with a happy face, and before she could even sit down, she called out enthusiastically, "Madam Mo, this old woman has come to congratulate you."
Shi Lan ordered Aunt Wang to serve tea, then greeted Granny Liu and introduced her to Mo Yun, saying, "This is my husband."
Granny Liu looked Mo Yun up and down, secretly praising his good looks, and exchanged a few pleasantries with him.
Mo Yun was impatient with dealing with these gossipy matchmakers who roamed the streets, so he gave a curt reply and then fell silent.
Over the years, Granny Liu has been going from house to house, and she has met countless people. She has seen at least eighty to a hundred men who are not good at talking.
Seeing that Mo Yun was so quiet, she didn't mind. After greeting him, she turned to Shi Lan and started talking about the main topic.
"Madam Mo, the family I chose for your daughter was one I carefully selected. They are well-off, owning fifty acres of fertile land and several acres of dry land. Besides the old man, there are only two brothers. The old lady passed away years ago, and now the eldest sister-in-law manages the household. The two brothers are very capable, handling farm work exceptionally well. The old man is also in good health, not only does he not need anyone to take care of him, but he can also lend a hand. Let me put it this way, your daughter will only need to serve her husband well; she won't have to worry about anything else. She'll be living a life of pure bliss."
Aunt Wang brought over some tea. Granny Liu, who had been walking briskly in the sweltering heat, had a sore throat. She took a sip and downed half a bowl, feeling much better. She then caught her breath and continued, "I told them about your daughter's situation. The old man is a reasonable man. He not only doesn't care that she has no living relatives, but he also admires her elder brother's loyalty and bravery in sacrificing himself for the country. He said he would definitely treat his sister well, and if his son treats her badly, he will stand up for her."
After saying that, Granny Liu looked at Shi Lan and said, "So, with such an old man as a pillar of strength, isn't this marriage a good match?"
Shi Lan subconsciously wanted to nod, but fortunately she reacted quickly and stopped. This was her first time acting as a matchmaker, and she didn't know anything about the ins and outs. She had previously said that her sixth aunt would be in charge, but this old woman Liu came directly to her. She didn't know if she could agree, so she turned to look at Mo Yun.
Mo Yun pondered for a moment, then asked, "Has the matchmaker been seen with that second son? What does he look like? Is he a good person?"
Granny Liu nodded, "Of course I've seen him. With an old man like that, his temperament is impeccable, he's kind-hearted, that's all..."
Granny Liu hesitated for a moment.
Upon hearing this, Shi Lan hurriedly asked, "What happened to your appearance?"
Granny Liu forced a smile and said, "His second son was funny when he was little. He got scratched by a dog and has a scar on his face."
Shi Lan's eyes widened suddenly, and Granny Liu quickly added, "He's not that old. He's grown up over the years, but he still has a freckle. He doesn't look as handsome as your husband." She said, "But what we country folk care about is eating well and dressing warmly. Looks are all superficial. It's good to have them, but it doesn't matter if you don't. Don't you think so?"
Shi Lan pursed her lips and looked up at Mo Yun.
To be honest, this place was indeed quite nice, but who knew that person had such a problem? Now Shi Lan was even more hesitant to make a decision.
Mo Yun frowned, thought for a while, and felt that these conditions were already the best here. It would be a pity to refuse them so easily, so he said, "Please ask the matchmaker to tell me the family's name, and I'll go over there to take a look secretly. As for whether to arrange a marriage, I'll discuss it with the matchmaker after I meet the people, how about that?"
Granny Liu knew that if things went wrong, people would look down on her. As soon as she accepted the matchmaking job, she thought she could just cover it up. However, the old man insisted that the woman must know about the man's situation, so this turn of events was actually within Granny Liu's expectations.
After briefly stating the family name and village, Granny Liu left with a sullen face, flicking her handkerchief.
Shi Lan followed her around with a smile and kind words, saying that she would inform her as soon as she had definite news. Before leaving, she secretly slipped Liu Pozi a piece of silver. Only then did Liu Pozi's expression soften.
As Shi Lan closed the door, she frowned. Just as she was about to go in, Zhou Yuxiu appeared out of nowhere.
"I knew you had ill intentions, and I was right."
Shi Lan ignored her, glanced at her impatiently, and walked past her to go inside. Zhou Yuxiu, limping, blocked her way and said, "Don't even think about it. Let me tell you, I'm not getting married."
Shi Lan said impatiently, "It's up to you whether you get married or not. You can stay single if you want, but don't do it in my house. Dressed all red and green like a pretty girl, people might think it's your choice, but they'd think we're preventing you from getting married and 'forcing' you to want a man."
Zhou Yuxiu's face flushed red. After all, she was a naive girl who had never experienced love, and to be described in such a way was undoubtedly an insult.
But she couldn't say anything, since she was indeed dressed very brightly.
Shi Lan gave her a cold look, then raised her hand to push her aside, lifted the curtain, and went into the room.
Hearing her words outside, Mo Yun lowered his voice and said, "Weren't you being a bit harsh with your words?"
Shi Lan knew she had overreacted, but she didn't regret it. No one would be happy to be a rival who coveted her man.
Thinking that Mo Yun hadn't handled things well and was now blaming her, Shi Lan snorted irritably, "I'm being polite. She knew about our family's situation from the very first day she arrived, but she acted like she didn't know. She dressed as brightly as possible every day. If she weren't a man, would she dress like that?"
Shi Lan's words were loaded with meaning. Everyone in the family knew what Zhou Yuxiu was thinking; it was obvious who she was thinking about.
Mo Yun didn't know how to respond, so he just coughed twice, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it without any taste.
Shi Lan took out the work she had done earlier and said angrily, "What are you drinking? Get up now, I haven't finished measuring yet."
Mo Yun felt guilty. Faced with Shi Lan's irritable reprimand, he quickly put down his teacup and stood obediently in front of her. To make it easier for her, he stretched out his arms and stood motionless like a scarecrow.
Shi Lan didn't stop her, and just measured slowly and methodically, even measuring it again after each measurement.
Mo Yun had been measured by Shi Lan a few days ago and knew the approximate time. After standing for a while, seeing that Shi Lan was still busy with something in a serious manner, he understood after just a moment's thought.
Mo Yun's lips curled up slightly. He knew she was angry and was just playing tricks on him, but he was willing to be tricked by her. So he raised his arm until Shi Lan felt that she had calmed down, and then slowly lowered it.
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