The boys all go to school during the day, so the house is much quieter.
Mu Yi'an still prefers quiet days; she's not used to noise.
After Sister-in-law Mu arrived in the prefectural city, she visited Uncle Mu's house once.
These past few years, Aunt Mu has not been living a happy life either.
The eldest son finally passed the imperial examination in the spring. Although he was only a junior scholar, it was still a way to give back to his years of hard work.
The couple took their child to their new post, but haven't achieved anything yet; they'll just have to wait it out.
The second son, Ziyu, failed the exam last time and is still studying at the academy. It's unknown whether he will pass the next autumn exam.
The worst off is my daughter, Yi Si. We've been married for so many years and have had two children, but she's still unreliable in her words and actions, and she speaks without thinking.
She doesn't get along well with her husband's sisters-in-law and sisters-in-law. Her son-in-law passed the county-level imperial examination but failed the provincial-level examination twice.
Like his own family, Si Po's family were both minor officials in the government, with limited assets.
The whole family lived in cramped conditions, and it was noisy and chaotic.
Thinking about how her daughter, who always goes back to her parents' home to cry and complain, and demands this and that, and is always comparing herself to Yi'an, how could she possibly compare?
Sigh, over the years, if it weren't for my older brother's support, I would have struggled to make ends meet.
While at Aunt Mu's house, Sister-in-law Mu witnessed Mu Yisi's tantrum and secretly rejoiced that she had a capable and easy-going sister-in-law.
When Sister-in-law Mu returned to the Jiang residence, she told Yi'an about Mu Yisi.
"Yi'an, I remember that Yi's husband's family were also officials, right? Why do I feel like she's not doing well?"
"Did my sister-in-law run into Mu Yisi at my third aunt's house?"
Mu Yi'an and this cousin didn't have much contact. The two had incompatible personalities and couldn't talk to each other.
"Yes, she wanted to buy something and asked her third aunt for money, but her third aunt disagreed."
Ziyu's wife was secretly pouting. She was probably unhappy because Yisi had gone back to freeload, but she didn't know what to say.
"It seems that being a minor official isn't so easy, Yi'an."
Sister-in-law Mu felt that her third aunt's family, Yi Si's husband's family, were not doing very well either.
She knew that her father-in-law would send some money to her third uncle's family every year.
“In the imperial court, every official’s salary is limited. Not to mention minor officials like my third uncle, even high-ranking officials in the capital don’t have enough salary to cover their family’s expenses.”
If you don't have any family wealth and don't want to take money from dubious sources, you have to live frugally.
Mu Yi'an knew that life wasn't easy for minor officials below the fifth rank in the capital.
Living in the capital is not easy.
If Jiang Shuyun had stayed in the capital or become an official, their family fortune wouldn't have been enough to sustain them, and they wouldn't be living such a comfortable life.
Sister-in-law Mu clicked her tongue in amazement, thinking to herself that it didn't matter that her son Mu Xuan hadn't passed the imperial examination. He could learn farming skills from his father and he wouldn't go hungry in the future.
The two women, sister-in-law and aunt, chatted about everyday things. Jiang's mother and sister-in-law were also at Jiang Qi's house, chatting about everyday matters.
"Mother, sister-in-law, has Chutong's marriage been arranged?"
I was busy the past few days and didn't have time to ask.
Jiang Qi is living a comfortable life now. She has two sons, has a good relationship with An Ran, and Dr. Chu is a family man who doesn't go to places of pleasure.
She had heard that although her second senior brother's family didn't have any concubines or illegitimate sons, they did have two maids who served him in his private quarters.
The eldest brother in the capital has two concubines and three children born out of wedlock.
"Chu Tong isn't engaged yet, she's already fifteen, and I'm getting anxious too."
Sister-in-law, as you know, we've only been in the county town for less than two years, so we don't know many people.
Do you have a suitable candidate to introduce to Chu Tong?
"A respectable family background, an upright character, and a peaceful in-laws' family are all I need."
Sister-in-law Jiang felt a little embarrassed. Back when Jiang Qi returned home after his divorce, she had complained a lot and said some unpleasant things.
But for the sake of her children, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and ask Jiang Qi for help.
Jiang Qi never expected that her sister-in-law would ask her to help introduce someone to Chu Tong.
“Mother, sister-in-law, although I have been in the prefectural city for quite some time, there are not many families coming and going.”
Some were family members who accompanied their husbands, while others were people they met while traveling with their master's wife.
Anran is still young at home, and the two younger ones are even younger, so I haven't really paid much attention.
"If I were suddenly asked to introduce someone to Chu Tong, I really couldn't think of any suitable young men at the moment."
It wasn't that Jiang Qi was making excuses; she genuinely hadn't paid attention to the situation of each family's children.
Jiang Qi is not Mu Yi'an; she has memories of two lifetimes and is not as attached to family ties.
She was a native of ancient times, and from a young age she knew about the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and knew that her maternal family was a woman's greatest support.
When they divorced, she wanted to become a nun because of Jiang Lan.
Her second brother and sister-in-law helped her and gave her support. They were also her family.
In her heart, her second brother and sister-in-law held different positions, but she couldn't stand idly by when it came to matters concerning her own family.
“Mother, sister-in-law, how about I ask my husband tonight if he knows any suitable men?”
Jiang Qi really didn't know; he'd have to ask his doctor, Dr. Chu.
"Okay, ask your son-in-law. If there's someone suitable, then we can get to know them. If not, that's fine too."
After returning to the county town, ask Shuwen; he knows quite a few people.
Jiang's mother felt that matters of marriage should not be forced.
Chu Tong was good-looking and literate, and had also learned some things from his second wife.
Finding someone from a family that is of equal social standing to the eldest son's family shouldn't be difficult.
Jiang's sister-in-law has changed her mindset. Before, she thought it was good that Jiang Lan wanted to marry into a wealthy family, and she wished that Chu Tong would be like her aunt and marry into a rich and powerful family.
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