Even though Wang Yongfu was flattered by the matchmakers to the point of almost forgetting his own surna, he ultimately didn’t relent. He simply said that he was getting on in years, being soone who should be marrying off his own son by now, and didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s life.
The girls introduced by the matchmakers were all young maidens who hadn’t gotten married yet. Thinking about marrying soone so young that the new stepmother would be about the sa age as the future daughter-in-law was not a conversation fit for public ears, right?
As for the widows suggested by the matchmakers, they all ca with children. Now he was also afraid, feeling that his own son was his own concern. How could he rely on others to genuinely care for his son?
So he firmly declined, saying he wouldn’t remarry, planning to live the rest of his life this way.
The matchmaker didn’t give up, reasoning that if Wang Yongfu wasn’t interested, wasn’t there still Jindou?
She ntioned how Jindou was now the nephew of Old Master Graduate. Didn’t that an that the girls from these parts would readily be available for his choosing? That previous marriage promise with the Quan Family’s daughter, with a mother who passed away early and a useless father, how could such in-laws match the current Wang Family?
She still had many daughters from good families in her hand, families with land and both parents intact, and plenty of brothers. These girls brought wealth and fortune to their husbands’ hos. These girls were free for Jindou to choose from, better than marrying soone with nothing, along with troubleso in-laws from a Quan Family daughter?
Wang Yongfu hadn’t even spoken when Jindou overheard. Young people are full of fire, especially when it cos to the girl they love, their fiancée-to-be, which makes them even more infuriated.
Without a word, he picked up a stool and threw it at the matchmaker, and finally shouted at the door, "If any matchmaker dares to co knocking again, I’ll break their legs!"
This scared the matchmaker to run away imdiately.
So weren’t so easily discouraged. Seeing there was no hope with the Eldest Brother’s family, they turned to Laosan’s House.
Now, Jinpan from Laosan’s House was studying too, and with the help of this Graduate uncle, there was no saying what fortunes he might achieve one day.
Shrewd people already had their eyes on Jinpan, and these days whenever Wang Yonggui went out, people ca up to chat and praised his son in one way or another, to the point where Wang Yonggui was over the moon.
As for Jinhua, so people thought, if they didn’t have a daughter of the right age to marry into the Wang family, they did have sons. If they could connect their family to the Graduate Old Master, many people had such thoughts.
One by one, they went to the third household to test the waters.
Lady Jiang, recalling the past, thought about how her own marriage and Old Si’s previous marriage weren’t settled until Wang Yongan passed as a Scholar, weren’t they?
Though Wang Yonggui had turned over a new leaf nowadays, he still rembered how things had been with Li Jinzhi back then, as if they were yesterday.
So when soone ca probing, she resolutely refused.
She had previously worried about Jinhua because, after mourning, her daughter would be thirteen or fourteen years old, a bit late to start seeking a match. But Jinhua, being lucky, caught a good ti when her uncle passed as a Graduate!
With Song Chongjin around, there was no fear that Jinhua wouldn’t find a good family after mourning, and naturally, Lady Jiang wasn’t in any rush, planning to look carefully and choose wisely.
Therefore, she outright rejected those making propositions for Jinpan and Jinshao, citing the children were still young.
But when it ca to speaking for potential matches for Jinhua, Lady Jiang always gave non-committal answers, saying she would consider it first.
For nurous days, it was a constant bustle at the threshold of the third house, so much so that even Old Granny Zhang heard about it discreetly through several friends.
Old Granny Zhang had watched coldly for several days. Seeing that, due to Jindou’s anger, the matchmakers were too afraid they’d get their legs broken and didn’t dare co by, all beca quiet.
The Fourth House didn’t have kids yet, so there were none of these issues.
It was just the third house that had people coming every day. Wang Yongfu wanted to offer so cautionary words, but he was not eloquent, and couldn’t out-talk Wang Yonggui, who even laughed at him saying, "Big brother, given our family’s current situation, the good days are ahead. Why do you still hold back, find yourself soone to settle with, why endure like this? A man needs a woman at ho to care for him—"
Wang Yongping couldn’t stand it anymore and told Wang Yonggui to take it easy and not to be so arrogant, as even the Graduate brother-in-law and sister-in-law didn’t brag as he did, so why was he, the brother-in-law of a Graduate, strutting around?
In his earlier decades, Wang Yonggui had truly been looked down upon by others, and his family also loathed his lack of achievent. But over the past year, he had turned a new leaf, doing well in the mountain goods business, gradually gaining so respect in the village, finally being seen as a respectable person.
But the sweet taste of being flattered wherever he went he had never experienced in his life, making it hard for him to hold back.
With people saying the sayings of how with Song Chongjin, as his uncle, he’ll surely have a bright future, he believed it. Thinking how Wang Laoer never beca a Graduate was because he had no one to rely on back then.
With everyone saying Jinpan had a great future, and him indeed working hard, spending most of his ti at ho morizing books and practicing calligraphy. Though Wang Yonggui didn’t quite understand, seeing Jinpan work like this, he was convinced that he would surely pass high exams and beco an official soday.
Every day, lying in bed with Lady Jiang at night, they would fantasize about the good days when he beca the father-in-law of an Official Master. Every parent in the world thought their children were good, even a dung beetle thought their larvae were fragrant.
Lady Jiang was sowhat similar to Wang Yonggui; before marrying, she wasn’t valued in her family, and after marrying, she still wasn’t appreciated, always in the shadows.
These days, being the center of attention just like the moon surrounded by stars, at first she felt unaccustod to the attention, but gradually, she beca used to hearing praise and took it in. Since the Wang family could produce one Scholar in Wang Yongan, perhaps there was a talent for study, so who’s to say about the younger generation in Jinpan? Hadn’t the Teacher praised him several tis?
Every night, the couple would trade affirmations with each other, also convincing themselves, filling their heads with the certainty of Jinpan’s promising future as an official being just around the corner.
Old Granny Zhang seized the opportunity. When yet another crowd of relatives sward to talk to Lady Jiang, she brought Wang Yongzhu over.
Just in ti to hear those people flattering Lady Jiang, saying that maybe Jinpan would earn a Grant in the future, and so on.
Soone else comnted that Jinhua was the most sought-after girl in these parts, with every decent young man waiting for her to choose.
Lady Jiang was happily listening, without showing any reaction.
Old Granny Zhang promptly threw a basin of cold water over them, drenching Lady Jiang and all the idle gossipers. Having done that, she tossed the basin aside, put her hands on her hips, and started scolding loudly.
"After hearing a few kind words, you beco so frivolous your bones forget their own weight, stupid as rocks! Can’t you see what kind of rubbish your son is? When the Teacher complints, it’s because of the fees you paid, or maybe out of face for his uncle, but you’re so dumb you take it seriously?"
"Do you not know the talent of Jinpan as his parents? Can’t even recognize the Thousand Character Classic yet, and he writes like a chicken scratching, only slightly better than Jinguan, yet dreaming of passing exams and becoming an official?"
"That scoundrel, bastard Wang Laoer wasn’t anything either, yet in terms of study, he’s a hundred tis better than Jinpan! Even he didn’t beco a Graduate, and you think Jinpan could achieve this. Are you dreaming a pure blue sky dream of him becoming an official? Bah!"
"I held back this past few days, thinking it was face I was giving, wasn’t it? Out of respect for your sister-in-law and brother-in-law, folks throw you a couple of complints, and you truly believe they admire you? They’re just playing with you! They say a basketful of sweet words to your face by day and who knows how they talk behind your back!"
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