Shitou saw the matchmaker beaming with joy and smiled back at her, then turned a puzzled look toward Guo’er’s Mother, only to find her equally bewildered. After a long silence, she finally spoke: “Who are you, and why have you come to our home?”
Shitou, being a straightforward man by nature, was not one for beating around the bush. Just as the matchmaker was about to speak, the young man who had been sitting upright stood up, bowed to Shitou, and said, “We have come on the orders of our mistress to propose marriage to Miss Cheng Chun!”
At the mention of a marriage proposal, the neighbors gathered outside to watch the commotion began to murmur among themselves.
The young man paid them no mind and continued, looking directly at Shitou: “Our master is the current Changwubo. I am here on the orders of the lady of the house to propose marriage on behalf of the fifth son of the marquis, Wuwuye!”
Shitou was stunned. Though he had never traveled far in his life, he knew of Changwubo. After all, this Changwubo guarded the border, ensuring peace and stability for decades without conflict. To the common people of the realm, he was nothing short of a god-like figure!
All the neighbors within earshot were equally shocked upon hearing Changwubo’s name.
“Our A-chun is just a country girl. How could she possibly be worthy of such a noble family?” Shitou remained wary. “You must have come to the wrong place!”
“Your daughter and Wuwuye are destined by fate. He would never allow his woman to suffer needlessly from idle gossip out here!” The matchmaker pulled Shitou and Guo’er’s Mother aside to speak in a corner. “Though your daughter won’t be the principal wife when she marries into the family, your household is honest and respectable, and she will be properly wedded. Even if she is only a concubine, she will be a Liangqie!”
Seeing that Shitou still hesitated, the matchmaker sighed and said softly, “I can see you truly care for this girl and are reluctant to let her become a concubine. But if she doesn’t marry, won’t you be forcing her to her death in this village? I heard the child has already attempted to hang herself once!”
The matchmaker was indeed shrewd. Before Shitou and Guo’er’s Mother could utter a word, she had voiced all their unspoken thoughts. Moreover, she made it clear that A-chun was already considered the man’s woman. At this point, they couldn’t just stand by and watch her be driven to death by rumors and gossip!
Finally, Shitou spoke: “Will… will Wuwuye treat A-chun well?”
Seeing this upright farmer on the verge of tears, the matchmaker was deeply moved. In most families, parents would jump at such an opportunity to marry their daughter into wealth and status. Yet the Cheng family truly cherished this girl, holding her close to their hearts!
“They say matchmakers have silver tongues, but I am the most respectable Guanmei in this town. I dare not deceive you. I cannot promise that Wuwuye will treat your daughter with endless kindness—whether her marriage turns out well or poorly depends on her own fortune. But as a Liangqie, she will never be mistreated!” The matchmaker looked at Shitou and spoke each word deliberately.
Shitou remained silent for a long time. In the end, it was Guo’er’s Mother who spoke: “Our daughter has always been cherished. We have never forced her into anything, always letting her decide for herself. If she refuses to marry, our Guo’er is willing to support her for the rest of her life.”
The matchmaker watched Guo’er’s Mother enter the room, increasingly convinced that the Cheng family spoiled their daughter to the point of absurdity. How could a mother ask her daughter’s opinion in front of so many people?
After a long while, Guo’er’s Mother finally emerged from the room. She walked over to Shitou, looked at him, and nodded, saying, “A-chun has agreed!”
Shitou let out a long sigh of relief and then declared, “I accept this marriage proposal!”
Seeing Shitou’s acceptance, the matchmaker beamed with joy and waved her hand. The officials crowded in the courtyard then set down the loads wrapped in red silk—these were the betrothal gifts.
Auntie Bao, who always loved a spectacle, finally pushed her way through the crowd and squeezed up to Guo’er’s Mother. “Your A-chun is about to fly up the branch and become a phoenix!”
Auntie Bao was Chengjia Zhuang’s notorious gossip, and Guo’er’s Mother disliked dealing with such people. She merely smiled without saying a word. The matchmaker, having settled the matter, left with the officials, and the neighbors immediately swarmed in.
The neighbors helped unwrap the betrothal gifts, and each of them couldn’t help but gasp in admiration. These were all fine silks, far superior to the fabrics worn by the officials earlier. There was also a set of exquisite gold head ornaments, likely intended for A-chun to wear at her wedding.
For farming families like theirs, wearing a single silver accessory at a wedding was considered respectable. Yet, Ganwuhou had prepared an entire set of ornaments. Even the older women couldn’t resist touching them here and there, wishing they could try them on their own heads.
Auntie Bao, her eyes gleaming with envy, walked over to the side and casually opened an inconspicuous chest. To her surprise, it was filled entirely with silver ingots. Startled, she drew the attention of everyone present.
Shitou and Guo’er’s Mother walked over to the betrothal gifts, but their expressions darkened as they looked at the fine items.
“Shitou, you really raised a fine daughter. Look at all this—it’s enough to marry off your Guo’er in the future!” Auntie Bao, growing increasingly envious, spoke with a tinge of bitterness. “This girl was quite a bargain to pick up!”
The Shitou family disliked nothing more than hearing people mention A-chun’s origins. Everyone expected Shitou to lose his temper, but instead, he said, “We should let A-chun take all these things back with her.”
Shitou’s words were meant for Guo’er’s Mother. Everyone thought he had lost his mind, but Guo’er’s Mother, who always had to think of Guo’er’s future, merely nodded and said, “We should prepare some additional gifts as well.”
Upon hearing this, others thought the couple had truly gone mad. How could they let A-chun, who wasn’t even their flesh and blood, take away all these fine things? Was it really necessary?
But in the end, it was someone else’s affair. After enjoying the spectacle, the crowd dispersed, and Auntie Bao left with them, though her mind was still filled with the sight of that chest full of gleaming silver ingots.
Later, the matchmaker returned several times to finalize the date, and the Cheng family truly began bustling with preparations. After all, they were all farmers and neighbors, and whenever there was a joyous occasion, everyone pitched in to help.
Shitou had inquired in town and knew that being taken as a concubine was usually done quietly, with the bride being carried in discreetly. Unwilling to let his daughter suffer such humiliation, he thought that the wedding banquet held at her parents’ home should be a dignified affair.