“In the whole of Qingshui County, is there really no better young man than that Li Cun? I don’t believe it! Look harder; you might just find one who matches our Qing’er.”
Early in the morning, an argument had already broken out in the main hall.
Xu Suying was fluttering around her husband, handing him a face towel one moment and applying her homemade skin balm to his face the next.
Chen Song was a burly man, standing more than a head taller than Xu Suying. He had a commanding appearance and a powerful presence; just standing there was enough to intimidate anyone.
Being surrounded by his wife first thing in the morning wasn’t something Chen Song disliked. But at the sight of the fragrant balm in her hand, he took a fright and hastily backed away.
“I serve in the yamen, chasing criminals and investigating cases every day. Reeking of rouge and powder wouldn’t be proper. Wife, please, let me off.”
Before Xu Suying could scold him for being ungrateful, Chen Song quickly added, “I’ve screened almost every eligible man in the county from fifteen to twenty. You wanted a scholar for a son-in-law, a good match for Qing’er in looks, someone with solid learning, ambition, and a quiet family. I’ve searched high and low, and excluding those already betrothed, only Li Cun in the whole county measures up. It so happens his family specially invited a matchmaker to propose. If you think he’s good, I’ll stop by the matchmaker’s on my way to the yamen today to send word.”
Xu Suying’s charming face tightened, a knot forming between her brows.
Clearly, Li Cun’s qualifications did not satisfy her. She truly did not think highly of this potential son-in-law.
“That widowed mother of his is far too fierce. We’ve raised Qing’er to be independent; if she marries into that house, there will be no end to the clashes between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Our daughter would be the one under their thumb, wouldn’t she?”
“Is it a ‘no’ then? Fine, we’ll keep looking. I have an official post now, and our days are good. There’s no fear of Qing’er not finding a good husband later.”
“What do you mean ‘no rush’? The Meng family’s Meng Jintang is back. They said he died in the river at the hands of water bandits, but it turns out he’s back, and he even brought a wife with him. Now the whole county is waiting to see us become a laughingstock.”
At the mention of the Meng family, Xu Suying felt a heavy weight in her chest.
Meng Jintang of the Meng family was a bright and handsome young man. When he smiled, he was high-spirited, as warm and bright as the morning sun.
She had been impressed by the boy’s looks, his learning, and his family background, so when the Meng family came to propose, she had agreed at once.
Meng Jintang had also been devoted to her daughter, never forgetting to send delicious food or interesting toys.
The two young people had been getting along quite well, but who could have guessed that three years ago, while traveling to the provincial capital for the civil service exam, Meng Jintang would encounter water bandits and vanish!
At the time, people said he had been killed by the bandits and eaten by fish; others said he had been taken to a bandit camp to be used as fertilizer!
In any case, the Meng family had received news from somewhere confirming that Meng Jintang was as dead as could be.
Xu Suying had been heartbroken to lose such a fine son-in-law, but before she could even shed a few tears, the Meng family had shown up at their door. They clamored for her daughter to marry into their family to live as Meng Jintang’s widow.
Xu Suying wouldn’t even agree to her daughter remaining a chaste fiancée, let alone marrying in as a widow. She refused and immediately began arguing with the visitors.
But the Meng family had come prepared with even more wicked intentions. While Wanqing was trying to pull her mother away, the argument turned violent. They picked up bricks and aimed them directly at the girl’s head.
Later, Xu Suying learned that the Meng family had actually planned to “accidentally” kill Wanqing so they could bind her and Meng Jintang in a Ghost Marriage and bury them together.
They had lost their consciences!
If the villagers of Zhao Family Village hadn’t heard the commotion and rushed over to help, her daughter might have truly been buried in the ground.
Because of this, the Chen and Meng families had become bitter enemies.
Who could have imagined that three years later, Meng Jintang would return from the dead?
Not only was he back, but he had also brought a wife and two children—a son and a daughter.
It turned out he had been stabbed twice by water bandits and struck on the head before falling into the water.
By a stroke of luck, he had been saved by the woman who was now his wife.
It was said he spent a year recovering. He got better, but he still couldn’t remember anything from his past. And so, he stayed with the woman, married her, and started a family.
A month ago, he supposedly fell off the roof while replacing tiles. Fortunately, he landed on a haystack. He wasn’t badly hurt, but the blow to his head restored his memories.
Once his memory returned, Meng Jintang brought his wife and children back to Qingshui County. When the Meng family found out he had married an orphaned girl, they immediately caused a massive scene.
They brought up Chen Wanqing, claiming that Meng Jintang and Chen Wanqing had been betrothed since they were thirteen. Since he had delayed the girl until now, he had to give her an explanation.
In truth, their intention was simple: they wanted Meng Jintang to marry Chen Wanqing and demote his current wife to a concubine.
This whole sordid mess was so foul that Xu Suying didn’t even want to speak of it.
If only to avoid the Meng family coming to their door, they had to find a suitable match for Qing’er quickly—not to mention their daughter was already eighteen this year.
“Have you ever seen a girl of her age still staying at home? It’s not that I mind her not marrying; she’s my own flesh and blood, and I’d be happy to have her home for a lifetime…”
“Fine, fine, I understand what you mean. I’ll go look again, and if I find someone suitable, I’ll let you know immediately. I have to go with the County Magistrate to investigate a case today, so I won’t have any free time. We’ll talk more when I get home.”
Unable to withstand his wife’s nagging, Chen Song didn’t even stop for breakfast. He hurriedly adjusted his clothes and the saber at his waist before strode out toward the courtyard.
“Dad, wait! Take a couple of buns to eat on the way.”
A girl dressed simply but possessing a charming and exquisite beauty walked quickly out of the kitchen.
In the heavy morning mist, her extraordinary features made her look like a goddess descended to earth.
In one hand, she held two steaming buns, and in the other, two boiled eggs wrapped in a handkerchief. She also had a water skin full of warm water tucked between her wrists, which she thrust all at once into Chen Song’s hands.
“It’s cold out; you can’t go without breakfast. The porridge isn’t ready yet, so just make do with some hot water, Dad. I put some dried meat in your pouch; if you don’t have time to stop while you’re working, have some to tide you over.”
Listening to his daughter’s concerned rambling and feeling the warmth of the buns and eggs in his hands, Chen Song felt a surge of emotion.
His daughter was wonderful in every way—her looks, her capabilities—she was top-tier not just in the village, but in the entire county.
Unfortunately, her path to marriage had been treacherous. Two successive engagements had failed, and she had nearly lost her life. She was truly a piteous soul.
Chen Song patted his daughter’s shoulder with his large, fan-like hand. Seeing her hair turn damp in the morning mist, he said, “Alright, I understand. Get back to the kitchen quickly; it’s cold out, and you might catch a chill.”
After saying this, he waved to his wife as she stepped out of the main room and strode off to his shift.
As soon as Chen Song left, Xu Suying went into the kitchen with her daughter.
The Chen family kitchen was spacious, so even with both mother and daughter working inside, it didn’t feel crowded at all.
Xu Suying explained Li Cun’s general situation to her daughter, concluding, “Your father thinks his family is good, but I’m not so sure. Li Cun’s mother is famously shrewish, and you don’t like to argue. If you marry in, you’ll just be bullied by your mother-in-law…”
Xu Suying went on and on, but it all boiled down to one point: she felt this marriage wasn’t right and they needed to look for someone better.
After speaking for a long time without hearing a response, she put down the fire poker and looked up. She saw her daughter taking pickled vegetables out of a jar and carefully slicing them on a cutting board.
It was late autumn; the work in the fields was finished, and the meals of common families became simpler.
For a family like the Chens, who were doing well, breakfast usually consisted of buns, eggs, or flatbreads and rolls, accompanied by thin porridge and some small pickles. It was a very delicious meal.
The fog was thick today, so the light outside was poor, but the fire in the kitchen made the room bright.
In the firelight, Xu Suying saw her daughter’s pale face appearing even more fair and lovely. She looked calm, her features soft, her red lips and white teeth striking—she was truly a most remarkable young woman.
“I’ve said so much, yet you haven’t said a word. Tell me what you think, Qing’er. Do you think the Li family is good? Can this marriage work?”
As Chen Wanqing placed the sliced pickles onto a plate, she looked at her mother and said, “Since ancient times, marriage has been by the command of parents and the words of a matchmaker. My marriage is for you and Father to decide; I will listen to you both.”
“You silly girl, this is your life. If I ask you to speak, then speak.”
Chen Wanqing gave a faint smile and said, “I know you and Father only want what’s best for me. You hold me in the palm of your hands, so naturally, you want to choose a perfect marriage for me. But Mother, in this world, finding something that is ninety percent perfect is already rare; finding something a hundred percent perfect would likely even trouble the gods.”
She slowly added some fragrant vinegar to the pickles, followed by a drop of sesame oil, stirring gently as she continued, “Besides, I’ve always felt that life is what you make of it. As long as a husband and wife are of one heart, even the hardest life can be made to blossom. Conversely, even the best life will eventually turn into a mess if they are not.”
“Then how am I supposed to choose a husband for you who will be of one heart? They say you can draw a tiger’s skin but not its bones, and you can know a person’s face but not their heart. I don’t have divine eyes that can see the future; how can I know if a man is truly someone you can entrust your life to?”
Chen Wanqing smiled again. “That’s why I say there’s no rush. We can just take it slowly.”
After breakfast, Xu Suying shooed her daughter out of the kitchen and stayed behind to wash up.
However, just as Chen Wanqing picked up the large broom to sweep away the fallen leaves in the courtyard, she saw a familiar figure walking in through the front gate.
It was a small old lady, slightly hunched over, wearing brown padded cotton clothes. Her hair was pulled back into a small bun held by a silver hairpin. Upon closer inspection, her skin was fine and well-maintained.
This little old lady was none other than Chen Wanqing’s grandmother, Madam Fang.
Madam Fang entered and cast a glance at Chen Wanqing before shouting, “Where’s your mother? Tell her to come out; I have something to say to her.”