“Yuan Ge’er, are you busy going out today? If not, Grandma has something to discuss with you. What do you think?”
“Of course, why not? Please come inside and sit, Grandma.”
They were neighbors living in the same alley, and she was an elder. Given how she had put it, even if he had matters to attend to, he couldn’t just leave.
“Cao Yong, go brew the new tea we bought before the New Year.”
Apart from her main work as a matchmaker, Granny Tian usually helped people make connections or act as a go-between. Over the past few years, many of Pei Yuan’s jobs writing legal petitions or formal letters had come through her introductions.
The first time she came, Granny Tian hadn’t been sure what to expect. No matter how down on their luck the Pei family was, the former head of the household had, after all, been a Zongqi. People often said military officers weren’t as esteemed as civil officials, but in the eyes of common folk, any official was a “master.”
A starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even as an illegitimate son, Pei Yuan carried the Pei family’s blood in his veins. Raised as a young master with good food and fine clothes, he might look down on such petty earnings.
Unexpectedly, Pei Yuan was not the type to look down on others. When Grandma Tian first came to his door with such a proposal, he agreed without hesitation. He immediately asked for the details of the matter and wrote out a petition for Granny Tian, refusing to accept any payment.
He only said that since it was his first time writing a petition, he wasn’t sure if it would be suitable, so she should try using it first.
If it worked, then from the next time onward, they could charge accordingly. Grandma Tian, having been active on the county streets for decades, knew the rules for how to split the earnings once money was involved.
Most scholars were aloof. Families in the county or towns who could afford to educate their sons and single-mindedly pursue the Keju examinations were generally fairly well-off.
Their minds were focused entirely on studying. Matters like money and commerce were not considered proper pursuits and were best avoided to prevent distraction. Even if someone wanted to earn money to support their family, being able to copy books for a bookstore was already quite an achievement.
Even those who worked as private tutors or Sishu teachers were mostly older Tongsheng or Xiucai who had failed the exams for many years and felt hopeless. Only Pei Yuan didn’t mind these things. Whenever Granny Tian brought him work, he was happy to take it.
Sometimes the small jobs he accepted were just helping people write gift notes or family letters. The compensation wasn’t even a few coins; usually, it was a bowl of eggs, a bowl of soybean oil, some items like red dates or fruits, or simply a bowl of fried pork cracklings.
Whatever Granny Tian brought, Pei Yuan accepted it. While these items couldn’t be exchanged for money, sending them to the kitchen still counted as income. Mama Shui felt this was quite good, as many things accumulated bit by bit and didn’t need to be bought, so the household never ran out.
Two years ago, when Pei Yuan got the chance to work as a temporary clerk in the Hu Fang at the yamen to earn extra money, it was also Grandma Tian who made the connection. It was precisely because she saw that this young man was not fussy and didn’t cling to false pride that she dared to recommend him.
Because of this, when she learned that the Xie family was looking for a live-in son-in-law, Granny Tian immediately thought of Pei Yuan.
“Yuan Ge’er, I’m not afraid you’ll be offended by what I’m about to say.
For the future Keju examinations, having a clean and presentable identity is enough; no one cares whether you were adopted or not. But marriage and starting a family are far from that simple. Exams are rigid, but people are flexible. Don’t you think that’s true?”
Yes, this reasoning held true everywhere. Pei Yuan nodded. Given his situation, any family that cared even a little for their daughter wouldn’t marry her off to him.
My status as an adopted son is already complicated enough. Moreover, Madam Guan is still living alone in Fu City—how could I not take care of my birth mother? In the future, I would have to manage both this household and Madam Guan’s affairs, and no one would be happy with that arrangement.
There were also those willing to marry their daughters to me just for the sake of this three-courtyard house, but Pei Yuan himself was unwilling.
When Madam Guan was left behind in Fu City, she was already old enough to remember and understand things. Before the family fell into misfortune, she had also been educated and literate. Pei Yuan began his studies at the age of three and had never neglected his education since, always having tutors to guide him. For someone like him to have no pride at all would be pure nonsense.
“Grandma Tian, over these years, you’ve taken care of me in every way, always thinking of me first whenever there was a good opportunity to earn money. Today, whatever you have to say, please speak frankly. Even if it doesn’t work out, would you and I really let this create a rift between us?”
“Ah, ah. Well said.Granny Tian was so accustomed to starting with lengthy buildups when matchmaking that she forgot the young man before her was exceptionally perceptive.
“Today, I went to the Xie family. The eldest Xie daughter wants to take in a son-in-law, and I immediately thought of you.”
Granny Tian had gone to see Xie Jiujiu today to ask what she was looking for in a son-in-law. Xie Jiujiu was very enthusiastic about it and immediately gave Granny Tian ten taels of silver.
“She said she wants someone who is literate, reasonable, and upright at heart. It doesn’t matter if he’s shrewd and sharp in dealing with others or even a bit difficult toward outsiders. What matters is that in life, if he suffers a loss, he dares to stand up and fight for what’s right.”
Was it difficult? Actually, it was quite challenging. There weren’t many literate men willing to become a live-in son-in-law. But there was Pei Yuan. After Granny Tian explained the situation in detail, Xie Jiujiu nodded and asked her to sound out Pei Yuan’s thoughts.
“The eldest Xie daughter was raised by her father as if she were a boy since childhood. Not only is she literate, but she’s also skilled at abacus calculations. By the age of seven or eight, she could recite the entire menu of Yun Ke Lai from memory.
The Xie clan is unreliable, which is why she has no choice but to take in a son-in-law. But this also has its advantages. Once you’re married and living together, apart from your own family, no one else will be able to interfere in your lives.
You’re also familiar with her maternal family. Huang Hai may be a bit shrewd, but after all these years of interacting with us, everyone knows he’s a good person. A single tree cannot make a forest—it’s too difficult for you to support a household all on your own.”
“However, becoming a live-in son-in-law is different from marrying and bringing a wife into your own home. Think it over carefully. If you feel it’s not suitable, just tell me, and we’ll never mention it again, as if it never happened.”
Granny Tian knew exactly how Pei Yuan had lived these past few years. Pei Yubo’s family was a deep pit, and the money Pei Yuan worked hard to earn was barely enough to keep things afloat. Unless he could make a large sum all at once, every bit of scattered silver had to be poured into the household.
If he were a biological son, it would be easier. He could sell the house, settle Old Gao’s family, buy a smaller house, and his life would immediately improve. But he was adopted, and no amount of caution was too much. How could he sell the family property right after the mourning period?
Become a live-in son-in-law? Before today, Pei Yuan had never considered such a thing. Yet when Granny Tian brought it up, he wasn’t entirely surprised.
He lowered his head to look at the few scattered pieces of charcoal burning red-hot in the brazier. No one at home knew that the four qian of silver he had given Gao Yi today was the only silver coin he could currently produce—the rest were just scattered copper coins.
Copying books required patience, and the payment varied depending on the book being copied. His handwriting had been rigorously trained under Madam Guan’s watchful eye and was quite presentable. Because of this, he was always assigned to copy large, multi-volume works.
The pay was decent, but it took a considerable amount of time. The only advantage was that the bookstore provided ink and brushes. Those who had spent years copying books knew how to save on paper and writing materials. To support his family, Pei Yuan had to keep revolving around such tasks, as if he could never break free.
As for the work he did for the County Yamen, truth be told, it paid even less than copying books. Sometimes, he even had to spend his own money on it.
Being asked to transcribe official documents was considered a favor, and whether he received payment afterward depended on luck. However, during festivals and holidays, Pei Yuan always made sure to offer gifts to various departments within the Yamen.
One couldn’t only focus on the present. He still had to take the Keju exams in the future. No matter how far he could go, building good relationships with people in the County Yamen would never hurt.
If his knowledge proved insufficient and he couldn’t achieve any success in the exams, he could always take a step back and seek a long-term position in the County Yamen to make ends meet.
The news that the eldest daughter of the Xie family had offended the entire clan and was seeking a son-in-law to marry into her family had spread throughout the county, and Pei Yuan naturally knew about it.
In truth, he had a natural fondness for the Xie family.
Back when he had returned with Pei Yubo, his true origins had quickly spread among the neighbors.
It was said that familiarity bred affection. Over the years, as Pei Yuan came and went, no one had ever dared to spit at him for being an illegitimate child to his face. When they met in the alley, they would simply nod with a smile.
At worst, they would ignore him. No one was reckless enough to point at him every day and say, “Look, that boy’s mother was someone’s mistress.”
But some things didn’t need to be said. With just a tone or a glance, Pei Yuan could tell how someone felt about him. He didn’t care about those who looked down on his origins—after all, he didn’t rely on them to make a living.
However, he also remembered those who had never looked down on him.
Pei Yubo had lived a comfortable life. Even in his final year, when he was gravely ill, he would often mention craving the Fresh Pepper Fish Head and Assorted Fish Hotpot from Yun Ke Lai.
For this, Pei Yuan had specifically consulted a doctor, who said that as long as Pei Yubo could eat, it was better than not eating at all. Hearing this, Pei Yuan understood—it was Yun Ke Lai, and he had to let Pei Yubo enjoy it to his heart’s content.
Every time Pei Yuan or someone from his family went to Yun Ke Lai to order the dishes and bring them back, Shopkeeper Xie’s attitude remained the same.
He was always cheerful, neither looking down on Pei Yuan nor treating him with undue favor. In his eyes, Pei Yuan was just an ordinary young man in the county, and Pei Yuan appreciated being treated that way.
Later, when Xie Dechang and Pei Yubo passed away one after another within a month due to illness, Pei Yuan had personally gone to offer condolences. At the time, he was still in mourning himself, so he didn’t enter the house. Instead, he entrusted someone to deliver the gift, considering the matter settled.
At this moment, Granny Tian wanted to act as matchmaker between him and the Xie family, which made Pei Yuan ponder for a long while. Only when the tea in his cup had grown half-cold did he finally make up his mind.