While Huang Juan was reasoning things out with her child, Granny Tian watched quietly. Only after Huang Juan stopped crying and Xie Jiujiu had explained matters clearly did Granny Tian lay out Pei Yuan’s request plainly.
Pei Yuan’s request was not excessive; Xie Jiujiu nodded in agreement without even asking her mother’s opinion. When Granny Tian glanced at Huang Juan’s expression again, it had improved slightly.
Many in the county town knew about Pei Yubo’s family affairs. When Pei Yubo fell seriously ill, people said that although he appeared dissolute, he was actually quite clear-headed in his heart.
As long as he clung stubbornly to his Zongqi military post, the Pei family would not interfere with him. Without a capable person at home to manage affairs, even if the servants and laborers were dutiful, every day would be filled with worries.
He exchanged his military post for Pei Yuan’s return, and in his final days, he at least enjoyed a comfortable life with someone to care for and serve him. Now, after Pei Yuan had completed the mourning period, he was even willing to bring the ancestral tablet and marry into the family—truly a man of principle.
When selecting marriage partners, what matters most is often not family background but family values. Families in good circumstances would not allow their sons to marry into another household, and someone of Pei Yuan’s origins could hardly be considered from a prestigious family.
Thus, whether he was principled and humane became especially important. Young couples might enjoy a good start after marriage, but whether they could live harmoniously in the long run often depended on their conscience.
Pei Yuan was a man who would not even deceive the dead. Being with someone like him might not mean everything would be perfect, but at least one would not live in fear. Even if things became unbearable one day, the situation would not deteriorate too badly.
However, Xie Jiujiu was not thinking about these things. Pei Yuan seemed to have made only one easily acceptable request, but the more someone like him appeared, the more depth they likely had in their hearts. He had too much on his mind, which was why he did not intend to haggle over details with her family.
But she was different. The life she wanted to live was filled with these everyday trivialities. If he could not see the importance of such matters, no matter how cultured and reasonable he might be, it would not work. She had to meet him in person.
“Granny, it’s troublesome to keep relying on you to relay messages. Why not meet him directly?”
“Meet him now?”
“Didn’t you say his calligraphy is excellent and he reads well? Let’s say Wen Ji wants to consult him about calligraphy. What do you think?”
Since they were about to take in a son-in-law, personally choosing the groom did not seem too difficult to accept. Granny Tian hesitated only briefly before slapping her thigh. “Sure, why not?”
Before even discussing whether the marriage was suitable, her daughter wanted to invite the man home to meet him. Huang Juan listened beside them, her hands trembling, but she knew she could no longer stop this.
She simply said nothing, waving her hand to signal Xie Jiujiu to leave quickly. The meaning was clear enough: ‘Do as you wish; this daughter is beyond control.’
Huang Juan reluctantly nodded her agreement. Three days later, Pei Yuan, accompanied by Eldest Uncle Huang, brought four types of pastries and fruits, two large carp, two plump ducks, and a jar of wine, following Granny Tian to their home.
Eldest Uncle Huang was tall and sturdy, walking with long, vigorous strides. As for his niece’s wish to take in a son-in-law, he was absolutely delighted.
Nephews often resemble their uncles, and in his view, among all the children in the family, Xie Jiujiu resembled him the most. As long as she wasn’t truly provoked, she would yield to others first. Yet deep down, she was stubborn and unyielding, with a spine as strong as steel—someone who could shoulder responsibility.
Such a girl, if his brother-in-law were still alive, not to mention a Pei Yuan, even the sons of the County Magistrate’s Assistant or Zhubu would hardly be worthy of her. But now, with her father gone—having left this world so easily and neatly—the family of women and children was left in a difficult situation.
Over the years, Eldest Uncle Huang had been privately searching for a suitable match for his niece, but none seemed to fit—either this was lacking or that was insufficient.
His wife would always advise him, “Jiujiu isn’t a perfect girl in every way. Just her stubborn temper alone is enough to give anyone a headache. Why do you keep trying to find her a husband who excels in every aspect?”
Though she said this, whenever someone approached her with a proposal to form ties with the Xie family, she herself would feel displeased without even needing to consult Eldest Uncle Huang.
She knew they were being picky, and she also knew that in the eyes of family, their own child could do no wrong. But what could be done about this ingrained habit?
Truly, this Pei Yuan that Granny Tian had taken a liking to seemed quite agreeable.
He was handsome, well-read, and courteous without being pedantic. Over the past two years at the yamen, aside from helping transcribe documents, he had also been willing to run errands for various accounting matters.
Eldest Uncle Huang worked in the Hu Fang, responsible for the entire county’s land, household registrations, and Fushui. Every year, just collecting the grain taxes from the fields was no easy task.
With insufficient clerks in the yamen, during busy periods, Pei Yuan would often accompany them to villages and towns to help collect grain. Life was hard for the common folk, and unlike some seasoned officials in the yamen who would skim a little off the top, Pei Yuan never took advantage.
However, he didn’t work for free either. Whenever he went to the villages, he would bring Cao Yong and Gao Yi along. While he handled yamen affairs, the two would busy themselves collecting goods from the villages.
Dried fish, cured meats, wild rabbits, wild ducks, seasonal vegetables, dried bamboo shoots, pickled vegetables—they would take whatever was available. Upon returning, they would stop at the entrance of the alley, allowing familiar households to pick what they wanted first. After the neighbors had their fill, the remaining goods would be sent to a trusted general store.
Since they traveled with the yamen, the journey was always safe. When they arrived in the villages, the donkey cart would be fully loaded with goods like oil, salt, vinegar, tea, needles, thread, and fabric remnants.
During the busy farming season, the villagers were all occupied. Having goods delivered right to their fields, at the same prices as in town or county shops, meant the cart would often sell out quickly.
Each round trip, while not hugely profitable, always earned them a decent amount for their efforts. With the family’s income limited, Cao Yong and Gao Yi were happy to earn a little extra from these trips, bringing joy to the entire household.
In the yamen, he wasn’t the only one helping out—others were scholars too. Some admired his approach, while others criticized him for being too worldly and profit-driven.
As if a scholar from the Pei family, toiling for such trivial gains, was an insult to Confucius—a disgrace to scholarly dignity, an utter disgrace!
Only Eldest Uncle Huang grew increasingly fond of using Pei Yuan, gladly entrusting him with even minor tasks in the yamen.
What’s wrong with small gains? Without his loss of dignity, Pei Yubo wouldn’t have been able to live such a comfortable life during his year of serious illness, eating whatever he wanted. And after Pei Yubo’s death, Old Gao’s family wouldn’t have been able to stay either.
With the family consisting of the elderly and the young, most of their lives spent in the Pei household, if the master truly decided to dismiss them, how would they survive?
That lad Pei Yuan, while observing mourning, managed to support such a family. In the future, as long as he can pass the imperial examinations, even if only attaining the rank of Xiucai, his prospects would be quite promising.
The more Eldest Uncle Huang thought about such a live-in son-in-law on his way, the more satisfied he became. Even though nothing had been formally agreed upon, he had already imagined the best scenarios of how many children his niece would bear in the future.
Feeling elated, he walked with vigorous strides. Upon entering the Xie household, he didn’t pay attention to his sister’s forced smile but instead beckoned to Wen Ji.
“Come, your uncle has found you a good tutor today. Didn’t you say you wanted advice on calligraphy? Let you scholars discuss scholarly matters among yourselves.”
Pei Yuan’s excuse for visiting was to guide Wen Ji in calligraphy, so the two of them pretended to head toward the study.
Wen Ji lived in the west wing, with the right side room converted into his study. Even the windows had been specially widened considerably.
This was so that on fine days, the windows could be opened, extending half of the desk by the window outward, allowing sunlight to spill onto the desk and brighten one’s spirits.
Following Xie Wenji into the study, Pei Yuan took a quick glance and understood that this was a practical household that didn’t compromise on comfort.
There were few flashy items in the home—nothing that looked expensive but was utterly useless.
Everything in the room, from the floor-to-ceiling bookcases against the wall to the brushes, ink, and inkstones Xie Wenji used, was made of solid, high-quality materials.
Even the clothes he wore were woven from fine cotton blended with silk—soft, breathable, and unassuming fabric that his own mother had also favored most.
As it was Pei Yuan’s first visit to the home, Xie Wenji remained reserved. Apart from showing Pei Yuan the calligraphy copybooks, he didn’t say a word more. When Xie Jiujiu arrived, he tactfully stood up and walked out, saying, “Sister, I’ll wait outside.”
“I am Pei Yuan, honored to meet Miss Xie.” As Xie Jiujiu entered, Pei Yuan took two steps back, cupped his hands, and bowed.
“You’re too polite, Master Pei. It was my idea to invite you here. Since we’re discussing matters of marriage and establishing a family, there’s no need for excessive courtesy.”
Last night, the sky was full of stars, suggesting today would be cloudless and fine. Unexpectedly, a light drizzle began at dawn, the dripping water under the eaves pattering noisily and disturbing sleep, forcing an early rise.
Thinking the day’s mood would be dampened, yet upon seeing Pei Yuan’s poised and graceful demeanor, Xie Jiujiu’s spirits, weighed down by the incessant morning drizzle, suddenly cleared like dispersing clouds.
Pei Yuan resembled Madam Guan, with a tall, slender frame and straight shoulders. He wore an indigo-blue padded robe and a dark blue cloak over it. The cuffs showed some wear, but the overall appearance was neat and clean—simple yet not shabby.
Xie Jiujiu didn’t hide her scrutiny. His features were exceptionally fine—a high nose bridge, well-defined contours, and eyes as dark as ink, making it somewhat difficult to discern the emotions within them.
His ink-black hair was tied up, secured only with a simple and rustic wooden hairpin. Its style didn’t much resemble something bought from outside—likely Pei Yuan had taken a personal interest in it, finding the wood himself to craft it.
“The young lady speaks rightly. Since that is the case, I shall follow your suggestion and not stand on ceremony.”
When Pei Yuan said he wouldn’t stand on ceremony, he truly meant it. Not only did he lift the hem of his robe and sit back down, but he also casually poured Xie Jiujiu a cup of tea. Watching from the outer room, Xie Wenji glared in disbelief—how could this man be so obedient? When told not to stand on ceremony, did he really have to make himself so at home?