Li Cuilan looked over the Chen family's spacious courtyard and five neat rooms as she made her way smoothly into the main house.
Mother Chen and Chen's elder sister-in-law, Xu Cuicui, welcomed Li Cuilan with joyful expressions and invited her to sit. Then Mother Chen gave Xu Cuicui a look, and Xu Cuicui turned and left the room.
At that moment, Chen Qiuyue was inside doing embroidery. When Chen's elder sister-in-law pushed the door open, she had just finished a small handkerchief.
"Sister-in-law, is something the matter? I thought I heard someone come to the house?" Chen Qiuyue looked up at Xu Cuicui and said.
"Qiuyue, the matchmaker from the Zhao family has come. Mother told me earlier that when she arrived, I should have you go serve a cup of tea."
Upon hearing this, Chen Qiuyue shot to her feet and began pacing about, somewhat at a loss.
"Don't be nervous. It's just serving a cup of tea, letting the matchmaker have a look at you. Come with me quickly."
Xu Cuicui pulled Chen Qiuyue along to the kitchen to pour a cup of tea, then had Chen Qiuyue carry it into the main house.
By this time, Chen Qiuyue had composed herself. Holding the cup, she walked slowly into the main house.
Li Cuilan was chatting about everyday matters with Mother Chen when she saw a slender young woman enter carrying a bowl of tea. She knew this must be the Chen family's daughter.
Chen Qiuyue walked up to Li Cuilan with her eyes slightly downcast, holding the tea.
"Auntie, please have some tea."
Li Cuilan looked up and took in Chen Qiuyue's appearance—she was indeed lovely and beautiful.
That a farming family could raise such a girl showed how dearly the Chen family loved this daughter.
Mother Chen looked at her poised and generous daughter with a gratified expression and said with a smile, "Sister Li, this is my daughter. Her name is Qiuyue. She doesn't go out much ordinarily—she just stays home doing embroidery."
Li Cuilan took the teacup from Chen Qiuyue's hands and said cheerfully, "Sister Chen, you've certainly raised a fine daughter. You couldn't find a more outstanding girl within ten li."
Chen Qiuyue smiled shyly and turned to leave.
Mother Chen and Li Cuilan were each satisfied in their hearts. The two families settled the particulars of the marriage between the Chen and Zhao families, and the match was formally agreed upon.
After seeing the matchmaker off, Mother Chen called Chen Qiuyue into the room with a joyful expression and said delightedly, "Today the matchmaker came. The marriage between the two families is settled."
Chen Qiuyue was also very happy. With a trace of shyness on her face, she leaned into Mother Chen's arms without speaking.
"Yue girl, now that the marriage is settled, the wedding will likely be in the second half of this year. Mother can't bear to part with you."
Mother Chen, who had just been happy that her daughter's lifelong matter was settled, thought of her daughter marrying and leaving her side before long, and the sorrow in her heart surged up again.
Hearing Mother Chen's slightly choked words, Chen Qiuyue's eyes reddened as well.
"Mother, even after I marry in the future, I will still be your daughter. During festivals I'll bring my husband to visit you and Father."
With that, she reached out both hands and hugged Mother Chen. Seeing her childlike daughter, Mother Chen was caught between laughter and tears.
In the evening, after Father Chen and Elder Brother Chen returned from the fields, Mother Chen told them the news, and the whole family was happy for Chen Qiuyue.
That night the family sat around together eating happily. Chen Goudan chattered nonstop while eating.
He talked about what he had done that day, about which playmate had quarreled with which other playmate, about who had made a fool of themselves—the family kept laughing at Chen Goudan's childish prattle, and the whole courtyard was filled with a warm atmosphere.
Li Cuilan returned to Zhao Family Village and went straight to Mother Zhao to share the good news.
The fact that both the Zhao and Chen families were willing was the best possible outcome, and she was full of praise when mentioning Chen Qiuyue.
She praised Chen Qiuyue for her beauty, her gentle temperament, and her skill with a craft, saying she would surely make a fine daughter-in-law for the Zhao family.
Mother Zhao was overjoyed to hear that the Chen family had agreed to the match. Her second son's marriage was finally settled, and she could breathe a sigh of relief.
What remained to be considered next was the exchange of betrothal gifts between the two families and the discussion of the wedding date.
Mother Zhao wished she could prepare everything tomorrow and bring her daughter-in-law into the family the day after.
"Cuilan, sister, you'll need to put in extra effort for what comes next."
With that, Mother Zhao pressed a red paper packet into Li Cuilan's hand.
Li Cuilan felt the packet in her hand and estimated it contained over a dozen coppers. She was pleased, thinking that the Zhao family was indeed generous.
A festive smile on her face, she readily agreed, promising to see the match through smoothly.
After seeing Li Cuilan off, Mother Zhao hurried to find Father Zhao and told him the news.
"There's a lot to arrange from here on. It's late today, but tomorrow morning you should go into town and tell Huaiyu the good news. He must have been worrying about this too."
"Understood. I'll head to town at first light tomorrow." Father Zhao was also beaming with joy—his son's lifelong matter was finally settled.
Early the next morning, Father Zhao drove the family's ox cart to town. By the time he arrived, Zhao Huaiyu had just finished a busy stretch of work.
Seeing Father Zhao approach, he hurried over to greet him and asked, "Father, why have you come? Has something happened at home?"
Father Zhao looked at his son and said with a smile, "I have good news to tell you. Let's find a quiet place to talk."
Zhao Huaiyu led Father Zhao to his private room in the courtyard behind the restaurant.
Father Zhao sat down on a chair and looked at his son, who had grown taller than himself, and said with a smile, "Huaiyu, the Chen family has agreed to the marriage."
Zhao Huaiyu was just picking up a cup to pour water for his father. He paused briefly at the words, then continued what he was doing, but the joy in his heart could not help showing in the corners of his eyes and brows.
His hand holding the cup to pass to Father Zhao hesitated for a moment, then he replied happily, "You and Mother have gone to great trouble for me in this matter."
"With your marriage settled, your mother's heart is finally at ease. Now we just wait for your wedding day. I came today to tell you this."
"Your mother and I will handle the follow-up arrangements for the betrothal. You focus on doing well at your work in town. Once you're married, you'll be the pillar of your own little household."
"Father, I'm doing quite well at the restaurant now. Don't worry."
Listening to his father's words, Zhao Huaiyu felt a quiet excitement stirring within him.
Thinking that Miss Chen would one day marry him, and that they would have children of their own, he felt time was passing far too slowly.
Father Zhao finished the water in his cup, stood up, and said he needed to head home—there was still a pile of work waiting for him.
Zhao Huaiyu watched his father's figure recede as the cart drove away, his heart filled with anticipation for the days to come.
Once the engagement between the Chen and Zhao families was settled, the betrothal gifts moved along very quickly.
The Zhao family offered eight taels of silver as the bride price, the same amount given when the eldest Zhao brother had married. The two sons were treated equally.
For an ordinary farming family, this was already an extremely generous betrothal gift. Father Chen and Mother Chen felt their faces shine with pride and were deeply pleased.
The Zhao Family giving a generous betrothal gift showed how much they valued the Chen Family's daughter. In the end, the wedding date was set for August of this year, which was only a little over two months away.
The two families began preparing for the marriage. The Chen Family was mainly busy arranging Chen Qiuyue's dowry, while the Zhao Family was busy renovating Zhao Huaiyu's room.