Chapter 24: Father and Daughter of the Wang Family"Dad, Dad!" Wang Qiuhe ran home in one breath and found Butcher Wang.Butcher Wang was feeling somewhat sullen. Seeing her rush back noisily, he said with some annoyance, "Look at you, already a grown girl, yet never staying home all day. Don’t you need to do any household chores?"Although his temper was bad outside, he was quite good to his own children, especially this youngest daughter, whom he had always favored.As a result, even when he scolded her with a stern face, Wang Qiuhe wasn’t the least bit afraid of him. Instead, she pouted and said, "It was fine when I did all the household chores before, but why do I still have to do everything now?"What was the point of bringing this stepmother home if not to be a mere decoration? She just couldn’t understand it.Butcher Wang was momentarily speechless at her words. In front of his daughter, he felt a bit awkward. Coughing twice, he said, "Isn’t it because she’s just entered the household and isn’t familiar with everything yet? You’ve been used to doing these things before. For a grown girl, doing a bit more work isn’t a bad thing—it won’t tire you out."Their family lived a rough life and didn’t fuss over such matters. The three men in the family washed their own clothes. Wang Qiuhe only tidied the house and helped with cooking, so there wasn’t much else for her to do."Hmph, what do you mean it won’t tire me out? I think you’re just treating your daughter like a servant." As she spoke, she stretched out her hands and said, "Look at this. You say I’m a grown girl, but my hands are so rough—what kind of appearance is that?"Although the girls in the village all had to work, and their hands couldn’t stay smooth, Butcher Wang doted on his daughter. Moreover, he pitied her for losing her mother at a young age, so he inevitably spoiled her a bit more.Seeing her like this, his heart softened a little. He said, "Alright, just finish this month’s work. Starting next month, you won’t have to do it anymore. Let her handle it, okay?""That’s more like it."Upon hearing this, Wang Qiuhe immediately brightened up. Only now did she feel that bringing a stepmother into the household might not be entirely a bad thing. With Mrs. Su’s gentle temperament, she wouldn’t be able to put on airs as a stepmother, let alone bully the three siblings.With this matter resolved, her eyes suddenly lit up. She took a few steps forward, hugged Butcher Wang’s arm, and put on a flattering smile. "Dad, let me tell you something!"Seeing his daughter’s radiant smile, whatever sullenness he had left in his heart dissipated almost entirely. He glanced at her and asked gently, "What is it? Are you short on money again?"He could earn money and was quite generous to his daughter at home, often giving her some spending money to buy hair accessories or snacks. In this regard, even his two sons couldn’t compare to her."It’s not that." Wang Qiuhe observed his expression and slowly said, "Zhao Zhengping and Lin Qinghe have broken off their engagement. Have you heard about it?""I’ve heard. That old woman Mrs. Qian has been shouting about it all over the village. Probably no one in the village doesn’t know about the two families breaking off the engagement." Butcher Wang looked at his daughter and said, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up? Other people’s affairs have nothing to do with us."He deliberately emphasized this point because he knew very well that the Lin family’s affairs might indeed be related to their own family. After all, he had married Mrs. Su. A major event like Mrs. Su’s daughter having her engagement broken off should, in principle, warrant some inquiry from their side. However, he didn’t want to get involved with the Lin family, so he had kept it from Mrs. Su."Their family matters naturally have nothing to do with us. I just wanted to say that Zhao Zhengping seems like a decent person," she said with a hint of shyness.Butcher Wang chuckled upon hearing this and said, "That lad does look passable—a scholar with some modest family assets. He’s just a bit frail, and that old woman Mrs. Qian is quite formidable…""Dad!" Wang Qiuhe, hearing him veer off-topic, called out coquettishly, then shook his arm. "Who’s talking about all that? I’m just asking you whether Zhao Zhengping is good or not."Butcher Wang, being a shrewd man, instantly understood his daughter’s meaning and said bluntly, "So after all this, it turns out you’ve taken a liking to that lad!""Dad," Wang Qiuhe protested."Alright, alright, I get your meaning. Having a scholar as my son-in-law would certainly bring me honor. But I’m afraid his family might look down on ours." With his notorious reputation, he had some self-awareness."Why would they look down on us? How are we any worse than the Lin family? If they can fancy the Lins, why not us? In my opinion, Dad, you’re far more capable than Lin Dazhuang.""Pah, don’t jinx it by comparing me to a dead man," Butcher Wang grumbled unhappily.Wang Qiuhe quickly covered her mouth. "My bad for speaking carelessly. Don’t take it to heart, Dad. I just meant that with your abilities, why would the Zhao Family look down on us?""That makes sense too. Our family is one of the wealthiest in the village. As for that lad Zhao Zhengping, he can’t lift heavy things or carry burdens. Relying solely on the produce from their land, he probably can’t even scrape together the travel expenses for the imperial exams. He’d have to depend on a capable in-law family."He mulled it over and thought this match was quite promising. The Zhao Family would need to rely on their Wang family, so they wouldn’t dare treat his daughter poorly in the future. Living in the same village, right under his watchful eye, he could keep an eye on things, ensuring his daughter wouldn’t suffer.Hearing this, Wang Qiuhe was overjoyed. "Dad, since you agree, let’s quickly find a matchmaker to propose the marriage. That Granny Zhao who helped arrange your last match seems good. Last time, the proposal succeeded right away. This time should go even smoother."The last match, of course, was his marriage to Mrs. Su. Butcher Wang glanced at his daughter and suddenly felt the sentiment that daughters grow up and leave. No wonder everyone wants sons—what use are daughters? They all end up belonging to others. For a moment, he felt a pang of bitterness."What’s the rush? They just called off an engagement yesterday. If you rush to propose now, even if they’re interested, they won’t agree so quickly. Aren’t you afraid of gossip?"A young lady shouldn’t be so impatient—she might become a laughingstock."Who would dare gossip about our family? Aren’t they afraid you’d storm their doors?" Wang Qiuhe said anxiously. "I’m just worried someone else might beat us to it. With Zhao Zhengping’s qualifications, many people are eyeing him. Even if they don’t agree right away, we should get ahead of others, so both sides know where they stand and won’t accept another family’s proposal first.""That’s true in principle, but there’s no need to rush. Even if we miss the Zhao Family, we can propose to others. Zhao Zhengping isn’t the only scholar in the world. Listen, daughter, being this eager isn’t a good look.""Zhao Zhengping is someone we know well, and living in the same village, if anything happens, I can just call out and you’ll hear me. Other scholars wouldn’t be so convenient." Besides, other scholars might not be as agreeable as Zhao Zhengping."That’s true. Alright, I’ll go invite Granny Zhao in a bit and ask her to speak with Mrs. Qian, to first gauge her thoughts. As for the engagement, it certainly can’t be rushed. Scholarly families care about reputation, so we’ll have to wait at least half a year or a year before bringing up the marriage proposal. Zhao Zhengping isn’t that old either—he seems to be just fifteen this year.""As long as it’s settled first, the engagement isn’t that urgent."

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops