At first hearing, Song Shi thought it didn’t sound too bad—at least he wasn’t someone old enough to be her daughter’s grandfather. But what about other matters?

She hurriedly asked, “Chang’er, does the Prefect’s back courtyard have any unsavory rumors? What is his temperament like?”

Yun Chang shook his head, “I heard the Prefect isn’t fond of women and there are no chaotic rumors about him. For more details, I’ll need to inquire further with people.”

Yun Shuyao didn’t need long to consider before speaking, “Mother, I’m willing.”

Even though she had never studied the great work Dream of the Red Chamber, she knew what kind of person Lin Ruhai was—he was Lin Daiyu’s father.

When he appeared in the book, he was a high official who once had a son under his knee who later died young, leaving only his daughter Lin Daiyu. In the end, she lived in the Jia household enduring days of harsh treatment, died in the Jia household, and all the Lin family’s wealth was absorbed into the Jia household—they were utterly consumed. Beyond that, she wasn’t clear on the details.

She hadn’t had much time to read extracurricular books, spending her leisure time doing part-time jobs instead.

Now that she had come to this world, she had to either marry or become a nun. If this Lin Ruhai was still the Lin Ruhai she understood him to be, then entering the Lin household was actually a decent choice.

If she could bear a child, whether male or female, the Lin family lacking heirs wouldn’t treat them poorly. If she didn’t conceive, when the time was right, she could find a way to extricate herself and leave.

She could also use her time in the Lin household to train her supernatural ability. Once it reached a higher level, escaping would be more convenient.

Moreover, in this era there was no concept of being “the other woman,” so there was no moral pressure. As for fulfilling a concubine’s responsibilities, Yun Shuyao felt she wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

Someone who could father someone like Sister Lin and who had achieved third place in the imperial examinations wouldn’t be too bad.

As for the scheming in the back courtyard, Yun Shuyao wasn’t overly worried.

She wasn’t a pushover either. If people didn’t provoke her, she wouldn’t provoke them. But if they did provoke her, naturally she would return tooth for tooth.

Song Shi shook her head and grasped her daughter’s hand, “Why are you in such a hurry? Let your elder brother go inquire first. We’ll discuss this matter slowly.” Why agree so hastily? What if the Lin household was a pit of fire?

Yun Shuyao grasped Song Shi’s hand in return.

This hand was very cold and trembling slightly.

Yun Chang went out to gather more information while Song Shi waited anxiously.

She was waiting for two pieces of news—one from Yun Chang, one from her husband.

Nanny Wang had said a letter had already been sent. Her husband had been falsely accused, so perhaps he was already on his way home?

When Yun Chang went out to inquire, the information he learned was more specific, though not much more extensive.

For instance, he learned the Prefect’s age—twenty-seven this year, already a fourth-rank Prefect. Those who came with him to take up the post included the Old Madam and the Prefect’s wife—these were the only three legitimate masters. Additionally, two months ago, the Old Madam had taken in an honorable concubine for the Prefect, the concubine-born daughter of a cloth merchant family, who had also reportedly entered the household due to astrological compatibility.

Beyond that, there were reportedly two personal maids. All told, the Prefect had a total of only four women. Given his position, this number was truly quite small.

Nor had they heard any ill reputation about the Prefect’s wife—only that she was a talented woman who loved poetry and books.

Hearing this, Song Shi breathed a sigh of relief.

Given the Prefect’s status, the number of people in his back courtyard was indeed quite modest. Should they agree?

Song Shi didn’t dare nod, waiting for her husband to return.

However, she felt that when her husband returned, he would most likely agree as well.

Facing a Prefect, did a small household like theirs have the right to refuse?

Song Shi waited anxiously. Within a couple days, she saw her brother-in-law bringing her husband home.

“Sister-in-law, we’ve returned.”

Hearing her brother-in-law’s voice, Song Shi flew over to open the door.

She saw a mule cart stopped at the entrance with her brother-in-law standing beside it. He lifted the cart curtain, revealing her husband lying inside. “Sister-in-law, Second Brother is back.”

Song Shi looked into the cart. Yun Qingliang looked back at her and managed a smile. At the sight, Song Shi’s tears fell as she choked out, “Husband…”

His complexion was absurdly pale, and one leg was splinted with wooden boards. How much suffering had he endured?

Song Shi quickly wiped away her tears, “Husband, your leg…”

Yun Qingliang gave a bitter smile as he touched his own leg, comforting his wife, “It’s nothing. The doctor already set the bone for me. With some rest, it will heal.”

This meant… his leg had been broken?!

Song Shi gasped, “…You’re home now. We’re home.”

Yun Qingliang could only smile bitterly.

He was out now, but two days ago, he had truly thought he would die in that prison cell.

Yun Qingpeng carried his younger brother back to the room, then went out to speak with his son, leaving the space for the married couple.

Yun Qingliang said, “So that’s how it is.”

He had been released but hadn’t known the reason. Only now did he understand.

He leaned against the headboard and called his daughter in, looking at her, “Yao’er, what do you think? If you’re unwilling to become a concubine, Father will refuse. Prefect Lin won’t do anything just because our family refuses—he’s a good official.”

Life in a great household wasn’t easy.

His original intention had still been to have his daughter marry into a similar household as a legitimate wife.

Yun Shuyao looked at his pale face and shook her head, “Father, I’m willing. This is also the best choice for our family.”

If people knew their family ultimately had no relationship with the Prefect’s household, what would Wu Peng, whose face had been hurt, do?

He wasn’t a broad-minded person.

Even if he didn’t dare act openly, if he wanted to do something secretly, their family had no good way to deal with it.

Moreover, she had already wandered around the yamen entrance. Even though she hadn’t seen very clearly, she had a general impression. Lin Ruhai—marrying him wouldn’t be a loss.

Yun Qingliang fell silent, the hand hidden in his sleeve clenched tightly into a fist.

He was still… too weak.

He couldn’t participate in this round of the autumn examination. The next one was still three years away.

When he rose up again, if his daughter wasn’t doing well, they could back her up.

If he couldn’t rise up, when his daughter was wronged, they couldn’t even show up at the door.

Thinking this, Yun Qingliang’s jawline tightened.

—

The Lin household received a reply and quickly sent a matchmaker to the door.

Yun Shuyao was the legitimate eldest daughter of a proper scholar’s household. Although this wasn’t a marriage but becoming a concubine, there were still appropriate procedures to follow.

The procedures couldn’t compare to the complex three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts of taking a wife, but it also wasn’t as simple as a maid being elevated to concubine with a single cup of tea.

The Lin household sent a matchmaker, provided betrothal gifts and betrothal silver, and also selected the nearest auspicious date, giving the Yun family less than a month to prepare.

The betrothal silver was five hundred taels.

For the Lin household, this might not be much, but for their family, these five hundred taels were more than their entire family’s assets.

Song Shi became busy, caring for her husband lying in bed recovering while also arranging her daughter’s dowry.

If she didn’t win favor after entering the Lin residence, her daughter would still have this dowry to rely on. It had to be prepared as perfectly as possible.

She had discussed with her husband—everything the Lin family sent would be included in their daughter’s dowry. The dowry they had previously prepared for their daughter, excluding some unsuitable items, would all be given to her.

She had originally considered using the five hundred taels to buy two shops in the city and collect rent monthly—stable income. But her daughter proposed wanting to purchase an unused mountain area in the village.

Yun Qingliang didn’t understand, “Yao’er, why do you want to buy mountain land? Mountain land doesn’t produce much. At most, villagers go dig wild vegetables, cut grass, and gather firewood there. Buying it won’t be profitable.”

As for profitable farmland, it already had owners, and no one was willing to sell.

Yun Shuyao explained, “I’m thinking of planting some fruit trees and flowers there, and also raising some poultry. Later, with Uncle helping me oversee it, selling the produce would also be an income source.”

She had a wood-type supernatural ability, currently only level one, but with more practice, it would gradually level up. Having a mountain would give her more opportunities to train.

Yun Qingpeng nodded without hesitation. He was in the village and understood these matters best, “Uncle will help you oversee it. Raising some poultry is indeed feasible. Mountain land isn’t valuable—go talk to the village head, and you can get an acre for just over four taels.”

Farmland was different—the best paddy fields cost over ten taels per acre.

After buying the mountain, hiring two people to manage it would cost only a few dozen taels. The remaining silver could all be used to buy shops—they could buy larger ones in better locations, generating higher rent.

Ever since people from Prefect Lin’s household came calling, news spread and the Yun household suddenly became lively.

When Yun Qingliang had his troubles, his classmates and friends had avoided seeing him. Now knowing he had connected with the Prefect through marriage, their attitudes immediately warmed up, and they came bearing gifts to congratulate him.

Yun Qingliang accepted them with a smile, not saying he would sever ties with them, but he had his own internal measure.

From these well-wishers, Yun Shuyao learned more information.

The Lin household servants were tight-lipped and didn’t dare say much about their masters. However, one could infer that the Old Madam and the Prefect’s wife probably weren’t on good terms.

Because hiring respectable women from outside to enter the household was quite a slap in the face to the legitimate wife.

If the legitimate wife couldn’t bear children, typically maids from the legitimate wife’s side would be elevated. If they felt a maid’s status was too low, they could select suitable people from the woman’s same clan. That way, the bloodline born would carry the woman’s family blood.

But now the Lin household’s Old Madam first hired a merchant’s daughter to enter, and now had hired the Yun family’s daughter.

She was a scholar’s legitimate daughter—in terms of status, she held a higher position than the merchant’s daughter.

This was definitely not good news for the legitimate wife.

Song Shi speculated, “The Prefect’s wife has been married into the Lin household for ten years now. Ten years without bearing children—the Old Madam must already be very dissatisfied. But Yao’er, after you enter, you must be respectful to the Prefect’s wife, understand? Her father is Duke Rongguo. Although Duke Rongguo has already passed away, she’s not to be underestimated.”

She repeatedly instructed, “You absolutely cannot neglect the Old Madam either. Your needlework is excellent—make more needlework for the Old Madam to show your sincerity.”

The two younger brothers were thirteen and eleven years old. In this era, they could no longer be treated as children. In another two years, the older one could already take a wife.

Yun Heng felt terrible, “Sister, we’ll study hard. In another two years, I can take the scholar examination. In the future, I’ll definitely be able to back you up.”

With everything that had happened at home, as the eldest son, their parents had never hidden anything from him.

He deeply felt his own powerlessness.

When Father had troubles, he couldn’t do anything. Now Sister was entering the Prefect’s household gates. If she was bullied, he still couldn’t do anything.

Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but gently pat this refined young man’s still-thin shoulder, “Sister believes in you.”

“When I’m no longer at home, you’ll be the oldest. You must take good care of Father and Mother. Watch over Father more—don’t let him work too hard.”

Father had broken his leg this time and missed this round of the autumn examination. He was already preparing for the next one, not putting down his books even while lying in bed each day.

Originally, his attitude toward the autumn examination had been “if I succeed, it’s my fortune; if I fail, it’s my fate.” If he couldn’t pass, he had planned to continue teaching the children of wealthy households. Now his attitude had changed—he had become much more proactive.

Additionally, Wu Peng came to apologize and offer gifts.

He said there had been some misunderstandings, and now everyone should let bygones be bygones with a smile.

If the Yun family hadn’t agreed, would he have come to their door?

Let alone apologized.

If they didn’t accept, it would seem the Yun family was being unreasonable.

Yun Qingliang returned most of the valuable gifts.

If he weren’t so weak, he would have wanted to throw them all back in Wu Peng’s face.

The day before the wedding, Song Shi came hesitantly to her daughter’s room and gave her an illustrated guide to avoiding fire.

Her face flushed as her eyes looked left and right, just not daring to look at her daughter, “…Look at this. When the time comes, don’t be afraid. The Prefect, he… he knows what to do. That thing… it will hurt a bit at first, but bear with it and it will pass…”

Yun Shuyao glanced at the spring palace painting with somewhat contorted positions and strategic coverings, feigning shyness as she lowered her head, “Mother, I understand.”

Hearing her response, Song Shi breathed a long sigh of relief and couldn’t wait to leave. Oh my, discussing these things with her daughter was truly mortifying!

Yun Shuyao lifted her head, looking at her retreating figure, and picked up the illustrated guide with amusement.

Truth be told, she and Lin Ruhai were the same age.

Moreover, though her previous life had been busy with little free time, she had still been in two relationships. She wasn’t unfamiliar with matters between men and women.

She had deeply experienced the life of a corporate slave. If she hadn’t been so driven, she wouldn’t have been working late and getting off work late that night to encounter the car accident, and then taken a tour through an extreme survival map. Now entering the Lin residence’s back courtyard, in a sense, this was her new job.

Room and board provided, with monthly wages.

As for the specific work atmosphere and difficulty, she would only know after starting the job.

If possible, she planned to slack off properly while in this position, becoming a dull and listless salted fish—she hadn’t rested enough yet.

The next day, when the auspicious hour arrived, Yun Shuyao, dressed up and wearing peach-red wedding attire, was carried on Yun Heng’s back into the wedding sedan. She was carried swaying all the way to the Lin residence.

Today the Prefect had a joyous occasion and even hosted several tables of guests.

This had nothing to do with Yun Shuyao—she didn’t need to attend to guests.

She only needed to sit on the bed in the room, head covered with a wedding veil, listening to the faint sounds of conversation and laughter from outside, waiting for the male master’s arrival.

Nanny Wang, who had come to propose marriage, stood by her side. Beside her was another maid. The room was utterly quiet.

Until she heard a young maid outside call out joyfully, “He’s here! The Master is here!”

The atmosphere in the room immediately livened up.

“The Master is here.”

“Master, this way please!”

“Step, step, step…”

Hearing the footsteps drawing closer and closer, Yun Shuyao silently gripped the handkerchief in her hand more tightly.

She was about to meet her new superior. She wondered what her new superior was like—would he be easy to get along with?