Chen Shi had been waiting anxiously. Having finally waited for Yu Tang to return home, before Yu Tang could even step down from the hired sedan chair and stand steady, she pulled her daughter by the hand toward the main hall.

As they walked, she also instructed Shuang Tao: “Cut one of the melons we’re chilling in the well and bring it over. Draw water to serve the young miss so she can wash and change clothes.”

Shuang Tao responded and left.

Yu Tang was pressed by her mother to sit in the armchair in the main hall.

Seeing that the hair at her daughter’s temples was soaked with sweat, Chen Shi felt extremely distressed. She turned and somehow produced a round fan, sat beside her daughter, and fanned her: “Tell me properly what exactly happened today. Why did you have A’Tiao bring me such a message halfway through? You scared me so much I couldn’t sit still, afraid something had happened to you.”

Yu Tang hadn’t expected this.

She hurriedly apologized to her mother, saying, “I just felt that Mrs. Tang is like sticky taffy, and I was afraid she would talk nonsense and move Mother and Father’s hearts with her words.”

Chen Shi said reproachfully, “Are your father and mother really that muddled?”

Yu Tang laughed sheepishly.

Chen Shi became serious: “Is there something improper about the Li family’s second young master?”

Though her daughter’s reason for going out had been vague, she had experienced more than her daughter after all. She had figured out that Yu Tang was mostly worried about the marriage with the Li family and wanted to see for herself what the Li family’s second young master looked like. Their family wasn’t some prominent household with many rules, nor were they a prosperous family with many children. The couple only wanted their daughter to be happy in the future. They thought if she could take a liking to him, wouldn’t that be an excellent match? That’s why they had turned a blind eye and let A’Tiao accompany Yu Tang out.

Seeing her daughter send A’Tiao back with a message before she could even return home, how could she not worry?

Yu Tang told Chen Shi everything about evaluating Li Jun today, leaving nothing out.

Chen Shi was so surprised she couldn’t close her mouth for a long while. It wasn’t until Shuang Tao brought in the melon and left after serving Yu Tang to wash and change clothes that she seemed to find her voice again and carefully asked Yu Tang, who was eating melon: “So you’re saying the Li family’s second young master doesn’t know you at all, and Madam Li’s marriage proposal was all embellishment?”

Yu Tang nodded, feeling today’s melon was exceptionally sweet. She stuffed a piece into her mother’s mouth and told her mother her suspicions: “I just feel their family must be after something from our family. Unfortunately, I can’t think of what our family has that they would covet.”

Looking at her daughter’s face, which even in the dim light of the room seemed glazed like porcelain, Chen Shi couldn’t help feeling somewhat proud.

A little girl as beautiful as their A’Tang—not to mention in Lin’an city, even in Hangzhou Prefecture, would be rare to find.

Couldn’t it be that they simply fancied how pretty their A’Tang was?

Though Chen Shi thought this, she also knew it wasn’t very realistic.

She said, “I’ve already had someone send word to your father to come home early today. Your father is a scholar after all, more worldly and knowledgeable than we are. For this matter, he still needs to make the decision.”

Three cobblers equal one Zhuge Liang.

Yu Tang liked having family discuss things together when something came up.

She said, “Did Father go to the dock today?”

The newly appointed head steward of the Pei family, Pei Man, worked efficiently. The reconstruction of Changxing Street had already begun before Old Master Pei’s forty-ninth day memorial. She had heard from A’Tiao earlier that the Pei family had bought several boats of bricks and tiles from Hangzhou, which would arrive at Shaoxi Dock in these few days. Yu Wen had been with Yu Bo these past few days.

Chen Shi hummed in acknowledgment, feeling this melon was indeed sweeter than usual, and said to Yu Tang: “Save some for your father! This is all that’s left of this melon.”

Yu Tang blinked at her mother—Yu Wen had returned.

Chen Shi hurried forward to serve Yu Wen in washing his face and hands.

Yu Tang stood up and called out “Father,” and when Yu Wen had cleaned up, she brought the melon to him.

Yu Wen praised his daughter with a “good girl” and asked Chen Shi: “What’s so urgent that you rushed me back? I was planning to invite Manager Tong to Zhang’s Second Fish Restaurant for a few drinks today! This season is the best for eating fish.”

Chen Shi smiled and said, “I was wondering why you took so long. Did the brick and tile matter go smoothly?”

“Smoothly.” Yu Wen said, “What happened at home?”

Chen Shi recounted Yu Tang’s trip to Zhaoming Temple.

Yu Wen was quite carefree and said dismissively, “Whatever they want to do, we just won’t agree.”

Chen Shi frowned and said, “But if they’re doing this, I’m afraid what they’re after is considerable. If not this matter, they could stir up something else—impossible to guard against.”

Yu Wen smiled and said, “Besides our A’Tang entrusting herself to the wrong person, what else is there to worry about? Scattered gold returns again!”

“You make it sound easy.” Chen Shi said dissatisfied, “I’m just afraid they’ll interfere with our A’Tang’s marriage.”

“Don’t worry about this matter,” Yu Wen said. “I have my own plan.”

Yu Tang felt her scalp tingle listening to this.

Ever since the Lu Xin painting sale incident, she had gained an entirely new understanding of her father.

His plans—she had no confidence in them whatsoever.

Yu Tang shook her mother’s arm and said coquettishly, “Mother, look at Father. He doesn’t care about me at all. This is my lifelong matter, and he wants to decide without consulting anyone. How can that be? Even buying a table, you’d look at it several times!”

“Child, what are you saying?” Yu Wen glared at his daughter and said, “Is choosing a husband like buying a table? You think I’m not anxious about your matter? It’s just that there aren’t any good candidates. I know you’re afraid I’ll marry you to the Li family. Rest assured, without your agreement, I won’t agree to any family.”

Yu Tang exclaimed joyfully and fawningly brought the plate of fruit to Yu Wen’s side, ingratiating herself: “Father, you’re the best person to me in this world, and you’re the best father in this world!”

“That’s right!” Though Yu Wen felt his daughter’s words were somewhat exaggerated, he still couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from lifting high, feeling very pleased.

Chen Shi just shook her head.

Early the next morning, she sent someone to reply to Mrs. Tang, saying their family had decided to take in a son-in-law for Yu Tang and probably couldn’t form a marriage alliance with the Li family.

Mrs. Tang immediately rushed over upon receiving the message. Panting, she said to Chen Shi with a bitter smile, “We also told the Li family that your family wants to take in a son-in-law, and we said this to the Li family’s second young master. But unexpectedly, the second young master would rather marry in as a son-in-law than not marry your daughter. This matter reached their eldest young master, who locked the second young master at home and wrote a letter to Master Li. The second young master absolutely refused and has already started a hunger strike.

“Madam Li dotes on her children most. She’s both afraid the second young master will come to harm and afraid Master Li will be angry when he finds out. Your person had barely left when she came, asking me to make this trip for their second young master no matter what. She says their child truly and sincerely likes your daughter and asks you to give their second young master one chance no matter what—not to rush into arranging a match for your daughter. As for whether he can marry in as a son-in-law, within three months at most, their family will give a definite answer.”

After speaking, she sighed deeply and took Chen Shi’s hand, saying, “Among all the scholar’s wives in the city, I envy you most. Not only is your husband devoted to you alone, even raising a daughter brings you such glory. Think about it—what kind of family is the Li family? Their dignified second young master would rather not be a young master to become a son-in-law in your family. Regardless of whether this match succeeds, your life has been worthwhile.”

Both Chen Shi and Yu Tang were stunned by this turn of events.

They hadn’t expected that despite the Yu family proposing such harsh conditions, the Li family would still consider it.

This made Yu Tang even more wary of this match, wary of the Li family. She also felt that all these consequences were because she had gone to find Li Jun on her own yesterday…

Yu Tang’s feelings were complicated.

By afternoon, she just wanted to slap herself a few times and make time flow backward.

Chen Yao had sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.

Chen Shi was dumbfounded and said to Chen Pozi, “Where did this person pop out from?”

Chen Pozi was also somewhat dizzy from everything happening recently. She said, “He says he’s studying at the county school. Yesterday when visiting Zhaoming Temple, he encountered our young miss by chance and couldn’t forget her. After informing his parents, he specially sent someone to propose marriage.”

Chen Shi said, “Does he know our family wants to take in a son-in-law?”

Chen Pozi said, “He says he knows. He also says his family has five sons, he’s third, and his family agrees to let him marry in.”

Yu Tang rubbed her temples and had to come out to clean up the mess. She told her mother about encountering Chen Yao at Zhaoming Temple and said, “This Chen Yao won’t do. His character is bad.”

Chen Shi hadn’t expected such a thing. She curiously asked Yu Tang, “That Chen Yao really only saw you once?”

“He really only saw me once!” Yu Tang had a headache. “How many times did you want him to see me?”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Chen Shi comforted her daughter and said, “I just didn’t expect there would really be someone who would come to our family to propose marriage after seeing you just once.”

Yu Tang couldn’t help feeling that her mother’s tone carried a hint of pride.

She said weakly, “Could you first send that matchmaker away? With her blocking our doorway with a pile of things like that, I’m afraid everyone will think I’m anxious to marry out!”

Yu Tang’s words reminded Chen Shi. Chen Shi hurriedly said to Chen Pozi, “Quick, go send that matchmaker away. Say your father already has plans for A’Tang’s marriage, and we’re not discussing this matter for now.”

Chen Pozi responded and left.

Yet her face was full of spring breeze.

Clearly she was very happy that someone would come to the house to propose marriage like this.

Yu Tang thought the matter was over.

She never expected that two days later, Fu Xiaowan also sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.

However, when the Fu family learned the Yu family wanted to take in a son-in-law, they left very disappointed.

At least there’s one normal person!

Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief.

But her reputation for beauty had spread because of this.

By the time the Yu family learned of it, it was already time to send Mid-Autumn Festival gifts.

First Aunt Wang Shi smiled and teased Chen Shi, “Our A’Tang truly has good fortune. When one family has a daughter, a hundred families seek her—I’ve only seen such things in books, but this is the first time I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes.”

Chen Shi worried and spoke confidentially with Wang Shi: “Am I too timid? A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. I feel that A’Tang having this reputation isn’t a good thing. When I think about it, my heart pounds chaotically!”

Wang Shi was startled and said, “Our A’Tang has brothers to protect her, and a scholar for a father. We’re not some helpless poor household—what is there to fear? However, for young ladies, a reputation for virtue is more important than a reputation for beauty. A’Tang’s marriage should be settled quickly.”