By the time Yu Wen and Yu Yuan finished sending off the people from the Xiang family and rushed over, Pei Yan had already left. Yu Bo was greeting Old Master Wu and other gentry and managers who had come to congratulate the shop’s opening, inviting them to the restaurant for a banquet. Seeing Yu Wen, Yu Bo couldn’t help but smile and pull his brother aside from where he was about to greet Old Master Wu and the others, saying in a low voice: “Our A’Tang is truly remarkable. When Third Master Pei came today, if it weren’t for her, there would have been a major incident.”
This sounded like Yu Tang had accomplished some merit again.
Yu Wen immediately smiled, saying with great interest: “Then tell me quickly, what exactly happened?”
Yu Bo told Yu Wen about how Yu Tang had entertained Pei Yan when he came, and how she had very thoughtfully arranged for a table of vegetarian dishes to be sent to Pei Manor. He finally sighed: “None of us thought of it at the time. Yu Tang even sent vegetarian dishes from Zhaoming Temple!”
Zhaoming Temple was half a day’s journey from Lin’an City. Ordinary families certainly wouldn’t have dishes sent from there. They could accept the Yu family’s order this time only because the Yu family was sending vegetarian dishes to the Pei family. With such fanfare in the arrangements, by tomorrow everyone would know that Pei Yan had personally gone to congratulate the Yu family shop’s opening, and to thank Pei Yan, the Yu family had specially ordered vegetarian dishes to send to Pei Manor.
Yu Wen beamed with joy, feeling his daughter was unfortunately a girl—otherwise she would definitely be more accomplished than Yu Yuan. But he couldn’t say these words out loud, as it would seem like his elder brother hadn’t taught his son well. He could only feel secretly pleased in his heart while humbly saying: “Not at all, not at all. It’s all because elder brother and A’Yuan taught her well. Otherwise, who would listen to a young lady like her?”
Yu Bo didn’t have so many thoughts. Since his brother was being modest, he naturally had to be polite in return. The two brothers praised each other back and forth for a while. Seeing that the guests who had come to offer congratulations were all being led to the restaurant by Xia Pinggui, they finally stopped the topic and went over together to attend to the guests.
Yu Yuan silently followed behind his father and uncle, thinking about what the people from the Xiang family had said.
The wedding date between him and Miss Xiang had been set. According to the Xiang family’s meaning, people in Fuyang were now all saying that Madam Xiang mistreated her stepdaughter. Madam Xiang had flown into a rage at home. Old Madam Xiang’s meaning was that this wedding must be held grandly to let everyone know how much the Xiang family valued Miss Xiang. The Yu family was of modest means—the chickens, ducks, fish, meat, and such needed for the wedding on this side would all be provided by the Xiang family. The Yu family just needed to go ahead and prepare the wedding without worry.
When these words were spoken, Wang Shi wasn’t present. Yu Wen and Chen Shi couldn’t make decisions on their own, and Yu Yuan was a junior who couldn’t speak casually either. Everyone vaguely saw off the people from the Xiang family. But the Xiang family’s meaning was clear—after finishing with the shop’s business, when they returned home, Father and Uncle would definitely have to discuss how to handle this matter.
As for Miss Xiang, he felt very sympathetic toward her.
Being born into such a family—no one would want that. So although the Xiang family’s demands were somewhat insulting, Yu Yuan didn’t want to make things difficult for Miss Xiang.
He was just a bit worried that having such in-laws would likely mean plenty of trouble in the future.
However, he didn’t plan to listen entirely to the Xiang family either, lest the Xiang family think the Yu family was easy to bully and make all sorts of demands with or without reason. But how to avoid making Miss Xiang sad while also preserving the Yu family’s dignity—Yu Yuan hadn’t thought of a strategy that would satisfy both sides.
Having just heard his father’s words, he suddenly felt like seeking Yu Tang’s advice.
In any case, Yu Tang was a girl, and girls were naturally adept at handling household matters. If she could even handle Third Master Pei, she could definitely handle the people from the Xiang family too.
Thinking this way, Yu Yuan immediately felt his spirits lift.
When the banquet at the restaurant ended, he paid for the meal and then found an excuse to quietly slip back to the shop.
Yu Tang hadn’t left yet. Chen Shi had also come over and was sitting with Wang Shi. The three of them were gathered around the small desk in the accounting room talking. Seeing Yu Yuan enter, they all simultaneously stopped their conversation. Wang Shi even forced out a smile and said to him: “You’re back! Did everything go smoothly at the restaurant? Did your father drink too much? Why didn’t you come back with your father and uncle?”
Yu Yuan thought for a moment and didn’t beat around the bush, saying directly: “Mother, Aunt, you were talking about my matter with the Xiang family, weren’t you?”
Wang Shi and Chen Shi exchanged a glance. After a moment’s thought, they felt there was no need to hide it from Yu Yuan. Wang Shi then said: “Yes, your aunt and I were just discussing your marriage with Miss Xiang. This Xiang family is really troublesome. They’ve put our family in a position where agreeing isn’t right and not agreeing isn’t right either. Just now your aunt was saying that this is your own marriage—as long as you’re willing, everything else is secondary. Whatever the Xiang family says, our family will just do accordingly.”
When all was said and done, it was all about money.
If they had money, with the bride’s family holding their heads high and the groom’s family bowing low, whatever demands the Xiang family made, the Yu family could just agree.
Yu Tang sat to the side with her head lowered, listening to the elders speak, but in her heart she was wondering when Third Master Pei had arranged the auction, and whether they could get the silver before eldest brother’s wedding. If they couldn’t get the silver, could they pawn some of the family’s old items?
Who would have thought that after hearing this, Yu Yuan would look at Yu Tang and ask: “What do you think? What should our family do?”
Wang Shi and Chen Shi were dumbstruck.
Yu Tang also didn’t react for a moment.
Yu Yuan could only say: “I heard from Father that when Third Master Pei came, it was thanks to your quick thinking and adaptability. Could you also give me some advice about the Xiang family’s matter?”
Judging from his tone, Yu Yuan still wanted to protect Miss Xiang—he was just dissatisfied with the people from the Xiang family.
Yu Tang breathed a sigh of relief.
That was good.
What she feared most was that elder brother and Miss Xiang might develop a rift during the wedding period, affecting their marital relationship.
She absolutely had to help with this matter no matter what!
Yu Tang’s mind raced rapidly. She said: “The Xiang family only said the wedding should be grand, but a grand wedding doesn’t necessarily mean spending a lot of silver! It could also mean having very high standards. For instance, inviting all the families with scholarly degrees in Lin’an City to the banquet…”
This way, they wouldn’t need to invite many people for the banquet, and others would speak of it with pride.
Wasn’t what the Xiang family wanted just face?
Yu Yuan and the others’ eyes lit up, saying in unison: “That’s a good idea.”
Wang Shi said: “If we could invite Third Master Pei to come, that would be even better.”
Yu Tang felt awkward and said: “Third Master Pei is still in his mourning period. He already came for our family shop’s opening. For elder brother’s wedding, I think we should forget it!”
The match would be too unequal. Similarly, the disparity in status between their family and the Pei family was quite great. Asking them for help at critical moments was one thing, but for regular social interactions, it was better to forget it.
Wang Shi nodded, feeling Yu Tang made sense, and discussed the guest list with Yu Yuan.
Because the Yu family had few members, their regular contacts were mostly neighbors from Green Bamboo Alley. At most they could fill seven or eight tables. Adding the scholars from Lin’an City, it wouldn’t exceed twelve tables. This way, all problems would be solved.
The neighbors were easy to handle. As for the gentry and scholars, Yu Wen would probably have to take the lead.
But Yu Tang didn’t immediately go to grind ink. Instead, she consulted with Wang Shi and Chen Shi: “Should we clarify elder brother’s status?”
If Yu Yuan, as the Yu family’s only heir, shouldered responsibilities for both branches, then at Yu Yuan’s wedding, Yu Wen would also be one of the fathers-in-law, and his friends would naturally come to show support. But this would mean that in the future, Yu Tang would marry out rather than bring in a son-in-law. This approach had both advantages and disadvantages.
Before Chen Shi could speak, Wang Shi already said: “This matter doesn’t need to be discussed with your eldest uncle or your father. Just say it’s your nephew getting married. Don’t speak too definitively—don’t let any complications arise in A’Tang’s marriage.”
In Wang Shi’s view, putting out word that Yu Tang’s marriage would bring in a son-in-law was a good thing—if they could bring in a good son-in-law, naturally nothing more needed to be said. If after two or three years Yu Tang’s marriage still hadn’t been settled, at that time marrying Yu Tang out wouldn’t be too late either, and they could still select a good family.
Chen Shi naturally thought the same way. On this matter, she wasn’t magnanimous enough to openly agree, since it concerned Yu Tang’s lifelong happiness. Although she also loved her nephew Yu Yuan, compared to her biological daughter, she naturally loved her biological daughter more.
That Wang Shi could consider Yu Tang this way—Chen Shi appreciated this sentiment.
She said: “Let’s not rush. When Hui Li and eldest brother return, we’ll discuss it properly together. We’ll surely be able to think of a solution.”
Wang Shi nodded. The four of them sat together discussing for quite a while. Finally, when Yu Bo and Yu Wen accompanied Old Master Wu and the others back to the shop, both brothers were flushed from drinking and their tongues were a bit stiff, so it wasn’t appropriate to discuss the matter at that time. It wasn’t until the next day, when the Yu brothers had completely sobered up, that the two families sat down together to discuss the Xiang family’s demands.
Yu Bo naturally disagreed.
He was quite angry, saying: “Our Yu family has always cooked only as much rice as we have. The Xiang family likes superficial appearances so much—we can’t reach such heights.”
Yu Yuan’s face went white right then.
Was elder brother afraid the marriage would have complications?
Yu Tang once again felt how much Yu Yuan cared about this marriage.
In her previous life, when the Gao family made some demands that weren’t even too excessive, Yu Yuan’s reaction had been cold. Before Madam Gao had even married over, there were already conflicts between the two families. Yu Yuan had never pleaded for Madam Gao or lowered his head.
This must be her elder brother’s fated match, right?
Yu Tang smiled with narrowed eyes, brought a plate of tangerines over for eldest uncle, exchanged glances with Yu Yuan, leaving the main stage to the family elders, and went with Yu Yuan to talk under the eaves where the cold wind was blowing.
“You’re so anxious, sister-in-law must also be very anxious,” she encouraged Yu Yuan. “She’s living at the Xiang family now with no way to get news. Don’t you want to find a way to comfort sister-in-law?”
Yu Yuan was still being stubborn at first, but under Yu Tang’s mischievous gaze, he couldn’t help but soften, saying in a low voice: “How, how can I comfort her?”
Yu Tang smiled: “I’ll make some silk flowers for sister-in-law, and you can have someone send them over.”
Yu Yuan quickly asked: “Will that work?”
“Of course it will!” Yu Tang said. “A younger sister-in-law sending silk flowers to her elder sister-in-law—what could anyone say about that? However, for me to make silk flowers for sister-in-law, I do have conditions.”
Hearing this, Yu Yuan gave Yu Tang a knuckle rap on the head, saying: “You, as a younger sister-in-law, dare to haggle over making silk flowers for your sister-in-law?”
Yu Tang held her head and shouted that Yu Yuan cared only about his wife and not his sister. She embarrassed Yu Yuan until his face could drip blood. He quietly begged for mercy and agreed that when he got married he would give Yu Tang a five-tael silver bracelet, and only then was the matter settled.
After the joking was over, Yu Tang spoke seriously about the real matter: “I need to make a trip to Hangzhou City. Elder brother, you’ll come with me.”