Yu Bo and Yu Wen were after all brothers born of the same mother. What Yu Wen was thinking, Yu Bo had already guessed eight or nine parts. Seeing Yu Wen about to chase after Master Wu, he bellowed at A’Tiao guarding outside the door: “Quickly block Hui Li for me!”

This truly was immortals fighting while little devils suffered calamity.

A’Tiao didn’t know whether to block or not block. In this moment of hesitation, Yu Wen had already run out of the courtyard.

Yu Bo couldn’t care about anything else and took off running in pursuit.

But when he chased to the main gate, Yu Yuan caught up from behind him, passed him to catch Yu Wen, and grabbed his uncle’s arm in one motion.

Yu Bo breathed a sigh of relief while also being furious. He roared at A’Tiao and Sanmu: “What use are you all? When something happens, you don’t even know what’s urgent and what’s not! Quick, help me haul Second Master back. If any word leaks out, I’ll have both your hides.”

The two dared not think much and rushed forward to help Yu Yuan drag Yu Wen back home.

Passersby inevitably stopped to look on curiously for a moment or two.

Yu Bo hastily cupped his fists to everyone in salute: “Pardon us, pardon us. My younger brother is drunk.”

Being hauled back, Yu Wen’s eyes widened. He had just shouted half a sentence, “What am I,” when Chen Shi, who had rushed over, covered his mouth with a handkerchief, stuffing the remaining half sentence “drunk on wine” back down his throat.

Yu Wen trembled with rage.

Chen Shi apologetically smiled and quietly begged his forgiveness: “Master, we all think A’Tiao’s marriage is good. Whatever you feel unhappy about, direct it at me. Whether you beat or scold me, I’ll accept it. Right now I can only offend you. For the sake of our being husband and wife, please forgive me this once. Whatever happens in the future, I’ll listen to you.”

After completing Yu Tang’s marriage, what other matter could they have more important than this!

Yu Wen wished he could take a knife and split his wife’s head open to see what spell the Pei family had cast on her!

But Chen Shi looked beseechingly toward Yu Bo—she couldn’t keep covering Yu Wen’s mouth like this forever. This was too disrespectful to Yu Wen.

Yu Bo understood. He thought for a moment and said to Yu Yuan: “Accompany your uncle to drink a few cups of tea in his study. When Master Wu comes, then accompany your uncle out together to drink a few cups of wine with Master Wu.”

By the time Master Wu returned, Yu Tang’s marriage would be settled. What use would his resistance be then?

Yu Wen struggled.

Chen Shi was flung to the side, stumbling and nearly falling.

Wang Shi’s eyes rolled when she saw this. She immediately stepped forward to support Chen Shi, saying loudly: “Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, what’s wrong with you? You didn’t twist your ankle, did you? A’Yuan’s wife, quick, quick go call a physician. Your aunt has always had a weak body. It’s only these past two years, taking Imperial Physician Yang’s medicine, that she’s improved a bit. We absolutely cannot let her have a relapse.”

Hearing this, Yu Wen immediately quieted down, calling Chen Shi’s given name somewhat hesitantly.

Chen Shi hastily shook her head at her husband, saying: “I’m fine. You didn’t hurt me.”

Though she said this, Yu Wen still broke free from Yu Yuan and the others’ restraint and stepped forward to examine Chen Shi’s body.

Chen Shi’s heart immediately felt terrible. Choking up, she said: “Master, please believe us this once. We all feel the Pei family is a good match. I know what you’re worried about. But apart from status, position, and family background, our A’Tiao matches Third Master Pei, doesn’t she? With our family’s current situation, the Pei family still asked a matchmaker to come propose to our A’Tiao. This shows our A’Tiao is more valued by the Pei family than those young ladies of better birth. This is our A’Tiao’s own good fortune. We cannot cut off A’Tiao’s future prospects because our family foundation isn’t wealthy!”

Hearing this, Yu Wen’s spirited energy deflated all at once.

Seeing her words were effective, Chen Shi hastily stepped forward to help smooth his qi, making her speaking tone even gentler: “Apart from his birth, if you look at Third Master Pei’s character, appearance, learning, and cultivation, which aspect isn’t top-notch? Our A’Tiao living with such a person, the people she’ll see and matters she’ll encounter will all be different. This is something all our doting couldn’t give her. As for whether she can stand firm in the Pei family, even if we kept her at home and took in a son-in-law, if she couldn’t control an incoming son-in-law, she might live even more unhappily than marrying out. Moreover, we know our own daughter. You usually had her read books and learn characters. Making her argue unreasonably like those country village women—she might not win. Better to let her marry into the Pei family. I believe with her intelligence, she’ll definitely be able to stand firm.

“Even if you don’t believe our daughter has this ability, you must believe in yourself. The daughter you raised yourself won’t be inferior to others!”

Yu Wen looked at Yu Yuan nervously blocking the main gate, looked at the hopeful gazes of the whole family, and felt a sense of the great tide having passed, the wind whistling mournfully like at the Yi River.

When all was said and done, they were determined to complete this marriage alliance.

Calculating the time, Master Wu should have already reached the Pei family. If Master Wu and the Pei family agreed to meet at an outside restaurant or teahouse, they were already discussing marriage details right now… Even if he opposed it, it was too late.

Yu Wen drooped his shoulders but still unwillingly called out: “In any case, I don’t agree to this marriage alliance.”

Everyone present heard his compromise. Their expressions all relaxed, they exchanged glances with each other, and came forward one after another to placate Yu Wen.

“Don’t be like this. You’re A’Tiao’s father. If you don’t agree, this marriage alliance definitely won’t work,” Wang Shi said.

Yu Wen closed his eyes, thinking: Didn’t I say I don’t agree? But which of you listened to a word I said? Wasn’t my disagreement also turned into agreement?

Yu Bo said gently: “Though you’re younger than me in age, you’ve read more books than me. In family matters, I mostly listen to you. But in this matter, you cannot be so stubborn. Sometimes you must also listen to our thoughts.”

Yu Wen didn’t want to speak, thinking that sometimes the correct view belonged to the minority. In this matter, he was that minority who knew what was correct.

Yu Yuan also boldly persuaded his uncle: “Uncle, I know A’Tiao marrying out makes you uncomfortable. In the future I’ll definitely be as filial to you as I am to my father.” As he spoke, he also tugged Xiang Shi, saying, “We will be filial to you.”

Xiang Shi nodded repeatedly, sincerely calling out “Uncle.”

Yu Wen didn’t want to argue with these juniors. They were all short-sighted people anyway. Could he make them understand?

Yu Wen even had the heart to die.

As for Yu Tang’s side, with such a commotion in the front, even if she didn’t want to know, she knew. What’s more, she had specifically sent Shuang Tao to inquire.

She quickly learned what had happened.

Yu Tang thought for a moment and asked Shuang Tao: “What is my father doing now?”

Shuang Tao’s eyes were bright, feeling like she had watched a great drama, and she was even a person within this drama.

“Master has locked himself in his study and won’t see anyone,” she said. “Elder Master and the Young Master are sitting under the study’s eaves drinking tea!”

Were they supervising her father?

The little person in Yu Tang’s heart wiped imaginary sweat from her brow.

She instructed Shuang Tao: “Let’s go to the kitchen and make some snowflake cakes to take to my father.”

This was to curry favor with Master, right?

Shuang Tao nodded and accompanied Yu Tang to the kitchen.

Grinding rice flour, mixing with glutinous rice, boiling water, steaming cakes.

With the help of the kitchen women, she quickly made a steamer basket of snowflake cakes.

Chen Shi and Wang Shi, who had learned of her activities, also rushed over.

Chen Shi even asked her daughter somewhat carefully: “What are you planning to do?”

Yu Tang thought that her father disagreed with this marriage alliance simply because he wasn’t at ease. If she could set her father’s mind at ease, he definitely wouldn’t oppose this marriage alliance. She didn’t plan to hide it from the family and said: “I heard Father is angry. I want to make some pastries to coax him into happiness!”

Chen Shi and Wang Shi couldn’t help looking at each other. After a while, Wang Shi was the first to say: “You know about the Pei family matter?”

Yu Tang nodded generously and openly, smiling: “Previously Third Master Pei asked me. I felt Third Master Pei was also good, so I didn’t refuse.”

As for whether the marriage would succeed, that depended on whether Third Master Pei had sincerity.

Chen Shi and Wang Shi were both startled. Chen Shi couldn’t help heavily patting Yu Tang’s shoulder, saying: “You child, why didn’t you tell the family?” As she spoke, she was about to pull Yu Tang aside to carefully inquire how she met Pei Yan, and how Pei Yan thought to come to the house to propose marriage… In short, she wanted to know if Yu Tang had used any improper means and developed feelings with Pei Yan privately.

Yu Tang didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but she also knew that with these words, everyone would mostly suspect she and Pei Yan had private feelings.

She simply told the two elders how she and Pei Yan met.

Of course, some things inconvenient to mention she glossed over vaguely without saying.

Only then did Chen Shi and Wang Shi’s suspended hearts settle down.

Yu Tang then said: “Mother and Elder Aunt can rest assured. I’ll go persuade Father. If he really doesn’t agree, then the marriage matter between me and the Pei family can be delayed for now.”

Head lowered when taking in a daughter-in-law, head raised when marrying out a daughter.

If Pei Yan wanted to marry her, he had to resolve this matter.

Chen Shi and Wang Shi couldn’t help feeling somewhat worried, fearing offending the Pei family and having such a good marriage alliance fall through.

Yu Tang smiled with pursed lips, saying: “No wonder Father has concerns. Everyone is too careful before the Pei family. Actually, there’s no need to be like this. If the Pei family wants to form a marriage alliance with our family, no matter what, they’ll form a marriage alliance with us. If they don’t want to form a marriage alliance with our family, even if we do everything perfectly, they still won’t form a marriage alliance with us. Look at the Song family, then look at the Wu family—which household doesn’t have more confidence than our family?”

This was truly so.

Chen Shi and Wang Shi nodded in unison.

The snowflake cakes in the steamer happened to be ready. Yu Tang personally cut three plates—one for Chen Shi and Wang Shi, one for Yu Bo and Yu Yuan, and the other plate she carried herself to Yu Wen’s study.

Yu Wen sat with a somber face cross-legged on a meditation chair, eyes vacant, looking like his spirit was wandering the void. Even the creaking sound of Yu Tang pushing open the door didn’t make him spare a glance.

Yu Tang could only smilingly place the pastries on the small table by Yu Wen’s hand first, then call out “Father” with a tone of charming reproach.

Yu Wen hastily opened his eyes, but secretly cursed Yu Bo and even Chen Shi and others bloody.

What were they trying to do? Unable to persuade him themselves, they incited his daughter to come convince him?

Adult matters—how could they involve the child?

Moreover, what did Yu Tang know? Wasn’t she just coaxed around and around by her mother and aunt whom she trusted!