Now those words had hidden meaning!

Old Madam Pei was no ordinary woman. Hearing this, she immediately sat up straight with alarm and said: “What do you mean by that? Oh! So the person hasn’t even entered the family yet, but you’re already thinking about the household management authority in my hands!”

Pei Yan hadn’t originally thought that much about it. He simply kept thinking about Yu Tang in his heart and hoped he could see her immediately whenever he wanted to. But hearing his mother say this, he became alert too.

If people thought Yu Tang wanted to compete for household management authority… Of course, if she married him, that authority should rightfully be hers, but he couldn’t let others misunderstand that she was after that.

Pei Yan grinned and massaged his mother’s shoulders, saying: “Only you consider household management authority such a prize. I couldn’t care less about it. Isn’t it just that there are many family matters, but Second Sister-in-law needs to be busy with affairs in the capital? I wanted to give you some leisure.”

Old Madam Pei didn’t believe a single word from her youngest son. However, she felt her youngest son wasn’t lying either—he truly didn’t care much for household management authority.

Perhaps he just wanted to be close with Yu Shi?

Old Madam Pei gave her son a look and said: “After this Mid-Autumn Festival, whether it’s Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn, or Spring Festival, she’ll have to spend them all at our family from now on. What more could you be dissatisfied with?”

“Really?” Pei Yan said with delight. “So you want to marry a daughter-in-law for a good New Year and set our wedding date before the Spring Festival?”

After going around in circles for so long, this was what he’d been waiting for!

Old Madam Pei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She tapped Pei Yan several more times with the ledger before saying: “Then you tell me, which day is auspicious? I’ll indulge you and let you marry your bride on whichever day you want.”

Pei Yan couldn’t believe his mother was such an agreeable person, but his heart was indeed itching. His mind turned rapidly before he said: “I think the tenth month would be good. After my wedding is settled, I may still need to make a trip to the capital. As you know, my mentor’s family has had troubles. Brother Zijin has already been kept in the capital by my mentor. In both sentiment and reason I should make the trip to console him and give Brother Zijin some advice.”

He very much wanted to pay his respects to Zhang Shao.

Back then, when he was in the capital, Zhang Shao had taken great care of him.

If he weren’t still observing mourning and bound by Old Master Pei’s deathbed wishes, he would have gone long ago and wouldn’t be here asking Old Madam Pei.

Old Madam Pei couldn’t determine for a moment whether Pei Yan wanted to go to the capital or wanted to get married. Originally she felt they should let Yu Tang marry respectably, ideally in the coming spring, but now hearing her son say this, she was somewhat inclined to have Yu Tang tie down Pei Yan’s heart, feeling an early marriage would also be good.

“Then I’ll have your second brother discuss it with Old Master Wu.” She pondered and said, “If you marry early, I can also feel at ease earlier. Your several nephews can also start discussing marriage earlier.”

Pei Fei’s marriage also needed to begin preparations.

Pei Yan achieved his goal and happily chatted with Old Madam Pei for a long while.

When Pei Xuan received the news, he also felt this was quite good.

They couldn’t control Pei Yan anymore. Perhaps they could bind him with tender affection.

He went to discuss with Old Master Wu.

Old Master Wu had gone to Ningbo and hadn’t returned yet. By the time Old Master Wu returned from Ningbo, the Mid-Autumn Festival had already passed.

He immediately went to see Pei Xuan. Hearing that Pei Xuan was looking for him about Yu Tang’s marriage, he not only clapped his hands in approval but also said to Pei Xuan: “Don’t worry about the dowry. We’ve prepared about seventy to eighty percent of it. Even if something is momentarily overlooked, there’s still the full month and first birthday celebrations. The Yu Family will definitely not shortchange Miss Yu.”

Others didn’t know, but Pei Xuan knew that the Yu Family had invested in Jiang Chao’s sea vessel from Suzhou. Jiang Chao had safely brought the ship back, so the Yu Family must have made a large fortune.

He smiled and wrote down several dates he had discussed with Old Madam Pei for Old Master Wu, asking him to bring them to the Yu Family so they could choose a date.

Old Master Wu was very pleased.

Pei Xuan simply made clear the matter of Yu Tang’s dowry as well: “The Yu Family only needs to prepare daily necessities for Miss Yu. As for estates and shops, half will come from Xiaguang’s side and half from Old Madam. Let their family rest assured—we won’t treat Miss Yu poorly.”

Old Master Wu was very surprised, then couldn’t help but feel some emotion. When reporting back to Yu Wen, he said: “They truly are a family of generations of scholarly cultivation. When Second Master said these words, there wasn’t the slightest reluctance. Such cultivation, such magnanimity—it’s the first time I’ve seen it. Your family’s A’Tang has truly found a good family. Tell her to live well in their household. Even if in the future Old Madam divides things among Second Master’s branch, it will be evenhanded. She must not develop any resentment.”

Yu Wen hadn’t expected this either.

Daily necessities could be bought with silver, but dowry estates and shops weren’t something money could always buy.

He was also quite moved and went back to tell Chen Shi about it.

But Chen Shi had other concerns, saying: “Won’t others see at a glance that these are given by the Pei Family? In that case, it would be better not to have them!”

Yu Wen showed the list to Chen Shi, saying: “Otherwise how could Old Master Wu praise them so highly? Look at this list. The estate is near Huzhou, the shops are in Tianjin. When others see it, they’ll only think our family couldn’t buy estates and shops nearby, so we went far afield to give our daughter face. They won’t think these were given by the Pei Family.”

Chen Shi nodded repeatedly, endlessly grateful to Old Madam Pei. No matter how she thought about her son-in-law Pei Yan, she thought well of him, saying repeatedly: “Treating heart with heart, I will also honor Old Madam Pei as an elder in the future.”

Although she and Old Madam Pei had become of the same generation through this marriage alliance, Old Madam Pei was older than her and so good to Yu Tang. She didn’t mind deferring to Old Madam Pei in all matters.

Yu Wen didn’t think much about this aspect. He discussed Yu Tang’s marriage with Chen Shi: “To avoid other families thinking our A’Tang’s dowry is unreasonable, I plan to publicize that our family made a fortune in Suzhou.”

Chen Shi very much agreed.

Within a few days, everyone in Lin’an City knew that the Yu Family and Wu Family had made a great fortune.

For a time, people coming to propose marriage for Yu Tang practically broke down the door.

But Pei Yan took this opportunity to send a maid to Yu Tang, saying she was to be Yu Tang’s dowry maid.

That maid was called Xing’er. She was two years younger than Yu Tang, but had peach-blossom eyes and apricot cheeks. Not only was she very beautiful, but she also carried an innocent and romantic air that made people like her at first sight.

Chen Shi became very nervous and quietly said to Nanny Chen: “Could it be a bed warmer that Third Master picked out himself?”

Once married, there would surely be times when Yu Tang was inconvenienced. At those times, a bed-warming maid would be needed. Capable families, in order to maintain control over the inner quarters, usually brought two beautiful maids as dowry for the groom to select as bed warmers. Of course, there were also grooms who disdained this and deliberately didn’t choose from the dowry maids, but selected from those who had previously served them.

The Yu Family was small, and Chen Shi had never thought about such matters before.

Now she couldn’t help but feel somewhat panicked.

Nanny Chen’s heart also tightened, thinking of the same thing, but could only comfort Chen Shi: “It shouldn’t be that, right? If it really were so, Third Master was considerate to send this maid to Miss’s side.”

The two anxiously brought that maid to see Yu Tang.

But when Yu Tang saw the maid, she was delighted. She happily pointed at Xing’er: “You, you are…”

She couldn’t remember what this girl was called before, only knowing that after she entered the Li residence, she was called Bai Xing.

Xing’er was somewhat puzzled as she curtsied to Yu Tang and introduced herself: “Thanks to Third Master for saving us.”

After Yu Tang carefully questioned her, she learned that she was indeed the girl from the family who had fallen ill while seeking refuge with relatives and was asked to leave by the inn.

In her previous life, Bai Xing hadn’t gone to the Li Family until after the new year.

During that time, she hadn’t known what happened to Bai Xing back then.

Yu Tang sighed with emotion. She kept both of them and asked: “What was your original name?”

Bai Xing said somewhat embarrassedly: “It was Zhaodi.”

Yu Tang was stunned, then burst out laughing and said: “Who gave you the name Xing’er?”

Bai Xing turned her face away and said softly: “I gave it to myself.”

This caused Yu Tang to laugh again.

Chen Shi and Nanny Chen also laughed along, and their anxious hearts settled back into their bellies.

Yu Tang then discussed with her: “What do you think of the name Bai Xing?”

Xing’er showed a troubled expression, clearly not very fond of that name.

Yu Tang went along with her wishes, smiling and saying: “Alright, from now on you’ll be called Xing’er.”

Xing’er joyfully kowtowed to Yu Tang, performed the grand ceremony, and stayed with the Yu Family.

Chen Shi gradually realized why Pei Yan had sent Xing’er to Yu Tang as a dowry maid.

This little girl seemed to smile all day long, but when it came to work, she was very attentive. Not only were her hands and feet nimble, but her memory was especially good. If you casually mentioned a number, she could remember it days later. When the Yu Family was organizing Yu Tang’s dowry, she remembered clearly what items were placed where and who placed them, being of great help.

This time Chen Shi completely set her heart at ease. She found Pei Yan increasingly pleasing to the eye. Even when Pei Yan came to see Yu Tang, she turned a blind eye and didn’t interfere with them anymore.

On the tenth day of the ninth month, the Pei Family held the end-of-mourning ceremony for Old Master Pei.

After everyone worshipped the Pei Family ancestors and Old Master Pei, presided over by Old Master Yi, the people of the Pei Family main branch all removed their hemp mourning clothes and changed into autumn robes in subdued colors.

Old Master Yi sighed and, supported by Pei Yan and Pei Xuan, headed toward the main branch’s hall.

On the way, he asked Pei Yan: “Has your marriage been settled? If it’s been settled, it’s better to marry sooner. Your second brother can also set off for the capital earlier.”

He was also very concerned about Pei Yan’s marriage and had once thought of matchmaking for Pei Yan, but was tactfully declined by Old Madam Pei, learning that Old Madam Pei already had someone in mind.

Pei Yan openly spoke of his marriage to the Yu Family.

Old Master Yi was rather surprised, but thinking carefully, perhaps Old Madam Pei valued the woman’s character more. For their Pei Family to ally with any prestigious noble family would merely be icing on the cake.

Learning the wedding date was set for the sixth of the tenth month, he was surprised once again.

“That’s good too.” Old Master Yi quickly came to terms with it and smiled, saying: “Our family should indeed hold a proper wedding.” He also asked Pei Yan, “You should be inviting guests at this time, right? Have you started writing invitations yet? If not, I’ll help you write them.”

Old Master Yi was a famous calligraphy master in Jiangnan. Invitations personally written by him would be collected by some families.

This would also add luster to Pei Yan’s wedding.

The two brothers Pei Yan and Pei Xuan thanked him repeatedly.