Yu Tang was also wary of Madam Tang. She called Shuang Tao in and instructed her: “Go see what Madam Tang has come for.”

Shuang Tao responded and left.

Yu Tang and Ma Xiuniang’s playful mood diminished considerably. The two sat properly on the luohan couch eating ice and talking about the city’s gossip. Among the city’s gossip, the most eye-catching was the Pei family’s affairs.

“Have you heard?” Ma Xiuniang said in a low voice, “The eldest young master of the Pei family’s maternal aunt wants to take him back to the capital to study. Third Master Pei called all the Pei family elders to the ancestral hall and, in front of everyone, asked the eldest young master whether he would stay home to observe mourning or go to his maternal grandfather’s home to study…”

“Ah!” Yu Tang said in surprise, “With Third Master Pei doing this, even if the eldest young master wanted to go to his maternal grandfather’s home to study, he wouldn’t dare—if he went, it would confirm his reputation for ‘unfilial conduct,’ and he could forget about becoming an official.”

Although she knew that in her previous life, the Pei family’s eldest young master had been kept at home by Third Master Pei, she didn’t know he had used this method.

“Yes!” Ma Xiuniang said, “My father says Third Master Pei is really ruthless. He also says that if our family has anything where we don’t need to ask the Pei family for help, we should try not to involve the Pei family.”

Yu Tang laughed dryly.

Ma Xiuniang sighed: “And there’s the Grand Steward’s family—who knows what happened to them? My father says that since the Grand Steward died, no one in Lin’an City has seen anyone from the Grand Steward’s family.”

Yu Tang was astonished and said hesitantly: “They should have been driven out of Lin’an City, right?!”

Ma Xiuniang said: “But no one saw the Grand Steward’s family leave the city!”

The implication was that the Grand Steward’s entire family had met with harm.

“That can’t be!” Yu Tang said, “The Grand Steward’s household should have quite a few people!”

“Who can say for sure about this kind of thing.” Ma Xiuniang clearly didn’t trust Third Master Pei and said, “Who writes ‘I did something bad’ on their forehead!”

Would that person kill people?

Yu Tang didn’t speak for a long while.

Shuang Tao ran in: “Miss, Miss, Madam Tang has come to be a matchmaker for you!”

“What?!” Both Yu Tang and Ma Xiuniang stood up.

Yu Tang frowned, but Ma Xiuniang excitedly pulled Shuang Tao and said: “Quick, tell us—which family is Madam Tang proposing a match with?”

Shuang Tao smiled and said: “It’s the second young master of the Li Presented Scholar’s family in the southern part of the city!”

“Li Jun!” Yu Tang was dumbfounded.

Ma Xiuniang looked at her with a sly smile and pointed at Yu Tang, saying: “A’Tang, you confess honestly to me. What’s the story here? If you tell me, I’ll keep your secret. Otherwise, I’ll go tell Auntie that you know the second young master of the Li residence in the southern part of the city…”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Yu Tang’s mind was in chaos. “How would I know Li Jun!”

She was telling the truth.

Although in her previous life she had married Li Jun, she had never actually met this person.

When the match was being discussed, she had thought that since Li Jun had seen her and was enamored with her, it was at least better than a blind marriage. Later, when she married into the Li family, Li Jun was no longer living.

But Ma Xiuniang didn’t believe her and said: “Then how do you know the second young master of the Li residence is named Li Jun?”

Yu Tang absentmindedly brushed her off: “I heard people mention it before.” Then she urgently asked Shuang Tao: “What did my mother say?”

Shuang Tao smiled and said: “Madam said the family originally planned to recruit a son-in-law and hadn’t thought of marrying you out. This is a major matter, and Madam needs to discuss it with Master before she can give the Li family an answer.”

Yu Tang froze.

How could her mother respond to Madam Tang this way?

She said: “What else did Madam Tang say?”

Shuang Tao smiled with pursed lips and said meaningfully: “Madam Tang said that the Li family’s second young master once accidentally encountered you and will marry none but you. Madam Li had also previously asked Madam Tang to come sound out Madam’s attitude because the second young master was making a fuss at home. Later, Madam Tang reported back to Madam Li, but Madam Li wasn’t willing to give up and personally tried to sound out Madam’s attitude. But when the second young master of the Li family found out, not only did he not give up the idea, he even clamored at home about becoming a live-in son-in-law for the Yu family. He won’t listen to anyone. Madam Li had no choice but to ask Madam Tang to come discuss it with Madam.”

No wonder Mother’s tone had softened!

Whether it was Father or Mother, what they cared most about was her feelings. If she could be happy, whether they recruited a son-in-law or not didn’t matter to them—at worst, they could have eldest cousin Yu Yuan shoulder the burden of both households.

But this matter was too suspicious.

In her previous life, Lin Shi had clearly said Li Jun had seen her at a temple fair. How had the story changed now!

Yu Tang couldn’t help but murmur: “How could this be?”

Could it be that she couldn’t escape the fate of marrying into the Li family?!

For a moment, Yu Tang’s expression became extremely unpleasant.

Ma Xiuniang and Shuang Tao looked at each other.

Yu Tang asked Shuang Tao: “Has Madam Tang left?”

Shuang Tao said: “She just left!”

Yu Tang was very anxious. She apologized to Ma Xiuniang and was about to lift the curtain to go find her mother, Chen Shi.

This time Ma Xiuniang could see that Yu Tang didn’t like this match. She hurriedly pulled Yu Tang and said: “You have something going on here, so don’t worry about me. I’ll go home first. When you’re free here, I’ll come visit again.”

Yu Tang felt terribly embarrassed and asked Ma Xiuniang to stay for dinner before leaving.

Ma Xiuniang said straightforwardly: “Are we still good sisters or not? If you recognize me as your sister, don’t say anything. Just say hello to Auntie, and I’ll return to the residence first.”

Yu Tang hugged Ma Xiuniang and said: “Sister, I’m so sorry. We’ll get together again later.”

Ma Xiuniang nodded repeatedly and was accompanied by Yu Tang to take leave of Chen Shi.

On the black lacquer square table in the center of the hall, gift boxes were piled high.

Chen Shi was counting the gift boxes with Chen Pozi.

Knowing Ma Xiuniang was leaving, Chen Shi had someone fetch a few boxes of pastries for Ma Xiuniang and invited her to visit often. She also arranged for A’Tiao to hire a sedan chair and had A’Tiao escort Ma Xiuniang home.

Ma Xiuniang took leave of Chen Shi, and Yu Tang helped her mother back to the main room.

She said directly: “Mother, I want to stay at home.”

Chen Shi, thinking she was still young and didn’t understand many things, smiled and said: “Keeping you at home is because we’re afraid you’ll suffer hardship if you marry out. But if there’s a good family, it’s the same if your father and I have A’Yuan look after things.”

Things were indeed as Yu Tang had predicted.

She said: “Who knows how many families say things nicely before marriage, but change once they’re married. Don’t listen to that Madam Tang’s smooth talk. Madam Li has always looked down on people. I don’t like that kind of mother-in-law.”

Chen Shi smiled and said: “Silly child, you’re not spending your whole life with your mother-in-law. Besides, if your husband is willing to protect you, which family’s mother-in-law would casually give her daughter-in-law a hard time?”

“Not necessarily!” Yu Tang said, “Among all matters, filial piety comes first. Which husband would contradict his mother for the sake of his wife?”

Chen Shi didn’t want to upset her daughter, and besides, this matter hadn’t even begun yet.

She comforted her daughter: “Alright, alright, alright, we’ll listen to you. When your father returns, our family will formally look at a few households and settle your marriage.”

Seeing that her mother hadn’t taken her words to heart, Yu Tang was extremely anxious and thought about how to persuade her parents to change their minds. The next morning, Ma Xiuniang came to visit Yu Tang again very early.

“Did something happen?” Yu Tang was greatly startled.

Ma Xiuniang drank several sips of tea before saying: “A’Tang, yesterday I specifically asked…” She vaguely said “Young Master Zhang” and continued: “…to help inquire about that Li Jun,” then again mumbled something about “Young Master Zhang” like she had a radish in her mouth, saying: “He says that although Li Jun is a bit spoiled, he’s sincere with people, upright in his conduct, and proper in character—he’s someone you can entrust your life to.”

She hadn’t expected Li Jun to be this kind of person.

Even more unexpectedly, Ma Xiuniang would help her like this.

Yu Tang’s eyes moistened. “Thank you, sister! And please thank brother-in-law for me too.”

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuniang’s face turned bright red. She said shyly: “No need, no need. I’m just glad I could help you.” She asked curiously: “So you, do you still want to stay at home?”

“I still want to stay at home.” Yu Tang shared her private thoughts with her: “I always feel this match isn’t quite right.”

Ma Xiuniang advised her: “What’s wrong with it? He already said that as long as he can marry you, he’s willing to come to your family as a live-in son-in-law. What more do you want? Isn’t he just interested in you as a person?”

Her words suddenly enlightened Yu Tang like a splash of cold water.

Right! What were the Li family after in forming a marriage alliance with their family?

Could it really be just her as a person!

In her previous life, their family had also married her in with complete sincerity, and moreover, she had been a bride who became a widow before consummation, yet Lin Shi hadn’t treated her well.

Could it be that Li Jun’s death had caused Lin Shi to transfer her anger to her?

But Lin Shi wasn’t any better to Gu Xi either!

Yu Tang pursed her lips inwardly.

She decided to personally go meet her “fiancé” from her previous life whom she had never met.

“Is brother-in-law familiar with the second young master of the Li family?” she asked Ma Xiuniang.

Ma Xiuniang said: “What do you want to do?”

“I want to meet the second young master of the Li family. When the time comes, I’d like to ask brother-in-law and sister to accompany me.”

Ma Xiuniang thought Yu Tang was afraid Li Jun was ugly-looking and wanted to see him with her own eyes to feel at ease. She smiled and said: “Don’t worry, the second young master of the Li family is quite talented and handsome. Countless people have their eyes on him wanting to recruit him as a son-in-law. I guarantee he won’t disappoint you.”

Yu Tang smiled.

She didn’t want to know what Li Jun looked like at all. She wanted to know just how much Li Jun cherished her.

What exactly about her had provoked him, making her sit innocently at home while disaster fell from the sky, giving her no peace in two lifetimes.

Ma Xiuniang was afraid that if she didn’t agree to accompany Yu Tang, Yu Tang wouldn’t give up and would ask someone else to accompany her, causing some incident.

She said: “Then wait while I ask… Young Master Zhang…”

Yu Tang smiled and agreed.

After seeing Ma Xiuniang off, she called A’Tiao and gave him over a dozen copper coins, saying: “Give these to A’Liu who sells water at Little Plum Stream and have him watch the second young master of the Li family to see what he does on ordinary days.”

The Yu family only had three servants: Chen Pozi, Shuang Tao, and A’Tiao. Nothing that happened in the house could be hidden from the three of them. A’Tiao had naturally also heard about the second young master of the Li family coming to propose marriage. Thinking the young miss was surely afraid the second young master of the Li family was ugly, and he was also afraid the second young master of the Li family wasn’t worthy of their young miss, he hurriedly smiled and agreed, saying: “Young miss, don’t worry, I won’t tell Madam.”

Yu Tang simply rewarded A’Tiao with over a dozen more copper coins.

Two days later, Ma Xiuniang sent someone with a reply, saying Young Master Zhang had agreed to accompany them to meet Li Jun.

A’Liu had also inquired about Li Jun’s news: “The second young master of the Li family has arranged to meet friends at Zhaoming Temple to eat vegetarian food.”

Yu Tang went to tell Ma Xiuniang, and the two decided on a strategy: Young Master Zhang and A’Tiao would accompany them on a trip to Zhaoming Temple to offer incense.