The young man was refined and elegant, upright as bamboo, with distinguished bearing and graceful demeanor.

Cheng Chi couldn’t help but smile and said, “Your grandfather and I are friends despite our age difference. Our temperaments suit each other, which is why we can speak freely. Xiuzhi need not worry.”

An eighteen-year-old youth who was last year’s provincial examination top candidate from the Two Lakes region—not to be underestimated.

Xiuzhi was his courtesy name.

Song Mu smiled apologetically and cupped his hands toward Cheng Chi.

His smile was gentle yet dignified.

Cheng Chi suddenly felt moved and went to Old Master Song’s room.

Old Master Song was leaning against the large kang by the window reading a local gazetteer. Hearing the sound, he looked up and saw Cheng Chi, immediately sitting up and saying, “Has there been progress on the Kaifeng Prefecture matter?”

The old man was becoming somewhat obsessed.

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “It’s not that simple.”

Old Master Song said dissatisfied, “In your hands, I’m certain there must be a way.” Then he said, “What do you want with me?”

Cheng Chi sat on the kang across from him, propping his hand on the kang table and leaning sideways to ask, “Has your family’s Xiuzhi been betrothed yet?”

“No!” Old Master Song asked suspiciously, “Why are you asking about this?”

Rather than answer, Cheng Chi continued, “Has there been any verbal marriage agreement with anyone?”

Old Master Song said, “Could it be you want to be a matchmaker for our family’s Xiuzhi?”

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “If it’s suitable, why not?”

Old Master Song became interested and quickly asked, “Which family’s young lady is it? What is her character like? How do you come to be matchmaking for that family?”

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “You’ve actually met her. The one who went to Mount Putuo with me last time…”

Old Master Song suddenly understood, his face showing even more interest. He said, “I remember. That young girl was like morning dew on pearls—unforgettable once seen. What? She’s not yet betrothed? I remember the young lady is your niece. Which branch of your Cheng family is she from?”

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “She’s the fourth branch’s granddaughter, surnamed Zhou. The second daughter of Zhou Dacheng, the Prefect of Baoding. She lost her mother at a young age and grew up with her elder sister at Nine Ru Lane. As a child she was raised by Aunt Guan of the fourth branch, and when older, in my mother’s quarters. Her elder sister married the eldest son of the Liao family of Zhenjiang. She’s now residing in the capital with the Liao family’s eldest son, having just given birth to a son. She came to the capital with her stepmother and stepsister to visit her sister. It just happens to be in the capital… But I wonder why your family’s Xiuzhi hasn’t been betrothed either?”

The background was somewhat complicated, but since it was Cheng Chi acting as matchmaker and he’d seen her himself, Old Master Song set aside concerns about losing her mother young and such, sighing, “As you know, my current daughter-in-law is a second wife. Song Mu was born to my previous daughter-in-law. At that time, my family’s circumstances were still modest. I carefully selected the eldest daughter of Scholar Wang’s family from Jingzhou Prefecture for Jingran. After Lady Wang entered the family, the couple was harmonious. She managed the household well, was very filial to me, and bore four sons and one daughter. I had no complaints whatsoever. But later Lady Wang contracted an epidemic illness and passed away before reaching thirty. I made the decision to have Jingran remarry his current wife.”

“The current daughter-in-law is also very good. She has a gentle temperament, respects her elders, cares for the children, and honors her husband. The whole family lives in harmony. On the contrary, it’s the Wang family. After Scholar Wang passed away, they gradually declined, and Uncle Wang took up merchant trade. But with help from Jingran and me, his business has been quite successful. Now he’s one of the top families in the Two Lakes region. Besides his legitimate wife, Uncle Wang has five or six concubines, with fourteen sons total who are all not suited for scholarly pursuits. He wants to marry either his eldest legitimate daughter or second legitimate daughter into our family. Though Jingran wasn’t satisfied, for the sake of his deceased first wife, he reluctantly agreed.”

“But Xiuzhi was unwilling.”

“And absolutely unwilling no matter what.”

“He said he’d met both cousin sisters and neither was a suitable match for him.”

“But the Wang family insists on marrying a daughter in, and specifically insists on her marrying Xiuzhi.”

“Lady Huang is a stepmother—she’s afraid of offending both Xiuzhi and Jingran. Standing in the middle like grass on a wall, this matter has dragged on and on, delaying Xiuzhi’s marriage and consequently delaying his three younger brothers’ marriages as well. His father is extremely anxious about this. Just a few days ago, father and son even argued over this matter… That’s why I brought Xiuzhi to visit you, to relax and clear his mind.”

Uncle Wang had concubines besides his legitimate wife, with legitimate and concubine-born sons totaling fourteen… evidently the family conduct was rather ordinary.

This was probably also why Song Jingran hadn’t decisively had his son marry a Wang family daughter? Otherwise, if Song Jingran had agreed, no matter how much Song Xiuzhi opposed it, it probably wouldn’t have mattered.

With such complexity in the Song family, Cheng Chi actually became somewhat hesitant.

Seeing this, Old Master Song actually developed a desire to seek the match.

In his view, daughters raised delicately in prominent families, not having suffered worldly hardships, were mostly gentle and magnanimous in temperament with pure hearts. Especially those who gained elder’s favor—their character and conduct couldn’t be too bad.

Lady Huang was such a person.

Though she was a second wife, she treated her stepsons with kindness and sincerely cared for them.

This was the kind of daughter-in-law the Song family wanted.

“How about this.” Old Master Song’s mind turned and he immediately had an idea. “I’ll be staying with you for another two days. Miss Zhou is not an outsider. When the time comes, let the two of them meet. If they take a liking to each other, it won’t be too late to discuss the marriage agreement. A marriage alliance unites two families. If they become resentful spouses, neither family will have peace, and parents will constantly worry. Enemies becoming foes would be undesirable.”

Cheng Chi hadn’t expected Old Master Song to be so open-minded.

Moreover, that Song Xiuzhi also had his own views…

He smiled and said, “That works. In a few days I’ll call over the Zhou family’s second daughter to talk, and let the two of them meet…” Before he finished speaking, his chest suddenly felt piercingly painful. Even Old Master Song noticed his discomfort and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“It’s nothing.” Cheng Chi smiled and said, “Perhaps I bent my head calculating for too long earlier. Now I feel a bit dizzy.”

When Cheng Zichuan climbed the mountain with him, he moved as swift as flying—wasn’t his constitution always robust enough to kill a tiger?

Old Master Song was suspicious for a moment, but thinking that his eldest grandson’s marriage was now urgent, after exchanging a few more words with Cheng Zichuan, he went to Song Mu’s quarters.

The more Song Mu studied the landscape map, the more he felt human life was insignificant.

The person who drew this landscape map was truly remarkable.

He began to understand somewhat why his grandfather was obsessed with traveling everywhere!

If given the opportunity, he would also travel and see the world.

Song Mu’s expression grew somewhat more earnest.

When Old Master Song entered and saw his eldest grandson’s appearance, he couldn’t help nodding secretly to himself. He dismissed the servants attending in the room and told Song Mu about his agreement with Cheng Chi.

Song Mu’s face flushed red, and a trace of unusual emotion appeared between his brows.

He had heard someone call that woman “Second Cousin Miss.” Could it be that the match Uncle Cheng was proposing for him was the woman he had encountered in the reception room?

Song Mu still remembered that fleeting glimpse.

He had never seen such a beautiful woman.

Just standing there casually like that, she inspired a feeling of warmth like bathing in spring breeze.

He couldn’t help stammering, “I’ll, I’ll follow Grandfather’s decision completely!”

Old Master Song was startled, then remembered that when he and Cheng Chi were discussing water management in the study, a young servant had come in to report someone’s arrival… He chuckled, narrowing his eyes to tease his eldest grandson: “You couldn’t have already seen that young lady, could you? That young lady is extraordinarily beautiful.”

Song Mu mumbled, unable to speak.

Old Master Song laughed heartily and patted Song Mu’s shoulder, saying in good spirits, “Don’t worry. With your stepmother helping you, you’re evenly matched with your father. With me supporting you as well, you’re certain to succeed. In a few days when Zichuan calls that young lady over to talk, you must make me proud and win the young lady’s favor.”

Song Mu was too embarrassed to speak.

Old Master Song happily went to Cheng Chi’s quarters, urging him, “Quickly produce that water management plan so we can call that young lady over to talk.”

Cheng Chi’s chest had been aching persistently.

He knew why, didn’t he?

But if the marriage prospect was Song Xiuzhi, and she had the opportunity to get to know Song Xiuzhi, she shouldn’t reject marrying Song Xiuzhi, should she?

Even if she couldn’t accept it at first, over time, she would gradually settle down, wouldn’t she?

Moreover, this Song Xiuzhi was so outstanding in both bearing and learning. Compared to Cheng Xu, he possessed more fortitude and composure. She should like him.

Cheng Chi took several deep breaths, suppressing the distracting thoughts in his heart, and smiled, “I thought you’d be more worried about your eldest grandson’s marriage.”

Old Master Song certainly wouldn’t reveal his plans.

First, this matter hadn’t even begun yet. Second, Cheng Chi was indifferent to fame and fortune and might not want to become an official.

He had his own ways to draw him in.

“Do you know how many common people died when Kaifeng Prefecture’s dikes broke last year?” Old Master Song said solemnly. “When I went to Kaifeng Prefecture a while ago, the silting in Kaifeng Prefecture was more serious than before. Yet this year’s temperatures are higher than previous years—it’s only March now, but it’s already like midsummer. Even wearing lined clothing feels hot. If we encounter continuous heavy rains in summer, even if Kaifeng Prefecture’s dikes don’t break, I fear there will be complete crop failure. You may be safe and sound, but what about those common people? If the government could be relied upon, why would there be so many unregistered households in the Dezhou area? This is a matter of national importance. If you lacked this talent, that would be one thing, but having this talent yet remaining indifferent is unacceptable.”

Cheng Chi smiled bitterly at his words.

Compared to Old Master Song, he seemed more like an elderly man in his twilight years.

Cheng Chi smiled and said, “After I return from Yushu Alley, I’ll work through the night to produce a plan, all right?”

Old Master Song reluctantly agreed.

Cheng Chi went to Yushu Alley.

Zhou Shaojin waited until her elder sister finished nursing Guan Ge’er and handed him to the wet nurse to carry away before mentioning her visit to Yuqian Alley: “…Uncle Chi was busy. I didn’t see him in person. I’ll have to visit again another day.”

Zhou Chujin didn’t mind and smiled, “At least Uncle Chi knows we went to visit him. When we go next time, he won’t blame me for it—we each did our part.”

Zhou Shaojin nodded, her mood somewhat low.

Zhou Chujin quickly asked, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Or did you encounter something upsetting?”

“No!” Zhou Shaojin quickly perked up and smiled, saying, “I just feel a bit tired. Perhaps it’s spring drowsiness.”

“Then go back to your room and rest quickly.” Zhou Chujin smiled upon hearing this. “Don’t come keep me company tonight. Guan Ge’er has a wet nurse and maids and older servants on night duty. I have people to attend to me here. You just get a good night’s sleep.”

Zhou Shaojin truly wasn’t in the mood.

She smiled and agreed, “All right.” She was about to rise and take her leave when a young maid came in to report, “Master Cheng Chi from Yuqian Alley has arrived.”