Chapter 599 - 222: Catching Up
Chapter 599: Chapter 222: Catching Up
Chen Bai sighed in frustration. "Then we really missed it. We set out at the beginning of the month. Worried that the weather would get colder the longer we waited, we didn’t dare delay and rushed from Qingshui County to the Prefecture in six days. Sleeping rough and eating on the road this whole way has really exhausted us."
Chen Wanqing saw their exhaustion, and a sympathetic expression appeared on her face. She instructed a maid to go and hurry up with lunch, then asked them how they had gotten here. Did they take an ox cart, a horse-drawn carriage, or tag along with someone else’s convoy? Was everyone at home doing well? Coming at this time—could there be some urgent matter?
Chen Bai answered her questions one by one. "We hitched a ride with an escort agency’s convoy. It’s the same escort agency that brought you to the Prefecture earlier. The dart master knew about our connection, so as soon as I asked, they agreed. It just so happened that Li’an said the medicinal herbs you entrusted to him had been sold, and the new seeds had been planted. He needed to hurry and deliver the earned Silver to you, so the two of us simply teamed up and came together."
He then spoke of family matters. "Everyone at home is doing well. Now that my eldest brother has become a Sixth-rank Official in the Prefecture and is highly regarded by the Lord Prefect, the people in the county all view us with new respect. Even the family business is much easier to run than usual. When the news of Jing passing the provincial exam reached home, it caused quite a stir. Even the neighbors came to congratulate us, and their words were much sweeter than before."
He went on and on about how Aunt was doing, how Cheng’er was, how Liang was, and how Yuzhu was.
Aunt was in good health. Cheng’er’s teacher thought highly of him, and he had made great progress. Liang was still young and had fallen seriously ill in the summer from catching a chill, scaring the whole family half to death. Fortunately, he pulled through, and now he was as sturdy as can be.
He emphasized Yuzhu’s situation. "Your aunt and I have found a good candidate for Yuzhu’s marriage, and we plan to finalize it soon."
Chen Wanqing was stunned for a moment. She wanted to say something but held back.
In her mind, her father was now a Sixth-rank Official, and her mother’s background was even more noble. One day, De’an was also bound to become an official in the imperial court.
As a younger female cousin of the household, as long as Yuzhu set her mind to it, she could definitely marry into a higher-status family.
They wouldn’t dare dream of a son from a fourth or fifth-rank official’s family, but if there was a good young man from a Sixth Rank or seventh-rank minor official’s family, they could certainly strive for it.
She just wondered what kind of family Uncle Bai and Aunt had arranged for Yuzhu.
"What does the man’s family do? What is he like?"
Uncle Bai chuckled. "Speaking of which, you should know them too. It’s the Meng Family, who sells wine in the county. Their family has been brewing wine for generations and has built up quite a substantial estate. The matchmaker proposed their youngest son, Meng Quan. He has no talent for business and lacks any aptitude for brewing wine, but he is a born scholar. He attends the same private school as Cheng’er, and Cheng’er has mentioned several times that his senior is bound to pass the county examination next year.
"He’s a good young man, just a bit shy in temperament. However, he’s still young, about the same age as Yuzhu. Perhaps in another two years, he’ll become more mature and steady.
"Qing’er, I know you want to arrange a good marriage for Yuzhu, but your aunt and I aren’t that capable. We can only guard that grain shop for the rest of our lives. We can’t provide Yuzhu with much backing. If she really married into a prominent family, she would have nowhere to turn if she suffered losses or was wronged.
"This family is quite good as it is. We know them inside and out, and that boy knows how to strive for success. As long as he’s a sensible person, he will treat Yuzhu well, and her future won’t be bad at all."
With Uncle Bai speaking so plainly, what could Chen Wanqing say?
She didn’t argue, only saying, "I just feel that Yuzhu is still young, and her marriage can easily be delayed for another two years."
"She’s not young anymore. After the new year, she’ll be fifteen—soon to be a young woman of marriageable age. If we don’t finalize this quickly, all the good young men will be snatched up by others."
Chen Wanqing could tell that her uncle genuinely favored his future son-in-law. Since that was the case, she wouldn’t rain on his parade.
In any case, once her mother’s true background was revealed and Jing took another step up the ladder, as long as that family wasn’t foolish, they would definitely cherish Yuzhu.
Living a smooth and fulfilling life for the rest of her days, even without immense wealth or high status, might not be a bad thing for Yuzhu.
Chen Wanqing then looked at Li’an. "Don’t just focus on drinking your tea. Tell me about your family’s situation too."
Li’an rubbed his head and gave a sheepish smile. "Everything is pretty good at home. Chunyue is pregnant—already six months along."
"Really? That’s wonderful news!"
"Yes, yes, wonderful news. Originally, she wanted to come over in person to deliver the Silver to you, but she’s heavily pregnant and it’s inconvenient for her to travel far, so I snatched the errand away from her."
As he spoke, he hurriedly took out an account book from the bundle on his chair, and then pulled a purse from his breast pocket.