From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 691: Chapter 693: Matchmaking

Gu Wenheng sighed softly. This wasn’t something he could change on his own, and he was well aware he didn’t have that kind of influence.

"I already spoke with a few of the families before we left."

"They’ll be with us for many years during my term in office. If you find any suitable matches, you can help them take a look."

Jin Qianqian shot him a sideways glance. "Why didn’t you think to mention something like this to me sooner?"

Gu Wenheng rubbed his nose, his voice losing some of its confidence. "Can I admit I completely forgot? If you hadn’t mentioned it today, it wouldn’t have even crossed my mind."

Jin Qianqian said, "What kind of mess is this? If they end up in unhappy marriages, we’ll be the ones to take the blame."

"And what if they decide to settle down here for their wives’ sake? How would we explain that when we return home?"

’It gave her a headache just thinking about it.’ She couldn’t help but complain, "We should have made it clear to them from the start. If I’m the one making the matches, won’t they come looking for me if things go wrong later?"

"They wouldn’t dare," Gu Wenheng said quickly. "Even back home, there’s no guarantee they’d find a perfect wife. Isn’t life always full of these little bumps and bruises?"

"Arranged marriages are the norm around here, after all."

Gu Wenheng’s last sentence served as a wake-up call for Jin Qianqian. ’Those young lads might actually be thrilled about finding wives out here,’ she thought.

The people they associated with here were the children of official families. That was countless times better than marrying the daughter of some minor landlord back home.

Jin Qianqian had just been a bit overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility, but she slowly came around to the idea.

"Fine. I won’t bring it up myself. If someone inquires, then I’ll send someone to make inquiries."

Since the task had fallen to her, Jin Qianqian didn’t want to be responsible for creating resentful couples. At the very least, she could send people to investigate the character of any potential candidates.

Seeing that she had come around, Gu Wenheng offered a placating smile. "I’ll be troubling you then, Madam."

Jin Qianqian copied his earlier gesture, patting him on the shoulder. "Show me some practical support, then."

Gu Wenheng, ever-agreeable, moved to stand behind her. "My older brothers all gave instructions before we left. As for the betrothal gifts, we just need to help with the arrangements. They’ll reimburse us for whatever we spend."

Jin Qianqian wasn’t worried about her nephews. "And what about Gu Yi and the others?"

They were clansmen, and their financial situation wasn’t as good as the main Gu family’s. It was a delicate matter that needed to be handled with care.

Gu Wenheng had, of course, resolved this potential issue before they departed. "I discussed it with each of their parents. The lads are all carrying their own silver. If a match is made, you can ask them for the funds directly. The amount will depend on what they can afford."

Jin Qianqian let out a long sigh of relief. "They’re all very sensible."

"However, it seems Gu Yi is the oldest of the group. Doesn’t he want to take the Scholar exam in three years?"

"Should his marriage be postponed for a while?"

If he became a Scholar, his range of potential matches would expand greatly.

Gu Wenheng said, "If a suitable match appears, we should arrange it for him. This was a specific instruction from the Old Clan Leader."

"He’s already of marriageable age, and the Old Clan Leader doesn’t want him to wait any longer."

During the last county-level examination, Gu Sanbu had thought for sure Gu Yi would become a Scholar, but he fell just short.

The Old Clan Leader had let Gu Yi come along this time so he could stay near Gu Wenheng and receive some guidance in his spare time.

But Gu Yi’s marriage truly couldn’t be delayed any further. The Old Clan Leader worried that his own health might fail him one day, which would only hold Gu Yi back even more.

Jin Qianqian understood the Old Clan Leader’s concern. "He’s the eldest of the lads and of our generation, so I suppose we’ll have to start with him."

"What you say makes sense, Madam. Someone was asking me about him before, and I vaguely hinted that becoming a Scholar wouldn’t be a problem for Gu Yi. So, I expect someone will approach you about it."

Jin Qianqian turned and shot him another look. "And I suppose you ’accidentally’ forgot to mention this, too?"

Gu Wenheng said, "...I was going to tell you, but then you were poisoned that day. That gave me quite a scare, you know."

He still sounded shaken just talking about it. "When you go to banquets, try to avoid the mushrooms."

"It can’t be that coincidental every time. I’m sure after what happened, all the great houses will be keeping a much stricter eye on their kitchens."

Never mind others; Jin Qianqian now had her own staff double-check any mushrooms entering their manor before they were even allowed in the kitchen.

In a place like Yi Province, avoiding mushrooms entirely was impossible. You just had to be vigilant and not let anyone exploit an opening.

Still, the incident had left both Gu Wenheng and Jin Qianqian with a bit of trauma. Mushrooms hadn’t appeared on their own dining table for a long time.

A sudden thought occurred to Jin Qianqian. They had been discussing this for so long without consulting the person in question. "Shouldn’t we call Gu Yi over and ask him? See what his preferences are?"

Gu Wenheng smiled. "The Old Clan Leader said as long as she is virtuous and healthy, there are no other major requirements."

Jin Qianqian rolled her eyes at him. "The Old Clan Leader isn’t the one getting a wife. Gu Yi is the one who has to spend his life with this person, so of course his own preferences matter."

"If you haven’t asked him, you’d better do it. He needs to state his conditions so I have something to work with."

"We can’t go to the trouble of finding a good match only for him to be dissatisfied."

This was her husband’s cousin, a brother-in-law from a separate branch of the family. As his cousin’s wife, it wasn’t appropriate for Jin Qianqian to ask him directly. If it were one of the other, younger lads, she could have just called him over and asked, but this was different.

Besides, Jin Qianqian wouldn’t do something as absurd as arranging a marriage in the dark.

"All right, all right! I’ll go ask him in a bit," Gu Wenheng said.

Jin Qianqian said, "Don’t wait. It’s still early. Go to the front courtyard. They shouldn’t be asleep yet."

"The sooner I understand what he wants, the better I can handle this."

"You’re always so impulsive. This isn’t urgent, we can take our time."

"I’m afraid you’ll turn around and forget all about it again." Jin Qianqian pushed him towards the door. If their conversation hadn’t led them here, Gu Wenheng might never have remembered.

The ten young lads in the front courtyard thought Gu Wenheng had summoned them for something important.

They never expected his first, direct question, which left them all completely stunned.

"What kind of wife is each of you looking for?"

"Write your requirements down on a piece of paper. Once you’ve decided, you can’t back out."

The young Gu men: "..."

Seeing that they were still processing, Gu Wenheng asked again.

"Uncle, I’m still little!" Gule Shun said, tilting his head back. At eleven years old, he was on the shorter side, only reaching Gu Wenheng’s armpit.

Gu Wenheng glanced down at him. "You might be little, but it’s never too early to think about marriage."

"Your older brothers are here, so you might as well list your requirements too. If a suitable match comes up, we can have your Seventh Aunt help arrange it for you now."

Gule Shun replied, "...Isn’t that a child betrothal?"

Gu Wenheng sized him up and said, "You don’t count as a *child*. This has nothing to do with a *child* betrothal."

"We can arrange the engagement now, and you can get married in a few years. It’s perfectly normal."