Bride Swap Backfire: My Cousin's Rebirth Made Us a Power Couple-Chapter 66 - 45: Betrothal (Part 5)

Chen Wanqing understood how they felt. She agreed she should marry before Jing sat for his examination, so she could help care for his mother and sister.

Unfortunately, a wedding in the seventh month was out of the question—the weather would be too hot for wedding attire. The second day of the second lunar month, the Dragon Head-Raising Festival, was an auspicious day suitable for the groom’s procession, but its good omens also made it the day the Child Examination began.

That left, by careful calculation, only one remaining date: the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month.

Xu Su Ying’s brow was furrowed with worry, and she twisted the handkerchief in her hands into a knot.

She had been the one eager to marry her daughter off, but now that it was actually time for her to leave home, she was also the one who most wanted to call it off.

"Can’t we postpone the wedding until the year after next?"

"Why the year after next? Can’t we do it in the latter half of next year?"

"Absolutely not! You silly girl, have you forgotten? We have an old custom here that says a man should marry at an even-numbered age, and a woman shouldn’t marry at nineteen."

This was the first Chen Wanqing had heard of this custom, but that didn’t stop her mind from racing. She immediately seized on the key point. "If I can’t get married next year, then why would the Zhao Family send over auspicious dates for next year?"

"An excellent question. That’s the Zhao Family’s strategy."

The Zhao Family was using an open, unavoidable scheme. It was clever and left no room for negotiation.

"Then let’s set it for the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month. I have to get married eventually, anyway."

Xu Su Ying was not pleased. "If we’re setting a date, let’s set it for the year after next."

"I’ll be twenty the year after next. Have you ever seen an unmarried girl of twenty? It’s not like I’m not betrothed. If you keep me home, people will gossip so much our reputations will be ruined."

"You think your father and I are afraid of gossip? Doesn’t the old saying go, ’People always talk, and everyone gets talked about’? Let them talk all they want. It’s not like I can hear them. They’re only wasting their own breath."

Xu Su Ying then rattled off a list of benefits for marrying later: the bride’s body would be fully mature, reducing the risks of childbirth; by then, both Wanqing and Jing would be a few years older and more level-headed, better equipped to handle the challenges of marriage.

Chen Wanqing said nothing, simply listening quietly.

After a while, Xu Su Ying realized she was talking to herself and trailed off.

"So, what’s it going to be? Are we really settling on the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month?" Xu Su Ying asked again, still not ready to concede.

"The Zhao Family sent the auspicious dates over yesterday. You must have spoken with Father about it last night. What was his opinion?"

Xu Su Ying’s silence was all the answer Chen Wanqing needed.

She squeezed her mother’s hand. "Mother, let me marry sooner. Jing has no one at home. If I go over earlier, I can start helping him sooner. Then, when he passes the exam and becomes a Scholar, he can repay your kindness. You’ll have a Scholar for a son-in-law."

"My own son will become a Scholar! I’ll be perfectly happy being the mother of a Scholar. What do I care about a Scholar for a son-in-law?"

"Alright, alright. Even better, what if De’an and Jing both pass the exam next year? You’d be the mother of a Scholar *and* the mother-in-law of one. Mother, you’d surely be the most celebrated woman in all of Qingshui County."

"You silly girl, you just know how to sweet-talk your mother."

And so, Chen Wanqing and Zhao Jing’s wedding was finally set for the twentieth of the twelfth lunar month.

With the wedding date set, both the Chen and Zhao Families were overjoyed.

One person would tell Xu Su Ying, "I know where to get mahogany chests made. The old carpenter is a master craftsman—he even does engravings. I’ll take you there, and you can order a pair for your daughter’s dowry."

Another would say to Mrs. Zhao, "The bride will be here soon! Shouldn’t we replace the things in Jing’s room? The house hasn’t had a proper cleaning in a long time, has it? Tomorrow, I’ll get his cousins together. We’ll fix up the roof tiles and put a fresh coat of paint where it’s needed. You’ll need to buy new cotton for bedding, too. With winter approaching, the prices are sure to rise. I happened to store some away this summer—I was going to use it for a new quilt, but you should take it for now. It’ll help in a pinch..."

As the two families discussed the matter, the mood was joyous and warm. The rift that had formed when Chen Wanyue broke her engagement seemed to vanish in an instant.

Watching this scene from her window, Chen Wanqing couldn’t help but smile.

Just then, a group of people emerged from the main hall.

Leading the group were Zhao Jing’s three paternal uncles and their wives, followed by Mrs. Zhao and Zhao Jing himself.

When Zhao Jing came out, he glanced in this direction, and their gazes suddenly met.

In that instant, the sunlight was gentle and the scent of chrysanthemums filled the air. The bright smile in the young man’s eyes, along with the warmth of his gaze, seemed to land on Chen Wanqing’s fair cheeks, and her skin suddenly tingled.

She had the urge to shrink back, but feeling it would be impolite, she held herself still.

Chen Wanqing walked out of the room and, along with her mother, saw the elders out.

When Mrs. Zhao saw her, she beamed so widely her eyes crinkled shut. She took Chen Wanqing’s hand in her own warm grasp, unwilling to let go.

Zhao Jing walked on her other side. He didn’t say a word, but Chen Wanqing could feel his gaze fixed on her.

’When had Jing’s gaze become so intense?’

’He’s just staring at me. Isn’t he afraid people will laugh?’