Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 352 - 32: Trivial Matters (Part 2) (Three Updates)
The three young men who could be brought into the manor by Hong Sheng naturally have good character.
One was missing an arm, which didn’t meet Hong Dou’s requirements, so it wasn’t possible; another was missing an eye but seemed acceptable, yet he had a widow mother, and Susu thought about it and shook her head.
The one Susu remembered was the young man who reminded Nurse Liu of the term "becoming arrogant because of favor" while investigating Yue Baiyou’s living conditions.
He was quite good-looking, except his foot bone didn’t grow properly, causing a limp. However, he could still walk, and both his parents had passed away, leaving him alone.
Susu called for him to stay and dismissed the other two young men. She smiled and said, "Arrogant because of favor, oh, Xiao Zhang, how about I find you a wife?"
Seeing Xiao Zhang’s "fearful" expression, Susu felt a bit like the Wolf Grandmother.
No, this must be an illusion, she is the "Matchmaker" now!
"Come, come, quickly have a seat. About this wife of yours..." blah blah blah...
Xiao Zhang, who nodded his head dizzy from the master’s words, left the room still feeling dazed. Did he just gain a wife?
"Smack!" A slap landed on his face, painful enough to confirm he wasn’t dreaming; he really had a wife now!
When he left the inner courtyard and met his fellow companions, this man in his late twenties hadn’t cried when he injured his leg;
nor did he cry upon retiring and wanting to return home, only to find out his parents had long passed away and his brother and sister-in-law had moved away without a word.
But now, knowing he had a wife, he cried like a child.
Even the other two young men who learned from Aunt Wei why grandma summoned them felt their envy and jealousy fade away, replaced by a sour feeling.
Let’s not discuss Xiao Zhang taking out most of his savings to prepare a betrothal gift, but talk about the Lin Family Courtyard’s atmosphere being quite heavy now.
Lin Sheng and his wife initially didn’t expect their eldest daughter to be married off so early, as maids usually get betrothed due to kindness at eighteen or nineteen, and many marry at twenty-plus.
Moreover, if they were to marry her off, they were considering the second sons from the Zhao Family and Wei Family. Who would have thought grandma would match Hong Dou with an outside courtyard guard with a limp?
Lin Sheng squatted at the door smoking dry tobacco sporadically, while Mrs. Lin weepily looked at their two daughters, and said to Fen Dai, "Erniu, you quickly go plead with grandma; how could she match your sister to that lame Zhang? Even ignoring his limp leg, he’s seven or eight years older than your sister!"
Fen Dai raised her eyebrow, "Mom, who are you calling lame Zhang? Brother Zhang was a comrade of the master and got injured defending the country. Besides, it’s just a foot bone issue, it’s not obvious just walking slowly."
Mrs. Lin was choked up and muttered, "But we are grandma’s housemaids. Even if they must marry, they should marry into the Zhao Family or the Wei Family; however, the Wei Family boy chose to marry that Liu Niuniu, but isn’t there a second son in the Zhao Family? Grandma favors you most, you go and plead..."
"Sister is beautiful and a skilled cook, but why would Wei Second Brother rather marry Liu Niuniu than become our family’s son-in-law? Did mom and dad ever think about why? Still have the face to mention Zhao Family’s second son, asking me to plead grandma?
Do you want me thrown out of the upper room, only to be satisfied then?
Or wish me and sister slaving for the elder brother’s household our whole lives, would you be happy then?"
"Lin Erniu, what are you saying?"
Lin Sheng threw away his tobacco and angrily rose to hit Fen Dai, who jumped up, "Go ahead, hit me, hit me; better kill me, see how you explain to grandma? Kill me, let’s see how you have Silver to feed your wolf-like son?"
Lin Sheng was hesitant, raising his hand but not daring to strike, like a bull, he breathed heavily.
Hong Dou firmly held her sister, red-eyed and sternly said, "Enough, this marriage is my own request. I’m merely informing you; whether you agree or not, grandma’s approval has been given, so you better prepare Silver for my dowry!"
Once these words were spoken, the room fell silent, as Lin Sheng and his wife looked at their two daughters.
The younger daughter had always been like this, never losing out; when young, if hit, she would stir up commotion in the entire servants’ quarters.
But they hadn’t expected their usually steady and honest eldest daughter to be so surprising when making a move.
What had she just said, the marriage was her own request?
Mrs. Lin wailed, "I’ll kill you, shameless dead girl; tell me, did something happen between you and that lame Zhang?"
Hong Dou and Fen Dai looking in disbelief at their own mother throwing dirty water on her daughter, felt their hearts breaking unrepairably.
"Smack!" The door of the Lin Family was kicked open, revealing Zhao Youshen and Wei Rong with their spouses.
Mrs. Wei came in, hugging Hong Dou and Fen Dai, "Good child, don’t be afraid; even if we are useless, grandma is here!"
Zhao Youshen spoke coldly, "Grandma will preside over the marriage personally, it’s up to the servants to obey properly.
If you think grandma is kind and wish to rebel, I’ll report to her, and ensure you two return to the Capital, let your son bring you out!"
Seeing the head steward, the Lin’s couple were cowed, and hearing this, they almost kneeled to Zhao Youshen, fearing if kicked out there’s scarce chance for such caring masters.
They weren’t foolish either; if truly lacking Silver, their son and daughter-in-law would surely consume them alive.
Their lifetime of allegiance to sons couldn’t be changed, continuing to rely on their son for elder years, hence their favoritism.
"Brother Zhao, for our acquaintance’s sake, spare us this time. We dare not object since grandma decided, we’ll prepare the dowry for Hong Dou."
Mrs. Wei, smiling slyly, said, "Grandma instructed me as the matchmaker, I need to be aware of everything. Dare I ask, Sister-in-law Lin, how much Silver will you prepare for Hong Dou’s dowry?"
Mrs. Lin looked at her husband helplessly; where would Silver come from for her dowry?
Seeing her husband silent, Mrs. Lin wiped her tears and said, "Our family can’t compare to yours; our son lacks skill, and relies on us two. Currently, we lack true Silver.
Did grandma not say ten Silver taels would be rewarded to the girl as a dowry? We won’t keep a cent, all goes to her."
These words left Zhao Youshen and Mrs. Wei dumbfounded, having never seen such audacity.
Not keep a cent? That’s grandma’s reward, what’s it to you?
"Are you having Hong Dou wed into the Zhang Family with just those ten taels? As far as I know, Hong Dou and Fen Dai’s monthly salary has always been received by you.
If you won’t bring out Silver, at least give the gifts they received as keepsakes for the girls."
Hong Dou ignored her mother’s guilty gaze, tugging Mrs. Wei’s hand, "Aunt, forget it, I don’t want those things!"
Mrs. Lin then showed relief, "It’s my filial eldest daughter, remembered parents!" She glanced at Fen Dai, despite being young, leveraging grandma’s fondness to be calculative with her mother!
Fen Dai, held by her elder sister, initially didn’t want Wei’s family to be mocked, but couldn’t hold back seeing her mother’s look.
"Why does mom look at me; I didn’t collect grandma’s rewards entirely, that was secretly given by grandma as my dowry.
The rest of the rewards, my sister and I kept none, were all taken by you. And now? Haven’t you sent them to the Capital for your dear elder brother?"
...
This farce concluded with Linlang coming to say grandma tasked Fen Dai.
In preserving Hong Dou’s face, Zhao Youshen and Wei’s family told no one, just held an even worse view of Lin’s couple privately, and gave Hong Dou’s dowry three times thicker than others.
Returning to their quarters, looking at their spoiled kids, with some arrogance thought: Being born my child, you don’t know how blessed you are!
