Two hands prepared, like a good marriage, sisters chatting

  Although they didn't get to see Ruo Xin, they were slightly disappointed. After expressing their intentions to the old lady, they bid farewell. Li Shi originally wanted to persuade them to stay, but seeing the old lady's cold reaction, she also gave up. She personally escorted Mrs. Xiang and her son out of the courtyard, then hastily rushed back in, using her actions to show her love and concern for Ruo Xin: "Old Lady, this is all settled now, Qing Yu won't have to be depressed anymore... Eh? Old Lady, what's wrong with you?"

  The old lady glanced at her lightly, "Don't be too happy yet. After the three-year mourning period is over, when that time comes and let your cousin enter the house, what can our family say then?"

  Li stared blankly and muttered: "This... isn't it said that Sister Biao will get married as soon as possible? Why do you still have to wait for three years?"

  The old lady gave her a glance and hummed softly, "This Miss Xiang from the Xiang family has brought ten thousand dowry with her. If she marries someone else, wouldn't it be a loss for the Xiang family?" As for Mrs. Xiang, the old lady had already gained some understanding of her, that is, she was extremely fond of money, and in order to keep her niece's ten thousand dowry, no matter what, she wanted to keep her niece by her side. Now, because she didn't dare offend the Fang family, she didn't dare openly bring Miss Xiang into the house as a daughter-in-law. Once Miss Xiang was married in, after the mourning period was over, at that time, using the excuse that Miss Xiang had delayed the marriage due to her mourning, the Xiang family would take her in out of righteousness, and Mr. Fang wouldn't be able to say anything about it.

  After Dai Li understood the subtlety of this matter, she was also shocked. "If it's really like that, what can be done about Yu Qing?"

  The old lady snorted: "What else can be done? We can only take advantage of these two months to force the Wei family to marry off their daughter."

  Mr. Li said stupidly: "But, the old lady just said that the eldest daughter brought 100,000 dowry, can the Zhao family afford to marry her off?" Even if they openly find a match for the eldest daughter, they will probably secretly sabotage it. A dowry of 100,000, what a tempting number. When she got married, her dowry was less than 30,000, and now the dowry prepared for her daughter is estimated to be no more than 30,000 in total.

  The old lady sneered: "So, we must find a girl with a good family background for him. As long as the young lady agrees and is willing, there's still hope for the Wei family."

  The worries of the mother-in-law and the old lady collided, but ginger is still spicy when it's old. The old lady came up with a countermeasure and got the unanimous agreement of Fang Fu's daughter. He Shi also immediately returned to her maternal home for a trip, preparing to mobilize the power of her maternal family to find a better husband's family for her cousin than the one she had previously rejected. At that time, excellent conditions would be presented, and it wouldn't be difficult to win over the other party.

  The efficiency of the He family's handling of affairs was still quite good, and before long, they really found a candidate who excelled in all aspects. He was the eldest son of the third uncle of the He family, only 19 years old, and had passed the imperial examination in the third year of the Qingyuan era. Although he was born out of wedlock, he had always been valued by his father, and now he had obtained a position as a seventh-rank county magistrate in Tongzhou. The position of county magistrate may not be high-ranking, but it is still an official position. As long as he does not make mistakes during his term, promotion is certain once his term is over. Moreover, with the profound influence of the He family's centuries-old official career, this son of the third branch of the He family also has great prospects.

  Here is the translation:

  In that case, this young master of the He family, although only a third-born son, after all, is a descendant of a prestigious family and has achieved success in his career. Tong Qingwen, on the other hand, is just a daughter of a merchant, completely out of his league. As long as Tong Qingwen isn't too foolish, she should know how to make her choice.

  After Madam He brought back the good news to the Fang family, Old Lady Fang analyzed it and thought it was feasible. She ordered Li Shi and He Shi to go to the Zhai family to test the waters. He Shi was very capable and, in front of Mrs. Zhai, she also called out Tong Qingwen and praised her cousin to the skies, saying that he had a promising future ahead of him and would soon be appointed to an official position outside the capital. Moreover, there was only one concubine in his household, and the deed of sale was still in He's hands, so whether she stayed or left depended entirely on what she said.

  "Does Li Hua also have a fortune-telling verse?"

  "Ha! Not really, I only found out recently too. It's all about the twelve characters, yin and yang differences, clever calculations, going with the natural flow."

  As he savored these three sentences carefully, he smiled and said: "In that case, Second Sister and Li Xian are indeed a match made in heaven."

  Her face turned red with shame and embarrassment. After a while, she smiled self-deprecatingly: "Indeed, it's really accurate. But the judge is right, three points are destined by heaven, seven points rely on hard work. If I didn't strive for it, maybe I would have only brushed shoulders with Li Lian too."

  Lured Li Xiao out with a mixture of truth and falsehood, even if he had a thick skin, it would be embarrassing. Moreover, upon learning that the fortune teller's remarks were about Li Xiao, it was even more awkward and shameful. At this moment, the judge's words became the best excuse for justification.

  Of course, Ruyi understood her thoughts and didn't expose them. She just said: "Sister has calculated everything, but in the end, she found a satisfactory husband. And among us sisters, she is the most glorious and limitless. I'd like to congratulate my sister first."

  She smiled slyly, looking at the Najifu jade pendant hanging from Ruxin's neck. "I've heard that the mistress of the Xiang family is greedy and loves money like her life. If you marry into their family, it's better not to wear these accessories too much, lest they be taken away." From ancient times to the present, when a daughter-in-law marries into her husband's family, her property becomes the husband's family's property. The mother-in-law can use it as she wishes. This idea has long been deeply rooted and cannot be changed. Even in modern civilized society, many mothers-in-law in rural areas, including some in cities, still hold this view: when a daughter-in-law enters their home, her property, even the money she earns, belongs to their son. If the daughter-in-law is an only child, then her natal family's property also belongs to their son.

  What virtues does Mrs. Xiang have, and it wasn't until now that the Fang family has a slight understanding of her, such as using this to hurt Ruo Xin emotionally, which also counts as poking at Ruo Xin's not-so-big-but-not-so-small wound.

  With a smile and raised eyebrows, "Sister reminds me that I will be thrifty." Mrs. Xiang's family indeed loves money, and it is estimated that she will really search for her dowry, but what about it? Even if she loves money, she still wants to save face, right? If she dares to do so openly, let's see who can bear the consequences.

  As if seeing that the needle didn't pierce her, she turned her eyes and said: "I also heard that a cousin came to the Xiang family, so sister should be more careful."

  It's been more than half a year since I've been confined at home, and my cousin just moved in recently, how did she find out?

  However, Qingcai didn't get discouraged and instead said calmly: "Thank you for your concern, sister. But you should take care of yourself first. I heard that the Yu Prefecture Wangfu also has a beautiful and charming cousin, and this cousin comes from a very powerful background - her father is the Governor of Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Although our father is a third-rank official, he can't compare to someone with real power backing them."

  Ru Shan's face stiffened, and she let out a cold laugh: "What's the big deal? Life is always about 'struggle'. I don't believe that with my abilities, a mere cousin-in-law like you can stir up much trouble."

  Yes, just like Zhang Yinniang, she also ended up in this state because of the word "struggle".

  As soon as he heard this, his face turned red with rage and he shouted: "You!"

  Digression

  Note 1: In the mid-to-early Ming dynasty, merchants had a very low social status and were prohibited by the imperial court from wearing silk fabrics outside.

  Note 2: In ancient times, any official with a certain status, above the third rank, could request titles for their mothers and wives from the imperial court. If he thought about his two elder brothers' abilities, He Shi and Yu Shi's titles should have been forthcoming sooner or later. But Xiangru thought that he would also have a title soon.