"I, I’ll think about it!" Mrs. Wang pressed her forehead. After a moment, she said, "Do you think what Fengju said truly came from Miss Wan’s instigation?"
"Of course!" Shi Yumei said, "Just now, I also heard you and Fengju talking at the door. When you brought up the matter, Fengju didn’t show any hint of surprise in his tone, which makes it clear that Sang Wan must have already told him about it! Think about it, did he carefully consider before answering you or did he just respond immediately?"
Mrs. Wang thought about it and couldn’t clearly discern which it was; sometimes she felt her son had responded impulsively, and other times, it seemed he had thought it through. Because of Shi Yumei’s words, the former thought gradually took precedence, and the more she thought about it, the more she believed it was so.
"I’ll make the decision on this marriage arrangement, it’s settled!" Mrs. Wang arched her eyebrows and declared firmly.
"You are indeed wise, mother!" Shi Yumei applauded and laughed, "After this, our family will be related to the governor, see who dares to look down on us then! If we declined, and upset the governor, he would blame us for not recognizing a good opportunity. Or if the Zhuang and Yang families heard about it, and they hastened to send their own daughters, we would have lost out big time!"
"Exactly, exactly! You are absolutely right!" Mrs. Wang was suddenly startled and inwardly sighed in relief. She couldn’t wait for three days anymore, and immediately ordered Mrs. Jiang to visit the Hong family to agree to the arrangement.
Mrs. Jiang felt it was not quite proper; although it was to be a concubine arrangement, after all, the Shi family was a reputable and prominent family, and it seemed a bit inappropriate to eagerly pursue the man’s side. Moreover, it was just another two days, which would pass in the blink of an eye, wouldn’t it?
Mrs. Jiang then gently persuaded with a smile.
Shi Yumei, however, said, "Mrs. Jiang, this is a happy occasion; the faster, the better! This shows our family’s sincerity! Since they are a family of officials, taking initiative on our part is no issue! Could it be that we should wait for them to come courting us? Besides, it’s not a marriage, and it’s not against etiquette, others won’t speak ill of us!"
"Yumei is right, you should go now! Make sure to speak well when you meet them, don’t disgrace our family’s reputation!" Mrs. Wang added.
Left with no choice, Mrs. Jiang agreed and prepared to leave.
Mrs. Hong personally met Mrs. Jiang and naturally agreed readily with a smile. She immediately commanded someone to fetch the calendar, and the 16th of February was chosen as an auspicious day, perfect for a wedding. Thus, the date was set, and Mrs. Jiang was asked to confirm with Mrs. Wang if this was acceptable?
Mrs. Jiang agreed and took her leave to report back.
Mrs. Hong immediately sent for Governor Hong and triumphantly shared the news, laughing, "See what I told you? Such an excellent marriage opportunity is hard to find even with a lantern, and the Shi family isn’t foolish enough to let it go. Look, they’ve already eagerly sent someone to talk about it!"
Even Governor Hong was surprised, but he was naturally pleased with the outcome and couldn’t help but praise his wife jovially. He then bitterly added, "From tomorrow on, keep that rascal confined; don’t let him go out causing trouble! The Shi family is the wealthiest in Qingzhou, we need to give them due respect. If that rascal makes a scene and we lose face during these days, I won’t let him off!"
"Understood, Master! Our son doesn’t act so thoughtlessly," Mrs. Hong reluctantly agreed, her joy instantly halved.
Mrs. Jiang reported back to Mrs. Wang, specifying the day for collecting the bride. Mrs. Wang didn’t mind, as it was just for a concubine, there wasn’t much to prepare. Everything was manageable, and there was ample time, so she nodded her head, instructing Mrs. Jiang to confirm with the Hong family. With that, the matter was settled.
Immediately after, Mrs. Wang ordered Sang Wan and Shi Lian to come over.
Of course, Sang Wan should manage the preparations, and as Shi Lian was the concerned party, she too should be informed early on to get ready. The wedding dress might not have enough time for embroidering, so she planned to have the embroiderers prepare it and let Shi Lian add a few stitches herself.
Upon hearing Mrs. Wang’s announcement, both Sang Wan and Shi Lian’s complexions immediately changed. Not long ago, Sang Wan had just sent someone to assure Shi Lian to relax, saying Fengju had already convinced Mrs. Wang, but now in just half a day, everything had completely changed!
Sang Wan was full of doubts and embarrassment, involuntarily glancing at Shi Lian.
Shi Lian also looked back at her, her face so pale it lost all its color, and her body felt ice-cold! ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ noveⅼfire.net
"A daughter eventually faces such a day; there is nothing to be ashamed of. Alright, girl, you go back and prepare for your marriage. You don’t need to come over for greetings these next few days! If you need anything, just make a list and talk to your sister-in-law!" Whether she would give her the items or not was, of course, for her, the mother, to determine. As long as her requests were reasonable, Mrs. Wang wouldn’t refuse them.