Madam Wei’s ears felt warm, and she couldn’t help but reach out to touch them. Could someone be speaking ill of her behind her back?
Wang Qiuman snapped out of her own thoughts, looking somewhat bewildered at her, and responded with an "Ah".
"I’ve called you several times, what were you thinking about so intently?" Madam Wei teased her, "Could it be that you were thinking of Young Master Wei’s demeanor?"
Wang Qiuman’s face flushed as she shyly replied, "Great-aunt, what are you saying, how could Man’er think that?"
Madam Wei affectionately caressed the dark hair on her head.
"I see that Wei Cheng is quite proper, what do you think? I suppose, if we agree from our side, it won’t be long before the House of Marquis Weiyuan sends the official matchmaker to propose a marriage."
Even as calm and composed as Wang Qiuman usually is, discussing her lifelong matters made her inevitably blush with shyness. She knelt beside Madam Wei’s leg, burying her face in her lap, and said, "Great-aunt, must a girl get married? I could also remain unmarried."
Madam Wei sighed and said, "Man’er, you are now a girl without parents, yet you have a large dowry in your hands. If you don’t marry, what support will you have? I am getting old, even though I can protect you for a while, I cannot protect you for a lifetime. I will eventually leave before you, and what will you do then?"
Wang Qiuman’s heart clenched, "Great-aunt..."
"Besides, a woman always needs a support and a home. Having someone who cares for you by your side is better than being alone," Madam Wei said, "This Young Master Wei, though born of a concubine, has a chance to inherit the title. He himself is also talented, and I see him as proper; he is not a bad choice, don’t you think?"
However, Wang Qiuman recalled that Song Zhiyu had told her that this person was not a good match.
She pursed her lips and said, "Great-aunt, I want to think about it for a few days."
She couldn’t fully trust what Song Zhiyu said, but on reflection, what reason did the other party have to speak so recklessly in front of her? Someone whom even Great-aunt acknowledges, no matter how frivolous, should have decent character.
That person should not intentionally ruin her prospects for marriage.
Madam Wei was a bit surprised, "You don’t have a good opinion of Young Master Wei? Or did he say something that didn’t suit you?"
Wang Qiuman shook her head, "It’s my own reason, I just want to think it over."
She needed to have someone investigate thoroughly.
Madam Wei assumed she was shy, thought for a moment, and then said, "Alright, we’ll discuss it in a few days, a proper lady ought to be a bit more reserved."
After all, delaying a few days wouldn’t make a difference. If Madam of the Marquis Weiyuan was to be upset about it, then this marriage proposal might as well be off.
Wang Qiuman breathed a sigh of relief, deciding to have her confidant investigate upon returning.
As they were talking, Madam Wei’s trusted maid presented herself with a bow and smilingly said that Song Ci had sent someone over, saying he would visit the estate tomorrow to speak with Madam.
Madam Wei was somewhat surprised, could it be that Song Ci had something else to say?
Wang Qiuman, however, felt her heart skip a beat, sensing an ominous premonition.
She left Madam Wei’s courtyard, returned to her own room, and immediately called forward another maid, Qing Zhu.
"Tell your father to find two reliable people to investigate the affairs of the eldest son of the Marquis Weiyuan’s household, every detail, as soon as possible."
Qing Zhu was taken aback for a moment, then realized the young lady was considering seeing if the person was worth entrusting her future to. She nodded in agreement and turned to leave.
Wang Qiuman sat down, twisting a handkerchief, feeling that her mind was a tangled mess, then let out a bitter laugh. Her marriage affairs seemed destined to encounter more obstacles than others’.