Ye Zhiwei glared at his son, "Your elder brother has found a suitable match."
"Who is it? Why haven’t I heard about it? Elder brother, aren’t you still choosing a match?"
Ye Zhengxiong understood that his elder brother’s choice for a partner had to meet relatively high standards; otherwise, he wouldn’t still be unmarried at the age of eighteen or nineteen.
This was also because his parents wanted to arrange a better marriage for the heir, their elder son, which is why after much deliberation a match had still not been set.
It wasn’t that their family looked down on others, but rather that others didn’t look favorably on theirs.
The candidates they considered were all daughters of wealthy families, but despite being eighteen or nineteen years old, his elder brother hadn’t been betrothed yet. He had plenty of maids and women around him, but these were only kept privately at home.
"The Tang Family, they have a concubine daughter who is interested in coming to Bushen Village to select a husband."
Ye Zhengxiong was quite surprised. "The Tang Family, even a concubine daughter from such a family must be skilled in Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting, and her dowry won’t be small either. Why would she choose our village?
Father, aren’t you being too biased? You introduce the daughter of the Tang Family to my elder brother but not to me. You make me wait for so many years, only to end up with a little child bride, making me the laughingstock of everyone."
Once Ye Zhengxiong heard his father say this, he immediately rebuffed with a rebellious heart.
"That girl is also a branch member of the Tang Family, and merely a concubine daughter. Your elder brother marrying her would enable her to help manage our family business.
I’ve already treated you very well by betrothing you to a young girl who is currently learning to read, as well as Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting."
Ye Zhiwei regretted letting slip this information, seeing his son’s disobedient demeanor which gave him another headache. Living in a wealthy family environment had its advantages, but it was not free of worries; his son’s poor upbringing also troubled him.
"I don’t care, I do not agree with being betrothed as a child bride. If you want to marry, marry!"
Ye Zhengxiong, furious, stormed out the door. His sudden appearance at the doorway caught the concubine standing there off guard just as he opened the door.
He glared at the concubine standing at the door, "Ill-bred, vile woman."
The concubine held her handkerchief, not daring to talk back, yet she tearfully put on an act of coquettishness as she stepped into the room towards Ye Zhiwei:
Ye Zhiwei was already angry, and as he watched his son’s retreating figure, he muttered, "Hmph, pay no attention to that unfilial son..."
Ye Zhengxiong was also quite angry. He felt if he couldn’t get through to his father, it was because his father’s heart was with the concubine, so he had to go find his mother.
He arrived at his mother’s courtyard just in time to see his two younger sisters discussing with their mother in the living room.
"Mother, that Matchmaker Zhang is so useless, she got beaten up just for going to propose a marriage. Let’s get our betrothal gifts back and hire another matchmaker."
Ye Zhengxiong paused the moment he heard his elder sister say this and stopped walking into the living room. The maid who wanted to go in to report to them was stopped by him.
He wanted to listen to what his mother and sisters were saying, as his sister’s comment made him suspect that his mother was also involved in the matchmaking for him.
"Yes, that’s right. My son is so outstanding. The daughter of the Hongji family was so thin and unattractive as a child. It’s only now that she’s grown a little better, but who knows if she might revert to her old ways.
To think they dared to send our matchmaker away beaten up. That Mrs. Li seems tougher than she appears on the surface; no wonder she managed to seize control from Mrs. Lai, the housekeeper."
Ye Zhengxiong nodded as he listened to his mother’s words. Mrs. Lai was notoriously fierce, yet she was overpowered by the always gentle Mrs. Li. It seemed that the quietest dogs are the most vicious.
"Mother, if their mother is so formidable, could Daya be just as tough? If we bully her, might she end up bullying us back."
Ye Zhengxiong, upon hearing his younger sister’s concern, began imagining what it would be like if he actually married such a shrewish wife. How could he have the same carefree days as before, to go out and play whenever he wished, without being tightly controlled?
People accustomed to freedom and play fear nothing more than running out of money and being under someone’s thumb. If both of these fears were to materialize, it would indeed cost him dearly.
"How dare she? Hmph... if she dares to bully my daughters and tries to climb over my head, let’s see if she has the ability!"
Listening to his mother speak in this way, Ye Zhengxiong felt somewhat reassured, and his resolve to not marry remained unshaken.
"Mother, if we let that lowly woman into our house without getting back at her for insulting us, I won’t be satisfied."
When Ye Zhengxiong heard his elder sister say this and heard his younger sister add, "If our second brother marries this lowly woman, it would be too kind to her. Making her a concubine, that would serve her right!"
"Second sister, after our second brother marries her, he can treat her like thin air and then dote on concubines just like father does."
Ye Zhengxiong, upon hearing this, finally understood why there was a sudden proposal to an eleven-year-old girl: women can be truly vicious at heart!
The mother and sisters were plotting while the father had become an accomplice, using him as bait. Shaking with rage and clenching his teeth, he stormed into the living room.
"You heartless..." As the mother heard the daughter’s words and felt some displeasure, she saw her second son rush in and stopped mid-sentence.