Zhong Xingwang... seemed to have two little girls over the age of 15; he thought they weren’t bad either.
"Hehehe, not to hide it from you, I actually have quite a few nieces, aside from those two girls’ elder sisters."
There are also children of other elder sisters, and they are very good-looking. Men who come to ask the matchmaker for a marriage proposal need to wait in a really long line."
Li Zhijun appeared honest and had been doing business for several years. He had learned a bit of his younger brother’s gift of gab, and all these guys were sons of rich families.
Zhong Xingwang had known him for many years. The boy’s beverages weren’t bad, worth considering, and those who hung out with him might also be of good character.
The gentlemen... "Hahaha" took it as a joke.
"So, are your nieces betrothed yet?"
Zhong Xingwang’s mind raced a bit. He was familiar with the two elder Ye Family’s sisters. He could only consider the slightly older two; this was already like an old cow eating tender grass.
"Not yet, alas. It’s not like there aren’t good young men, but my brother-in-law fears the children won’t marry well. He doesn’t approve of the suitors who come with the matchmaker, whether they’re sons of a rich man in the village or farmers’ sons; it’s hard to say yes to them!"
Li Zhijun’s eyes lit up. Wasn’t a good candidate right before him? Thus, he let slip a few hints.
"Zhong Xingwang, you’re not seriously eyeing someone else’s niece, are you?" His classmates said one after another, patting his arm with gossip-hungry looks.
Zhong Xingwang... couldn’t say for the moment, letting them guess and guess. He felt it was best to meet with the elder sister first and have her invite people over.
He was playing here during the summer break, then he’d go pick up his elder sister and brother-in-law to return to the Capital. Handling a major life event while he was at it wouldn’t be bad either.
He didn’t want to talk about this topic anymore and asked Li Zhijun to introduce the fishing rods to the classmates.
Li Zhijun felt it was a pity. They had just been talking about nieces; why drop the subject?
He didn’t dwell on it, introducing the features of various fishing rods to the young masters. The more expensive the rods, the better their features and the more complex their craftsmanship. The quick and smooth reel-in, different lengths, and better fishing hooks made them more desirable.
These were sons from rich families; the fishing rods, though quite pricey, seemed like child’s play to them.
They promptly bought the most expensive fishing rods and had the workers prepare the bait.
The young masters left the storeroom, and Zhong Xingwang followed at the end. Then, turning around quietly, he whispered to Li Zhijun: "Uncle, gather all your nieces tomorrow."
Li Zhijun... was it the meaning he was thinking of?
"Young Master Zhong, are you planning a poetry gathering or something?"
Zhong Xingwang nodded and said, "That’s exactly what I’m thinking. We classmates can do this for fun. Your nieces can come out too. The girls can play together; the main thing is to meet from a distance."
Li Zhijun got the hint right away. This was to create a "chance" encounter, or more like a covert matchmaking session. It was the custom for someone who had taken a liking to a certain girl to want to see her in person, so they would hold various banquets which were essentially matchmaking events.
"Alright, Uncle understands." Li Zhijun smiled happily as he saw Zhong Xingwang out. Then with a clap of his hands, he called not only his nieces but also his daughters and grandnieces, since it’s possible that these young masters would fancy his own daughter.
Zhong Xingwang, along with his school friends, went to choose a fishing spot, finding every place crowded with people.
Each fishing spot had a canopy, like a gazebo, built to let people enjoy fishing without the hassle of sunburn or rain.
Getting a breeze in summer was best, and in winter, just wearing something thicker would do.
Zhong Xingwang eventually picked a fishing spot. He knew some people there, and he even saw a familiar little girl.
In front of this little girl, who was skilled both in letters and arms, he, a few years her senior, couldn’t help but admire her valor and vitality.
She was the most formidable among the girls he knew. Boys of the same age might not even compare; naturally, he didn’t think he was inferior to the girl.
Zhong Xingwang was about to greet the girl who was turned away from them when a new classmate got there first:
"Wow, there’s a girl fishing here, looks quite fresh. There are fish in the bucket... sure it wasn’t someone else who helped?"
The suntanned man was sarcastically playful, his eyes full of mischief. It wasn’t that he looked down on women; according to the standards of the Capital’s noble maidens, one wouldn’t join the men in fishing, for girls over seven were already restricted from going out by their families.
Zhong Xingwang... such a fierce girl, and you dare to provoke her, just wait to be schooled! He looked at his classmate sympathetically, tsk-tsking, the city slicker turned bumpkin.