Ye Shuying..., a new son-in-law? Living so close and I had no idea? This won’t do, I’ve got to meet him, maybe my son could snag some extra red envelopes.
Ignoring her two sisters’ teasing, she had no interest in making small talk with her mother. She wanted to meet her aunt’s husband first.
She was curious to see, after much selection and scrutiny, just what kind of son-in-law her eldest brother and sister-in-law had found for their niece.
Ye Shuying hurried out the door, checking her hair and clothes before entering the living room.
Upon her entrance, all eyes turned to her, except for her son, who was engrossed in his food...
What a clever boy, much smarter than her, knowing right away to look for food. Kids really have it easy, not worrying about others’ gazes!
She too wished she could eat first: "Eldest brother, sister-in-law, do we have guests?"
Hongji didn’t particularly care for this sister, but he maintained decorum in front of guests, merely nodding: "Hmm."
"Auntie, you’re free to come? Let me introduce you to our guests."
Mrs. Li, as the lady of the house, behaved very virtuously and generously. Even if Auntie might cause trouble, Mrs. Li remained polite in front of the guests.
"Feels great, I know Mrs. Mo, and this must be her brother, so who might this be?"
Ye Shuying didn’t wait for Mrs. Li to finish her introductions, making herself right at home.
"Hehe, I’m a matchmaker by profession; if your family has any unmarried ladies or gentlemen, you’re also welcome to employ my services."
The matchmaker, upon seeing a relative of the groom, promoted her business with familiarity.
"Hehe, there aren’t any girls or boys in need of match-making at my in-laws’ just yet, but back home we just happen to have some nieces. It looks like today’s my lucky day, getting to see the new son-in-law!"
While speaking, Ye Shuying gestured for the maid to bring tea and treats.
"Our new son-in-law is good-looking and comes from a wealthy family, and his character isn’t bad either, congratulations, you’ve gained a good relative."
Of course, the matchmaker would only sing praises as she had been paid to do a good job.
"Mmm-hmm, if my eldest brother and sister-in-law are happy, then I’m happy too. We should visit more often in the future and don’t forget to come and see us poor relatives!"
Ye Shuying responded to the matchmaker’s words but her eyes were on Zhong Xingwang, hoping to get a promise from him.
She approved of the new son-in-law’s appearance, noting that among the husbands of the three sisters, none could compare to this young man—only her eldest brother had been comparable in his youth.
This young man’s demeanor surely came from a great clan; a wealthy young master. Her niece was truly lucky.
Thinking this way, she envied her niece, who could marry into a wealthy family, unlike herself, married to a farmer and even on these hot days, having to work outside.
Indeed, the fate carved by one’s origin could vary greatly; it’s maddening how comparing oneself to others can be so infuriating!
Zhong Xingwang had already anticipated being scrutinized like a monkey; he hadn’t felt this kind of attention before and knew he had to start getting used to this new role.
Being looked over by one familiar and unfamiliar face after another, having to put on a smile throughout—it was not a bad feeling, to which he did not resist.
"Auntie, right? It seems we’ve met before, I remember! Don’t worry!"
Ye Shuying..., was that a promise?
"Hehe, great, looking forward to your wedding banquet!"
Zhong Xingwang merely nodded without saying much more, as such matters still needed to be scheduled on an auspicious day.
"Eldest brother, sister-in-law, is it time to eat yet?" Ye Shuying asked while munching on some snacks, not forgetting the day’s feast.
Hongji..., reincarnation of a starving ghost, aren’t you? Can’t shut you up with food, can I?
Mrs. Li..., seems like nearly everyone has arrived, she signaled the maid to see if they could start serving food in the kitchen.
She didn’t stay there either, going to check on her eldest daughter, who today needed to make her best appearance in the living room.
If it were a wealthy family, daughters and prospective daughters-in-law might be expected to stay out of sight during negotiations.
But in their rural household, with only so many rooms and excluding the workers’ dining area,
their hall wasn’t strict about separating men and women at banquets; it was already good enough that they didn’t sit at the same table.
After checking the kitchen and seeing that the meal was ready, Mrs. Li instructed the workers to start laying out the banquet.
Then she headed for her eldest daughter’s room, where she found the door closed. She knocked, and her youngest daughter came to open it.
Inside, all the daughters were busy helping their eldest sister with her makeup and hair.