Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Zhang Guihua recognized the visitor as Matchmaker Feng, the most reputable matchmaker in Chuiliu Town, and her heart clenched, thinking that some family from the town wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Zhong family. But then she heard Matchmaker Feng said it was the Pei family from the village.

She instantly relaxed. That little fox couldn't be that lucky, she thought. However, come to think of it, the Pei family was actually willing to hire a town matchmaker? For that young man?

Others in the crowd clearly shared her thoughts, murmuring among themselves.

Someone said that Carpenter Pei's family was already well-off, so it was only natural that they would spend more money on their child's marriage. Another nodded in agreement, adding that Tian Shi doted on Pei Jin the most, suggesting she must have spared no expense. Zhang Guihua rolled her eyes and sneered, "Are they out of their minds? Spending so much to marry into a family like that? Besides, that young man from the prefectural capital might not even be interested..."

The crowd was buzzing with chatter when someone suddenly interjected, "Who says the Pei family is just the carpenter's side? What about Pei Mu over by the west foot of the mountain?"

The crowd fell silent for a moment.

"He should've been married ages ago, by all rights..."

Pei Mu was already nineteen, and some men his age in the village already had children. He lived alone at the foot of the mountain, so naturally, there was plenty of gossip in the village.

The most common rumor was that he was cursed—anyone who married him would be doomed, maybe even to death.

When he first returned to the village, many suspected he had money. Some even set their sights on him, willing to sacrifice their children to squeeze money out of him for their parents' benefit. But after seeing how cheap and mean he was to his own parents, they quickly dropped those ideas.

Strangely enough, even though he'd been back for over a year and had a terrible reputation, if he really had money, he could have gotten married if he wanted to. Since he never married, the villagers assumed it wasn't because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't.

Over time, no one in the village thought he had money anymore. Poor, mean, and not even a scrap of land—probably not even a skilled hunter. Families with marriageable girls or young men stayed far away from him, afraid of being tainted.

By all logic, Pei Mu shouldn't be able to afford a town matchmaker. But what if he did?

Matchmaker Feng had only said "the Pei family," which got everyone dying to know. They suddenly found their earlier gossip boring. Exchanging glances, they dispersed in twos and threes.

But if you looked closely, everyone was heading in the same direction, all eager to see who exactly was proposing to the Zhong family.

Zhang Guihua rushed ahead, determined to see the spectacle. If it really was that cursed jinx, she could barely hold back her laughter—that Zhong family young man was in for a world of trouble.

When they arrived, Zhang Guihua peered intently and saw Pei Mu and Wang Ping'an and his husband, each carrying red-ribboned boxes, stepping through the Zhong family's gate together with Matchmaker Feng.

"This..."

The crowd behind her was stunned. They hadn't expected the mystery to be solved so quickly. The one interested in the Zhong family young man was indeed not the Pei carpenter's family, but Pei Mu!

And from the looks of it, Matchmaker Feng wasn't there to propose marriage—with the elders and the groom-to-be themselves coming in person, this was clearly a betrothal gift ceremony!

They hadn't even heard of an engagement, and now he was directly coming to present gifts. Acting so high-handed, he probably didn't even plan on giving the other party a chance to refuse.

Every detail was beyond their expectations, so they stopped in their tracks. Pei Mu was scary, but he couldn't beat all of them. Such rare excitement—they'd regret missing it.

In the crowd, some were like Zhang Guihua, gloating; some just wanted to watch the show; and a few were worried things might get out of hand, rushing to find the village head. They were putting on a show of their own.

But inside the Zhong family's main hall, the atmosphere was completely different from what they imagined.

Matchmaker Feng had no clue about the village gossip. Seeing Pei Mu tall and handsome, spending generously on betrothal gifts and money, and having previously dropped a ton of money to find a husband for his younger brother, he was very impressed by him.

Since Pei Mu had come to present betrothal gifts, Matchmaker Feng naturally assumed Pei Mu had already come to an agreement with the other party.

Having been a matchmaker for so many years, he prided himself on reading people well. A man like this was hard to find for miles around—finding a marriage partner should be easy for him.

So he thought today's presentation of betrothal gifts was just a formality, and there would be no hitches.

Compared to the nervous but forced smiles of Wang Ping'an and his husband, his joy was completely genuine.

Matchmaker Feng warmly grasped Sun Yunniang's hand, saying auspicious things. When he reached the main hall and saw Zhong Yizhu, his eyes lit up, and he immediately felt this match was perfect.

No wonder that Pei guy had rushed to find him yesterday and insisted on coming today to present betrothal gifts. Who wouldn't be eager for such a handsome young man?

He looked at Pei Mu, then at Zhong Yizhu—this was the best-looking couple he'd ever matched.

Pei Mu lingered at the back, his gaze resting on Zhong Yizhu for a moment before he looked away, not staring, just as Zhong Yizhu turned back into his room.

Wang Ping'an and his husband were also laying eyes on Zhong Yizhu for the first time. The moment they saw the young man's face, they both suddenly understood why Pei Mu had been acting crazy. It dawned on them that the reason he hadn't looked for a spouse in over a year wasn't that something was wrong, but that his standards were too high.

Then they started worrying again, afraid the young man might look down on Pei Mu.

Wang Ping'an watched helplessly as Pei Mu stood there with a black, scary expression and not a hint of a smile, feeling even more certain that today was going to fail.

How could Matchmaker Feng know what was going on in their minds? Seeing both sides stiff, he thought it was just nervousness from not knowing the procedure. Once inside the hall, he gestured for both sides to sit.

The young man had gone to his inner room after meeting them—this was proper etiquette, as the young man was not supposed to be present during marriage negotiations. Matchmaker Feng smiled warmly at Sun Yunniang.

"Madam, is this your only young son? If I had such a lovely young man, I'd be reluctant to let him go too. But it's because you treasure him that you need to pick a dependable son-in-law."

Sun Yunniang looked at Pei Mu, who was sitting on the other side. She had heard many rumors, but this was her first time seeing him in person. The man was handsome and tall, and if not for his past, he'd probably be very popular with girls and young men.

Over the past two years, she had considered many candidates—refined scholars, skilled merchants, even the young head of the Shunwu Escort Bureau. She never imagined that, in the end, her son's future would be tied to such a man.

Complicated background and history, a dangerous livelihood and skills, and those horrifying rumors... And yet he also saved Zhu Ge'er and got rid of the thugs who had been troubling them.

She sighed inwardly at the twists of fate. Since she had already agreed, she didn't put on airs. She followed Matchmaker Feng's lead.

"Exactly. I was hoping to keep Zhu Ge'er at home a few more years, but kids grow up and can't stay forever. As his mother, I can't let my reluctance delay his marriage."

Hearing her tone, Matchmaker Feng's face lit up even more. Since both sides were willing, matters moved quickly.

He quickly ran through the betrothal gifts and money, then smiled flatteringly: "Madam, you should know that this is undoubtedly one of the top-tier betrothal gifts in the village. Pei Mu's sincerity in seeking this marriage is truly wholehearted. Rest assured, your young man will have nothing but happiness after the wedding."

Sun Yunniang was somewhat surprised. She had thought, given what Zhong Yizhu had said, Pei Mu would give very little in betrothal gifts.

Besides, according to village gossip, Pei Mu shouldn't have much silver...

In the village, the betrothal money for a young man ranged from one to five taels, and betrothal gifts were usually things like cloth and pastries. Pei Mu gave five taels, plus a whole roll of fine cloth and several boxes of pastries and fruits.

She didn't yet know that Matchmaker Feng was from the town and that his congratulatory fee alone was a hundred coppers higher than other matchmakers.

Even so, Sun Yunniang couldn't find any fault. She made a token gesture of declining to show modesty, and the marriage was settled.

Zhong Yizhu was supposed to stay in his room, but his room was only separated from the main hall by a door, so he could clearly hear every word.

He sat on the clothes chest, hugging his knees, listening to his mother and the matchmaker quickly settle his marriage. His cheeks uncontrollably flushed.

He had actually arranged his own marriage.

He thought it was over and started to get up from the chest, but then he heard Pei Mu, who had been mostly silent, suddenly speak up: "If Auntie agrees, why not set the wedding date today?"

Not only Zhong Yizhu was stunned, but Wang Ping'an and his husband, who had come with Pei Mu, turned their heads sharply, their eyes nearly popping out.

They had already skipped the proposal step, and it was a miracle they had successfully negotiated the marriage. Shouldn't they discuss the next steps slowly? How could he be so impatient?!

What if the Zhong family thought the prospective son-in-law was too hasty and unreliable and backed out?!

Only Matchmaker Feng, with his vast experience, paused for a moment before grinning widely and jumping in.

Actually, I think it's fine. Pei Mu is twenty by Chinese age, and the young man will soon be eighteen by actual age. There's really no need for them to wait three months, five months, or a year and a half like those who got engaged early.

Matchmaker Feng was working for Pei Mu, so once he understood his intention, he naturally did his best to help him negotiate.

He mentally went through the auspicious dates for the next two months. "The soonest auspicious day is half a month from now. By then, the crops will just about be harvested, making it a good time for a wedding. If that's too soon, the next one is almost two months later, on the twenty-ninth of the seventh lunar month."

Village households usually don't choose to hold weddings during the harvest season. Even if one's own family doesn't need to harvest, every household would be busy gathering crops then, making it hard to even hire a cook, let alone have guests.

There weren't many auspicious dates early next month either. Matchmaker Feng could have made one up, but if that caused the marriage to go poorly, it would be a serious fault on his part.

As expected, Pei Mu chose the date half a month away. Matchmaker Feng glanced tentatively at Sun Yunniang. To his surprise, after a brief hesitation, Sun Yunniang also nodded in agreement.

Both parties were satisfied, so that was for the best.

Matchmaker Feng had an easy time with this matchmaking. As he walked out the door, his steps were light, and he spouted a stream of well-wishes, making it sound as if this was truly a once-in-a-lifetime match.

Pei Mu looked up at the distant mountains and forests. He just wanted this matter to end as quickly as possible so that he could get back to his normal routine. As for what others thought, that was their business.

Just before leaving the courtyard, Pei Mu instinctively glanced at the west room. A light apricot-colored figure flickered past the window, reminding one of a bird startled from a treetop.

A beautiful bird might attract covetous eyes and be caught in a cage for entertainment. He could take this bird under his wing, giving him a safe place to roost.

But that was all.

Author's Note:

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I'm here, I'm here! The next chapter will be a long one the day after tomorrow, my dear readers.