books44 Chapter 611: Taken the Bait
Chapter 611: Taken the Bait
The marriage negotiation for Rui Nian to marry into the Xu family didn’t go well.
Some people were happy, some were not.
No one was happier than Mrs. Jia, who thought her son finally didn’t have to marry into another family.
Xu Xinghua’s attitude really displeased her.
After everyone left the old Gu family house, the more Mrs. Jia thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She grabbed Rui Nian’s hand and started crying.
"I don’t want you to suffer at the Xu family. What if they lie about helping your leg? The Xu family has sons, so I see it now. They want you to marry in just to be at Xu Xinghua’s beck and call."
"I’ve finally witnessed Xu Xinghua’s temper, being so bossy and unreasonable. You’re not even married yet, and she dares to treat you like this in front of the clan. I can’t imagine how she’d torment you after marriage, flaunting the Xu family’s power."
"Even if Xu Xinghua looked like a goddess, she’d still have a face full of pockmarks. I can’t stand looking at her with either eye."
"Listen to me, Rui Nian. Don’t marry into their family. Just stay at home, and I don’t believe your grandpa would watch without doing anything. As long as we lower our standards, you can choose among the girls in Manyan Pass Town. Those from poor families are pretty; as long as you give them food, you can marry them. Marrying a wife doesn’t require much; she just needs to bear children and work for the family."
Mrs. Jia cried and spoke simultaneously.
Ever since Gu Fengnian started his own household, living with Gu Xiaoxue, Mrs. Jia felt like she was steeped in bitterness.
The household chores and fieldwork all fell on her shoulders.
Gu Youtian was always out looking for opportunities and rarely at home, and even when he was home, he seldom worked in the fields.
Gu Honglian was always visiting neighbors, not even washing her own clothes.
Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu did work in the fields, but they couldn’t do much.
Most of the burden fell on Mrs. Jia and Rui Nian, and Mrs. Jia, feeling sorry for her youngest son, took over some of Rui Nian’s fieldwork.
Mrs. Jia was exhausted daily, physically tired, and emotionally drained, almost at her breaking point.
She didn’t want Rui Nian to marry into the Xu family. She wished for some Zhao Di or Lai Di to marry into the Gu family, taking over the household chores and fieldwork so she could have a break.
Rui Nian said, "If I go to the Xu family, there’s still a glimmer of hope for my leg, but there’s no hope at all in our family. We don’t have silver, and even if we did, Dad and Grandma wouldn’t spend it on me. Previously, Grandpa was willing, but now that he has Jingzhe, the good eldest grandson, he’s completely given up on me."
Seeing her son’s expressionless face, Mrs. Jia felt uneasy.
"Rui Nian, I don’t mind you marrying in. I initially thought if we relied on the Xu family, after Xinghua had kids, the family property and children would be yours. But look at Xu Xinghua now; what part of her is willing to compromise?"
As Mrs. Jia spoke, an idea suddenly occurred to her. Clenching her teeth, she suggested to Rui Nian, "Actually, it’s not impossible. Why don’t you lure Xu Xinghua, and when she gets pregnant and can no longer hide it, you won’t even need to marry in. Xu Xinghua will naturally be willing to come to our home."
"A pregnant girl would bring shame to the clan. Even if Xu Xinghua doesn’t want to marry into our family, she won’t have a choice then, and the Xu family clan will push her to marry."
Mrs. Jia held her breath.
Since her son still wanted to marry Xu Xinghua, they needed to find a way to bring Xu Xinghua into the Gu family as a daughter-in-law.
If that happened, she’d see how to deal with Xu Xinghua.
She was determined to return the grievances Xu Xinghua caused her and Rui Nian a hundredfold.
Rui Nian furrowed his brow.
The idea was tempting, given Xu Xinghua’s constant arrogance towards him. If possible, he really wanted to teach her a lesson.
He also wanted to have some control over his life after marrying in.
However, every scheme he plotted in Qinghe Bay ended up backfiring on him, leaving him wary.
He dared not do bad things lightly.
"Mom, let me think about it," Rui Nian said, frowning.
He thought about secretly meeting Xu Xinghua to see if he could persuade her.
Mrs. Jia was about to say something when she saw Matchmaker Wang gesturing to her at the door.
Mrs. Jia walked over, and they started talking in front of the pile of firewood.
"Sister-in-law Wang, you saw what happened today. It’s not that the Gu family is unreasonable, it’s just that the Xu family is too tricky." Mrs. Jia was placated by Matchmaker Wang’s few words, treating her as a confidant, and started to complain.
Matchmaker Wang’s lips twitched. Just a few words, and Mrs. Jia started venting to her like she was the only solution.
She was upset she couldn’t earn a matchmaker’s fee after the Xu and Gu family negotiations fell through and had set her sights on Gu Xiaoxue, determined to secure a marriage from the Gu family.
"Sister-in-law Wang, to be honest, I never agreed to Rui Nian marrying into the Xu family in the first place. Seeing how it is now, there’s no need to continue the talks. I hope you can find a new match for Rui Nian. We don’t require the other family to be wealthy or influential, just that the girl be pretty, gentle, and capable. My Rui Nian, no matter what, is well-read, and if they have children, he might personally guide them to become a scholar."
Mrs. Jia asked Matchmaker Wang to introduce a new match for Rui Nian.
Had it not been for the potential profit from Gu Xiaoxue’s marriage, Matchmaker Wang would have long lost patience listening to Mrs. Jia.
Listen to yourself. Is this for real?
’Pretty, gentle, and capable,’ a girl like that would be snatched by every young man around, leaving no chance for a cripple like Rui Nian.
He wants to tutor children. He hasn’t even passed the scholar exams himself, yet he dreams of producing a scholar.
Besides, given the Gu family’s current situation, even if Matchmaker Wang managed to arrange a marriage for Rui Nian, the Gu family wouldn’t afford her matchmaking fee.
At most, they might manage half a bag of corn and a chicken, which wouldn’t even wet her whistle.
Matchmaker Wang chuckled dryly and said, "Rui Nian’s marriage still depends on Mr. Gu’s opinion."
Meaning, you’re not in charge.
Mrs. Jia’s face turned unpleasant.
Matchmaker Wang seized the opportunity to say, "I just saw a girl in a green dress with snow-white skin. Is that your daughter?"
Mrs. Jia hadn’t noticed what clothes Gu Xiaoxue was wearing. Following Matchmaker Wang’s gaze, she saw Gu Xiaoxue standing in front of the weaving workshop, talking to Gu Taohua. The two cousins, one in pink and one in green, looked as vivid and charming as a spring painting.
Mrs. Jia’s face darkened, and she said, "That’s my Xiaoxue."
Matchmaker Wang continued, "So, Gu Xiaoxue is your daughter. All of Yan Guan Town talks about the three most beautiful girls in Qinghe Bay: Gu Taohua, Gu Xiaocao, and Gu Xiaoxue. As for Gu Taohua, we won’t mention her; she’s known for her bad temper and difficult personality, plus her mother, Tong Dajiao, is too proud. No one dares propose to her yet. Gu Xiaocao is engaged to the steward at Taohua Dessert, Hong Xiaoxi. The Hong family bought a big house in town for her, and they’ll marry at the end of the year. It’s said the couple will live in town, and Gu Xiaocao won’t have to serve her parents-in-law."
Mentioning Gu Xiaocao made Matchmaker Wang uncomfortable. The fool from the Liu family in town fancied Gu Xiaocao, and she had proposed a match, but Gu Guangkui drove her away. When she intercepted Gu Xiaocao at Taohua Dessert, Tong Huaqiong almost slapped two of her teeth out.
Gu Xiaocao’s engagement with Hong Xiaoxi was through other matchmakers, not letting her benefit at all.
Mrs. Jia felt sour upon hearing that Gu Xiaocao’s in-laws bought a big house in town.
Matchmaker Wang was shrewd, not missing even the slightest changes in Mrs. Jia’s expression, and she slightly curled her lips.
She’d taken the bait!