Rebirth Married The Control group Fulang Chapter 95 Part 2

　　Once the whole family became steady and stopped rushing, it became easier to see which family was the most sincere.  

　　Upon learning that the girl didn’t want to marry so early, the Tang family, a prominent landowning family from Tangjia village, remained persistent. They always found opportunities to visit. They first said frankly that they wanted to visit Zhang Shiyue, but after being rejected, they simply said that they wanted to do business with Zhang Fangyuan, saying that even if the marriage didn't work out, business could still thrive. This approach won Zhang Fangyuan’s favor.  

　　As time passed, even Zhang Shiyue couldn’t help but ask Zhang Fangyuan during a meal, "What’s the Tang family really like?"  

　　Although Zhang Fangyuan had been interacting with the Tang family, it was purely for business purposes. For example, he bought fruits from the Tang family orchard at a low price and selling them at the guest house, or he introduced traveling merchants to purchase goods from the Tang family. He rarely brought up the marriage topic and hadn’t mentioned the Tang family to Zhang Shiyue, as he didn’t want to influence her judgment.  

　　Since Zhang Shiyue had asked, he replied, "The person I usually deal with in the Tang family is the patriarch. The Tang family has three sons. The eldest and the second have already married, and their children are four or five years older than Ruijin and Ruili. The youngest son of their family is eighteen this year, and hasn’t yet found a suitable match

       "Then, Ah Yuan, have you ever met this young master?"

　　Xiao E silently ate her rice, her face turning red as she listened to the discussion. She gently put down her bowl and chopsticks and returned to her room.  

　　Seeing this, Xu He couldn’t help but chuckle softly.  

　　Zhang Fangyuan glanced at the girl who had left and pinched Xu He’s cheek. "What are you laughing at?"  

　　"Xiao E is so shy." He couldn’t help but think back to when his own marriage was being arranged. Back then, his future husband had been bold enough to sit at the family table and openly discuss the betrothal gifts.  

　　Zhang Fangyuan could probably guess that he was thinking about the time when the two of them were just about to get married. Back then, the family’s circumstances weren’t as good as they were now, so there were fewer formalities. They even met privately before the wedding, which was much more relaxed compared to the strict protocols now that their status had risen.  

　　"Keep going," Xu He turned back and urged Zhang Fangyuan.  

　　"Oh, previously, the Tang patriarch brought the young master out a few times. He’s introverted and doesn’t talk much. Unlike his older brothers, who are skilled at managing the family’s wealth and farmland, he’s more of a scholar. He’s already earned the title of Tongsheng."  

[Tongsheng: A preliminary academic title in imperial China, awarded to students who passed the county-level exams]

　　To be honest, because of Fei Lian, Zhang Fangyuan instinctively became more alert when he heard about scholars. He had carefully considered this young master from the Tang family. After all, he came from a good family and had much better manners than those impoverished scholars.  

　　Zhang Shiyue nodded silently: "That sounds good."

　　Xu He said, "There’s also a scholar from Pingye Village who’s interested in Xiao E, right? He’s even a Xiucai, with a higher academic title than the Tang family’s young master. However, his family background isn’t as wealthy as a landowner’s. In the end, it still depends on Xiao E’s preference and what kind of person she likes."  

[Xiucai: A preliminary academic title in imperial China, awarded to those who passed the prefectural-level exams.  

　　Zhang Fangyuan added, "How about this? I’ll host a banquet and invite all the suitable candidates. Xiao E can take a look at them from behind a screen at home."  

　　Zhang Shiyue thought this was a good idea. Although wealthy families had many rules, they couldn’t arrange a marriage blindly without even letting the girl see the potential suitors.  

　　"Xiao E, what do you think?"  

　　Xu He called out in a clear voice, he knew that the girl hadn’t gone far and was listening from behind the dining hall.  

　　Hearing Xu He’s call, Xiao E gracefully walked back in. After a slight hesitation, she said, "There’s no need for a banquet."  

　　Zhang Fangyuan’s brow twitched. "Not a single one you like?"  

　　He smacked his lips and pondered for a moment, then he couldn’t help but feel grateful that Xu He’s family was of ordinary financial status at the time. Otherwise, countless suitors would have proposed marriage, and by then he would have been lined up eight hundred miles away. With so many options, how could Xu He have chosen a mere butcher like him? 

　　Then, Xiao E’s words shocked everyone at the table: "Then… the Tang family will do."  

　　Hearing this, Zhang Fangyuan and Xu He exchanged a glance. "Why the Tang family? Is it because your cousin said they’re not bad?"  

　　Xu He asked with a smile. To be honest, all the suitors who had come forward were worth considering, and the Tang family’s conditions weren’t the best among those who came to propose marriage.  

　　Zhang Shiyue, who worked at the guesthouse, had interacted with wealthy merchants and city gentlemen. This time, there were even suitors from the city.  

　　Although Xiao E felt shy, she didn’t hide the truth from her family, especially after her cousin had spoken well of the Tang family. She honestly admitted, "I’ve seen him before when we went to the city."  

　　Xu He raised his eyebrows and smiled knowingly. It turned out that she had seen the young master of the Tang family before. However, he still asked cautiously, "Was this before or after your coming-of-age ceremony?"  

　　"Before."

　　"Why does that matter?" Zhang Fangyuan asked, confused.  

　　"Are you a fool? The Tang family came to propose marriage early, they came to visit just a few days after Xiao E’s coming-of-age ceremony. If they met after the ceremony, it means they met after the proposal was rejected. In that case, they already knew which family she was from, and the Tang family might have tried to sweet-talk Xiao E into changing her mind. But if they met before the ceremony, it shows their intentions were genuine from the start."

　　Zhang Fangyuan chuckled. "You’re always so thoughtful."  

　　"Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder that the young master of the Tang family hasn't found a suitable match yet. It’s not that he couldn’t find one, it’s that he deliberately didn’t want to find one."

　　The more they discussed it, the more satisfied they became.