The mention of this made Ji Yangzong even angrier: "It’d be better if he died out there, saving the whole family from wishful thinking."
"I shouldn’t have listened to Third Sister’s crying."
Huang Manjing asked: "What happened? Did he ask you to find him a job?"
"If it were just a job, I could at least say Yuan Fei was ambitious."
Ji Yangzong cursed: "Third Sister said she wanted to arrange a marriage for Yuan Fei, saying his wild heart would settle down once he was married."
"First, he went to propose to the Zheng family and got rejected. Third Sister actually had the nerve to set her sights on Xiao Taozi. She said since neither of them is engaged yet and they’re both of age, they might as well pair up. Said it was fate bringing them back together."
Huang Manjing’s temper flared at this: "The Zheng family already rejected Yuan Fei, don’t they realize he’s unreliable? She was turned down before, and now she’s at it again!"
Ji Yangzong’s face darkened: "Eldest Brother was there too. I didn’t snap at her directly, but I didn’t agree either. From now on, I’m not getting involved in whatever Yuan Fei does. A grown man shouldn’t still be relying on his parents and clan."
Ji Taoyu wasn’t pleased either. It seemed the whole "running away from home" act was just a ploy to force a marriage.
When schemes outside the family failed, they turned their attention to relatives. How shameless.
"I don’t want to marry Cousin. Just tell them I’m already promised to someone else."
Ji Yangzong said: "Who should I say you’re promised to? Your Third Aunt is the most stubborn and difficult to deal with. It’s better to be direct, if we lie, who knows what kind of scene she’ll make."
"J-just say it’s Huo Shu."
With that, Ji Taoyu blushed and ran back to his room.
Ji Yangzong and Huang Manjing were stunned for a moment before exchanging glances and laughing: "This child."
____
After returning, Huo Shu immediately told Yuan Huiru about his intention to marry. Yuan Huiru was overjoyed to see that Huo Shu had quietly managed to win over the Ji family, as if celebrating the New Year.
"A joyous occasion, a truly joyous occasion! Your foster mother will arrange a matchmaker for you and prepare everything!"
Though Huo Shu also wished to settle the matter quickly, he first made his stance clear to Yuan Huiru.
"I’ve already promised the village head that after the wedding, Taoyu will continue living at his family home."
Yuan Huiru froze for a moment. "You mean you’ll be a live-in son-in-law?"
"We’ll follow the wedding customs, but since he’s used to living at home, he can stay there."
Yuan Huiru then laughed again. "As long as you don’t mind, your foster mother has no objections."
"You’re still young, what matters most is settling down. Everything else is secondary. Besides, since both families are in the same village and live close by, it won’t matter where you two reside in the future. I’ll be fine. The village head has only one ger, so it’s natural for him to make such a request. As long as it aligns with your wishes, it’s all good."
Huo Shu pondered for a moment before saying, "In the future, there will still be family reunions."
Yuan Huiru didn’t quite grasp the meaning behind his words, too absorbed in the joyous occasion. She simply responded, "Yes."
Since both sides had tacitly agreed to the marriage, preparations could begin.
However, every trade has its master, and specialized tasks require specialized people.
That afternoon, Yuan Huiru braved the rain to seek out a matchmaker. Knowing the Ji family valued propriety, she specifically requested the most reputable matchmaker in the village - Qiu fulang from the Qin family.
Had it not been for the recent bandit troubles outside and the lack of weddings in the village, it wouldn’t have been so easy to secure Qiu fulang’s services.
Upon hearing that the proposal was for the village head’s ger, Qiu fulang was delighted. He promptly explained the betrothal customs to the mother and son who had come to request his services.
"Though the wedding rituals are intricate, they can generally be summarized as the 'Three Letters and Six Rites.'"
"The Three Letters consist of the Betrothal Letter, the Gift Letter, and the Wedding Letter. The Six Rites are Proposal, Name Inquiry, Auspiciousness Determination, Betrothal Gifts, Date Selection, and Wedding Ceremony."
[The Three Letters refer to the three essential documents exchanged during the betrothal and wedding: the Betrothal Letter, which formalizes the engagement; the Gift Letter, detailing the presents given by the groom's family; and the Wedding Letter, presented when fetching the bride.]
[The Six Rites outline the ceremonial steps: Proposal, where the groom's family sends a matchmaker with gifts; Name Inquiry , to ascertain the bride's birth details for compatibility; Auspiciousness Determination, where favorable omens confirm the match; Betrothal Gifts, involving the formal exchange of dowry; Date Selection, to set the wedding day; and finally, the Wedding Ceremony, when the groom escorts the bride to his home.]
First, the groom’s family would send a matchmaker to propose to the bride’s family. If the bride’s family agreed, the groom then presented a live goose as a formal proposal gift.
After the proposal, the matchmaker inquired about the bride’s birth date and time to check compatibility with the groom’s. If they were compatible, the groom’s family informed the bride’s family and proceeded with Auspiciousness Determination, presenting another live goose and gifts to confirm the engagement.
Once engaged, the groom’s family sent betrothal gifts and proposed wedding dates for the bride’s family to choose from.
Finally, the wedding ceremony took place on the selected auspicious date.
However, many families were rejected at the very first step - the Proposal, and the matter ended there.
Qiu fulang patiently explained the entire process before asking, "Does the village head already know of your intentions?"
"Yes, both families have tacitly agreed to this marriage. We’re just following the formalities now."
Yuan Huiru replied with some pride.
Qiu fulang was surprised. Although the failed engagement between the Ji family and the You family had caused quite a stir, tarnishing the reputation of the Ji family’s ger, any reasonable family would understand that the fault lay with the unreliable match.
Given the Zhao family’s circumstances - an outsider (a woman who married into the village from elsewhere) who had adopted a warrior son, it was hard to believe they had secured the village head’s only ger. If word got out, few would believe it.
But seeing Yuan Huiru’s confident demeanor, it didn’t seem like a lie. Besides, since they were seeking his help as a matchmaker, there was no reason to deceive him.
Thank you for the chapter!!!
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