Wang the matchmaker had come to arrange a marriage for Zhan Feiyu, and the betrothal gift offered was a hundred taels of silver. The Zhan family had only saved a few dozen taels over the years, let alone the cost of hair ornaments, jewelry, and fabric for clothing.
"Mother, agree quickly! This is a tremendous opportunity!" Madam Ma urged excitedly, wishing she could nod on behalf of Old Madam Zhan. She would have agreed even for fifty taels, and the Zhu family's young master was the same age as Da Lang, so it wasn't like selling a daughter.
"Xiao Yu is still young, it's too early to talk about marriage," Madam Li said gently but firmly. Wealth was tempting, but she had only one daughter. Even a thousand taels wouldn't make Madam Li agree.
Zhan Da, with a stern face, remained silent. However, his silence meant he tacitly agreed with Madam Li's statement.
Although the Zhan family lived frugally, they had enough to eat and wear. Zhan Da had no great ambitions, and even if he were to marry off his daughter, he would wait another seven or eight years.
"Sister-in-law, what nonsense are you talking about!" Madam Ma, who had been fantasizing about gleaming silver ingots, stared at Madam Li as if she had seen a ghost upon hearing this. She jumped up and shouted, "This is the Zhu landlord's family! It's a hundred taels of silver!"
In her eagerness, Madam Ma stepped forward quickly, placing a hand on Madam Li's forehead. She asked blankly, "Sister-in-law, you don't have a fever, why are you talking nonsense!"
"Xiao Yu is only seven years old and not yet betrothed. If you like her, Sister-in-law, then let Niu Niu go." Madam Li took two steps back to avoid her, her warm hand resting on Zhan Feiyu's head. She didn't interfere in the Zhan family's affairs, but Xiao Yu's matters were her mother's decision!
Let Niu Niu go? Madam Ma was stunned for a moment, then slapped her thigh and grinned broadly, laughing, "That's right, I have a daughter too! Matchmaker Wang, since the Zhu family wants to get engaged, our Niu Niu is also available!"
Zhan Niu Niu was only three years old. Hearing Madam Ma's voice, she sniffled, grinned, and said, "Mother."
"You shut your mouth, you old hag!" Old Madam Zhan angrily slammed the table. How could her third son, such a shrewd person, have fallen for this idiot Madam Ma!
Madam Ma was stunned by the scolding. She dared not argue with Old Madam Zhan and could only signal to Zhan Laosan beside her with her eyes. If this marriage went through, their third branch would be related to the Zhu landlord. If the Zhu family let slip even a little, it would be enough for their third branch's expenses.
Zhan Laosan glanced at Madam Ma, who was jumping around, and nodded in agreement. "That's right, Mother. Our Niu Niu is also good-looking. Although she's a bit dark, she'll get fairer with some care. Look, Niu Niu is also clever, perhaps she'll be a child prodigy too!"
"Yes, Niu Niu has a good memory, she's even smarter than Xiao Yu," Madam Ma nodded repeatedly, pushing Zhan Niu Niu forward. She smiled like a wolf grandmother, "Niu Niu, you recite the Three Character Classic. 'Ren zhi chu'..."
"'Ren zhi chu, xing ben shan'," Zhan Niu Niu smoothly finished the sentence. She spoke too quickly, and saliva immediately dripped down.
Seeing this, Madam Ma quickly reached out to wipe it, then rubbed her wet palm against Zhan Niu Niu's clothes. The messy action was unbearable to watch.
Old Madam Zhan glared fiercely at the embarrassing Madam Ma, then spoke to Matchmaker Wang, "This matter is too sudden. We need a few days to consider."
"Old sister, you are too polite. This is a big matter, and it naturally requires careful consideration," Matchmaker Wang nodded repeatedly. She had initially thought Old Madam Zhan was stingy and greedy, but she didn't expect her to have some foresight.
However, thinking of the ten taels of silver as a matchmaking fee, Matchmaker Wang's attitude became even more amiable. She smiled and said crisply, "Old sister, I'll come back on the tenth to ask for a cup of tea."
After sending off Matchmaker Wang, the Zhan family's main hall fell into a deathly silence.
Madam Ma was filled with unwillingness, grabbing Zhan Laosan and muttering, "If we secretly slipped some silver to Matchmaker Wang, wouldn't this marriage be Niu Niu's? Besides, sister-in-law doesn't cherish it anyway."
"You shut up. The Zhu landlord fancies Xiao Yu's talent for reading!" Zhan Laosan had also been shocked by the hundred taels. Now that he had calmed down, he understood the Zhu landlord's intentions. Given the Zhu family's immense wealth, they could find any daughter-in-law they wanted.
"My Niu Niu isn't bad either, she can already recite the Three Character Classic!" Madam Ma retorted stubbornly, unwilling to concede. Her gaze swept over Zhan Feiyu, who was fair-skinned and red-lipped, sitting on a small stool. She pouted and said nothing more. They both had two eyes and one nose, so why did this girl Xiao Yu look so different.
Old Master Zhan tapped his pipe on the edge of the table and looked at the Zhan family members with their varied expressions. "Alright, everyone, go do what you need to do! Wife, you come in."
Old Madam Zhan, with her old, stern face, cast a lingering, chilling gaze at Madam Ma, making her shrink back behind Zhan Laosan with a sheepish expression before entering the bedroom.
"You take Xiao Yu to the market later, I'm going to the fields," Zhan Da said, picking up his hoe and preparing to head out as there seemed to be nothing else to do.
Back in the room, Zhan Feiyu looked at Madam Li, who was worried and anxious. She took her mother's hand. "Mother, don't worry. Since the Zhu landlord fancies my talent for reading, there's room for negotiation."
"The Zhu landlord has been accumulating good deeds for many years. If I really marry into the Zhu family, it wouldn't be bad," Madam Li smiled at her wide-eyed daughter and pulled her onto her lap, saying softly, "Xiao Yu, rather than being schemed against by your grandmother and your second uncle regarding your marriage later, the Zhu family is actually better. Moreover, the Zhu family is willing to support your studies."
Thinking of midnight awakenings, Zhan Feiyu still studying under the lamplight, thinking of her repeatedly dipping her brush in water to practice writing to save money, Madam Li's heart ached and twisted.
Although Madam Li believed studying was important, a woman's most important thing in life was marriage. The Zhu family was wealthy, and the Zhu landlord and his wife were nearing seventy, perhaps they wouldn't even live to see Xiao Yu marry.
Once Xiao Yu married, she would surely have to separate from the main family. With no in-laws above and no sisters-in-law below, even if Zhu Peng was useless, Madam Li believed that with her daughter's intelligence, her life would surely be good.
Zhan Feiyu looked back at Madam Li behind her and asked blankly, "Mother, why did you refuse earlier?"
Madam Li sighed. No matter how intelligent Xiao Yu was, she was still a child. "Silly girl, rushing forward isn't a transaction. Just based on the hundred taels of silver, if we didn't agree, your grandmother would have agreed anyway. Furthermore, even if you were to marry, you would stay at home for seven or eight years. No one can bully you then."
If the eldest branch disagreed with this marriage, Old Madam Zhan, even if she forced the decision, would not dare to offend the eldest branch. She could only coax and pamper them, which would greatly improve the situation of the eldest branch.
So that's what Mother had planned! Zhan Feiyu nodded in understanding, seeing that the pent-up gloom in Madam Li's eyes had vanished. The words of refusal on her lips were swallowed back by Zhan Feiyu.