Chapter 15

The Wei Hour on a summer afternoon was the most lethargic time of day.

Yet, within the hall of Madam Zeng's courtyard, Song Sanliang paced back and forth incessantly.

Madam Li, catching sight of Madam Zeng silently fingering her string of agarwood prayer beads with eighteen Buddha heads, said, "Great Master, please stop pacing. Your pacing has both your mother and me feeling dizzy. It's just a matter of the engagement proposal. Mother has arranged everything, what else is there for you to worry about?"

Song Sanliang glanced at Madam Li, then scurried to Madam Zeng's side and sat down, whispering, "Mother, logically, since you've already informed that wretched girl, she would refuse to marry and certainly seek the family elders or the deceased Second Old Master's friends to decide for her. But there has been no movement from that wretched girl's side until now. What do you think, could she be planning something big?"

Madam Zeng remained silent, but her fingers sped up the rotation of her prayer beads.

Seeing this, Madam Li, fearing her husband might upset Madam Zeng, hastily said, "What big moves could that young girl possibly have? I see her as nothing but a paper tiger—fierce towards her family, but voiceless against outsiders. To go to the clan elders to weep or to seek help from Uncle's friends, she would need the courage first!"

"It shouldn't be!" Song Sanliang was still uneasy. He stroked his mustache and instructed Nanny Zeng, who was closest to Madam Zeng, "Go check on that wretched girl again. I refuse to believe that she would do nothing and just give in."

"Enough!" Madam Zeng, disliking these words, frowned and interrupted her son, "If Nanny Zeng said there has been no movement from her end, then there is no movement. After all, that wretched girl is but a maiden kept in seclusion. No matter how much the Second Old Master doted on her before, she would need someone to support her when real issues arise."

Now that the Second Old Master was gone, she likely did not have that capability.

After some thought, Madam Zeng instructed Nanny Zeng, "Go and spread the news about the Zeng Family's engagement proposal this afternoon."

"What?!" The couple, Song Sanliang and his wife, were startled.

Nanny Zeng quickly bowed and acknowledged with a "Yes," then withdrew.

Madam Zeng scolded her son, "What 'what'? At your age, you still lack such cunning. If we don't make a big fuss about it, who would know that the wretched girl is to be married? Otherwise, should we really end up in a lawsuit with the Second Old Master's family at the governmental authorities, claiming this never happened?"

Song Sanliang and his wife understood then.

"Mother is indeed formidable!" Song Sanliang said, "I knew it, once we simply accepted the engagement gifts, it would all be settled. But why inform that wretched girl? Now I see, you wanted to stir up trouble with this matter!"

Madam Li diligently went to massage Madam Zeng's shoulders, her face beaming with a rosy glow, "Who knew she would lose her nerve when push came to shove? However, if she doesn't make a fuss, we will make the fuss for her. Once everyone knows she is to be married, let's see what she can do!"

Madam Zeng snorted lightly and said nothing.

Within half an hour, the Song family was all aware that the Zeng Family was coming over in the afternoon for the engagement proposal.

Some pretended not to hear, others went to ask the Great Master Song Daliang if it was true; still others, in their zeal for justice, sent someone to invite Madam Zeng to the filial mourning tent for discussion.

Madam Zeng, who had been waiting, energetically called Song Sanliang and his wife, "Come, let's go sit at the mourning tent."

With smiles all over their faces, they each took an arm of the old lady and headed toward the mourning tent.

However, they hadn't yet reached the mourning tent when they met Nanny Zeng, who had come to report to them.

"Old lady, Third Old Master," she said in a panic, quickly saluting Madam Zeng, "The Zeng family came to propose, but were stopped by the eldest miss at the main gate, and now it has alerted the clan elders; everyone is heading to the main gate."

Madam Zeng, displeased, replied, "What's there to panic about! We have the marriage agreement in hand; can she really stop us?"

Nanny Zeng nodded repeatedly, wiping her sweat as she followed the unflustered Madam Zeng to the main gate.

From a distance, they could hear a noisy commotion mixed with Madam Qian's piercing voice, "What engagement? I wasn't aware of this! Throw all these things out!"

The three of them quickened their pace simultaneously.

At the entrance, a crowd had already gathered. Miss Song Jiyun was supporting Madam Qian in the middle of the gate, with the bewildered Great Master behind her, guests who had come to offer condolences but hadn't left, clan elders assisting with the funeral matters, among others.

Under Zheng Quan's leadership, the maids and servant boys were picking up the items brought by the Zeng family for the engagement and throwing them out.

The official matchmaker invited by the Zeng family, with a large red flower tucked into her hair, struggled alongside the Zeng family members who had come for the proposal, managing to retrieve a pair of hemp ducks but could not save two shoulder poles of tea.

The items were scattered all over.

Madam Zeng's face turned iron blue.

Fearing things might not go smoothly, Old Master Zeng, who had specifically come for the proposal, shouted loudly, "Madam Qian, this was an engagement decided by your husband during his lifetime. Stop causing trouble here!"

The crowd gathered outside erupted in astonishment.

Madam Qian replied, "You say this was a marital agreement made by our master before his death. How come I'm unaware of this matter?"

A clan elder immediately said, "Even if the marriage was arranged by Sanliang before his death, this isn't the right time to present the betrothal gifts!"

Uncle Zeng immediately took out a marriage document from his bosom, held it high for everyone to see, "This is the marriage agreement between our two families. Neighbors, please witness for us. I am not coercing her into marriage!"

As soon as a clan elder saw it, he immediately broke out into a sweat and hurriedly bowed toward the onlookers at the door, "A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Everyone, please disperse?"

Even if it was a misunderstanding, it was quite a spectacle!

In Liang County, a place as small as the palm of your hand, such a "misunderstanding" could be talked about for years.

Who would want to leave!

Madam Qian became anxious and said, "Although our family is in commerce, we aren't those without proper rules. The master of our house is still lying in the mourning hall, how could I marry off my daughter at this time? I implore everyone to restore justice to our family."

"This matter was decided by me!" Madam Zeng coughed a few times, walked to the gate, stood before Madam Qian, as if explaining to her, and more so to the onlookers, she said firmly, "The marriage of the eldest daughter of the second branch of the Song family was settled when Second Old Master was still alive. It's just that no one expected the Second Old Master to pass away so suddenly before the ceremony could take place.

"In principle, this wedding should not be rushed.

"But the second branch's eldest daughter is already seventeen this year. If we wait another three years, her prime years will have passed.

"So I took the liberty to decide to let them marry during the mourning period.

"After getting married, she will observe a year of mourning for Second Old Master in her husband's family."

Uncle Zeng also snapped back to reality and hastily said, "I swear in front of all you villagers. Our Zeng family will definitely not allow our daughter-in-law to commit any act of disloyalty or disrespect. The wedding is only to keep our promise, to let the two children settle down sooner; there's absolutely no intention to slight the Song family."

"No!" Madam Qian glared at Old Master Zeng, "I do not agree!"

However, her voice was swallowed by the whispering of the onlookers.

Miss Song Jiyun lowered her head, her face hidden in the mourning hat, her emotions unclear.

Someone said, "There's reason in that. Legal principles must make allowances for human feelings. It's better than being unwilling to observe the three years of mourning and calling off the marriage."

Another said, "A bride observing a year of mourning, Zeng family must be eager to marry off their son early, huh?"

Yet another said, "Anyway, it's somewhat unfair to the deceased Second Old Master Song. This affair isn't quite honorable."

Seeing this, Madam Qian looked around, her expression one of helplessness.

Uncle Zeng quickly kicked the official matchmaker and said, "What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to bring in the betrothal gifts?"

The official matchmaker, as if suddenly awakened, grunted in agreement and began to help Zeng family's servant boy move things.

Song Sanliang and his wife exchanged a glance.

Madam Zeng also wore a faint smile.

"May I ask!" A clear voice, neither loud nor soft but perfectly silencing the crowd's chatter, quieted everyone.

All eyes followed the sound.

They saw a young man of impressive bearing, strikingly handsome, yet dressed in ordinary clothes, standing at the back of the crowd.

The crowd unconsciously made way for him.

The Song family members were thoroughly puzzled, looking at each other, unsure of who the man was or what he intended.

Normally, they should have immediately scolded the man and driven him away.

But the man's bearing was too dignified, his pride and aloofness radiating from within, making him look no ordinary man, which made them overthink and rendered them unable to speak up.

Madam Zeng and Song Sanliang's hearts were pounding, a foreboding feeling rising within them.

The man had casually approached them and said, "You say, the eldest Miss of Song family's second branch and the Zeng family have agreed on a marriage?"

Song Sanliang quickly glanced at his mother, clenched his teeth, stepped forward, and answered, "Exactly!"

Upon hearing this, the man took out a marriage agreement from his bosom, handed it to Song Sanliang, and said with confusion, "Then, Miss Song Jiyun, who is engaged to me, belongs to which part of the Song family?"