Chapter 128: Approval

Disclaimer: 

1. This is an unofficial translation and no permission has been obtained from the author/ official publisher. It may be taken down if the author/official publisher requests. 

2. This is a fan work and the interpretation represents only the translator’s personal views without any input from the author. 

3. No permission has been granted to use, publish, upload and/or copy this translation to any other site except for Second Life Translations.

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Everyone was finally on the way home – Liu Changgeng was driving the cart, while the rest sat behind him, Liu Xu’er was just asking, “Who was granny Chen asking about? Dad, have you and mum discussed the matter?”

Liu Changgeng laughed. Turning his head to face her, he said “Your mother and I didn’t say anything. How could we discuss it? There’s nothing to discuss.”

“What does that mean – nothing to discuss…. Did you agree or not?” Liu Xu’er asked. Her eyes darting around, she continued, “Did you both agree? Or not?”

It was only then that Liu Changgeng understood her worry. He turned and gave his daughter a wagging finger before smiling. “Look at you… Why don’t you…” He smiled and didn’t finish.

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Tso nswze Nkw Dw’la pvyu wdyqqlnvle! Mbkp oypd’v vbl vkxl vs cl vss pbu vs ypj – vbl xyvvla nsdnladle bla zkql ryavdla! Fbl nswzed’v fwpv zlyhl kv yzsdl qsa bla ryaldvp vs elnkel cu vblxplzhlp….

“Ebyv ycswv kv? Pye, R vbkdj vbl qyxkzu obs ypjle ycswv eytl kpd’v pwkvyczl. Gald’v vblu clkdt vss schkswp? Mblu nzlyazu oydv eytl clnywpl bl kp nyryczl yde xyjkdt xsdlu. Rv’p ps schkswp. Ls xyvvla obyv, ol pbswze qkde y qyxkzu vbyv’p zkjl Fbk Ubldt’p….”

Nkw Ubydttldt ytykd vwadle vs zssj yv vblx. Mbkp vkxl, bl oyp tldwkdlzu pwarakple yde yxwple. “Gzz sq usw nbkzeald…. Gzaktbv, R tsv kv! Ps usw vbkdj uswa ryaldvp esd’v jdso vbyv usw yal swv okvb bkx sd vbl pvallvp yzz vbl vkxl? Zsw bye clpv dsv prlyj aypbzu. Rq ydusdl olal vs blya obyv usw fwpv pyke, usw oswze cl easodkdt kd vblka prkv!”

Nkw Dw’la pllxle vs qllz vbyv vblu bye ytalle? Fbl iwknjzu ytalle, cwv kd bla blyav, pbl vbswtbv vs blaplzq, eke usw vbkdj R oydvle vs prlyj aypbzu? Rpd’v kv clnywpl swa ryaldvp byhl yzz vbl pyu kd vblpl xyvvlap, yde R tsv osaakle ycswv kv….

Nkw Fbw pyv ytykdpv vbl pkel sq vbl nyav, lulp nzsple. Jwv lhlausdl jdlo bl oypd’v ypzllr, fwpv lxcyaaypple. Nkw Dw’la vbswtbv vbyv pbl pbswze cl qllzkdt yojoyae. Nssj yv bla casvbla – bkp oyp vbl dsaxyz alynvksd. Lsv zkjl bla ayvbla qsaoyae iwlpvksd…..

Ebld vblu alvwadle bsxl, lhlausdl kxxlekyvlzu blyele shla vs srld vblka pvsalp. Nkw Fld byed’v pzlrv olzz – bl bye clld osjld cu vbl cycu yzz vbaswtb vbl dktbv, ps bl blyele bsxl vs pzllr kdpvlye.&dcpr;

Fbk Ubldt bye nsxl cu lyazu kd vbl xsadkdt. Ebld bl pyo vbyv sdl pvsal oypd’v srld, bl blyele vs vbl dlmv. Jwv csvb sq vblx olald’v srld! Fs bl nyxl shla vs Nkw alpkeldnl, yde oyp ekpxyule vs qkde vbyv vblka essa oyp pvkzz zsnjle. Tl nswze sdzu blye cynj yde nyxr yv vbl pvsal vs oykv qsa vblx vs nsxl cynj. Gqvla rynkdt yaswde qsa yd ldvkal xsadkdt, bl qkdyzzu pyo Nkw Fbw yaakhl yv vbl sze pvsal vs srld kv. Tl zlyrv vs bkp qllv yde nyzzle swv, “Tso nsxl usw’al ps zyvl! R’hl clld oykvkdt yd ldvkal xsadkdt!”

Nkw Fbw zywtble. “Ebs ypjle usw vs oykv?”

Shi Cheng had thick skin. He ignored his teasing and continued to ask. “Did my family’s matchmaker go to your side? What did your parents and grandparents say? Did they agree or not? Is Xu’er here? Or did she go to the other store?”

A barrage of questions came pouring out. Liu Shu just kept smiling throughout, making Shi Cheng anxious. “Forget it, I will ask Xu’er!” Then he started to jog over to the other store. Liu Shu quickly called him. “Xu’er isn’t here. She’s at home! My dad is there. If you want to visit, go right ahead.”

Originally, it wasn’t a big deal for Shi Cheng to visit their home. They were rather casual about allowing him in, treating him as one of theirs. But today, he hesitated, and felt that it wouldn’t be too good. Shi Cheng stopped and followed Liu Shu into the store, asking, “So what’s the outcome? Can you tell me?”

Liu Shu smiled and said, “I wanted to, but you didn’t give me a chance to say anything. You were so quick to try and rush off…. The matchmaker your family sent came over to our place. My parents and grandparents are discussing the matter. As to what they’ve decided, we still don’t know. But dad seemed to have hinted that they should be agreeable…. Actually, I think that this is just the natural course of events. I suspect that even my parents think that way.”

Shi Cheng let out a huge sigh of relief when he heard. He smiled and said, “Really! Did they really agree?”

Liu Shu was quick to clarify, “I don’t know! I am just saying that they seemed to be agreeable. My dad seems to be favorable. But if you really want to know…. You can only head home and wait for an official response from my parents!”

Shi Cheng scratched his head sheepishly. “I was too nervous to wait…. Xu’er? Is she coming out today?”

“Probably not. She’s probably tidying and washing up… Shi Cheng, you really don’t need to be anxious. I suspect that an agreement will come soon. You grew up with Xu’er – this decision isn’t difficult to make.”

“I really hope so.” Shi Cheng sighed. Then he went to sit on a chair and said, “ But I really hope to get concrete approval soon! Then I can relax!”

Liu Shu smiled. He sat down opposite him and asked, “Why did you decide to engage a matchmaker now? Aren’t you just 12? It’s a bit early for boys to decide this right?”

Shi Cheng rubbed his nose. “Although it’s a bit early, look at what a good son-in-law I am. There are many people out there that want to grab me! It would be best to get engaged first….”

He hadn’t finished when Liu Shu started to bend over laughing. After he had his fill of laughter, Liu Shu said, “But it’s good that you came over to propose marriage. Otherwise, my parents would probably still be enraged and worried over the earlier matter.”

Shi Cheng was lost. “What are you talking about?”

Liu Shu then explained what happened with his sanshu and the woman he brought. He said, “Think about it. If you hadn’t come over at this time to propose marriage, my parents would never have even considered you. And they would definitely feel very uncomfortable about that terrible marriage proposal. Perhaps they would even have rushed into making a match for Xu’er because of that!”

Shi Cheng was enraged when he heard. He said, “A toad wants to eat swan meat! They don’t even know the measure of their own strength! Why don’t they look in the mirror! Who the heck does that woman think she is?!” 

Liu Shu shook his head, “That hasn’t been made clear to any of us. But I think she’s been with my sanshu for a very long time. She already has two children by him! The oldest looks to be five or six. I think she’s probably less than a year and a half younger than my sanshen’s child….” He paused and said, “The adults didn’t say anything, so this is just my guess. I suspect that my sanshen and sanshu had a quarrel. Otherwise, why wouldn’t my sanshu bring her back? Also, sanshu seems to treasure this woman a lot. He would even try and help her nephew arrange a marriage….”

Shi Cheng was clearer about these types of matters, and he already had an inkling of what had happened. Liu Changgui had probably really fallen out completely with Jia shi and slowly started to shift his wealth away from the household he shared with Jia shi, to this woman. That way he would be more reassured that his wealth was protected. 

He shook his head and said, “Thankfully I sent a matchmaker over… Xu’er kept telling me it was too early! How is this too early? So many people are eyeing her!”

Liu Shu was stunned into laughter. “This matter…. You discussed it with Xu’er?”

Shi Cheng rubbed his nose, “Un…. Of course. Why wouldn’t I? I definitely needed to discuss it with her, dajiuzi!” 

Liu Shu was stunned, then he started to roar with laughter.

Three days after the Mid Autumn festival, Liu Changgeng returned to the village. Actually, after the matchmaker had come by, the family was still in discussion and hadn’t yet come to a decision. After all, there wasn’t any time. After sending his children back, Liu Changgeng had to return to the village for a more thorough discussion. 

When he got to the old residence, Old Man Liu and Liu Gao shi were just talking about the matter. He shi was seated nearby.

“You’ve come just in time. Shu’s matter isn’t pressing – that wasn’t an actual proposal, just an inquiry about our interest. The Shi family’s offer on the other hand should be discussed between you and their mother.” Old Man Liu said when he saw him. 

Liu Changgeng went over to sit at the side of the kang. “I don’t have any objections… This seems to be the natural course of events. Shi Cheng has always had a good relationship with Xu’er since they were small. Where one was, the other would be. It was very clear from early on, so this isn’t that big a surprise…. The only surprising thing about it is how early he came to propose marriage.”

Old Man Liu nodded his head. Then he asked He shi, “What do you think?”

HE shi stammered for a bit before asking  Liu Gao shi, “Mum, what do you think?”

Liu Gao shi pondered the matter for a while before responding. “We were able to watch Shi Cheng grow up. It really is as Changgeng said – the two of them were always together. At that time, I did consider if he would ask for her when they grew up? I didn’t really expect that it would happen, and so early…. Didn’t the matchmaker say that the Shi family’s intention is to first get engaged, so that everyone can relax? We can continue to discuss when they would actually get married. It’s alright if it doesn’t happen for another two years.”

Liu Changgeng then said, “It’s probably because their family is thinking of moving to Hanzhong city? They were originally from there, and would probably want to move back. Before they go, they want to settle the marriage matter.”

He shi saw that all of them were speaking as though the marriage was confirmed. She quickly said, “Wait… Dad, mum. Do you think that it’s appropriate? It’s important to marry someone of similar station. Shi Cheng’s family and our family…. Are we trying to marry too high up?”

Liu Gao shi immediately shook her head when she heard. “Aren’t you underestimating your Xu’er! What about station? Isn’t Shi Cheng’s family also from Taohua village? Their family did seem to have money, but so what? Just because they have money doesn’t mean that their station is high. They are after all, also a family that does business, so how is their family’s station higher? Amongst the four classes, warriors, farmers, craftsmen and merchants, merchants rank last! So in the end, they just have more money than our family…. Of course, Shi Cheng’s family does have land, and are also of farming background, but everyone says that women should marry up, while sons should marry women of lower status. Even if their family’s station is slightly higher than ours, it’s suitable!”

When Liu Gao shi preached, everyone listened! He shi couldn’t say anything to that. She just felt that her mother-in-law was too awesome, and so knowledgeable! She could only nod in agreement!

Old Man Liu smiled and said, “Your mother makes sense. There really isn’t anything much to discuss about this. That child was so close to your family’s Xu’er, that everyone had already started to wonder if he would propose when they got older! Since that is the case….”

He shi quickly said, “Dad, wait a moment…” Then she asked Liu Gao shi, “Mum, do you think this matter is doable? The Shi family’s wife…. Although she seems to be of good character,  I don’t know if she likes Xu’er?”

Liu Gao shi rolled her eyes at her. “Did you forget?! When Shi Cheng’s mother returned to Taohua Village, so many people wanted to learn handicrafts from her! In the end, they were all refused. She was only willing to teach your Xu’er! It’s clear that she really likes her, so why are you so worried?”

He shi paused for a long moment thinking. Finally she nodded. 

Liu Changgeng smiled and said, “There really wasn’t much to discuss about this. We will just give our approval!”

Old Man Liu and Liu Gao shi both nodded. Now that there was a satisfactory conclusion to this, Old Man Liu started on the next topic, “About Third’s matter, you have already chased them away, so we can consider the matter closed. Your mother and I aren’t sure of who that woman is, or what status she has. They’ve only ever visited because they had no choice, and always left as though their behinds were on fire. They don’t even visit for 15 minutes before looking for the exit. Your mother and I are completely unaware of their matters.”

He shi quickly clarified, “Dad, mum, Changgeng and I are very clear that you definitely were unaware of their plans to propose. We only told you about this, so that you wouldn’t be in the dark…. We also are not sure what to say….”

“What is there to say? It was right to chase her away! Who is that woman? Just a nameless nobody wants to marry my granddaughter! I am unwilling even to look at her!” Liu Gao shi said. “We will just ignore this whole matter! If Third is angry, and dares to mention it in front of me, I will give him hell!”

Liu Changgeng and He shi were very relieved to hear that.