Chapter 618: Chapter 618: Ruthless Tactics
When she brought up the marriage proposal to the Xu Family, Xu Yong immediately agreed.
It seems Xu Yong’s love for his daughter isn’t as profound as rumored. Once greater interests are involved, he’s willing to give up his daughter.
Xu Yong is not like the typical farmers in Qinghe Bay. He was once the village head and often visited Pingchuan County. He’s familiar with the wealthy families in Pingchuan County.
Unexpectedly, his daughter could catch such a good marriage prospect.
Fortunately, the terms for Gu Ruinian to marry into their family weren’t settled. Otherwise, they would have missed the Lian Family.
Matchmaker Wang naturally still talked about the third son of the Lian Family, but Xu Xinghua seemed to have uncovered the truth. At the thought of marrying a fool, she made a scene on the spot, but Xu Yong suppressed her.
Abandoning an older daughter to climb up to the Magistrate’s Yue Family and the Lian Family, Xu Yong could laugh himself awake in his sleep.
Niece Xu Zaohua married into the Zheng Family, and both nephews rose in life with her. If it weren’t for her foolishness, she’d still be living the high life.
Now that his own daughter has the chance to marry into a wealthy family, it would be foolish not to agree.
Forget about marrying in, forget about Gu Ruinian, everything can just roll away.
Mrs. Jia couldn’t accept this result. Not to mention a wealthy family, even if her Ruinian wasn’t crippled and the family wasn’t poor, they couldn’t negotiate marriage with Xu Xinghua. How could the Lian Family possibly take a liking to Xu Xinghua, who has pockmarks? Don’t wealthy families care about looks?
So she said, "Sister-in-law Wang, could it be you misheard? How could the Lian Family take a liking to Xu Xinghua? What do they see in her? Wealthy families put looks first when choosing a daughter-in-law, and Xu Xinghua is ugly beyond belief."
Matchmaker Wang turned her head to look at Mrs. Jia, speechless.
"I’ve been matchmaking for so long, how could I mishear? Besides, the names Gu Xiaoxue and Xu Xinghua are worlds apart. There’s no mistake; it’s the girl from the Xu Family. The Lian Family said they admired Xu Xinghua’s simplicity and straightforwardness."
The specifics of the inner family struggles within the wealthy families, Matchmaker Wang naturally wouldn’t disclose to Mrs. Jia.
"Isn’t this a good thing? With Xu Xinghua marrying into the Lian Family, your Ruinian won’t need to marry in anymore." Matchmaker Wang lifted her leg to step out the door.
Mrs. Jia’s mind was in chaos.
Things weren’t supposed to be this way. If Gu Xiaoxue married into the Lian Family, with the Lian Family’s power, Gu Ruinian wouldn’t need to marry in but instead, it’s Xu Xinghua marrying into the Gu Family.
Now that Xu Xinghua is marrying into the Lian Family, the Gu Family gets nothing.
How could this be considered a good thing?
Gu Youtian blocked Matchmaker Wang, saying, "Isn’t the Lian Family bullying us? First, they were interested in my Xiaoxue, and then suddenly turned to Xu Xinghua. Sister-in-law Wang, aren’t you speaking up for us with the Lian Family? Isn’t the Lian Family embarrassed to have a pockmarked girl as the third young mistress?"
When Matchmaker Wang heard Gu Youtian say this, with a hint of complaint that she hadn’t helped, she got annoyed and spoke harshly.
"It’s easy for you to say. What do you mean I didn’t speak up for you? When two families marry, they have to consider both sides’ wishes. If the Lian Family favors Xu Xinghua, what can I do? As for why they like a pockmarked girl, go ask the Lian Family!"
"Actually, Xu Xinghua is lucky. The crippled guy who was going to marry in ran off, and she turned around to become a young mistress of the Lian Family. Such luck, tsk tsk tsk...."
Matchmaker Wang said her piece and left.
What kind of people were these? Could she, a matchmaker, interfere in which family’s daughter the Lian Family chooses?
After Matchmaker Wang left, the people in the old Gu Family house were left in disarray.
The fact that the Lian Family took a liking to Xu Xinghua was really hard to digest.
For Mr. Gu and Gu Youtian, it was a blow. They were waiting for Gu Xiaoxue to unexpectedly marry into the Lian Family, so that Gu Ruinian wouldn’t have to marry into the Xu Family, catching the Xu Family off guard.
Now, it’s the Xu Family catching them off guard.
What’s going on here?
"That Xu Xinghua with a face full of pockmarks, how could the Lian Family like her?" Mrs. Jia tried to struggle.
"Stop looking so glum. Not marrying Xiaoxue into the Lian Family might be a good thing. This girl has been getting wilder learning from Taohua. When I scolded her a few days ago, she killed my chicken. If she marries into the Lian Family and gets support, she’d have more power and who knows how she’d deal with me then," said the old Mrs. Gu.
She quickly figured it out. Gu Xiaoxue marrying into a wealthy family wouldn’t bring any benefits to the family.
She would no longer have any expectations for Gu Xiaoxue’s marriage in the future.
...
Gu Honglian quietly left the house and went to the Weaving Workshop.
Seeing Tong Huaqiong, Gu Taohua, and Gu Xiaoxue eating watermelon, Gu Honglian swallowed and said, "Matchmaker Wang came to our house, saying the Lian Family didn’t take a liking to Xiaoxue but to Xu Xinghua. The Xu Family has already agreed and said they will send the betrothal gifts in a few days."
"What do you make of this? Are the Lian Family blind? They prefer a pockmarked Xu Xinghua over a fair-faced Xiaoxue."
Gu Honglian felt agitated at the thought of Xu Xinghua securing a good marriage and bragging to her, subtly mocking her skin tone.
It would be better if Gu Xiaoxue married into the Lian Family; she could still gain some benefits.
Gu Taohua handed a piece of watermelon to Gu Honglian, saying, "Auntie, it’s fate between Xu Xinghua and the Lian Family."
Gu Xiaoxue was also stunned. She didn’t expect Tong Huaqiong’s way of preventing her marriage to the fool in the Lian Family to be resolved like this.
Tong Huaqiong took a bite of the watermelon, sweet from the fields.
Aunt Tang was skilled indeed, securing the engagement between the second young master of the Lian Family and Xu Xinghua with one move.
...
The Xu Family.
Xu Xinghua smashed everything in her room to pieces.
"Father, Mother, think about it. If the third son is so good, how could he like me? Matchmaker Wang must be lying. Go find out, I don’t want to end up like Zaohua, becoming a widow as soon as I marry in."
"If that’s the case, my life would be ruined."
"Didn’t we agree that Gu Ruinian would marry in? Not only would you gain a son, but he could also help with making gunpowder for the kiln workshop on the mountain. We’re discussing marriage terms, and now agreeing to the Lian Family’s proposal? Isn’t this like one girl engaged to two families? What face will we have if word gets out?"
Xu Xinghua spoke until her mouth was dry, escalating to madness, then crying, and smashing things...
Xu Yong was unmoved.
Xu Xinghua was in despair.
"Why couldn’t he like you? The Lian Family said they admire your simplicity and straightforwardness. They say you should marry a virtuous woman. Wealthy young men are tired of the delicate, seductive ones, so wanting a simple, rural girl is normal," said Xu Xinghua’s mother, Mrs. Tian.
Xu Yong and Mrs. Tian knew what kind of daughter they raised.
Simple she was, but no matter how she dressed, she wasn’t attractive. Straightforward she was, but speaking like she had a mouth full of nonsense.
Not just wealthy families, even small, humble families were unwilling to consider marrying Xu Xinghua. Otherwise, how could she become an older unmarried girl? In the end, there was no other choice but to have Gu Ruinian marry in.
If they could marry her into a respectable family, they certainly would.
They didn’t know or care about what kind of person the young master of the Lian Family was. What mattered was the resources the Lian Family could provide.
Whether it was like Xu Zaohua’s husband, who died of illness, or a wealthy young master with a penchant for male companions.
Those things didn’t matter. Xu Xinghua marrying over meant she became a prestigious young mistress and could elevate the Xu Family once more.
Xu Yong and Mrs. Tian silently agreed not to discuss the future son-in-law’s personality.
