Chapter 33: Marriage (I)
Chapter 33: Marriage (I)
The first part of today’s sponsored chapter is Ch.32 Part 1.
The madams looked at each other. They lived in the capital all year round and were well informed. This incident was particularly lively, so the madams had heard about it. Jingyong Marquis manor first making a marriage proposal to Yichun Marquis manor, but suddenly said that they had recognized the wrong person, and changed the fiancee from the eldest miss to the second miss.
First meeting on a snowy night, life-saving grace, broken engagement, changing fiancee. So many gossips emerged from this one affair. These days, the matter between Cheng family’s eldest miss and Marquis Jingyong has been passed on rapidly among the high families’ madams. Although they had been discussing it in private, now they suddenly saw one of the main characters in person, they were surprised.
This is Cheng family’s eldest young miss? Her appearance obviously first-rate, with excellent etiquette and good family background, so why did the Huo family choose to break off the engagement?
Since ancient times, those with noble character honored promises, and people always attached great importance to contracts. Especially marriage, which was a contract between two families. It was no trifling matter. If one side wanted to break, it had to be done cautiously, and only as the absolute last resort.
If the Cheng family’s eldest Miss looked ugly, has a disability, her personality was defective, or was unfilial, then Huo family’s action was understandable. However, eldest Miss Cheng had no blemish. She had the looks, the talents, and the family background. Many people would regard such a girl as an ideal daughter-in-law. What medicine did Huo Xue-shi take wrongly that she actually broke off the engagement?
The madams who had daughters-in-law at home cast doubtful glances at Huo Xue-shi. This girl was so good. Many people would be willing to take her as a daughter-in-law. Moreover, women could marry high, and many men marry low. Therefore, when looking for a prospective daughter-in-law, these madams more or less would have to low some of their standards. In many cases, they couldn’t get someone with a perfect score. Getting one advantage would mean tolerating some other disadvantage. If they wanted their daughter-in-law to look pretty, then some other criteria should have to be lowered. Sometimes, it meant getting a girl whose temperament wasn’t good. The matter of selecting a wife wasn’t trivial. She was the woman who would affect three generations of descendants. This Cheng Yujin was sensible and had nothing to fault. What did Huo Xue-shi still not satisfied with, that she had to replace this eldest Miss with the younger sister?
The madams really couldn’t understand. In the end, they simply thought that the second Miss probably was particularly outstanding, with ability far better than her elder sister, so Huo Xue-shi cast away one good girl and replace her with a better one.
Otherwise, they really couldn’t come up with a logical reason.
Ruan-shi did not expect that Cheng Yujin would stand up and deny it. Ruan-shi believed that Huo Changyuan was young and talented, and he had a promising future. It was a great honor to be engaged with him. Cheng Yujin’s marriage contract was changed to Mo’er. Cheng Yujin must feel angry and secretly held a grudge. Whenever she had a chance, she must wish that people would misunderstand. How could she take the initiative to say that she was not Huo Changyuan’s fiancée?
Ruan-shi was stunned, but Huo Xue-shi was also equally surprised. Cheng Yujin explained too quickly, as if in a hurry to avoid, causing Huo Xue-shi to have an absurd feeling that her son was being disdained. Huo Xue-shi was displeased. She had suffered a lot from dealing with Cheng Yujin before. Now when she saw this girl again, she became more and more certain that she did not like Cheng Yujin.
Huo Xue-shi said coldly: “Last time, didn’t eldest miss Cheng said that after the marriage contract was dissolved, both sides would no longer have anything to do with each other? Why are you coming here today?”
The smile on Cheng Yujin’s face unfaded: “Madam Huo thinks too much. Grandmother is resting inside. I just sent out guests on grandmother’s behalf, and have just come back now.”
Huo Xue-shi’s face became stiff. Ruan-shi immediately interceded: “Alright. I still have something to talk with Madam Huo. Adults are talking. You junior shouldn’t interrupt.”
“Yes, second aunt.” Cheng Yujin smiled lightly. After curtsied to the madams, she turned around slowly. Cheng Yujin walked out of the door and went to the window side, giving orders in a low voice: “Bring tea to the madams. There are guests here, but you are so negligent. Where is your etiquette?”
A little servant girl nearby replied: “But, this servant is going to wash the fruits.”
Another one said: “There is no scented candle in the front yard. This servant is going to send a new one.”
Cheng Yujin didn’t change her tone. Neither slowly nor hurriedly, she said: “Your post is in the back hall, but you still go to the front yard to deliver candles. And you, you are supposed to be in the front yard, but you run to the kitchen to wash fruit. One by one, all of you seemed to be very busy, but how much time wasted on the road? The guests have been seated for a long time, but the fruits still haven’t been washed and tea hasn’t been served. Yet servants on duty in the back hall didn’t notice and have to be reminded. What kind of rule is this? Everyone has been assigned their jobs and should do their own responsibilities. If you are supposed to serve tea, just serve the tea, no need to deliver any scented candle. If you are supposed to wash fruits, then just wash the fruits, don’t you serve the guests. Those in the front yard shouldn’t take care of the back yard, and those in the back yard shouldn’t run to the front yard either. This is to prevent you from wasting time running around without accomplishing anything. What’s the use of merely looking busy?”
The servants bowed their heads, listening to the admonishing. Cheng Yujin lightly asked their original duties, then assigned several other tasks to them. The servants then scattered, focusing on the work in their hands, this time much faster than before.
When she lectured the servants, Cheng Yujin was standing near the winding corridor. Her voice wasn’t high, and from the madams’ position, her figure couldn’t be seen directly either. But no one in the room was talking, so Cheng Yujin’s voice was passed to their ears without missing a word.
The expressions of the madams who came with Huo Xue-shi became more subtle. Cheng family’s eldest Miss was not only good in appearance, but was also excellent in etiquette, and even very proficient at managing the household. Look at her just now; she was well-organized, orderly, and quick to the point. She was better than many married wives in their twenties.
Especially because there was a ready-made contrast here. Ruan-shi was a person who has raised three children. In the same situation, Ruan-shi merely sat here in ignorant. But Cheng Yujin, a young girl, found out the problem and sorted it out in just a few minutes after going out. With only several sentences, the servants were quickly under control, and obediently doing their duties in order.
T/N:
Ruan-shi is truly brainless. She expect Cheng Yujin to go all over, make others misunderstand she is Huo Changyuan’s fiancee? For what? To let others think she is infatuatedly in love with scum!Huo, and completely cut down her marriage prospect? No wonder Cheng Yumo also grow up brainless.