Chapter 201

Chapter 201

Actually, it wasn't just Second Aunt Han who was anxious—Grandma Han was also worried about her third grandson's marriage prospects.

After all, they were all her grandsons. Though she valued Han Zhang, her accomplished eldest grandson, and often spoke of him, that didn't mean the other children meant nothing to her.

Every child in the family had been raised under her watchful eye. They were all her own flesh and blood—she loved them all equally.

Seeing that her third grandson, Han Qinfeng, had reached the age for matchmaking, Grandma Han knew he lacked the scholarly or martial talents of his two elder cousins in the main branch. His greatest skill was farming. She pondered that this grandson might not achieve great things in life—her hope was simply to secure him a good marriage to set him up for life.

Second Aunt Han thought the same, which was why she was so anxious seeing her son still unsettled.

But the Han family was a far cry from what it used to be. With Han Zhang nursing ambitions of rebellion, Clan Chief Han and Grandpa Han both understood the importance of marriage alliances.

Nowadays, any matchmaking within the clan was essentially run by Han Zhang, and only after considering his opinion would it be finalized.

As for marriages of younger siblings like Han Qinnian, Grandpa Han had long instructed that Han Zhang would have the final say, and no elder in the family was to interfere arbitrarily.

So after much discussion, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could only go to Han Zhang.

Second Aunt Han wrung her hands, her face full of embarrassment and unease: "Eldest Brother, don't be upset. Your Second Aunt means no harm... I'm just, just really worried about your brother Qinfeng."

"That boy has always been the most honest of you kids. He has no talent for book learning or martial arts, and can't even work an abacus right when it comes to business. Aside from being a natural at farming, he's really good at nothing..."

"Now that you've made something of yourself, and our whole family can live in this mansion living the good life, it's because you're smart and good-hearted, willing to look after your uncles, aunts, and siblings..."

"You can support your uncles and aunts, and your brothers—but what about Qinfeng's future wife or husband, and their kids too? What... what kind of sense would that make?"

"At the end of the day, a person's got to make their own way in life. I've got no other wish—I just hope to find your brother Qinfeng a good match. Then with a bit of your support, he'll be set for life..."

Second Aunt Han wasn't book-smart, but she knew the saying about teaching a man to fish.

Shamelessly clinging to her nephew and bleeding him dry would be a dumb, short-sighted move;

Making her son stand on his own two feet, and saving the favors and support for when they really mattered, was the smart play.

Grandma Han chimed in beside her, said seriously: "Eldest Brother, we both know exactly what Third Brother's made of. We're not expecting to find him a match from some grand household—just a good, solid person is fine."

The two elders rambled on, but Han Zhang didn't seem to mind. He heard them out patiently, then smiled and said:

"Grandma, Second Aunt, rest easy. During my years of study, times were hard at home, and my younger siblings had it rough alongside us. I've remembered all of that. Now that I've made something of myself, how could I forget them?"

"To be honest, I've already been mulling over Third Brother's marriage. Just recently, I've looked into several good families and was going to ask Second Aunt and Third Brother for their thoughts."

"Second Aunt, don't go thinking Third Brother is just some commoner who's only good for farming and is beneath everyone else. What's wrong with farming? Who says no big shots can come from the fields? The court has a dedicated Bureau of Agriculture managing all farming matters—that's literally for folks who farm."

"Even if Third Brother truly wants to spend his life working the land, so what? As long as I'm here, there will be plenty of big families lining up to marry their daughters and sons to him. So don't you worry, Second Aunt!"

Han Zhang's words sounded somewhat arrogant, but he wasn't wrong.

Now that Yunyang Prefecture was completely in his pocket, the remaining local powerful families were all eager to get in good with him to get a larger share of the private salt profits.

And in ancient times, what better way to forge connections than through marriage?

He refused to take concubines, and his children were still infants—so those seeking to curry favor naturally turned their attention to his own flesh and blood, his younger siblings.

So what if Han Qinfeng didn't look like he'd amount to much?

Those folks only cared about the benefits of working with him right now. Whether their own daughters or sons were willing, or whether they'd be happy down the road, didn't matter one bit.

So these days, the number of Yunyang gentry and officials probing him, dropping hints, and seeking this marriage alliance was honestly pretty huge!

Of course, though he intended to arrange marriages, Han Zhang didn't want to set up unhappy marriages. So the candidates he'd carefully selected were those whose personalities and values were a good fit.

When Second Aunt Han heard he already had candidates in mind, her face lit up with joy, and a huge weight was lifted off her chest:

"Good, good, good! I knew I could count on you. I'll go to Jiang Family Village right away and go fetch your brother Qinfeng to meet them!"

Back when the test fields were being set up, Han Zhang knew that Second Uncle Han and Han Qinfeng were natural farmers, so naturally he'd assigned them to manage it.

The father and son, given such an important job and doing what they were best at, felt a real sense of pride and purpose. They were more invested in the test fields than Han Zhang himself did.

Almost every day, they'd head out to the trial plots in the villages on the outskirts, get their hands dirty, and work till dark before coming home. So someone had to go fetch him.

When Han Qinfeng was fetched back, washed the mud off his hands, changed into clean clothes, and stood there looking a bit nervous, Han Zhang brought out portraits of several eligible young ladies and lads along with some notes, spreading them on the table:

"Third Brother, I've personally looked into all these families. The young ladies and lads are all excellent in appearance, temperament, and intelligence. Most importantly, each of them has some difficulties or conflicts in their own households—they're not deeply attached to their natal families."

"People like that, once married into our family, as long as they don't act foolishly, will mostly cherish their own small home, rely on their husband and future life, and devote themselves wholeheartedly to you."

"Third Brother, you don't need to feel inferior because you're a commoner, thinking you don't deserve these young ladies and lads. They're not particularly favored in their own families, and the matches their clans would arrange for them might not be any better than you."

"Come, look at these portraits—does anyone catch your eye? If any seem decent, I'll arrange for you to meet privately. You can see for yourself—in the end, it has to be your decision."

Han Zhang admitted that he did intend to use his siblings' marriages to further his own interests, but he hadn't gone too far—he still prioritized his siblings' wishes. That was already quite generous.

After all, in this feudal era of arranged marriages, free love wasn't exactly the norm.

But when it came to marriage, Han Qinfeng's face showed none of the anticipation or shyness typical of a young man his age. Instead, his gaze wandered, his hands unconsciously twisted the hem of his clothes, and his expression was hesitant as he stammered: "Big Brother, I... I..."

Second Aunt Han watched anxiously and couldn't help slapping his arm:

"You child, why are you hemming and hawing? If there's someone you like, just say it! Your big brother went to all this trouble, and you're not even taking it seriously? These young ladies and lads all look wonderful to me—what more could you want?"

But Han Zhang noticed something was off. He raised his hand to stop Second Aunt's urging and asked gently:

"Third Brother, is it that... you already have someone in your heart?"

"I..."

Han Qinfeng's face flushed bright red, but he still stammered, unable to get out a full sentence for a long while.

Second Aunt Han was both anxious and curious: "You really do have someone? That's wonderful news! Which family is it? Just say it! Your mother has been hoping every day for you to settle down. If you have someone you like, I'd be overjoyed—what's there to hide?"

Under the intense gazes of his mother and eldest brother, Han Qinfeng felt his ears burning. He lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously twisting the coarse cloth of his clothes.

After a long moment, he nodded with a small but stubborn voice: "Mm. Big Brother, I have someone I like."

"What?" Second Aunt Han was stunned, then both delighted and exasperated. "You silent one, you've been hiding something after all! Since when? Which family? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

Han Zhang's gaze was warm as he patiently pressed further: "Third Brother, is there some difficulty with the one you like? Or some trouble in their family?"

Since the words were already out, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

Han Qinfeng took a deep breath and said with some embarrassment, his voice low: "It's that young man Jiang Liu we met on the way back from the ancestral rites."

"I think he's really wonderful—quick-witted and capable. Though his family has its troubles, he can handle them and take charge... And when I talk to him, we just click."

"But Grandpa, Grandma, and my parents always say I'm clumsy at everything except farming, and that I should find a well-connected spouse to support me..."

"And with Liu Geer's family situation... Besides, Liu Geer doesn't seem to have taken a liking to me either. I told him how I felt, but he just turned around and went to a matchmaker to meet other candidates."

By the end, his head hung even lower, his voice full of dejection.

On one hand, his family might look down on Jiang Liu's family background; on the other, the boy didn't seem interested in him at all—this young lad, just beginning to know love, was feeling pretty hurt!

Second Aunt Han listened, torn between pity and exasperation. She reached out and poked his forehead:

"You silly boy! Your parents, Grandpa, and Grandma said those things because they want what's best for you and are planning for your future—it's not like they're dead set on you marrying above your station!"

"If you truly have someone you fancy, as long as they're a good person, would the family really stand in your way? Are your parents, Grandpa, and Grandma the sort to be unreasonable? How could you think so little of your own family?"

Han Zhang also disagreed: "Third Brother, Second Aunt is right. Though our family has risen now, for the past few decades we were just farmers scraping by in the village. Now that life is better, how could we turn around and look down on a country lad?"

"Have you forgotten? When our family picks a wife or a husband, what we value most has always been character and ability, not those empty titles. That young man Jiang Liu—I've met him too, and he truly is excellent. If you genuinely like him, the family will arrange a betrothal on your behalf."

"The betrothal gifts and the ceremony will all follow the same standards as when your Second Brother married—there won't be the slightest neglect or disrespect just because he comes from the countryside."

Han Zhang was speaking the truth; he really did think highly of that Jiang Liu.

Besides his defiant nature and his ability to run a household at such a young age, the recent progress with the experimental fields had revealed to Han Zhang that this young man Jiang Liu seemed to be a genius at agriculture!

If he hadn't worried that his uncle and aunt might think he was finding a Marquis's Son for his own brother but a village lad for his cousin, he would have already suggested this match and brought this hidden gem into the family.

Now that Third Brother had taken a liking to him on his own, it was a godsend—just what the doctor ordered!

But...

Han Qinfeng remained down in the dumps, his head drooping, his voice muffled:

"But Big Brother... I like Liu Geer, but Liu Geer... he doesn't seem to like me."