Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Miss He's resentment remained unknown to anyone.

After all, this was a resentment that dared not blame the real culprit, instead shifting onto others—no one could have predicted it.

As for the deaths of Madam He and Third Master He, although Master He secretly harbored some resentment toward the Shen family, the mother and son had ultimately perished in front of many witnesses, devoured by wild wolves.

Moreover, Madam He had been dragged to her death by her own son, Third Master He—a scandal of a son killing his mother. The He mansion was eager to cover it up and dared not cause trouble for the Shen family.

On the Shen family's side.

Father Shen had seen all kinds of things in his years as an official.

He could guess what the He family might be thinking, but he was not afraid. Still, he added the He family to a list of those requiring special vigilance.

In short, the already ordinary relationship between the He and Shen families had inadvertently drifted into estrangement.

Let's put that aside for now.

After Madam Shen and Grandpa Han finalized the engagement and returned home, she waited for the Han family to formally propose, while also pressuring Shen Qinglan to learn household management skills and the ways of being a husband before marriage.

"Once you're married, your mother can only help you so much. From then on, everything will depend on your own planning. You were playful in the past—I let it slide. But now, what I teach you, you must remember well."

"After you become a husband, it won't be as free as being at home. You need to rein in your temper. Don't just pull out your riding crop at every turn. Communication is key between husbands... As for interactions with relatives on the Han side..."

Madam Shen spoke earnestly, wishing she could pour half a lifetime's wisdom into her son's mind all at once.

Shen Qinglan found the lessons painful, but he knew his mother meant well, so he tried hard to remember.

But his effort wasn't very successful...

Shen Qinglan clutched his head and let out a struggling student's wail: "Ahhh, Mother, you're saying too much—my head hurts! Even looking at account books all day isn't this torturous!"

Wah, marriage is way too troublesome. Suddenly he didn't want to get married anymore.

Madam Shen looked at him with worry in her eyes: "Sigh, it's all my fault for being too soft-hearted and spoiling you. I've harmed you..."

Though she knew the saying "spoiling a child is like killing a child," Lan Geer had always known how to act cute. Every time she wanted to be strict, he'd look at her with tearful eyes, and her heart softened.

The thought of her son suffering in the future because of his personality filled her with anxiety.

But Shen Qinglan himself was carefree.

"Forget it, Mother. I really can't remember all this stuff. I can't learn these books like *Three Obediences and Four Virtues*. I'll just play it by ear. Anyway, I'll be nice to whoever's nice to me in the Han family, and ignore those who don't like me."

"Brother Han once wrote in one of his storybooks: 'If you always stay true to yourself, others will have to accommodate you!' I think that makes a lot of sense, and Brother Han said he likes me just the way I am—lively and cute..."

Shen Qinglan puffed up his cheeks proudly.

Madam Shen rolled her eyes: "Lively and cute? You mean brash and fiery."

"But Brother Han likes me this way! He said I'm especially full of vitality, and he loves how unique I am as a *ge'er*."

Shen Qinglan smiled, his eyes crinkling into crescents. He remembered every compliment Brother Han ever gave him.

Madam Shen looked at her innocent, carefree son and sighed again, finally compromising:

"...Fine. If you don't want to learn, then don't. I'll prepare two experienced matrons to help you with your health. Once you father a legitimate eldest son early, as long as you don't commit major mistakes, the Han family won't be able to do anything to you openly. Privately, I'll arrange some capable people to protect you. That should see you through life securely."

Shen Qinglan wholeheartedly agreed. He had long imagined what his and Brother Han's child might look like.

"Then hurry up and find me those people, Mother! It's never too early to start nurturing my health!"

Shen Qinglan urged eagerly, completely different from his earlier lethargy during lessons—even more impatient than Madam Shen herself had been when she married.

Madam Shen was exasperated. "This kid! He picks up all the bad habits and none of the good!"

...

Madam Shen worked hard to teach her son how to be a good husband before marriage.

Meanwhile, at the Han household.

They were also busy preparing for the betrothal and wedding ceremonies.

Although Grandpa Han repeatedly said Han Zhang could handle the betrothal money himself, the Clan Chief Han and the Elders deliberated and took the initiative to contact traveling merchants at the docks, selling off the accumulated matches from the workshop early.

These matches were sold at 8 wen per box for regular packaging, 30 wen for premium, and 50 wen for luxury.

A total of 20,000 boxes sold for about 500 taels, netting a profit of about 400 taels after costs. The Han family's share was around 120 taels.

Clan Chief Han said, "Big Brother can handle the betrothal money himself, but we agreed from the start that the match workshop idea and recipe came from him, so your family gets 30% of the profit. So, Sixth Brother, this silver is yours."

If they had waited longer, the matches could have sold for a higher price. But the chief sold them early mainly because Grandpa Han's family needed money for the wedding.

After all, those two precious flowers in the house were valuable but still limited—exchanging them for silver would only go so far.

Moreover, to make the betrothal gifts look impressive, Han Zhang hadn't planned to sell the flowers; he intended to include them in the gifts as a show of prestige.

Since the clan chief insisted, and the family indeed needed silver, Grandpa Han didn't refuse and accepted the money.

Then Han Zhang added another 200 taels to Grandpa Han's funds. Only then did Grandpa Han have enough to prepare the betrothal gifts according to the basic customs for an official family: cloth, gift cakes, tea, seasonal fruits, wild geese, and so on.

Even so, these gifts were still modest when presented to the Shen family.

But the Han family could afford nothing more lavish.

So Han Zhang decided to win favor through thoughtfulness. He went alone to the street where foreign merchants gathered, posed as one of them to avoid suspicion, and made several small, delicate items by hand.

With everything prepared.

The Han family then invited an official matchmaker to the Shen residence to propose and match the couple's birth charts... All procedures were completed quickly.

Then Grandpa Han, along with Han Zhang—whose injuries were half-healed—and Han Zhang's parents, went to the Shen residence to present the betrothal gifts.

When the two families met.

Master Shen was quite astonished to see Han Zhang's handsome features and dignified bearing, no less than that of a nobleman's son. Grandpa Han and the others also behaved with proper decorum.

Hadn't he heard the Han family were just simple farmers from the countryside? How could they have such demeanor?

Ordinary farming families couldn't raise someone like this! How could they?

Seeing her husband's surprise, Madam Shen was proud of her son's choice and explained triumphantly:

"Oh, how forgetful of me! I forgot to tell you, Husband. Though Grandpa Han's family now lives in Shangpo Village on the outskirts of the capital, just two generations ago, they were a family of great wealth and standing."

Regarding the background of the Han family, Mrs. Shen had done her homework on.

Upon learning of the Han family’s family background, to be honest, she was actually pleased—because in this age of strict social hierarchy, the Han family’s past made it far more respectable than marrying her son to an ordinary peasant household.

The Han family, of course, also knew how to play along.

Grandpa Han immediately brought up their ancestors to show off their pedigree: “Our family traces its roots to the Quyang Han clan of Yanzhou.”

“The Quyang Han clan of Yanzhou?”

This astonished Master Shen even more.

You see, the Quyang Han clan, though not a top-tier noble house in the previous dynasty, was a renowned and powerful clan.

However, the Quyang Han clan was even more famous for their ill-fated history.

In the final years of the dynasty, as rebellions arose across the land, some rebel forces inevitably targeted the wealthy aristocratic families to raise military funds. At that time, a rebel leader in Yanzhou set his sights on the Quyang Han clan.

That man resorted to despicable tactics: he publicly married a Han daughter, pretending to forge a marital alliance to gain their trust.

Yet, less than a month after the wedding, he took advantage of the Han family’s being off guard and, under the pretext of rebellion, led his troops to besiege the city of Quyang. He massacred the Han clan, plundered their wealth, and destroyed the once-mighty clan in a single night.

When the news spread, it so terrified the remaining aristocratic families that for a long time afterward, none dared to ally with rebel forces. This infuriated the other rebel leaders, who cursed the Yanzhou rebel leader for his shortsightedness, claiming he had ruined it for everyone!

Fortunately, that Yanzhou rebel leader met a miserable end himself later on.

With all their enemies long dead, the surviving members of the Han family—including Grandpa Han—dared to boast of their ancestral name to save face.

This, indeed, earned them a second look from Master Shen.

Master Shen stroked his beard and smiled, nodding repeatedly: “No wonder Master Han is so distinguished and elegant, with an extraordinary demeanor—it truly comes from your family's scholarly tradition. My son marrying into the Han clan is indeed an auspicious match.”

“Master Shen is too kind. The Han clan is now diminished, with few descendants. For my grandson to be able to marry your esteemed son is the Han family’s fortune. Today, we humbly present these modest betrothal gifts, and we hope Master Shen and his wife will not disdain them.”

Grandpa Han exchanged a few polite pleasantries.

He then presented the betrothal gifts: ordinary items such as cloth, ceremonial cakes, and tea, along with a pot of cymbidium orchid, a pot of Luoyang red peony, and a betrothal sum of two hundred taels of silver.

In addition, there was a special token that Han Zhang had prepared personally for Shen Qinglan.

Grandpa Han, with a warm and kindly smile, explained, “Our humble family lacks the means to prepare lavish betrothal gifts, but since your esteemed house has graciously agreed to entrust your son to us, the Han family dares not be negligent in any way.”

“My grandson happens to have some skill in tending flowers. These two pots of plants were cultivated by him personally, included in the betrothal gifts as a touch of refined elegance.”

“Moreover, my grandson says that while the gifts may be modest, one must not lack sincerity. Hence, he has specially prepared a separate personal gift for your son. We hope Master Shen and his wife will kindly accept it.”