BXBX NOVEL Chapter 97: It is Accomplished
“Grandma, you might not be aware of this, but although Xiao Xi is a servant girl, she is a maid that attends directly to her master, which sets her apart from ordinary servant girls. And having been with the Su Family for so many years, she must have quite a few connections at the Su Mansion. If she can help to sway some relations in the Su family, perhaps the husband could even advance further,”
“This, well, Xiao Xi may be a maid with a somewhat different status, but in the end, she’s just a servant girl. Even if I agree to it, Mrs. Wang will certainly not consent. That woman can make quite a fuss when she wants to, and it’s a dreadful headache. If Brother Hao, unaware of the situation, listens to his mother, he might think that I, his Grandma, am extremely biased and don’t value him, thinking that’s why I’d let him marry a servant girl. That wouldn’t sound good if word got out.” The Old Lady was still somewhat hesitant.
Mrs. Zhou saw that the Old Lady felt this way and knew that, at heart, she agreed. It was just that she couldn’t get past the loss of face and was also worried about continuous opposition from the family members at home. After all, marriage is a much bigger affair than the trivial matters the Old Lady was used to deciding independently. She couldn’t act recklessly this time. If faced with persistent family opposition, and the marriage fell through, the Old Lady’s authority might be affected. However, Mrs. Zhou was confident that as long as the Old Lady was convinced, the matter would essentially be settled, or else she wouldn’t have suggested it.
“Grandma, why don’t you call Third Brother here and ask his preferences first? I’m really considering what’s best for Third Brother and the Main House. If Third Brother himself isn’t willing, then let it be. I meant well in suggesting a granddaughter-in-law; I wouldn’t want to be misunderstood,”
“Do you really think that way?” The Old Lady cast a doubtful glance at Mrs. Zhou. Although she relied on her eldest daughter-in-law on a daily basis, she wasn’t completely oblivious and knew her eldest daughter-in-law was very scheming. She had pretended not to notice her attempts to suppress Mrs. Wang. Now that it concerned her youngest grandson’s marriage, and Mrs. Zhou’s attitude was clearly at odds with him, although she favored her eldest grandson, she also wished her youngest grandson well. She couldn’t help but be skeptical when she heard Mrs. Zhou say this.
“Of course, I think that way. Your words, Grandma, have saddened me quite a bit. Although I may clash with Second Mother and act upon a moment’s anger over trivial matters that don’t affect the big picture, in major matters, I’m not someone who cannot discern the seriousness. Third Brother’s marriage is a top priority for our family. How could I jest about something so significant! In the end, Third Brother and we are all one family; even if there might be petty conflicts from day to day, they are merely internal squabbles. If Third Brother fares well, wouldn’t that benefit us of the Main House too?”
“This?” The Old Lady, having heard Mrs. Zhou say this, believed her for the most part.
“Grandma, even if you don’t trust that I want the best for Third Brother, this matter does tie into the husband’s future. I wouldn’t dare make a joke of anything, certainly not the husband’s matters. You can trust me this once. Besides, whether this works out still depends on Third Brother’s own wishes. Even if I, as his Sister-in-law, want to do well by him, he has to be willing himself,”
Mrs. Zhou’s certainty in allowing Han Hao to voice his opinion stemmed from catching a glimpse of those somewhat inappropriate looks her dear Third Brother had cast toward Xiao Xi. She was an experienced woman and could clearly see that Han Hao was smitten with the servant girl.
Han Hao was such a fool for beauty. That Xiao Xi did have quite an attractive face and was also very efficient at her work. If she were to marry into the family, she could shoulder a good part of the housework, which would lighten Mrs. Zhou’s load considerably. Given Xiao Xi’s background as a servant girl, she likely wouldn’t dare to object much. Besides, servant girls are meant to work, and she’s probably used to it from before.
The Old Lady felt that there was sense to this idea; after all, no one was forcing her youngest grandson to agree to marry Xiao Xi. It would ultimately depend on whether he was willing.
Anxious about Han Hao’s marital prospects, the Old Lady thought about it and immediately took action: “Brother Ping’s daughter-in-law, go to the front and call Brother Hao here. I want to ask him myself to see what he thinks.”
The deal was struck! She knew the Old Lady would agree—she’d mentioned everything the Old Lady was most concerned about. Mrs. Zhou was inwardly delighted, but her expression remained unchanged as she readily agreed and went outside to fetch someone.
When Han Hao was called over by Mrs. Zhou, he was somewhat surprised. Upon hearing that Grandma wanted to see him, though he didn’t know why, he immediately followed Mrs. Zhou.
“Grandma, did you want to see me?” Han Hao entered, affectionately holding the Old Lady’s arm, clearly good at ingratiating himself with her.
“Brother Hao, Grandma wants to talk to you about your marriage. What are your thoughts? You’re not getting any younger and can’t keep putting this off. By the time your father and big brothers were your age, they were already married with sons.”
“Grandma, I too want to marry soon, to have someone to understand me. But you see the situation as well as I do—it’s not as simple as wanting it to happen. Those I fancy don’t reciprocate, and those who fancy me… they’re all flawed in some way, some even unattractive. If I marry one, I couldn’t bear to face her every day,” Han Hao said, also feeling aggrieved. The girls he’d taken an interest in backed out once they knew his family’s situation; not one was willing to marry him.
The Old Lady’s heart ached and flared with anger hearing her grandson talk this way. Those girls must be blind not to treasure such a good catch as her grandson—they would regret it one day.
“What do you think of Xiao Xi, who is with Brother Yu’s wife? I find the girl quite fetching and capable of hard work—certainly someone who can take care of others. Her only flaw is her lowly status, but under the circumstances, you can’t afford to be choosy anymore. If she’s the right one, you must act fast. I’ve heard that girl is quite sought after; there are many suitors where she resides in the Second House. If you’re interested, I can speak to Brother Yu’s wife right away and get this deal settled,”
The Old Lady truly cared about her youngest grandson’s opinion, but she had not considered Su Wenyue and Xier’s, the master and servant’s, thoughts at all. She simply assumed that if her grandson decided, it would be done. Su Wenyue would likely find it both infuriating and laughable.
If Mrs. Zhou had been the one to bring this up, Han Hao would have been suspicious, thinking she had some ulterior motive. But coming from the Old Lady, it was a totally different matter.
Remembering that attractive figure, Han Hao felt a stir in his heart. Although the servant girl’s low status really bothered him—fitting for a concubine, but marrying one would be embarrassing—he liked her, but he didn’t want to turn into a joke. Moreover, he harbored a secret thought: Han Yu, his cousin of a similar age, had married a girl from a wealthy family, and he would marry someone’s servant girl. Wouldn’t that be openly admitting he was inferior to that cousin who always wore a cold expression?