GTB Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Proposal

Jiang Jiuchu didn’t expect her mother to have already started looking for a suitable husband for her. She felt a little anxious, wondering if Brother Fu would be able to come and propose before then.

“Mother, isn’t this too fast? I’m still young! Let’s wait until next year… or the second half of this year would be fine!”

Madam Ye teased upon hearing this, “You’re not young anymore, aren’t you already an adult? Besides, instead of waiting for others to propose to us, it’s better to strike first.”

She sighed as she spoke, “Oh! It’s not that your mother is in such a hurry to marry you off. If we were still in An Yang County, I would be happy to wait another two years. After all, with your father being the head of the county, everything would be easy to handle. Even if you were a little older, it wouldn’t matter, we could still find you a good man.”

“But it’s different now. The status is different, the place is different, and some things are not as simple as they were in An Yang County.”

“In this Kyoto imperial city, noble ladies are everywhere, and there are even more young ladies from families like ours. Similarly, there are many noble young men, but very few in the household are simple, without concubines or serving maids, and areborn of the first wife.”

These were the few points that Madam Ye valued the most. She felt that no matter how good a man was to his wife, as long as he had concubines, the wife would inevitably suffer some grievances.

Because harboring resentment, being jealous, was also a form of grievance.

Not to mention the sons born of concubines, regardless of whether they treated you well or not, their status alone would make you feel inferior to others in the household, submissive and humble, and still suffer grievances.

Jiang Jiuchu listened to her mother’s words, and for some reason, she had a bad feeling in her heart. Then, she tentatively said:

“Mother, then let’s find someone with a lower status! It doesn’t have to be an official’s son!”

“Not an official’s son? Then… are you going to marry a farmer?” Madam Ye looked amusingly at her daughter, who suddenly froze, and continued to ridicule, “It’s not that mother looks down on farmers, but mother looks down on you. Can you do laundry and cook? Or can you work in the fields?”

Jiang Jiuchu just wanted to steer her mother’s direction in choosing a son-in-law a little off course, but her mother was good, she directly made her unable to deviate.

She pouted in dissatisfaction, “Can’t it be someone rich? Like… a wealthy merchant or landlord?”

As soon as Madam Ye heard this, she immediately waved her hand, “Don’t even think about it, you’re still too naive. How many good ones are there among wealthy merchants and landlords? The concubines in their families are no fewer than those of officials.”

“After all, officials still have to consider their status and reputation, and won’t go too far in many aspects, while those wealthy merchants and landlords mostly act according to their nature without any regard.”

Jiang Jiuchu helplessly closed her mouth, thinking, Brother Fu, I’ve tried my best, the rest is up to you!

Anyway, she had extraordinarily opened her mother’s mind…

As for the time, let’s wait two days. If Brother Fu doesn’t come, then she will have Green Willow send a letter to tell him that if he comes late, he won’t get a share, humph!

Two days later, in the morning, just as Jiang Jiuchu was considering whether to send a letter, Song Fuge led a person and a box into the Jiang residence gate.

One person, Leng Da.

One box, the red sandalwood large box that Leng Da held in his arms.

This day happened to be a rest day, and Jiang Yuan and Jiang Jiuche were both at home.

In the hall, the Jiang family members, upon hearing the gatekeeper’s announcement, all came to the front hall, except for Jiang Jiuchu, who knew the inside story.

Everyone felt that this was their Chu’er’s life-saving benefactor, and it was natural to take it seriously when he took the initiative to visit for the first time.

But looking at Song Fuge in purple clothes, and looking at the person and box behind him, they looked at each other in confusion, unable to figure out his intention for a while.

Thinking, could it be that he came to give them gifts? Wouldn’t that be reversing the natural order…

Jiang Yuan was stunned for a moment, ignoring the person and box behind Song Fuge, and said with a smile:

“Come, come, come, Young Master Fu, please sit down. You really came at the right time today, it just so happens that both Che’er and I are resting at home.”

Jiang Jiuche also said enthusiastically and politely, “Yes! I was just thinking that I had nothing to do today, and I was going to find Brother Fu to play chess! Come, please sit down quickly.”

Facing the polite remarks of the father and son, Song Fuge cupped his hands and bowed, “Uncle Jiang, Aunt Jiang, Brother Jiuche, I am not here today simply as a guest, but for Jiuchu.”

Everyone was stunned upon hearing this, and looked at Song Fuge with puzzled expressions. What happened to their Chu’er? Did she cause trouble? Or caused trouble…

The eyes of several people almost simultaneously glanced at the large box in Leng Da’s arms, thinking, could it be that Chu’er ran to Mo Feng Pavilion and broke some incredible treasure of theirs?

And Jiang Jiuche’s eyes were filled with a hint of deepness in his doubt.

After Song Fuge finished speaking, he glanced behind him, and Leng Da immediately stepped forward and placed the box on the ground and opened it.

Several people curiously leaned their heads to look, but after seeing it clearly, they were instantly dumbfounded.

Vulgar gold and silver, elegant calligraphy and paintings, and sincere house deeds and shops were all neatly stacked in the box. Although simple, it was not simple, full of sincerity.

And this one box, without looking closely, was known to be worth more than a hundred boxes of betrothal gifts.

In addition to being shocked, Jiang Jiuche also confirmed the guess in his heart, while Jiang’s couple, after the shock, also began to have ideas, but they were still not sure.

Madam Ye took the lead and asked, “Young Master Fu, what is this…?”

Song Fuge cupped his hands again and replied to Madam Ye, “I am here to propose marriage to Jiuchu.”

As soon as this was said, the Jiang couple directly looked at each other in surprise and stunned silence, not knowing how to answer for a while, this was too sudden for them.

In Crabapple Courtyard, Jiang Jiuchu was a little restless, walking back and forth in the courtyard, but dared not rashly go to the front hall.

Then she said to Green Willow, who was beside her, “Green Willow, why don’t you go to the front to quietly inquire, if you see Brother Fu leave, then hurry back and notify me.”

“Okay.” Green Willow responded and ran out of the courtyard. Although she knew that the young lady and Young Master Fu had a mutual affection for each other, she was still shocked that Young Master Fu came to propose marriage so quickly, it was too sudden.

Inside the front hall, several people had already sat down to talk for a while, or rather, to ask questions, but after getting the answers, the Jiang family members all fell into silence.

In the entire hall, it seemed that only the tea in front of everyone was still unknowingly emitting a faint heat, but no one picked it up.

After a long while, Jiang Jiuche finally spoke to Song Fuge, “Brother Fu.”

Hearing this, Song Fuge’s hand, loosely clenched under his wide sleeves, tightened slightly. Then, he turned his head towards Jiang Jiuche, who was sitting on the left-hand side, and raised a polite and modest smile on the corner of his lips, listening to his next words.

“First of all, thank you for telling us the truth, but I have heard of the Shadow Gate. My sister was also discovered and rescued at the foot of the mountain by people from the Shadow Gate.”

“We can be said to have a trace of understanding of the Shadow Gate. After all, we have dealt with it twice, and it is a coincidence that both times were for Chu’er.”

“But I believe that there are both people who seek the Shadow Gate to save people, and people who seek the Shadow Gate… not to save people. The Hidden Gate has had many tasks over the years, and I imagine it has quite a few enemies. Although it has been given a new look under your management, it is still too short of time.”

“Moreover, my father and I are both in the officialdom. If others were to know that the Jiang family is marrying into the former Shadow Gate, I don’t need to say the consequences, and I think Brother Fu also knows the severity of it.”

Song Fuge heard the last words, although facing Jiang Jiuche, his eyes were slightly lowered.

What he was most worried about was the Jiang family’s concerns. Although he had tried his best to eliminate all kinds of hidden dangers, he was still unable to say the absolute word for Jiang Jiuche’s questions, because his identity was a hidden danger.

He raised his eyes, as if he had made some kind of decision, and said the method he had already thought of, “What if I give up the position of sect leader?”