Chapter 390: Chapter 391: A Meeting

Matchmaker Lao had seen all sorts of people. Years ago, Xu Nuo’s own father had doted on his concubine to the point of neglecting his wife. If Xu Nuo’s maternal grandfather hadn’t been so forceful, storming their home and demanding a divorce, Xu Nuo might not have survived to this day.

Since they were on the topic, Matchmaker Lao, fearing Xu Nuo might forget the suffering of the past, began to ramble on about her mother’s bitter experiences.

Seeing Xu Nuo wring her handkerchief and wipe away her tears, Matchmaker Lao finally sighed. "I know what you and your mother are thinking. Neither of you wants to go suffer in a husband’s family again.

But things aren’t always so clear-cut. It can’t be that both you and your mother have such bad luck that you’d both run into such unreliable men.

I made some inquiries today. The Gu family really does have such a family rule, and it was their old matriarch who established it. Even with his own uncle being a high-ranking official, he still has to abide by it.

Besides, with this marriage alliance in place, anyone with ulterior motives will have to think twice."

Xu Nuo was silent for a long while before saying, "I want to meet him in person first before I decide."

Matchmaker Lao slapped her thigh in delight. "It’s wonderful that you’ve thought it through! I’ll go pay them a visit right away."

After decades as a matchmaker, Xu Nuo was the one who worried her the most, requiring even more of her attention than her own children.

Now that she saw Xu Nuo was coming around, she knew that as long as this match could be made, all their previous difficulties would be easily resolved.

* * *

Li Cuicui had no idea that the few words she’d spoken on the street would end up indirectly helping the grandson kneeling before her.

"You’ve already convinced her?"

Gu Lehuan shook his head. "I found a matchmaker, and she agreed to help me make the proposal."

Li Cuicui felt as if she were seeing her rebellious sons of the past all over again, each one so stubbornly opinionated about his own marriage.

"If she agrees, where will the betrothal gift come from?"

"That is what I came to ask you for today, Grandma. I want to borrow some silver from you." Although Gu Yuanmu had stuffed ten taels of silver into his hand when he left, he knew it wasn’t nearly enough.

In her heart, Li Cuicui was still not optimistic about Gu Lehuan’s chances. According to what Seventh’s wife had said, this Miss Xu had both beauty and wealth.

And what did her own grandson have? He was neither a scholar nor a warrior and possessed no particular skills. Aside from his physical labor, he had no other abilities. Putting herself in the girl’s shoes, she would never choose a young man like him.

"Has the girl agreed?"

Gu Lehuan shook his head.

"You silly boy. Nothing is even remotely settled, and you’re already here begging an old woman like me?" Looking at the boy she had watched grow up, Li Cuicui’s heart softened. "Whether it works out or not, at least you tried. There are plenty of good girls out there."

She had wanted to tell him directly that the gap between their families was too wide, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Seeing the foolish boy still kneeling there ramrod straight, Li Cuicui sighed. "How much silver do you need to borrow?"

Gu Lehuan said, "Grandma, just lend me twenty taels for now. I’ll pay you back later when I find work."

Li Cuicui’s expression softened. "This matter of marrying a wife and offering a betrothal gift should be your parents’ responsibility. Why would you think of working to pay me back?"

Gu Lehuan replied, "...I’m the one who wants to marry her, so of course, I should be the one to take responsibility."

Gu Lehuan knew in his heart that since this matter hadn’t gone through Wang Caiyue, there was no telling how she would act up, given her personality. Getting silver from her was out of the question.

He couldn’t let his grandmother, who had always doted on him, bear the burden of such a large sum of silver for his sake.

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Li Cuicui walked over and helped him up. "Nothing is settled yet. It’s too early to talk about this. I asked your Seventh Aunt about the girl, and I know she’s a good child.

If she’s willing to live a steady life with you, then it’s only right for your grandmother to give you a hand.

Let’s see what the matchmaker has to say first, shall we? If the other party agrees, then we can discuss the rest. I can’t let my grandson be unable to marry."

Gu Lehuan supported the old woman. "Grandma, I know I’ve been unreasonable this time, but I truly admire Owner Xu. I would be happy even if she came without a dowry."

Li Cuicui glanced at him, knowing he was just trying to justify himself.

Li Cuicui sat down and took a sip of water before speaking. "I hope you can stay true to your heart. If she really agrees to marry you, this old woman will make the decision to have you separate from your mother’s household."

Seeing the shock in Gu Lehuan’s eyes, Li Cuicui tapped his forehead. "What? You can’t bear to leave your parents’ household?"

Gu Lehuan lowered his head. ’If this were before our flight from home, I definitely wouldn’t have had such a thought. But along the journey, Mother’s change has been too drastic. The smallest thing can set her off. To be honest, I’m a little scared of her now.’

"You’re a filial son," Li Cuicui said, misinterpreting his silence as reluctance. "You’re a grown man now; you can’t rely on your parents forever. Just don’t forget your filial duties in the future, understand?"

Gu Lehuan nodded heavily. Even if his grandmother hadn’t mentioned it, he would never be unfilial.

Since she had decided to support him, Li Cuicui wanted to know more. "Now, tell your grandma what happened during your meetings with that girl..."

...

* * *

Gu Wenheng hadn’t expected the Shuntian Prefect to have someone intercept him on the road.

Following the man’s attendant into a teahouse, he saw the Shuntian Prefect, Gao Ning, sitting there, listening with great interest to the storyteller on stage.

"This subordinate, Gu Wenheng, greets Mr. Gao."

"You’re here. Sit and listen to the story," Gao Ning said, then ignored him and turned his attention back to the stage.

Unsure of his intentions, Gu Wenheng chose a nearby seat and sat down. A waiter quickly served him tea.

Listening to the romantic tale of a scholar and a beauty on stage, Gu Wenheng raised an eyebrow at Gao Ning. ’So Mr. Gao is a fan of this sort of thing.’

Gao Ning: "..."

Hearing the cliché happy ending for the scholar and beauty in the play, Gu Wenheng couldn’t help but take a sip of water.

At that moment, Gao Ning turned to look at him. "What does Mr. Gu think of this story?"

Gu Wenheng smiled. "A fine ending. Everyone in the story got what they wished for. A happy conclusion for all."

"Indeed. It’s just a shame that reality is a bit more cruel," Gao Ning said, his words holding a hidden meaning.

Gu Wenheng replied, "Different people have different perspectives, depending on where they stand."

"Mr. Gu’s answer is truly airtight," Gao Ning said, no longer beating around the bush. "I’m sure Mr. Gu has heard about the case of the Xiao Family’s daughter, which has been the talk of the entire city lately."

Gu Wenheng nodded. "Of course. Even the guards at the Hanlin Academy gate have been muttering about it."

"Then Mr. Gu should also know that I am the one in charge of this case. Something interesting came to light during the trial today. Would Mr. Gu care to hear about it?" Gao Ning’s eyes swept over Gu Wenheng, their gaze subtle yet searching.

Gu Wenheng replied, "I didn’t expect Mr. Gao to be in such high spirits, asking this subordinate to come over just to tell stories."

Gu Wenheng now also noticed the strange tone in the other man’s voice. "If Mr. Gao doesn’t mind that this subordinate is a dull and poor listener, I would be glad to hear the details."

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