Kays Translations

Chapter 225: She Took a Liking to Him at First Sight

The cooking smoke rises in spirals, and the sounds of dogs barking and chickens crowing fill the air; the setting sun dips in the west, painting the sky with red clouds.

The evening in Xiahe Village gives a warm and comfortable feeling, one that you can watch countless times without getting bored.

Bathed in the sunset glow, Zhu Ping’an returned to Xiahe Village from Landlord Li’s house. Before he even reached his door, he heard a noisy commotion. From a distance, he could see quite a few villagers gathered outside.

What’s going on?

With confusion in his mind, Zhu Ping’an walked over. Upon seeing him approach, the villagers standing in front of his door greeted him and made way. Zhu Ping’an responded to each of them and walked through the path they made.

He then saw his grandparents and Eldest Uncle’s family gathered in front of his house. His mother, Chen, and his father were also there, and Chen’s expression was not very pleasant.

His uncle’s family was arguing, but it wasn’t with his own family.

After greeting his grandparents, Zhu Ping’an walked to his parents’ side. He glanced at the commotion caused by his uncle’s family, then looked at the villagers, who were gossiping and waiting to see the drama unfold. He walked over to his uncle’s family and tried to mediate.

“Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, Brother Jun, why are you standing outside? Come in. Whatever the matter is, let’s sit down, have some tea, and talk it through.”

The so-called family matters should not be aired in public. Even though the family was divided, they were still one Zhu family.

Eldest Aunt was in the middle of lecturing Zhu Pingjun and did not particularly want to go inside. Eldest Uncle, however, nodded in his usual refined manner after hearing Zhu Ping’an. Grandma Zhu said something to Eldest Aunt, and she finally pulled Zhu Pingjun by the arm and followed Grandma inside.

As soon as his uncle’s family entered the house, the crowd dispersed, having understood the situation. They greeted Chen and the others politely before going into the home.

Zhu Ping’an was the last to enter the house, following his parents inside. Once inside, he found that his uncle’s family was still arguing in the house. No one could stop them.

From the argument, Zhu Ping’an learned that the dispute was over a proposed marriage for Zhu Pingjun. A matchmaker had recently approached Eldest Aunt. The girl’s family was well-off: her father was a xiucai and the household owned dozens of mu of fertile land. Eldest Aunt was delighted, though she did not accept immediately. She consulted Eldest Uncle, who was equally pleased when he heard that the girl’s father was a xiucai. Having a xiucai as an in-law could only help.

Lately Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt had been overwhelmed by the celebrations surrounding Zhu Ping’an’s family, so they were thrilled to finally have good news of their own. A xiucai household had approached them about marriage—what prestige! Grandpa and Grandma also approved. What no one expected was Zhu Pingjun’s refusal.

In ancient times, matchmaking was a matter of family agreement and parental will. Uncle and Aunt, with the approval of the parents, used their authority to push for the marriage, but despite the parental consent, Zhu Pingjun refused to cooperate.

“Jun’er, listen to your mother. Be good and go with Matchmaker Wang for the nacai formal proposal,” Eldest Aunt coaxed.

“I’m not going for the nacai. I’m not going!” Zhu Pingjun shouted, tilting his head defiantly, folding his arms, and tapping one foot as he swayed.

Nacai was the first formal step in a traditional betrothal, when the man’s side sent a matchmaker with the initial proposal gift to the woman’s family. It was not a modern dating-style matchmaking visit.

Zhu Pingjun’s firm refusal meant the marriage could not proceed smoothly. Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt had hoped this match would bring honor to the senior branch, so naturally they tried both soft and hard methods to persuade him.

“Jun’er, how would your mother harm you? Her family is excellent. Her father is a xiucai, and they own dozens of mu of good land. If you marry her, you won’t lack food or clothing. I even had your fortune told—you’re the Wenqu Star descended to earth. Maybe this is where your fortune lies. Your future father-in-law is a xiucai and can guide your studies; perhaps you’ll even become zhuangyuan one day!”

“I won’t go, mother. You just said I’m like the Star of Literature. Why would I need to rely on them? Haven’t you heard? Relying on a mountain means the mountain will collapse; relying on water means the water will flow. You have to rely on yourself,” Zhu Pingjun retorted.

Zhu Pingjun swung his legs confidently, his expression full of pride and vitality.

The Wenqu Star descended to earth?

Looking at Zhu Pingjun, who was swinging his legs, full of pride, with the confidence that he could ride a tiger up a mountain or capture a dragon in water, Zhu Ping’an felt like a herd of grass mud horses was galloping over his head. By the way, the last time he visited Old Master Sun, Sun had still been lamenting that Zhu Pingjun was a rotten wood that could not be carved, and the village’s opinion of Zhu Pingjun was rather negative…

Hearing Zhu Pingjun casually say, “If you rely on a mountain, the mountain may collapse; if you rely on water, the water may flow away, but you still have to rely on yourself.”

Zhu Ping’an couldn’t help but want to correct him: “If you rely on a mountain, the mountain may collapse; if you rely on water, the water may run away; relying on yourself… but you have no skills at all, what can be done!!!” Of course, Zhu Ping’an would never say this aloud.

“Rely on yourself? Then wait to live on the northwest wind,” Eldest Uncle snapped, speaking a rare bit of truth in his anger.

“Heh, why can’t I rely on myself? This time, they want to connect with our family precisely because of me. My mother just said that the matchmaker, Wang, personally said that the young lady took a liking to me at first sight!”

Zhu Pingjun raised his head, a proud expression on his face.

“Then why won’t you go?” Eldest Uncle asked angrily.

“A real man need never worry about finding a wife! I haven’t even gone through the formal proposal, and the xiucai’s daughter already took a liking to me at first sight. Once I sit the exams next year and, like Zhi’er, become a xiucai or even a juren, then a mere xiucai’s daughter…” Zhu Pingjun said with open disdain.

So this was what it looked like to be carried away by sudden good fortune. Zhu Ping’an was speechless. Brother Jun talked as though the civil-service examinations were run by his own family.

Zhu Ping’an still had doubts about the match. It was not that he looked down on Brother Jun; the facts simply did not add up. Brother Jun had accomplished nothing and had a poor reputation in the village, while Eldest Uncle had sat the examinations year after year without becoming a xiucai. The girl came from a xiucai household with dozens of mu of good land. They could find a much better match, so why would she have taken a liking to Brother Jun at first sight? In Ming society, girls from such families were normally kept within the inner quarters and bound by strict propriety. How would she even have had the chance to see him—unless…

“Eldest Aunt, did Matchmaker Wang really say that the young lady took a liking to Brother Jun at first sight?”

“Of course! Matchmaker Wang swore to Heaven that the girl took a liking to your Brother Jun at first sight. She even vowed that if a single word was false, she’d pay me ten taels of silver.”

“Eldest Aunt, before agreeing to the marriage, it would be better to quietly ask around about the young lady. If everything is truly good, I’m sure Brother Jun will go through with it.”

The matchmaker was clearly trying to cover up something.

Zhu Ping’an vaguely suspected that the xiucai’s daughter might have some physical condition—perhaps, if his guess was right, one blind eye. Otherwise the family should have been able to find a better match. But he could not say that carelessly. In the Ming, a woman’s reputation could matter more than her life, and he would not make an unsupported accusation.

If the uncle’s family hastily agreed, only to find out that the new bride had a blind eye, they would probably have the following conversation when confronting the matchmaker:

“Eldest Aunt: ‘Old Wang, the wife you introduced for our Jun’er is blind in one eye! Return the matchmaker’s fee and pay me another ten taels. You said if one word was false, you’d owe me ten taels!’”

“Matchmaker Wang: ‘She does have a blind eye.'”

“Eldest Aunt: ‘You tricked us! Why didn’t you tell us before? Pay up!’”

“Matchmaker Wang: ‘How did I not tell you? I said the girl took a liking to your Jun’er with one eye!’”

After Zhu Ping’an subtly reminded his aunt, her gaze towards him became a bit strange, as if she thought Zhu Ping’an might be jealous that their Jun’er had found a good match.

“Mm.”

So his aunt just responded vaguely, not taking Zhu Ping’an’s words seriously.

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