The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 613 has a style reminiscent of Tong Dajiao.
"Hey, Matchmaker Wang, you were just looking at Xiaoxue. Are you going to arrange a marriage for her?"

Gu Taohua stopped Wang the matchmaker's carriage and questioned her. The startled horse raised its hooves, which startled Wang the matchmaker.

Just as Wang the matchmaker was about to stir things up, she saw Gu Taohua holding Gu Xiaoxue's hand, and they didn't seem like the first and second wives were supposed to be at odds.

Gu Taohua brought up Tong Huaqiong and said, "Matchmaker Wang doesn't know yet, but in our Gu family, girls now have to go through my mother's approval to find a husband. Which family did you propose to Xiaoxue? Tell me so my mother can find out."

Hearing this, Wang the matchmaker inwardly groaned. No wonder she had been running to Qinghe Bay so frequently these past two years, and the Gu family rarely let her arrange marriages; it was all at Tong Dajiao's behest. She quickly denied it, saying, "Miss Peach Blossom, what are you saying? When I was talking to your second aunt about Ruinian's marriage, I didn't mention Xiaoxue at all."

That wicked woman, because her own daughter is not getting married soon, she tries to control the marriages of the girls in the clan.

Gu Taohua said with a half-smile, "That would be best."

The matchmaker, Wang, patted her chest in fright. No wonder Gu Taohua was so old and still no man wanted her. With that kind of temper, who would dare to propose marriage to her?

“Oh my God, I wouldn’t dare lie to Peach Blossom Girl. Since we’ve brought up your cousin’s marriage, let me tell you the truth. Peach Blossom Girl is capable, has a business, a shop, and a mother to back her up. Nobody would dare say a word if she didn’t get married. But other girls are different. Other girls are not tolerated by their families if they don’t get married, and they can only shave their heads and become nuns. Peach Blossom Girl, you should think about your cousin. Your cousin is beautiful and capable. If I were to arrange a marriage for her, I would definitely choose a good match from a wealthy family in Pingchuan. Since you say that your mother has to decide on marriages for girls in your clan, then I won’t bother with that.”

After Wang the matchmaker finished speaking, she gave Gu Xiaoxue a meaningful look.

Matchmaker Wang's words were clearly provocative.

She instigated Gu Xiaoxue to complain to Tong Huaqiong, saying, "Look at you, you could clearly be a young mistress in a wealthy family, but your aunt insisted on stopping you."

Gu Xiaoxue laughed and said to Matchmaker Wang, "You don't need to worry about my marriage. If I can't get married and my family won't accept me, then I'll just poison them with a bowl of pesticide."

Matchmaker Wang's pupils contracted.

This madman has quite the flair of Tong Dajiao.

After being ridiculed by Gu Taohua and Gu Xiaoxue, Wang the matchmaker was so frightened that she ordered the driver to drive away from Qinghe Bay as if fleeing.

Forget it, she won't openly get involved in the second young master's marriage. Anyway, she's already conveyed the message to Madam Jia. She just hopes Madam Jia will be helpful so that her efforts won't be in vain.

"What are you two doing?" Tong Huaqiong asked as she came out of the weaving workshop.

Gu Taohua said to Tong Huaqiong, "Mother, I just saw Wang the matchmaker and my second aunt talking for a long time. I suspect she's going to help some shabby rich family's son find a wife again, and she's got her eye on Xiaoxue."

Tong Huaqiong thought that Wang the matchmaker was capable of doing such a thing, so she turned to Gu Xiaoxue and said, "Try to get some information out of your mother."

Gu Xiaoxue nodded.

"The Xu family is keeping us hanging. In my opinion, we should call off the marriage proposal with the Xu family."

Two days later, the Xu family was still keeping the Gu family hanging. Jia couldn't help but persuade Gu Youtian and Old Master Gu to give up the marriage at the dinner table.

Gu Youtian hesitated, and Grandpa Gu said he would wait two more days.

Madam Jia said, "A couple of days ago, Matchmaker Wang said that the Third Young Master Lian from the prefectural city is looking for a good-looking and capable girl from the countryside. Matchmaker Wang has taken a liking to Xiaoxue. If we are willing, we can meet her."

Unable to contain herself, Jia revealed that Matchmaker Wang was planning to marry Xiaoxue to the Third Young Master Lian.

Upon hearing the name of the Lian family, Gu Ruinian felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

Did the Third Young Master Lian take a fancy to Gu Xiaoxue?
What a joke.

"Which Lian family?" Gu Ruinian asked.

Jia then revealed the entire situation of the Lian family.

Upon hearing this, Gu Ruinian immediately recognized the Lian family as the one associated with Lian Hengruo. Old Master Gu and the others, unfamiliar with the Lian family, raised the same question Jia Shi had asked: If the Third Young Master Lian is so exceptional, why would he choose a girl from the countryside? Wouldn't a marriage between equals be better?

Jia then parroted what Wang the matchmaker had said.

“If Xiaoxue can really marry into the Lian family, she’ll be the young mistress right away. With such a powerful backer, Ruinian won’t have to suffer at the Xu family’s hands. I think this marriage is a good one. What do you think, her father?” Jia Shi looked at Gu Youtian.

Gu Youtian was stunned by the news.

He even had a bold guess: when he was doing business with Wu Ren in Pingchuan County, it must have been that the Third Young Master Lian took a fancy to Gu Xiaoxue, which is why he asked someone to propose marriage.

It's not unusual for a wealthy young master to be a romantic, and even the emperor can take a commoner woman as his empress. So it's not surprising that his daughter, Xiaoxue, becomes the young mistress of a wealthy family.

Gu Youtian slammed his fist on the table and said, "I'll personally go and tell Matchmaker Wang tomorrow. If this marriage is true, what are we waiting for?"

He'd had enough of the Xu family's humiliation; even after losing one of his sons, they still wanted to keep him hanging.

What do you think?
He wanted to show the Xu family that he had a daughter and could turn his fortunes around.

Grandma Gu hesitated: "I've heard that Matchmaker Wang has arranged a lot of bad marriages. She can even talk about marrying a dead man and finding a good match where the woman won't have to serve a man. I don't really think the Lian family's third son is a reliable match."

Grandma Gu has experienced this firsthand.

Some time ago, the matchmaker Wang arranged a marriage for Gu Honglian with a wealthy man whose grandchildren were already running all over the place. She claimed that Gu Honglian would not have to go through the pain of childbirth and would have a house full of children and grandchildren. This angered Gu Honglian so much that she beat Wang to a pulp.

Gu Youtian said, "Whether it's true or not, I can just go and find out. Mother, don't think too badly of Matchmaker Wang. Wasn't Da Han and his wife also arranged by Matchmaker Wang? They're doing just fine now. As for what you said about the Third Young Master Lian, I suspect that he took a liking to Xiao Xue first when we were in Pingchuan last year. Our Xiao Xue is so beautiful. Let alone a young master from a wealthy family, she could be a princess in Shengjing."

"Aren't there officials' wives in the south who want to take Xiaoxue as their daughter-in-law?"

Thinking of this, Gu Youtian couldn't help but want to kick Gu Ruinian.

The reason why those sons of officials were rejected in the first place was because Gu Ruinian said that marrying into a family of a minor official would not be of much use, and that Xiaoxue's marriage should be made to maximize its value. He would wait until he passed the exam and then marry Xiaoxue to a high-ranking official.

The whole family was fooled by him. He failed the exam, and Gu Xiaoxue's marriage was also delayed.

Now, she's been chosen by the son of a wealthy family, and the whole family can't believe such good fortune.

Liu Qingsong almost snatched it away.

When Grandpa Gu and Grandma Gu heard Gu Youtian say this, they tacitly agreed that if it was true, they would wholeheartedly support Gu Xiaoxue marrying into the family.

Gu Xiaoxue will eventually get married, right?

Becoming a young mistress in the Lian family is much better than working in the weaving workshop.

Now, she will no longer complain about her family mistreating her.

“Let’s find out about this quietly first, and then tell Xiaoxue after things are settled. I’m afraid she’s too stubborn right now and will always think we’re trying to harm her,” Jia said.

She was afraid that Gu Xiaoxue would refuse to see her and simply give up, so she wanted to keep it from Gu Xiaoxue for the time being.

Another reason is that Jia wanted to marry into the Lian family, even if her daughter became a widow, it would still be better than marrying an ordinary person.

Grandpa Gu nodded and said, "You're right. Keep things from Xiaoxue until it's settled."

After speaking, he gave a sharp look to everyone at the dinner table.