Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 108: Concubine Cheng Si
To act as a matchmaker, Yu Po was always willing to say anything. Even when the old lady took her anger out on her, she remained calm and said earnestly, "They say marriage is predestined. Madam, why don't you be more open-minded? Perhaps all the ups and downs in the past were to help bring this perfect couple together."

"What do you mean by a perfect match? The Tan family only thought of currying favor with Zhuo'er because they saw that he was going to be selected for the imperial examination!" The old lady brought up the past. "Not to mention that they arbitrarily replaced her with a new bride, they even stayed away during the most difficult time for the Shentu family right after Heng'er's funeral. Not to mention coming to help, they even ignored their own daughter's return home and sent her back to the old house in the countryside, as if we were some poor and disgraceful relatives. They are so treacherous and have no regard for the friendship between us, and yet they still have the nerve to come and propose marriage!"

"Oh, old lady, you can't say that," said Mrs. Yu. "At the beginning, the two families had a good discussion. Who could have thought that the eldest son would be so unlucky and encounter such a tragedy before his wedding? After all, it was your family that suffered a great change, forcing them to find a concubine's daughter to marry in his place. How could parents bear to let their only legitimate daughter become a widow? The fact that they can ignore the criticism and take such a desperate measure shows that the Tan family still attaches great importance to this marriage. In asking me to come again this time, I actually mean to apologize. I hope that Madam will forgive me."

"Hmph, they slander and betray us when we're down, only to cling to us when we're prosperous. The Tan family is truly calculating businessmen, accustomed to adapting to the changing circumstances. It's a pity that we in the Shentu Mansion aren't easily fooled. There are countless families in the county who are of equal status to ours, so why would we rely on them alone?"

"Madam, please don't be angry. When you were looking for a bride for the eldest young master, the first thing you said was to reject young ladies from official families, saying you didn't dare marry into a powerful and wealthy family. You are a wise queen. After all, the legitimate daughter of the Tan family was carefully selected by you during your selection, and she is also the candidate approved by the eldest young master. Can you really bear to refuse her?"

The old lady secretly thought that Heng'er had no intention of getting married, let alone recognizing the legitimate daughter of the Tan family. However, Heng'er wanted the Shentu family to seize the favorable situation at the imperial court. He came back and told her about the imperial merchant selection and the opening of the western trade route. So she thought about arranging a marriage so that the Shentu family could have some support in trade.

Unlike ordinary families, the old lady knew that it would be dangerous for the descendants of the Shentu family to enter officialdom, so she never tried to curry favor with the powerful and influential people in the county. Even if someone wanted to make friends with her, she would usually refuse them politely.

In her opinion, although merchants were often despised, they were a stable and prosperous option. The imperial court, seeking to enrich the nation, clearly prioritized commerce and, with the goal of expanding into the western borders and opening up trade routes, should seize the opportunity to find an ally for the Shentu Mansion as soon as possible. That's when the Tan family caught her eye.

No wonder people say there's no business without dishonesty. Even after the two families had gotten to this point, the Tan family had suddenly changed their attitude, acting as if nothing had happened before, even inviting the matchmaker to discuss the marriage. The old lady even had some respect for these scoundrels who were willing to take advantage of anything and still take advantage of it.

Grandma Yu continued to persuade him, "A sister and a brother together is a good thing. What do you think, Madam?"

Sisters are not worthy of brothers? How dare she say that!

The old lady was about to scold her for her nonsense, but suddenly she changed her mind and calmed down.

Sisters? Brothers? Could it be that such an absurd marriage really existed?
Zhuo'er had been a playboy for so many years, he'd seen all sorts of young ladies, yet every time he asked, none caught his eye. Why did he choose Tan Huaike? Could it be that he admired his brother, and out of brotherly love, he felt the responsibility of caring for his eldest sister-in-law? Or was it that seeing his eldest sister-in-law living alone and widowed, he felt a pity for her, leading him to act on impulse?
Putting aside the origins of this affection, Tan Huaike was out there running the shop day and night, and business was indeed booming. Since Zhuo'er was interested in her, perhaps he was attracted to someone as smart, capable, and good at business as the Tan family's wife? In this regard, surely the Tan family's legitimate daughter would be superior, no matter how good she was, no less than the concubine's daughter raised in the old country house?
Besides, these two young ladies were sisters after all. Given Zhuo'er's unruly and playful nature, even if she did have an unclear relationship with Tan Huaike in the future, the two sisters would probably be able to cover it up to protect their family's reputation and interests. By then, they would become the daughters of the Shentu family, and they would be under the control of the Shentu family, so no major problems would occur.

Besides, the old lady has a little selfish motive.

If Zhuo'er insisted on participating in the imperial examination and was actually to be appointed to an official position in Andu, she would certainly intervene to stop him. Zhuo'er, disheartened and hopeless about his career, might even revert to his playboy ways. If the bride were someone else's, she would still feel indebted. But if she could thwart the snobbish Tan Anfu who had betrayed Heng'er, she would not feel the slightest bit of guilt. After all, not letting her marry Heng'er and become a widow was already the greatest mercy.
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Mrs. Yu talked a lot, all of which were excuses for the Tan family and praises for the Tan family's eldest daughter. The old lady was thinking about her own plan and didn't listen carefully.

The charcoal brazier in the room was burning brightly, and Yu Po was so thirsty from talking that she stopped to drink tea and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief.

She hadn't originally planned to convince Madam Shentu all at once. She was the daughter of the former Grand Historian, a true lady from a noble family, far more knowledgeable than these old women, and wouldn't be swayed by a few words. She was just taking money and putting in the effort to do the work. As for whether it would work out, the matchmaking deposit wouldn't be refunded anyway.

At worst, she could just come to the Shentu Mansion a few more times. The old lady was providing her with good food and drink anyway, so she had nothing to lose. The matchmakers sitting in the side hall all had the same thought in mind. Who knew which lady the Second Young Master would eventually choose? They just drank some tea in their spare time. Such good tea was hard to find outside.

Just after taking two sips of tea, Yu Po heard the old lady say, "It's better to resolve a feud than to create one. How about this? I'll invite the two elders of the Tan family into the mansion for a chat. Some things are better discussed face to face."

"Hmm?" Grandma Yu almost spit out a mouthful of tea, but luckily she managed to swallow it back.

What was wrong with this old lady? She had just been righteously rebuking her, but why had she suddenly changed her tune? Had she truly been persuaded by me? Or were the two families each pursuing their own agenda and unwilling to sever ties?
No matter what, as long as things could turn around, she, as the matchmaker, would have something to explain when she returned, so she went there happily with the message.

So today's incident happened.

Looking at Tan Huaike who was sitting calmly below, the old lady thought that regardless of whether this marriage was appropriate or not, she could at least use the Tan family's legitimate daughter to overshadow the new bride, so that she wouldn't think that she really couldn't do anything to her.

Tan Anfu also secretly glanced at Tan Huaike.

This little bitch relied on the support of the Shentu Mansion and had bullied her before. Even if the fake concubine became a real concubine, so what? A helpless widow, she would have plenty of ways to torture her when she took charge of the Shentu Mansion!
　Next chapter: I’m afraid my sister and my uncle are not a good match.

　　(End of this chapter)