A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

On October 12th, just after lunch, the village's famous matchmaker, Sun, came to visit.

This time she didn't come alone; behind her was an old woman dressed in silk, and a young servant driving a carriage loaded with several red lacquered gift boxes. It was quite a spectacle, attracting the attention of the neighbors who all craned their necks to look.

Zhao was feeding the chickens in the yard when she saw this and hurried over: "Aunt Sun is here? This is...!"

"Oh my, Mrs. Lu!" Matchmaker Sun grinned from ear to ear, her voice so loud it could be heard halfway down the street, "Great news! Incredibly good news!"

She led the old woman behind her forward: "This is the head housekeeper of the Deng family. You know the Deng family, right? One of the most prominent families in the county!"

Zhao's heart skipped a beat. She certainly knew the Deng family—the richest family in Yongning County, with countless fields and shops, and rumored to have businesses in the prefectural city as well. But why would such a family come knocking on her door?

The head housekeeper stepped forward, gave a slight curtsy, and spoke politely: "Greetings, Madam Lu. My master and mistress have heard that your eldest daughter is virtuous and intelligent, and have specially sent me to mediate."

Zhao almost dropped the chicken feeder in her hand.

"Young Miss? You mean... Shunhua?"

"Exactly." The head housekeeper gestured to the servant to bring in the gift boxes, which were then opened one by one. Inside were fine silks, jewelry, and a red paper wrapping silver—judging by its size, at least a hundred taels.

"These are the initial gifts. If the marriage goes through, the dowry will be two thousand taels, plus a shop in the county town and a farm." The stewardess spoke calmly, as if she were referring to ordinary vegetable prices rather than an astonishing sum.

Zhao's legs went weak, and she had to hold onto the door frame to steady herself. Two thousand taels... She had never seen more than two thousand taels of silver in her entire life.

The matchmaker, Sun, seized the opportunity to lean closer, lowering her voice but still making sure everyone around could hear: "Sister-in-law, this is like a gold mine falling from the sky! The Deng family's only son is incredibly wealthy. Shunhua will be a young mistress after marrying him, living a life of luxury. Your Lu family will also enjoy good fortune from now on, won't they?"

"But...but the young master of the Deng family..." Zhao's voice trembled. She had vaguely heard rumors about the Deng family's only son...

"Oh, she's just a bit simple-minded," Matchmaker Sun waved her hand. "Children from wealthy families are all like that. It's alright, it's alright."

Inside the room, Shunhua was teaching Taohua to embroider. A commotion outside reached her, and her fingers trembled; the needle pricked her flesh, drawing a bead of blood.

Tao Hua looked up: "Sister?"

Shunhua's face turned pale. She put down her embroidery frame, walked to the window, and looked out through the crack. The bright red gift boxes in the courtyard, the matchmaker Sun's spittle-flecked face, and her mother's dazed expression—all came into view.

She turned and walked towards the back door.

"Where are you going, sister?" Tao Hua asked.

"Go find Third Brother." Shunhua's voice was strained.

Lu Qingyan was speaking at the clan chief's house—the clan chief had asked him to discuss repairing the ancestral hall and erecting a monument. Shunhua came running over, breathless, her eyes red-rimmed: "Third Brother…come home quickly…"

"What's wrong?"

Shunhua couldn't speak, she just shook her head, tears streaming down her face.

Lu Qingyan's heart sank. He apologized to the clan leader and hurried home with Shunhua. On the way, he overheard the gist of what had happened, and his expression grew colder and colder.

When they arrived home, the main room was already set up. Madam Zhao sat in the head seat, looking dazed. Matchmaker Sun and the head housekeeper sat in the guest seats, talking incessantly about the Deng family's wealth. The gift boxes on the floor were open, their silk gleaming.

"Mother." Lu Qingyan stepped into the room, her voice not loud, but it made the room quiet for a moment.

Zhao Shi grasped at a straw: "Yan'er, you're back... This is the head housekeeper from the Deng family, here to... discuss Shunhua's marriage."

Lu Qingyan looked at the stewardess and asked, "Young Master Deng, how old are you this year?"

The housekeeper smiled and said, "My young master is eighteen this year, and he is a perfect match for the second young lady of your household."

"Have you ever studied?"

"Young Master is kind-hearted and dislikes all that nonsense."

"How are you feeling?"

"Of course it's good."

Lu Qingyan nodded, then suddenly asked, "I've heard that your son suffered a high fever when he was three years old, which damaged his brain. He still speaks unclearly and is unable to take care of himself. Is this rumor true or false?"

The main room was deathly silent.

The head housekeeper's smile froze. Matchmaker Sun quickly tried to smooth things over: "Oh dear, sir, you're just a little simpler than others, it's not that serious..."

"Then it's true." Lu Qingyan turned to Zhao Shi, "Mother, do you really want to marry Shunhua into a family like this?"

Zhao's lips trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes: "But...but two thousand taels of silver...and shops and estates...you'll be going to the capital for the imperial examinations, your eldest brother's child will be born, your second brother will get married...we'll need money for everything..."

"So you're going to sell Shunhua?" Lu Qingyan raised his voice, "Use her entire life's suffering to exchange for this money?"

"It's not about selling me..." Zhao cried, "It's about marrying me... marrying into a wealthy family where I'll be a young mistress and enjoy a life of luxury..."

"Enjoying a life of luxury?" Lu Qingyan laughed in exasperation. "Marrying a fool, managing a vast family fortune, and dealing with covetous clansmen—that's what you call enjoying a life of luxury?"

He walked up to the gift boxes, grabbed a bolt of silk, and slammed it to the ground: "I don't want these things! Shunhua definitely doesn't want them!"

The matchmaker was startled. The head housekeeper looked displeased, stood up and said, "Since you don't like it, I'll take my leave." She then turned to leave.

"Wait," Lu Qingyan called out to her, pointing to the gift boxes. "Take these with you. The Lu family may be poor, but we don't sell our daughters."

The people left, and the gift boxes were taken away too. Only family members remained in the main room.

Zhao slumped into a chair, covering her face and weeping. Shunhua stood by the door, her face deathly pale and her whole body trembling. Lu Tiezhu and Lu Dashan returned from the fields and were stunned by the scene.

"What's wrong?" Lu Tiezhu asked.

Lu Qingyan explained briefly. Lu Tiezhu remained silent for a long time, then sighed, turned, and walked into the house: "My head hurts, I'm going to lie down for a while."

Lu Dashan opened his mouth, looked at his mother, looked at his sister, and finally lowered his head: "I...I'll go chop wood."

Only Lu Qingyan, Zhao Shi, and Shunhua remained in the main room.

"Mother," Lu Qingyan squatted down and took Zhao's hand, "Our family is not short of money now. I have rice in my stipend, income from writing books, and my second brother's bonsai business is doing well. Two thousand taels is a lot, but we can earn it slowly. We can't exchange Shunhua for it."

Zhao raised her tearful eyes: "But that's two thousand taels... When you went to the capital for the imperial examination, you needed money for lodging, expenses, and clothes. Your sister-in-law is about to give birth, and the child will need money for school and marriage... I'm afraid... afraid of delaying you all..."

"It won't delay things." Lu Qingyan's voice was firm. "I can earn money, and I can pass the exam. As for Shunhua's marriage, she has to be willing, and the other party has to be of good character. Otherwise, I won't want mountains of gold and silver."

Zhao looked at her son, then at her daughter, and finally nodded emphatically: "Mother... Mother is confused."

Shunhua then burst into tears and threw herself into Zhao's arms: "Mother... I won't marry... I won't marry a fool..."

"I won't marry him, I won't marry him." Zhao hugged her daughter, tears streaming down her face again. "Mother was wrong, Mother shouldn't have..."

Lu Qingyan stood up, looking at the mother and daughter embracing, his heart heavy. He had stopped them today, but what if next time it was a normal family, just with a generous dowry? What if his family truly faced difficulties?

He turned and walked out of the main room. In the courtyard, Lu Tiezhu squatted under the jujube tree smoking, while Lu Dashan chopped firewood with his head down, each chop heavier than the last.