boyutpedia Chapter 59 Compromise
Chapter 59 Compromise
Therefore, Wang You could not compromise with Yuan Wenchun and had to persuade Sheng Wei to do so.
When the time comes, he'll readily agree, and the deal will be done.
Sheng Wei was completely bewildered by Wang You, his mind preoccupied with how to handle the situation, and he paid no attention to Wang You's gaze.
"hehe…"
Gou forced a smile, but her face was stiff, and the smile was more unsightly than a cry.
"Young Master Wang, this time our Yuan family has been impolite, but there's nothing we can do about it."
When our family was stripped of its title a few years ago, most of the clan members were selfish and only cared about themselves. My father-in-law was very disappointed in these people and did not want to associate with them.
This is also why the father-in-law couldn't get away and was unwilling to invite elders from his clan to Yangzhou to formally propose marriage.
"It's just that family scandals shouldn't be aired in public, which is why we kept it from the Sheng family. We never expected it to cause such a misunderstanding."
It must be said that Gou does have some brains; the excuse he came up with in a hurry sounds reasonable.
When the Yuan family was stripped of their titles and their ancestral property was confiscated, the target was the direct descendant who controlled the titles.
Although those branch families lost their powerful backers, their assets remained unaffected.
Afterwards, many people felt that the Yuan family was doomed and had no hope of revival. They worried that the main branch would ask them for help, and indeed they broke off contact with the main branch.
Even if the Sheng family investigates, they won't find any problems.
Sheng Wei also came to his senses at this moment and followed Gou Shi's words, saying, "I didn't expect there to be such an inside story. You'er is still young and doesn't know how to speak properly. You don't seem to care."
However, many people in Yangzhou now know that it was the Earl of Zhongqin who came to Yangzhou to propose marriage. If this cannot be clearly explained, rumors may spread, affecting both the Yuan and Sheng families.
"Uncle Sheng, rest assured, this is a matter for the Yuan family. I will explain it to the guests at that time."
After Yuan Wenchun finished speaking, she glanced at Wang You.
Wang You picked up his teacup and drank the tea without saying a word.
Seeing that Wang You didn't speak, Yuan Wenchun and Sheng Wei both breathed a sigh of relief.
The two then began to discuss the engagement process.
The main task was to determine the number of people who would carry the betrothal gifts. The Yuan family was quite generous with the betrothal gifts, preparing them entirely in accordance with the Yuan family's social standing.
Of course, it's still far less than the bride's dowry.
In the Song Dynasty, it was customary to give generous dowries. Within the same household, the betrothal gifts and dowries for marrying off a daughter and marrying off a son were completely incomparable.
This situation is common even among ordinary people, just not as extreme as it is among wealthy families.
This is why many people call daughters a "money-losing burden," and some families even drown their daughters after they are born.
Although the betrothal gifts from the Yuan family and the dowry prepared by the Sheng family were vastly different, they still filled a boat with more than enough supplies.
The Yuan family was not stingy when it came to the betrothal gifts, since they were given by the groom's family and represented their face.
Half an hour later, Sheng Wei led Sheng Changbai and Wang You off the boat and left.
As Wang You boarded the carriage, he saw a young man in blue standing on the second-floor deck of the ship, gazing intently in the direction of Yangzhou.
After Sheng Wei sat down, she wanted to say that Wang You had been a bit too forceful.
But after hesitating, he still didn't say it.
Thinking about it carefully, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly if Wang You hadn't been so assertive.
…………
After seeing the Sheng family off, Yuan Wenchun discussed the matter with his wife, but they couldn't come up with a good solution.
Gou said, "Sir, don't worry. Which new bride hasn't been made to behave by her mother-in-law? When the time comes, let the mother-in-law find a reason to set some rules for the Sheng family's daughter, and she will naturally behave."
"I know that, but that Wang family boy looks like he has a bad temper. I'm not worried about the Sheng family, but I am a little worried about the Wang family," Yuan Wenchun said, frowning.
"What's there to worry about?"
Gou sneered, "After years of hardship, a daughter-in-law becomes a mother-in-law. Which new daughter-in-law hasn't gone through this process?"
If the Wang family makes a fuss about this, they won't have a valid argument.
"As long as they don't find any other excuse, what can they do even if they know?"
"What you say makes sense, my lady. Let's not cause any unnecessary complications this time."
Yuan Wenchun nodded in agreement; it was just a little more troublesome anyway.
Giving up is impossible.
If one doesn't care about the bride's dowry, wouldn't it be better to find someone from a family of higher social standing than the Sheng family? Why marry a girl from the Sheng family?
"The master should go and speak to the second son of the Gu family," Gou reminded him.
"I almost forgot about this if my wife hadn't mentioned it."
Yuan Wenchun patted his forehead and said, "I'll go find him and talk to him right now."
She asked a servant and learned that Gu Tingye was on the second-floor deck, so Yuan Wenchun went up to the second floor.
"Zhonghuai".
Gu Tingye turned around upon hearing the voice, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Eldest Brother."
"Zhonghuai mentioned traveling in Yangzhou. Is there anywhere you'd like to go?" Yuan Wenchun asked with a smile.
Gu Tingye came to Yangzhou because he received his grandfather's last letter.
However, he did not tell Yuan Wenchun, only saying that he had come to Yangzhou for sightseeing.
"I've heard that Daming Temple in Yangzhou is not only where Master Jianzhen became a monk, but also the most famous historical site in Yangzhou. Once things are settled here with Dalang, I plan to go and see Daming Temple," Gu Tingye said.
"I was overthinking things before. Today, after meeting the Sheng family, I found them to be humble and polite. I think the Sheng family's daughter is also very well-mannered, so I won't trouble Zhonghuai."
"I'll be staying in Yangzhou for another two days. Zhonghuai, why don't you take these two days to enjoy yourself? Then you can come back to the capital with me in a couple of days, and you'll have company on the journey," Yuan Wenchun said with a smile.
Gu Tingye was somewhat surprised to hear this. It was good that he didn't have to do such dirty work, but he still had to go to the Sheng family.
When his grandfather learned that his days were numbered, he sent someone to deliver a letter to him, asking him to come to Yangzhou to inherit the family business.
But he never arrived, and the messenger sent out also disappeared without a trace.
At that time, Old Master Bai knew that either the Gu family did not want Gu Tingye to contact him and detained him, or someone in the Bai family intercepted the letter.
So Old Master Bai arranged for someone to deliver the message again, but secretly arranged for someone to take a detour to Bianjing.
She also instructed the messenger to convey her speculations to Gu Tingye, urging him to get to Yangzhou as soon as possible and to be careful.
When Gu Tingye learned of this, he also suspected that Gu Yankai was behind it. Therefore, he tentatively approached Gu Yankai and asked to visit his maternal grandfather in Yangzhou, but Gu Yankai refused him sternly.
Even so, Gu Tingye was not sure if it was Gu Yankai who intercepted the letter.
He happened to learn that the Yuan family was going to Yangzhou to propose marriage, so he thought of taking a ride on a boat to Yangzhou.
If it was Gu Yankai who did it, he would definitely have someone secretly watching him, and it would be difficult for him to contact ships without being discovered.
If someone in the Bai family is unwilling to see him inherit the Bai family business, they will definitely keep a close watch on the ships heading to Yangzhou.
Regardless of the possibility, boarding the Yuan family's betrothal ship is the best option.
On the way, Gu Tingye learned from some people passing through Yangzhou that Old Master Bai had passed away.
As a major city in Jiangnan, Yangzhou was a place where many ships had to pass through. And since Old Master Bai was a well-known wealthy merchant in Yangzhou, the news of his death could not be kept secret.
Despite his heartbreak, Gu Tingye remained rational.