The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 303: Paving the Way for the Eldest Grandson’s Exam (4)_1

Chapter 303: Chapter 303: Paving the Way for the Eldest Grandson’s Exam (4)_1

Both families had come over to consider a match, but neither took a liking to Pei Wenlee.

While they said many nice things, the shopkeeper’s family let slip that they had taken a fancy to Pei Qin.

Lady Chen was nearly driven mad with annoyance and hatred.

Lady Zhu was also at a loss. Their Old Pei’s House’s reputation had been tarnished by the despicable promiscuous acts of Lady Fang and her brood of lowly offspring. Even though the second son had started a silk and satin shop in the city, those people still looked down on them as if the Pei family were reaching above their station. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a shopkeeper’s household—they could have had their pick of rich and influential families!

With the large quantities of kimchi being delivered to the restaurants and Pei Qin visiting the city every few days to deliver goods, things were looking up. Not only was the young master from Chang’s house staying at her place, but the young master from the Wang family often went to see her. She even had the ear of the Master County, and who knows how successful the sweet potato promotion might turn out to be. Despite her bad reputation, she was already fifteen and had blossomed into an eye-catching beauty. It seemed like those who wanted to marry an eldest daughter were looking at her instead.

The only daughter of the second room who was of marriageable age was none other than Pei Qin. The meaning was clear: they were not interested in Pei Wenlee, but in Pei Qin.

Lady Zhu, somewhat wary of Pei Qin’s temper and propensity for hitting, discussed with Pei Zongli the idea of settling the marriage match. But they weren’t planning on the shopkeeper’s family, instead, they considered Zhao Junchao, a young man studying at the county school with several dozen acres of family land. His uncle was a clerk at the Government Office, well connected with an inside track there.

This was also why Pei Wenli had struck up a friendship with Zhao Junchao and wished to marry Pei Wenlee to him. If he were to pass the exams with high marks, the status of his siblings would rise accordingly, leaving nothing to fear. But now, Pei Qin had first become familiar with the Wang family and Landlord Chang, and also with the Master County because of the sweet potato crops. Their second uncle’s scholastic achievements must certainly be attributed to them.

Pei Wenli was worried that come next spring, he might face the same failure as he did this year, which would mean another year wasted. The common saying goes, "It’s easier to meet Yama Raja than to deal with his minions," so he decided to start with the lower-ranking clerks and approached Zhao Junchao.

Zhao Junchao, who was often in the County town, naturally knew Pei Qin. Pei Wenlee of the second room had slightly slanted eyes and a few dark moles on her face, making her less appealing compared to the striking Pei Qin.

Lady Zhu brought up that the daughter of the second room was also of marriageable age, soon to be out of the mourning period, though not quite yet.

Zhao Junchao immediately understood that Old Pei’s House, unable to marry off Pei Wenlee, intended to marry Pei Qin to him instead. He inquired if Sister Peiqin and her brother were just living separately or still a part of Pei family’s lineage. Seizing the opportunity while Pei Qin was in town delivering goods, he met with her and was quite satisfied, neither rejecting nor agreeing outright, his attitude ambiguous and noncommittal.

Lady Zhu proposed that she and Pei Zongli take charge of the matter and settle Pei Qin with Zhao Junchao, "I am her grandmother, and you are her father—it is our responsibility to make such decisions for her! In matters of marriage, parents’ commands and matchmakers’ words should suffice. I refuse to believe she would dare to be defiant and undutiful!"

Pei Zongli felt this was inappropriate—if his mother had been resolute and unafraid, she wouldn’t have involved him in the decision. He hesitated, "People in the village have heard rumors from Taiping Town that Pei Qin knows kung fu."

"So what if she knows kung fu? Does that mean she can disregard her elders and father? Does that give her the right to be defiant and undutious?!" Lady Zhu said, her face darkening with anger.

Lady Chen listened on the side, grinding her teeth and holding back her spite. Once that damned brat paved the way for her son and her eldest son achieved academic success, better prospects would naturally await her daughter!

Yet deep down she couldn’t let go of her bitterness and fury, and her face twisted with resentment.

Lady Kong, heavily pregnant, came over, saying she felt like eating something sour and spicy that evening.

Since becoming pregnant, Lady Kong’s preferences had completely changed, especially developing a taste for spicy food. But she dared not express her liking for spicy food; an old wives’ tale advised "sour for a boy, spicy for a girl." Since the pregnancy, her mother-in-law and great mother-in-law had prepared sour foods for her, forbidding anything spicy. She could only request something sour and spicy.