In the evening, they dined in Santang, and Wanlan and Wantian served the dishes and chopsticks as usual, and served the elders to sit down. Xie Daozhong's face was calm, he couldn't see his joy or anger, it seemed to be no different from usual, Wanlan didn't know whether Mrs. Qin had mentioned it to him or not, and she frequently wandered to look at Mrs. Qin's face, she did it too obviously, so that Xie Huai'an noticed her abnormality, and couldn't help but ask: "Why is Sister Lan upset tonight?" ”

Wanlan was taken aback, and subconsciously laughed: "If you eat too much in the afternoon, you won't be able to eat." ”

Xie Huai'an suddenly realized: "I see, then use some soup, it's not good to eat too much at night." As he spoke, he looked at Xie Wanlan with a smile, and reached over to take her soup bowl away, and personally served her a bowl of soup.

Wanlan and Huai'an are dragon and phoenix twins, and they know each other the most. Wanlan only looked at the meaningful smile on his face, and knew that he must have guessed her mind again, so she couldn't help but be annoyed and angry, and glared at him fiercely when she took the bowl.

Xie Daozhong put down his chopsticks at this time and said calmly: "Ah Lan is nineteen years old this year." ”

Wanlan hurriedly gathered her mind and bowed her head to thank you: "Yes." ”

Xie Daozhong said "um": "It's time to get married." ”

Wanlan glanced at Mrs. Qin again, and smiled reluctantly, "That's what my father said." ”

"Just take advantage of your uncle's presence to settle this matter," Xie Daozhong took a sip of plum soup and said, "It is also convenient for you to go to the capital with your uncle, scatter your heart, and come back just in time to get married." ”

Wanlan was stunned for a moment, and was a little hesitant: "Father is talking about ......"

"According to your uncle's meaning, Huaichang will live in the capital for a year before going abroad, learning foreign languages, and I don't worry about him himself, since you are the eldest sister, you will go with you and take care of Huaichang for me and your mother," Xie Daozhong pressed his eyebrows, and his voice was deep, naturally bringing out three points of undoubted majesty.

Wanlan reflected for a while before she understood the meaning of Xie Daozhong's words, and for a moment her heart was indistinguishable, and she didn't know whether to be happy or worried, she subconsciously glanced at Mrs. Qin, who was drinking soup with her head down, and did not respond to her gaze, so she had to settle down and slowly smiled at Xie Daozhong: "What my father said is that Ah Lan is the eldest sister and should go to take care of Huaichang." ”

Xie Daozhong said "um", and said: "The end of July is the death day of Huaichang's biological mother, he is gone, I don't know when he will be able to come back, stay for two more days, and leave after this death day." ”

Xie Huaichang got up and saluted Xie Daozhong: "Thank you father for your compassion." ”

Xie Daozhong looked at Wanlan again: "I have discussed with your mother about your choice of son-in-law, and your mother suggested that I listen to your opinion, so I will take this opportunity to ask you." ”

Wanlan reflected for a while before she lowered her head shyly: "Marriage matters, the orders of parents, the words of matchmakers, daughters dare not make decisions on their own." ”

Xie Daozhong smiled slightly: "There is a good candidate for his father, he is the eldest son of the Chen family in Suzhou, five years older than you, his appearance and character are very good, his father Fuping brother is now an official to Yueyang Zhizhou, when he was an official in Zhenjiang before, his father also made a marriage contract with him for his children......"

"You might as well just say that you have already decided on someone, and what are you pretending to ask," Xie Daoyong interrupted him and snorted: "In this world, you still dare to marry the official family?" ”

"If you don't tie up with the official, do you want to tie up with the business?" Xie Daozhong glanced at him: "Besides, what I like is that the Chen family has a good style and strict family discipline, and we are the right match for the Xie family." ”

Xie Daoyong pursed his lips: "What kind of family style do you pay attention to now?" I can't save my life. ”

"Daoyong." Xie Daozhong called in a deep voice: "Woe comes from the mouth, don't you understand it at this age?" ”

Xie Daoyong snorted and stopped talking.

Xie Daozhong continued: "Brother Chen wrote me a letter more than a month ago to discuss this marriage, I did not refuse, there will be a big media coming to the door in a few days, Ah Lan will not worry about anything else these days, read the fourth book of women." ”

After Chen Zhichang took office, his family members went to Yueyang to settle down, and he was not allowed to leave office without authorization, so the marriage could only be handled by Mrs. Chen in Zhenjiang, and the Chen family invited the respected clan elders in Yangzhou as the matchmaker, and they couldn't bear to go back and forth, so they had to do the first three of the six ceremonies at one time. Chen Xie's two families are scholarly and courteous, and they are discussing the marriage of the eldest son and eldest daughter in the family. Wan Tian has nothing to do, and every day she follows Wan Lan to inspect the silk and satin in Xie Mansion like an emperor inspecting the army under his command, which are all fine products carefully hidden by Mrs. Qin, which always amazes the two sisters.

"These are just the tip of the iceberg of the Xie Mansion treasury back then," Mrs. Qin sighed regretfully: "During the Longhair Rebellion, I don't know how many better satin than this were destroyed and robbed, as well as the calligraphy, painting and porcelain treasured by your grandfather and grandfather, you can't take them away when you take refuge, and you will disappear when you come back, they are all troubled by Longhair." ”

"I hope there won't be any more turmoil," Wan Tian pulled a piece of stone blue satin in her hand, which was tattooed with phoenix tail lines of the same color, and she raised it to the sun and looked at it carefully: "I think this color is good, it is the most suitable for Sister A." ”

"I'll take a look," Mrs. Qin took it and held it up to Wanlan for comparison: "It's really good, Ah Tian's eye for picking things has never been wrong, what does Ah Lan think?" ”

"I also think it's good," Wanlan smiled at Mrs. Qin: "Or do it with Tailor Sun?" ”

"That's right," Mrs. Qin instructed Shocking to take out this satin for later use: "It's still his good craftsmanship, none of the apprentices he brought out can catch up with him at half a point." ”

Wan Tian smiled: "It's my mother who is too demanding." ”

They were chatting happily, and Lichun, the girl in the long room, hurriedly walked over and curtsied: "Madam, Mrs. Ming from the Sanfu is here, and she is in the second hall." ”

Mrs. Qin frowned when she heard this, revealing a slightly unhappy look: "Why is she here again." ”

Lichun said: "It is said that there is a very important matter, and I want to discuss it with my wife." ”

"What serious can she do," Mrs. Qin snorted disdainfully, "It's just that I fell in love with the garden in the south of the city, and I just want to go over with a dead face, I really don't want to see her." ”

Wanlan said with concern: "If the mother is really reluctant, Ah Lan will send her away." ”

"Forget it," Mrs. Qin said: "Your marriage is imminent, don't worry about these messy things, Ah Tian will accompany your sister to pick a few more satins, and I will come to meet her in the hall." ”

Wan Tian immediately said: "My daughter knows, my mother is busy. ”

After Mrs. Qin left, Wan Tian sent out the girl who was waiting with her, leaving only the two sisters: "Are you really going to marry like this?" ”

Wanlan glanced at her helplessly: "Otherwise, what else?" Didn't you persuade me to leave the cabinet early, you can only think about yourself as a sister, and now that I'm going to leave the cabinet, you should be happy. ”

Wan Tian said thoughtfully: "Although I said that, I always feel that this is not quite your style, so you don't worry about marrying a non-person?" ”

Wanlan smiled lightly: "Can't you still believe your father's vision?" ”

Wan Tian glanced at her again: "It seems that you are determined to get married, which really surprises me." ”

"If I don't get married, how can my father allow me to go to the capital?" Wanlan stretched out her hand and stroked a porcelain vase from a brother kiln, and her tone was light, as if she was saying something that had nothing to do with herself: "If you give something, you will get it." ”

Wan Tian sighed softly: "You are really ...... Just for a trip to the capital, he can even lose his life. All I now ask is that your future husband is a wonderful man, or it will be another unjust thing. ”

The Chen family's convoy arrived in Zhenjiang ten days later, to the Xie family's surprise, the protagonist of this marriage, Chen Ji, the eldest young master of the Chen family, did not come together, and Chen Hanchi, the elder of the Chen family, looked at Xie Daozhong with great apologies: "Ziji went to Japan to stay abroad and did not return, and he was absent as a last resort, so I really can't help it." ”

Xie Daozhong stroked his beard and let out a long "um": "Brother Fuping mentioned to me about sending the eldest young master to study abroad, but wasn't that two years ago, why haven't you come back yet?" ”

Chen Hanchi said: "It seems that I have taken two degrees outside, so it has been delayed." ”

Xie Daozhong smiled: "Yuji young talents, learning from China and the West, my Xie family is fortunate to have this son-in-law, it is really a blessing." ”

Chen Hanchi laughed and looked at Mrs. Chen opposite: "The master of the Xie family is really a mistake, it is obviously our Chen family who takes advantage of this." ”

Mrs. Chen also nodded: "What did the adults say, it is a blessing for our Chen family to be able to marry a girl from the Xie family, when the grandson was still an official in Zhenjiang, the concubine was fortunate to see Miss Lan, she was really beautiful in her infancy, and now I don't know what kind of lovely person she has become." ”

"Oh, Madame is really overrated," Xie Daozhong's language was humble, but the pride on his face couldn't be hidden, and he said with a smile: "I just hope that Madame won't regret it after seeing the true face of Lan Yatou." ”

"Such a good daughter-in-law, only if the lard is blinded will she regret it," Mrs. Chen said, motioning to the little maid to hand over an envelope, pulling out a photo from it, and presenting it to Xie Daozhong: "This is a photo sent by Xiao'er from the East. ”

Xie Daozhong took the photo, he was a little presbyopia, he had to stretch out his arms, hold the photo far away to see clearly, only to see that the person in the photo was slender, wearing a trendy dress, a bow tie on the neckline, one hand in his pocket, his eyes were clear, his eyebrows contained heroism, and he was smiling at people.

He felt satisfied, and handed the photo to Mrs. Qin: "Brother Fuping has raised a good son, look at this look, he must be a decent gentleman." ”

Mrs. Chen laughed: "How can you afford to be praised by Lord Xie like this." ”

Mrs. Qin also looked at it carefully and praised: "This painting is really clear, like seeing a real person." When the old man and Lord Chen set up a marriage for their children, it was really a good thing with a long-term vision, and I can't imagine how regretful it would be if such talents were snatched away by other families. ”

She looked at the photo as she spoke, looked at it for a while, and couldn't help laughing: "It's just that we Qing people dress up in Western clothes, and we always feel that something is wrong, and it looks weird." ”

Chen Ji in the photo is dressed properly, but his hairstyle is still a money rat tail, dragging a thick braid, and he looks nondescript.

"I heard that it's the fashion over there, and it's fashionable to wear Western clothes." Chen Hanchi said with a smile: "It's good that the virtuous couple is satisfied, we are parents, don't we just hope to do a good job of marriage for our children, so that they can live a happy life, the little old man is entrusted with peace, and I am fortunate to be the matchmaker of the two surnamed Gaomen, it is the blessing of the little old man, I brought some silk gouache from Yangzhou, which is not a valuable object, and the right to make a pastime for the three young ladies." ”

"Old Chen, don't dare to be," Xie Daozhong hurriedly said: "You are a matchmaker, it should be me and Brother Fuping's feast, where can I spend your money." ”

Chen Hanchi summoned someone to present the gift list, smiled and waved his hand: "The family doesn't talk to each other, this is just a meeting gift, Master Xie doesn't have to be so polite." ”

They were happy in the hall, Xie Huai'an and Wantian Wanxian were anxious behind the screen, Wanxian relied on the small size and was not easy to be found, stretched her neck out of the screen, and lowered her voice dissatisfiedly: "I decided to get married with just one photo, no matter how ridiculous the joke is, it can't compare to this matter." ”

"How old you are, how many ridiculous jokes you've seen," Huai An flicked on her forehead, and also lowered his voice: "Chen Zhizhou and his father are close friends, and the two families know each other, this time they just look at each other, and there is a big difference between people and not." ”

Wanxian is still dissatisfied: "I want to marry Sister Lan with just one photo, and their Chen family has a good calculation." ”

Huai'an and Wan Tian both laughed, Wan Tian took Wan Xian's hand and quietly withdrew with her: "Okay, I can't see anyone horizontally, let's go back first, Sister Lan is still listening to your uncle talk about today's form with your second brother, this is much more than what you can know by reading the newspaper every day, don't you want to hear it?" ”

Wanxian really thought about it when she heard this, and nodded again and again: "I want to listen, I want to listen, I also want to tell Sister Sùlan that I saw her future mother-in-law today." ”