Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

Old Man Huo examined Fengxian's pulse and advised her to rest well and not rush into pregnancy, saying there was plenty of time. Fengxian then brought up Liu Ye'er's marriage, wanting to act as matchmaker for the three brothers. Old Man Huo looked at her for a while and asked, "Whose idea is this?"

Fengxian readily agreed, saying, "My third brother asked me to come and get a definite answer. If Father has no objection, he will ask Grandmother to make the decision and have a matchmaker propose. My old lady is very fond of Xiaoqi."

“Fengxian,” Old Man Huo sighed, “Xiao Qi’s surname is Liu, not Huo.”

"What?" Feng Xian had never thought of this, and was speechless for a moment. It was too melodramatic!

"Fengxian, does your father-in-law know about this?"

"He probably doesn't know, and his third brother might be afraid that he wouldn't agree, so he hasn't mentioned it to him yet."

“Fengxian, although your father-in-law is often away from home, he is still the head of the family. Don’t interfere in your third son’s marriage. Even if Xiaoqi’s surname isn’t Liu, this marriage won’t work! Your third son’s wife is most likely to be a concubine’s daughter from an official’s family, or a legitimate daughter from a side branch of a high-ranking family. What was your family’s situation ten years ago? He was willing to spend tens of thousands of taels of silver to marry you, just to establish connections in the officialdom. Now, he is ambitious, how could Xiaoqi possibly meet his standards? Do you think Xiaoqi is any good?”

“Very good, she has caught my mother’s eye. She’s magnanimous, unpretentious, and courageous! Even my sister-in-law likes her, it’s not easy! I just had a miscarriage, and my mother-in-law replaced the cook in the house. It was Xiao Qi who created problems and forced the new one out, but she didn’t leave a trace. Dad, don’t worry about her being bullied, she’s tough on the inside!”

Old Man Huo's eyes welled up with tears. He complained, "This child refuses to learn needlework properly, it's driving your mother crazy. You should try to persuade her!"

Fengxian laughed and said, "Xiaoqi is a bit too lively, and not lazy, but she just can't hold a needle and thread properly. Father, why don't you just find a maid who is good at needlework for her? Why make her suffer like this!"

Old Huo's eyes lit up. These past few days, Liu Ye'er had looked utterly hopeless. Old Huo was a shrewd man; he knew that forcing things wouldn't work, but whenever he tried to speak, his wife would unleash a torrent of abuse. Now the problem was solved.

"This child is strange. He learns everything about cooking very quickly, but when it comes to needlework, it's like he's a completely different person. He just won't get the hang of it. He can barely manage to make clothes, shoes, and socks, and there's really nothing to praise about them. As for embroidery, let's not even mention it." Fengxian nodded, deeply agreeing!

After a moment of silence, Old Man Huo racked his brains for a topic, but unfortunately, since he and his daughter were separated when they were a few months old, they had hardly had any contact, so there was nothing to talk about. Although Old Man Huo had helped Fengxian a lot behind the scenes, he couldn't bring himself to show off. Liu Ye'er was probably the only topic that the father and daughter could have a peaceful conversation about.

"Fengxian, do you know Gong Jianyun? What kind of person is he?"

In this small county town, Gong Jianyun was quite well-known. As the director of Fengxian, he had to deal with all sorts of people, so he naturally knew him.

"I've only heard rumors. Dealing with officials is always the father-in-law and husband's business. This man doesn't have a bad reputation. His wife died of illness, and Constable Gong did his best to find her medical treatment. He's just been promoted to constable, and I heard the county magistrate relies on him a lot. But he's just a constable, so he doesn't have much of a future. It's a good match. Constable Gong will definitely protect Xiao Qi. Has Constable Gong sent someone to propose marriage?"

"Not yet, he's still too young to get out of bed. He hinted at it to Xuewen, so it seems he's interested. I'm a bit undecided. The Gong family doesn't have a head of the household, so they might be rushing into marriage. Xiaoqi is young, and I'm afraid she won't be able to resist."

“You got married at fifteen, which is a disadvantage. Your sisters got married at seventeen or eighteen, which is much better. Even if you get married at seventy-seven, it will still take three or four years. I’m afraid that man surnamed Gong can’t wait that long.”

Originally, in Liang Kingdom, people generally began marrying at fifteen. A few might marry younger, but it was rare. Girls were expected to marry by eighteen unless they were in mourning or suffering from serious illness. For girls from ordinary families, twenty was a deadline; if they didn't marry by then, the government would send a matchmaker to forcibly arrange a marriage, and they might end up marrying some worthless nobody. Maids and servants who had been sold into marriage had to marry by twenty-five. If they chose to remain single, they had to pay ten taels of silver to register their household, which was similar to a fine.

Fengxian didn't say much.

After resting for a few days, Gong Jianyun was able to get out of bed and took his leave.

A few days later, Master Liu came to propose marriage on behalf of Constable Gong. Although Fengxian had always refused to associate with the Huo family, Master Liu had maintained contact with them. When he went out to do business, he often brought back things for Old Man Huo to the capital, and when he returned from the capital, he often brought back letters and gifts from the Huo family there. Relatively speaking, Master Huo in the capital appreciated him more and helped him with many connections, which enabled the Liu family to gain a foothold in the capital.

Old Man Huo was easygoing and unassuming, but fundamentally upright and magnanimous. Although he disliked his scheming in-law, he held him in some respect. Ultimately, Master Liu was a hardworking man, decisive in his actions, and had never done anything immoral. Though a businessman, he was also an excellent person, worthy of admiration. Setting aside matters of status and position, the two could exchange a few words.

Master Liu explained the situation of Constable Gong in detail, without saying anything flowery or useless. Old Huo was shrewd and experienced, able to see through any tricks and schemes. He had arranged good marriages for all five of his daughters.

There's not much to say about Constable Gong's situation. He owns a small house with five rooms and three courtyards, a middle-class household. He has no land or shops, no parents-in-law, and no children—just a quiet life for the couple. Gong Jianyun doesn't have a bad reputation. When his wife was ill, he sought medical treatment everywhere, spending a considerable amount of money, but their marriage had ended, and there was nothing he could do. He had dismissed all the maids and servants, keeping only an old servant to watch the door and clean. If there's a drawback, it's that being a second wife isn't as prestigious as being the first wife.

Old Mr. Huo pondered for a moment, "Whether or not she becomes a concubine is just a formality. It's just that Xiao Qi is only thirteen, and I've never been a proponent of early marriage. I want to keep her for a few more years. I'm just afraid that Constable Gong is in a hurry to marry her. As long as Constable Gong is willing to wait three or four years, I won't have any objections. It's just that I'm afraid..."

They were all people who had been through similar experiences, so there was no need for further explanation. A man in his twenties is at the age when he's longing for something, and wasting several years on this is really... Master Liu had prepared a lot of words, fearing that the Huo family would hesitate because she was a second wife, but none of them were needed. The matter was clear: age was not something that could be discussed. Even if she married at fifteen, she would still have to wait two years. The Seventh Miss could wait, but could Gong Jianyun wait? Judging from his impatient manner, leaning on his cane to urge him to propose, he probably wouldn't even consider marrying her at the end of the year too late!

Old Man Huo finally gave his word: marriage should be discussed when he turns seventeen. During this period, Constable Gong must not take a concubine, have any mistresses, or engage in any romantic affairs.

The patriarch of the Liu family was a little stunned: it turned out that the Huo family's practice of raising Liu Ye as their own daughter was not unfounded.

Gong Jianyun was also stunned.