The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 55

However, despite consulting numerous renowned doctors and incurring significant medical expenses over the years, the condition has not improved and has instead continued to worsen.

It seems only after my cousin comes of age and takes over the family affairs in a few years will those people's thoughts be dispelled.

"Judging from the current situation, it seems that this is the only option, and there doesn't seem to be any better choice." Xu Tian agreed with his opinion.

Song Liang continued, "However, there is a second worry. My elder sister is not married yet. Once she gets married, she will no longer be able to manage the household affairs."

Because of her family's circumstances, my elder sister is still unmarried. She's not young anymore, and finding a suitable family of decent age in Suzhou is already difficult; if she waits a few more years, it will be even harder to find a good match.

Indeed, once Madam Lin gets married, she will no longer have the right to manage her family's affairs, and her relatives will definitely seize on this point. In this era, neither reason nor law supports such a decision.

"Has Madam Lin not been married in the past few years?" Xu Tian asked.

"A few years ago, we were preparing to arrange a marriage. At that time, several families of similar social standing came to propose marriage. My elder sister was already well-known in Suzhou. She was literate from a young age and was considered a talented woman, no less so than the average man."

He was undeniably handsome, came from a wealthy family, and was well-liked by his uncle; his dowry was undoubtedly substantial.

These are all the truth.

"We could have chosen a spouse peacefully, but my uncle suddenly fell ill, so the matter was temporarily put on hold. We initially thought it was just a temporary thing, but my uncle's illness worsened and he ended up bedridden and unable to handle matters directly."

My older sister could only participate and assist my uncle. Later, the family couldn't do without her. Naturally, the families who had previously shown interest couldn't wait any longer and hoped to arrange a marriage as soon as possible, but my older sister refused them all.

Other families also came to propose marriage, but she was rejected in the same way. After being turned down multiple times, it seems that no one has proposed marriage since last year.

In this era, women married very young, often as young as fourteen or fifteen. Twenty-year-olds were considered old maids, finding it difficult to marry into a good family. This was because unmarried women of that age were generally not from respectable families, and their reputations were naturally not good.

Therefore, unless there are very special circumstances, it is extremely rare for a woman to marry after the age of twenty. This is quite different from later generations.

Relatively speaking, it's more relaxed for men. Getting married at twenty is not considered late, and if the family is well-off, it's possible to get married in their twenties.

After all, he still needs to work hard in his career. Only if he achieves fame and success or has a better economic foundation can he marry a woman with better conditions and background.

"Hearing what you've said, it's truly admirable that Miss Lin, as a woman, has sacrificed so much for her family. We appreciate her hard work," said Manager Jiang after listening.

"What is your uncle's attitude?" Xu Tian asked again.

If Lin Niangzi's father hadn't fallen ill, her family would likely be doing quite well. This shows that Lin's father was by no means incompetent; at the very least, he possessed considerable business acumen.

"My uncle is the backbone of the family. Although he is seriously ill now, as long as he is still alive, no one else dares to act openly. They can only do some sneaky things behind the scenes."

Most of the Lin family's business was built up by my uncle through hard work in the past, and even if his subordinates had disloyal thoughts, they dared not openly disobey him. However, my uncle has always valued relationships and cherished old friendships, treating his subordinates who had followed him for many years very well and being reluctant to use harsh methods against them.

However, this time when my sister is clearing out her properties, she will likely have to let some people go, which must have been with my uncle's permission.