A blessed wife leads her husband to wealth and prosperity!

Sorry! I startled you. I saw you were busy all by yourself, so I thought I'd come and help you.

Lin He'er looked at the person speaking at the door. She hadn't dared to look closely in the main room, but now that the person was talking to her, she took the opportunity to sized him up. Although she wasn't obsessed with looks, she still needed someone who caught her eye. Otherwise, she wouldn't be in a good mood if she always had to live with someone she didn't like!

Hmm, he's not short, and his physique isn't as thin as that of a typical scholar; he must have inherited it from his uncle, the eldest son of the Wen family in the main house. He has fair skin, a straight nose, lips of moderate thickness, thin eyebrows, and wide eyes. His eyes are clear and bright when he looks at people; he's certainly good-looking.

He probably spends a lot of time reading, so he has a scholarly air about him. When he speaks to people, his voice is clear, pleasant, and melodious.

The young man before her looked exactly like her ideal. Lin He'er felt a surge of joy, and a smile appeared on her face.

Brother Wen, please go sit in the main room. I can manage here myself.

It was really inconvenient to ask a customer who was visiting for the first time for help. Besides, this person was her blind date. It was still somewhat awkward to be with such a handsome man on their first meeting.

Wen Yuning: Cough, I hear they're discussing marriage in the main room...

Lin He'er; ...

Seeing the young man standing at the door looking even more embarrassed than himself, he had no choice but to let him in to help.

Brother Wen is sitting here watching the fire for me. I'll cook a few dishes in a bit.

Wen Yuning: Good!

Turning around, I lifted the lid of the steamer basket and glanced at the rice in the earthenware pot. The water had just dried out, so I quickly wrapped it in a cloth and took it out. I scraped off the remaining hot water from the pot, poured it into a basin, and then put the earthenware pot back in to keep it warm, so the rice wouldn't get cold after I finished cooking the vegetables.

He quickly washed the pot clean and, looking down at the young man tending the fire, instructed him: "Keep the fire down, Brother Wen, I'm going to make some pork cracklings."

"Hmm!" the young man said, turning the fire down.

With someone helping to stoke the fire, the meal was cooked quickly. The chopped pork fat was put into the pot, and a low flame was lit. Soon, wisps of smoke rose from the pot, and the kitchen was filled with the unique aroma of pork fat, which smelled very tempting. Lin He'er felt that this was truly a test of her self-control...

Once the cracklings are cooked and removed from the pan, scrape off any excess oil, sprinkle some salt, and then gently slide the tender tofu into the pan along the edge. After a few minutes, flip it over and cook until both sides are golden brown and have developed a tiger-skin pattern. Then, remove it from the pan and plate it.

"Brother Wen, make the fire bigger!" Lin He'er said, her hands busy, while simultaneously instructing the young man tending the fire.

Okay, the young man surnamed Wen replied with a brief, one-word truth!

Uh... that's concise and to the point! Lin He'er took advantage of being busy to ease the awkwardness a lot. Thinking that she would be living together for a long time to come, she wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity to be alone and express some of the concerns that a modern person should have to this easy-going young man in front of her.

Brother Wen, I have something I want to say to you.

The young man heard the noise and looked up;

What does Miss Lin want to say to me?

Brother Wen, since we're going to be husband and wife, there are some things I want to tell you in advance;

My mother told me that our marriage was arranged when we were young. Back then, Dad saved you, and Uncle Wen, grateful for Dad's kindness in saving his son, proposed marriage to our family. Actually, in my opinion, although we were engaged when we were young, we have never even met each other and don't know each other well. Now that you've started school, there's actually quite a gap between our two families.

This is because of a family emergency, which is why my mother wants me to marry you. For me, it's a good way out, but for Brother Wen, it's not so good. If Brother Wen is good at studying, he can rise smoothly to become an official. Marrying a peasant girl is a great loss for you.

Brother Wen, have you thought this through?

Watching the little girl constantly talking and flipping the spatula on the stove, Wen Yuning found it quite amusing. She chuckled softly.

This young girl is quite sensible despite her age. If what you say is true, marrying you would indeed be a loss for me. So, how will you compensate me?

...Um. Well, I can't make it up to Brother Wen right now.

Lin He'er was slightly embarrassed... She had made her bold statement too quickly and forgotten that besides the person, she was penniless and had nothing to offer as compensation.

How about I give you the compensation later? I'll work harder and find ways to earn money to support your studies.

Hehe, watching the little girl waving the spatula by the stove, feeling a little embarrassed by her sudden question, Wen Yuning felt that she couldn't hurt the child's self-esteem, so she coaxed her very seriously.

Okay, I've got that in mind. You'll have to work hard from now on to support me.

Lin He'er: ...If the young man by the stove weren't laughing so happily, I could still fool myself into believing what you said. Just you wait, young man, I'll show you later that this isn't child's play; it's a promise from a modern soul to you!

Seeing that her future wife was taking this matter very seriously, Wen Yuning sat up straight and stopped smiling.

Since you've said so much, Miss Lin, and seem to have a plan in mind, I can offer you some honest advice: Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Since our families are engaged and have a marriage contract, we must honor the agreement. Scholars value their reputation, and I would never do anything to ruin my future. Therefore, I will still marry you.

However, as you said, we've never met since childhood and don't know each other well. But you don't need to worry about that. I have a very good temper and am humble and polite. We'll have plenty of time to get to know each other in the future.

Uh... listening to the young man from the stove's self-praise, Lin He'er felt that this seemingly humble gentleman was actually a bit arrogant and eccentric at heart!

Is Brother Wen afraid of being criticized for breaking off the engagement?

Lin He'er thought that breaking off an engagement was indeed a stain on the character of a scholar. If the other party was too embarrassed to say it outright, she could bring it up herself, which would save face for both parties.

Wen Yuning: ...Does this little girl not want to marry me? Or is it my fault for not explaining things clearly enough?

Ahem, Miss Lin, please don't overthink it. My family won't break off the engagement. Besides, studying and becoming an official is a long process, and perhaps I won't have that kind of luck. It's too early to talk about these things now. We've only just met, and to say I admire you at your age... is unlikely! I don't want to deceive you; right now, I truly only have responsibilities. However, a gentleman keeps his word, and I... I will marry you!

After saying this, Wen Yuning felt it was a bit presumptuous to say this to a young girl, and her fair face flushed red.

The meal looks like it needs to be prepared. I've left a fire burning, and we should finish discussing things inside, so I'll head out now. He then got up, rubbed his legs, and quickly walked towards the door.

Watching the young man from the stove flee in panic after finishing his sentence, Lin He'er couldn't help but laugh out loud. She hadn't expected her future husband to be such an honest and responsible young man.

"Quickly finish the rest of the dishes," Lin He'er called out towards the main room.

Mom, the food is ready, let's eat!

As she spoke, she carried the food out. After the food was laid out, everyone sat around the table. Madam Lin got up and invited her future in-laws to eat.

Brother and sister-in-law, come and try He's cooking.

Ah, ah, these dishes look so beautiful. Looking at the dishes on the table, Madam Liu was very satisfied. Although her daughter-in-law was a bit young, she was good-looking and had excellent cooking skills. Although the marriage was a bit early, there were advantages to being young. If she had any flaws in temperament or personality, she could be corrected over time by living with her.

When I finally picked up my chopsticks and put the food in my mouth, I was pleasantly surprised. The taste was actually quite good. When I looked up at the other people, they all had an expression of amazement on their faces.

Lin Niangzi; He Yatou's cooking skills are exceptionally good today. I've never felt that her cooking is so delicious.

Lin He'er; Her cooking skills are alright, mainly because she adheres to the first rule of cooking: be generous with the oil!

Uncle Wen; ...eat...

Wen Yuning: You're in for a treat now!

The meal was eaten quickly, as Wen Yuning Academy only granted half a day off, and everyone had to rush back to teach in the afternoon. However, everyone was quite satisfied with the food, and both hosts and guests enjoyed themselves immensely!

After the meal, the family was about to drive the oxcart back home. Liu walked to the door, winked at her son, and said with a smile, "Hey, your brother Wen will be studying at the town school from now on. When you have time to go to town, go and see him often, and help me supervise his studies."

Yes, I'll listen to Auntie.

Lin He'er was feeling embarrassed under the two pairs of eager eyes opposite her, so she could only respond in a low voice.

Madam Lin; elder brother and sister-in-law, and eldest son, please drive carefully.

"Go on, girl, no need to see us off. We're heading back now," Uncle Wen said, calling his family to get in the car. With a flick of the whip, the old ox strode off onto the main road...

"Go back, Mother. Uncle Wen and the others have gone far away," Lin He'er called out as she saw her mother standing motionless at the door.

Heya, go home first. Your mother has some things to do. She'll stand at the door for a while before going back.