NFBE Chapter 233 Finding a Second Wife for My Father (1)
Chapter 233 Finding a Second Wife for My Father (1)
Although the matter wasn't settled immediately, Wang kept it in mind. In the days that followed, she reverted to her former refined lifestyle, only this time, lacking money, she found it inconvenient to buy things. So she cried in front of her two sons and managed to get a few hundred coins. By the time her head injury had healed, it was already past the first month of the lunar calendar.
One day, dressed neatly and carrying a basket, she went to the house of Jia, the matchmaker who had previously arranged her marriage. She hinted at something in her conversation. Knowing she was in the business, Jia immediately understood. She felt a surge of disdain; Jia had been the matchmaker for her daughter, Old Man Liu, and now the daughter had ruined the marriage, causing a messy divorce and taking a large portion of the old man's savings—she was infamous in the area. And now, just over a month later, she was already thinking of remarrying.
Although he inwardly despised her, he didn't show it on his face, but instead said to Wang with a troubled expression...
"Girl, I was just thinking about this too, but the whole thing you had with the Liu family... we all know about it around here, it's really not a good thing!" She spoke haltingly, but the meaning behind her words was very clear.
Unexpectedly, Madam Wang had already anticipated this. She was planning to leave this place as far away as possible, fearing that Liu Xiaocui might suddenly appear and sue her. Upon hearing the matchmaker's words, she immediately stated that her grandson was already grown up and she no longer needed the matchmaker's help in taking care of him. She just wanted to find someone who cared for her and live a peaceful life, even if it meant living far away.
Upon hearing this, the matchmaker immediately patted her chest and promised to find her a good match, this time an old man with few children and good financial conditions.
Upon hearing Jia the matchmaker's promise, Wang put down the twenty eggs in the basket and happily went home.
"Pah, what a slut. I've never seen such a flirtatious woman. How old is she? Still thinking about getting married? Doesn't she feel ashamed?"
Turning around, Matchmaker Jia spread the word that Wang wanted to remarry. Anyone who knew the Liu family heard this and rushed to their house to learn about it. As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. Especially in ancient times when there was little entertainment, the news spread by word of mouth, and soon it reached the ears of Liu from Zhangjia Village.
Upon hearing the news, the two sisters locked themselves in their room and talked for a long time. Then, Liu called Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, and Nineteen in to talk, and then the three of them set off in a mule cart. Xia Yu didn't know where they went, so she asked Liu, who only stroked her hair and told her everything was alright. Actually, Xia Yu knew that her mother and her aunt wanted to take revenge on Wang, but she desperately wanted to know how they would do so.
One day, the matchmaker was sitting at home chatting with other women when suddenly a large blue mule cart stopped at her door. A man in his thirties, wearing a cotton-padded jacket, got off the cart.
"Excuse me, is this Aunt Jia's house?"
The women who were chatting were wondering whose big blue mule cart was parked here. Then, hearing the man's question, they instantly understood that he was looking for Matchmaker Jia.
"Yes, yes, my husband's surname is Jia. I wonder if you are looking for me, sir?" The matchmaker, Jia, saw the man's attire and ran over to him with a smile, trying to strike up a conversation.
The man looked Jia, the matchmaker, up and down and smiled.
"That must be Auntie." After saying that, she looked at the other women sitting under the eaves, nodded slightly as a greeting.
"I heard that Aunt Jia is the best matchmaker in the area, so I came to your house specifically to ask you to act as a matchmaker for my father." The man was very forthright and not embarrassed at all, stating his purpose in front of everyone.
The women behind him, who had been listening intently, perked up instantly when they heard the purpose of the man's visit. They hurriedly greeted him.
“Nephew, come sit down and talk. We’ll listen too. If we have any suitable ones on hand, we’ll help you look for them.”
"Cough cough," the words of those people displeased Jia the matchmaker. She coughed heavily twice and then rolled her eyes at them. They were trying to poach her boyfriend right in front of her.
"hehe"
Seeing the subtle tension between the women, the newcomer simply chuckled and remained standing still, watching Matchmaker Jia.
"Nephew, come inside and sit down. Tell me about your family situation first, so I can help you find a solution," said Matchmaker Jia, pleased to see that he ignored the people under the eaves. She quickly ushered him inside.
Once the man entered the house and they sat down, he immediately poured out his entire family's story.
“My name is Zhao Wu. My family is from Yunzhong County, which is next door. We run a small business. I’m often away from home, but I’ve settled down in the prefectural city now, so I don’t come back to my hometown often. My father is getting old and has difficulty moving around. Although he has maids to serve him, I always feel that they’re not doing their job properly. This time I came back, I wanted to find a reliable wife for my father, which is basically like finding a stepmother for myself. I don’t ask for anything else, I just hope that someone can take good care of my father when we’re not home.”
"Do you know how old your father is?" Jia the matchmaker asked after hearing Zhao Wu's words. She at least needed to know exactly how old he was, right?
“Oh, my father is fifty-three years old this year. He injured his leg when he was young and now he needs to use a four-wheeled vehicle.”
Hearing him say that, Matchmaker Jia breathed a sigh of relief. She thought he was seventy or eighty years old, but he was only fifty-three, which was about the same age as her, so he wasn't old.
"What kind of person are you looking for? Is there an age requirement?"
"Her age should be around the same as my father's, not too young, as young people are restless. She can't have children to burden her; she needs to be able to take care of my father without worry. As for her appearance, while I don't have specific requirements, it should still be acceptable." When he mentioned the restlessness of young people, Zhao Wu's tone inexplicably became angry.
The matchmaker was an expert at reading people, and she immediately noticed the unusual tone in his voice. She quickly concocted a dramatic story in her mind about a young stepmother cheating on her father with a cuckold.
After finishing his speech, Zhao Wu looked at the silent group opposite him and thought that his expectations were too high, so he couldn't help but show some disappointment.
"Sigh, I've asked several matchmakers, but I haven't been able to find someone suitable. While doing business here, I heard about your reputation, so I came all the way here to ask for your help." She finished speaking and let out another heavy sigh.
“I’m asking too much of you. How could a woman of this age possibly leave her sons and grandsons at home to go so far away to take care of an elderly person with limited mobility?”
After saying that, he took out a small silver ingot weighing one tael from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
"Auntie, I'll be staying in room number one of the 'Heavenly' rooms at Fushunlou in Ming'an County for the next three days. If you find a suitable candidate, please come to Fushunlou and let me know. I came in a hurry today and didn't have time to buy a gift, so please accept this tael of silver for some fruit. If you find a suitable candidate, I'll also give you ten taels of silver as a thank you gift for the matchmaking." After saying this, he stood up and was about to leave.
Matchmaker Jia had just been pondering whether she had found a suitable candidate when she was suddenly startled by the small silver ingot on the table. Before she could react, she heard the sound of ten taels of silver as a thank-you gift for the match. She immediately became excited, her mind racing, and she smiled as she pulled Zhao Wu, who was about to leave, along with her.
"I was silent just now because I was thinking about who would be more suitable. Don't be in such a hurry to leave! When I go to talk to the woman, there are some things that need to be clarified!" As she spoke, she pulled Zhao Wu, who was about to leave, back and pressed him onto a small stool.