Chapter 28: Visitors from the Qin Family

After a few days of leisure, a young lady from the Qin family in the capital arrived in Qinghe County.

The original host had met Qin Fu as a child, and in Wen Ruyu’s memories, she was just a little girl dressed in goose-yellow clothing. Other than that, the impression was vague.

Since Qin Fu was marrying far from home, her brother escorted her.

Upon arriving in Qinghe County, they first stayed at a relative’s house before immediately sending an invitation to visit Wen Ruyu.

Since the two families had been close for generations, Wen Ruyu agreed to meet her right away.

Qin Fu was now nineteen. Normally, a girl engaged at an early age would have married by seventeen or eighteen. However, because the Xu family had delayed the marriage, insisting on waiting until Xu Rui passed the provincial examination, Qin Fu ended up waiting until she was nineteen.

In ancient times, life expectancy was short, and wars could break out at any moment. As a result, people prioritized early marriages to secure offspring.

Resources were scarce, and common folk lived under difficult conditions, making the continuation of family bloodlines a significant concern.

Since Qin Fu was about to marry into the Xu family, Wen Ruyu had inquired about their circumstances.

She learned that Xu Rui’s father, the old master of the Xu family, had been in poor health in recent years.

The Xu family was in a hurry to bring Qin Fu into the household—partly to bring good fortune to the ailing patriarch and partly because they feared he might pass away that year.

If he did, Xu Rui would have to observe a three-year mourning period. Considering Xu Rui was already twenty-four, if he waited until twenty-seven to marry, he would be considered quite old by ancient standards.

Although there were more men than women at the time, and unmarried men were common, if Xu Rui was delaying marriage out of filial piety, people would understand.

However, if Qin Fu waited another three years, she would be twenty-two, an age at which most parents would already be anxious about their unmarried daughters.

This meant the Qin family might consider breaking the engagement.

The Xu family’s situation was similar to the Lu family’s, if not worse. They had wealth but lacked capable young successors.

Being able to form a marital alliance with the prestigious Qin family was an incredible stroke of luck for the Xu family. Since the Qin patriarch was still willing to honor the engagement, the Xu family was determined to proceed with the marriage that year.

Wen Ruyu didn’t have high hopes for this match.

Qin Fu marrying into the Xu family was considered marrying down, but Wen Ruyu had no strong opinion on that. While the Xu family wasn’t particularly wealthy, Qin Fu wouldn’t have to struggle for a livelihood.

However, one factor made the marriage seem unstable: the long-distance nature of it.

Qin Fu would be moving far away from the capital, with few reliable relatives nearby.

If her husband’s family treated her well, all would be fine. But if they didn’t, she would be isolated with no one to turn to.

In her past life, Wen Ruyu had chosen to remain unmarried. She was no longer at an age to be infatuated with love, and her past experiences had thoroughly disillusioned her about men.

Rather than believing men would protect her and offer romance, she trusted in her own abilities to provide herself with security and a fulfilling life.

A strong woman had little need for a man—except for the biological necessity of having a child.

Thus, while she couldn’t understand the Qin family’s decision to send their daughter so far away, she respected it.

Despite the long-standing connection between the Qin and Xu families, Qin Fu and Xu Rui had barely met a handful of times.

This was common in ancient times, where many couples met for the first time on their wedding night.

Blind and arranged marriages were the norm.

This meant there was no foundation of love between Qin Fu and Xu Rui, and any feelings would have to be cultivated over time.

But love developing after marriage wasn’t guaranteed.

To Wen Ruyu, this marriage seemed unreliable, though everyone around her seemed to think it was perfectly normal.

It was as if she was the only one who saw things differently.

Of course, it wasn’t her place to interfere in someone else’s marriage. She simply needed to show respect and offer her blessings.

Her focus remained on living her own life well.

The original host’s body was already forty years old, and Wen Ruyu planned to work until fifty before retiring to a spacious estate for a peaceful old age.

The original host had left Wen Ruyu a secure, albeit small, hidden storage space in a dream—a potential safety net.

Wen Ruyu wasn’t someone who ignored kindness, so she would do her best to guide the younger generation onto the right path.

Whether they listened or not, however, was another matter.

At least she hadn’t made any absolute promises in her dream, so she could only do her best. The rest was up to Lu Bainian’s fate.

Lu Bainian was a typical wayward son.

Wen Ruyu believed the idea of “a prodigal son turning over a new leaf” was largely a survivor’s bias. Most wayward sons didn’t change in time.

The saying “a reformed rake is worth his weight in gold” didn’t hold up—if a man only repented after he was too old to change, what value did that have?

If he had never been a wayward son to begin with, he wouldn’t have wasted so much of his own and others’ time and energy.

That time and energy could have been used productively, contributing to society.

To Wen Ruyu, hardworking individuals were the real gold. A prodigal son turning good wasn’t worth much.

As for the idea of achieving immortality mentioned by the original host, she dismissed it as a fantasy.

Her thoughts returned to the present.

Putting on a kindly expression, Wen Ruyu held Qin Fu’s hand and gently stroked her cheek, appearing very satisfied with her.

“Good child,” she said with a smile.

As she spoke, she removed the jade bracelet she often wore and placed it on Qin Fu’s wrist.

It was customary for elders to give a small gift when meeting younger family members for the first time.

Wen Ruyu’s jade bracelet was worth around ten taels of silver—not an extravagant gift for Qin Fu, but still a meaningful one.

Especially since the bracelet had been worn for years and had developed a beautiful sheen.

Against Qin Fu’s fair wrist, the jade looked refined and elegant.

Qin Fu politely refused at first. “Grandmother, I couldn’t possibly accept this.”

Wen Ruyu feigned displeasure. “Be good and take it. When an elder gives you something, you mustn’t refuse.”

Hearing this, Qin Fu finally accepted it with a formal bow.

Wen Ruyu wasn’t stingy with this gift. Aside from the connection between the Lu and Xu families, she had more financial security now.

The family’s two businesses were thriving, with yearly profits rivaling what Lu Songnian made in the capital.

After lunch, Wen Ruyu noticed a maid following Qin Fu who was strikingly beautiful.

Though a servant, she carried herself with a noble air, almost matching her mistress.

Wen Ruyu found it odd but chose not to inquire.

It wasn’t her concern how the Qin family managed their household.

During lunch, the Qin siblings displayed impeccable manners.

After the meal, Wen Ruyu sent the younger generation off to spend time together while she excused herself for a nap.

Maintaining a disciplined routine, she ensured her midday rest wasn’t too long—just enough to avoid sleepless nights.

And so, another peaceful day passed.