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“My grandfather told me that, but my great-grandfather insisted that one husband and one wife were just right. Too many people would only lead to quarrels, and some people even said our family was crazy. They asked, ‘What if there’s only one wife to pass on the family?’ But over the years, as long as it’s the main line, there have been plenty of children, at least two, and they have all been outstanding. Just like me, I have an older brother and an older sister. My brother is a fourth-rank military officer, and my sister married well and lives a happy life,” Su Yu briefly explained the family situation to Wang Jinhe.
“You mentioned earlier that you became a successful scholar by taking the top spot in the exam. Why didn’t you continue to take the exams? Don’t scholars want to become the top scholar?” Most scholars aspire to be the highest-ranking scholar, so Su Yu seemed like an exception.
“What’s the point of being an official? Staying in the same place every day is not my style, so after I passed the successful scholar exam and received substantial tax exemptions, I decided not to continue. Doing business and traveling around is much better for me,” Su Yu shrugged and said.
Wang Jinhe didn’t expect Su Yu to have such thoughts, but indeed, being an official wasn’t always appealing. It required staying in one place, and that didn’t suit his personality.
“Didn’t your father ever consider beating you for not pursuing the path of a top scholar? After all, with your talent, if you had continued, you might have even become the champion,” Wang Jinhe asked out of curiosity.
“He never did, because in our family, as long as you’re not doing shady or deceitful things, and you’re not involved in the wrong kind of activities, you’re free to pursue whatever you want. My father knows my personality very well and understands that I’m not cut out for the officialdom. When I passed the successful scholar exam and wanted to do business, he supported me and even entrusted many of our family’s businesses to me,” Su Yu explained, grateful for his father’s support.
Wang Jinhe looked at Su Yu in surprise. “Your father’s approach seems quite sensible.”
“I think so too,” Su Yu agreed with Wang Jinhe’s assessment.
As they continued chatting, Wang Jinhe realized that Su Yu was a genuinely good person with simple and straightforward thoughts. He did what he believed was right and didn’t overcomplicate things. This kind of person led a truly happy life.
Today’s conversation had left Wang Jinhe with a favorable impression of Su Yu. It seemed that someone like him might also be a good choice.
Su Yu settled into Wang Jinhe’s home, and the family members didn’t have any objections. This arrangement made Xiao Bao the happiest. Every day, Su Yu taught them martial arts, reading, and many other things. In just a few days, Su Yu’s position in Xiao Bao’s heart had greatly improved.
“Mom and Dad are so amazing,” Xiao Bao changed his address on the third day of Su Yu staying with them.
Every day, Su Yu talked about Dad’s long and short accomplishments, sometimes making Wang Jinhe feel a bit jealous.
“What’s wrong?” Su Yu asked.
“Dad went hunting and caught a big deer. Dad said its meat is delicious, and its long antlers can also be sold for money,” Xiao Bao excitedly reported.
“Really? Let’s go out and see. By the way, where’s Little Zhi?” Wang Jinhe was a bit surprised that Zhang Zhilin hadn’t joined Xiao Bao.
“Mom, these days, Big Brother has been a little unhappy. Maybe he misses his Mom and Dad?” Big Brother hadn’t seen his parents for a long time.
Wang Jinhe furrowed her brow slightly. “Big Brother might be missing his Mom and Dad, but your Dad mentioned that they should be coming soon.”
“Really? If they don’t come soon, Big Brother will definitely be unhappy,” Xiao Bao said, looking conflicted.
“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Xiao Zhi about it later.”
“Okay.”
Wang Jinhe stood under the corridor and watched as Xiao Zhi sat on the steps, watching Xiao Bao play around with Su Yu.
“Missing your parents?” she asked Xiao Zhi.
Zhang Zhilin nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been missing them a lot. I don’t know when they’ll be back.”
“Don’t worry, when your uncle came, I asked him about it. According to him, your parents should be back in a few more days. They’ve almost finished handling things over there, so I estimate they’ll be back in about five or six days,” Wang Jinhe reassured him.
Zhang Zhilin’s eyes lit up. “Auntie, are my parents really coming back?”
Now that Xiao Bao’s dad was back, he also wanted to see his own mother.
“Yes, it’s true. Are you feeling better now that you know? Go play with Xiao Bao; he was really worried about you.”
“Thank you, Auntie.” After saying that, Zhang Zhilin ran to Xiao Bao and joined him in watching the deer on the ground.
Gu Shi stood beside Wang Jinhe, watching the happy Zhang Zhilin. “Zhang Zhilin has had a tough time too, enduring it all for such a long time without saying anything.”
“Yeah, he’s such a good kid. He’s been away from his parents for so long, and I’m sure he hasn’t felt comfortable. Now that he knows they’re coming back soon, he’s feeling happier,” Wang Jinhe agreed.
“That’s good. I can see that Su Yu is really good to Xiao Bao.” When teaching Xiao Bao how to read, practice martial arts, and other things, Su Yu could be quite strict. However, during their free time, Su Yu would play around with Xiao Bao and Zhang Zhilin as if they were brothers. If someone didn’t know better, they might think they were all just siblings playing together. It was a bit unbelievable for Wang Jinhe.
But it was also a good thing. Wang Jinhe believed that children who were loved and cared for by both parents would be more confident and cheerful.
“That’s true. Thanks to Su Yu, Xiao Bao is definitely much happier now,” Gu Shi agreed.
“Yes,” they really couldn’t replace the role of a father.
The next morning, a middle-aged woman dressed extravagantly walked in from outside. “Congratulations, dear sister.”
Gu Shi frowned at the woman. “Congratulations for what? Besides, we don’t know you.”
The matchmaker, Mrs. Wang, had an awkward smile on her face and then spoke, “Well, it’s like this. Someone entrusted me to propose a marriage for your family. They have taken an interest in your daughter and wish to marry Jinghe as a concubine. Today, I’ve come to inquire if your family has any thoughts on this matter.”
Gu Shi looked at Mrs. Wang with a dark expression. “No need, please make a trip back. You can leave.”
“Sister, you must think carefully. Even though it may not be a formal marriage, having your daughter become a concubine is already quite good. If you persist, your daughter may not be able to marry anyone,” Mrs. Wang, thinking Gu Shi wanted to secure a good match for her daughter, tried to persuade her.
Gu Shi sneered, “I appreciate your concern, but I’ve said we don’t need it.”
She had her own son-in-law. Why would she entertain such unsavory individuals?
“Mom, who is this person?” Wang Jinhe, carrying a watermelon, and Su Yu, followed by Little Bao and Zhang Zhilin, returned from outside and saw Gu Shi standing with someone. Her expression didn’t look great.
“This is a matchmaker who came to propose a marriage for you,” Gu Shi explained.
Su Yu’s face darkened upon hearing this. “Who has the audacity to propose such a thing for my son and wife? Do they want to die?”
The matchmaker, Mrs. Wang, noticed Su Yu’s changing expression and asked cautiously, “Dear sister, who is this…”
“My son-in-law,” Gu Shi replied firmly.