Chapter 66: Qian Xile

After the two left,

she gave an awkward laugh and said:

“Eh-hehe, Xile is a straightforward child, you must’ve noticed. Sister Zhang, what do you think?”

Zhang Jinlan didn’t answer. She was still stunned.

She had lived so many years,

yet this was the first time she’d met such a bold, outspoken girl.

She really dared to say whatever was on her mind.

In front of her own elder brother, she had openly said she didn’t want to return to her maternal family.

And yet—Zhang Jinlan didn’t dislike her.

Her granddaughter’s secret couldn’t be revealed to outsiders.

When looking for a granddaughter-in-law, her first requirement was a tight mouth, a righteous heart, and not being overly close to her natal family.

Clearly, this girl fit the bill.

Zhang Jinlan’s expression was conflicted.

She didn’t speak.

The matchmaker, Madam Qian, thought she looked down on Qian Xile, so she said no more.

Instead, it was Qian Ping’an who began listing his little sister’s virtues,

trying to act like a respectable elder brother.

Unfortunately, no one responded.

—Outside.

Qian Xile’s eyes locked onto Jiang Tongjin.

She stared blankly at him for a few seconds before speaking:

“If, after we marry, I give birth to three daughters in three years, what would you do?”

Jiang Tongjin was stunned, then replied:

“Wouldn’t that be too frequent? Maybe we should slow down a bit? Having them back-to-back would be too hard on your body—I’d be afraid you couldn’t take it.”

Qian Xile laughed.

His answer was beyond her expectations.

He didn’t say it must be sons, nor that he wouldn’t mind daughters.

Instead, he was worried about her health.

“I have no more questions. Do you want to ask me anything?”

Qian Xile made up her mind—if Jiang Tongjin wanted her,

then she was willing to marry into the Jiang family.

“If, after we marry, someone offered you a hundred taels of silver to betray my family, would you do it?”

Thinking of his little sister, Jiang Tongjin asked earnestly.

“I think my brain isn’t broken. Even if I got the hundred taels, what then? If your family treats me well, I’d lose far too much by betraying you. You should know, I grew up under my sister-in-law’s thumb—never enough food, never enough clothes, working harder than an ox and rising earlier than a rooster.

I’ve heard from Auntie Qian that your family doesn’t favor sons over daughters, so I imagine your household must be very harmonious. That kind of life is what I dream of—why would I ruin it with my own hands?

Even with money, then what? Should I clutch a hundred taels and live alone in misery? Or remarry with that money, only to be squeezed dry by someone else? That would be far too foolish.”

Qian Xile didn’t understand why Jiang Tongjin asked something like this.

Who would spend a hundred taels just to target a poor family?

Did they have more money than sense?

But seeing his serious expression, she simply followed her heart and answered.

“Good. I’ll tell Grandma I want to marry you.”

With that, Jiang Tongjin went back into the main hall.

So quickly that even Qian Xile hadn’t reacted yet.

“How come you’re back already? How did the talk go?”

The matchmaker thought Jiang Tongjin wasn’t interested in Qian Xile, so he’d returned after only a few words.

Her face remained calm, but in her heart she was already thinking of finding another candidate for the Jiang family.

“It went well. Grandma, Mother, I want to marry her.”

Jiang Tongjin firmly declared to his family.

“Huh?”

Zhang Jinlan’s mouth dropped wide open—she thought she’d misheard.

The room fell silent.

From the time the two stepped out to when they returned, not even a quarter of an hour had passed.

And they already liked each other?

The matchmaker was overjoyed.

She had thought the two of them had no chance.

“Well that’s wonderful. But we still need to hear the young lady’s opinion. Xile, you said before that your marriage would be up to you. What do you think of this Jiang lad?”

It wasn’t enough for just one person to agree.

Both sides needed to like each other.

Right then, Qian Xile also came inside.

The matchmaker quickly asked her.

“He’s good. I’m willing to marry him.”

Qian Xile answered boldly, without a hint of shyness.

“See? This child is truly straightforward—doesn’t beat around the bush one bit. Sister Zhang, what do you think? The two kids both like each other. Do you still have concerns? To be honest, if I had a grandson of the right age, I’d want Xile as my own granddaughter-in-law.”

And she wasn’t lying.

Others disliked Qian Xile’s family background, but she didn’t.

So what if her natal family was poor?

Once married, how many times in a lifetime could a girl even go back home?

She didn’t expect her daughters-in-law or granddaughters-in-law’s families to support her anyway.

As long as the girl herself was good, even if her whole family was dead, it wouldn’t matter.

She herself had no daughters.

When she grew old and couldn’t work, the matchmaking business still needed an heir.

Her daughter-in-law, Madam Bai, couldn’t be pried open with a crowbar—absolutely unsuitable to inherit.

But cheerful, eloquent Qian Xile was practically tailor-made to succeed her.

“If my eldest grandson wants to marry her, then marry her. As long as he’s willing, I won’t oppose it. Your name is Xile, right? When would you like the wedding? Though the marriage is in your hands, you’re still young and might not know how to handle the details. Shall our family arrange it?”

Zhang Jinlan, who already liked Qian Xile, naturally agreed happily.

“Of course, the sooner the better. I’m afraid my sister-in-law will try something wicked again.”

“Pfft—”

Jiang Fubao nearly burst out laughing.

Her future sister-in-law was too adorable.

She really said whatever she thought, not treating them as outsiders at all.

She was already looking forward to life after her eldest cousin’s wedding.

“Alright, our house is under expansion. Once it’s finished, Tongjin will marry you in. At most it’ll take a month. Hold on until then. If your sister-in-law tries to harm you, come to Jiangjia Village.

If it gets serious, hide at Auntie Qian’s and send someone to fetch us. As for the betrothal gift, we can prepare two taels. Should we give them to you, or to your elder brother and sister-in-law?”

Zhang Jinlan glanced at Qian Ping’an.

She rolled her eyes slightly, though not obviously—others might just think she shifted her gaze.

“Give it to Xile. I won’t take it. All these years, I’ve failed her. And don’t tell my wife either—just say you didn’t give a betrothal gift. Otherwise she’ll make a fuss, and there’ll be no peace at home.”

Qian Ping’an shrank his neck.

He had no trace of manliness.

Even eunuchs in the imperial palace had more backbone.

In Zhang Jinlan’s heart, he was trash—couldn’t even protect his own sister.

“Grandma Jiang, I’ll keep the betrothal gift myself. On the wedding day, I’ll bring it along with my dowry.”

Hearing that Zhang Jinlan wanted to protect her,

a warm current surged in Qian Xile’s chest.

So there really were people in this world who would stand up for her.

“Dowry? Xile, where did you get a dowry?” Qian Ping’an asked curiously.

“I saved it myself. What, was I supposed to count on you to save it for me? Every day, my sister-in-law made me forage wild greens and pick mushrooms in the mountains. I always hid half of it away and had friends in the village take it to town to sell. Year after year, bit by bit—I managed to save up.”