He Qiuhua tugged at his sleeve, and only then did Yan Xingmao realize he’d let the cat out of the bag!

The four people in the room exchanged awkward glances. At that moment, Yan Xiaoyu actually felt a twinge of envy toward his older sister—she didn’t have to face such an awkward situation.

Yan Xingmao and his wife exchanged an awkward glance, both feeling a bit annoyed. So preoccupied with their youngest son’s pursuit of Yan Erlang, they hadn’t noticed at all that Yan Dalang had taken a fancy to their daughter Yue!

Seeing his parents’ reaction, Yan Xiaoyu’s heart skipped a beat.

His parents both thought Yan Erlang was coming to propose to him; Master Shan at the teahouse thought Yan Erlang was interested in him; even Ji Wenyan felt that his relationship with Yan Erlang was more than just ordinary…

Before Yan Erlang left for the provincial capital, he had repeatedly urged him to come back. That day, when his forehead brushed against Yan Erlang’s mouth, the other man’s flushed face, his evasive gaze…

Could it be that Yan Erlang truly harbors such feelings for him?

Yan Xiaoyu felt dizzy; on one hand, he found it hard to believe—Yan Erlang, who had specifically warned him before, fearing he might covet him, had actually fallen for him?

Yet, on the other hand, he couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth curl upward.

Realizing his own emotions, Yan Xiaoyu froze for a moment, then quickly shook his head.

Being liked by someone as outstanding as Yan Erlang—wasn’t it only natural to feel happy? He was a bit vain, after all.

No wonder Yan Erlang had been so nice to him lately—it turned out he had taken a liking to him and was pursuing him!

At nineteen years old, this was the first time anyone had ever pursued him, and Yan Xiaoyu felt a bit smug.

Yan Erlang wasn’t just handsome; he had good taste, too. No wonder he’d passed the Xiucai examination!

The three family members wore different expressions. Nian-ger looked from one to the other, pondered silently for a moment, and then it dawned on him.

—Uncle Yan and Aunt Qiuhua have taken a liking to Yan Erge, and they want him to be their son-in-law!

Nian-ger was overjoyed.

Yesterday, when Yan Shaoxuan learned that his older brother wanted to marry Yan Xiaoyue, his expression wasn’t very strange—he seemed a bit unhappy, even a little jealous. At the time, Nian-ger hadn’t understood, but now it all made sense.

Yan Erlang is just going through puberty!

He knew it—what young man doesn’t want to get married? Yan Erlang used to find him annoying, but now that he’s arranging a match for his own older brother, he’s just jealous!

Yan Erlang is so close to Xiaoyu-ger—I’ve even heard he gave all his tax-exempt land shares to Xiaoyu-ger’s family. Who knows, maybe he has his eye on Xiaoyu-ger, and it just so happens that Uncle Yan and his wife also approve of him.

The only snag is with Xiaoyu-ger, but it’s no big deal. If I work a little harder and put in more effort, this match still has a good chance of working out.

Nian’er felt both happy and worried. Now that the matchmaking business had started, clients were coming one after another—he was getting a bit overwhelmed.

It was also his matchmaker instinct’s fault for not being sharp enough. With two perfect matches right in front of him, just waiting to be brought together, he hadn’t even noticed!

He’d have to gather all the unmarried men, young men, and young women in the village together another day.

Nian-ger made up his mind and spoke with a beaming smile: “Aunt Qiuhua, Uncle Yan, shall we discuss Brother Yan and Sister Yue’s marriage first?”

After speaking, he gave Yan Xingmao and his wife a meaningful wink: “As for the rest, we’ll talk about it in detail later!”

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

After Nian-ger left, Yan Xiaoyu turned to look at Yan Xingmao and his wife.

“Father, Mother, isn’t there anything you want to tell me?”

Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua both looked flustered.

“Mother… Mother can’t speak clearly. Let your father tell you.” He Qiuhua gave Yan Xingmao a nervous nudge.

Under his son’s intense gaze, Yan Xingmao found it hard to meet his eyes: “It’s our fault—we let it slip. We’re worried for you. You’ve been pursuing Yan Erlang for so long, and now he—”

“I’ve been pursuing Yan Erlang?!”

Yan Xiaoyu shouted, startling Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua so much they both flinched.

“I-is that not the case?” Yan Xingmao looked terrified, stuttering in fear. 

“……” Yan Xiaoyu never imagined that his parents’ misunderstanding regarding him and Yan Shaoxuan ran so deep.

When on earth had he ever pursued Yan Erlang?!

It took the three of them quite some effort to finally clear up the misunderstanding. Once the misunderstanding was resolved, Yan Xiaoyu was utterly exhausted, too tired even to speak.

When Yan Xiaoyue returned from Aunt He’s house at noon, He Qiuhua couldn’t wait to tell her about Yan Shaocheng’s marriage proposal, delivered through Nian-ger.

The character of the Yan brothers was evident to everyone in the village, and Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua were thoroughly satisfied with Yan Shaocheng as well.

Although the Yan family had no elders to rely on, given how dutiful the two brothers were to their adoptive parents, their future son-in-law was sure to be just as good.

If Yan Shaoxuan was the son-in-law they had long hoped for, then Yan Shaocheng was an unexpected delight.

Yan Shaocheng was broad-minded and kind to everyone, and he was accustomed to looking out for the weak. So even though he paid special attention to Yan Xiaoyue, He Qiuhua and her husband didn’t think much of it.

At the time, they were too busy observing Yan Xiaoyu and Yan Shaoxuan to really notice the interactions between Yan Shaocheng and Yan Xiaoyue. But now that they thought about it, those unusual aspects became apparent.

“Our Sister Yue really is something special to the Yan family’s eldest son.”

Yan Shaocheng was full of sincerity; he had even prepared the betrothal gifts. Nian-ger said the items were all purchased from the city and were the only ones of their kind in the village.

“If you have any other requests, feel free to ask; the Yan family will do its best to accommodate them.” They nodded, and Yan Shaocheng was then able to come to their home to propose.

After Yan Xiaoyue returned, the whole family gathered to discuss the matter.

Yan Xingmao and He Qiuhua had long been worried about their children’s marriages, but now that such a fine prospective son-in-law was right before their eyes, they were a hundred percent in favor.

Yan Xiaoyue stood there in a daze for a moment, seemingly unable to believe it, but once she came to her senses, her face lit up with joy.

Seeing this, Yan Xingmao and his wife knew their daughter was willing, so they cautiously asked their son for his opinion.

Yan Xiaoyu didn’t object.

Yesterday afternoon, when Yan Shaocheng came to discuss the tax exemption, Yan Xiaoyue’s interest in him had already been quite obvious. At that moment, he had guessed that Yan Shaocheng was coming to propose.

Land taxes were collected twice a year, and over the course of decades, they added up to a substantial sum of silver. The fact that Yan Shaocheng chose to discuss this with them before formally proposing meant that, regardless of whether the marriage went through, he was willing to grant them Yan Shaoxuan’s fifty-mu share of tax-exempt land.

For this alone, Yan Xiaoyu held him in higher regard. 

Moreover, Nian-ger mentioned that Yan Shaocheng had personally arranged the entire dowry, which was quite comprehensive; as the matchmaker, he hadn’t had to lift a finger. This clearly demonstrated just how serious Yan Shaocheng was about this marriage.

He was already the brother-in-law he had his heart set on, and now he was making such a good impression. His older sister liked him, too. Yan Xiaoyu was too busy rejoicing for his sister’s sake to even think of objecting.

Yan Xiaoyu told Nian-ger that he needed a few more days to consider it, but his family had already approved of Yan Shaocheng. It was just a formality—after dragging it out for a few days, he could give Nian-ger a definite answer, and the marriage would be settled.

The next day, Yan Shaoxuan left early in the morning to attend a banquet at the magistrate’s residence.

“A new official must make a splash upon taking office.” When he went to the county school to seek out Master Luo that day, Yan Shaoxuan had already noticed that the county felt somewhat different. Upon learning that the magistrate had invited the newly passed scholars to visit, Master Luo, fearing that Yan Shaoxuan’s youthful impetuosity might cause him to offend others, took the trouble to offer a few words of advice.

“This Magistrate Zhong is different from the previous Magistrate Ji. Magistrate Ji came from a family of upright scholars and wasn’t at all pretentious; Magistrate Zhong, however, is a distant relative of Prince Xu. Prince Xu’s faction boasts a lineage and status superior to that of the Ji family. Though Magistrate Zhong is only a distant relative within the fifth degree of kinship, he still looks down on others. People like them are accustomed to scheming and cutting corners. They likely harbor some intention to win you over. I know you despise flattery and sycophancy, but once you’re there, you must temper your sharp edges. It is better to offend a gentleman than to offend a petty man!”

Master Luo’s words were sincere; every sentence was spoken with his best interests in mind. Yan Shaoxuan dared not refuse.

Upon arriving at the magistrate’s residence, he followed Master Luo’s instructions to the letter, speaking and acting with caution, and refraining from speaking unless absolutely necessary.

The magistrate had invited not only the six newly qualified scholars but also several of the most prominent students from the county academy, including both newly qualified scholars and candidates for the provincial examinations.

Yan Yonghe was among them.

True to Master Luo’s description, the magistrate was indeed arrogant and conceited, fond of flattery and averse to frankness. The scholars who had come to the banquet pandered to his tastes, their flattery never ceasing.

During the banquet, everyone recited poetry. Yan Yonghe won the applause of the entire hall with a seven-character regulated verse, and even the magistrate clapped his hands in praise.

The others, not to be outdone, each displayed their own talents. Only Yan Shaoxuan and another scholar of plain appearance remained largely on the sidelines.

After all, Yan Shaoxuan was the top-ranked scholar; both his appearance and erudition far surpassed those of the others. Although he kept a low profile, Magistrate Zhong’s gaze still fell upon him from time to time, and during the banquet, he asked him a few questions privately.

Yan Shaoxuan remained neither overly humble nor arrogant; he spoke sparingly, yet his words carried substance.

Magistrate Zhong praised him repeatedly, and finally, in front of everyone, asked, “Scholar Yan, you are a fine-looking young man. Are you married?”

Yan Shaoxuan lied without batting an eye: “I am but a humble scholar; I am already betrothed.”

Magistrate Zhong seemed somewhat disappointed but did not press the matter. Later, he discussed the county’s administrative affairs, inviting the scholars to voice their opinions and offer strategies for the governance of Weishi County.

The others vied to make their mark, while Yan Shaoxuan watched quietly, speaking only a few words when addressed.

By the time the banquet dispersed, it was already afternoon.

Yan Shaocheng was waiting outside the magistrate’s residence. Seeing his younger brother approach with a stern expression, he hurried to meet him. The two brothers drove the oxcart out of the county town and spoke only after reaching a secluded spot.

“Shaoxuan, was that magistrate difficult to deal with? Did he give you a hard time?”

Yan Shaoxuan shook his head, his tone somber: “Big Brother, the people of Weishi County might have a rough time ahead.”

Yan Shaocheng was startled: “What do you mean by that?”

Meanwhile, in Xiling Village.

At noon, Yan Xiaoyu returned from town, looking rather grim.

Yan Xingmao looked concerned: “Did something happen?”

He Qiuhua and Yan Xiaoyue also looked at him with concern.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Yan Xiaoyu said with a forced smile. “It’s just that the investigation is nearly complete, but Qian Hong and Tan San still haven’t been arrested. Perhaps the new county magistrate has just taken office, and the officials at the county office are too busy to handle it.”

Although he tried to make it sound lighthearted, He Qiuhua and the others could tell the situation wasn’t looking good.

Yan Xingmao looked worried: “When you went there the day before yesterday, didn’t the constables at the market say the evidence was solid, and that as soon as the magistrate gave the go-ahead, they’d be able to arrest them immediately?”

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. “But what if the Qian family bribed the officials at the county office, and they’ve taken their bribes and refuse to make the arrest?”

Yan Xiaoyu had the same suspicion, but since nothing had been decided yet, he didn’t want to worry his parents.

“Father, Mother, let’s wait a bit longer. I’ll go ask again in a couple of days.”

“Alright.” Yan Xingmao nodded, then added hesitantly, “If it doesn’t work out, don’t go head-to-head with them. If there’s truly no other way, could you ask Yan Erlang to help inquire? He’s a scholar now; he should have some influence at the county office.”