Chapter 196: Chapter 196: Persuading for Marriage

Translator: 549690339

For peace of mind, many families often arranged marriage matches for their children at a young age; infant engagements were not rare instances in those times.

Zhuang Yuanren was considered a treasure by Zhuang Ruman and Mrs. Song, he was not easily satisfied with ordinary girls, so it might be possible for them to pre-arrange a marriage for Zhuang Qinghe too.

Moreover, Zhuang Qinghe is a girl; once the betrothal is arranged, if all goes well, the groom’s family would need to present betrothal gifts to the bride’s family. And Zhuang Ruman’s family, being in a tight financial situation currently, could benefit from this…

The motive behind arranging a betrothal for Zhuang Qinghe is self-evident.

Although Mrs. Song is harsh, she isn’t very thoughtful and is affectionate towards her children. This matter probably wasn’t her idea, it would likely be the cunning and self-serving Zhuang Ruman who may have come up with this plan.

They often say, ‘even a beast will not devour its young,’ but Zhuang Ruman even tries to sell his own daughter. This kind of person truly is…

Zhuang Qingning had a clear conjecture in her mind, but did not intend to say much to Zhuang Qingsui, who was much younger than her. She only said, “It appears that they must have their reasons. Besides, this matter has no relation to us and we need not worry about it.”

“I will not worry about their matters, but when I heard Aunt talking about it, it reminded me of you, sister.”

Zhuang Qingsui put down her chopsticks and said, “Sister, I remember you are not that much older than Zhuang Qinghe, just by a few months, right?”

“Yes, it seems so,” Zhuang Qingning replied, after quickly searching her memory, and nodded her head.

Zhuang Qingsui tilted her head and asked sincerely, “Now that there is talk of her betrothal, isn’t it about time that you considered such a matter as well, sister? We don’t have any elders, no one will help you worry about this. How about we entrust this matter to Aunt, and have her help you sort it out?”

“Our families are quite close to each other, and it’ only logical for her to take care of this matter for us. If you are embarrassed to propose this to her, I can go and speak to Aunt on your behalf,” suggested Qingsui further.

Zhuang Qingning was startled.

Did she just get her first matchmaking proposal?

At the tender age of thirteen?

She had been often pressured to marry by her elders in her previous life as an older, single woman and was weary of these proposals. She thought that after her soul had crossed over into the ancient past, she wouldn’t have to face marriage pressure considering her current situation. However, shockingly, history seemed to eerily repeat itself.

Besides, this time, it was her eight-year-old younger sister prodding her.

Zhuang Qingning managed to prop her lower jaw back in place after it dropped in shock. She reached out and pinched Zhuang Qingsui’s cheeks, “What’s going on in that little head of yours? I’m still so young, and here you are, thinking about getting me betrothed?”

“Aunt He said that there’s no need to worry about the age differences when it comes to betrothals. Even after betrothal, you can wait for several years before the wedding. It’s possible to arrange the betrothal first.”

Qingsui stated seriously, “If we arrange your betrothal now, sister, and wait a couple of years more, then the age for marriage would be about right – this won’t delay anything. Isn’t this a good idea?”

Zhuang Qingning blinked, her eyes spinning around her little sister; she finally put down the half-bowl of corn ribs soup in her hand.

“So, you’ve actually been thinking about getting me betrothed, because you feel bored of having me around all the time and want to get me out of the house quickly?” she asked.

Zhuang Qingning asked.

“That’s not what I meant.” Zhuang Qingsui hurriedly waved her hands to explain, “I just…”

Zhuang Qingsui lowered her head, twisting the hem of her dress nervously. Her knuckles were so white, it seemed as though she couldn’t stop her hands from doing so.

“Just what?” Qingning prodded.

Zhuang Qingsui raised her head, bit her lower lip, looking at Zhuang Qingning, she replied, “I simply…”

“I am just thinking that, since you are managing the tofu shop all by yourself, worrying about the tofu mill and moreover, worrying about me, it’s really a bit too exhausting. If you could get betrothed, your husband’s family could probably help you out a bit, and from then on you wouldn’t have to work so hard…”

So that was the reason.

Due to her concern for her older sister’s exhaustive lifestyle, she wished to find a helping hand for her sister.

Zhuang Qingning let out a sigh, gently patting Zhuang Qingsui’s head, “I understand your concern; I know you care about me, worry about me and don’t want me to work so hard. But, this thing…”

“How should I put it, finding a spouse is not just about a suitable match, it’s about whether the other person is liked or not. If I don’t like him, then even if we are betrothed, I’d probably treat him as a mere helper. If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just hire a few helpers. It would not only save effort but also give peace of mind.”

“And also, choosing a spouse, if it’s a loving couple like parents, or a supportive pair like Uncle Yonghe and Aunt He, it would be another matter. What if my spouse doesn’t consider help with my tasks as part of his responsibility, and neglects the whole thing entirely?”

“And if I had even more bad luck, and encountered someone who was dead set on taking possession of the assets that I worked hard for, I would be breaking my back for nothing, all my hard work would be taken by others without any return, and I’d still have to work to show respect to his parents, take care of his brothers and sisters and navigate petty conflicts with in-laws. And after doing all this, he might not appreciate my work, instead wanting to spend the money I earned on a few more mistresses, and argue with me constantly…”

“If I encountered such a situation, what would I gain from it? Why would I willingly put myself into this kind of hole and live a life full of hardships, and not enjoy my free, peaceful days?”

Zhuang Qingsui was stunned, her eyes wide.

She had not thought about it in such depth.

She agreed that her sister was absolutely right. If they rushed to get betrothed, they might accidentally jump into a pit of fire.

She just wanted to find a helpful partner for her sister, and did not want to trap her sister due to her own ideas.

“I just thought to find a helper for you…” Zhuang Qingsui hurriedly tried to explain, “I…”

Zhuang Qingsui could not continue, she just pursed her lips. A layer of mist appeared in her eyes, as if it could condense into droplets of water and roll down from her eyes at any moment.

“I understand that you’re worried and want to find a dependable person to help me. But we mustn’t rush matters like this; it’s better to take our time to find the right person.”

Zhuang Qingning pinched Zhuang Qingsui’s cheek lightly, smiling, “When the time comes, and I truly find someone I’m fond of, even if you try to stop me, I’ll have to marrry him. You must not cry at such times.”

After saying this, Zhuang Qingning pulled a funny face, causing Zhuang Qingsui to chuckle. She forgot her regret in an instant.

“When the time comes, and you find someone suitable, I will have a say in it. If

I don’t think he is good for you, I won’t let you go that easily.”

Zhuang Qingsui also made a playful comment, resulting in both of them laughing.

From then on, she put the thought of urging her sister to marry out of her mind..