After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 4

Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhou felt as if her heart had been pricked by a needle. She put down the spatula, walked to her son, and looked up at the son who was more than a head taller than her, yet whom she loved to the core.

“Han’er, how can you say that about yourself!” Aunt Zhou said urgently. “Yes, that’s what people outside say about you, but I know my son isn’t that kind of person! Your father passed away early, and if it weren’t for you… if it weren’t for your willingness to risk everything, our family would have fallen apart long ago! It’s my fault for being useless and dragging you down with me…”

Seeing his mother’s eyes redden, Zhou Han felt a pang of sadness and turned his face away, saying, “Why are you saying all this?”

“You must speak!” Aunt Zhou grabbed his arm, her voice choked with sobs yet unusually firm. “Han’er, I’ve met that Miss Lin Sang more than once! She has a clear mind and a proud spirit. I know she’s not the kind of fool who believes everything she hears. Now… now she’s just like us, burdened with a bad reputation. But can we blame her? No! Just like I’ve never believed your reputation is genuine!”

She took a deep breath and continued, “Mother is thinking, what if? What if that girl can tell right from wrong? She’s so capable and sensible. If… if she agrees, you’ll be settled down, have someone who cares for you, and that will make your home feel real! All my life, I’ve only hoped for your well-being…”

Zhou Han listened in silence. The heartache, guilt, and cautious expectation in his mother’s words gradually soothed his hardened heart like warm water.

He recalled the girl on the mountain with her straight spine and clear eyes. Such a girl… how could he not have a secret longing for her deep in his heart?

He ultimately didn’t voice any objections, but simply said in a low voice, “Whatever you say, but if they don’t want to, come back immediately and don’t bother them.”

Seeing that her son’s attitude had softened, Aunt Zhou was overjoyed and repeatedly replied, “Yes! Yes! Mother knows, Mother knows!”

The next morning, Aunt Zhou carefully tidied herself up, put on her most presentable dark blue jacket, combed her hair meticulously, and after meeting up with Matchmaker Wang, she headed towards Linjia’ao with a mix of trepidation and anticipation.

When they arrived at the Lin family’s gate, it was ajar. Matchmaker Wang cleared her throat and called out, “Is Sister-in-law Lin home?”

Lin Sang, who was washing bed sheets by the well in the yard, looked up when she heard the sound.

In the dim morning light, she rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing a section of her honey-colored forearm, as she vigorously wrung out a thick, coarse cloth sheet. Water droplets splashed everywhere, forming a shimmering halo around her. A thin layer of sweat glistened on her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed with a healthy rosy hue from the effort, but her eyes remained calm, showing no sign of fatigue or resentment.

Aunt Zhou saw this scene at a glance. Her gaze swept across the yard, which was clean and tidy. She was full of praise. It had only been a few days since the engagement was broken off. Instead of being depressed, this girl had managed the house in an orderly manner. This tenacity and character made her even more determined to have this daughter-in-law!

When Wang came out of the house and saw Wang the matchmaker, she forced a smile. But when she saw Zhou Da Niang beside her, her heart skipped a beat, and she had a bad feeling.

After inviting the two women into the main room and having them sit down, Matchmaker Wang explained her purpose with a smile: “Sister Lin, we are here today on behalf of the eldest sister of the Zhou family in Baishigou. We would like to help you find a good match for your daughter, Sang.”

Wang’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced a smile and asked, “Which family are you from?”

Aunt Zhou quickly took over, adopting an extremely humble posture: “Sister Lin, this is my family, my son, Zhou Han.”

“What?!” Wang’s smile vanished instantly, her voice becoming shrill. “No! Absolutely not! Granny Wang, Sister Zhou, it’s not that I don’t want to give you face, but who doesn’t know what kind of reputation your Zhou Han has? Fighting, brawling, and unreasonable! Even if my Sangsang is jilted, she absolutely cannot jump into this kind of fire pit! There’s no room for discussion!”

His words were spoken with absolute certainty, leaving no room for negotiation.

The matchmaker, Wang, was also a little embarrassed and could only force a smile to smooth things over.

Aunt Zhou felt a burning sensation on her face after being rejected so openly, but she was mentally prepared for it.

She stood up and bowed slightly to Madam Wang, her tone almost pleading: “Sister Lin, please don’t be angry. I know my son has a bad reputation, so it’s understandable that you’re unwilling. I… I don’t dare ask you to agree immediately, I only beg you… could you let me speak a few words with Miss Sang alone? Just a few words! Is that alright?”

When Wang heard that Aunt Zhou wanted to speak to her daughter alone, her face immediately darkened, and she refused without thinking: “What’s the point of talking alone? No way! Sangsang is a young girl, what can she say in private with the mother of a man she doesn’t know? People will gossip about it!”

Her words were blunt and left no room for negotiation, instantly freezing the atmosphere in the main room.

Hearing this, Aunt Zhou dared not insist any further, and could only look helplessly at Matchmaker Wang.

Inwardly cursing Wang Shi for being so ruthless, the matchmaker immediately put on a professional, smooth smile. She stepped forward affectionately, took Wang Shi’s arm, and half-coaxed, half-pulled her to the door of the main room, lowering her voice:

“Oh, my dear Sister Lin! Don’t block the road yet! Let me tell you something.”

She glanced at the helpless Zhou Da Niang in the room, then leaned closer to Wang Shi’s ear and lowered her voice even more: “Sister-in-law, I know you dote on your daughter and look down on the Zhou family boy, but think about it, this eldest sister of the Zhou family has lowered her posture so much, begging and pleading to say just a few words. If we don’t even give her this much face, what will outsiders say?”

Madam Wang frowned, wanting to retort, but the matchmaker Wang didn’t give her a chance, continuing quickly, “People will definitely say that your Lin family has high standards and a bad temper, not even letting people finish a sentence, which is a bit too heartless. If this reputation of ‘heartless’ is attached to you, it won’t sound good for Miss Sang’s future… don’t you think?”

These words subtly struck at Wang’s sore spot—her daughter’s reputation. Wang’s expression changed slightly, and her imposing manner weakened considerably.

The matchmaker, Wang, observing the expressions on the other end of the line, knew she had persuaded them. She immediately switched to a sincere tone: “Besides, sister-in-law, it’s just letting Miss Sang listen to her say a few words. It won’t cost her a piece of flesh, and it doesn’t mean we agree to the marriage! Let’s just consider it as fulfilling Sister Zhou’s wishes and letting her give up. We’ll let them speak openly and politely send them off after they’re done. No one can find fault with us; on the contrary, it will make your Lin family seem magnanimous and broad-minded!”

She patted Wang’s hand one last time: “Let her talk! No matter what she says, the decision is still in your and Miss Sang’s hands, isn’t it? We’ll just wait in the courtyard, in broad daylight, how can we let her run away with Miss Sang? If you’re really worried, I’ll stand with you at the gate, okay?”

After being subtly attacked by Matchmaker Wang, who was concerned about her reputation and wanted to maintain her composure, Wang was indeed swayed. She thought that since she would never agree to the marriage anyway, she would let Granny Zhou say a few words and get rid of her, so as to save her from nagging and giving others something to talk about.

She took a deep breath, her face still pale, but she finally relented and called out impatiently towards the door, “Sangsang! Come in here for a moment!”

After saying that, she didn’t even look at Aunt Zhou, and pulled Matchmaker Wang out of the main room. She went straight to the persimmon tree in the courtyard, with her back to the main room, looking as if she didn’t want to see it and be bothered.

Wang the matchmaker secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that she had finally barely passed the first hurdle. Now, it all depended on Zhou Da Niang’s own abilities and Lin Sang’s intentions.