Chapter 545 - 204: A Quarrelsome Couple
The group was in no mood to eat. They quickly recounted what De’an had encountered. Then, they looked to Xu Suying to see what she thought.
When Xu Suying first heard that the relatives of this body were about to come knocking, her mind went blank.
’What am I going to do if this body’s relatives figure out I’m not the original?’ was her first thought.
But then she reconsidered. It had been twenty years; people change. It would be understandable if her changes were a bit more significant.
With that thought, her tense body relaxed. She lazily threw up her hands and looked at her children, saying, "We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. If he really shows up, we can’t just kick him out, can we? Besides, just as Jing said, this Mr. Xu is probably my junior. My falling into the water surely had nothing to do with him. If I appeal to his emotions and reason with him, I should be able to convince him not to tell his family about this for now."
But that was for a normal scenario. If it was an abnormal scenario—for instance, if the Xu family had already found the person who tried to harm her and could prove their own innocence—then that would be another possibility entirely.
Wouldn’t she have to go to the capital to acknowledge her relatives then?!
Acknowledging such a noble family wouldn’t be a loss for her, anyway. The only question was whether they would look down on her for having "fallen" so low.
For Xu Suying, no crisis was ever really a crisis.
She was the type to take things in stride and could live well anywhere. Just then, she was heard instructing a servant to go to a restaurant and get some takeout, picking dishes the family liked, and to hurry back.
Xu Suying’s composure only made the younger ones seem all the more inexperienced.
The three of them exchanged glances, the breath they had been holding suddenly released.
Since Mother thought so, then so be it.
’What else could they do?’
They couldn’t go to the government office and destroy the records, nor could they stop Xu Yanlin from investigating. All they could do was wait and see, letting Xu Yanlin come to them.
The food was soon brought back, and the four of them ate together.
After the meal, Zhao Jing went with De’an to his room to help him review his exam papers, pointing out his shortcomings and teaching him how to improve.
Chen Wanqing, meanwhile, took the opportunity to talk about her encounter with Mr. Sheng that morning.
When Xu Suying heard Mr. Sheng’s comment about "a fool’s luck," she was stunned.
After a moment of shock, she shot up from her chair, grabbed Chen Wanqing’s hand, and asked, "Qing’er, wait, let me process this. Did the Lord Prefect mean what I think he meant, or am I overthinking things?"
"What are you thinking, Mother?"
"Why do I get the feeling the Lord Prefect has taken a liking to De’an and wants to set him up with Kaiyan? I must be overthinking it, right? Kaiyan is such a wonderful girl, and her family background is so good. In our family, your father is just a Sixth Rank official, and De’an hasn’t even passed the examination to become a scholar..."
"But Jing became the top scorer in the provincial examination. His future is boundless."
"Right, right, it must be because of Jing."
"It’s not entirely because of Jing, either."
Chen Wanqing recounted for Xu Suying the scene when Zhao Jing and De’an first met Mr. Sheng. She emphasized the Sheng Family’s current situation and the fact that Mr. Sheng was getting old and was likely starting to secure a future for his children.
If she wasn’t mistaken, their family was the safety net Mr. Sheng was preparing for his children.
Because his parents, while they come from a small place, are honest, ambitious, and have a bit of luck. Especially since they also have Jing, a son-in-law with a great future, to offer support. If he wants his daughter to marry down, is there a better family than ours?
Upon hearing Chen Wanqing’s analysis, Xu Suying had a revelation. "So that’s how it is, that’s really how it is. Then what do you think about this marriage..."
"We should accept! A match this good is hard to find even if you search with a lantern!"
"That’s what I think, too. Oh my, look at De’an. He’s the simple-minded one, but look how lucky he is! For such a good potential in-law to take a fancy to him, just how much good karma did he accumulate in his past life!"
As Xu Suying spoke, she stood up and started walking out. Chen Wanqing hurried after her. "Mother, Mother, what are you doing?"
"What else can I do? I have to find a matchmaker and propose marriage immediately! The Lord Prefect has dropped a hint, so of course we have to hurry and send someone over. Otherwise, won’t we seem arrogant? If we ruin this engagement because of our hesitation, I’ll be kicking myself forever."
"There’s no need to be in such a rush, right? We can wait until after the Lu Ming Banquet..."
"I can’t wait, not for a single moment! The Lu Ming Banquet is still days away. By the time it’s over, the opportunity will be long gone! Let me tell you, it’s not that I’m trying to social-climb by connecting with the Lord Prefect. I just genuinely like that girl, Kaiyan. The thought of her becoming my daughter-in-law..."