Chapter 145 - 125: The Full Rites of a Grand Wedding
With his entire family moving, Fang Yue ended up staying at home for a few extra days.
After getting his family settled into their new residence in Xiahe County Town, Fang Yue had planned to leave for Shanyang Prefecture City.
But he never managed to leave. Ms. Chen stopped him, insisting that he meet his blind date before he went.
"This time, I’ve looked into it for you. The girl is from a scholarly family and has had a reputation for talent since she was a child. Everyone calls her a Female Zhuge! If she weren’t a woman, she would have passed the exams to become a Civil Scholar long ago."
Ms. Chen rambled on, listing all the virtues of the girl she was introducing to Fang Yue.
According to Ms. Chen, the woman had virtually no flaws; she was absolutely perfect.
"And the matchmaker said she has wide hips, perfect for childbearing! She’s guaranteed to give you sons! She even has a face that will bring her husband prosperity. If you marry her..."
The more Ms. Chen went on, the more absurd it sounded to Fang Yue.
’She sounds *that* good?’
’So why isn’t she married yet?’
"Mother, are you sure you haven’t been swindled? A girl that wonderful... why isn’t she married already?" Fang Yue immediately voiced his suspicion.
"W-well, it’s because she hasn’t found the right one! After all, with her qualities, she’s obviously looking for someone even better," Ms. Chen said, forcing an excuse she could accept.
The logic was even self-consistent. The more she thought about it, the more she believed it to be true.
After all, what other explanation could there be for why such a wonderful woman was still unmarried?
"I understand, Mother."
Seeing his mother’s expression, Fang Yue decided not to argue. She would only give up after seeing it through to the bitter end.
Just as he was about to leave, Ms. Chen stopped him and brought over a navy-blue brocade robe.
"Zhi’Er, wait! You can’t wear that. This is a new outfit I just made for you. You’re going on a date today, so dress sharp. And when you see the girl, be a sweet-talker, be attentive. You can’t go wrong with that."
But after getting him into the new clothes, she decided he was missing an accessory. After hanging a Jade Token from his waist, she felt his shoes weren’t right...
With all her fussing and dawdling, in the blink of an eye, almost an hour had passed.
Fang Yue couldn’t help but glance at the sky and quickly stopped Ms. Chen.
"Mother, it’s almost noon! If I don’t go now, I’m going to be late."
As soon as he said that, Ms. Chen finally stopped fussing over him.
And so, bearing his mother’s eager expectations, Fang Yue left for the appointed location to meet his date.
Thankfully, no one else knew about this.
If word got out that Fang Yue—a dignified Martial Scholar who owned a Tea Garden of nearly ten thousand mu and was considered quite a catch in Xiahe County Town—still had to go on blind dates, he would become a laughingstock.
After leaving the house, Fang Yue casually stopped by a roadside shop to buy some preserved fruits and other snacks, then quickly made his way to the meeting spot.
Weixiang Residence, Xiahe County.
Fang Yue entered the main hall of the restaurant and scanned the room, but he didn’t see his date.
He found a seat by the window, ordered a pot of tea from the waiter, and began to pour and drink by himself.
「Fifteen minutes later.」
"Sir, what would you like to order? Our braised pig’s trotters, fish in aged vinegar, and donkey meat soup are all famous dishes. Would you like to try some?"
This was the third time the waiter had come to Fang Yue’s table.
"I’ll wait a little longer. The person I’m meeting hasn’t arrived yet. We’ll order when she gets here," Fang Yue said with a faint, unconcerned smile.
He’d been to Xiahe County many times over the years, but this was the first time he’d ever been so obviously rushed to order by a waiter.
Still, this was one of the most well-known restaurants in Xiahe County. Whatever the waiter was thinking, his service showed no sign of impatience and was no different from how he treated the other patrons.
After three rounds of tea and four or five refills from the waiter, just as the tea had grown weak, a woman with an oval-shaped face finally entered Weixiang Residence, accompanied by a round-faced maid.
The woman was holding a light-cyan silk scarf—the exact signal arranged with the matchmaker.
The oval-faced woman wore a light-green cotton dress embroidered with peonies, and the cuffs were embroidered with a crimson Spirit Bird pattern.
Her hair was styled in twin buns, held in place with a jadeite hairpin.
The oval-faced woman’s large, dark eyes twinkled as she glanced in Fang Yue’s direction.
Her skin was fair and her figure petite and delicate. Her oval face was graced with two shallow dimples. Her every expression, be it a frown or a smile, was captivating.
As for the one beside her, she had a large rear, a large chest, and an equally thick waist.
From top to bottom, she was built like a pillar.
’This must be the "green leaf to the beautiful flower,"’ he thought. ’Every young lady from a prominent family needs a plain maid to serve as a foil, I suppose.’
’This one, however, was a bit of an exaggeration.’
’In this day and age, a young lady’s personal maid is often part of her dowry.’
’Who would dare accept a maid built like a water bucket?’
’Could *that* be the reason this "excellent" woman is still unmarried?’
"Oh, you must be Young Master Fang?" the oval-faced woman said, gliding gracefully toward him.
Behind her, the pillar-like maid stared impolitely at Fang Yue, looking him up and down before nodding with what appeared to be a satisfied expression.
Then, without waiting for her lady to sit, the "pillar" plopped herself down on a nearby stool.
The oval-faced girl, however, seemed not to notice and subconsciously started to move toward that seat herself.
However, she quickly sat down in another chair instead.