The family physician found it rather amusing.
He had thought it was something serious, but it was merely a worry about Xu'er's marriage.
Cheng Xu was born to the second madam of the Cheng family, but the family physician had always treated this only son as his own.
He smiled gently and said slowly to Magistrate Cheng:
"Why must you worry so much about Xu'er's marriage, my dear? Xu'er is so outstanding, there's no need to worry about him not finding a good wife. You, ah~ are just too impatient. I think that Nian Tongshou is truly ordinary and not worthy of Xu'er. Perhaps they have the self-awareness to know this, which is why they haven't come to visit."
Hearing her husband speak thus, Magistrate Cheng felt much of her gloom dissipate.
"You do have a point, but if I fancy her, why should she be so insecure?"
Now the Cheng family physician understood. His wife truly fancied this Nian Tongshou. He frowned slightly and said,
"My dear, I heard from my brother that Xu'er does not fancy this Nian Tongshou. Should we not respect Xu'er's opinion?"
Magistrate Cheng naturally knew what the Cheng family physician had said.
But she had considered many things.
Noble families brought many troubles. If Xu'er married into a prominent family and something happened, she would be too far away to help.
However, if they were completely unremarkable, how could Magistrate Cheng bear to marry her precious son off?
After much thought, Nian Jiaojiao seemed the most suitable!
Magistrate Cheng sighed deeply, patted her thigh weakly, and said,
"Alas... forget it, forget it. I won't argue with you. In short, on Xu'er's matter, I can still have the final say."
Seeing that Magistrate Cheng had said so, the Cheng family physician could not say more.
He walked behind Magistrate Cheng and began to gently massage her temples to soothe her emotions.
...
Shanshui Town.
It was rare for men to stroll through the streets alone. Yucuan and Xuanyi walked on the street, attracting curious glances from many women.
One reason was Xuanyi's tall stature, which deterred most people.
Another was that both of them had tied up their hair completely.
Men in the Great Moon Dynasty, if they were traveling outside, could tie up all their hair, securing it with ribbons or hairpins, or wear a cap after tying up their hair.
Such men indicated that they were married and had a wife. They generally would not have women approach them to strike up a conversation while walking on the streets.
The two of them had inquired about a street where housing agents were concentrated. As soon as they entered the street, housing agents flocked towards them.
"Hey, gentlemen, are you looking to buy a house?"
"If you're buying a house, find me, Aunt Yu. I've been in this business for decades. Many come through referrals. My reputation is good, and I'm honest with everyone!"
"Hah! Honest with everyone! Your reputation in this area is terrible!"
"What are you saying! I think you're just jealous!"
...
Seeing several people start to argue, Yucuan frowned and scanned the entire street. Suddenly, he saw a thin, frail man looking in their direction, seeming to want to step forward but hesitating.
So, Yucuan interrupted their bickering and pointed to the thin man behind the crowd:
"Stop arguing! I've decided! I'll let this housing agent show me houses!"
The aunts, unsure who had intercepted, looked back in disbelief, only to find that the gentleman buying a house was pointing to a man. They couldn't help but confirm:
"Are you referring to him?"
Yucuan replied with firm conviction:
"That's right!"
The aunt smiled mockingly at the man:
"He's just a newcomer. He hasn't even figured out these streets and alleys. What good houses can he find for you?"
The other aunts were remarkably in agreement at this moment:
"Yes, yes!"
"Aunt Yu is right. I think you should find us instead. We have a reputation!"
Yucuan shook his head upon hearing this.
They had just been slandering each other, what was the use of saying this now?
He and Xuanyi, two men out to buy a house, could not contend with these sharp-tongued aunts. As for this frail man, his lack of experience in this aspect was actually a better choice for them.
The frail man, seeing the business he was about to secure being snatched away, felt anxious. He finally mustered up the courage, his face turning red, and said:
"No, no, I'm familiar with this area. I, I've lived in Shanshui Town since childhood and have walked everywhere. I know where there are houses for sale."
Aunt Yu heard the man's defense and said unhappily:
"Do you have good houses? Knowing the way is useless."
"I... I've already negotiated three, four..."
"Hey! You're still talking about three or four? Gentlemen, I have over ten properties!" Aunt Yu interrupted.
The man lowered his head in shame from being reprimanded.
Yucuan spoke at this moment:
"Auntie, since I've already said it, it's not good to go back on my word. How about this, let this agent show me the houses first. If I don't find anything I like, we will definitely come back to you."
Seeing that Yucuan had said so, the aunt could not stop him further, though she muttered:
"Isn't this a waste of time? See, they'll definitely come back to me..."
Yucuan ignored her further and said gently to the man opposite:
"Let's go, take us to see the houses."
The man nodded excitedly and quickly stepped forward to lead the way.
Forced by life, he had been working in this profession for over three months and had not yet closed a deal.
This was inseparable from the exclusion by these aunts.
First, they would greet the homeowners and not give him any leads, and then they would belittle him when attracting clients.
Now he finally saw hope. If he could close one deal, he would receive a commission of at least three taels of silver.
...
The Nian Family.
Nian Jiaojiao woke up at noon the next day. She walked to the dining table and saw no one anywhere, feeling puzzled.
Where had everyone gone?
When she went to the kitchen, she found that the congee in the pot was still hot. There was a stand next to it with two boiled eggs. So she found a bowl and served herself a full bowl of plain white congee.
After finishing a bowl of congee and getting enough sleep, Nian Jiaojiao stretched her body.
It had been so comfortable in a long time!
She walked out and looked around.
Where had everyone gone? Why hadn't they returned yet?
At this moment, two men carrying washbasins walked towards her, seemingly discussing something.
With her keen ears, Nian Jiaojiao caught some keywords.
"Bai Qingqing" "Fang Fang" "run away"
Nian Jiaojiao's ears twitched, and she stepped forward to intercept the two men.
"Gentlemen, are you discussing something?"
The two men sized up Nian Jiaojiao.
What a pretty girl!
The two men exchanged a few whispered words, and one of them, wearing dark blue, with slightly yellowish skin but delicate features, stepped forward to answer:
"We were talking about Bai Qingqing. A while ago, the Fang family's Fang Fang proposed to the Bai family. Unexpectedly, Bai Qingqing disagreed and even escaped while the Bai family wasn't paying attention. She hasn't been found yet."
Hearing this, and thinking about how she had contributed a bit of "strength" to Bai Qingqing's escape, Nian Jiaojiao guiltily touched her nose.