"Cousin..."
Feng Jinyao looked at her helplessly. It was good to be carefree, but being so carefree every day made those around her worry.
This cousin could talk about the matter of "Wuying" with such animation, truly a waste of her identity as a Bai family daughter.
Once she was married and gained experience, she would likely be the one to tie the red strings for half the young men and women in the capital!
Accompanying her two maternal aunts and Bai Siruo into Yunhai Courtyard, Wen Furen happened to be present.
Bai Da Jiūmǔ immediately recognized Wen Furen, as they had heard about the Wen family's visitors and had not yet paid their respects.
So, she walked in with a smile and teased, "I was wondering why Eldest Sister hasn't been coming home to play dominoes these days. It turns out her future mother-in-law is here. Madam Wen is so well-preserved, looking just the same as seven or eight years ago when Xu Ge's wife married into the family. Did you eat some immortal elixir from the Supreme Lord of the Heavens? You haven't aged at all!"
"Your mouth can probably coax birds down from the sky," Madam Feng said playfully, then turned to Madam Wen. "This is my eldest sister-in-law, and this is my fourth sister-in-law. You've met Siruo behind them."
Madam Wen was initially unsure who was who, but with Madam Feng's introduction, she recalled. They had only met years ago when the Feng and Wen families were betrothed, and so much time had passed that she naturally couldn't remember everyone.
However, she wouldn't neglect the proper courtesies. She rose and offered a respectful bow to Bai Da Furen. "I was wondering who it was. So it's Eldest Aunt. No wonder my daughter-in-law praises you to me every day. You truly are a likable and good-natured person."
Afterward, she bowed to Princess Wenyi, "This humble subject greets Your Highness the Princess."
"Madam Wen, you are too kind. You are Eldest Sister's in-law, which makes you our sister-in-law's in-law. We are all family, so there's no need for such formality at home," Madam Wen said with a smile, seeing Princess Wenyi's amiable demeanor.
"Yunniang mentioned before that although Princess Wenyi comes from the royal family, she is the least pretentious. Seeing you now, I believe her words. Your Highness truly has a good temper."
Bai Da Jiūmǔ was not reserved. She acted as if she were at home, stepping forward to sit beside Madam Feng and teasing, "Madam Wen, you are the one with the good temper. Look at the Xu Ge's wife you raised, she is truly a model of gentleness and virtue. Teach us your ways sometime. Look at my girl here, she's become as wild as a horse."
Bai Siruo, who was named, pouted, "Eldest Aunt, why do you tease me like this?"
"See, you don't even let me speak! This girl is truly uncontrollable."
Although she was speaking to Bai Siruo, her eyes never left Feng Jinyao. She hadn't originally considered her children's marriages, but her eldest sister-in-law had mentioned it during her last visit. A Yao had put in a lot of effort during Siruo's kidnapping. Others might not know, but the Lin family knew it thoroughly. Especially her elder brother, Lin Wang, who praised Feng Jinyao highly.
Now, the second son of their family was not yet engaged, so she had asked her sister to come and probe the situation. If the Feng family was also interested, they would quickly arrange the marriage after A Yao came of age. Otherwise, given the Feng family's current popularity, it would be difficult for them to secure it!
Madam Feng was unaware of their intentions, but Madam Wen, being more observant, noticed some subtle hints. From the moment Bai Da Jiūmǔ's eyes were fixed on Feng Jinyao, she understood the general idea.
In terms of reading people's expressions, Madam Feng was not as adept as Madam Wen. After all, she was the eldest legitimate daughter of Prime Minister Bai and had been doted on by her husband after marriage. No one in the household had ever caused her any trouble, so she didn't need to be observant. Over time, she became even less able to discern subtle cues.
Bai Siruo, receiving a nod from the elders, used the excuse of looking for Meng Jie'er and Yun Li to leave with Feng Jinyao. Madam Wen felt it was inconvenient for her to stay and also found an excuse, saying that Wen Shi had also gone out.
Madam Feng looked at Bai Da Jiūmǔ and laughed, "Look at you, you're so wicked! As soon as you arrive, everyone runs away."
Bai Da Jiūmǔ didn't care about that. She said to Madam Feng, "My dear Eldest Sister, they've all seen through my intentions. Why are you still pretending not to know? I'm here today for no other reason than to arrange a marriage for my brother's second son."
"Arrange a marriage? Your elder brother's second son? I've never heard you mention him before." The Lin family had two sons and one daughter. The eldest daughter was already married, and the eldest son had been engaged for a long time to the eldest granddaughter of the Minister of War. She was said to be beautiful and gentle, a good match for the Lin family. However, she had never heard much about this second legitimate son of the Lin family. Madam Feng had thought he was too young to be in a hurry to marry. Who knew she would bring it up today.
"Cough, it's my fault for not talking about him much. My second nephew has been frail since childhood, so he followed his maternal grandfather's family to treat his illness in the Jiangnan region, only returning home during festivals. I haven't seen him much and thought he was always unwell. Who knew that he had already become a renowned physician in Jiangnan and had returned to serve directly in the Imperial Hospital this time? My sister-in-law knew that A Yao was about to come of age, so she rushed to ask me to arrange a marriage."
Madam Feng had some recollection after hearing this. Indeed, she hadn't heard much about the Lin family's younger son. However, a while ago, when Imperial Physician Liu came to examine her, he had mentioned that a highly skilled young man had joined the Imperial Hospital, even surpassing them old fellows. Now, it seemed he was referring to this Lin family's younger son. Although the position of Imperial Physician was not as promising as other official careers, it was a stable path. Especially since he had entered at such a young age and received praise from Imperial Physician Liu and others, his skills must be considerable.
Bai Da Jiūmǔ, with her sharp eyes, saw Madam Feng deep in thought and knew there was a chance. She continued, "I've seen that child, and he is indeed a good one. You know my sister-in-law is beautiful, and he inherited much of her looks, no less than our Xiao Er. Moreover, he is steady and prudent, with a good temper. If A Yao marries him, they will surely have a harmonious marriage and a prosperous household."
Before anything was even decided, Bai Da Jiūmǔ was already talking about the future. Madam Feng was tight-lipped, but as her sister-in-law, she couldn't directly refuse her. So, she said, "Is he really that good? Then bring me to see him another day. I only have one daughter, A Yao, and her marriage is the most important matter in our family right now. My husband also said that if we don't find a suitable match, she can stay at home for a couple more years!"
"Eldest Sister, don't worry, would I harm A Yao! You'll like him once you see him!"