Wang Qingchen's maternal uncle, the eldest brother of Mrs. Yang, was named Yang Feng, who married a Mrs. Fang. They had two daughters and one son, with the eldest daughter already married off.

Yang Feng and Wang Youfu’s family had not been in contact for several years. Yang Feng’s visit this time was prompted by his wife, Mrs. Fang, hearing about the Wang family purchasing a shop, urging him to investigate the truth of the matter.

When Yang Feng arrived, Wang Youfu and Wang Qingchen were busy in town dealing with school enrollment matters. Wang Qinghua was taking Caiyun out to dig for wild vegetables, as there was little work in the fields currently, leaving only Mrs. Yang at home.

Mrs. Yang, upon learning that her second son was going to study, was preparing to sew a school satchel for him. When she saw her elder brother arrive, she nearly pricked her own hand with the needle.

Although they hadn't communicated for years, Mrs. Yang strongly suspected the visit was due to her sister-in-law’s influence. In plain terms, Mrs. Yang’s sister-in-law was somewhat opportunistic, and her brother likely just followed her lead. Thus, Mrs. Yang was quite excited to see her brother. However, after hearing what her brother had to say, she found it impossible to be joyful.

Though Mrs. Yang had a gentle nature, she was far from simple; in fact, she had always been perceptive. She realized her brother’s words were subtly prying into the matter of her family buying a shop. For him to make such a trip only to inquire about this left her disheartened.

There was no need to conceal the shop purchase from Yang Feng; since he was asking, he must have heard rumors already. Mrs. Yang briefly explained the shop acquisition to her elder brother but omitted the purchase of land, as few people knew about that, and mentioning it might invite trouble.

After hearing Mrs. Yang's account, Yang Feng was certain his sister's family had indeed come into money. He mulled over what his wife had instructed him to ask, hesitating for a long time, unable to bring himself to speak. Just as he finally mustered the courage and was about to open his mouth, Wang Youfu returned from town.

Wang Youfu was quite perplexed to see his brother-in-law, given their years of estrangement. However, he suspected the timing of the visit was directly linked to his family’s newfound wealth from buying the shop.

After exchanging a few words with Yang Feng, Wang Youfu confirmed his suspicion that the visit centered on the shop, which dampened his spirits. When his family was poor, Yang Feng's household barely associated with them; now that they had bought a shop, they eagerly rushed over to probe. Nevertheless, Wang Youfu managed to keep his displeasure hidden, which gave Mrs. Yang, who was watching him closely, a moment of relief.

Even though Wang Youfu didn't show his unhappiness openly, his demeanor was far from warm. Yang Feng’s courage, which he had summoned to speak, vanished. Despite both Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang politely offering him a meal, Yang Feng departed before noon.

Unknown to Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang, when Yang Feng returned home, Mrs. Fang was delighted to learn that the news of the shop purchase was true. However, Yang Feng had completely failed to mention the matter his wife had assigned him, leading her to berate him severely and declare she would handle things herself the next day.

When Wang Qingchen returned home from school, although he sensed an unusual tension in the house, it did not diminish his excitement from his first day of classes. Upon arrival, Wang Qingchen carefully cut the paper he had bought into small sheets and proceeded to teach Wang Qinghua what he had learned that day, showing him how to hold the brush and write. Although it wasn't instruction from the Master himself, Wang Qinghua paid close attention. Caiyun, seeing this, also hovered nearby, watching Wang Qingchen with eager eyes. Unable to resist such a powerful gaze, Wang Qingchen ended up teaching her as well.

The joy of the three children sharply contrasted with the gravity weighing on the couple. They spent the entire evening pondering the true reason for Yang Feng's visit. Although Yang Feng hadn't explicitly stated it, both knew he had something to say but held back for some unknown reason. Could it possibly be about borrowing money?

The next morning, shortly after Wang Qingchen left for the schoolhouse, Mrs. Fang and Yang Feng paid a call. Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang, having finally grasped the intent behind the previous day's visit, became immediately guarded.

“Little Aunt, I’m just saying, our Er-ya and Qinghua are a perfect match. Er-ya is the same age as Qinghua and is known to be virtuous; there are plenty of suitors after her. The only reason I haven't agreed to any of them is because I’ve been thinking about your Qinghua not having found a wife yet. Our families are so closely related, we must consider Qinghua more; he can't go through life without a wife, can he? We have held back several excellent proposals for Qinghua’s sake—those families are prosperous townspeople with impeccable backgrounds. But I refused them all, all for the sake of my poor nephew who hasn't found a wife.” Mrs. Fang revealed her purpose.

Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang were dumbfounded. Mrs. Fang’s meaning, plainly put, was: I see how pitiable your Qinghua is, still unwed, so I am reluctantly offering my virtuous second daughter to him—you are lucky he's getting such a bargain.

Wang Youfu collected himself and coughed, “Er-ya is such a fine child; how could our Qinghua possibly be worthy? Sister-in-law, please don't trouble yourself on our account; you absolutely must not delay Er-ya's future.”

“How can that be called delaying? We are family, after all; we can’t just look out for ourselves and ignore you. I know you two find it hard to bring up, but it’s alright. Your Sister-in-law is not unreasonable; if you wish to marry Er-ya, why would I refuse?” Mrs. Fang said with a smile.

Yang Feng, hearing this, felt his wife had gone too far. Back home, they had agreed merely to suggest the idea of a marriage alliance between the families, reasoning that his sister's family was currently flush with cash and Mrs. Yang was good-natured, so their child wouldn't suffer. Yet, his wife’s words were becoming increasingly outrageous. Yang Feng usually feared his wife; otherwise, he wouldn’t have refused to lend money when his sister's family was building their house years ago, leading to their long silence. But now, he couldn't help but tug his wife’s sleeve, hoping she would stop. His intentions were good, but reality proved otherwise; Mrs. Fang simply shook off his hand and ignored him.

Wang Youfu felt deeply frustrated. He felt as if they were shamelessly offering their son up as a suitor while framing it as their family requesting the marriage—it was maddening. Yet, being a man, he couldn't yell at her like a woman might. He glanced at Mrs. Yang, sighing; it was hopeless to rely on her gentle nature; he had to handle this himself.

Mrs. Yang felt stifled as well. She knew her sister-in-law’s temperament well enough: if Er-ya were truly as desirable as painted, a match would have been secured long ago, not left waiting until now. However, Wang Youfu was right about one thing: she didn't know how to effectively refuse and could only look to him, hoping he could turn down the proposal.

Wang Youfu thought for a moment, genuinely unsure how to refuse tactfully. He couldn't simply say, "We are currently seeking a more suitable match for our elder son, and your Er-ya won't do." If he did, Mrs. Fang would surely gossip outside, potentially damaging his son’s prospects for finding a good wife. Seeing Mrs. Fang determined to anchor her daughter to their family, Wang Youfu’s headache intensified. He secretly regretted not securing his eldest son's betrothal before buying land and shops, but now it was too late for regrets.

Fortunately, Wang Youfu’s torment didn't last long, as Mrs. Zhang arrived. Mrs. Zhang had heard about Wang Qingchen attending school and came to inquire about sending her six-year-old son, Wang Qingyi, to study as well, since the family could now afford it. However, upon arrival, Mrs. Zhang noticed guests were already at Wang Youfu's house.

“Oh, I’ve come at a terrible time. Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, please continue with your business. I can return this afternoon,” Mrs. Zhang said apologetically.

Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang would never let Mrs. Zhang leave; they desperately wished she would stay—she had arrived at the perfect moment!

“It’s no trouble, Third Auntie. These are not strangers; this is my elder brother and sister-in-law from my maiden family,” she said, then turned to Yang Feng and Mrs. Fang, “Brother, Sister-in-law, this is the children’s Third Auntie.”

Mrs. Zhang was not one to stand on ceremony. After Mrs. Yang introduced them, she greeted Yang Feng and Mrs. Fang and gracefully took a seat.

Mrs. Fang, meanwhile, seethed inwardly. She was aware that Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang were reluctant to marry her daughter to Qinghua. In the past, she wouldn't have bothered with them, but Wang Youfu had suddenly prospered and bought a shop, which she heard was worth nearly a hundred taels. Moreover, Mrs. Yang and Qinghua had pliable personalities, ensuring her daughter would suffer no hardship if she married in. If their families had maintained a close relationship, she might have outright proposed a marriage alliance. But given their years of estrangement, compounded by her refusal to lend money for Wang Youfu’s house construction, a direct proposal was a pipe dream. Mrs. Fang had been forced to devise this manipulative approach that would make refusal difficult for Wang Youfu, but her plan was ruined by Mrs. Zhang’s untimely arrival. In her fury, Mrs. Fang shot Mrs. Zhang a venomous glare.

Mrs. Zhang, seeing the hostile stare, was thoroughly confused. Had she done something to offend her? Was she interrupting some serious discussion? But Second Sister-in-law had just said it was fine to stay. Mrs. Zhang felt completely bewildered.

Mrs. Fang coughed, “Brother-in-law, Little Aunt, what are your thoughts on this matter?”

Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang wore expressions of deep difficulty, uncertain how to refuse gracefully. The couple had thought that with an outsider present, Mrs. Fang would drop the subject, but she pressed on without hesitation.

Mrs. Zhang noticed the strained faces of Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang and asked with concern, “What matter are you discussing?”

“It’s about the match between Qinghua and my Er-ya. Your Auntie feels sorry for poor Qinghua, growing so old without a wife—the boy can’t be a bachelor his whole life, can he, Third Auntie? My Er-ya is so virtuous; she has many good suitors, many from respectable town families. I rejected them all for Qinghua’s sake. If I marry Er-ya to Qinghua, he won’t have to worry about being single anymore. Brother-in-law and Little Aunt are too polite to say anything, so when I bring it up, they must be overjoyed, right? Third Auntie, you aren't an outsider; you can share in our joy,” Mrs. Fang chirped, smiling brightly.

What kind of person was Mrs. Zhang? Hearing Mrs. Fang’s words, she grasped the situation immediately. Mrs. Fang likely saw that Wang Youfu’s family was wealthy now and wanted to marry her daughter in, knowing Mrs. Yang’s gentle nature would prevent her from mistreating a daughter-in-law. But looking at the complexions of Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang, they were clearly unwilling but felt unable to refuse, perhaps due to Mrs. Yang’s complicated family ties. If Mrs. Zhang were in their shoes, she wouldn't agree either.

Mrs. Zhang had always been on good terms with the second branch of the family and decided to lend them support. “Hehe… Auntie, you are truly overthinking things. Now that Second Brother’s family has bought a shop, many people are eager for a match with them. It’s just that Second Sister-in-law hasn't fully recovered her health, so people feel awkward asking. Since so many fine families in town seek Er-ya’s hand, she is clearly destined for good fortune. You shouldn't ruin Er-ya’s bright future for Qinghua’s sake; otherwise, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law would feel terribly guilty,” she said, then turned back to Wang Youfu and Mrs. Yang, “Isn’t that right, Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law?”