Madam Zhang, having heard Madam Yang’s suggestion, felt it made a great deal of sense, so she hurried back in a flurry, eager to ask her daughter’s opinion before quickly finalizing the matter.

Wang Caidie felt a little embarrassed when she heard her mother’s questioning. What kind of daughter chooses her own future husband’s family? But she considered that this choice was ultimately for her own sake, and whether her future life would be good depended entirely on how well this selection was made. Thus, she set aside her reserve and listened as Madam Zhang described the situation of the two families.

After listening to Madam Zhang finish, Wang Caidie chose the family whose young man seemed to have the better prospects for the future. Although the other family was rumored to have a more gentle prospective mother-in-law, no one could truly be certain of that; after all, many people were perfectly mild to others, but things changed entirely once they were dealing with their own daughter-in-law. Therefore, Wang Caidie decided to choose the family whose young man looked set for greater success. Besides, it wasn't as if the mother-in-law in this chosen family would be terrible; it was just that, comparatively, she might not be as mild as the other. Since neither family involved a truly harsh person, the difference was negligible.

Seeing that her daughter had made a choice, Madam Zhang breathed a huge sigh of relief. At last, a family had been selected, and she could finally stop being so anxious. However, she wouldn't truly relax until the engagement with one of the families was completely settled. Thus, Madam Zhang immediately set about arranging the betrothal procedures.

First, Madam Zhang informed the matchmaker of their side's inclination and asked the matchmaker to sound out the chosen family's intentions—to inquire whether they were amenable to forming a marriage alliance with their household. However, Madam Zhang specifically instructed the matchmaker to be extremely careful to preserve their daughter’s dignity during this probing, ensuring that the other party would not get the impression that their daughter had favored them first.

The families Madam Zhang had initially approached were those who had utilized the matchmaker to find wives for their sons, and the family Wang Caidie ultimately selected was naturally among them.

Upon hearing that Madam Zhang favored the Zhou family, the matchmaker was naturally delighted and readily agreed, assuring Madam Zhang that she would certainly safeguard the reputation of the bride's side. Then, the matchmaker swiftly proceeded to the Zhou residence, announcing that she had recently found a suitable match: the daughter of Wang Laosan from Wangjia Village.

When the Zhou family heard this, they immediately inquired about the young lady's temperament, and the matchmaker, of course, offered only the highest praise. After listening to the matchmaker’s lengthy description, the Zhou family, while knowing that the matchmaker’s account was not entirely factual, reasoned that it probably wasn't too far-fetched.

Even with this thought, the Zhou family decided they must thoroughly investigate the matter themselves; after all, this was about finding a wife for their son—a lifelong affair that could not be handled carelessly.

Seeing that the Zhou family had not immediately accepted, the matchmaker naturally guessed that they intended to make their own inquiries. She wisely refrained from saying anything further and took her leave under a suitable pretext.

After the matchmaker departed, the Zhou family's eldest daughter asked her mother, "Mother, the matchmaker only mentioned the Wang girl in passing; why does it seem like you are already leaning towards agreeing?"

Hearing her daughter's question, Old Madam Zhou sighed, "Alas, you know your brother. He has refused several families previously, and now that the matchmaker has finally found another prospect, we simply must go and see!"

The eldest daughter of the Zhou family was displeased. "Mother, your son’s marriage is delayed precisely because you always indulge him. Why don't you just settle it for him? What son is as picky as he is?"

Old Madam Zhou knew that her daughter’s words held truth, but neither she nor her husband were forceful people. When their son disagreed, they usually did not press the issue, which was precisely why his marriage remained unsettled for so long.

"This time, I will persuade him. We cannot let him keep being so selective; if this continues, he truly won't find a wife," Old Madam Zhou declared.

The eldest daughter was highly skeptical upon hearing her mother’s statement. She recalled that her mother had made similar declarations long ago, yet what was the result? Her brother was still unmarried. "Mother, I have heard those very words countless times, but hasn't my brother found a wife yet? I say you need to be firmer. You and Father shouldn't be convinced just because he utters a few complaints. If it’s like this every time, how long will you two elderly folks have to wait before holding a grandchild?" the eldest daughter pressed.

The mention of grandchildren immediately changed Old Madam Zhou’s demeanor. She became animated. "Yes, you are right! It is right for your brother to marry sooner so your father and I can hold a grandchild sooner. Very well, when your brother returns today, I will immediately speak with him. This time, no matter what, your brother must settle this marriage!"

Although the eldest daughter did not hold high hopes for her mother, she felt that having her mother nag her brother a bit more would still be beneficial.

After talking with Old Madam Zhou for a while longer, the eldest daughter returned home, as there were still many chores awaiting her. Since she was married within the same village, her coming and going was quite convenient.

When Zhou Ling finally returned home, Old Madam Zhou did indeed begin pestering him about marriage. Hearing his mother start her familiar litany, Zhou Ling felt an immediate headache coming on. "Mother, please stop nagging. I’ve been busy all day and am exhausted. If you keep going on like this, my head will start throbbing!"

Upon hearing her son complain of a headache, Old Madam Zhou immediately felt sympathetic. "Oh dear, how can that be? Tell your mother quickly, is it serious? Should I find a physician to take a look?"

Zhou Ling quickly interjected, "No need for a physician, Mother. I just need to rest a bit, and it should clear up."

Old Madam Zhou accepted his words without much suspicion. "Then go and rest quickly. Headaches are not to be trifled with. Go rest now; Mother won't nag anymore."

Hearing his mother relent, Zhou Ling dashed into his room and collapsed comfortably onto the heated brick bed. Finally, peace and quiet. If he had to listen to his mother nag any longer, he truly wouldn't have been able to bear it! After all, his mother's nagging points were so repetitive that he could recite them by heart, demonstrating the profound depth of her persuasive power.

After Zhou Ling had a short sleep, Old Madam Zhou observed that he seemed much better and then said, "The matchmaker came by today and mentioned another young lady from a good family. She sounds very capable in every way, and rumor has it she is quite beautiful too. What do you think? If you find her acceptable, Mother will go make inquiries right away."

"Mother, there’s no rush concerning finding a wife…" Zhou Ling started to object, but Old Madam Zhou cut him off.

"Oh, every time I mention marriage to you, you evade the subject like this. Just when do you plan to marry? If you keep putting it off, where will I go to hold my grandson?" Old Madam Zhou said with a touch of sadness. "It might have been understandable before, but you are not young anymore. Settle this matter soon!"

Hearing his mother’s plea, Zhou Ling found it difficult to voice a refusal.

Seeing her son remain silent, Old Madam Zhou struck while the iron was hot. "How about this: Mother will first investigate the young lady the matchmaker mentioned. If she is suitable, then we can discuss finalizing the engagement. How does that sound?"

Zhou Ling asked softly, "What if she isn't suitable?"

Old Madam Zhou smiled reassuringly. "If she isn't suitable, of course, my son won't marry her! Don't you worry!"

After hearing his mother's assurance, Zhou Ling nodded and said no more. This caused Old Madam Zhou, who had prepared many counterarguments, to breathe a sigh of relief. She had achieved partial success; at least her son had agreed to let her investigate the bride-to-be.

Thinking this, Old Madam Zhou felt instantly energized. She felt she could not disappoint her son. He had finally conceded a point, so she absolutely had to inquire thoroughly to meet his expectations. Of course, Old Madam Zhou would never admit that her son held very little actual expectation regarding the matter.

The information Old Madam Zhou gathered was largely consistent with what the matchmaker had reported, which made her very happy and significantly relieved. After all, this greatly increased the likelihood that her son would agree to the engagement.

Therefore, Old Madam Zhou excitedly shared the intelligence she had gathered with Old Man Zhou and her eldest daughter. After she finished speaking, the two of them developed a warmer feeling towards the Wang girl. Her reported background seemed very promising indeed. If she truly could marry Zhou Ling, it would be a very good match.

By the time Zhou Ling learned about the details of the Wang girl his mother had investigated, the rest of the family was already firmly aligned with his mother, all supporting the idea that he should become engaged to the Wang girl.

Zhou Ling listened and admitted to himself that the Wang girl's qualifications were quite good, but that didn't mean he was eager to be engaged to her! He certainly hadn't planned on settling down so soon.

However, now saying anything was pointless. The entire family stood united with his mother, insisting he finalize the engagement with the Wang girl.

Zhou Ling was deeply unwilling, but looking at the expressions of the others, he swallowed hard. He knew he couldn't escape this time and finally nodded, "Fine, let's get engaged then!"

Upon hearing their son concede, Old Madam Zhou and Old Man Zhou were overjoyed, nearly dancing with delight. However, they did not forget the necessary preparations for an engagement, so the elderly couple quickly sought out the matchmaker to discuss the arrangements.