As Wang Qingtong left the room belonging to the Tian family, he headed straight for the quarters of the Old Master and Old Madam.

The Old Madam looked up as Wang Qingtong returned, her face lighting up. "Quick, Qingtong, come here, come see the daughter from this family your grandmother found for you. Tell me if you're satisfied."

Wang Qingtong chuckled, "Grandma, your eyesight is always impeccable. Whatever you choose will surely be good; I don't even need to see her."

"Haha, my grandson knows how to talk. But I'm not just flattering myself; the one I found will certainly please you. Let me tell you, although this family isn't exceptionally wealthy, I had someone inquire about them. Not only is their daughter good-looking, but she is also filial and sensible. Furthermore, she excels at all household chores and needlework. Most importantly, her temperament is gentle." The Old Madam relayed the details she had gathered.

Wang Qingtong smiled and nodded. "Grandma, a daughter this good truly is a bargain for me."

"Hmph, what kind of talk is that? My grandson is also a fine young man; it's her good fortune to marry him, isn't it?" In the Old Madam's eyes, her own family was naturally superior.

Wang Qingtong listened to his grandmother's protective words and smiled without responding.

Seeing that Wang Qingtong had no objections, the Old Madam became eager to finalize the marriage arrangement as quickly as possible. She summoned the matchmaker and told her which family she had set her heart on. Once she received confirmation, the matchmaker began inquiring about the wishes of the girl's family.

The girl’s family surname was Meng, and the daughter the Old Madam favored was named Meng Xiaoping. The matchmaker arrived at the Meng residence and conveyed the Wang family Old Madam’s interest in forming a marital bond. To her surprise, Meng Xiaoping’s parents seemed unenthusiastic upon hearing the proposal, almost reluctant.

The matchmaker hadn't expected the Mengs to be so ready to refuse before even learning the details, so she quickly presented the Wang family's standing before they could outright decline, and then asked if there was anything that displeased them.

The couple, honest folk, explained their concerns after being prompted. They had heard about the things Tian Shi had done while arranging matches for Wang Qingtong previously. They considered Tian Shi extremely unreliable, and they worried that if their daughter married into the family, she would have to live under the control of such an unreliable mother-in-law—something they desperately wished to avoid for their child.

Hearing the Mengs' worries, the matchmaker inwardly cursed Tian Shi’s unreliability. Not only had Tian Shi caused her own business to plummet previously, but now she was making it difficult for her own son to marry. Truly, she was reaping what she sowed. However, since she was the one currently brokering the match for Tian Shi’s son, it meant Tian Shi had caused her trouble more than once or twice.

The matchmaker grew increasingly indignant the more she thought about it, but she realized this was not the time for anger.

Instead, the matchmaker smiled after hearing the Mengs' concerns. "Oh dear, if that's what you're worried about, then you've worried for nothing. If your daughter marries in, she won't have to live with the mother-in-law; she’ll move out separately."

The Mengs looked confused. "Move out separately? Has the Wang family separated their household? We haven't heard anything about that."

"Oh, it's not a full separation of the household; it’s like this. The Wang family’s eldest branch has always lived in the old residence, right? But now, that branch is growing larger, and there isn't enough space. The Old Master and Old Madam worry this might cause trouble when finding a match for their grandson. So, they plan to have their grandson build a new house outside the compound, and after marriage, he won't live in the old residence but in the new house."

"Is that true? You’re not tricking us, are you?" Meng Xiaoping's mother asked.

"Of course, it's true. Matchmaker Qian never deceives people when she arranges a match," the matchmaker stated with solemnity.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that," Meng Xiaoping's mother said, slightly embarrassed.

"It's fine, it's fine. After all, this is our first time dealing with your family; you'll know me better in the future." The matchmaker wasn't offended and transitioned the conversation. "Given this situation, are you still hesitant about the Wang family?"

When the matchmaker posed the question this way, the Meng couple hesitated. In truth, apart from Tian Shi, they were quite satisfied with the Wang family’s circumstances. The Mengs had heard that Wang Qingtong, despite his young age, already owned and operated his own shop in town. Being so capable at such an early age meant that if their daughter married him, her livelihood would certainly be secure. Furthermore, as the matchmaker just mentioned, their daughter wouldn't live in the old house but in a newly built one away from it. At this point, the Meng couple began to be tempted.

Seeing their hesitation, the matchmaker understood the situation and pressed on with her persuasion. "If you ask me, the Wang family members are all kind-hearted, and the Wang grandson is a promising young man; he’s already earning a good income at such a tender age. If your daughter marries in, she certainly won't suffer any mistreatment. If you’re worried about the mother-in-law, there’s even less cause for concern; when the young couple marries, they won't be living with her. Moreover, even if they were to formally separate the household later, the Old Master and Old Madam would live with the second branch, never with the third branch."

Hearing the matchmaker’s analysis, the Meng couple softened their stance. By the matchmaker’s logic, this Wang young man was indeed a suitable match! However, even with this thought, they didn't immediately agree. Instead, they asked the matchmaker to wait, as they needed to ask Meng Xiaoping her own opinion.

The matchmaker nodded; that was only right. After all, it was the girl marrying, so she needed to be satisfied herself, wasn't that so?

Inside the room, when Meng Xiaoping heard what her mother relayed, she became terribly shy and dared not look up to speak, murmuring, "Mother, you and Father should decide these things. Why ask me?"

"You silly girl, this is about your lifelong happiness; naturally, you must be satisfied too! Your mother sees that their family's conditions are quite good, but we still need to know if you are willing. If you aren't, your father and I will refuse the matchmaker, and we’ll take our time finding someone else." Meng Xiaoping’s mother explained.

After hearing her mother, Meng Xiaoping thought for a moment. She recalled that the Wang family’s financial situation was much better than their own. Plus, she would have a new house to live in after marrying and wouldn't have to live with a mother-in-law. All of this sounded very good. With these thoughts, Meng Xiaoping nodded. "Mother, I think they are a very good match."

Hearing her daughter's confirmation, Meng Xiaoping’s mother was relieved. "It's best that you are satisfied yourself. I was worried you wouldn't agree, but now I feel much better. Don't worry, the family your father and I found for you is very good; you shouldn't suffer any wrong after you marry in. But you must capture that Wang boy's heart well, do you hear?"

Meng Xiaoping nodded shyly. "Mm, your daughter understands."

Only then did Meng Xiaoping’s mother leave with peace of mind and inform the matchmaker that her family accepted the marriage proposal.

The matchmaker was overjoyed to have closed another deal. She was already happily anticipating how much of a reward she would receive this time.

On the other side, when the Old Madam heard the good news from the matchmaker, she was equally delighted and gave the matchmaker a generous reward.

"For the subsequent engagement matters between our two families, we will have to trouble you further," the Old Madam said with a smile.

"Heh heh, certainly. Rest assured, Madam. I will handle everything perfectly," the matchmaker declared, thumping her chest.

"That’s good, that’s very good!" the Old Madam replied happily upon receiving the matchmaker’s assurance.

Thus, Wang Qingtong’s marriage was settled. If nothing unexpected happened, Meng Xiaoping would become his wife. However, before that, the two families needed to compare their birth dates.

This was not a difficult matter. The two families quickly compared the horoscopes, and the result was auspicious—a great blessing. This put both families at ease, and they began preparing for the wedding formalities.

In the meantime, Wang Qingtong and Wang Qingshan had already selected their plots and were preparing to build houses.

No one questioned Wang Qingtong building a house, as the Old Master and Old Madam had already announced it. However, the fact that Wang Qingshan was also building a house was unexpected by everyone.

When Tian Shi learned that her elder son was also building a house to move out of the old residence, she couldn't quite articulate the feeling in her heart. In the past, she believed her eldest son was her support, her hope, and he was indeed very filial. But who could have foreseen that her eldest son would suffer that sort of ailment, leaving him unable to have his own children? After her eldest son’s branch moved out to live independently, she placed her hopes on her other two sons, but they were clearly not as filial as the eldest. By then, however, the eldest son had already moved out, and it was too late to change anything.

After her eldest son moved out, he continued to reside in the old house, and she hadn't felt any difference. But now that he was building a new house and moving away, Tian Shi was suddenly uncertain whether she wanted to keep her eldest son's family there or if she simply didn't care if they moved out.

As Tian Shi pondered her eldest son’s impending move, she suddenly thought of her youngest son, who was also planning to build a new house and move out. She recalled that the reason the youngest son gave for needing a new house was that the old residence felt too crowded, right? If that were the case, now that her eldest son’s family was leaving, what reason would the youngest son have to move out too? With the eldest branch gone, there would certainly be empty rooms in the old residence—surely enough space for the youngest son after he married?

With this thought, Tian Shi decided to go speak to the Old Master and Old Madam about the matter.