At the start of the year, Wang Youfu’s family exchanged New Year visits with their relatives, and Wang Qingchen once again received a chorus of praise. Of course, alongside the compliments, some people inevitably inquired about Wang Qingchen’s marital prospects, as he was certainly no longer a young man, yet the relatives hadn't heard a whisper about any potential match.

Some were even bold enough to offer to play matchmaker for Wang Qingchen. However, before he could decline, Madam Yang swiftly dismissed them, claiming that suitable families had already been identified. When pressed about which daughter’s family it was, Madam Yang simply replied, "The engagement hasn't been settled yet. Everyone will know in due course."

Those with ulterior motives, hearing Madam Yang’s words, shelved their own plans and turned instead to lavish praise on Wang Qingchen’s youthful achievements. Meanwhile, Madam Tian, present at the same gathering, observed these exchanges with a thoughtful, faraway look, lost in her own contemplations.

As for Wang Qingchen, his reaction was quite different. Upon hearing Madam Yang state that a suitable family had been found for him, his heart gave a sudden jolt. Had his parents really decided his future without even consulting him? But with so many people present, no matter how anxious he felt, it wasn't the time to press the matter. He could only suppress his unease until they returned from the relatives' houses. As soon as they were back, Wang Qingchen eagerly sought out Madam Yang to question her about the engagement.

Seeing her son’s agitation, Madam Yang couldn't help but smile. "Where has your mind wandered? What I said just now was only to stop them from trying to arrange things for you."

Relieved by her words, Wang Qingchen sighed inwardly, grateful that his family wouldn't really settle his marriage without his knowledge.

But his relief was short-lived. Before he could fully relax, Madam Yang continued, "Besides, those few families I mentioned before—the ones I promised to investigate thoroughly—I haven't even gotten a good look at them yet. How could I possibly settle your marriage now?"

Wang Qingchen stared blankly. So, it wasn't that the family respected his say in the matter; it was simply because the scouting wasn't complete yet?

Understanding the true reason, Wang Qingchen felt compelled to interject. As Madam Yang was still listing how little information she had gathered, he cut in, "Mother, perhaps we should wait until I return after the Metropolitan Examination to discuss this matter!"

Madam Yang looked at him with a hint of suspicion. "Qingchen, talk to me privately. Are you perhaps dissatisfied with the daughters from those families?"

Wang Qingchen felt a surge of exasperation mixed with amusement. "Mother, where has your imagination taken you? How could I be dissatisfied with daughters I haven't even seen? How would I know if I would like any of them?"

"That’s true," Madam Yang conceded, realizing she had asked the wrong question. She quickly pivoted. "Then why are you so reluctant to settle your marriage now?"

Wang Qingchen desperately wanted to ask, Why must it be settled now? But after a moment of careful consideration, he offered, "Mother, here is my thinking: even if you finalize the engagement now, we can't discuss the wedding date until I return after the Imperial Examination, right? So, settling it now versus settling it after I return makes no real difference! In fact, I’d rather wait until after the examination. If I happen to pass and become a Gongshi, then the pool of suitable candidates to consider won't be limited to just Qingshan Town anymore!"

As he spoke these words, Wang Qingchen had absolutely no certainty about passing the Gongshi exam. But in his desire to delay the engagement, he was willing to fabricate any convincing argument.

Madam Yang listened, unsure whether Wang Qingchen truly wanted to postpone the match or if he genuinely held this concern. She studied him for a moment, and Wang Qingchen instantly adopted an expression of profound sincerity, almost begging with his eyes.

Seeing his earnest plea, Madam Yang sighed inwardly. Forget it. If her son didn't want to settle things now, they could wait. She couldn't force him against his will.

However, Madam Yang wasn't one to simply indulge him entirely. "Since you feel that way, I will continue my inquiries. It’s true I still know too little. But, once you return from the examination, we must finalize this quickly, do you understand?"

Wang Qingchen nodded rapidly. "Yes, yes, Mother. As you say, we will discuss it upon my return from the examination."

Hearing his eager agreement, Madam Yang was both amused and exasperated. "Alright, alright. It will give me more time to look around, and you are right—even if we settled it now, you wouldn't be here to marry anyway."

With Madam Yang saying this, Wang Qingchen felt he had narrowly escaped a hurdle. Yet, he knew clearly in his heart that he couldn't keep putting off the matter indefinitely; he would eventually have to prepare for marriage.

The New Year quickly passed. The Wang Youfu household had been filled with joy during the celebrations, but now that the holidays were over, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang felt a pang of melancholy. With the New Year done, Wang Qingchen would soon be leaving for the county town, and then onwards to the capital for the Metropolitan Examination—a long absence awaited them.

In the last few days, Madam Yang had been steeling herself against her reluctance to see her son leave, determined not to burden him with her sorrow.

Wang Qingchen had already made arrangements with Li Yuntai, as well as Liu Hao and Qi Jintang, who had returned home for the holidays—they would all travel to the county town together.

Learning this, Madam Yang helped Wang Qingchen pack, filling several large bags just with food supplies. Having learned from past experience, Wang Qingchen didn't show much surprise or refuse the copious provisions this time.

On the day of departure, Wang Youfu, as before, hitched the ox cart to take Wang Qingchen to the town. This time, however, Wang Qinghua accompanied him, coming along to see his second brother off. At the town, Wang Qingchen met the other three waiting there, and they boarded the carriage bound for the county.

After seeing Wang Qingchen off, Wang Youfu and Wang Qinghua returned together to Wangjia Village.

Back home, Madam Yang was busy tidying up Wang Qingchen’s room. Since he would be gone for a long time, by the time he returned, the weather would likely be quite hot, not the chilling cold of the present.

When Wang Youfu and Wang Qinghua returned from seeing the young man off, Madam Yang had nearly finished tidying up. Seeing her somewhat dejected mood, they were about to offer some comfort when Madam Tian arrived.

The Wang Youfu family looked up, wondering why Madam Tian had called at this hour. Madam Tian immediately stated her purpose: the Elder and Elder Madam had requested that the couple come over.

Wang Youfu and Madam Yang exchanged puzzled glances, unable to fathom why the elders would summon them at this moment.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, is there something important that Father and Mother need us for?" Madam Yang asked.

Madam Tian’s gaze flickered. "How would I know? You’ll find out when you get there."

Since Madam Yang couldn't get a straight answer, the couple followed Madam Tian to the main house.

Upon arriving, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang saw that only the elderly couple, Wang Youliang, and now themselves and Madam Tian were present in the Elder Madam’s room. The Elder first greeted them and then sat silently on the kang. The Elder Madam, however, spoke at length, but after a considerable time, she still hadn't revealed the reason for the summons. The couple could only answer her questions as they were asked.

As the conversation meandered, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang finally heard the Elder Madam inquire, "Second son, has Qingchen's engagement been settled yet?"

At this question, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang were initially confused, but soon they reasoned that perhaps the Elder Madam was paying extra attention to Qingchen's affairs now that he was a Juren. They took it as routine concern and truthfully answered that it had not.

Hearing that Wang Qingchen was still unmarried, the Elder Madam smiled with evident satisfaction and continued, "You must have some candidates in mind for Qingchen's marriage, yes? Now that Qingchen is a Juren scholar, this match requires serious consideration. We certainly shouldn't consider anyone whose background we don't fully know!"

At first glance, the Elder Madam’s words seemed perfectly reasonable, and Wang Youfu and Madam Yang nodded in agreement.

Seeing their compliance only increased the Elder Madam’s satisfaction. She pressed on, "Second son, your Eldest Sister-in-law's niece—that is, your second cousin's daughter—is fourteen this year. By our count, we know her family through and through. Since Qingchen is unbetrothed, how about arranging a match between your families?"

It should be noted that the idea of arranging a match between the Second Branch and the Tian family didn't originate with the Elder Madam herself, but rather from Madam Tian’s timely counsel.

As for how Madam Tian conceived the idea of targeting Wang Qingchen’s marriage, it was sparked by the very questions relatives posed to Madam Yang during the New Year visits. Madam Tian had begun formulating ideas then, especially when she recalled the excellent gifts the Second Branch had presented to the main house before the New Year; her ambition surged uncontrollably.

Later, Madam Tian recalled seeing her niece when she visited her own parents' home on the second day of the New Year. Her niece was now fourteen, well past the age for consideration, and perfectly suited to be paired with Wang Qingchen! Following this thought, Madam Tian found an opportunity to persuade the Elder Madam.