Initially, the Old Madam disagreed. She felt that since Wang Qingchen was now a Juren (), the Tian family's background simply wasn't worthy of a Juren master. If she brought it up, she was sure the Old Master wouldn't approve. Thus, the Old Madam simply shook her head at Mrs. Tian, telling her to abandon the thought.

However, how could Mrs. Tian give up? This was a golden opportunity for her! The Second Branch was so affluent now; if Wang Qingchen married her niece, then positioned between herself—the paternal aunt—and her sister-in-law, Old Madam Yang, the niece would surely side with her, not Old Madam Yang. At that time, she could really make good use of the situation. Not only would she secure financial favors from her niece, but persuading Wang Qingchen to look after her, the eldest aunt, would be even better. Therefore, Mrs. Tian was certainly not going to give up so easily!

Mrs. Tian's subsequent persuasion of the Old Madam was quite straightforward: the Second Branch and the First Branch were not very close these days. If anything happened to the First Branch, the Second Branch probably wouldn't bother much. She and Wang Youliang might be fine, but she worried that the Old Master and Old Madam might suffer grievances as well. But if Wang Qingchen married a daughter from the Tian family, that daughter would surely favor the First Branch somewhat. With a few well-placed whispers, Wang Qingchen would certainly not neglect the First Branch. Moreover, it wasn't just the First Branch; the Tian family would also benefit significantly from having a Juren son-in-law. This was a mutually beneficial arrangement! When the Old Madam heard this, she found Mrs. Tian's reasoning quite sound, which led to the current situation.

At this moment, after hearing the Old Madam’s words, Wang Youfu and Old Madam Yang finally understood why the Old Madam had asked those questions earlier—she was setting a trap for the two of them, weren't they? Realizing this, the couple forgot about being angry and instinctively looked toward the Old Master, eager to gauge his stance on the matter.

Truthfully, the Old Master’s attitude on this matter was wavering. When he first heard the Old Madam’s suggestion, he rejected it without a second thought. What a joke! His grandson was a Juren master! How could he casually agree to marry him to a daughter from a mere farming family? However, after the Old Madam presented the reasons Mrs. Tian had put forth, the Old Master’s resolve weakened. This was because the reasons Mrs. Tian cited were exactly what the Old Master had already been worrying about; they struck right at the heart of his concerns. Wasn't he afraid that once the Second Branch prospered, they would forget their own kin? Although the Second Branch hadn't overstepped their bounds so far, life was long, and who knew what the future held?

Still, even though the Old Madam's proposal was not without merit as a solution, the Old Master couldn't help but shake his head whenever he thought of the Tian family’s standing. If the Second Branch had remained an ordinary farming family before, the match might have been suitable, but things were different now—they had produced a Juren master. Such a family was hardly a match for a Juren. Furthermore, the Tian family was far beneath the Wang family in standing! Thus, the Old Master remained conflicted. On one hand, he felt that if this marriage happened, the Second Branch would likely look after the First Branch to some extent. On the other hand, he truly felt that if it went through, Qingchen would be making a massive sacrifice; he was a Juren master, after all!

Because of the Old Master’s conflicted state of mind, he remained mostly silent after the Old Madam took the initiative to summon the Second Branch members. He himself was unsure whether to approve of the matter. Now, as Wang Youfu and Old Madam Yang stared at him, the Old Master could no longer feign deafness.

The Old Master pondered for a moment, then spoke, “Second son, what do you think of your cousin-in-law’s daughter?”

Wang Youfu was slightly puzzled by this question, unable to grasp the Old Master's true attitude. Did it mean that if he and his wife found the match unsuitable, they could simply refuse?

However, before Wang Youfu could formulate a reply, he heard the Old Madam say somewhat irritably to the Old Master, “Of course she’s a good girl, otherwise why would I consider matching her with Qingchen? Qingchen is my own grandson, and now a Juren master! Do you think I would harm him?”

Chastised by the Old Madam, the Old Master didn't know what else to say. He opened his mouth but remained silent, instead relighting his long-stemmed pipe.

The Old Madam then turned back to Wang Youfu and Old Madam Yang, asking, “That girl is virtuous and quite attractive. What do you two think? If you agree, we will speak directly to your cousin-in-law!”

Wang Youfu had been preparing to find a tactful way to refuse the marriage, but the Old Madam’s urgent demeanor forced him to speak up quickly, “Mother, we cannot agree to this.”

Wang Youfu’s direct refusal stunned everyone in the room, including Old Madam Yang, who was also hesitant about the match.

After a moment of surprise, the Old Madam grew displeased—not just because her son rejected the match, but more so because he rejected her so plainly.

“Second son, tell me, what is your objection to this marriage? What is wrong with marrying into your cousin-in-law’s family? We know that family inside and out, and marrying kin solidifies bonds; it’s a wonderful thing!” the Old Madam said, clearly annoyed.

Wang Youfu genuinely wanted to say that their own sister-in-law was someone they knew intimately, yet look at what kind of person she was. If Qingchen married someone like his elder brother’s wife in the future, it would truly be a headache! Still, it was best to keep such thoughts to himself.

Wang Youfu considered his words and said, “Father, Mother, it is not that your son is snobbish, but Qingchen is now a Juren master. He is perfectly capable of marrying a daughter from a family with a better background. That way, if Qingchen pursues an official career, his in-laws could offer assistance. As for Second Cousin’s family, though they are relatives, we must speak honestly: their background is truly not worthy of Qingchen. Ever since Qingchen passed the Juren exam, his mother and I have feared that we might burden our son later. How could we arrange a marriage that would only hold him back?”

Finishing, Wang Youfu looked toward the Old Master and said, “Father, don't you agree? You have always wished for Qingchen to bring glory to our ancestors. If we truly marry into Second Cousin’s family now, where would Qingchen find any help in the future? It would be a blessing if he wasn’t held back!”

Wang Youfu’s words finally brought clarity to the Old Master. He felt he had forgotten something important earlier, and now that the Second son had reminded him, he finally recalled it. The Second son was right: Qingchen was destined for high office; how could he marry into the Tian family?

Understanding dawned, and the Old Master looked at the Old Madam, who was still preparing to speak, and waved his hand, saying, “Stop talking. Second son is right. We must consider Qingchen’s future; we cannot burden him. He is the hope of our Wang family!”

The Old Master’s declaration instantly silenced the Old Madam’s rebuttal. She felt stifled, but she knew that since the Old Master had made up his mind, further argument was useless. She stopped speaking and listened as the Old Master and the Second son’s couple chatted for a while before letting them return home.

Mrs. Tian, who had remained silent beside them, watched Wang Youfu and Old Madam Yang walk away, seething with anger. What a fine opportunity, lost just like that.

Meanwhile, Wang Youfu and Old Madam Yang felt no joy upon returning home after successfully navigating the immediate crisis. While they couldn't fathom why the Old Madam had conceived such an idea—whether she was scheming against the Second Branch—one thing was perfectly clear to them: the Old Madam did not hold the Second Branch in very high regard. Otherwise, why would she propose such a match when Qingchen was already a Juren?

Fortunately, Wang Youfu had refused outright, and the Old Master had supported them. Had the marriage been finalized, the couple didn't know how much suppressed frustration they would have endured; even their son Qingchen would likely not have been pleased.

Thinking of this, Wang Youfu turned his attention to his son's marriage. He asked Old Madam Yang if they had gathered any information on the families in town, suggesting that if there were good prospects, they should finalize something to prevent similar situations from arising.

Old Madam Yang naturally hesitated to commit, as she had promised their son that they would discuss such matters only after he returned from the provincial examination.

Seeing Old Madam Yang’s hesitation, Wang Youfu mistakenly thought she had encountered difficulties inquiring about the daughters in town. Upon asking, he learned that their son wished to delay the decision.

Old Madam Yang related the reasons Wang Qingchen had used to persuade her. After hearing them, Wang Youfu immediately recognized that his son was stalling. However, his son was undeniably correct about one thing: if he passed the Gongshi () exam, his standing would increase even further, allowing him to seek an even more prominent match.

But all of this depended on his son passing the Gongshi exam first. If he failed this time, then settling for one of the town families would still be the reliable course of action.

With this thought, Wang Youfu instructed, “Although Qingchen doesn't need to settle his marriage right now, we still need to gather information. Otherwise, when our son returns, if we know nothing about these families’ daughters, how will we arrange things? Wouldn't we just have to start investigating then? So, we should continue our inquiries now!”

Old Madam Yang had thought the same way; after all, there was always a possibility their son might fail the exam, and she needed to plan for that scenario. Now that Wang Youfu had voiced the same concern, Old Madam Yang readily agreed without hesitation.