And so, Wang Qingchen explained the entire affair from beginning to end, allowing Wang Youfu and Madam Yang to finally grasp the full scope of their son’s engagement to the Xia family’s young lady. In truth, it wasn't that Wang Youfu and Madam Yang held any strong objections to the Xia family’s daughter; rather, their anxiety stemmed from their complete lack of involvement in the preceding events and minimal knowledge afterward, having only received a vague outline from their son. This naturally bred worry. Now, hearing the detailed explanation directly from him, they had no cause to object; on the contrary, they felt a great wave of relief wash over them.

Having understood the sequence of events, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang settled in comfortably at their son's residence. Meanwhile, the Xia household, upon learning that Wang Qingchen’s parents had arrived in the capital, swiftly extended an invitation for them to visit and discuss the details of the betrothal between the two families.

Regarding the prospect of visiting the Xia residence to negotiate the marriage, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang took careful preparations. After all, they couldn't afford to embarrass their son. Furthermore, since the young lady of the Xia family would eventually marry into the Wang family, they certainly could not allow the Xia family to look down upon them. As for Wang Qingchen, he was initially perplexed. Upon understanding his parents’ mindset, he offered a few words of persuasion, but Wang Youfu and Madam Yang clearly paid him no mind. Seeing this, Wang Qingchen ceased his efforts to dissuade them.

Thus, after considering every angle, the fully prepared Wang Youfu and Madam Yang finally set off with their son. However, despite the preparations made by the Wang family, the sheer impact of arriving at the Xia manor was considerable. Given the stature of the Xia residence, any preparation they undertook felt utterly inadequate! They even began to feel that the gifts they had carefully assembled were no longer presentable. Wang Youfu and Madam Yang stood momentarily at a loss, but thankfully, Wang Qingchen remained composed. Seeing their son’s steadiness helped the couple calm themselves considerably.

From the Xia family's perspective, as their daughter was destined to marry into the Wang family, they naturally treated Wang Qingchen’s parents with the utmost warmth, determined not to let them feel uncomfortable in any way.

After their initial reserve, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang gradually relaxed and began to voice their opinions on the marriage arrangement between the two houses.

Since both sets of children were no longer young, both families were eager to see the wedding take place within the year, and this point found immediate consensus. The main point of contention was the distance separating the families, which complicated the choice of wedding location. The Xia family wished for their daughter’s nuptials to be celebrated in the capital, while the Wang family felt that since their son was the groom, the ceremony should naturally take place in Wang Village. Both arguments seemed valid, leaving the matter unresolved for a time.

Ultimately, it was only when Wang Qingchen and Xia Wentao became involved in the discussion that the location was finally settled upon: the county town. Coincidentally, Xia Wentao’s maternal uncle resided there, allowing the bride to depart from the county seat. The Wang family, feeling that the Xia family had already conceded a great deal, agreed, noting that the county town was significantly closer than the capital. Wang Youfu even began contemplating purchasing a residence in the county town specifically for his son’s wedding use.

With the wedding location decided, the matter of the date remained. Although both sides agreed on a wedding within the year, a propitious date still needed to be selected, which could not be settled immediately. Other aspects of the arrangement were less troublesome; given the established standing of the Wang family, the Xia family was unlikely to propose anything that would cause them difficulty. Consequently, the entire discussion concluded with satisfaction on both sides.

Once the wedding arrangements were finalized, Madam Xia took Madam Yang into the inner chambers, summoning their daughter, Xia Wanting, to meet her future mother-in-law and, in doing so, ease Madam Yang’s lingering concerns.

When the moment came to meet her future daughter-in-law, Madam Yang appeared even more nervous than Xia Wanting herself. Of course, Xia Wanting was hardly composed either. Upon learning she was to be betrothed to Wang Qingchen, her heart had churned with a confusing mix of emotions—a veritable overturned five-flavor jar. Recalling the embarrassing display she had made in front of him previously, she intensely wished never to see the man again. Fearing her daughter might be dissatisfied with Wang Qingchen, Madam Xia had privately spoken with her at length, while simultaneously praising Wang Qingchen generously to her. This wasn't because Madam Xia fully endorsed Wang Qingchen, but because since the Xia family had already decided to marry their daughter to him, it was crucial that the daughter felt some measure of willingness herself.

After hearing her mother’s words, Xia Wanting felt somewhat reassured. Although a lingering sense of shyness persisted about meeting that man, marrying him seemed quite acceptable after all. Since Xia Wanting expressed no outright refusal, Madam Xia’s heart settled.

Now, facing her future mother-in-law, Xia Wanting was naturally fraught with the intense nervousness common to any bride-to-be, fearful that any small oversight might displease her future mother-in-law.

However, those fears and anxieties largely dissipated upon meeting Madam Yang. Her mother had been right: the Wang family seemed easygoing. Consequently, Xia Wanting shed her constraint and displayed a dignified poise. And as Madam Yang looked upon Xia Wanting, all her prior apprehension vanished. She was quite pleased with this prospective daughter-in-law, concluding that her son’s decision had been a sound one.

Madam Yang nodded in satisfaction, and Madam Xia breathed a profound sigh of relief. While the Xia family’s lineage was far superior to the Wang family’s, a daughter’s future happiness within her husband’s home bore no relation to that fact. Earning the favor of her mother-in-law and husband was paramount—that was the true foundation for her daughter’s standing in the household. Now, her daughter had successfully navigated this most crucial step.

When Wang Youfu and Madam Yang returned from the Xia residence with their son, the couple felt no further worries. The betrothal was settled, and they were very pleased with their future daughter-in-law. However, they were in no hurry to return home. The results of the Metropolitan Examination (Hui Shi) were due out any day, and the couple wished to learn of their son’s outcome immediately.

Wang Qingchen was naturally delighted by his parents’ decision. He planned to take this opportunity to show his parents around the capital for a few days, as they were usually too busy back home to find time to relax.

After Wang Qingchen had spent two days showing Wang Youfu and Madam Yang the sights of the capital, the examination list was finally posted. Regrettably, Wang Qingchen’s name was absent. However, the names of Zhao Cheng and Xia Wentao were present: Zhao Cheng ranked eighty-second, while Xia Wentao’s name shone brightly in third place.

Wang Qingchen showed no sign of sadness over this result; he had anticipated such an outcome and was not singularly fixated on passing the Hui Shi anyway, maintaining an air of calm detachment. It was Wang Youfu and Madam Yang who felt a measure of disappointment.

As for the Xia household, upon learning the results, aside from Madam Xia’s slight regret, Master Xia and Xia Wentao felt little disappointment. Wang Qingchen’s age was a factor; if this attempt failed, there would always be the next one.

Following the Hui Shi, Zhao Cheng was required to remain in the capital to await the Palace Examination (Dian Shi). Wang Qingchen, having failed to pass, had no necessity to linger in the capital any longer.

After their initial disappointment subsided, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang made up their minds. Since their son had not succeeded, they would now devote all their energy to preparing for his wedding. Of course, before departing the capital, Wang Youfu and Madam Yang busied themselves by sending for a matchmaker to exchange the geng tie (birth date tallies) with the Xia family. Once the verification confirmed no inauspicious signs, the couple presented the formal engagement gifts to the Xia family. Subsequently, the couple visited a temple outside the city to request a master to select several auspicious dates, and then, accompanied by the matchmaker, they went to the Xia residence to discuss the wedding date.

Master Xia and Madam Xia examined the auspicious dates provided by the master, unsure which to choose for a while. Master Xia then considered his son’s upcoming Palace Examination and proposed setting the wedding date after the Dian Shi. Only two favorable dates remained after the Palace Examination, simplifying the selection process considerably.

With the wedding date set, the Wang family did not linger further in the capital. They began preparations to return to Wang Village, as they needed time not only to arrange the wedding but also to purchase a residence in the county town, making the schedule quite tight.

Before their departure, Wang Qingchen’s friends made in the capital insisted on hosting several farewell gatherings, and only after declining several invitations was Wang Qingchen finally allowed to leave.

Once the Wang family left the capital, the Xia family also became immersed in preparations. Master Xia and Xia Wentao focused on the Palace Examination, Madam Xia busied herself assembling the dowry, and Xia Wanting concentrated on embroidering her wedding gown.

There were many items Xia Wanting needed to embroider, and Madam Xia naturally couldn't bear for her daughter to toil excessively; thus, save for a few crucial pieces, the remainder were entrusted to professional embroiderers.

Of course, in addition to these needlework tasks, Xia Wanting was also required to study under Madam Xia on how to manage a household, how to conduct herself as a daughter-in-law, and how to interact harmoniously with her sisters-in-law. Madam Xia had previously felt her daughter was still young and had postponed teaching her these necessary skills, only to find her daughter now on the verge of marriage. Madam Xia truly wished she could pour all her accumulated knowledge into her daughter’s mind overnight. Fortunately, the Wang family was not a high-ranking noble house, so there were no intricate domestic protocols or secrets that required special instruction.

Meanwhile, upon returning to Wang Village with his parents, Wang Qingchen promptly informed the Old Master and Old Madam of the engagement. After the Second Branch relayed the news, the Old Master joyfully burned incense to their ancestors to share the good tidings. As for the Old Madam, she had been aware of the matter previously, but hearing that the wedding date was now set caused her face to blossom with delight. To think that, having spent her entire life as a simple farming woman, she would live to see a daughter from a prominent family become her granddaughter-in-law—this was likely unprecedented throughout the entirety of Qingshan Town, bringing them immense pride and prestige.