After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 689 The Benefits of Marriage

The news that Haitang can receive can naturally also be received by her grandparents at home.

Ma Shangyi came home immediately. She chatted with Ma for a long time in the house before going home. When she was leaving, she met Haitang in the yard. She praised her with a smile: "Good child, I heard that you packed your brother's luggage recently, and it was very meticulous and thorough? Your grandma is praising you, saying that with you around, she doesn't have to worry about anything. I said that you have been smart and capable since you were young, and you won't have to worry about anything in the future when you get married. You will be able to manage the trivial matters of the family in an orderly manner."

Haitang felt that she had something else in her words. Maybe she thought Wu Ke was a good candidate for marriage again? The last person she thought was a good candidate was Tu Jinbao. Although Tu Jinbao had made great progress in the past few years, even if his temperament was still a little hard to describe, he was completely different from his previous life. He also looked like a "promising young man in the army", but four years ago he was really not a good candidate. Haitang always felt that Ma Shangyi's vision was mediocre, and his views on marriage were very snobbish and realistic, and she didn't trust him at all.

Now that Ma Shangyi was smiling ambiguously, Haitang just laughed it off: "Madam, you are too kind. I am still far from that."

After seeing Ma Shangyi off, Haitang immediately ran to her grandmother Ma to get the situation. However, Ma was always absent-minded and would only discuss things with her husband Hai Xiya or her confidant Aunt Cui in private. Every time, she would drive her out of the house and not let her listen, which made Haitang even more worried.

Could it be that grandma really cares about the Wu family’s marriage?

That evening, my cousin, Xie Wenzai, also came home. He talked with Hai Xiya and his wife in the upper room of the main courtyard for more than half an hour, and no one knew what they talked about. Haitang wanted to find out, but Aunt Cui was guarding the door and said, "Sister, it's not appropriate to go in at this time." She couldn't pretend to be stupid. She went to the back of the house to eavesdrop, but it was still early and the sky was bright. The family was making winter clothes recently, and from time to time someone walked back and forth between the front yard and the sewing room in the backyard. It would be easy for her to be discovered. If she told the elders, she would be embarrassed.

Haitang had no choice but to return to the west wing study room, spread out a book and pretended to study hard, but in fact her eyes were always staring out the window. The weather had obviously become much colder, but she continued to leave the window open, in fact, just to be able to observe the movement of the upper room at the first time.

Xie Wenzai stayed for more than half an hour and then left. Before leaving, he glanced at the west wing study and smiled at her who was sitting in front of the window.

Haitang immediately dropped her book and ran out: "Uncle, what did you talk about with my grandfather and grandmother?"

Xie Wenzai patted her head and said, "Don't worry, I won't really ask you to get married blindly. If you don't like it, no one can force you."

After he finished speaking, he walked away. Haitang stood there for a while with a frown on her face, she could only guess that he probably didn't support her marriage to Wu Ke. Afterwards, she tried to get information from her grandparents. Her grandmother didn't say anything, but her grandfather Hai Xiya did say: "It's better to decline this marriage. Although the Wu family is prominent, and Wu's son is my cousin's student, and his character is trustworthy, but Qi Da is rare, and how can our Hai family marry into a family like the Wu family? If the child really marries into the family in the future, no one will sympathize with her if she is wronged. Others will only say that our family is relying on Wu's son's respect for his teachers to shamelessly marry into a higher class, and it will also affect my cousin's reputation. People will say that he accepted Wu's son as a student not because he really wanted to repay his teacher, but because he had other intentions."

Ma was a little unwilling to accept it: "The Wu family was prominent in the past, but what does it have now?! There is no house or land, only the name of the father-in-law's mansion. The Wu family's son has to rely on the money and labor of the Zhenguo Mansion to marry a wife. If it were another family, I would not let my own flesh and blood suffer this hardship! Master, you are at least a sixth-rank official in the capital, how can our family not marry into the Wu family?!"

As soon as she said this, Haitang immediately knew what she was thinking, and couldn't help but sit down on the kang with a stern face: "Grandma, what's the point of saying this? Since you think the Wu family is not good, just reject it directly. I'm not a fairy beauty, and the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion didn't say that they really like me. What are we talking about here?!"

Ma glared at her and said, "Shut up! A girl's marriage is decided by her parents. When your parents are not around, it's up to me and your grandfather to decide. You have no right to speak. If outsiders knew about this, they would laugh at you!"

After scolding her granddaughter, Ma turned around and continued to argue with her husband: "The Wu family is not doing well now, but we have to wait and see. Sister Ma told me before that no matter how well the Wu family's son's imperial examination goes, when the new emperor ascends the throne in the future, he will definitely give the Wu family a title. The houses, property and land that were previously taken by the officials will be returned if they can, and those that are not returned will be rewarded separately. The emperor was not a good man back then. In recent years, he only conferred the title of Wen'an Gong on the master of the Wu family, and nothing else. The new emperor must make up for it for him, so as not to let the world mistakenly think that the royal family treats old officials harshly. Besides, the seventh prince is still here. Even for the sake of the seventh prince's dignity, the new emperor cannot really let the Wu family suffer. The Wu family can only rely on relatives to make a living now, but they don't have to worry about the future!"

Wu Ke will most likely get a title in the future, not Duke Cheng'en or Marquis Cheng'en, that would only be a posthumous honor bestowed upon his ancestors, and when it comes to him, he should be an earl. With the title, he can no longer participate in the imperial examinations, and the court will support him with honors. But there is nothing wrong with this, as he will have no shortage of wealth and glory, and will live a leisurely and comfortable life. Power or not is secondary.

No matter what the family background of Wu Ke's wife is, she will be in charge of the household immediately after she gets married. She has no parents-in-law above her. Her sister-in-law is from the next room and has a good relationship with Haitang. Moreover, she will be married off within one or two years. After that, the young couple will live behind closed doors, which is quite relaxing. Unless the original wife who marries into the family in times of trouble makes a big mistake in the future, the Wu family will never treat her badly after they become rich again. Otherwise, it would be a loss of conscience, contrary to the Wu family's ancestral precepts, and she will be despised by the world. Even if outsiders criticize the family background of Wu Ke's wife, what does it matter? None of the daughters of those wealthy families are willing to marry Wu Ke when the Wu family is down and out! They are really tired of the gossip of outsiders. At most, Wu Ke and his wife will study behind closed doors and not make friends with outsiders. They can still be said to be self-respecting relatives and indifferent to fame and fortune!
Ma Shangyi listed all the advantages, and Ma listened to them all. She really thought this marriage was good and suitable for her granddaughter's temperament. As for gossip, she had heard it for decades and no longer took it to heart. She couldn't control the mouth of others, so could she let go of the benefits she had just because of a few comments from others?
Ma advised her husband Hai Xiya with a serious face to reconsider his granddaughter's marriage and not to refuse easily: "With the relationship between our family and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, as long as we are willing, the Duke's wife will not choose anyone else. If Tangtang really marries into the Wu family, even if she can't go to Beijing with us in the future, she will return sooner or later. We don't have to worry about separation from our flesh and blood, nor do we have to worry about her not marrying well in the future. What is there to hesitate about? Master, think about it carefully?"

Hai Xiya looked hesitant, as if he had really taken his wife's words to heart.

Haitang couldn't help but open her eyes wide: "Grandpa, grandma, you..."

(End of this chapter)