Transmigrated into a minor official in a county government, with children at home waiting for rice t

Zhou An tilted his head back, somewhat smugly, "My maternal grandfather said that although A-Yun comes from a humble background, since she's under Uncle Zhang's protection, things will be different. Then..."

"Your maternal grandfather is senile!" Zhou Ji blurted out, immediately regretting his words. But he was trembling with anger and didn't care about appearances anymore. "He's just spoiling you, indulging you! Marriage is a serious matter; how can you let yourself act so recklessly?"

“My maternal grandfather wasn’t confused.” Zhou An knelt on the ground, his spine ramrod straight. “My maternal grandfather said I was frivolous and that even after years at the state school, I hadn’t developed much composure.”

"I need a steady and capable woman to manage the household so that she can keep me in check. My maternal grandfather also said that he had met Uncle Zhang and inquired about the Wang family mother and daughter. They were a respectable family that had established a proper household with a woman as the head of the household, not some shady or impoverished family."

"Father, when has Grandfather ever misjudged people in his life? Even he nodded in approval, so why do you say he's senile? Can you make decisions about family matters?"

"You..." Zhou Ji pointed at him, speechless. Enraged, he was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged.

"Shut up, all of you!"

Madam Jiang emerged from behind the screen, her face ashen.

She was Jiang Laocheng's daughter, and her personality was somewhat like her father's. She was usually mild-mannered, but when she was truly angry, she possessed an imposing and dignified air.

She stood in front of Zhou An, looking down at her kneeling son. "You just said your maternal grandfather agreed. Fine, even if your maternal grandfather agreed, your father hasn't agreed yet, and your mother hasn't agreed yet."

"And you, banging on the table and glaring at your father in the main room. Is this the filial piety you learned from reading the classics? You three brothers were excessively spoiled by your maternal grandfather because you had some talent for studying. Now it seems you are not as sensible as your two older brothers."

Zhou An's lips moved slightly, but he didn't make a sound.

The stubbornness he had shown when he defied his father suddenly crumbled in front of his mother.

He lowered his head, his shoulders trembling slightly, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "Mother, your son is unfilial. But your son is sincere. Besides, this marriage is beneficial to both the Jiang and Zhou families..."

Madam Jiang was slightly surprised to see him like this, as this was the first time Zhou An had acted this way in front of her.

The candlelight flickered on her face, making the fine lines at the corners of her eyes stand out even more.

After a moment of silence, she turned her back to Zhou An and said, "Tonight you will kneel here and reflect on your actions."

Madam Jiang turned and went back to her bedroom, with Zhou Ji following behind her.

The two returned to the bedroom. Zhou Ji sat down on the edge of the bed, sighed, and pressed his temples. He was still fuming from Zhou An's earlier argument, and his chest felt tight.

"This child is becoming more and more unruly."

Madam Jiang did not respond.

She walked to the dressing table and sat down, slowly taking off her hair in front of the bronze mirror. The gold hairpin rested on the table, making a soft sound.

Her face was reflected in the mirror; she was in her early forties, and you could still see some of her youthful features in her eyes and brows.

Seeing that she remained silent, Zhou Ji sighed again, "If Anlang were even half as obedient as his two older brothers, I wouldn't have to worry about him. Sigh!"

Madam Jiang carefully arranged the hairpins she had removed one by one. "What's the use of being obedient? Anlang is only eighteen years old and he has already mastered the art. With three more years of training, he might very well pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi."

"If he passes the imperial examination, with the connections and wealth his father has accumulated over the years, he will surely be able to advance his career smoothly. The Jiang family... and both the Jiang and Zhou families will be able to advance further."

Madam Jiang turned around and looked at Zhou Ji. "I went to the Chen residence today, and the magistrate's wife kept me there for a quarter of an hour. The seventh young lady of the Chen family came out to serve tea, and I glanced at her a few times. She has neat features and speaks with composure."

"Chen Tongpan's illegitimate daughter, the seventh in her family, is now a beautiful young woman of sixteen. The magistrate's wife hinted that the seventh young lady is of marriageable age and they are looking for a suitable match. I've done the math, and her age and appearance are quite similar to Anlang's."

Zhou Ji's face lit up with eagerness, and he rubbed his fingers on his knees a couple of times. "Prefect Chen is a seventh-rank official. Although he is higher than my father, our Jiang family has been operating in the prefecture for many years, so it is not considered an honor for us."

"If Anlang can marry a daughter of the Chen family, it will be a great help in his future career. I heard that Chen Tongpan's tutor in that year's imperial examination was none other than Wang Gong, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat!"

Madam Jiang glanced at Zhou Ji. "So just pretend you didn't hear what Anlang said tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll go see Father. It's one thing for Anlang to be young, but how come he's so confused..."

Zhou An knelt in the hall for half an hour.

There was no more movement from the main house. After his parents went back to their room, the lights were on for a quarter of an hour before going out, and the entire Jiang family mansion was plunged into the night, with only the lanterns under the eaves still lit, their flames flickering inside the paper covers.

A series of very light footsteps came from the other end of the corridor. Zhou An turned his head and saw the second steward, Jiang Wu, creeping towards him along the wall. He was carrying a food box.

Jiang Wu squatted down, placed the four side dishes and the bowl of porridge next to Zhou An, and said in a low voice, "Is An-ge'er hungry? Eat while it's hot."

Zhou An looked down at the bowl of porridge, then turned his head and asked, "Fifth Uncle, have my parents rested yet?"

Jiang Wu nodded. "Madam and Master have already gone to sleep, and the lights in the east and west wings have been turned off."

Zhou An remained silent for a moment, then picked up the bowl of porridge and took a few sips. The porridge was made from millet and contained shredded chicken, cooked until tender.

The corn was so thick it was impossible to stir, and it had the flavor of ginger shreds and Dengzhou salt, but it was better than the Mizhou salt that Zhang Sanlang's family usually ate.

Zhou An knew that this was his mother's order. Madam Jiang punished him by making him kneel and starve, but in the end, she couldn't bear to let him spend the night on an empty stomach.

He felt more confident, a slight smile appeared on his lips, and he put down his bowl, propped himself up on his knees, and stood up. "Fifth Uncle, take me to my maternal grandfather's place."

Jiang Wu paused for a moment, then stood still.

He glanced at Zhou An, then at the direction of the main house, and lowered his voice, "An-ge'er, what time is it? The back door is already locked. Even if we could sneak out, the old master would have been asleep by now."

"My maternal grandfather worships Buddha morning and night, so he doesn't go to bed this early. I have something to say to him, and I can't sleep if I don't tell him tonight."

Jiang Wu had been the housekeeper of the Jiang family for over twenty years, serving since Jiang Laocheng's generation. He had watched Zhou An grow up and knew that once Zhou An made up his mind, nothing could stop him.

He sighed, led Zhou An around the main courtyard, through the narrow alley behind the kitchen wall, and pushed open the back door that was usually only used by vegetable delivery vendors. The door hinges were oiled, so it opened without making a sound.

The back alley was pitch black, with a few barks coming from afar. The two walked east along the alley for about half an hour, turning two corners, and gradually the scent of sandalwood began to rise in the air.

The air grew thicker as you walked, mingling with the unique dampness of the night, and each breath brought a heavy, refreshing coolness to your lungs.

Jiang Laocheng's house is a small, detached courtyard next to a temple in the east of the city.

The doorman on night watch was also an old servant. When he saw them arrive, he quickly pushed open the door.

The courtyard was quiet. A clump of bamboo grew in the corner of the wall. When the wind blew, the bamboo leaves rustled, mingling with the evening bell from the temple next door, making it hard to tell whether the noise came from the temple or from the courtyard.