Chapter 85

The matter of Song Hutou getting married became a big problem for the Song family, causing Fang Shi to get a headache every time she saw him.

It's not really Song Hutou's fault, it's just that his standards are a bit high. After getting used to his smart and capable sister, when he looked at other girls, he always felt like they were slightly lacking.

And what made him most sad was that he liked his sister's maid, Zhenshu, but Zhenshu didn't like him and instead liked the eldest brother in the General's house.

That brother was tall and good-looking, but he was just a purchaser after all. How could he compare to him?

He used to be the youngest shopkeeper in town!

"I want to go out for a walk." Song Hutou thought for a long time, and finally spoke to Song Dingxiang, "Sister, I want to go out and take a look outside."

Song Dingxiang was playing with her own children, both of whom were almost a year old, which was a fun time. They loved to smile and didn't cry much, letting her do whatever she wanted, which was really fun.

She didn't understand at first, saying, "Go ahead, who's stopping you. No, what's wrong with you today, you had to come to me specially before going out?"

Song Hutou said, "Of course I have to tell you, don't you know Mr. Wang? I want to go out with his caravan."

Song Dingxiang finally understood, she looked at Song Hutou and said, "You mean you want to go outside the county, to explore other places?"

"Yes," Song Hutou scratched his head, picked up his little nephew and held him in his arms, "I heard the people in the caravan chatting that day, talking about the local products and customs, very interesting. But I have never seen them. I'm not as smart as my second sister, who can figure out food after reading a few books, nor as steady as my eldest sister, let alone as educated as my younger brothers. But I want to go out and see the world."

Song Dingxiang looked at her daughter crawling around the room and asked, "Does Mother know about your idea?"

"I haven't told Mother yet, if you agree, Mother won't make it too difficult for me. If even you don't agree, Mother probably won't let me go at all. Second sister, I really want to go and have a look outside."

Song Dingxiang didn't say anything. If this was a time of peace, where you could buy a train or plane ticket and travel easily, she wouldn't mind.

But now, no matter where you go, it will take a long time, and the way may not be peaceful. Although her brother followed her husband to learn some martial arts, these ostentatious movements may not be of much help in a real situation.

But Song Hutou was still a man, and she hoped her younger brother could be a knowledgeable and capable man. It's just that the risk is a bit too big.

"I'll think about it, these days I will think it over and discuss it with your brother-in-law. Actually, the outside world is not as beautiful as you think, most of the people in the caravan have experienced many dangers to stay safe. It's not that I don't want you to go, but as your sister, I am worried about your safety. So I need to think about it carefully."

"Okay." Song Hutou also knew that this matter was not urgent. After playing with his little nephew for a while, he returned to the grocery store.

"Actually, it's good to go out and explore, Hutou is already eighteen. As the saying goes, traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books. This time, he's going out with the Wang family's caravan, Zhou Ge said he will arrange two guards to accompany him, so there won't be any danger." Song Dingxiang slowly convinced her old mother.

Fang Shi sighed against the kang bed, saying, "I really don't understand, nowadays we don't lack food or drink, why does he have to run outside? At eighteen, your eldest brother could already climb all over the yard. He either can't do this or won't do that, fearing that he wants to find a fairy."

Song Dingxiang laughed, "Hutou is still a boy, it's okay to delay for a couple of years. And it's good to go out and see more, my grandfather used to travel a lot, didn't he? Sixth Granduncle also goes out often, right? Besides, Hutou has this personality, he could patiently be a shopkeeper for a few years, I'm really surprised."

Fang Shi said, "Why did your grandfather go out? Wasn't it because the family was poor, lacking in money? What are we lacking in the family now? It's just that Song Hutou lacks a wife!"

Song Dingxiang said, "Hutou has high standards, perhaps he can find a suitable one just by wandering outside."

Fang Shi snorted and said, "I'm just afraid he'll get into trouble, being cheated is a small matter, but what if he encounters some bandits... oh, I shouldn't be saying such nonsense."

After much persuasion from Song Dingxiang, Fang Shi finally agreed. She nodded, and Song Zhiyuan naturally didn't say anything. However, both Li shi and Song Xingyi thought it was a good thing for a man to go out and broaden his horizons.

But he couldn't go too far, after inquiring about the Wang family's trade route, they chose a route towards Suzhou. By making a round trip, including some sightseeing along the way, he could be back in a year at most.

After seeing Song Hutou off, Fang Shi complained to Song Dingxiang, "Suzhou is nice, the girls in the south are gentle, maybe he could find someone caring there. Your Sixth Grandaunt is a southerner, speaking softly and gently, handling things meticulously and responsibly, and she's also beautiful. Your Sixth Granduncle really hit the jackpot. I'm just worried he won't understand the way southerners talk. When your Sixth Grandaunt just came in our house, we couldn't understand a lot of what she said, it was only after all these years she learned our language that we could communicate."

In Fang Shi's eyes, southern girls should all be like Sixth Grandma, speaking softly, smiling gently, never blushing in front of others. But Song Dingxiang also understood that one's temperament is not necessarily related to the region they come from.

Just like herself, a typical northerner, she speaks gently and never blushes, right?

Thinking about this, she felt quite happy and, in the evening, asked Zhou Yinuo who had come home on holiday, Zhou Ge, is my temperament really good?"

In Zhou Yinuo's eyes, Song Dingxiang was like a fairy, praising her without reservation, making Song Dingxiang laugh and unable to close her mouth, saying, "Actually, Hutou being able to find someone like me is not bad."

But in Fang Shi's mouth, it turned into, "Dingxiang is quick-witted, but her temperament is lacking, not as steady as her elder sister. If Zhou Ge wasn't patient and tolerant, how could he tolerate her temper? Behaving pouty all the time... oh, if Hutou finds someone like this, it will be exhausting."

Song Dingxiang: ?

Is my own mother saying this about me?

As soon as Song Hutou went out, he seemed like a bird out of a cage, everything was new to him. He often wrote letters home, even describing insects he had never seen in great detail on two sheets of paper.

Not to mention all the new and exciting things he saw, as soon as he saw them, he would send them home, afraid that his family wouldn't share in his joy.

Spring turned to autumn, and half a year passed. The Song family received Song Hutou's letters as usual. Song Dingxiang opened one and nearly fell over laughing.

Song Hutou described a woman in the letter, which was really rare. Even more rare was his tone.

It turns out this child loves to join in the fun; he encountered a situation while touring in Suzhou where a woman was throwing embroidered balls to seek a potential suitor. Feeling bored, he went over to join in the fun and ended up getting hit on the head by the embroidered ball.

Although the guards cleverly took the ball and claimed it was theirs, that woman insisted on marrying Song Hutou.

The guards were also very troubled, clearly, I caught the ball, why shouldn't I be allowed to marry?

Of course, this could only be a joke.

Song Hutou naturally couldn't agree to such a frivolous marriage, let alone an arranged one. He was so frightened that he fled that night with the guards, but who would have thought that the lady would actually catch up to them.

Song Hutou said he needed to go home and ask his parents before making a decision; the lady insisted on accompanying him home and then taking him back to Suzhou.

Song Hutou was truly going crazy, with tears filling the paper, "Sister, help me, she can definitely find someone to marry, why is she clinging to me so desperately!"

Song Dingxiang, afraid that Fang Shi would worry, temporarily did not tell Fang Shi the contents of the letter. She just instructed Zhou Yinuo to have someone waiting at the return station, intercepting Song Hutou if he came back, to figure out how to deal with the situation.

In addition to Song Hutou's letter, the Wang family had also written a letter, explaining the circumstances of that young lady in detail.

The girl's surname was You, her family was in the silk business. However, she was the only daughter in the family, and if she didn't marry, the family property would be taken by other relatives, which she absolutely could not tolerate.

Throwing the embroidered ball for marriage was a bad idea from the relatives, they spent a lot of money hiring many people to add issues for Miss You.

But who would have thought Song Hutou rashly ran over, and he was outstanding in appearance, especially among southerners, his height as a northerner stood out even more, catching Miss You's eye. Seeing the imposing presence of the two guards, Miss You gained more confidence.

She believed she could persuade Song Hutou, if not to marry into the family, at least to help her keep the You family property.

Song Dingxiang felt that this girl was just like herself. However, she at least had a younger brother to keep up appearances, and with the Liberation, both males and females could inherit, so she could let go.

But in this generation, relying solely on a girl to withstand a group of aggressive relatives was indeed a very difficult matter.

She planned to meet this Miss You; if she turned out to be good, she wouldn't hesitate to offer help.

Song Hutou left in high spirits but returned dejectedly. When he was near the county, he was intercepted by his brother-in-law's men and taken to their inn in the county.

Miss You followed closely, afraid that Song Hutou might run away when she wasn't looking. Even when Song Hutou entered the inn, she made her maid stand guard at the door, keeping an eye on her "future husband."

Accompanied by Zhenshu, Song Dingxiang arrived at the inn and saw for herself the daring and unreasonable Miss You, as described in Song Hutou's letter.

Miss You was of medium height, slightly plump, but round and adorable. While not fitting the current standard of a beauty, she was a lovely and charming woman, with a few freckles on her face adding to her sweet and innocent appeal.

She was a bit nervous but not timid, and when she saw Song Dingxiang, she greeted her with a smile, speaking formally, "Sister, hello, I am called Siqi, I pay my respects to you."

Song Dingxiang nodded and asked, "I heard you want to marry my younger brother, is that true?"

The young girl raised her round face and solemnly replied, "Not marry, but marry into. I know this is a bit rude, but I hope you can let him marry into the You family, we will treat him well, please rest assured, Sister."

Song Dingxiang tapped the table with her finger and suddenly asked, "Miss You, do you have any feelings for my brother at all?"

You Siqi was taken aback, blushed instantly, and nodded slightly.

Song Dingxiang continued, "Do you know that the words 'marry into' are actually quite humiliating for him? He's capable, can stand on his own two feet, and is not lacking in wealth. Just based on a mere embroidered ball, you want him to marry into your family? Isn't that too demanding and unreasonable?"

You Siqi's face instantly turned pale.