Chapter 38: Chapter 25: Second Humiliation

As it turned out, Liu’er’s mother had a distant cousin on her side of the family. He was a forty-two-year-old widower whose son had already married and moved out to start his own family.

He lived a quiet life and had some savings, so he wanted to find a companion to spend his later years with. Since this wasn’t his first marriage, he didn’t bother with a professional matchmaker, instead asking Liu’er’s mother to keep an eye out for him.

That day, when Juhua saved Little Shitou by Jing Lake, Liu’er’s mother had been one of the onlookers enjoying the commotion.

It suddenly occurred to her that setting Juhua up with her distant cousin would be a decent match. ’After all,’ she thought, ’looking the way she does, Juhua can’t hope to marry a man she actually likes. She’d be better off with an older man who can provide a stable life.’

However, seeing how much Mother Yang doted on Juhua, she became hesitant—afraid the mother wouldn’t be willing to part with her daughter.

So, she only mentioned it briefly to her cousin and didn’t press the matter.

But the man retorted, “An ugly girl like that? What’s the point? I’d be a laughingstock! I’d be better off finding a young widow. It’s not like I can’t afford the betrothal gift!”

Liu’er’s mother was displeased. “Oh, come on, cousin! Do you think young widows are so easy to find? And even if you find one, she’ll likely come with baggage—you’d have to raise another man’s son! Juhua’s face may be ugly, but that’s just because something bit her when she was a child. There’s nothing wrong with the rest of her. To put it bluntly, once the sun goes down and you blow out the lamps, isn’t she still a genuine, untouched maiden? Juhua is only twelve years old. How can a young widow’s body compare to hers?”

The man considered her words and realized she was right. He then recalled his own wife’s supple, smooth body when they first married, and a warmth spread through him. He nodded. “Fine. I’ll trouble you to help make the match, then.”

Liu’er’s mother said hesitantly, “That’s what I’m worried about! Juhua’s mother dotes on that girl. She even said that if Juhua can’t find a husband, she’ll support her for the rest of her life and never let her daughter be wronged. I’m just afraid she won’t be willing to let her go—”

The man cut her off, annoyed. “They just think I’m too old, don’t they? Fine, I’ll make a huge offer: a betrothal gift of four taels of silver! It cost me eight taels for my own son’s wife! If you can make this happen, I’ll give you one tael of silver as a thank-you. If her family asks for more, I can go up to five taels, but then your reward will only be half a tael.”

Liu’er’s mother was overjoyed. She promised she would do everything in her power to make it happen and told the man to wait for her good news.

She laughed. “Around here, a poor family’s betrothal gift is usually just two or three taels of silver. If you offer four taels to marry that ugly girl, Zheng Changhe will be so happy he’ll probably faint!”

The man was quite pleased with himself. ’Getting a girl with a supple body is a good deal,’ he thought. ’An ugly face is perfect, actually—it won’t attract attention. If she were beautiful inside and out, she wouldn’t want to marry me in the first place. And even if she did, I wouldn’t be able to relax. She’d probably complain I’m too old and run off with another man. This is much better. Her ugly face means she can’t cheat, but her body is something only I get to touch and see.’ He was thoroughly satisfied with this arrangement and eagerly waited at home for good news from Liu’er’s mother.

But just as Liu’er’s mother was looking for an opportunity to make the proposal for Juhua, the incident with Matchmaker Wang occurred, and she no longer dared to show up at their door unannounced.

A day later, Zheng Changhe broke his leg. This made her happy again. ’This is perfect!’ she thought. ’Showing up now would be like offering a lifeline!’

However, she was out of luck this time. Although she had heard that Matchmaker Wang’s proposal for Juhua was rejected, she didn’t know the details. The village gossip had focused on Granny Hua getting beaten, and since the gossipy old woman herself had been locked up at home by Li Laoda, Liu’er’s mother had completely misjudged the situation.

She was convinced that the man Matchmaker Wang had proposed was surely old and poor, and certainly wouldn’t have offered a betrothal gift of four taels of silver like her cousin. Being money-minded herself, she misjudged Zheng Changhe and his wife, assuming that with his broken leg and their new debts, four taels of silver would be a welcome windfall.

Why, they were only daring to ask for a betrothal gift of twenty taels for her own Liu’er, and wasn’t Liu’er a hundred times prettier than Juhua?

And so, Liu’er’s mother waited impatiently until the afternoon. She went to her daughter, Liu’er, who was embroidering in her room, and said, “I’m going over to your Uncle Changhe’s to check on him. You stay here and focus on your embroidery. Don’t be running all over the place. You’re getting older by the day; it’s a disgrace to be seen out and about so much!”

Liu’er, sitting by the window, looked at her mother in surprise. Her mom seemed to be in high spirits. ’Didn’t she just go see Uncle Changhe this morning?’ she wondered. ’Why is she going again this afternoon?’

She didn’t ask, however. She just obediently agreed, all the while plotting in her head. As soon as her mother was gone, she would sneak out to find Qingmu.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep