Chapter 1050: Chapter 1049: Matchmaking

The intentions of the Wang Family branches, Wang Yongzhu couldn’t be bothered to guess. However, knowing that the reward for delivering the message was given by Liu Xiaoqiao, she had an idea. The next day, she handed two Silver Ingots to Liu Xiaoqiao through Old Granny Zhang.

The next day, the ten miles around knew that Qilidun was hosting a day-long open feast to celebrate their village producing an Old Master Graduate.

Anyone who heard the news could go to Qilidun to partake in the feast.

Originally, Lizheng planned for three days, but Song Chongjin firmly prevented it, insisting that it was too extravagant, and one day would suffice. Naturally, Lizheng did not dare to disagree.

As the news spread, the ten miles around were in an uproar. Such a good event, everyone wanted to join the excitement.

From early morning, the guests delivering gifts were unending.

Song Chongjin’s courtyard and the Wang Family’s backyard were almost bursting, with the items nearly piling up too high.

The son of Lizheng and a few villagers who could read and keep accounts were invited to register the gift lists—things like ten eggs from one family, a hen from another.

Most villagers, whether locals or from other villages hoping to benefit and attend the feast, usually brought their own eggs or a fish, two bowls of white flour, which was considered decent enough.

Households with a bit more wealth brought meat, fish, and added a few hundred coins, which was quite good.

Steward Lu, the current Shopkeeper of the tavern, even Zhang Quan from Yingzi Gully came personally, bringing generous gifts.

News reached Chongzi Gou, and they rushed over, delivering numerous furs and game.

Moreover, Benefactor Wu and Wu Zhongbao also came. After Wu Zhongbao went to Jing County last time, he returned in a few days, citing health issues.

It’s said that after returning, Benefactor Wu gave him a beating. Ultimately, they compromised. Wu Zhongbao was given a master to learn martial arts from, aiming to take the military examination next year.

These people, along with Lizheng and several clan leaders, as well as the village elders with high moral standing, set up several tables in the Wang Family Courtyard.

Due to mourning, the Wang Family brothers couldn’t drink alcohol or eat meat. Song Chongjin also replaced wine with tea, yet the atmosphere was quite lively.

Times have changed. Everyone present, when talking, flattered Song Chongjin. An ordinary person would have been on cloud nine by now.

Yet Song Chongjin remained as he always was, and everyone saw it and kept their thoughts to themselves.

This open feast lasted until the evening before it concluded, leaving the whole of Qilidun exhausted, taking several days to recover.

Song Chongjin was decisive. After two days, he discussed with Lizheng and registered most people’s lands under his name, exempting them from corvée labor, an enormous boon for farming households.

This alone made no one in Qilidun thankless towards Song Chongjin.

Of course, as per custom, households whose lands were registered under Song Chongjin’s name had to share some of their annual harvest with him.

This matter, Song Chongjin straightforwardly left it to Lizheng and the Wang Family brothers. He no longer set sights on these, but hadn’t the recent issue of Rice-For-Help happened in Yingzi Gully? Naturally, he wouldn’t make such a mistake.

Before returning, he had inquired about the benefits other Graduates received and followed suit, leaving Lizheng to handle it.

Of course, there were some, such as Song Chunhua’s birth family and those who once cruelly bullied Song Chongjin from the Song Family, as well as those at odds with the Wang Family, who naturally didn’t receive this privilege.

Especially Song Chunhua’s birth family; upon hearing Song Chongjin had passed the examination, her brother and sister-in-law couldn’t make ends meet anymore and planned to ask Song Chongjin for some Silver Coins.

Thinking now that Song Chongjin was an Old Master Graduate, he would surely care about his reputation. If he refused, they, being of no account, would go out and spread tales of Song Chongjin’s unfilial behavior and ill-treatment of his stepmother’s family.

Thankfully, the Song Family Patriarch was on guard against Song Chunhua’s family. Just hearing a snippet nearly made him faint with anger.

Such overconfidence! Thought Song Chongjin was still the small hunter from before? Back then, he only tolerated them for Song Chunhua’s sake. What made them think Song Chongjin was easy to bully?

Especially since now Song Chongjin was a Graduate. Forget Song Chongjin himself; should Song Chunhua’s brother and sister-in-law dare to utter a word outside, the villagers hoping to win favor with Song Chongjin for tax and corvée exemption would tear the Song Family apart.

The Song Family Patriarch wasn’t polite, threatening that if Song Chunhua’s birth family didn’t keep their mouths shut and stay home, they’d be expelled from Qilidun entirely.

The miserable state of the Li Family’s expulsion was still fresh in their memory. Song Chunhua’s brother and sister-in-law were spineless, fearing for their lives—a crooked plot no longer dared to be hatched, beyond staying home and not daring to target Song Chongjin.

Song Chongjin also heard some rumors, but since the Song Family Patriarch handled it squarely, there was no need for him to pursue the matter exhaustively.

The mess of the Song Family, those people, dealing with life was already hard enough.

Meanwhile, at Wang Yongzhen’s place, having a brother-in-law who had passed the examination was a huge honor, yet she managed to offend all her birth family members, now not even allowed through the front door.

Since Mutou was a grandson, it wasn’t a concern after reaching a hundred days.

Wang Yongzhen still planned to find a marriage for Mutou, approached a matchmaker, who shook her head, saying it was hard to match.

Wang Yongzhen grew anxious, “Why is it hard? My Mutou is obedient, filial, sensible, hardworking, with a small family and not lacking income. How are these conditions not good?”

The matchmaker was speechless, seeing Wang Yongzhen was pretending not to understand, bluntly replied, “Sister Wang, are you really confused? Don’t you know your own situation? Yes, Mutou is indeed good, but he can’t escape having you as a burdening mother! Don’t you know your reputation out there?”

“Which family would marry their precious daughter into a pit like yours? Who would dare be your daughter-in-law? Marrying in means severing family ties! Sister Wang, think carefully. Your birth family, once a strong support, you’ve offended completely. Now your sister is a Graduate’s wife—if your relationship was good, maybe she could’ve matched Mutou with a good girl. Now? You’re better off washing up and going home to sleep!”

A few words left Wang Yongzhen red-faced, returning home to cry quietly in bed, lamenting her bitter fate. Losing her mother early, marrying an uncaring, short-lived man, and now struggling to find a good match for Mutou.

While Wang Yongzhen struggled with finding a match, on the Wang Family’s side, matchmakers approached voluntarily, some suggesting new wives for Wang Yongfu, some seeking fiancées for Jindou, others eager to match Jinshao with a childhood betrothal.

Jinhua especially had suitors with sons coming to propose, regardless of age disparity, knowing it was a rare opportunity. Now, Jinhua was the only girl of her generation in the Wang Family—a golden treasure they all wanted to capture for their own.