Chapter 1343: Chapter 1321: Heartache (September Bonus Chapter 5)

At this moment, Mrs. Chen was again pulling Mrs. Bai to bring up the two children’s marriage.

Although Mrs. Bai was tempted, she still hadn’t agreed outright. The marriage of children is a significant matter, her husband and mother-in-law haven’t given their approval yet, and Dalang fell ill just after returning home, she hasn’t had the chance to ask his opinion.

Unlike Bai Erlang who grew up pampered, Bai Dalang was raised by Old Master Bai. He was sent to study at a young age, and later, Mr. Zhuang was specially hired to teach him.

As he grew older, he was sent to the County School, and not long after, he was directly sent from there to the Prefecture School. Since Old Master Bai often had to go out, he would visit him at the Prefecture School every month.

Mrs. Bai seldom saw her eldest son, so she both cherished him and felt a bit distant and reverent towards him.

Unlike with Bai Erlang, whom she could affectionately advise, scold by pulling his ear, or even take the silver from his room for safekeeping;

But with Bai Dalang, she couldn’t do those things. She dealt with him more in a way that involved discussion and agreement.

After all, he is the eldest son, Mrs. Bai alone couldn’t decide about his marriage, so she didn’t agree immediately but planned to discuss it thoroughly with Old Master Bai when she returned home at night.

It’s almost New Year’s, and her sister-in-law can’t stay here for too long. She originally came with her nephew and niece to visit, and it’s time to return after a couple of days, so whether to settle the matter, they must give an explicit answer.

In the evening, when she returned, she barely started the conversation, when Old Master Bai refused.

Mrs. Bai was shocked, “Didn’t you not object when I mentioned it before?”

“Yes,” Old Master Bai responded before saying, “I just suddenly remembered something, Dalang will be serving as an official in the future. Our family doesn’t have any connections in the court, so we can’t help him much. Therefore, I plan to find him a wife from an official family.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Bai couldn’t help but sit upright, her eyes shining as she asked, “Do you have someone in mind?”

Old Master Bai: …

He coughed slightly in discomfort and said vaguely, “Almost, but not decided yet. Once I’ve made up my mind I’ll let you know, but let’s refuse this offer from Brother-in-law.”

He said, “We are already related to each other by family. Whether or not to marry, they’re his maternal family. How can a father-in-law be closer than a maternal family?”

Old Master Bai looked earnest, “So there’s no need to become in-laws.”

Mrs. Bai nodded but was also in a dilemma, “Then how should I refuse? Sister-in-law has mentioned it twice, and I haven’t refused her the first two times.”

Old Master Bai thought for a moment and said, “You can say you went to a Daoist temple to calculate, and Dalang is not suitable for early marriage, we must wait for two more years, so we shouldn’t delay the child’s prospects from our side.”

Mrs. Bai: “Then do I have to go to the Daoist temple tomorrow?”

“Go, go,” Old Master Bai said, “You can take your sister-in-law to stroll as well. Besides, Dalang is ill, you can donate some oil money for him, asking the Heaven Master to bless him to recover soon.”

“Indeed,” Mrs. Bai said seriously, “The child fell sick right after coming home, did he get entangled with something evil on the way?”

Old Master Bai didn’t expect his wife’s imagination to be so wild, he lay directly onto the bed, pulled the quilt over himself and stated, “Confucius does not speak of strange events, so don’t say such things.”

“Not speak of strange events? Then what’s the meaning of asking me to pray to the Heaven Master?”

Old Master Bai indeed realized, why hadn’t he linked the two matters together?

He rubbed his forehead and said, “Yes, you are indeed right, do as you say.”

That’s how the matter in Bai Family resolved, while another matter in the Zhou Family arose.

Manbao had lunch at the Bai Family, stayed for afternoon tea, and even had dinner there.

After dinner, the four sat together chatting for a while, then Manbao gave Bai Dalang the last acupuncture treatment of the day, prescribed medicine, and reluctantly returned home.

Upon arriving home, Old Zhou and Ms.Qian dragged her to the main room for a thorough confession.

Old Zhou had learned from the Chief about the valuable silk earlier in the afternoon and wanted Sanya to call Manbao back from the Bai Family to ask some questions.

The result was Ms.Qian insisted on waiting for Manbao to return on her own, which delayed the matter until dark.

Old Zhou glared as he sat on the bed, “You are really, getting less and less homebound, would you have stayed overnight at the Bai Family if it hadn’t gotten dark?”

Ms.Qian slapped him lightly, “Keep your voice down, do these words sound pleasant?”

Old Zhou immediately quieted down.

While pouring water, Manbao said, “Dad, your words contradict, if it’s not dark, how can it be overnight?”

Ms.Qian glared at Manbao, “Stop joking around, if your Dad doesn’t beat you, I’ll ensure you get a beating.”

Manbao shrunk her neck, she was really afraid of her mother.

Old Zhou snorted and asked, “I ask you, how much is this silk worth per piece?”

Manbao said, “The ones given to Dad and Mom are from the palace, if sold, it’s fifty to sixty taels per piece, but if you want to buy it, probably around one or two hundred taels, and it’s not guaranteed you’ll find it.”

Old Zhou covered his chest and said, “So greedy, how can business people be so greedy, making money so easily from selling it?”

Manbao nodded.

“Can’t we directly sell it to those willing to buy?”

Manbao sighed and shook her head, “We tried, but those people don’t believe us, and those who believe don’t buy.”

Old Zhou: “…Why?”

“Those who don’t believe want to buy, but they only buy from big fabric shops, even if we convince them, they won’t believe us; those who believe, don’t lack this type of fabric, even if they do, they won’t buy from me.”

Even Ms.Qian was puzzled now, she asked with Old Zhou, “Why?”

Manbao said with difficulty, “Because the fabric is limited, the palace gave it to me, in some family’s back courtyard, it’s no secret. If they buy it and make clothes, when they attend banquets, people might even mock them, and selling imperial gifts seems inappropriate…”

Manbao whispered, “Bai Shan and I checked the laws, no explicit prohibition on selling imperial gifts, but there seems to be an unwritten rule making it illegal. If someone reports us, even without being punished, a reprimand is certain…”

That’s why she and Erya considered the risk too high and the gain too small, and decided it wasn’t worth worrying over a pile of fabric, so they’ve left it be.

Anyway, the fabric can be used as money, in the capital, because it’s an imperial gift, it has many restrictions, but when taken out of the capital, won’t it be more usable?

Outside of the capital, who knows who Zhou Man is, who knows her items are imperial gifts?

Just say it’s as good as tribute-quality brocade and silk, isn’t that enough?

Old Zhou sighed in relief and also stroked the silk with the back of his hand, then thankfully said, “Fortunately, I didn’t have time to tell your Mom to cut the fabric for new clothes yesterday, or else one or two hundred taels would have been wasted.”

He emphasized, “One or two hundred taels!”