Time Travel: The Noble Family

Chapter 128: Chapter 55: Ma Peng’s Marriage_4

Her father was a man who immensely valued his reputation, and if the betrothal did not take place after the fuss, his good name would be tarnished. True, her father was a filial son, but his career prospects were what he valued most, and he would certainly not agree if his daughter marred his reputation and affected his official career. So for the sake of reputation, if the daughter had to be sacrificed, then so be it. Father settled the marriage as quickly as possible. Because of this, Madam Bao grew to hate her intensely, wishing she could swallow her whole every time she looked at her.

Her father, upon learning that she had fanned the flames of the situation, was thoroughly disappointed in her and washed his hands of her affairs, including her marriage. Madam Bao wished she would marry a beggar. The marriage discussions dragged on and on until she reached the prime of her youth, which greatly angered her maternal grandmother. Because of her mother’s early demise, her maternal grandmother had always been dissatisfied with her father, and her unresolved betrothal exacerbated this resentment to its extreme.

Her maternal grandmother interfered with her marital affair, hoping she would marry into the Duke Mansion. There was already a candidate, her second cousin from Second Uncle’s family. The second cousin was commendable in every aspect—looks, literary talent, character—and even her brother thought highly of him. But she was unwilling to marry into the Duke Mansion. It wasn’t that the second cousin wasn’t good enough; she simply didn’t want to marry into the Duke Mansion.

In others’ eyes, the Duke Mansion was a prominent clan out of reach, but she had spent eight years inside it and also learned stewardship under the guidance of her Great Aunt, making her very familiar with its internal affairs.

Marrying into the Duke Mansion, there would be three layers of mothers-in-law above her; though related by blood to the Dowager and Grandmother, she had no ties with the Great Aunt, who also disliked her.

Being in the Duke Mansion, her maternal grandmother, due to old age, could not take care of her and left her in the care of the Great Aunt. Subsequently, she worked with the Great Aunt, managing household matters as intimately as a mother and daughter. But the Great Aunt and Second Uncle’s wife did not get along well, obviously due to entangled interests. Ruo Lan, who had spent many years in the Duke Mansion, knew all too well that while it might seem harmonious from the outside, both men and women fiercely competed over the slightest advantage, scrapping till blood was drawn.

If she really married into the Duke Mansion, she would be the stuffing caught in the middle, and peaceful days would be nothing but a dream; she wasn’t about to suffer for no reason. She had grown tired of fighting with Madam Bao over the years and now looked for a tranquil and simpler household to marry into.

Fortunately, her father also preferred her not to marry into the Duke Mansion, though she did not know his reasons. In the end, that arrangement fell through, much to her relief. But with her age advancing, any further delay would leave her a spinster, potentially affecting her brother’s marriage prospects as well.

The matter with her second cousin finally made her father realize that it was time to resolve her marriage. She soon heard that her father had set his sights on Eldest Young Master Lin of the Lin Family. Young Master Lin had recently secured the sixth place in the imperial examination and was a man of significant talent. Conveniently, her brother knew Young Master Lin, whom she asked to make some preliminary contact. According to her brother Changhe, the young master was very handsome, had a nice temperament, and was outstanding in all respects, deemed worthy of marriage.

She trusted her brother Changhe and also thought highly of this candidate. But marrying was like entering a second life for a woman, and she had to be cautious, so she sent someone to investigate the Lin Family’s background. She trusted her brother’s judgment, but men and women see things differently. Marriage was not only about the man but also his family. Everything else seemed fine, but what Ruo Lan most wanted to know was whether Lady Lin was someone desirable to deal with. After marriage, she might spend more time with her mother-in-law than with her husband, and if the mother-in-law was difficult to please, that would be truly miserable.

She believed that in this world, there is nothing money can’t buy. Therefore, she discovered that Lady Lin was not only harsh and domineering but also very power-hungry. Besides, Lady Lin had taken in her destitute niece, who grew up with Young Master Lin from a young age, forming a childhood bond stronger than many, and what’s more critical, he held a special place in his cousin’s heart.

A hard-to-please mother-in-law coupled with a cousin who might become a noble concubine was chilling to her. Only someone out looking for trouble would marry into such a situation. It’s a pity that regardless of whether it was her father, her maternal grandmother, or even her brother, they all approved of Young Master Lin.

Her father quickly hinted to the Lin Family about the marriage, and they were naturally overjoyed at the news. Especially Lady Lin, who even made a special visit to see her. For the meeting with Lady Lin, she adopted the stance that seeing is believing and hearing is not, and deliberately portrayed a dominant persona in front of her. She noticed the fleeting disapproval in Lady Lin’s eyes, brief as it was, it was enough.

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