TTTQF Chapter 56

He Gave Too Much

The monetary loss isn’t significant, but the humiliation is considerable.

Manager Sun furiously scolds Wu Youde and then tells him to leave. He then sits down and reflects on the entire situation. He is astonished to realize that Jiang Miao seems to anticipate their every move, predicting each step they take. It appears that from the moment he eavesdropped on Daniu and his grandmother, he has fallen into Jiang Miao’s trap.

Manager Sun spends his days hunting wild geese but ends up with his eyes pecked out by sparrows. He cannot swallow indignation no matter what. He immediately thinks of seeking revenge but then recalls a past incident he has heard about. He knows Jiang Miao dares to stand up to local ruffians, but he hadn’t considered how such a bold person could manage to escape unharmed.

Thinking of this, Manager Sun’s burning anger cools somewhat. He starts to inquire about the background and details of the matter. After learning the truth about the closure of Dingfeng Teahouse, Manager Sun cannot help but shiver and also feels relieved that he hasn’t had the chance to offend Jiang Miao himself. As for Wu Youde, his actions are made on his own accord—what does it have to do with them at Yingke Lai?

…

In contrast to Manager Sun’s reaction, Jiang Miao feels both anxious and expectant after hearing about the incident from Manager Wu. He is wary of potential retaliation from “Yingke Lai” and hopes they will act soon to get things over with.

However, after several days of calm and seeing that even Wu Youde has quietly moved out of the courtyard, Jiang Miao is puzzled. But one of Jiang Miao’s greatest strengths is his ability not to dwell on problems he can’t solve. If something is unclear, he simply chooses not to think about it. Besides, even if they are planning something, he has support to back him up.

It is now the 25th of February, and the day of the engagement ceremony, chosen to be the 5th of March, is fast approaching.

As the weaker party in the engagement, Jiang Miao doesn’t have much to do with the arrangements. He just needs to invite the elders to the main hall and oversee the proceedings. However, this is the part Jiang Miao dreads most—having to discuss marriage in front of the elders is a source of great embarrassment for him.

As Xun Ge’er accurately points out, people’s sorrows and joys are indeed not mutually understandable. As soon as Jiang Miao expresses his own distress, Pei Che laughs out loud without mercy.

Jiang Miao shoots him a sideways glance and says, “If you keep laughing, we might switch roles. I believe His Majesty would be even happier to hear about your marriage, don’t you think?” His tone is indifferent, with a hint of a smile, clearly mimicking Pei Che’s own style.

Before the words leave his mouth, Pei Che quickly wipes the smile off his face, sitting upright with a serious and courteous demeanor, as if he hasn’t just been the one laughing so loudly. 

Jiang Miao snorts coldly and ignores him, instead mentally preparing how to explain the situation to his uncle and aunt when he gets home. However, ordinary peasants, when they hear of a marriage decree from the emperor, would likely agree no matter how unwilling they are, right?

“Don’t worry about it. There are still a few days left. Would you like to go and see the house first?” Pei Che suggests when he sees Jiang Miao’s worried expression.

The current residence is too small; it is rented, and there is no way to fit all the betrothal gifts in. Due to the imperial marriage decree, many procedures have already been streamlined, but the betrothal gifts must not be neglected. To ensure the process goes smoothly, Pei Che searches through his father’s private assets and finds a three-entry courtyard with a large garden located at the west gate.

He doesn’t know when his father purchased it, but it is currently managed by an elderly couple. The house is livable but appears somewhat dilapidated. Pei Che instructs someone to come and repair and clean it, and within a few days, the house looks completely new.

“What house?” Jiang Miao looks up at him in confusion. He isn’t being taken to the Duke’s residence, is he? A few days ago, when Pei Che asked Jiang Miao if he wanted to meet his maternal grandfather, Jiang Miao flatly refused. He uses the excuse that they aren’t yet engaged, so it isn’t appropriate to meet the family. In reality, Jiang Miao is afraid that Pei Che’s grandfather, Lord Feng, won’t accept a man as a grandson-in-law and might even brandish his official seal, causing a scene.

“You’ll find out when we get there,” Pei Che says, looking at Jiang Miao with a gentle smile in his eyes.

Jiang Miao glances at him with suspicion but ultimately decides to go with him. 

When the two go out, they don’t forget to bring Pei Mu with them. Pei Mu, hugging a kitten, lowers his head and gently strokes it. The expression on his face becomes more and more lively, no longer as vacant as before.

The three of them get into the carriage, and after a while, they arrive at a street.

“What did you bring me here for? It’s still early, and Xiao Shitou hasn’t finished school yet,” Jiang Miao says, lifting the curtain to look outside. The familiar street scene is indeed the place he passes by twice every day.

“We’re not there yet,” Pei Che says. After the carriage enters the main street, it turns into a spacious alley by the roadside and then stops in front of a residence.

The house is labeled with the characters “Jiang Residence.” The vermilion gate looks very imposing. There are three steps in front of the door, just enough to step on to get off the carriage.

Pei Che gets out of the carriage. The guard who follows behind steps forward and knocks on the door ring a few times, and the gate door opens.

“Shall we go inside and have a look?” Pei Che asks Jiang Miao, extending an invitation.

With the tone of someone who is the host and considering the two large characters on the plaque, Jiang Miao has a vague guess in his heart. He tentatively asks, “This wouldn’t… be the house you prepared for me, would it?”

“That’s right. This house is already registered in your name; it’s now your private property,” Pei Che says. Generally, changing property ownership requires both parties to be present at the government office, but for Pei Che, this is no trouble at all.

Receiving confirmation, Jiang Miao is first stunned, and then he is overjoyed. The boss is generous—without even doing anything yet, the house has already been transferred! If this were modern times, how much would such a mansion cost to buy? Jiang Miao knows he can’t sell this house for money, but he still can’t contain his happiness at having such a large sum of money.

After being happy for a while, Jiang Miao’s mood calms a bit. “This house must be expensive, right?” This street is considered one of the busiest on the west gate side, and the price of houses here isn’t comparable to the ones on Yifeng Street.

When Xiao Shitou registered for school, Jiang Miao inquired about rental prices in this area to make his school commute easier. He found out that even a single room in an old house starts at five to six hundred wen, and he suddenly thinks that walking a few more steps every day might actually be quite healthy.

“It’s not that expensive. When my father bought it back then, it only cost fifteen hundred taels,” Pei Che replies casually.

The nonchalant tone makes Jiang Miao’s fragile heart race. He exclaims, “Only fifteen hundred taels?” The emphasis on “only” is particularly heavy.

Jiang Miao calculates that if he can earn five taels a month from his prosperous bun business, it would still take three hundred months, or twenty-five years, of non-stop work to afford such a house! Jiang Miao is a bit teary; the world seems too unfriendly to ordinary people!

“Now, it wouldn’t be available for less than twenty-five hundred taels,” Pei Che says. By comparison, the previous price is still quite cheap.

Thinking about it this way, it is indeed quite a bargain. However, Jiang Miao’s smile grows wider and wider. Regardless, the house now belongs to him!

Jiang Miao excitedly walks inside, with Pei Che and Pei Mu following behind. As soon as Jiang Miao enters, he starts looking around. He knows he probably looks as amusing as “Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden” at the moment, but he is indeed curious.

After coming here, he has only closely visited the Zhu family’s residence and the Plum Garden up close. In fact, neither of them was considered a visit. He only goes to the front hall and kitchen of Zhu’s house, and only sits in the flower hall of Plum Garden.

Although the courtyard in front of him is not as rich and prosperous as the Zhu family’s or as elegant as the Plum Garden, it has a vibrant vitality that Jiang Miao really likes. Especially with a small pond in the center of the garden, he can’t help but feel happy thinking about fishing and digging for lotus roots himself.

Pei Che, who has been following him, can’t help but marvel at the saying “a contented person is always happy.” Just a courtyard alone is enough to make Jiang Miao look as if he has gained the whole world.

After touring the garden, they go inside to have a look. The Duke’s residence staff works exceptionally efficiently; in just a few days, they not only tidy up the entire house but also arrange all the furniture neatly.

Since seeing this house, the few traces of resistance Jiang Miao has felt in his heart completely vanish. He doesn’t want to be so shameless, but Pei Che has given so much!

With his resistance gone, Jiang Miao is also ready to face his family openly. So, the next day, after sending Xiao Shitou to school, he gets into the carriage and returns to Jiangjiawan.

Although it is still some time before spring plowing, the diligent farmers can’t sit idle. They are already taking out the farming tools that have been idle all winter, carefully checking if they are worm-eaten and need repair.

When Jiang Miao arrives home, the whole family is there. He hands the things he brought back to Xiaoyu and asks her to take them inside and distribute them among the younger siblings. After sending the children away, Jiang Miao clears his throat and announces that he is going to get engaged.

Unexpectedly, his uncle and aunt are not at all surprised. They exchange a knowing smile, and his uncle says, “Nephew, when you came back last time to get the birth dates, your aunt guessed something. Which girl are you getting engaged to? How much is her family asking for in betrothal gifts? If you’re short on funds, your uncle still has some savings. By the way, have you clarified with them that you want to live with your little brother?”

Jiang Miao awkwardly laughs twice. “The person I’m getting engaged to is very beautiful, a renowned beauty in Liangjing. Her family background is also very impressive, and they wouldn’t care about our modest means. She knows that I’ll be bringing my little brother with me.”

Hearing such favorable conditions, Jiang Miao’s second uncle becomes a bit uneasy. “How could a girl from such a good family marry you? Is she perhaps unwell? Not that I look down on you, but the disparity is too great. In my opinion, a marriage should be more matched in terms of social standing.”

“Second Uncle, the other party is very healthy, well-educated, and genuinely sincere and polite. The only drawback is that she isn’t a maiden.”

Jiang Miao’s second uncle is taken aback. “She’s a widow or someone who’s been sent back home?” In his mind, if she isn’t a maiden, she must have been a married woman.

Jiang Miao is both amused and helpless. “She’s neither a widow nor someone sent back. She’s a man.”

“Oh, a man,” Jiang Miao’s second uncle says, nodding in a comforting manner, but then he suddenly realizes the meaning of Jiang Miao’s words. “A man! The person you’re getting engaged to is a man?!”

He springs to his feet, his expression contorting as if he is thinking of something disturbing.

Seeing Jiang Miao’s second uncle looking like he wants to clear the family name, Jiang Miao quickly steps back. “Second Uncle, please calm down, I have my reasons!”

“What reasons do you have? Are you attracted to his family background?” Jiang Miao’s second uncle looks around, as if searching for a suitable tool to use.

“I’m not that kind of person!” Jiang Miao says, feeling slightly guilty as he defends himself. “The Emperor decreed the marriage, and I had no choice but to marry a man!”

“The emperor… decreed a marriage?” Jiang Miao’s second uncle is stunned. After a moment, he shouts, “Why didn’t you say it was the matchmaker from the Temple of Love? How dare you come up with such an excuse!”

“I’m not making it up, it’s the truth. The imperial decree is still at my place! If you don’t believe me, I can go get it for you!” Jiang Miao says hurriedly.

Seeing that Jiang Miao doesn’t seem to be lying, his second uncle is utterly confused. After a long pause, he hoarsely asks, “Does the Emperor really intervene in the marriages of commoners?” Even if he does, it should be to arrange a marriage with a maiden, not a man. What kind of situation is this?

Jiang Miao takes out the excuse he made up long ago, which is that one day, after the emperor ate his buns and was pleased, he decided to grant him a marriage. However, during the process, the officials made a mistake, resulting in him being matched with a man instead. By the time the decree is issued, it is already final; the emperor’s words are not to be taken lightly. If he refuses, the emperor would certainly be angry and might even execute his entire family. Therefore, they have no choice but to accept it.

Although the story is full of inconsistencies, it is more than enough to placate Jiang Miao’s second uncle. His second uncle’s emotions shift from anger to confusion and then to sympathy. Looking at Jiang Miao, who is bearing the burden alone to protect his family, he can’t help but sigh. “This child is just too sensible!”

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