APSIL -Chapter 16 Everyone Says It’s a Perfect Match

After being repeatedly addressed as “Future Son-in-Law” by Old Yang, Zhang Shou eventually fled the old man’s doorstep in utter defeat.

He had always known the old fellow possessed a booming voice when scolding people, but this was the first time he had experienced just how formidable the old man’s pestering skills were.

Forget trying to pry out the truth about why Old Yang had moved from elsewhere to settle in this village—the old man relentlessly bombarded him with questions instead.

When? Where? How had he become engaged to the Duke Zhao Manor?

The way he interrogated him was no different from the matchmaking aunties of Zhang Shou’s previous life who conducted household investigations during blind dates.

…

When it became clear that he couldn’t get any answers, Old Yang immediately switched tactics.

Compliments poured out one after another as though they cost nothing.

“I knew all along that Little Teacher and the young lady were perfectly matched!”

“A talented gentleman and a beautiful lady!”

“A match made in heaven!”

“May you grow old together!”

Good heavens…

Old Yang probably hadn’t even seen what Zhu Ying looked like!

That morning, when Zhu Ying had wandered around outside dressed as a young man, the surprisingly spry old fellow had still been hard at work in the fields.

In the end, Zhang Shou had only managed to escape thanks to his youthful legs.

As for maintaining his elegant bearing…

He wasn’t some immortal detached from worldly affairs.

How could he constantly put on airs in front of the villagers?

If he had, how could he possibly have lived here for the past three years?

…

When Zhang Shou finally slowed to a stop, he realized he had arrived outside Deng Xiaodai’s house.

Since he was already there, and knowing that his prospective pupil would officially begin his career as a junior clerk at the Shuntian Prefecture Office tomorrow, he decided to go in and offer a few words of advice.

But the moment one foot crossed the threshold, Deng Xiaodai came hurrying out with an expression of pure delight.

The instant he saw Zhang Shou, his eyes lit up.

“Little Teacher! I was just about to come find you!”

“Something this important, and you actually kept it from all of us!”

“You were already engaged to the Duke Zhao Manor!”

“And this morning you were talking nonsense to me.”

“Though I suppose that’s true—if even the Duke Zhao Manor doesn’t count among the very highest-ranking noble families, then who does?”

Zhang Shou reacted instantly.

Taking a single stride forward, he clamped a hand over the young man’s mouth and dragged him over beside the courtyard wall before finally letting go.

Then he demanded irritably, “Where on earth did you hear such nonsense?”

“The people who came to my house to buy planks said it.”

“They said they were guards from the Duke Zhao Manor.”

“I never imagined people from the Duke Zhao Manor would come to a tiny place like ours, so I asked a few questions.”

“When my parents heard you were engaged to the eldest young lady of the Duke Zhao Manor, they practically started chanting prayers.”

“They kept saying that if they’d known the future son-in-law of the Duke Zhao Manor was teaching me, they’d have paid any tuition fee just to let me study under you.”

“They never should have let you subsidize our family instead.”

Seeing the look of shared pride on Deng Xiaodai’s face, Zhang Shou could neither laugh nor cry.

What astonished him even more, however, was how freely the Duke Zhao Manor’s people had spread the news.

Zhu Ying was unquestionably a peerless beauty.

Perfect appearance.

A bit impulsive and headstrong, perhaps, but fundamentally a good person.

On top of that, she was the daughter of one of the empire’s most distinguished noble families.

Did she really need to worry about finding a husband?

Even if her unreliable second brother truly intended to use her as a political marriage pawn, there was no reason for the Dowager Lady to publicize the engagement to the entire world so eagerly.

If anything, it would have made more sense for her to oppose the match.

Steadying himself, Zhang Shou cleared his throat.

“I only learned about this engagement myself.”

“To be honest, I’m still completely bewildered.”

“So keep your congratulations to yourself for now.”

“Tomorrow, when you report to the Shuntian Prefecture Office, do me a favor.”

“See whether there’s an official marriage contract on file.”

“And if there is, find out when and where it was arranged.”

“If you can discover why it was arranged, even better.”

“No problem, Little Teacher!”

Deng Xiaodai agreed without hesitation.

Then he added, “But since the Duke Zhao Manor’s own people are saying it so openly, this marriage must already be completely settled.”

“They’re definitely not going back on it.”

Maybe they won’t…

But the important thing is that I’m not exactly thrilled about it!

Even if the person forcing the marriage was an extraordinarily beautiful young lady from one of the greatest noble families in the empire…

Shouldn’t he at least be given a chance to understand what was going on first?

Thinking that, Zhang Shou couldn’t help feeling that Deng Xiaodai—earnest though he was—still seemed a little unreliable.

Yet after a fiancée had suddenly dropped out of the sky without warning, who else could he rely upon?

Only the pupil he himself had taught, who had just earned a position in the Household Records Office of the Shuntian Prefecture.

…

After wandering around the village once more, Zhang Shou deliberately avoided Carpenter Xu’s house and therefore didn’t run into the Duke Zhao Manor’s guards purchasing lumber.

Instead…

He was ambushed by several groups of villagers who popped out one after another just to congratulate him.

Without exception…

Every single one congratulated him on becoming connected by marriage to the Duke Zhao Manor.

Listening to the endless congratulations while maintaining a calm expression, Zhang Shou couldn’t shake the feeling that he had somehow become one of those newly crowned scholars who, after passing the imperial examinations, were immediately seized by powerful families and forced into marriage.

The only problem was…

He wasn’t a successful scholar.

He didn’t even possess the lowest academic degree.

In reality, he was still a penniless nobody.

Why was the Duke Zhao Manor making such a grand effort to spread the news beforehand?

Could it simply be because…

He was handsome?

Could good looks fill one’s stomach?

Although…

The Duke Zhao Manor certainly had enough wealth to feed a live-in son-in-law.

Silently mocking himself, Zhang Shou finally decided there was no avoiding trouble.

He headed directly toward Carpenter Xu’s house—the very place he had deliberately avoided earlier.

Having lived in the village for three years, he could find every path with his eyes closed.

Instead of entering through the front gate, he purposely took a long detour to the back wall.

Just as he was debating whether to enter through the rear entrance, Carpenter Xu’s booming voice reached him.

“These planks are all excellent quality.”

“I personally picked quite a few of them myself…”

Apparently realizing that wasn’t quite the right thing to praise, Carpenter Xu hurriedly changed the subject.

“Please don’t worry.”

“Several of these base planks are already lacquered flat boards.”

“I’ll saw them apart right away.”

“In a little while, my son and I will personally go over to the Zhang residence and build the communal sleeping platforms.”

“As for making the beds, that’ll probably take a few more days.”

“Even if we skip the lacquer and simply apply tung oil, the wood still has to dry before anyone can sleep on it.”

“Waiting a few days doesn’t matter.”

Zhu Hong’s voice answered.

“We won’t be leaving for at least ten days or half a month anyway.”

The moment Zhang Shou recognized the speaker, his teeth began to ache.

So the people from the Duke Zhao Manor really are planning a prolonged occupation of my house…

The next moment, Carpenter Xu laughed ingratiatingly.

“Little Teacher looks just like one of the immortals painted in New Year pictures.”

“He has such a good temperament.”

“He’s compassionate toward the elderly and generous to the poor.”

“Always eager to help others.”

“There’s not a single person in our village who doesn’t respect him.”

“Who could ever have imagined that a great noble like the Duke would possess such discerning eyes and choose Little Teacher as his future son-in-law?”

Zhang Shou wasn’t interested in Carpenter Xu’s excessive flattery.

He pricked up his ears, waiting for Zhu Hong’s response.

He waited…

And waited…

In the end, all he heard was a long sigh.

“Enough talking.”

“I’m paying you double wages.”

“Just finish everything as quickly as possible.”

Carpenter Xu repeatedly agreed.

Soon afterward came the sound of footsteps gradually fading away.

Just as the disappointed Zhang Shou was preparing to quietly slip off, Zhu Hong suddenly spoke again in a low voice.

“I know you don’t approve.”

For one brief instant, Zhang Shou thought Zhu Hong must be an extraordinary martial arts expert who had somehow sensed his presence despite the distance.

He quickly realized, however, that Zhu Hong was speaking to someone else.

“Even if the youngest son of the Lu family is nothing but a pampered, useless pig whom the young lady despises…”

“Why did the Dowager Lady have to choose that country bumpkin?”

“Just because he’s handsome?”

“Watch your tongue!”

Zhu Hong snapped sharply.

“This marriage was arranged by the Duke himself.”

“It isn’t our place to question it.”

“I know.”

The other voice grew more heated.

“The Dowager Lady has never liked the Second Young Master.”

“Now that he’s become bold enough to covet the family inheritance, she has even less tolerance for him.”

“If the Master really ends up being held responsible for the setbacks in the war…”

“And if something should happen to the Eldest Young Master…”

“She’ll undoubtedly remove the Second Young Master from the family register altogether.”

“The Master hasn’t had another son or daughter all these years.”

“And the Dowager Lady has no regard for anyone else in the clan.”

“So she’s placing all her hopes on the young lady.”

“Right now, the young lady is captivated by Zhang Shou because of his extraordinary appearance.”

“But what about later?”

“Will she be able to endure people pointing fingers at her whenever she goes out?”

“Will she accept spending the rest of her life with a husband who enters the Zhu family as a live-in son-in-law and remains ordinary forever?”

Unable to remain silent any longer, Zhu Hong retorted, “First of all, the Dowager Lady has never intended to recruit a live-in son-in-law.”

“Secondly, the Duke and the Eldest Young Master will certainly return safely.”

“And finally…”

“Even the founding emperor of our dynasty didn’t begin his rise as a live-in son-in-law?”

“Hmph.”

“Then don’t forget…”

“Once the founding emperor ascended the throne, who still dared call him a live-in son-in-law?”

“And didn’t the first empress ultimately endure him surrounding himself with countless imperial consorts?”

Smack!

The crisp sound of a slap echoed from inside.

Listening from outside the wall, Zhang Shou couldn’t help chuckling inwardly.

Now this unexpected gossip really contains a remarkable amount of information.

Whether any of it is actually true…

That’s another matter entirely.

For all I know, one of them may have deliberately said it loudly enough for me to hear.