TSWRLM -Chapter 22 The Zhou Family’s Betrothal Gifts

Ye Er and Madam Ye were sent out of Hanjing overnight, and the Cao family’s door was knocked on late at night as well.

The knocking was loud and urgent, startling the Cao family, who had just gone to sleep.

“Who is it?”

Chun Xi went out to check and heard a rough but familiar voice: “Open the door, it’s me.”

Her eldest brother!

Chun Xi’s eyes lit up. She quickly opened the door, and her broad, bear-like brother squeezed inside.

She hadn’t even grabbed a lamp, but by the moonlight she could see her brother’s face covered in stubble, his expression fierce—like a robber ready to kill and loot.

Quite intimidating.

The next moment, she was scooped up into his arms, and he began to whimper plaintively: “A-Xi, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault for not protecting you. I’m useless… I’ve failed father.”

“…Brother, after all these years, you still haven’t gotten over your crying habit, have you?”

The main hall was lit, and Madam Wang and Madam Qian eagerly gathered around Cao Wu, talking happily. Chun Xi went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of shredded meat noodles, adding two boiled eggs.

Cao Wu hadn’t eaten dinner and was starving. He devoured the noodles in no time, finishing even the soup.

Madam Wang wiped her tears with sympathy. “You’re starving like this. That cruel workshop clearly didn’t give you enough to eat. Don’t go back there anymore. Your sister got plenty of good things from the Wei household; you could sell them for quite a sum.”

“How could that be?” Cao Wu slammed his chopsticks down. “Those things belong to A-Xi. As her brother, how could I ever think of taking what’s hers?”

“My foolish son, your sister is clever. She’s hiding who knows how much money, and she wouldn’t even look at such small things.”

At the mention of this, Madam Wang felt a wave of grievance. She wanted to recount Chun Xi’s rebellious and disrespectful behavior over the past days. Cao Wu cut her off: “No matter the amount, she earned it all herself. Nobody has the right to be jealous.”

What did “jealous” mean? She hadn’t married yet. If she had money, shouldn’t it be shared with the family? Hiding it away to take to her future husband—was that reasonable?

Madam Wang wanted to argue, but Cao Wu didn’t want to discuss it further. With a stern face, he asked, “Mother, did you receive a betrothal gift from someone named Zhou Qin?”

Madam Wang’s eyelids twitched.

How could Cao Wu know about this so soon after returning home?

Instinctively, she looked at Chun Xi. Could it be that this girl wanted to keep all those gifts for herself?

Before she could think further, Cao Wu slammed the table in anger: “Since the engagement didn’t happen, the betrothal gifts should be returned. That Zhou family even wrote a notice and posted it outside. Now everyone knows that A-Xi tricked them under the pretense of arranging a marriage. How can you expect people to let A-Xi marry in the future?”

Cao Wu’s eyes reddened.

If he hadn’t overheard people at the workshop discussing this, he wouldn’t even have known that A-Xi was kicked out of the Wei household and nearly forced into a marriage with someone as worthless as Zhou Qin.

Madam Wang jumped to her feet. “What do you mean ‘trick them’? It was the Zhou family who rushed to marry my daughter, and then Zhou Qin inexplicably tried to cancel the engagement, saying the gifts didn’t need to be returned. And now he dares to slander us? I’ll go confront him myself!”

Madam Wang was genuinely furious.

Such a scandal before Chun Xi had even married would ruin her reputation as a mother. She couldn’t even imagine how the neighbors would look at her afterward.

It was already past curfew, and only after Cao Wu and Madam Qian pleaded did Madam Wang calm down.

Madam Wang said indignantly, “The Zhou family’s betrothal gifts were worth no more than twenty taels of silver. We don’t care about that. Tomorrow, I’ll give Matchmaker Zhang thirty taels of silver, as if we bought those things from them.”

The Zhou family’s notice had already made the matter public. Returning the gifts now would only confirm that they were trying to profit from them. By having Matchmaker Zhang handle it and giving an extra ten taels, they could act generously and avoid the appearance of greed.

Madam Wang felt clever for thinking of this plan. Cao Wu was straightforward and didn’t understand such nuances; he just wanted to make sure they weren’t indebted to the Zhou family. Madam Qian had no strong opinions and always followed her mother-in-law.

Seeing no objections from them, Chun Xi rolled her eyes.

The Zhou family had no reason to cancel the engagement, and now they even tried to slander them. Most families would have erupted into a fight over this, yet her mother was still willing to send money. Her mother’s cleverness was clearly all reserved for her.

“This whole thing started because of me. Mother, why don’t you give me the thirty taels? Tomorrow I’ll go with my brother to see Matchmaker Zhang.”

Chun Xi volunteered to take responsibility, but Madam Wang shook her head: “You’re still a young girl. There’s no reason for you to go see Matchmaker Zhang.”

Chun Xi had been especially rebellious recently, and Madam Wang worried she might take the money and not handle the matter. Thirty taels was not a small sum.

Chun Xi could guess her mother’s thoughts. She said softly, “The matter has already happened. Even if we give the money, some people will still think we were after the Zhou family’s gifts. I’m going to marry eventually; taking some blame isn’t a big deal. But A-Wen is still studying and will need to marry in the future. Who would want their daughter to marry into a family that keeps other people’s betrothal gifts?”

Madam Wang, protective of her family’s reputation and her youngest son, wanted Chun Xi to take the blame while still concealing her own intentions. She said sternly, “It’s good you care about A-Wen. If it weren’t for your entanglement with the Young Master Wei, this trouble wouldn’t have happened.”

The next morning, Chun Xi and Cao Wu went together to Matchmaker Zhang’s house.

Matchmaker Zhang had already expected their visit. Changing her previous warmth, she scolded Chun Xi coldly: “I thought you were a practical girl. I didn’t expect you to use your position in the Wei household to flirt with men everywhere and keep someone’s betrothal gifts. After arranging matches for so many years, I’ve really seen it all.”

The words were harsh. Cao Wu wanted to argue, but Matchmaker Zhang’s husband and two sons immediately stepped outside.

Chun Xi stood in front of Cao Wu, smiling at Matchmaker Zhang. “It’s my fault. Sorry for causing you trouble.”

By admitting fault, Chun Xi only made Matchmaker Zhang lift her chin higher. She was about to demand the betrothal gifts back for the Zhou family when Chun Xi’s gentle voice interrupted:

“The marriage of the Young Master Wei and the virtuous consort’s niece is set for two months from now. The Young Master Ye, who caused trouble for Mr. Zhou, actually has a personal feud with the consort’s family. I am not acquainted with him. Mr. Zhou has truly misunderstood me. Madam, if you don’t believe me, you can call him to come with us and verify this in person at the consort’s house.”

Matchmaker Zhang, an ordinary citizen, didn’t know who the Xiao family was, but hearing the words “Consort Xian” immediately made her realize the other party was extremely powerful.

Her expression changed slightly, and Cao Wu’s brow furrowed even tighter.

They had come to return money to the Zhou family, yet Chun Xi’s words suggested she might still intend to be involved with the Zhous.