TIPS – Chapter 6

A marriage between the prestigious Song Manor and a farming family from Chashan Village was highly unusual. The Song family lacked nothing. For Song Man to marry off his only son, Song Jingwei, there had to be complex reasons behind it. His only condition was that the marriage must not tarnish the Song family’s reputation—ideally, it should even enhance it.

After pondering for a moment, Song Man said, “I have no special requirements for this marriage, as long as you treat Jingwei well. But your family has good values—I trust you.”

Shen Dongming once again felt that Master Song was the best in-law one could ask for and eagerly assured him, “Of course, please rest assured. We will treat your son well and never let him suffer any grievances.” Even if their own life was tough, they couldn’t let their son’s spouse suffer—this was only right.

“Alright, since that’s the case, I can rest assured,” Song Man nodded.

Shen Dongming asked again, “Aside from that, are there any other requirements?” He didn’t dare to be careless and wanted to learn more about his future daughter-in-law.

“For now, no…” Song Man was more concerned with gaining a good reputation than the marriage itself. Ever since Song Jingwei had done that thing, he had already considered a way out—he figured it would be best to have another son like him.

A crisp voice suddenly rang out: “Father, of course, we have requirements.”

Song Jinmei entered the hall grandly, accompanied by two maids and two male servants. She glanced at the three guests seated before her and said, “The Song family is one of the most prominent households in Lihua Town, and we care deeply about our reputation. My father may be kind and generous, but that doesn’t stop some people from maliciously spreading rumors. If my brother marries into your Shen family, there will definitely be gossip. When that happens, how will you handle it?”

Upon hearing that this young lady was the sister of his future daughter-in-law, Shen Dongming immediately regarded her differently and replied honestly, “When it comes to rumors, we must not panic. It’s my family marrying a daughter-in-law—it’s none of anyone else’s business. Let them talk.”

Song Jinmei snapped, “No! You absolutely cannot just let them talk. You must refute them. You must prove that those are lies. Not a single slanderous word should be allowed to tarnish the reputation of the Song family.”

Shen Dongming was taken aback by Song Jinmei’s imposing presence. He stammered and nodded, “Yes, we must refute them, prove they are just rumors, and not take them seriously.”

Coming to his senses, he quickly turned to assure Master Song, “Master Song, please rest assured. We will not allow anyone to slander the Song family. A good man like you deserves nothing but praise.”

Song Man nodded in satisfaction—he did, indeed, want universal praise.

Song Jinmei continued, “Besides that, you must guarantee that there will be no divorce, nor any separation. Otherwise, where would that leave the Song family’s dignity?”

The Shen family immediately agreed without hesitation. They wanted their son and daughter-in-law to stay together for life. Before coming, they had even worried that the Song family’s young master might not be able to endure farm life and wouldn’t be willing to stay with their son.

“There will be no divorce, no separation—they will live in harmony,” Shen Dongming and Yang Shi promised in unison, and even Shen Junxi nodded firmly.

Only then did Song Jinmei seriously assess her brother’s future husband. Her expression immediately darkened. That day, she hadn’t looked carefully and had assumed he was just an ordinary farm boy. But now, she realized he was young, clean, and well-groomed.

She glanced at the tanned and rough-looking Shen couple, the messy pile of items on the floor… and those two strange creatures—what were they? A look of disdain flickered across her face as she said unhappily, “Our Song family does not bully others. If my brother does not behave well in your household, you are free to discipline him. After all, this was his own choice —no one forced him.”

Shen Junxi lowered his gaze slightly. He still remembered Song Jinmei’s voice—it belonged to the girl who had ordered him to be sent to Song Jingwei that day. He felt a little gratitude toward her, but even more wariness, as if avoiding a venomous snake.

Yang Shi forced a smile. “Miss Song, what are you saying? I’m sure Young Master Song is a very good person.”

Song Jinmei grew even more irritated. With such a soft-spoken and accommodating couple, it seemed that her brother wouldn’t suffer much hardship in their home after all. Suddenly, she suggested, “You haven’t met my brother yet, have you? Why don’t we have him come out and meet everyone?”

…Would that be appropriate?

The Shen couple hesitated, feeling it was against proper etiquette. Although they were eager to meet Song Jingwei, was it really acceptable? They looked at Master Song expectantly.

Song Man said, “What’s the difficulty in that? Someone, go call the young master.”

In the rear courtyard, Lychee quickly walked back and knocked on Song Jingwei’s study door. “Young Master, there are guests in the front hall. You have been summoned.”

Inside, Song Jingwei was lounging against a Luohan bed, reading a book. His long, jet-black hair cascaded over the pillow. Upon hearing this, he sat up and replied, “Understood.”

He put on his shoes and casually stepped out.

He was still in his loungewear, looking too plain and unadorned. Lychee couldn’t help but ask, “Do you want to go back and change?”

Song Jingwei waved his hand. “No need. This is fine.”

Lychee helped him straighten his hair and collar, then called for Longan to accompany them to the front hall.

Meanwhile, the Shen family was waiting anxiously. Finally, they heard footsteps at the door.

The first thing they saw was a simple, elegant robe, a tall and slender figure, and an aristocratic face—calm, reserved, and without a ripple of emotion.

This child… Just one look, and it was clear he was raised in luxury. No matter what he wore, his innate nobility was unmatched by others.

The Shen family stared in awe—first with admiration, then with delight, and finally with inferiority. Compared to him, the three of them looked completely unworthy, as if they came from entirely different worlds.

Song Jingwei entered, gave a casual greeting to Song Man and Song Jinmei, then chose an unoccupied chair and quietly sat down. From the moment he appeared, he knew this was a battlefield between him and Song Jinmei—it had little to do with the Shen family.

Still, as he glanced toward the young man seated at the far end, he quickly retracted his gaze.

Even with his usual indifference, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, he wasn’t a filthy, foul-smelling beggar.

After deciding to abandon Song Jingwei, Song Man paid little attention to him. He casually introduced him, “This is Master Shen and Madam Shen, as well as their son. Hurry and greet them.”

Song Jingwei lifted his eyes and parted his lips to say, “Uncle Shen, Aunt Shen.” His voice was crisp and indifferent. Then, he shifted his gaze to Shen Junxi, merely nodding without speaking.

Despite this, Shen Junxi responded with a smile—because there were things that only the two of them knew.

The Shen couple was overjoyed. They wanted to chat with Song Jingwei but were afraid of saying something wrong. Strangely enough, they were even more nervous around him than they were around Song Man.

Song Jinmei had expected Song Jingwei to at least show some embarrassment, but to her surprise, he remained completely indifferent. Once again, she had miscalculated. She sat across from Shen Dongming and said, “This is my younger brother. He is deeply infatuated with your son. Otherwise, my father wouldn’t have agreed to let him marry into your family.” To live a lifetime as a lowly farmer… hmph.

Shen Dongming calmed his nerves before stammering, “Your brother is truly outstanding, a rare talent. Very good—looks good, and his character is good, too.” He wanted to offer some profound compliments, but his mind went blank.

Yang Shi quickly chimed in, “Yes, yes, I also think he’s very good.” She had never met someone who made her this nervous. Is this really my future daughter-in-law?

Song Man chuckled and said, “He only has a good face, that’s all.” It was an honest statement. The people of Lihua Town adored Song Jingwei solely because of his looks.

The Shen couple quickly responded, “Master Song is too modest. Your son is excellent in every way.” In their eyes, he was practically perfect—they could hardly believe he was going to be their daughter-in-law.

After a few casual exchanges, Song Man asked, “So, you’re here today to present the betrothal gifts?”

The Shen couple nodded. “Yes, yes.” They bent down to pick up the gifts they had brought, along with a pair of lively geese. “These items may not be valuable, but they were carefully prepared by our family. Please don’t find them lacking, Master Song.”

The geese let out a few loud honks and struggled in Shen Dongming’s grip, sending feathers flying everywhere. Embarrassed, he explained, “We just caught them—they’re very lively.”

Song Man avoided the fluttering feathers and waved his hand. “Alright, alright. He San, take them. Quickly.”

He San instructed two male servants to carry away the betrothal gifts. Song Man then decisively said, “Then it’s settled. Jingwei and your son have a unique situation, so the wedding must be held as soon as possible.” If they waited until something happened before officially marrying them, it would be too late.

That was exactly what the Shen family wanted. Shen Dongming and Yang Shi eagerly agreed, “Master Song is right. It’s best to marry them as soon as possible.”

Shen Dongming then asked, “What date do you think would be most auspicious?”

Song Man had no idea which date was auspicious. He pretended to think for a moment before randomly choosing one. “May 13th sounds like a good day. What do you think?”

The Shen couple was delighted. With a whole month to prepare, it was perfect. They grinned and said, “A great day! May 13th is wonderful.”

And just like that, the marriage between the Song and Shen families was officially decided.

Song Man made a token effort to invite the Shen family to stay for a meal, but they hurriedly declined—it wouldn’t be appropriate. The fact that the engagement had gone so smoothly was already beyond their expectations. As they left the Song residence, the couple was so elated they could barely contain themselves.

Shen Junxi, however, remained relatively calm. Helplessly, he pulled his parents along and led them to a restaurant in town for lunch.

Once they were seated inside, Yang Shi finally came back to her senses. “Wait… we’re eating at a restaurant?”

She hesitated, feeling reluctant to spend money. “Why don’t we save the money and just buy a couple of buns from a street vendor? We can eat properly when we get home.”

Shen Dongming felt sorry for his wife and son. To secure this marriage, their family had barely been able to afford a meal with meat for ten days. He insisted, “What buns? If you want buns, we’ll buy some later. Today, let’s eat at the restaurant.”

Yang Shi frowned. “You act like we’re rich. Don’t you know our situation? If we don’t save, how will we support our daughter-in-law after he moves in?”

At the mention of their refined and noble daughter-in-law, Shen Dongming fell silent. He wasn’t in charge of household expenses, but he knew that Yang Shi’s money was tight. Once their son married in, things would only get tighter. He hesitated. “Can we even afford to take care of him…? Just his clothes and shoes alone are beyond our means.”

Yang Shi sighed heavily, sharing his concern. Before, she had worried the engagement wouldn’t go through. Now that it was settled, she was even more anxious about whether they could afford it.

“What should we do? Junxi can’t just not get married.”

Shen Junxi reached out, taking his parents’ hands in his own and giving them a reassuring squeeze. With a firm expression, he signed to them: Young Master Song isn’t a picky person. He knows our family’s situation—there’s nothing for him to be picky about.

Yang Shi and Shen Dongming exchanged glances, their faces filled with silent prayers.

Hopefully…