CHAPTER 147: CHAPTER 147: THAT MOUTH IS REALLY POISONOUS

"Stop, it’s my fault for being chatty." Zhao Dahe didn’t intend to discuss this issue with Li Chang’an.

Li Chang’an seemed gentle and amiable, but that was just a facade.

If they continued to delve into this topic, he felt he surely would not be a match for him.

"How could this be considered chatty? Cousins looking out for each other is a sign of deep brotherly affection." Li Chang’an said with a grin, "Even though no one has proposed for you before, surely many will in the future."

Good ones, bad ones, all eager to connect somehow will rush in.

It would be quite a hassle.

"Cousin, you’d better focus on driving." Zhao Dahe coughed lightly.

How could he not know that Li Chang’an was gloating?

But no matter how many people proposed, it wouldn’t trouble him.

Marriage is a matter of parental decision, and his mother is still around.

If anyone is to be troubled, it would surely be his mother.

When they returned home, the house was unusually lively.

Meng Yao had an almost rigid smile on her face, sitting upright, occasionally tilting her head to listen to one person, and sometimes nodding to another.

One person said, my daughter is gentle in nature, skilled in cooking and needlework.

The other said, my daughter has had a good voice since childhood, she can sing and dance.

Meng Yao, seeing Zhao Dahe, felt relieved, "Come, Dahe, greet the ladies here."

Zhao Dahe knew everyone.

However, they were mostly the ones who didn’t associate with his family.

Zhao Dahe politely greeted those in the room, cleared his throat, "Mother, today I saw Auntie’s new maid at her house, pretty and gentle, Auntie said she is well-versed in both needlework and cooking."

"Furthermore, Uncle mentioned that the teahouse had a singing lady whose voice lingered for days after a performance."

This tongue was truly sharp.

Meng Yao almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.

The women who came with their daughters all showed embarrassed smiles, how could they not understand Zhao Dahe’s sarcasm? He was just short of blatantly saying that their daughters were maids or singers.

One of them said indignantly, "Dahe’s mother, aren’t you going to control your son? We’re from the same village, how can he speak like this?"

"Eh? What did I say wrong? What was inappropriate about my words? Cousin, you know I’ve only spoken the truth! Didn’t Auntie and Uncle say these things earlier at your house?" Zhao Dahe pulled Li Chang’an over.

Li Chang’an maintained a blank expression, "Dahe, can’t you see? They came to propose marriage to your family, how can you compare their daughters to maids or singers?"

Someone finally made it clear.

This is Meng Zhu’s son, right? Although not as promising as Zhao Dahe, he is also quite handsome. Meng Yao and Meng Zhu have always had a good relationship, even if her daughter couldn’t marry Zhao Dahe, Meng Zhu’s son was also a consideration.

After all, the two families are close; would Zhao Dahe not support his cousin in the future?

That lady just wanted to praise Li Chang’an when he spoke again, "I’m not judging by appearances, but not just anyone can be a maid!"

This was even harsher, suggesting that these girls couldn’t even compare to a maid.

As for Li Chang’an’s comment that not just anyone could be a maid, it wasn’t deliberately demeaning, but indeed, anyone who could afford maids had very strict selection criteria.

Like in those storybooks where one sells oneself to bury a father, gets taken back by a powerful young master and becomes a head maid, leading to mutual affection without regard for class differences — true love eventually triumphing over all — it’s purely for entertainment.

If someone suddenly acted out of goodwill and brought someone back home, there were still dedicated people to first review the person to see if they were usable, then hand them to a training nanny to learn the rules, and only after passing could they serve the master.

The brothers’ barbed conversation made it too embarrassing for even the thick-skinned women to stay.

They all took their leave.

"Fortunately you came back in time." Meng Yao pinched her cheeks that were already stiff from smiling.

"Mother, you can’t handle them?" Zhao Dahe found it unreasonable.

On the way back, he discussed this issue with his cousin, and similar things were sure to happen frequently. It was just the beginning, and his mother couldn’t handle it?

"It depends on how you want to handle it! Being straightforward and direct, I could resolve however many come." Meng Yao rolled her eyes, "Our family isn’t just you! I have to consider my own reputation as well!"

Not to mention Zhao Xiaohua and Zhao Xiaoshu.

If she, as a mother, was rumored to be unreliable, the impact would be significant.

But if Zhao Dahe himself declined, she could say the child was still young, not mature, and nothing could be done.

"Such matters will undoubtedly happen incessantly in the future. Little Aunt can’t always rely on Dahe." Li Chang’an said.

"That’s why I’ve thought it through; after the banquet tomorrow, Dahe should quickly go to the Prefecture to get familiar with the environment." Meng Yao said, "That way, no matter who comes for whatever excuse, I can say I can’t make a decision for you, and whatever it is, wait till you return."

She truly was clever.

Zhao Dahe: ...

Early the next morning, the cook and a group of people arrived.

After meeting Meng Yao at the site, they began directing others to work in an orderly fashion.

The Zhao family had a large open space outside, with a stove set up right in the open area.

Tables, chairs, benches, everything was lined up in rows.

The cook directed the kitchen helpers to prepare the ingredients, then started on main dishes, like braised pork and lion’s head meatballs.

By the time it was the hour of the Dragon, the people Li Chang’an hired at the broker’s shop arrived.

They all spoke properly and were very efficient in their actions.

"Little Aunt, just feel free to instruct them for whatever is needed. Receiving and entertaining, they can handle it all." Li Chang’an said.

The broker and their family had frequent dealings, and the people selected were all reliable without any issues.

Just as the village chief said, many people came today.

From neighboring regions, with the original memories, many were familiar faces. For these people, Meng Yao found it easy to entertain.

However, apart from those from neighboring areas, there were a dozen or so carriages.

Although most were received by the village chief along with Zhao Dahe, there were women in those carriages, and Meng Yao inevitably had to entertain them.

Fortunately, she was also someone who had seen grand occasions, and wouldn’t falter easily.

The families who brought women along were almost as if they had their intentions written plainly on their foreheads.

However, their speech was more subtle.

Meng Yao recalled the marriage culture described in books, where men were chosen based on their achievements. Initially, she thought it was exaggerated. Looking at it now, it might not be exaggerated. Zhao Dahe, as the top scorer in a county exam, attracted so much attention, let alone positions like the top scorer and second rank in the imperial exams!

"It’s truly impressive that Madam Zhao could cultivate Young Master Zhao into such a talent all by herself. Just looking at our Fengyang Town, how many years has it been since we’ve had a top county exam scorer?" A brightly dressed lady spoke with a smile.

Meng Yao remembered she previously introduced herself as the wife of an official from Fengyang Town, with a daughter aged fourteen.

Her intentions were all too clear to Meng Yao.