After getting Zhang Yue's approval, Zhang Shi and Yang asked Mrs. Zhuang to go to the Wu family to talk matchmaking.
Madam Zhuang did not go to the Wu family's door this time, but to the guarantor Ouyang Xiu's door to discuss submitting a post.
In the Song Dynasty, two posts were generally required to propose marriage.
In the first post, the man should write down the names and official positions of the three generations of his family members, as well as other information such as residence and property, and ask the matchmaker to deliver it to his door.
The first time I wrote it was relatively simple and was called a "draft post". If the woman is interested in the marriage, she will exchange posts and draft a post with similar content to the man and send it back.
The second 'detailed post' is more formal, introducing family background, etc. in more detail, which is the official post.
At this point, the two families are considered engaged.
Getting engaged is not much different from getting married.
Mrs. Zhuang wears a bonnet on her head and a purple lining. This outfit is the best matchmaker outfit in Bianjing.
Mrs. Zhuang arrived at Ouyang Xiu's house. Ouyang Xiu's wife, Mrs. Xue, had also heard of Mrs. Zhuang's reputation. She was not feeling well, so she asked Ouyang Fa and his eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wu, to see her.
Mrs. Zhuang first expressed the Zhang family's intention to marry to the Wu family.
Of course Wu was overjoyed in her heart, but she couldn't help but look dull on her face.
The family tradition of the Wu family is such that Li Taijun fell in love with Wu Chong and married into the Wu family, so the marriages of his daughters were never taboo and were discussed.
When the Zhang family didn't send a matchmaker before, Wu couldn't help but worry about this and that for her sister. Now Zhang Yue is taking the second provincial exam and wonders if he will be distracted by so many matchmakers coming to propose marriage.
Now that the other party has invited Mrs. Zhuang, a famous matchmaker in Bianjing, to come to his door, it shows that Zhang Yue truly understands in his heart that this young man is a top-notch person in everything he does and knows what it means to give him a peach and give him a jade in return.
Wu was overjoyed immediately, but she still had to show off her airs and style outside the home.
Ouyang Fa was about to agree, but Mrs. Wu said: "I said before that I would make a decision after winning the Jinshi, but I also said that I would wait until after the palace examination, so Mrs. Zhuang came to the door, which surprised me. I really didn’t expect it.”
"After all, I am a foreign woman. Although I and my mother-in-law are in Bianjing, I haven't been back for a long time. It is even more inconvenient to go out and ask my mother what she wants. Mrs. Zhuang should come to the house herself."
Ouyang Fa was speechless when he heard this. His wife went back to her parents' house every now and then, so he didn't dare to say anything. She even lied to outsiders in front of him.
Mrs. Zhuang looked at Mrs. Wu and smiled slightly and said: "Originally, I am familiar with the Wu family, so I don't dare to let Mrs. Wu bother. But who knows that Mrs. Wu is the most considerate to Li Taijun. When I married Ouyang's house That dowry covers a whole street, so I’m here to ask you to say something.”
Mrs. Wu was elated when she heard this and said with a smile: "There is no dowry paving a street. It's all just hearsay. Besides, these are just for outsiders to see. They are not worth a few dollars. It is enough to pick a box."
Mrs. Zhuang shook her fan and covered her mouth with a smile: "I know, I know, a box is worth a mountain of gold and silver."
At this point, Mrs. Zhuang changed her subject and said: "But having said that, several ladies from the Wu family married into the prime minister's family, and all of them are destined to be very lucky, and they are born to enjoy this great wealth. ."
"Our husband of the Zhang family is a little more humble than some of my uncles. Fortunately, he will soon be a Jinshi. There is a saying in Bianjing that 'a woman who is a Jinshi marries a scholar-bureaucrat'."
Ouyang Fa finally couldn't help but said: "Actually, when I first got engaged to my wife, my father had just returned to the court after being demoted to Chuzhou. When I made the offer, I was in a dilemma and couldn't give much as a betrothal gift."
Mrs. Wu frowned when she heard this. Ouyang Fa noticed that Mr. Wu's expression was wrong and immediately said: "Thanks to Mount Tai and his wife who married me, life is better now, and it will not be too late to enjoy this wealth in the future." Well."
Wu's face looked better after hearing what Ouyang Fa said.
"Exactly. Exactly."
Mrs. Zhuang smiled in agreement and said that the first time she came to visit her, she was asking for directions. She didn't say too much, but made an appointment to come back in two days.
After Mrs. Zhuang left, Mrs. Wu looked at Ouyang Fa and asked, "What did you mean just now? Are you preventing the Zhang family from giving my sister a betrothal gift?"
Ouyang Fa screamed and said: "Madam, I don't mean this. You also know that Sanlang comes from a poor family. How can he get such a large betrothal gift? I say this to avoid embarrassment to others."
"Then we can't let my seventeenth family be lowered in value. The matchmaker hasn't spoken yet, but you said it first. Is it your Ouyang family's married daughter or my Wu family's married daughter?"
Ouyang Fa dared not say anything when he heard this, but he turned to smile and said: "Yes, this is your Wu family's marriage, but Sanlang is also my uncle. Besides, Sanlang and I are family friends after all, and the marriage between the Zhang and Wu families is harmonious. , isn’t this something that both my wife and I would like to see come to fruition?”
Mrs. Wu said: "We sisters all married with great honors, so we cannot treat my sister lightly."
Ouyang Fa saw Wu's tone softening and smiled and said: "Now and then, I have seen Shi Qi very reasonable... Of course, Madam, you are even more considerate."
Ouyang Fa wiped his sweat and peeked at Wu's face, and continued: "Didn't Mrs. Caizhuang just say that she is a Jinshi girl marrying a scholar-bureaucrat? When Lao Taishan was in love, he was not even a scholar-bureaucrat, but now Woolen cloth?"
Wu said: "So what if he is a Jinshi? Our Wu family has few Jinshis? Besides, who can keep him thinking about today's success?"
Ouyang laughed and said: "How can Sanlang be an ordinary Jinshi? The first rank of Jinshi is the second, third, fourth, fifth, and fifth grades. The first class has the same origin."
"Not only did Sanlang come second in the provincial examination, but he is also very likely to be selected as the top official in the palace examination. In this way, after three to five years of local experience, he can be transferred back to the capital to serve. There is hope for him to become a public minister in the future."
Wu was a little moved when she heard this.
"Not to mention, Sanlang is only seventeen years old. If there are no mistakes in his official career, there will always be at least thirty years. Not to mention your Wu family, my Ouyang family can also be entrusted to him to take care of. When it comes to our two families, It doesn’t matter how prosperous the status is, as long as it doesn’t decline or become ruined.”
"In other words, one is a fifty-year-old Xiangjia Jinshi, the other is a fifty-year-old Toujia Jinshi, the other is a seventeen-year-old Xiangjia Jinshi, and the other is a seventeen-year-old Toujia Jinshi. How do others judge them?"
Wujia Jinshi also said that Xiangjia was not Mojia, saying that this Jiajinshi often served as prime ministers. Of course, this was also a flattering statement. Mojia did not sound good after all.
After hearing Ouyang Fa's words, Mrs. Wu's expression was greatly relieved, but she still said harshly: "So I don't have vision. Do you have vision?"
Ouyang laughed and said: "Where, where? After all, Lao Taishan is the most discerning."
"How to say?"
Ouyang Fa said: "Not to mention how many weak-minded people there are among the first-level Jinshi, even if there is such a person in front of us, if there is no marriage contract, it may not be our family's turn. At that time, Wang Wenzhenggong (Prime Minister Wang Zeng) was born in a poor family in the 25th century. When he won the first prize at the age of 18, both Xianggong Li (Li Hang) and Xianggong Lu (Lv Mengzheng) sent people to ask the matchmaker to marry him to their daughter. In the end, Wang Wenzheng did not agree to Xianggong Lu, but married Xianggong Li's daughter. What do you think? How does Taishan look at this?"
Wu couldn't help but smile and said: "That's all, that's all. I see you playing with antiques on weekdays, but you still have some insight. But I thought, I can't just let Sanlang marry Shi Qi for nothing, there are still rules. , otherwise it will be laughed at by other officials in Bianjing. Otherwise, the married woman from my Wu family will not be able to hold her head high in her husband's family."
Ouyang Fa shook his head and said: "No wonder people from outside the state don't like to get married to a big official family like yours in Bianjing. There are always tests and tests, and there are too many rules. But I think it's okay to get married like this between big families. But Sanlang is from the Han clan, so let’s just be as low as possible and be as high as possible, whatever is convenient for us.”
"This Sanlang is not a person who does not know the importance of things. Otherwise, he would not have bothered to start the marriage as soon as possible. If you make things difficult for him, he will not need to delay the marriage for two years with all the unprepared words. When the time comes, he will You can wait, but Seventeen can’t wait.”
"How dare he treat my sister like this?" Wu said angrily.
Seeing that he was about to be smashed, Ouyang Fa quickly said, "Madam, with Shi Qi's temper, are you still afraid of being bullied?"
"I'm afraid that things will change over time. You see, the people who propose marriage to Sanlang's family are all officials and families with little foundation. But which of the two prime ministers in Bianjing has no girl to marry? The reason why he doesn't move now is because of the past of your Wu family. In terms of love, if it is too late..."
Upon hearing this, Wu was mostly convinced by Ouyang Fa and finally stopped refuting.
Ouyang Fa felt very happy. He had never been so proud in front of Wu in his life.
However, when Ouyang Fa saw that he was good, he immediately stopped and said: "As long as Sanlang gets married, you and the married sisters will be more beautiful and more honorable. There is no reason why you can't hold your head high in your husband's family."
"As an uncle, I also follow my wife and take advantage of her."
Wu smiled slightly and said: "You and Sanlang are friends, why do you need me to take advantage of them. But what you said makes sense, so what do you think of Sanlang's brother and sister-in-law? Are they powerful people?"
Ouyang laughed and said: "My brother is a very loyal person, and my nephew is also a handsome man. As for my sister-in-law, I don't know, but I heard that she also came from a wealthy merchant family and would never be stingy. I heard Sanlang mention it many times that his family was poor and weak. His sister-in-law borrowed money from her natal family to finance her studies, so she seemed to be a very knowledgeable woman. Besides, when Sanlang got married, he had to split up the family. His brother and sister-in-law were not from official backgrounds, so how could they handle him? My brother also passed away early, and how much wealth can a poor family like the Zhang family have? I don’t think it’s difficult to get along with the relationship between the sisters-in-law. If Shi Qi is gone, she will be the housewife. If you want Shi Qi to show off and marry her, then what? Who comes to see it?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Wu was relieved. Her three younger sisters married into wealthy families and they were all mothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, and their sisters-in-law didn't get along well. The fifteenth mother is considered to be the most skillful and calculating among the sisters. After marrying into the Wen family for several years, she has lost her temper now.
As for the Wu family, the two daughters-in-law are not having a good time now. Although Li Taijun is old, he still refuses to let go of his power as the housekeeper, and even beats the two daughters-in-law from time to time.
Therefore, when she first learned about the marriage between Seventeen Niang and Zhang Yue, she was really relieved. Her sister had the toughest temper among the sisters, how could she hold back her anger.
"Fortunately, there are not many poor relatives in Bianjing who want our support." Wu said to herself.
Then Wu said again: "I told you a long time ago that I want to get acquainted with Mr. Zhang Dalang. This will make it easier to communicate. Can you do it?"
"Why not," Ouyang said with a smile, "didn't we know each other at the birthday banquet that day? But I am also worried about our friendship, so I will come to visit another day. Now I also asked about Mr. Zhang Dalang who has not made any plans since he arrived in Bianjing. It's an errand, although Saburo hasn't asked me to do it before, I plan to ask dad to take care of it."
Wu smiled in reward and said, "You finally take my matter to heart."
Ouyang laughed and said: "How dare I not do my best for my wife's affairs? But since Sanlang was accepted, he immediately asked Mrs. Zhuang to come to propose marriage. You Wu family must not choose anyone based on the rules. Since everyone is a sensible person. , just reciprocate. If you make a step, I will make a step too. If I take a step forward, you will take a step forward. If you set rules for others today, there is no guarantee that they will set rules for you in the future."
When Wu came here, she was completely convinced by Ouyang Fa, but she still insisted: "Then the Zhang family must be respected anyway. I don't ask for anything, but I still have to try my best, and I still have to have the dignity that I deserve."
Ouyang Fa pretended to be displeased and said: "You still care about Shi Qi marrying in a disgraceful and dishonorable way. Isn't this embarrassing others? I know you have heard that San Lang's uncle's family is rich. But I was born that day. Yan can see clearly that Sanlang and his uncle really don't get along, so why do you have to embarrass Sanlang and lower his head?"
"Besides, among Sanlang, there are still many places for Jinshi to spend money. Going to the Qionglin Banquet and collecting money later are all huge expenses. In the past, many poor Jinshi borrowed money from others or even pawned it to bookstores. . Sanlang had a good friend named Cai Chizheng (Cai Que) before. Because his family was poor and he had no money, he borrowed money from his classmates and fellow villagers and owed a large sum of money. When he went to Pizhou to take office, he was reported for accepting bribes. Now his official career is in trouble. You can imagine And Zhi, you can't let Sanlang borrow money just for the sake of the Wu family's dignity."
After hearing this, Mrs. Wu finally changed her tune and said, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'll talk to my mother, but Zhang Dalangjun, you also have to explain something. I hate those gossipy women in Bianjing the most. On the surface, they say It's because our Wu family has a long-term vision, and we always use the words of the seventeenth concubine to make decisions."
Ouyang Fa couldn't help but smile when he heard this.
Wu frowned and said, "Why are you laughing?"
Ouyang Fa said sternly: "Madam, I don't know whether to say something or not. I just say... Do you think this concubine is a good match for a poor family?"
When Wu heard this, she was angry at first, and then she couldn't help but laugh.
Although I was born into a family of nobles, I am a concubine. Although you are from a poor family, you were selected as a Jinshi.
When it comes to marriage, it's best to be well-matched. No one should try to get ahead of the other, and no one should choose who is the most suitable.
The Wu family immediately reported that the Zhang family had invited Mrs. Zhuang to come to the Wu family to post a post as a matchmaker, and immediately sent the maid who came as a dowry back to tell Taijun Li, which was an explanation.
At the same time, he mentioned Ouyang Fa's words.
Li Taijun was also a very reasonable person. He immediately told Mrs. Wu that since a man married a woman, everything should be done according to the man's rules and whatever was convenient for him.
Not only do we not ask for gifts, but after Zhang Yue is admitted to the imperial examination, the Wu family will also give him a large sum of money to build the land, so that he does not have to worry about money after he becomes an official.
What is land paving money?
It turns out that this had a name in the Tang Dynasty. Generally speaking, when a Jinshi was promoted to the imperial examination and went to Yanqionglin, the father-in-law's family would pay a sum of money for the son-in-law's expenses, which was called money to pay for the land.
But since the Song Dynasty, the imperial examination opened a channel for poor families.
Many scholars from the Han family have passed the imperial examination and become successful, and the Yue family will also follow suit and change their appearance.
Therefore, when others call this commoner surname and ascend to Huazhou, it is called buying money. Of course, the name doesn't sound good, but it's usually given to the son-in-law as a congratulation.
Nowadays, it is mostly called catching money. Of course, this kind of catching is catching a son-in-law who is under the official list.
Nowadays, it doesn’t matter which family of the male and female family is an official, or even whether they caught a son-in-law or got married a long time ago.
In short, as long as the son-in-law wins the Jinshi, the Yue family will use this title to give the son-in-law a large amount of money.
Li Taijun also said that Zhang Yue should prepare for the palace examination and not rush to prepare for the engagement. Wu was overjoyed when she heard the news and immediately asked Ouyang Fa to go to Zhang Shi's house to tell the news.
Zhang Shi is worried about Zhang Yue's marriage. Marriage may seem like a reconciliation between two families, but in the final analysis it all comes down to money.
How much is the betrothal gift? where do you live? Let’s make it clear first.
The Yang family promised Zhang Yue a large house in Bianjing, a piece of land each in Bianjing and the outskirts of Suzhou, and three thousand guan for getting a wife. I heard that the Yang family was even closer to Zhang Yu because of this. There was a falling out.
Zhang Dun's daughter-in-law, Mrs. Zhang, took out a farmland from her dowry, which she had promised before Zhang Yue and the Wu family were married.
Even Zhang Dun, who had only been an official for a few years, received 500 guan (not in his own name).
If he had this kind of money, he could marry a wife in a glorious way, but Zhang Shi was worried that Zhang Yueniu would get angry and refuse to accept the money.
Zhang Shi thought to himself, how come the Wu family is such a good person, why did they wrong the girl? Bianjing officials have many rules for getting married, so we should follow the rules. If Zhang Yue doesn't accept it, he will accept it for him. These things are trivial compared to the life-long events of my younger brother. How can I live a life just for the sake of mere face? No more marriage?
In the end, Zhang Shi blamed himself for being useless, not knowing how to run a house, not knowing how to take care of his family. He was so tired that he had to rely on others now, otherwise he wouldn't be like this.
Zhang Shi was thinking about how to persuade Zhang Yue.
But Ouyang Fa came now.
Who is Ouyang Fa? The prime minister's son.
Zhang Shi never expected that the other party would condescend to come to Zhang's house, but Ouyang Fa didn't take the airs of an official's son at all.
When Ouyang Fa came to the door and told him what Wu had told him, Zhang Shi's worries in the past few days suddenly disappeared.
After Ouyang Fa left, Zhang Shi was happy at first, but also worried about his family: "The Wu family said that after Sanlang became a Jinshi, he gave our family a large sum of money. Not only that, he also said that he could marry a daughter-in-law according to the rules in our hometown. Yes, the dowry can be given at will. Why is it so easy to talk to someone from such a family? I am worried at the bottom of my heart. I have no idea at all. Isn't this trying to do something for our family? I have always been uneasy in my heart. I don't know what is in it. Famous, right?"
Mrs. Yu smiled and said to him: "What's wrong with this? Apart from our third uncle, we don't have anything to do with others. I think the bottom line is that it's difficult for a poor family to marry a wife, and it's not easy for a rich family to marry a daughter. "
"Besides, the Wu family is a family of officials, so they have the confidence to dare to do this, and they are not afraid that we will look down upon them. They also treat us as sensible people, so we should not be ignorant of what is good and bad."
Zhang Shi suddenly realized: "I see. In that case, let's quickly invite Madam Zhuang to come..."
Yu pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Look, you think it's time to come out. That's right, where is Xi'er?"
Zhang Shi smiled and said, "I'm going to look for Mr. Guo Dalang. There are people in the Imperial College in March, April and May. Third brother has asked someone to report Mr. Guo Dalang's name to the supervisor."
"Now Xi'er and Mr. Guo Dalang are preparing for the exam together. He said that he also wants to be admitted to Imperial College."
Yu laughed and said, "How old is he before he takes the imperial examination?"
Zhang Shi said with full pride: "Second brother and third brother were admitted to the county school when they were his age. Why is Xi'er not allowed to enter the Imperial College? He is a scholar. Which gentleman wouldn't tell me this. "
Mrs. Yu also smiled happily and said, "You are allowed to tell me this, but you are not allowed to praise Xi'er like this to my face."
Zhang Shi smiled and said, "Don't worry, madam, I won't have to worry."
Yu said: "But I think Brother Guo Dalang is a good person. Not to mention his diligence, he has good character and good knowledge. Although it is a pity that he failed in this subject, Xi'er can learn from him and learn from him in everything." In short, no matter whether you are a person or a student in the future, you can benefit from it.”
Zhang Shi smiled and said: "My wife and I saw something. You know why I value Mr. Guo Dalang so much. That's it. Mr. Guo Dalang has supported the third brother all the way to where he is today. We can't be ungrateful."
Yu used to roll her eyes when Zhang Shi said this, but now she didn't object and instead nodded.
Zhang Shi said: "Now that Mr. Guo Dalang is in a state of decline, we have to take good care of his family, and care a little more than usual. Even if Sanlang doesn't ask me, I will still go and visit him. At least he will be well-fed and clothed, and will not have to worry about wind and rain."
"Besides, now that Xi'er and Mr. Guo Dalang are so close to each other, and Mr. Guo Dalang treats Xi'er with the same care as he treated his third brother, I have to treat people better."
Yu's eyes were a little wet when he heard this and said: "I feel relieved when Mr. Guo Dalang takes care of Xi'er. I remember that when the third uncle left home, he said that our Zhang family has the seeds to study. You see, the second uncle has already won the Jinshi. , Now that my third uncle is also a Jinshi, isn’t it our turn now, Xi’er, to make up for the regret that you couldn’t study back then?”
Zhang Shi smiled and said, "Who says it's not the case? Xi'er must be more successful than me. If his second uncle doesn't take care of him in the future, how about his third uncle?"
"Don't worry, madam, our family will get better and better in the future."
As he said this, Zhang Shi held Yu's hand. Yu showed a little shyness and tugged his hands away, saying: "It's too bad to let the servants see it. I'll go to the kitchen to see if there's any good wine or meat. You can give it to Senior Brother Guo." go."
Mr. Yu stood up and left the house. Zhang Shi looked at the other person's back and sighed with emotion. It was really a good thing to marry such a woman in this life.
"Madam, Madam, I will ask Mrs. Zhuang to come tomorrow."
Mrs. Zhuang got the news and went to Wu's house the next day...
After Mrs. Zhuang left the Wu Mansion, she went to see Zhang Shi with a face full of joy and said: "Mr. Zhang family, I want to congratulate you in advance. I have decided to drink your cup of wine to thank the matchmaker." .Get ready quickly."
Zhang Shi was so surprised after hearing this that he was speechless for a long time.
