From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 693: Chapter 695: The Appraisal

Jin Qianqian had no intention of making grandiose claims right from the start. While Ancient Wen Heng had arranged work for the young men, they were far from wealthy or prominent. They were only just barely able to support a family.

"Mrs. Gu, you’re so forthright," Mrs. Wu said with a laugh after a moment of surprise. "Being able to stand on one’s own two feet and support a family is already an excellent starting point.

To be honest, Madam, my niece lost her mother when she was young and has been raised by my own mother ever since. My mother taught her personally, and her painting is her most notable skill. You must take a good look later and offer some critique."

Mrs. Wu was clearly putting a great deal of thought into her niece’s future.

Wu Haicong had already made inquiries. Mr. Gu’s cousins had come along this time hoping for his guidance, and with it, they were almost guaranteed to pass the examination to become a Scholar next year.

He had told Mrs. Wu to bring his daughter by a concubine today, hoping to find a good match for her.

Mrs. Wu only maintained a superficial relationship with the concubine’s daughters in her household. Whether they married well or poorly had little to do with her.

She wouldn’t normally spare a second glance for someone who wasn’t even a Scholar yet.

However, she had other sources of information. The Gu family had a rule that its men did not take concubines. This made it a gamble worth taking for her niece.

If her niece married the son of another official family, she’d not only have to deal with a host of troubles but also wouldn’t be guaranteed the position of the principal wife.

But Mr. Gu’s cousin was a different story. If he earned an official title and had Mr. Gu’s support, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to secure a government post.

For this reason, she had made a special trip to her maiden home and had kept her niece by her side recently, hoping to win this gamble.

As for whether Wu Haicong would blame her later, Mrs. Wu couldn’t care less. If he had to blame someone, he could only blame his own two daughters for not being outstanding enough to be chosen.

"The one up ahead in the light blue dress is my niece. Shall we go have a look?"

Mrs. Wu didn’t make a special introduction. She simply strolled alongside Jin Qianqian, pointing her out as they went. Everything seemed very casual.

Jin Qianqian observed her discreetly. Her looks and build weren’t exceptional, but she appeared to be the most composed of all the young ladies.

Perhaps because she had lost her mother and was raised by her grandmother, she seemed to lack a certain youthful energy.

She mentally reviewed what she knew about the Hou Family. Mrs. Wu’s maiden family was a long-established local aristocratic family that had once produced a third-rank official.

But later generations had been less ambitious. In recent decades, they had only produced a single scholar. The other descendants either managed the family estate or pursued careers in business.

Fortunately, the family had many descendants, and they remained entrenched in Yi Province, functioning as a respectable, if not top-tier, aristocratic family.

Mrs. Wu’s branch was the main lineage, and thanks to her grandfather’s business acumen, they had amassed a vast fortune.

Back then, Wu Haicong, a young man from a humble background, was seeking a path to success. After becoming a Scholar, he had come to their door to ask for her hand in marriage.

It was only with the support of his wife’s generous dowry that he could afford to continue his studies and eventually become an Advanced Scholar.

Mr. Hou followed in his father’s footsteps and now managed the large business empire his grandfather had built.

The Miss Hou whom Mrs. Wu was now speaking of was the daughter of Mr. Hou and his first wife.

His first wife had passed away from an illness. He later remarried and had two sons and a daughter with his new wife, which explained why this girl was raised by her grandmother.

But this was all public information. To learn more specific details, she would have to make discreet inquiries from various sources.

Since Mrs. Wu had brought it up today, she surely intended to propose a marriage alliance. Jin Qianqian couldn’t help but pay closer attention.

She glanced at Miss Hou’s painting. Among all the artworks, it wasn’t brilliant, but it wasn’t the worst either. It was hard to tell if this was her true skill level or if she was deliberately being modest.

She followed Mrs. Wu on a tour, and the two of them looked at everything impartially, making sure to visit every area.

All the young ladies clearly knew that they were here today to make a choice for their future. Seeing the madams approach, they all acted especially enthusiastic.

As the newly arrived Inspector General’s wife, Jin Qianqian naturally drew the most attention. Many of the young ladies were secretly sizing her up.

Seeing her youthful face stirred a mix of feelings in everyone’s hearts.

Outside of the royal family, she was perhaps the only one to hold such a high rank at such a young age.

’It’s true what they say, you have to be born well, but you also have to marry well. Who wouldn’t want the honor that comes from a successful husband?’

Some of the official’s wives who had been watching from the sidelines grew interested when they saw Jin Qianqian personally touring the grounds.

’Becoming relatives with the Gu family would be an excellent choice.’

Jin Qianqian soon noticed a growing crowd gathering around her. The invitations to go admire flowers—and prospective brides—became more and more frequent.

Thinking of the young, inexperienced bachelors back home, Jin Qianqian accompanied these women on lap after lap, her mind crammed with the details and qualifications of each family’s daughters.

By the time she left the banquet, her head was spinning.

Upon returning to her residence, the first thing she did was remove the heavy jewelry from her hair and flop ungracefully onto the canopy bed.

"This whole day was more exhausting than going over the account books," Jin Qianqian complained with a long stretch.

Lichun put the jewelry away. "Madam, did you see anyone you liked today?"

As her personal maid, Lichun naturally knew the purpose of the outing and asked with curiosity.

Jin Qianqian sighed. "I’ve looked at so many that my head is spinning. The more I look, the less certain I feel.

They all seem wonderful. I don’t even know where to begin."

’I’m not even thirty yet,’ she thought. ’In modern times, plenty of people my age are still unmarried. I never expected to be shouldering the heavy responsibility of an elder and a matchmaker here. It’s all a bit much.’

"Madam, you could list the few you find most suitable and let the young masters choose for themselves. Then you can just give the final approval," Li Qiu suggested quietly from the side.

"That’s one way to do it," Jin Qianqian said.

"What about you girls? We’ve settled in now, so it’s about time we arranged your marriages as well."

Jin Qianqian looked at the maids before her and let out a long sigh. ’I should probably sort out their marriages first before I think about anything else.’

Lichun and the other maids lowered their heads shyly and mumbled, "We’ll leave it all up to you, Madam."

Jin Qianqian: "..."

***

She had thought this matchmaking business would take time, but to her surprise, she received a calling card from Mrs. Wu first thing the next morning.

Jin Qianqian immediately sent Minghai to drop what he was doing and investigate the Hou Family.

Minghai’s snooping around these past few days had paid off. In less than half a day, he had gathered more specific details through some new acquaintances.

Minghai returned with Gu Le Kai to report. "Madam, it seems Mr. Hou is preparing to arrange a marriage for his eldest daughter. The groom is said to be from his current wife’s maiden family.

However, the old matriarch of the Hou Family is against it. Mother and son have been at a stalemate over this for days.

Lady Wu’s visit must be related to this."

Jin Qianqian’s brow furrowed. They had just arrived in Yi Province and had yet to firmly establish themselves. She really didn’t want to get involved in the domestic disputes of another family.

For Lady Wu to be so eager to push this through meant she was willing to antagonize her own brother and sister-in-law. The situation was likely not as simple as it seemed.