Chapter 479 - 446: She Grew Into the Girl I Want to Marry

Chapter 479: Chapter 446: She Grew Into the Girl I Want to Marry

As soon as Yuanbao returned, he sat down and started talking about the girl, without even having time to catch his breath. By the time he finished, his mouth was dry.

Wen Wan asked Yun Cai to brew some tea and bring it out.

Yuanbao drank two cups of tea in a row, finally feeling refreshed.

Wen Wan asked him, "Are you sure you want this Miss Ye?"

Yuanbao recalled the young girl’s appearance, and a smile crept onto his lips, "Yes, just her."

Wen Wan asked again, "What if her family doesn’t agree, or if she herself is unwilling to marry you, what then?"

That, Yuanbao hadn’t considered yet.

"I suppose... it shouldn’t come to that?"

Wen Wan said, "You want to marry at eighteen, which is still three years away. Can the young girl wait for you for three years?"

Yuanbao frowned, "If that’s the case, shouldn’t I marry her sooner?"

Wen Wan reminded him again, "Even if you want to marry her early, the young girl has to agree to it."

She added, "Last year after the provincial exam, didn’t you say you wouldn’t participate in the examination this year, planning to wait for the next session, and then get married? Have you forgotten so soon?"

Yuanbao scratched his head; of course, he hadn’t forgotten what he had said. He just hadn’t expected to meet a girl he liked at the age of fifteen.

Wen Wan didn’t push him, "Think it over carefully. If you still want to marry at eighteen, then Miss Ye might not be suitable. But if you want to marry her earlier, you must gain some scholarly fame. Coincidentally, the examination registration is ongoing, and the test isn’t until March; you still have time."

Yuanbao fell into deep thought.

Wen Wan glanced at her snack-loving son, Jinbao, and reached out to peel a couple of chestnuts for him.

With his mother’s help, the little guy was happy to be lazy, sitting obediently and waiting to eat.

Wen Wan noticed that as soon as she peeled one chestnut, it was ’ah’ed away by the little guy, and again for the next one. So, she stopped peeling and teasingly said, "Aren’t you living the life, being so lazy? Peel it yourself."

Jinbao sniffed and, holding the oiled paper bag full of chestnuts, started peeling them himself, occasionally looking up at his brother, who wore a worried expression. Feeling unusually generous, he peeled a chestnut and passed it over.

Yuanbao shook his head, saying brother wouldn’t eat, Jinbao should eat it himself.

Jinbao asked, "Is Brother unhappy?"

Yuanbao was amused by him, "Where did you see that I’m unhappy?"

Jinbao said, "I heard that Brother can’t find a wife."

Yuanbao poked his little forehead, "Nonsense."

"Nonsense," Jinbao giggled, mimicking him.

Something occurred to Yuanbao, and he suddenly asked, "Little one, if you had your eye on a sugar figure but didn’t have money to buy it yet, would you still want it?"

Jinbao blinked his dark eyes, "Then I wouldn’t need to buy it. I’d just stay attached, and when the shopkeeper sees how cute I am, he’d definitely give it to me."

Wen Wan couldn’t listen anymore, "That’s bandit logic."

Jinbao tilted his head, "What’s a bandit?"

Wen Wan explained, "Someone who takes things without paying is a bandit."

Jinbao "hmm"ed, "Then I’m not a bandit. I’m good-looking, he enjoyed seeing me, and I enjoyed a free sugar figure; he’s not at a loss."

Wen Wan: "..."

Yuanbao: "..."

Though the little guy’s words were quite absurd, they still gave Yuanbao some inspiration.

...

Granny Song and Old Song didn’t go to the same place, but they came back through the door one after the other.

Not seeing Song Wei’s carriage, Granny Song asked Wen Wan if Third Son hadn’t left the Lower Court yet.

Wen Wan nodded, "My husband has gone to a new government office. I heard they’re shorthanded there, and with the Emperor urging the completion of tasks, these days are especially busy. He said we should have dinner without waiting for him."

As she spoke, she pulled out a chair for her mother-in-law and asked Yun Cai to convey the message to the kitchen to prepare the meal.

Granny Song thought about hearing the servants mention the young master when she entered and asked, "Is Yuanbao back? What brings him back at a time that’s not a holiday?"

Wen Wan, thinking that Yuanbao hadn’t made up his mind about the matter with Miss Ye, didn’t mention it and said he came back for some books.

Granny Song didn’t suspect anything and didn’t ask much during dinner, just remarked that the elder grandson seemed worn out and thin, and should eat more.

Yuanbao noticed that his grandparents didn’t know about his desire to marry Miss Ye and gave Wen Wan a grateful look.

After dinner, Yuanbao took Jinbao out for a walk, while Wen Wan stayed in the dining room to chat with her mother-in-law.

Granny Song told her that Xie Tao and his wife wanted to expand their restaurant by taking over the shop next door, and today they asked if they could borrow some money from the Song family.

Wen Wan, the matron of the Song household, managed all the family’s finances and expenses. Upon hearing this from her mother-in-law, she immediately asked, "How much is the Xie Family looking to borrow?"

Granny Song said, "The location is good, and the shop prices are high. According to Xie Tao’s wife, the cost of the takeover, decoration, and furnishings could easily exceed a thousand taels. They might have some savings and are asking to borrow five hundred taels from us."

"That’s quite a lot..."

Wen Wan appeared hesitant.

Five hundred taels is not a small sum. With the sprawling Song Mansion and over ten servants to support, their family’s daily expenses are not insignificant. To suddenly lend five hundred taels is difficult.

Wen Wan didn’t say they wouldn’t lend it, but told her mother-in-law she would discuss it with her husband in the evening.

By the time Song Wei came back, it was already getting dark.

Wen Wan asked him, "Why are you so busy?"

Song Wei couldn’t disclose matters from the government office, so he only said that this period of busyness would pass, and once more people joined, things would gradually settle down.

Wen Wan asked Yun Cai to bring out the dishes from the kitchen and fetched a basin of warm water to clean his face and hands.

Once Song Wei finished eating, Wen Wan mentioned the Xie Family’s request to borrow money.

While wiping his hands with a cloth, Song Wei glanced at her, "Is there no money in the account?"

Before Wen Wan could respond, Yuanbao’s voice was heard from the doorway, "I’ll provide the money."

Both Song Wei and Wen Wan turned around to see that Yuanbao had returned with Jinbao, obviously having been there for a while and overhearing the couple’s conversation.

As he spoke, he stepped into the room, "The Emperor rewarded me with a lot recently. I’ve converted it all into money. If Second Uncle’s family needs it, I can have it sent out from the palace tomorrow. Mother can just send someone over then."

Wen Wan disagreed, "Since it’s a reward from the Emperor, it belongs to you. You should keep it for yourself. Your father and I will figure out how to lend money to your Second Uncle’s family."

Yuanbao sat down, raised an eyebrow, and said, "There should still be plenty left after lending to Second Uncle. I’ll give it to Mother for emergencies, but I have one request that you both must agree to."

As he spoke, Wen Wan guessed what it likely pertained to.

Yuanbao looked earnest, "If Miss Ye agrees, could you help convince her family for me?"

Song Wei was puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

Wen Wan remained silent, wanting him to explain it himself.

Having already discussed it once with Wen Wan, Yuanbao was less embarrassed to bring up the girl he fancied a second time, "I’ve met someone I like. I’m afraid she might be betrothed to someone else if I don’t act fast and would like you to help secure this marriage for me."

Song Wei had never heard Yuanbao mention any girl before and felt perplexed, "You spend most of your time in the palace. How did you meet this girl?"

"At the polo field," Yuanbao admitted without hesitation. "I was there today with His Highness and happened to encounter her."

"You’ve only met her once?" Song Wei questioned further.

"Yes."

Song Wei felt uneasy, "You’ve only seen her once, and now you want to marry her? Isn’t that a bit hasty?"

Yuanbao himself felt the speed was somewhat like child’s play, but it was the first time he had ever met a girl who made his heart spontaneously skip a beat. He didn’t want to miss that pure beauty.

"Father, just tell me whether you agree or not?"

"It’s not that I don’t agree, but I think you need time to think it over. Marriage is a big deal, not something to be taken lightly. I’m worried you’ll regret it in the future."

"I’d regret it more if I didn’t marry her!" Yuanbao mumbled softly.

Afraid that the father and son might fall out over a girl, Wen Wan hurriedly intervened to mediate, "Your father’s point is that you’re only fifteen. You’ll meet more people in the future, and Miss Ye might not be the one for you."

Yuanbao remained steadfast, "Only children are picky like this. Adults commit when they meet the right one. I say I want to marry her, and it’s no joke. I won’t regret it in the future."

Wen Wan and Song Wei exchanged a look.

Song Wei was puzzled, "What’s so good about this girl?"

Yuanbao pondered for a moment and said, "To others, she may not seem that great, but she just happened to turn out to be the type I want to marry, and that’s enough."

Listening to this, Wen Wan thought to herself: He could not possibly be my own son, as even Song Wei would not say such things.