PFC Chapter 61 My Aunt Won't Get Married, So I'll Support Her
Chapter 61 My Aunt Won't Get Married, So I'll Support Her
Listening to her daughter's words, Grandmother Jia felt that her daughter, who had just been nestled in her arms, had grown up remarkably well.
Back in the present, Jia Daishan returned to the courtyard. As soon as he entered the house, he heard everyone inside laughing heartily. He also laughed and said:
"What's wrong? Why are you so happy?"
Everyone quickly stood up to greet and bow.
Grandmother Jia was still holding Jia Zhu with great affection, but when she saw Jia Daishan return, she stopped laughing and said:
"Come here quickly, our Pearl is such a little ray of sunshine, she makes everyone laugh so much."
Jia Min stamped her feet and said coquettishly:
"Mother, Min'er doesn't want to talk to you anymore."
Grandmother Jia laughed loudly again:
“You’re wronging your mother. She didn’t say anything, and besides, what Zhu’er said makes sense.”
Everyone burst into laughter again, and Jia Min blushed with embarrassment.
Jia Daishan, not understanding his meaning, then said:
"But what did Pearl say?"
Seeing Jia Daishan's puzzled look, Grandmother Jia said:
“Our Zhu’er said that if Min’er is unwilling, he is willing to marry her, willing to marry his Uncle Lin.”
Jia Daishan chuckled and gently tapped Jia Zhu's head with his finger, saying:
"You! All the books you were taught to be polite and courteous have probably gone to waste!"
Jia Zhu quickly covered his head and begged for mercy. He was just saying that as a joke; he actually preferred Uncle Lin to be their teacher.
Grandmother Jia looked at Jia Zhu's pitiful and aggrieved expression and laughed:
"Pearl was just trying to make everyone happy. She's so young, how could she know so much?"
Asked again:
"Did Lin Tanhua go back?"
Jia Daishan sat down, took a sip of tea, and said:
"He's gone. She'er and Zheng'er saw him off."
Grandmother Jia was pleased with the recent changes in her two sons and smiled:
"He does seem like a proper older brother."
Jia Daishan nodded with a smile; his two sons had indeed grown a lot recently. Even his in-law, who had always been disdainful of Jia She'er, showed rare approval upon seeing the changes in Jia She during his birthday celebration. However, he shouldn't expect any praise.
Grandmother Jia asked again:
"Master, after your detailed conversation with him today, what do you think of his character?"
Jia Daishan stroked his beard with satisfaction and said:
"I find her to be of very good character, calm and composed, and her progress is measured, which is quite rare at her age. However, this matter still depends on Min'er's thoughts."
He only had this one precious daughter, whom he doted on like the apple of his eye. Even when it came to marriage, he had considered vetting potential partners and then asking for her opinion.
Grandmother Jia nodded, noticing that Jia Min was still bowing her head in embarrassment. She figured her daughter was still hesitant to speak to her father, so she said:
“Min’er and I have already asked about this, and Min’er is satisfied. But Lin Tanhua is from Suzhou, and his family is not in the capital. Should our family bring this up first?”
Jia Daishan:
"I only mentioned it vaguely today; his mother is not in the capital at the moment."
Grandmother Jia asked:
"Should we find a mediator to mediate?"
Jia Daishan said:
"Well, it's not appropriate for us women to get too involved in this matter. I'll go find a mediator."
Jia Daishan also began to consider who would be a suitable match.
After thinking for a moment, Grandmother Jia asked, "When will Lin Tanhua be assigned to an official post outside the capital, or will he remain in the capital?"
Jia Daishan said:
"The Emperor highly values the top three scholars in this examination and intends to give them important positions. Now the top scholar has entered the Hanlin Academy, and Lin Ruhai and the second-place scholar have entered the Censorate."
The Emperor intended for these two to be sent to the Censorate for training, and it's estimated that they will be given important responsibilities in a couple of years.
Upon hearing this, Grandmother Jia immediately said, "If she is sent abroad, wouldn't our Min'er have to go with her? How could I bear to do that!"
After hearing this, Jia Min bit her lip, unsure of what to do.
Forget about it. Uncle Lin has not only been sent abroad, but it's a very important job.
Jia Hu understood perfectly, but his two younger brothers objected. Even if Uncle Lin was kind, they didn't want to never see Aunt Min again. Hearing their elder brother say this, they immediately went over, grabbed Jia Min's hand, and said:
“We do not agree to this marriage. Aunt, please do not go through with the marriage.”
The somewhat somber atmosphere in the room was swept away by the two little ones.
Jia Min was deeply touched by their protectiveness. She pinched each of their little cheeks and said:
"If you don't let your aunt get married, will you take care of her in the future?"
Jia Zhu and Jia Zhen nodded vigorously. Jia Zhu said:
"Auntie, we'll be great in the future and we'll treat you well. So please don't get married, Auntie. Zhu'er will support you and you won't have to do anything. You can just be happy and play every day!"
Jia Zhen also said:
"We've learned so much now. If we study hard, we'll definitely be great in the future."
Jia Min was both touched and wanted to laugh.
"My dear aunt is not getting married. From now on, it's up to you two."
Jia Daishan wanted to spank his grandson's bottom again. But considering they were doing it for their aunt, he decided to let it go today.
Grandmother Jia then smiled and said:
"Alright, sir, it seems we're the bad guys."
Jia Daishan also laughed and said:
"It's too early to tell. It's not yet decided whether to stay in the capital for further promotion or be sent to a post elsewhere. Besides, I'm here. But that's how things are in the court now. If you want to get promoted, you have to produce real achievements to rise step by step. This is a big deal. How can you give up your path to advancement because of your children? If someone is willing to do that, you should look down on them."
Grandmother Jia knew about this, but she couldn't bear to see her daughter suffer along with her.
Seeing the state of his wife and daughter, Jia Daishan sighed inwardly and said, "Besides, Min'er's marriage is not yet settled, and even if it is, it is impossible for them to get married immediately."
Grandmother Jia immediately added, "Yes, yes, Min'er is still young. I can't bear to part with her. She needs to stay by my side for another two years."
Jia Hu thought to himself,
With Grandfather around, Uncle Lin doesn't need to become a sword in the new emperor's hand to tear open that breach.
Uncle Lin will be the Salt Commissioner in the future, which is a crucial position in the salt administration, as salt is the most important resource in ancient times. Many people are eyeing this lucrative opportunity.
In addition to inspecting the salt industry, the Salt Inspector was also responsible for gathering intelligence and supervision, but he did not have actual local authority. In other words, while the Salt Inspector's title sounded good, in reality he had little real power.
Uncle Lin has no powerful backing; he might be torn apart. Many wealthy merchants and officials in Jiangnan are eyeing him; if things go wrong, he could be finished.
In this land of wolves and tigers, Uncle Lin was able to deal with them for so many years; even with the emperor present, he was still quite remarkable. I don't know if he later discovered something, but Uncle Lin also disappeared.
However, it's more likely that they discovered something serious and too dangerous, which is why they didn't bring Lin Daiyu home afterward. They probably also considered that after her aunt's death, Lin Daiyu would be raised by her maternal grandmother at her maternal grandparents' home. Having relieved Lin's uncle's worries, and with his aunt also passing away, Lin's uncle decided to take one last gamble.