Qi Yue choked on her tea and began coughing.
A’Hao at her side quickly helped pat her back.
Madam Yang also looked at her with some concern.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Qi Yue waved her hand to reassure them while looking at Madam Yang. “What did you say, Madam? Arranging a marriage for whom?”
“Also an acquaintance,” Madam Yang smiled. “It’s Wang Qian, the eldest grandson of Wang Tongye, Master Wang’s family.”
Qi Yue’s expression was quite remarkable.
Madam Yang had no choice either. Normally, such matters weren’t discussed directly with the person involved, but this Miss Qi was all alone with only the physicians from Qianjin Hall as close relations.
Young women were extremely shy when it came to marriage proposals. You couldn’t expect them to respond readily—without three or four visits, you couldn’t expect to make things clear.
Qi Yue smiled.
“Well, thank you for the kind intentions of Madam and Master Wang,” she smiled. “It’s just that I don’t want to think about marriage right now.”
Of course not—she had just divorced and her heart hadn’t gotten over it yet.
Madam Yang nodded with understanding.
“That’s fine, no rush,” she said with a smile, speaking somewhat earnestly. “Miss Qi, I’m older than you by some years, so please allow me to speak presumptuously—women must all look forward.”
Qi Yue smiled and agreed.
“Everyone must look forward,” she said.
“Exactly, Miss Qi is such a reasonable person,” Madam Yang smiled, then paused. “How old are you this year, Miss Qi?”
In all her years as a matchmaker, this was the first time Madam Yang had to ask the person’s age directly. Before, which family hadn’t prepared everything properly?
It was just that for Miss Qi, there really was nowhere to prepare such information.
“Twenty-eight,” Qi Yue answered casually.
Twenty-eight?!
Madam Yang stared at her wide-eyed.
“Ha, ha,” Qi Yue realized her mistake and quickly laughed dryly.
But how old was Qi Yueniang?
She couldn’t help but turn to look at A’Hao.
Unfortunately, A’Ru wasn’t there—she had gone out with Hu San to order a batch of medical care equipment.
“My mistress will turn twenty this coming May,” A’Hao said.
Qi Yue sighed in relief and looked at Madam Yang with an air of profundity, as if questioning why she was asking about her age, showing no sign that she didn’t know her own age.
“Young Master Wang is seven years older than Miss. His first wife died of illness, and Young Master Wang voluntarily observed mourning for his wife for three years—he’s a devoted man,” Madam Yang said with a smile.
Seeing that she was about to launch into an introduction, Qi Yue quickly interrupted.
“Thank you for your kind intentions, Madam. It’s not about being several years older or younger,” she smiled. “I really don’t want to marry. I’m not being polite with you, Madam. Just like when I spoke about divorce, I don’t lie about such matters.”
Hearing Madam Yang’s words, Wang Tongye leaned back in his chair.
“See? I said it wouldn’t work, but you insisted on going,” Old Madam Wang complained. “You think all women are as heartless as you men—wife dies one day, ready to be a groom the next…”
Wang Tongye made a dismissive sound.
“What does that have to do with anything?” he said, glaring.
Madam Yang was amused by them.
“The old madam speaks reasonably. I can see that Miss Qi truly doesn’t want to marry, at least not currently,” she smiled. “But don’t worry, I’ll keep this matter in mind. Every few days I’ll go ask, and if it doesn’t work in half a year, then a year, and if not in a year…”
She quickly stopped here, somewhat embarrassed.
If she continued, she’d be suggesting that Young Master Wang wait for Miss Qi, which was ridiculous. Miss Qi wasn’t some fairy or noble lady. She wasn’t a sought-after prize, but Young Master Wang certainly was. Over the years, so many people had asked her to arrange matches for him, all with unmarried young ladies of good breeding and proper background—there weren’t even many from secondary wives’ families. How could a woman of beggar origins who had divorced from a marquis mansion be worth waiting for?
“If it doesn’t work in one year, we’ll wait two or three years,” Wang Tongye decided firmly.
Madam Yang was stunned.
What? They really wanted to hang themselves on this one tree?
Madam Yang was even more surprised.
“Then we’ll have to trouble Madam,” Old Madam Wang said.
Madam Yang came to her senses and quickly said she didn’t dare.
Old Madam Wang had her daughter-in-law personally escort Madam Yang out, and the two talked as they walked.
“What do you think of this marriage proposal?” Madam Yang couldn’t help asking.
Honestly, this match really wasn’t very good. For someone like Wang Qian, it was truly like a good cabbage being eaten by a pig…
Wang Qian’s mother, the Wang family’s eldest daughter-in-law, forty-five-year-old Madam Ning, lived up to her surname—peaceful and tranquil.
“What Father and Mother approve of must be excellent,” she said with a gentle smile.
She probably doesn’t dare oppose her in-laws, Madam Yang thought to herself, not believing such conventional women’s talk.