High-class maid

Chapter 293 A book boy with a very good relationship?

“I have a sixth sense. I always felt that you should be on vacation and going home. Why didn’t you come to see me? Is something wrong at home? Where are your parents?” Shen Xing’er asked.

Shan Tao pulled her into the house, then said with a flushed face.

“My sister-in-law has arranged a marriage for me, and my parents took advantage of the free time today to go out and inquire about it early this morning.”

"Oh, I see. Our little Shantao is also looking for a husband. Which young man is your sister-in-law talking about? What do you think about him?" Shen Xing'er asked.

"I... I don't really want to get married, but if I don't get married, it feels like I've committed a terrible crime, sigh." Yamamoto said, her hands cupping her face, looking unusually melancholic.

"What, are you still thinking about Brother Wu? The day you met Deng Tu Zi at Lingshan Temple, I saw that his concern for you didn't seem fake."

"I do still think about him, but I will never be as impulsive and unrestrained as before. He cares about me, so why did he say such harsh things to me? Am I really that bad?"

As Shan Tao spoke, her eyes reddened again.

Shen Xing'er sighed inwardly. If love is a good thing, it can make the usually cheerful Shan Tao's eyes red. If love is a bad thing, there are many happy families on the street. Love is such a strange feeling.

"Don't doubt yourself. You're great. Brother Wu is a man, young and without parents, so it's inevitable that he'll have more to think about. I'll say it again: follow your heart."

"If he doesn't want me, I don't want him either," Shan Tao said, seemingly in a fit of pique.

Shen Xing'er didn't reply. She couldn't interfere in other people's affairs. She only hoped that since the two of them had missed each other, they should let it go and not hurt each other anymore.

"Alright, alright, don't overthink it. There's nothing to do at home anyway. Which young man did your sister-in-law tell you about? Why don't we sneak off and take a look?"

"Her nephew, surnamed Jia, I heard that he passed the imperial examination at the age of thirteen and now lives in the north of the city, but I don't like scholars."

"Whether we like it or not, we'll find out by watching, won't we?" Shen Xing'er adhered to the principle that she had nothing better to do.

Yamamoto hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

"Alright then, my sister-in-law praised him to the skies. If he were really that good, how could it be my turn?" Shan Tao knew her own limitations; the other party must have something to hide.

"Don't underestimate yourselves. Your uncle and aunt can only ask some neighbors. If the neighbors aren't stupid, they won't dare to offend them. What we know ourselves is the most truthful."

Since Shan Tao has chosen to give up Wu Xunzhi and accept a new relationship, as her good sister, I certainly won't let her marry blindly. Besides, Shen Xing'er also knows Ping Niang's nature. How could she bear to marry a scholar to Shan Tao?

The two of them set off immediately, hailing a horse-drawn carriage on the street and heading north of the city.

"Among so many families, which one is the Jia family?"

Shan Tao regretted it as soon as she got off the carriage. How long would it take to find her?

"Look at me."

Shen Xing'er winked at her, as if to say, "I'll leave it to you."

She pulled Shan Tao to a stall selling hairpins, and while picking out hairpins, she chatted idly with the old woman selling them.

"Grandma, did you make all of these yourself? They look so beautiful."

The mother-in-law was pleased by the praise and replied with a smile.

"Yes, these are all designs I drew, and my old man carved them. Who are you buying them for, young lady? These are all new products."

“My friend is almost of marriageable age, and I want to pick one out for her. She’s from around here, so you might even recognize her!” Shen Xing’er said.

Yamamoto stared wide-eyed in bewilderment. Could you really strike up a conversation like that?

"Oh? Which family's daughter is she? I know most of the families in the north of the city."

The mother-in-law got gossipy and refused to sell the hairpin anymore.

She didn't remember any family with a girl named Jiji.

“You might not recognize her name, but you definitely know her aunt’s son. I heard he passed the imperial examination at the age of thirteen. This girl brags about it to us all the time, but I don’t believe it. Mother, is there really such a smart person?”

Shen Xing'er asked, pretending not to care.

"Oh, it's Jia's son. That boy is clever."

For some reason, the old woman selling hairpins wasn't as enthusiastic as she had been at the beginning.

"Oh, there really is one? Are you trying to fool me too? What's its name?"

“I don’t even know your friend, why would I lie to you like that? Look, his house is over there.” The old woman pointed to the third alley by the roadside.

"Wow, there really is such a remarkable person. I wonder how old he is now, and whether he's engaged or not? I bet his doorstep has been worn down by the long walks of people."

"Oh, this family has very high standards. They want the woman's family to be wealthy, the woman to be literate, and to serve her parents-in-law. I heard that the man has a page he's very close to," the old woman said, pursing her lips.

This family was the talk of the town, changing people's perception of scholars. They looked down on money, introduced someone from a scholarly family, and then wanted the family to bring a large dowry. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Shen Xing'er keenly grasped the information in the last sentence.

A close pageboy?

She couldn't help but think of the so-called homosexual relationship.

But no matter how she asked the old woman, she refused to say anything more.

Finally, Shen Xing'er bought a wooden hairpin and left with Shan Tao.

Shan Tao also looked thoughtful, clearly having taken the last sentence to heart, even though every word the old woman said was quite explosive.

"Xing'er, thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably would still be in the dark. That Shi Pingniang really can't stand to see me doing well!" Shan Tao said angrily.

"Don't worry, maybe these two families have a grudge? Or maybe this old woman just can't stand to see him doing well," Shen Xing'er comforted her.

"You don't need to comfort me. I know what kind of person Shi Pingniang is. She always pretends to be mute whenever her in-laws have a problem. How dare she make decisions about my marriage now? She must have received some benefits!"

Shan Tao was clearly furious; she wouldn't even call her sister-in-law, instead calling her by her full name.

"We should compare prices at three different stalls before buying anything. Let's go ask at the other stalls."

After Shen Xing'er finished speaking, she pulled Shan Tao and went to another stall.

She used the same indirect approach, and the result was similar to what the old woman had said: everyone stopped talking about the pageboy once the topic came up. Of course, Shen Xing'er was also carrying a lot of things from the stall.

You can't just ask questions without buying anything, can you? People aren't stupid.

When asked to the end, even Shen Xing'er's face darkened. Shi Pingniang wasn't just jealous of Shan Tao's success; she was clearly trying to push Shan Tao into a fire pit!

"Go home!" Shan Tao said angrily.

She couldn't help herself. Regardless of whether it was premature or not, she went to question Shi Pingniang right then and there!