Boss Zhou scratched his head, “I don’t know, Mother was not very happy when she came back.”

Li shi thought it was her fault and went back to the house to hide.

Second Zhou couldn’t figure out the situation despite his careful questioning, but he knew he had to inform his mother about Rong Chuan’s matter. With a determined mindset, he knocked on the door, even though he felt a bit uneasy. “Mother, I need to talk to you about something,” he said.

Zhulan sat down slowly and got up, “Come in!”

Second Zhou was relieved when he saw that his Mother’s face was much better, “When Mother was not at home today, Rong Chuan’s mother, Zhu shi, came secretly, and I don’t know what she said to make Rong Chuan drive her away. Not to mention cursing, she was also scolding our family for robbing someone’s son as a foster husband. Villagers who didn’t believe the previous rumors, now completely believe it. It’s about my sister’s reputation, so I think we should make a decision.”

He knew that his parents had been aware of the rumors but hadn’t paid much attention to them since they weren’t openly discussed. However, now that Zhu had caused a scene at their doorstep, they needed to address the situation. Otherwise, it would reflect poorly on his sister.

Zhulan thought that the plot had deviated now that Wang Ru’s family had lost their place to live. She thought that even though Wang Ru had no time to live in the county, she still met the little villain. This meant that she would still meet Xuehan’s destined partner, and she would snatch the male lead away. So it was very fortunate that she found a foster husband for her daughter.

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren’s original plan was to wait until he came back from Jiangnan to confirm it. Now that Zhou Shuren is not here, she had to make the decision. “I know what to do. Your father will return from Jiangnan soon. We have already discussed it, and we will finalize everything before the new year. If anyone asks you, just say that we will choose an auspicious day to make the decision. Don’t say anything unnecessary.”

Second Zhou was relieved, it was good to settle it, he didn’t care about the time, all he wanted was that it shouldn’t affect his sister’s reputation, “Mother, you rest first. I’ll go out to work.”

“Go!”

Zhulan waited for her second son to go out and lay back on the warm kang. Although she and Zhou Shuren grew up with modern education and free marriage, they really never thought about teaching their daughter to find a husband by herself. *

In ancient times, a woman’s reputation was more important than her life. If she married a man she chose, she would be looked down upon by her in-laws, and the husband would not respect her much in his heart. Marrying someone against the will of the parents was never a good choice. Ancient customs emphasized the importance of parental consent and the role of matchmakers. The Three Letters and Six Etiquettes were essential in forming a harmonious union between two families, where the husband would genuinely respect his wife from the heart.

Indeed, in ancient times, arranged marriages were common, and individuals had limited say in choosing their partners. For Zhulan and Zhou Shuren, the best they could do was to find a childhood friend for their daughter, someone she grew up with. If they developed a bond and feelings for each other, it would be advantageous. Zhou Shuren also wanted to take Rong Chuan as a disciple and treat him like a family member. With their master-student relationship, they were not afraid of Rong Chuan mistreating Xuehan. Additionally, Rong Chuan had no one else to rely on, further solidifying their decision.

If he really wanted to meet true love, Rong Chuan will not dare to lose his head if he had a little brain. If he became a fool in love, anyway, with no future, Zhou Shuren could make sure that Rong Chuan had no way to live.

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren discussed everything that could happen, and the son-in-law Rong Chuan was settled.

As for getting the male lead back for their daughter as an official match, I’m sorry, the couple really don’t care about the male lead, because they had two concerns. First, even if Zhou Shuren was absolutely confident in himself, he will have to endure years of climbing up. The difference in social status would bring difficulties and challenges to their daughter. They couldn’t let their daughter suffer and didn’t want to vent their frustrations on her. They were determined not to let themselves be overwhelmed by resentment.

Second, they didn’t want to get involved with Wang Ru too much. The male protagonist can exchange Wang Ru for true love, which shows how worthless the true love in the male protagonist’s heart was. Zhulan and Zhou Shuren really look down on the male protagonist.

Lost in her thoughts, Zhu Lan eventually fell asleep. When she woke up after lunch, she noticed that Rongchuan seemed quite uneasy. Zhu Lan asked him to stay behind after the meal and revealed their true intentions to him. “Don’t be restless and anxious. Your uncle and I have discussed it. Once he returns, everything will be settled. Don’t let the rumors from outside bother you.”

Rong Chuan was pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed by the news. His uneasiness stemmed from the fear that any potential plans would be ruined by his mother. He hadn’t expected that his uncle and aunt had already decided. Despite his excitement, he wanted to make it clear that he was not an ungrateful person. He declared, “Aunt and uncle, rest assured, I will never be ungrateful. If I ever treat Xuehan badly in the future, may thunder strike me and I meet a terrible end.”

Zhu Lan didn’t put much trust in such vows. Promises were easily made, but they required consistent actions to prove their sincerity. She only trusted herself. The more she got to know Rong Chuan, the more she realized his virtues. He had endured hardships during his childhood and had a strong determination. With his intelligence, given the opportunity, he would soar to great heights. The more she observed him, the more satisfied she became. He was a rare good son-in-law. “Good, good. Aunt believes in you,” she responded.

After saying a few more words, Zhulan also went back to the house to rest.

Rong Chuan’s lips curled into a smile, and all his frustrations dissipated. He no longer felt angry or resentful towards his mother. Happily, he returned to his room and began copying large characters.

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(*) This is why I love this novel. It is so different than any other time-traveling novel. I hate those novels where the FL traveled and the previous concubines/wives of the ML were either killed because they were villains or the ML didn’t care for them anymore because the FL believed in one man one woman love story. Or where the FL (who is OG) thinks of falling in love and marrying even if she is in an ancient world.

BTW let’s discuss these and other topics in my discord server. Please join if you want.