Chapter 26: By the Grace of Our Ancestors

Upon hearing the words "taking a wife," Li Yu’s face turned crimson instantly, unable to hide his blush.

Li Ying, possessing a sharp eye for detail, immediately noticed the change in his demeanor. "Father, Mother, it seems Brother Yu hasn’t just returned with academic honors—could there be some other happy news?"

At these words, everyone turned to look at Li Yu, only to find him looking thoroughly shy and bashful.

"Which family is it?" Zhang Sanniang was the first to react, asking with a smile, "Which young lady have you taken a fancy to? Is she a beauty?"

Li Gang pondered for a moment, then stroked his beard and chuckled with realization. "I suspect it isn't so much that Yu'er has taken a fancy to some young lady, but rather that some young lady has set her sights on our Yu'er—and her family background is likely quite impressive, too. Am I right?"

After all, a young man who was handsome, academically successful, steady, and reliable would never remain on the market long enough for the desperate matchmaking rituals that take place under the examination lists.

Li Lian chimed in teasingly, "That’s right, Brother! Tell us, which family is my future sister-in-law from? Have I heard of them?"

Outside the door, Shen Dan, who had just been about to knock, paused. He was curious to see which young lady had such a sharp eye.

Li Yu said with some embarrassment, "It is the Ning family from the prefecture city, the third daughter of Instructor Ning. I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Ning family." He knew that once the Ning family sent their formal proposal, the matter could not be kept from his parents, so he felt it was better to speak up early so they could prepare.

"The Ning family? That’s a prominent household," Li Ying said, sounding pleased. "I wonder which of Instructor Ning’s wives is the mother of the third daughter?"

Upon hearing that she was the daughter of Lady Zhu, she became even more delighted. "Lady Zhu comes from the Zhu family, who were imperial merchants in the previous dynasty. I’ve heard she is gentle, virtuous, and capable; the daughter she raised certainly wouldn't be anything less than excellent." She had often heard people praise Lady Zhu when she was a child, though the mentions had faded over time.

Zhang Sanniang, however, felt a twinge of hesitation. "Daughters from prominent families—will she be difficult to get along with?" She preferred the idea of a simple, ordinary family; wouldn't a girl from a wealthy house require constant catering to? Would she be able to live a gentle and harmonious life with her son?

"Daughters of prominent families are actually the easiest to get along with," Li Gang said with a smile. "Especially those from scholarly households. They are well-educated and well-read; they make excellent helpmates." He felt the Ning family was a fine choice—they were close by, and everyone knew their reputation. How wonderful!

Outside, Shen Dan heard this and felt happy for his friend. Seeing the family so joyous, he figured his intrusion would be unwelcome, so he turned back, intending to find Li Yu another day.

Meanwhile, a great conflict was erupting within the Ning household. Ning Zhao’an sat in her chair with a cold expression, while Ning Duan, sitting at the head of the table, looked distressed and remained silent.

"Master, say something!" Madam Yu, seeing him feign ignorance, pushed him urgently. "Didn't you promise me months ago that if Guang'er passed the prefectural examination and became a student, you would betroth our third daughter to him?" If they were to now involve themselves with the Li family, how many families was the girl supposed to be promised to?

"Now, now, now," Ning Duan comforted his beloved wife, then hesitated before stepping forward to persuade his daughter. "That Li Yu... his studies and appearance are indeed quite good."

Ning Zhao’an proudly lifted her chin. Did the husband she chose personally need any further validation? Naturally, he was excellent!

Madam Yu: "???" Was he not supposed to be discouraging her from marrying Li Yu? Why was he praising him instead?

"However..." Ning Duan’s tone shifted. "Li Yu’s family background is truly complicated. It’s not like your cousin Guang, who is from your mother’s side of the family. If you marry into their house, you are marrying into your own kin. You would be the mistress of the home; everyone would hold you in high regard and treat you with respect, wouldn't they? Life would be so much easier!"

Madam Yu quickly agreed, noting that her own Yu family was a respected clan of farmers and scholars with hundreds of acres of land—surely they were superior to the Li family, with its own burdens.

"Hold me in high regard? Treat me with respect?" Ning Zhao’an stood up, startling her father into stepping back. "The Yu family is clearly just coveting my dowry. How can such a base, low-class family be worthy of me? If I were to marry into that house without a dowry, let’s see if they would still 'respect' or 'hold me in high regard'!"

Though they indeed coveted her dowry, Madam Yu was displeased by the bluntness. "What do you mean 'low-class'? Which noble lady marries without a dowry? Does that Li boy you like not covet your dowry as well?"

"That sounds reasonable," Ning Zhao’an said, sitting back down and mocking them with a smile. "Come, let your daughter ask you a few questions, Mother. How is your nephew’s writing compared to Master Li’s? How is your nephew’s appearance compared to Master Li’s? Surely you cannot, in good conscience, believe your nephew is better in every way?"

People’s hearts were unfathomable; how could she know what others were thinking? Since everyone might potentially be after her dowry, why shouldn't she choose to marry someone whose writing was good, whose looks were pleasing, and whom she actually liked? At the very least, marrying someone she found agreeable would keep her in good spirits for a few years.

"You girl, you..." Madam Yu was furious, slamming the table. "With the 'commands of parents and the words of matchmakers,' how dare you be so picky and choose a man yourself? Do you have any upbringing at all?"

When they lacked the ability to argue on merit, they would always use the mountain of "etiquette and upbringing" to suppress her. Ning Zhao’an’s gaze grew even colder.

"Say less, say less," Ning Duan said, feeling things were going wrong. He tried to calm his wife, then turned to try and plead on her behalf so he could maintain peace with her later. "An'er, my child, your mother is doing this for your own good..."

Before he could finish, his daughter stood up from her chair.

"Father, you keep saying you are doing this for my own good, but do you truly see me as your daughter?" Ning Zhao’an’s tone was cold and filled with disappointment; her words were like sharp knives. "There is a saying: 'With a stepmother comes a stepfather.' They say it is better to beg with one’s own mother than to live with a father who is an official. It seems that saying is true.

"Father, I wish to ask you: what am I to you? Am I merely a pet in your palm, to be patted on the head and called a 'precious daughter' when you are happy, and a tool to appease your new wife when you are not? Is there any room in your heart for my late mother, or for us—her mother and daughter? How are you any different from those wretches who sell their daughters? No, you are even more despicable. They sell their daughters to survive, and there is profit to be had—but you sell your daughter merely to please a woman..."

Ning Duan considered himself a man of culture and taste, and he cared most about his face and reputation. Being compared to such wretches by his own daughter was unbearable. This was no longer a quarrel; this was a strike at his very soul.

"You..." Ning Duan raised his hand high, but seeing the face that so closely resembled his late wife, he could not bring himself to strike. Ning Zhao’an lifted her head, full of defiance.

"Does Father wish to strike his daughter? Very well. I am your flesh and blood; you have the right to hit and scold me. Why don't you just beat me to death and throw me in a potter's field? According to the laws of the Great Yong, it is not even a crime to beat one's own child to death!"

Ning Duan trembled with rage, his eyes reddening, but he slowly lowered his raised hand. He dared not strike. The third daughter and third son were the lives his first wife had traded her own to bring into the world; on her deathbed, she had grabbed his hand and begged him to take good care of their two children.

"Your father speaks a word to you, and you have ten sharp retorts waiting. Have you studied your books only to feed them to the dogs?" Madam Yu, seeing that her husband was on the verge of tears and fearing the matter would fall through, said, "Master, you are the head of this household! How can you be swayed by a junior? If she does not listen to you, where is your authority?" Even if she had to bind her, she was determined to see this through for her nephew.

Ning Zhao’an sneered at these words. She knelt down and raised her hands above her head. "Ancestors of the Ning family, witness this..."

When a person in this land knelt and called upon their ancestors, it meant the matter was grave. Ning Duan and Madam Yu were left stunned, and even the maidservant behind Ning Zhao’an was so frightened that she rushed forward to cover her mistress's mouth—could one truly invoke the ancestors so recklessly?