So, You’re the Henpecked One? 2

Chapter 2

The air grew still for a moment. The distant cries of street vendors could be heard, while nearby, there was only the crackling sound of the fire.

Mao Xiaoyun fell silent. She looked at the dismissive expression on Lin Zhao’s face and, after a long pause, said with difficulty, “You don’t have to put it like that, do you?”

Lin Zhao poked the fire with a stick and glanced at her lazily. “I know exactly what I’m like. How could someone like me deserve a good person?”

She’d probably end up with someone who would just laze around and wait for death with her all day.

Though she hadn’t had much schooling, she still understood the principle of a pot having its matching lid.

Mao Xiaoyun fell silent again, then gave a wry smile. “That seems to be true.”

“So, you asked about that… is your mom really arranging a marriage for you?” Lin Zhao didn’t want the conversation to stay on her and quickly shifted the topic back to Mao Xiaoyun.

Mao Xiaoyun slumped as if all her bones had been removed, her head drooping dejectedly. “Yeah,” she mumbled. “She says it’s time to settle on a marriage.”

Lin Zhao bit her lip. Although it was to be expected, the thought of Mao Xiaoyun marrying a stranger still left a sour taste in her mouth.

“Boss, do you think after I get married, I won’t be able to come out and hang with you guys like this anymore?” Mao Xiaoyun’s voice was tinged with confusion and a faint sense of panic. It was hard for her to imagine what her future would be like.

“Of course you can!” Lin Zhao said immediately. “Is he going to lock you up in the courtyard after you’re married? If he doesn’t let you out, we’ll go find him!”

A fierce look entered Lin Zhao’s eyes. “Don’t forget, we might not be good at doing good deeds, but when it comes to stirring up trouble and dealing with someone, we’re more than capable!”

Since they were friends, it was only natural to help when needed!

Mao Xiaoyun looked at her with admiration before saying, “But I still hope my mom doesn’t find me a match. I like my life now.”

She didn’t want any changes, especially not ones with uncontrollable risks.

“Then you should tell your mom yourself.” Lin Zhao lowered her head to poke the eggs in the fire. She couldn’t possibly be the one to say something like that, could she? Her mother already disliked Mao Xiaoyun hanging out with her. If she went and said something like that…

Oh boy!

It would just look like she was being a bad influence.

Mao Xiaoyun pouted, her eyes fixed on the roasting eggs in the fire as she swallowed hard. But thinking that Lin Zhao probably hadn’t eaten anything today, she forced herself to look away.

Seeing that they were cooked, Lin Zhao carefully poked the eggs out of the fire. Even though she was starving and couldn’t wait to eat, the freshly roasted eggs were hot enough to peel off a layer of skin. Lin Zhao could only wait patiently.

“Oh, right, Liu Ergou said he’s drinking tonight. You going?” Mao Xiaoyun suddenly remembered.

“Nope,” Lin Zhao answered immediately, then turned to look at Mao Xiaoyun seriously. “You’re not allowed to go either.”

Although their group often hung out together, Lin Zhao only ever drank with people she truly trusted, and she felt Liu Ergou was a bit sketchy.

“Oh, if you’re not going, then of course I’m not going either,” Mao Xiaoyun said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The main reason she hung out with this group was to follow Lin Zhao around.

Lin Zhao said no more, picking up an egg and carefully peeling it.

Mao Xiaoyun felt that watching her eat was a form of torture, especially when she could smell the fragrance of the roasted eggs. She swallowed again and, unable to bear it, stood up. “I’m going back to see if my mom will roast some eggs for me!”

With that, she turned and bolted back home to find her dear mother.

Lin Zhao: “…”

She finished both roasted eggs. With something in her stomach, she finally felt a bit better, though eating only eggs was a bit dry. She stood up, dusted her hands, and planned to head home for some water.

As she passed Rising Step Bridge, Lin Zhao glanced at the sweet soup stall at the head of the bridge. She touched the money pouch at her waist but couldn’t bring herself to buy a bowl.

Mao Xiaoyun had treated her to it once, and just that one time was enough for her to remember the sweet taste spreading through her mouth.

A little bit of sweetness seemed to make life less bitter.

But she had only had it that one time. She could never bear to buy it for herself.

Lin Zhao walked toward her home, feeling a little down.

Ever since she was six, when her mother and father died at the hands of mountain bandits while on a trade route, she had lived alone. There was no one waiting for her at home anymore.

As for her relatives, they had used the excuse of helping with the funeral to clean out nearly all the money in her house. If not for the fact that none of them wanted to take on the burden of raising her, and that she refused to go with any of them, she probably wouldn’t even have the house she was living in now.

Lin Zhao’s mother had been a strong-willed woman since she was young. Unwilling to marry out, she had brought a husband into her family. Coupled with her own business acumen, their family had lived quite well when Lin Zhao was little. If not for what happened later, Lin Zhao would likely have been raised as a proper young lady.

Not the little scoundrel everyone now pointed fingers at.

The house she was left with wasn’t large, but it had three rooms. It had been built with a lot of money back then, so even after so many years without maintenance or repairs, it still looked sturdy and not at all like a dilapidated shack.

However, as Lin Zhao approached the alley where her house was located, she sensed something was off. The further she walked, the more her suspicion grew. When she saw the people standing at her front door, her first instinct was to turn and run.

She had only taken a few steps when her mind replayed the quick glance she’d had. Although there were people from the Lin Clan, there seemed to be some strangers as well.

Especially the attire of the woman in the lead…

She wore a begonia hairpin, and her crimson dress was festive without being gaudy. She held a small round fan, which she waved gently. Her entire being, from head to toe, conveyed one message.

This person was a matchmaker!

Lin Zhao froze. Why would a matchmaker come to her house?

And from the way she was dressed, she was clearly not a matchmaker for ordinary families, but an official matchmaker who arranged marriages for high-ranking officials and nobles.

Lin Zhao’s steps slowed. Just then, someone from behind called her name. She turned to look. There were more than a dozen people standing at her door, some of whom were carrying several chests, which were even decorated with red silk ribbons.

Lin Zhao: “???”

“Lin Zhao, what are you still standing there for? Get over here!” The head of the Lin Clan, Lin Yongchang, who was standing at her door, barked with a dark expression.

He had originally been called over by his second brother’s wife to uphold justice and teach Lin Zhao a lesson. Who would have thought he’d run into the renowned Official Matchmaker Zhang, one of the most famous in all of Yong’an Town? She specialized in arranging marriages for the rich and powerful, and now she was claiming to be here to arrange a marriage for Lin Zhao?

Had this Lin Zhao somehow caught the eye of some wealthy family?

Unfortunately, no matter how he inquired, the official matchmaker refused to reveal any more details.

Seeing his expression, Official Matchmaker Zhang waved her fan gently, her face still holding a perfectly polite smile. “Clan Head Lin,” she said leisurely, “please don’t scare the young lady away.”

They had been waiting at this door for at least an hour. Now that they had finally caught sight of her, she didn’t want the girl to slip away.

“Yes, yes.” Since she had spoken, Lin Yongchang couldn’t say anything more.

The Lin family was, after all, just a small clan in Yong’an Town. It wasn’t that they were afraid of these matchmakers, but every family had children who needed to be married off. Matchmakers had wide networks and many channels, especially official ones like this. Offending them could make their children’s future marriage prospects difficult.

Lin Zhao looked at the scene, hesitant. But her curiosity about the matchmaker’s purpose outweighed her apprehension. She shuffled over, her eyes constantly darting to the clan head’s face, and then to her Second Aunt behind him, who looked furious but was trying to suppress it. Lin Zhao scratched her head.

“Hello, you are…?” Lin Zhao asked the official matchmaker hesitantly, still finding it hard to believe that someone so splendidly dressed would appear at her doorstep.

“You must be Young Miss Lin, correct? You are truly as beautiful as they say. I have been entrusted by someone to come and arrange a marriage for you. May we go inside to talk?” Official Matchmaker Zhang’s smile became a bit more genuine after seeing Lin Zhao’s face, though a hint of a sigh remained in her eyes.

The girl before her was indeed beautiful, but a marriage couldn’t be sustained on looks alone. Aside from her face, she really couldn’t see anything special about her. Why was that Young Miss Chu so dead set on marrying her?

“Ah? Oh, oh, please come in.” Lin Zhao’s mind was a complete muddle. She never thought someone would actually come to arrange a marriage for her. Who could it be?

She opened the door and welcomed the woman in, then paused and turned to look at Lin Yongchang and the others. When facing this great-uncle, Lin Zhao’s usual arrogance vanished, replaced by a faint meekness.

“Great-Uncle, Second Aunt, if there’s nothing else, you should head back. I have guests to entertain.”

“You!” Lin Yongchang’s face darkened again. “You are a junior. A major event like marriage naturally requires the presence of elders.”

However, Official Matchmaker Zhang, who had already taken in the situation, spoke up, waving her fan. “Clan Head Lin, this matter still requires Young Miss Lin’s opinion. Before she has confirmed anything, it would be best not to spread it around. I hope you can understand.”

It seemed the information she had gathered beforehand was not false. This Lin Zhao was indeed not close to the Lin family. As for her temperament, from their brief interaction, she didn’t seem as crude and vulgar as the rumors suggested.

“This… is that so? Alright, alright…” Lin Yongchang’s expression was awkward. Before leaving, he glanced at Lin Zhao. Could it be that she was really going to marry into wealth and become a phoenix?

Second Aunt’s face was a little pale. She couldn’t believe what kind of family would actually take a fancy to Lin Zhao.

After the extra people were sent away, the people Official Matchmaker Zhang brought with her began to carry the chests inside.

Lin Zhao walked with Official Matchmaker Zhang toward the main hall, her eyes frequently glancing at the chests. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask in a small voice, “Are those betrothal gifts? I’m not marrying into a man’s family. You should take them back.”

Bringing so many things on the first visit, Lin Zhao couldn’t help but think they were betrothal gifts.

“Rest assured, young miss.” Official Matchmaker Zhang covered her lips with her fan and chuckled lightly. “Those are not betrothal gifts. They are merely things brought to properly decorate your residence.”

“Young miss, your good fortune has arrived.”

“The one who wishes to marry you is none other than the daughter of our county’s second-in-command, the County Magistrate. The Third Young Miss of the Chu family.”

**

Author’s Note:

Zhao-zhao: ???

A certain someone glares: What? You have a problem with that?

Zhao-zhao immediately drops to her knees and hugs the person’s leg, looking up fawningly: No, no, how could I dare~ [Please][Please]