Chapter 16: The Way of Getting Along

The daughters had all gone out.

Looking at her husband, who sat with lowered eyelids and a cold expression, Lady Wang asked in a shrill voice, "Did you get slighted somewhere outside? Why are you acting like a firecracker, snapping back at every word I say?"

Mo Ruhai kept a cold face and remained silent.

Fury instantly surged in Lady Wang's heart.

"You've been away for months and haven't even brought much back, yet you act as if it's been incredibly taxing! Do you think I'm just idling at home? Everything, inside and out, requires my management and arrangement!" Lady Wang felt wronged. Having married such a man—no power, no money.

She worked hard to manage her dowry and exhausted herself to ensure their children lived with dignity.

And him? He couldn't even manage a decent expression!

Mo Ruhai nodded slightly, his tone gentle but clearly distant: "By marrying me, I have caused Madam to suffer grievances."

This left Lady Wang in a state of limbo.

Should she keep arguing? There was no reason for it.

Should she stop? It felt stifling.

Neither of them spoke, just sitting there in silence.

Mo Ruhai seemed capable of sitting like this indefinitely, but Lady Wang felt as if she were about to suffocate.

Finally, she thought of a breakthrough... their eldest daughter's marriage!

Regaining her composure, she let out a cold laugh. "Originally, I had wonderful news to tell you, but looking at you now, it seems you'd rather not know!"

She was offering him a way out...

Mo Ruhai understood.

In truth, he had no solution for their current situation either.

He couldn't even avoid her; providing a way out only to have him refuse it would only make things more troublesome.

"Since it is good news, how could I not wish to know?" Mo Ruhai's voice softened.

The matter she was about to mention would surely shock him and leave him filled with admiration for her. A look of triumph surfaced on Lady Wang's face. She picked up her teacup and took a sip.

Mo Ruhai had no choice but to say, "I am eager to hear the details."

This attitude was enough to get Lady Wang talking. "I have already settled Mo Wen's marriage!"

"Oh? Settled?" Mo Ruhai wasn't particularly surprised.

That was his eldest daughter, and he cared for her deeply.

"Is it that young man, Liang You?"

"Of course not!" Lady Wang knew he would think that, which made her even more smug.

"Not him?!" This time, Mo Ruhai was truly surprised.

He knew his wife's intentions well; she had been mentioning him for years. Why change her mind just as the time had come?

Lady Wang shook her head slightly. "Although Liang You is very good, the one I've chosen for Wenwen is the youngest son of the Xu family—Xu Ke, the Deputy Censor of the Censorate!"

"This... this is a Rank Three official!" Mo Ruhai stammered in shock.

Lady Wang said arrogantly, "Grandfather is still a Rank One distinguished physician! And Young Master Xu's elder brothers are already Rank Five!"

"A legitimate son?" Mo Ruhai swallowed hard.

If his daughter could marry the legitimate son of a Rank Five official, it would be a blessing from their ancestors.

Lady Wang found it difficult to manage her expression; she was simultaneously dissatisfied that her husband doubted her ability and proud that she had overturned his expectations.

"Of course he is a legitimate son!" She held her chin high, looking toward the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

"He is also the most beloved grandson of Old Madam Xu! He is incredibly handsome, even more so than our Da-ge. He has the complete air of a noble scion! Tsk tsk! He's only eighteen and already holds the title of Xiucai!"

Then, she shot a sidelong glance at her husband: "Well?!"

Mo Ruhai still found it hard to believe. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just... he's eighteen and still not engaged? Our Da-ge was already married by eighteen. Besides, a young master like that would surely marry someone of equal social standing!" He didn't have the nerve to ask: *Could there be some hidden difficulty?*

It wasn't his fault for thinking this way; based on his wife's description, such a man would surely have the noble ladies of the capital fighting over him!

Even if he wasn't the eldest legitimate son and didn't have extremely high requirements for the wife's family background, he should at least marry someone from a wealthy household to ensure a comfortable life in the future!

Mo Wen didn't meet any of those criteria, and a sense of unease flickered in his heart.

Lady Wang glanced at him sideways. "Don't you stop to think? Aside from not having a prestigious background, where does our Wenwen fall short?

I've been out socializing for all these years; it's not as if I haven't seen those so-called high-born ladies! One after another: ordinary faces, dull personalities. Their talents might not even compare to our Wenwen's!"

Mo Ruhai's expression turned solemn. "I am worried that without a family background and a substantial dowry to back her up, Wenwen will suffer mistreatment in such a household."

Lady Wang gave him a strange look. "What are you saying? Great households are not like common folk; who marries a wife just to work her like an ox or a horse..."

The expression in her eyes seemed to be directed at herself.

Mo Ruhai was also puzzled; sometimes he simply could not understand what his wife was thinking.

So, he fell silent again.

Lady Wang said, "In the future, Wenwen is bound to become a Lady of Merit! If she follows me and can bear children, what is there to worry about? Perhaps even Big Brother, you, Da-ge, and our Bao'er will all have to rely on Wenwen!"

Mo Ruhai didn't know whether to laugh or cry. If what his wife said was true, it was indeed a good match.

But as for him and his brother relying on her...

"Hmph, all of this is thanks to my sister and brother-in-law!" Fearing her husband wouldn't give her credit, Lady Wang quickly brought up her sister and brother-in-law.

Upon hearing this, Mo Ruhai's face darkened slightly, and he fell silent again.

"Since you're back, once you've finished your business in the next couple of days, come with me to my sister's house to deliver these gifts. Although my sister's family lacks for nothing, we must be sensible and show our appreciation!"

She gave her husband a disgruntled look; whenever her sister and brother-in-law were mentioned, he turned into this lifeless shell!

Mo Ruhai decisively changed the subject. "In the next couple of days, I will also go out to inquire about the Xu family and Young Master Xu."

Seeing her husband's serious attitude, Lady Wang felt somewhat more settled. She instructed, "As for the household matters, I haven't mentioned them yet. We'll talk once things are nearly settled!"

"Fine." Mo Ruhai thought of Liang You again and couldn't help but sigh. "Speaking of which, that young man Liang You is indeed a good boy."

He was upright, steady, polite, and came from a clean family.

To his surprise, Lady Wang gave another triumphant smile; she was feeling incredibly satisfied today. "Naturally! Can anything I pick be bad? To be honest, if it weren't for Young Master Xu being so wonderful... however..."

She covered her mouth with her handkerchief, delighted.

"However... Liang You won't go to waste. I have decided to betroth him to that girl, Mo Yi!"

Hearing this, Mo Ruhai felt no surprise, no excitement, and no joy; instead, he frowned.

Lady Wang didn't notice and continued, "This was even Wenwen's good idea! Oh, Wenwen is not only clever but also shows the grace of an eldest sister; having secured her own future, she's already thinking of her younger sister."

Mo Ruhai's brow remained furrowed. "But, although it wasn't explicitly stated before, Liang You was indeed intended for Wenwen. Changing the person now... isn't that somewhat undignified?"

"How is it undignified? You know yourself: it was never explicitly stated!"

Mo Ruhai shook his head. "Furthermore, giving what Wenwen doesn't want to Yi'er... that sounds quite harsh. You can't treat Liang You so lightly, can you?"

"What are you saying? We never even discussed marriage with the Liang family! How did it become 'what the sister doesn't want goes to the sister'? Given Mo Yi's status, shouldn't you be grinning from ear to ear that she secured a match with the Liang family? Isn't this a match that fell from the heavens?"

Lady Wang's voice rose again...

Mo Ruhai used the silent treatment.

Lady Wang used verbal violence.

(End of Chapter)