Chapter 114: That Wretch Wu Ning

What the hell is going on?

Old Wu Jiujiu was completely caught off guard. He never expected Chen Laocai to blurt out such a thing the moment he stepped through the door.

One can eat whatever one wants, but one cannot just say whatever one wants. What kind of joyous occasion could there possibly be between me and your daughter, Chen Siniang?

The Old Ancestor was equally bewildered. He scrutinized Chen Laocai and asked, "Are you... feeling quite alright?"

It was the height of the Lunar New Year; what kind of marriage proposal was this?

"I'm perfectly fine," Chen Laocai replied, sounding remarkably enthusiastic. "Why? Are you not satisfied with this match, old brother?"

"Who in these ten miles doesn't know that my Siniang is a beauty and the apple of the Chen family's eye?" Chen Laocai curled his lip. "You’re getting a bargain with young Wu Jiulang! What do you say?"

"I say nothing of the sort." The Old Ancestor put his hands behind his back and turned to head back inside.

He had known Chen Laocai since they were toddlers running around in the dirt, and they had been at odds their entire lives. Did the Old Ancestor not know the man? He wouldn't lift a finger without a profit in sight!

Chen Siniang might be a decent lass, but why would he suddenly set his sights on their Nine? Was he perhaps green with envy that their little village had produced such a treasure, to the point of sacrificing his own daughter?

"Hey!" Chen Laocai was displeased. "Don't walk away! What’s wrong with my daughter marrying a refugee?"

The Old Ancestor paused. Hearing that, it seemed he wasn't here to snatch the boy away after all. He hunched his back and turned around. "Then why have you set your eyes on our Nine? Give me a good reason, and maybe I’ll consider it."

"Aiy... aiy! Aiy aiy!"

Wu Ning, standing at the doorway, found the conversation increasingly absurd and knew he had to speak up. "You can't just agree on my behalf, old man! I’m already betrothed!"

Chen Laocai turned around to see a young man with a face as swollen as a red gourd, accompanied by a girl as ethereal as a celestial maiden.

"And this is..."

Well, that was it. Not only were Wu Ning and Qin Miaoniang amused, but even the Old Ancestor couldn't help but chuckle.

"This is the very 'Jiulang' you had your eye on."

"..."

Wu Ning was speechless. Was there anything one couldn't encounter in this world? Why was someone showing up on New Year's Day to deliver a wife? He glanced instinctively at Qin Miaoniang and whispered, "I swear I know nothing about this, don't overthink it!"

Qin Miaoniang laughed. She wasn't actually jumping to any wrong conclusions as Wu Ning feared. She simply found it amusing that someone would try to steal her man without even knowing who he was. She looked at Chen Laocai, thinking to herself, *This old gentleman... he doesn't seem like he's lost his mind, does he?*

At this moment, the Old Ancestor, Wu Ning, Qin Miaoniang (who had come to offer New Year greetings), and the heavily pregnant Fifth Aunt all stared at Chen Laocai as if he were an idiot.

Chen Laocai felt incredibly awkward. He had come to propose, but he hadn't expected this Wu Jiulang to be so... unsightly.

"Fine!" He slapped his thigh. "I'll be honest with you, old brother!"

"Either Wu Jiulang or Wu Sanhu—choose one of the two boys to marry my Siniang. You decide!"

The courtyard fell into a confused silence. How had 'Tiger' gotten dragged into this?

The Old Ancestor sat down slowly. "What is this really about?"

"It is... like this."

...

Chen Laocai’s fourth daughter was a well-known beauty in the region, famed for being a virtuous girl skilled in weaving and needlework. Since the Chen family was wealthy and prominent, their doorstep had been worn thin by suitors. Yet, over the years, Chen Laocai had rejected them all.

It wasn't that he was too picky; it was that she was impossible to marry off. His daughter, according to her birth chart, was cursed to bring misfortune to her husband. Chen Laocai, though no saint, worried that if she married into someone's family and they actually died, his own daughter would be the one to suffer.

So why target Wu Ning and Tiger? That was the fault of the old Taoist priest, Xiao. Before the New Year, Chen Laocai had paid a hefty sum for a divination. The priest, having taken the money, offered a solution: her fate could only be suppressed by the aura of a 'Dragon and Tiger.'

Chen Laocai had been stumped, but the priest insisted, "It's simple! The nearby Xiashan Hollow has both a dragon and a tiger."

Wu Sanhu was born in the year, month, and day of the Tiger, while Wu Ning possessed an unconcealable aura of a Dragon.

Chen Laocai began to scheme. He knew a bit about Wu Sanhu—his family was poor, his father had died young, and his sharp-tongued mother had even worked for the Chen estate. Chen Laocai thought that if his daughter married into that, she would only suffer. Unless... Wu Sanhu agreed to be a live-in son-in-law. But that was impossible; he was a direct descendant of the Wu family.

However, once the idea of a live-in son-in-law took root, Chen Laocai became obsessed. He had four daughters and no sons; if he could recruit a son-in-law, his family legacy would be secured.

Since the 'Tiger' was too problematic, he set his sights on Wu Ning. This Wu Jiulang was perfect—a refugee, a distant relative with no roots, making him the ideal candidate to move into the Chen household. And he supposedly knew a little bit about business, too.

Thus, he had come under the guise of New Year greetings.

...

The Old Ancestor finished listening. "So, you want to marry your 'husband-killing' girl to our Nine?"

"She doesn't kill! Not at all!" Chen Laocai hurried to explain. "Taoist Master Xiao said Wu Jiulang’s fate is strong enough to suppress it."

"Oh," the Old Ancestor nodded. "And he has to move in? To your house?"

"Exactly!" Chen Laocai spread his hands. "You know my family's assets, old brother. It wouldn't be a loss for the boy, would it?"

"Heh," the Old Ancestor gave a dry laugh. "It’s a huge loss!" He glanced at Wu Ning. "Ask him yourself if he's willing."

Chen Laocai turned his gaze to Wu Ning. "Boy, if you come to the Chen family, you’ll spend the rest of your life living in luxury. Are you willing?"

Wu Ning: "..."

"Well..." Wu Ning feigned deep contemplation. "I really don't have any objections. It’s a good deal! Free wealth and a beautiful wife. And my uncle-in-law... he doesn't usually interfere with my affairs."

He looked past Chen Laocai. "Old Ancestor, do you agree?"

The Old Ancestor smirked, realizing that Wu Ning was just playing with the man. "Me? You're a grown man, make your own decisions."

"Oh," Wu Ning nodded vigorously. "Then there's no problem!"

"That settles it!" Chen Laocai slapped his thigh. His uncle-in-law and the Old Ancestor had nodded, and the boy hadn't refused. What more was there to say? He might be a bit ugly, but he was a man; looks didn't matter. "It's decided then! After the fifteenth, send the matchmaker over!"

"Wait!" Wu Ning wore a wicked grin. "What's the rush, old man?"

"I agreed, my uncle agreed, and the Old Ancestor agreed, but it won't work!"

"Why not?"

"There's still someone who hasn't agreed!"

"Who?" Chen Laocai wondered who else could matter.

"My wife!"

"Your... wife??" Chen Laocai’s neck stiffened.

"Exactly!" Wu Ning looked as mischievous as could be, pointing at Qin Miaoniang. "This is my wife. Why don't you ask her if she's willing?"

"You!!" Chen Laocai was so furious he could barely breathe. "You brat..."

How annoying!