Gu Zhao brought over a small stool, pulled out a handful of melon seeds from his pocket, and shared them with the old woman and the other two. "We bought these roasted snacks on the road. Just something to nibble on."
The old woman's son cracked open one, and his eyes lit up. "So fragrant!"
The woman cracked open two, then put the rest away before saying, "This alley was actually quite lively thirty years ago. The people who lived here were either wealthy or noble. The Zhuo family was a scholarly household. The father served as a clerk in the county office and also taught at the county school; his standing was particularly lofty.
Mr. Zhuo had only one daughter. Clever and quick-witted from childhood, she understood books and propriety, cherished as the pearl in his palm. Countless families came to propose marriage, only to be politely turned away. He merely wished to find his daughter a son-in-law of both fine character and talent.
Later, it was said that a distant relative of the county magistrate came seeking refuge and an education, becoming Mr. Zhuo's pupil. The man was handsome and elegant, well-read and eloquent, every word he spoke forming a polished passage. Mr. Zhuo was very pleased with him and wished to bring the two together."
"But who would have thought that Mr. Zhuo's daughter was unwilling!" The woman feigned surprise, then asked Xiuniang, "Do you know why?"
Xiuniang immediately gave the standard answer. "Because she had already pledged herself to someone else in secret!"
"Not at all!" The woman shook her head repeatedly. "Miss Zhuo was a proper young lady from a great family. She never went to places crowded with men. How could she have secretly pledged herself to anyone?"
"Then why?" Xiuniang asked.
"Because Miss