Satisfied

Upon receiving the invitation, Zhao Ruxi knew that the He Family was interested in the marriage, so she quickly informed Lady Zhu.

Lady Zhu was overjoyed and said, "Quickly reply to their letter and have them come over. I'll have someone call your elder brother over. Yesterday, after your elder brother finished his official duties, I had Matron Zhou go over there and tell him about this matter. He said that since you and I both agree to this marriage, it must be good. He has no objections to this marriage."

Zhao Ruxi: "..."

She really didn't know whether to lament Zhao Jingli's lack of assertiveness regarding his marriage, or to admire his absolute trust in her and her daughter.

Zhao Jingli arrived very quickly; Zhao Ruxi and Lady Zhu had just sat down in the inner courtyard hall when he arrived.

Lady Zhu raised her chin at Zhao Ruxi: "You tell me."

Zhao Ruxi said, "Because I helped Miss He by getting her a job at the brothel, and I visited the He Family yesterday, Master He, Madam He, their eldest son, and Miss He were all very grateful to me. They plan to come to the Earl's residence this afternoon to express their thanks. If you are free, could you come with your father and help us receive He Family and their son? Would that be convenient for you, brother?"

She felt smug after saying those words.

She knew that women in ancient times valued their reputation, so she couldn't say that the He Family had come to find a son-in-law. Therefore, she deliberately phrased her words tactfully, feeling that she had made a perfect impression.

Zhao Jingli glanced at Lady Zhu and saw that Lady Zhu was smiling meaningfully, so his face immediately turned red.

He nodded and said, "Convenient."

"Yes, they'll be arriving around noon, so I'll trouble you and your second uncle to come and wait for them."

"I will definitely arrive early," Zhao Jingli said.

Seeing that Zhao Jingli not only showed no aversion or reluctance, but also had a look of joy on his face, Zhao Ruxi finally felt relieved.

After hearing the terms, both parties agreed. Both were of above-average appearance, and their temperament and talents were well-matched. It seemed she had successfully arranged this marriage on her first attempt at matchmaking. Could it be that she had a natural talent for it?

In the afternoon, Zhao Yuanliang and Zhao Jingli, dressed in new clothes and looking smart, arrived early at the front courtyard of the Earl of Suiping's Residence to wait. Zhao Ruxi and Lady Zhu also arrived at the front courtyard to wait, keeping track of the time.

The He Family arrived at the agreed time, and after getting off the carriage, they handed over their visiting cards directly to the door.

The Zhao Family quickly came out to greet them.

Zhao Jingli and He Yuqi then came face to face.

Zhao Yuanliang initially married Lady Wei because he was attracted to her beauty. As their son, Zhao Jingli was naturally handsome, a dashing and elegant young man.

He Yuqi is also quite good-looking. Although her features aren't particularly striking, she has bright eyes and white teeth, and is the kind of person whose looks grow on you. She's tall, about the same height as Zhao Ruxi.

The two were immediately satisfied with each other's appearance upon first glance.

Master He and Lady Wang were very impressed with Zhao Jingli's polite and generous manner.

"Master He, Mrs. He, please come in," Lady Zhu said with a smile.

Although it was a matchmaking event, men and women were kept separate; the men went to the main hall, while the women went to a side hall to take their seats.

Zhao Jingli has no mother, and his two sisters should have been there to find him a wife, but Zhao Rurui and Zhao Ruyu are too scheming and wouldn't genuinely help Zhao Jingli find a match. They're only after their own interests; it's good enough if they don't cause trouble. So Zhao Jingli doesn't dare let them know about his blind dates.

When he told Zhao Yuanliang about this, he did so discreetly, away from everyone else. He didn't let Zhao Jing'an know either.

Therefore, today, Lady Zhu and Zhao Ruxi will represent Zhao Jingli's female relatives on the groom's side to meet He Yuqi.

Lady Zhu had complete confidence in her daughter. As long as Zhao Ruxi said He Yuqi was good, she felt there was no need for any further meetings before marrying her.

Seeing that He Yuqi was of above-average appearance, acted generously, and spoke and acted very decisively, which suited her taste very well, she felt even more certain that she had made the right choice in trusting her daughter.

Her focus shifted to Lady Wang.

People say that when choosing a partner, don't look at the girl herself, just look at her mother. The power of example is immense, and it's true that many girls, as they get older, become more and more like their mothers in appearance, figure, personality, and temperament.

If a man sees his mother-in-law and finds her intolerable in every way, he'd better not go through with the marriage. Because his wife will likely become like that too.

While this statement isn't absolute, it has proven to be quite reliable in most cases.

Therefore, after exchanging a few words with He Yuqi, Lady Zhu said, "Miss Xi, Miss He has finally come to our mansion. Why don't you accompany her and show her around? Your second uncle is talking to Master He, and I'm afraid Young Master He will find it boring sitting there. Why don't you invite your elder brother and Young Master He to come along too, and stroll around our garden?"

This shows that they are satisfied with He Yuqi and want to create opportunities for He Yuqi and Zhao Jingli to spend time together.

Zhao Ruxi understood, agreed, and pulled He Yuqi face was flushed, out the door.

She sent a maid to the main hall to call Zhao Jingli and He Zhi out, and the four of them strolled around the garden of the Earl of Suiping's Residence.

"Young Master He, regarding the question I mentioned yesterday, have you read any relevant books? After reading them, you should write a few articles. This way, you'll discover your weaknesses and areas where you need to supplement your knowledge." Zhao Ruxi, intending for Zhao Jingli and He Yuqi to spend some time together, spoke with He Zhi.

Fortunately He Zhi had followed his father yesterday and treated Zhao Ruxi as a senior scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, asking him many questions about academic matters. The two had something to talk about, so it wasn't awkward.

Zhao Jingli and He Yuqi were not the type to be coy. Seeing Zhao Ruxi pulling He Zhi aside to talk, the two of them deliberately slowed down and started talking, with Zhao Jingli taking the lead.

Zhao Jingli previously had no concept of what kind of wife he wanted to marry.

In the past two years, he has watched Zhao Ruxi become self-reliant and stand at the pinnacle of the imperial examinations in the Great Jin Dynasty as a woman. She is recognized and respected by all officials and students. Qi Xugu of the Ministry of Revenue and his master Gan Lun often praise Zhao Ruxi and regret that she did not take up a post in the Ministry of Revenue.

On the other hand, the two sisters, Zhao Rurui and Zhao Ruyu, did not think about improving themselves; all they could think about was marrying a good husband and wanting to depend on men for the rest of their lives.

The contrast between the two was too stark, and his understanding of women gradually became clearer. He himself would absolutely not want to marry a woman like Zhao Rurui or Zhao Ruyu.

After Zhao Rurui and Zhao Ruyu get married, they will only focus on their own little plot of land, scheming and plotting for their own family or children, and using every means to grab things. They are narrow-minded, short-sighted, and uneducated. Children raised by such mothers will not amount to anything.

Before the families were divided, the Lady Wei and Lady Su were typical examples.