"It is getting late, Eldest Brother Baiwan. If you ask me, how about this? Look at my Bowen—he has such a good temper, and we are in the same village anyway. Let's arrange a childhood betrothal. Whenever you miss your daughter, you can come over and see her anytime."
Cui Bowen?
That spineless loser who couldn't even manage a single clever retort?
Fu Baiwan flatly refused. "No, no. Your Bowen is way too old for her."
"Eldest Brother Baiwan, then what about my Xuewu? He's built like a tank; nobody will ever dare bully little Qiujiu in the future."
Fu Baiwan shook his head. "She's still this young. It's too hard to say what things will be like down the road."
That Li Xuewu—he was already four years old and still couldn't even count. He was much too slow.
"Baiwan, then take a look at my boy, Chenglong."
Ma Chenglong?
Fu Baiwan fell into deep thought. Seeing this, the others figured Ma Liang actually had a shot this time.
Right at that moment, Tang Xian, who had remained silent all along, chimed in with a faint, eerie voice: "Uncle, Ma Chenglong is really something else. Just the other day, he killed a little puppy with a single punch."
"That's right, that's right. The boy's got some real muscle." Oblivious to the trap Tang Xian was digging for him, Ma Liang actually thought the kid was all right and gave him a nod.
Fu Baiwan had just been thinking that the Ma family boy wasn't half bad—he looked decent enough, his family had some land, and they even owned two oxen. But the second he heard the boy had beaten a dog to death with his bare fists, he was instantly terrified.
Never mind whether the boy had a shred of compassion; what if he got into a fight with his daughter down the line? With a temper that violent, what if he ended up raising a hand against her?
The mere image was too horrifying to contemplate.
If anyone ever dared lay a single finger on his daughter, he would definitely have to risk his life fighting them.
Fu Baiwan forced a couple of laughs. "My Qiujiu is still tiny. You lot are actually taking this seriously. It's getting late, time to go home for dinner."
Not daring to linger any longer, Fu Baiwan finished speaking and quickly hauled the two little ones away.
Fu Qiujiu felt immensely relieved. Her old man had finally hit the brakes just in time, sparing her from ending up with some unwanted childhood betrothal.
Of course, Tang Xian deserved a share of the credit too.
...
At the Zhou Family house.
The moment Madam Zhou stepped through the door, her younger brother's two children swarmed her, patting down her pockets and searching her clothes.
"Third Auntie, what delicious treats did you bring?"
"Nothing." Madam Zhou frowned. Truth be told, Fu Bajin and Fu Tianfu were definitely better-behaved than these two; she had never once caught them rifling through their elders' belongings.
"I don't believe you. Hurry up and let us see."
"I really don't have anything." Madam Zhou watched as the two children blindly pawed all over her. Naturally, even if the kids meant no harm, the behavior was still thoroughly irritating.
She let out an impatient shout, and seeing that her elderly mother sitting on the *kang* showed not the slightest intention of intervening, her mood plummeted even further.
"Mom, Dawang and Erwang have zero manners. Are you just not going to discipline them at all?"
The moment Old Mother Zhou heard that, she went off like a lit firecracker. "What do you mean, they have no manners? How can you, an aunt, talk about your own nephews like that? They treat you like family, that's why! Why don't they go pat down strangers, huh?"
"Mom..."
Old Mother Zhou glared at her. "You come home empty-handed and then start squawking and squalling. What gives you the right to act so high and mighty?"
Madam Zhou finally managed to push her two nephews away, her head buzzing with a dull ache. "Mom, didn't you say before that you were going to let the two of them go to school? Bajin, Tianfu, and Sixth Brother have all gone."
"School? Not worth a damn. Wouldn't that money be better spent on food and drink?"
Old Mother Zhou clamped her teeth around her pipe stem, her face a mask of utter contempt.
She blew out a cloud of smoke and continued, "Take that fifth one of yours, for instance. He studied for seven or eight years, and what did he have to show for it? Your family just has money to burn."
"By the way, where did that money come from?"
"The money..." Madam Zhou hesitated. The family certainly had money now, but she knew better than to mention that to her maiden family.
"Fifth stopped studying and went to become an apprentice, didn't he? The remaining money is for the younger ones."
"Your parents' brains must be fried." Old Mother Zhou curled her lip. "Still, you really got the short end of the stick this time. Their Second's family has a son going to school, while yours has nothing at all. Didn't you say anything to your parents-in-law?"
"I... how could I bring that up? Besides, if I had a son, he could go too." Madam Zhou's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Nonsense! Talk about having a son *after* you actually have one. Even if you don't, your share shouldn't be any less!"
Old Mother Zhou set her pipe down and banged it against the edge of the *kang*, looking at her with bitter disappointment. "Look at you—you don't have your Eldest Sister's methods, nor do you have your Second Sister's luck. I really... how on earth did I give birth to such a worrywart of a daughter?"
"Who's to blame if I have bad luck?" Madam Zhou muttered under her breath. "Fine, fine, what's the use of talking about all this now? Things are already like this anyway. Besides, I came back here to talk to you about something important."
Old Mother Zhou glared at her. "Is it right there?"
Madam Zhou followed the direction of her mother's finger and looked over. Two packages of herbal medicine sat atop the cabinet. Instantly, her lingering displeasure vanished, replaced by a smiling expression.
"Mom, you got everything ready? I knew you cared about me."
"Don't waste sweet-talking nonsense on me. These two doses of medicine cost a full silver tael! I had to buy them on credit, and I still have to pay it back!"
"Why are they so expensive? Didn't they only cost three hundred wen before?" Madam Zhou asked anxiously.
She opened up the wrapping paper to take a look. Since her family had recently been digging up medicinal herbs, she had picked up a rough idea of the prices. "There aren't even any expensive herbs in here! Mom, did you get scammed?"
A flash of panic crossed Old Mother Zhou's face, though she quickly masked it. "Are you a physician? What do you know about it? There are plenty of good herbs in there! A silver tael is worth it if it lets you have a baby—you're making out like a bandit. Too expensive? Then don't take it!"
Madam Zhou hurriedly snatched the medicine back. She figured her mother wouldn't cheat her; after all, she only recognized a few herbs herself, and she wasn't even certain about those. "A silver tael... that's so much money."
"Make your husband's family pay for it." Old Mother Zhou gave her a sideways glance. "They've got money to send sons and grandsons to some fancy-schmancy school that's completely useless, but they don't have the money to buy medicine for you to nourish your body?"
"This..."
Madam Zhou knew in her heart that whenever she asked for money to buy medicine, her in-laws gave it if they had it.
But this time, the sum was genuinely a bit steep.
Still, upon second thought, her old mother had a point.
Bearing a child was a major event for her—far more important than going to school.
"I know."
"Right, did you talk to me about that matter I mentioned?"
Old Mother Zhou's eyes filled with anticipation. "Did your parents-in-law agree?"
"I..."
Seeing her stammering and hesitating, Old Mother Zhou knew instantly that she hadn't said a word. She jabbed a finger angrily at her daughter. "You wretched girl! Do you actually want to watch your nephew stay a bachelor for the rest of his life?"
***
Madam Zhou dragged out her tone. "Mom, what are you even talking about? How old is Daxi anyway? It's not like he can't find a wife—why on earth does he have to latch onto my little aunt?"
"You know as well as I do how much the Fu family treasures that girl from top to bottom. Besides, my little aunt hasn't even reached her first full year yet, and you're already asking me to bring this up... How am I supposed to open my mouth?"
Old Mother Zhou poked her hard on the head, making Madam Zhou wince and frown. "Just proves that having daughters is useless! You can't even handle a tiny matter like this. What else can I possibly count on you for?"
"Well, I genuinely didn't bring it up because it's completely out of the question! Besides, why does it *have* to be my little aunt? There's a generational gap between us, for crying out loud!"
"What generational gap? Can you eat a generation, or drink it?" Old Mother Zhou grumbled, saliva flying from the corners of her mouth. "You're just not putting any effort into it."
"If it weren't for the fact that she's a lucky star, your second sister's family wouldn't even deign to look at her!"
Madam Zhou sighed. "Didn't you used to say my little aunt wasn't any lucky star? How come you're starting to believe it now?"
"I don't believe it, but your second sister's mother-in-law does! She wants to bring the families even closer through marriage and told you to put in some effort. Let me tell you, don't be a fool—your second sister's family owns so much land. If they just casually give you a helping hand in the future, your life will take off."
It wasn't that Madam Zhou didn't want to help. For literally any other matter, she would have pitched in—wasn't helping out what close sisters were supposed to do?
But this particular issue? She genuinely had no way to bring it up.
"Mom, I've already told you how this is. It won't work. My parents-in-law treat that girl like the apple of their eye—how could they possibly marry her off casually?"
"What do you mean, casually? Your second sister's family conditions are eight times better than yours! Marrying Daxi is that little girl's good fortune."
Madam Zhou bit her lower lip. "If you want to talk about it, go say it yourself. Eldest Sister or Second Sister can go talk to them directly if they want. I certainly can't bring myself to say it."
"Useless piece of trash, can't count on you for a single thing. You can't even manage this tiny task—having daughters is nothing but a headache and completely useless!"
At the dinner table, Madam Zhou listened as Fu Baiwan told the family just how utterly adorable the little milk dumpling was, and how so many people wanted to betroth their sons to her. At that moment, she knew her mother's scheming was a dead end.
"These people... seriously. How old is Little Aunt even?" Lady Wu laughed helplessly, finding the whole thing amusing.
"Tell me about it." Tian Guihua scooped a spoonful of steamed egg custard for the little milk dumpling, telling her to eat slowly.
Fu Qiujiu ate very slowly. Mainly, her Second Sister-in-law's culinary skills had suffered another bout of instability today—she had definitely added salt twice. It was way too salty.
"Qiujiu, why aren't you eating? Want Mom to feed you?"
Fu Qiujiu thought of her mother's unique method of feeding... and was so startled she quickly lowered her head and took a bite on her own.
"This child is just so sensible, don't even need me to feed her." Tian Guihua beamed, the corners of her eyes crinkling. All her children took after her, each one looking exceptionally good-looking.
Of course, Fu Baiwan wasn't bad either—tall and upright, though he had gained some years and experienced a few of life's hardships.
He was right in his prime, and if he cleaned himself up properly, he could be quite charming.
Noticing that her usually chatty Eldest Daughter-in-law was unusually quiet today, Tian Guihua looked closer and saw a face full of worries.
"Eldest, what's wrong? Something going on over at your mother's place?"
"Nothing much." Madam Zhou managed a strained smile. "Mom, things are fine over there."
Tian Guihua gave a slight nod and didn't probe any further.
Even so, Madam Zhou was breaking out in a cold sweat. After all, her mother and second sister hadn't given up on their pipe dream of getting Qiujiu betrothed to Daxi, and there was no telling when they might actually show up at the Fu house.
As it turned out, it didn't even take long. The very next day, the mother-daughter pair showed up at the Fu family doorstep, bringing along the plump and chubby Jiang Xiliang.
Fu Baiwan and Tian Guihua still assumed the in-laws were just making a social call—though they visited often enough, they still received them with polite words.
"Second's wife, go pour some tea for your aunt and second sister."
Second Sister Zhou waved a hand. "No need. I'm not used to drinking ordinary tea. At our house, we only drink tea that costs a silver tael per catty."
Held by the hand, Fu Qiujiu thought to herself: *Is tea that costs a silver tael a catty really that expensive?*
Tian Guihua smiled. She had no desire to press a warm face against a cold backside; if they didn't want tea, all the better—saved her the trouble.
"Second's wife, your aunt and second sister aren't outsiders. If they say they don't want any, then they really don't want any."
With the sun beating down so fiercely, Second Sister Zhou and Old Mother Zhou had walked all the way here via mountain paths—how could they not be thirsty?
She had just been putting on airs, never expecting the old woman to actually take her literally.
The words were already out; there was no taking them back now.
"So this must be the little girl? She really is a pretty thing. Daxi, aren't you always saying how much you love little younger sisters? Hurry up and go play with her!"
"Second Sister, that form of address isn't quite right, is it? Our Qiujiu is of the same generation as you; Daxi should be calling our Qiujiu 'Auntie' as well."
Second Sister Zhou offered a sheepish, forced smile and didn't bother correcting her son's form of address.
Tian Guihua didn't care either. It was just a title; they probably wouldn't be interacting many more times anyway.
"Go on, go on. Daxi, be careful with Qiujiu and keep an eye on her," Madam Zhou said with a cheerful smile.
Tian Guihua wasn't comfortable letting her youngest daughter go outside with strangers, and as she hesitated over whether to stop them, Tang Xian stepped forward.
"Auntie, I'll go play with them too."
Tian Guihua had always thought this Tang Qi boy was exceptional—polite, well-mannered, and never causing trouble. Clearly only five years old, he acted more sensible than a fifteen-year-old.
With him tagging along, she felt completely at ease.
"Off you go, and play nicely."
Watching Tang Xian's retreating figure, Old Mother Zhou remarked with a sour tone, "In-law, you sure are blessed. You can give birth, you can raise them, and now you've even gone out and picked up an extra one. Heh, anyone who didn't know better would think you were trying to recruit a live-in son-in-law for your daughter."
"What live-in son-in-law? Our Qiujiu is still a baby! In-law, you really know how to joke."
Seeing her opening, Old Mother Zhou poured oil on the fire. "If you ask me, though, with so many sons, you don't have to worry about anyone to look after you in your old age. No matter how much you pet that little daughter, she'll have to get married off eventually. Once you find a good family whose roots you know inside and out, the two of you can finally rest easy."
Fu Baiwan had originally wanted to head outside—stuck in a room full of women, he couldn't get a word in edgewise, and on top of that, he truly didn't feel at ease leaving his youngest daughter.
However, upon hearing Old Mother Zhou's remarks, both husband and wife felt a creeping suspicion that these visitors meant no good.
Meanwhile, outdoors, Jiang Xiliang unceremoniously grabbed Fu Qiujiu's hand and puckered his greasy, oversized lips, preparing to plant a kiss right on her.
*Good grief, what a little pervert! He's not even sparing a tiny milk-doll like her?*
Jiang Xiliang was big-boned, tall, and heavily padded with fat; he wasn't someone she could easily shove away with her toddler strength. Just as she was scanning her surroundings for an animal or plant friend to lend a hand, Jiang Xiliang was suddenly shoved aside by the little young master.
The two boys were roughly the same age, but their builds differed vastly. Yet, facing a bulky, sturdier fat boy, the young master showed zero trace of fear.
Right—he had acted the hero saving the beauty in front of a wild boar, after all.
Fu Qiujiu decisively gave the little young master a round of applause. "Seven Bro, *mwah*~"
Once Tang Xian had learned the meaning of that particular phrase, he still couldn't help blushing red.
***
Jiang Xiliang glared at Tang Xian and swung back to strike him, but there was no way he could land a hit. Every single time, Tang Xian nimbly dodged out of the way just as Jiang Xiliang's hand was about to touch him.
After a few tries, Jiang Xiliang's mental state completely collapsed, and he threw a tantrum on the ground, kicking and thrashing.
"You get back here! Let me hit you once, come back!"
Seeing this behavior, Tang Xian knew right away the boy was utterly spoiled rotten by his family.
Fu Qiujiu toddled over to Tang Xian's side and, riding on his coattails, shouted fiercely, "Hit him! Hit him!"
"Aahhh... You stinky brat! I'm trying to kiss my wife, and you actually hit me! Just you wait, I'm going to tell my mom and have her beat you to death!"
"Your wife?"
Fu Qiujiu was about to ask, but the little young master spoke up first.
"That's right!" Jiang Xiliang wiped his snot with his sleeve, causing Fu Qiujiu to curl her lip in disgust.
"When did she become your wife?"
"She just is! My mom and my grandma came here specifically to make her my wife, so she *is* my wife!"
"No way."
Tang Xian's tone was so decisive that even Fu Qiujiu couldn't help glancing over at him. How did he know?
He just *did*. Tang Xian curled his lips into a cold smirk. Fu Baiwan and his wife adored the little milk dumpling with all their hearts; how could they possibly marry her off to a good-for-nothing lecher like this?
Fu Qiujiu also believed her parents wouldn't be that foolish.
"She is, she is! You picked-up brat, nobody asked you to meddle! Scram, scram!" Relying on his height advantage, Jiang Xiliang tried once more to push Tang Xian, only to be easily dodged yet again.
This time, Fu Qiujiu caught the movement—the kid clearly knew some moves.
Having missed his target and burning with frustration, Jiang Xiliang jumped up and down in a rage, while Fu Qiujiu, unfazed and loving the drama, clapped her hands from the sidelines to cheer Tang Xian on.
"Seven Bro, *mwah*~"
Tang Xian: "..."
"You aren't allowed to kiss anyone else! You're mine, you can only kiss me!" Jiang Xiliang announced tyrannically.
He usually detested playing with girl-toddlers, but the moment he saw how fair, tender, clean, and sweetly fragrant the little milk dumpling was, he had instantly taken a liking to her.
Fu Qiujiu refused to coddle him and planted a few more imaginary *mwah*s toward Tang Xian.
That pushed the chubby Jiang Xiliang right over the edge. He collapsed onto the ground, howling and wailing as if he were mourning his own mother.
"You're my wife! You're not allowed to kiss anyone else, you can only kiss me, boo-hoo... I'm going to go tell my mom on you..."
Inside the house, Fu Baiwan furrowed his brows deeply. If not for the sake of his eldest daughter-in-law's face, he would have thrown these two women out long ago.
"I'm telling you, no way. Absolutely not, not a chance in hell!"
Madam Zhou had known all along that this was how it would end, which was why keeping quiet had been the right call.
Tian Guihua also felt that these two women had completely lost their minds, wishing for things far beyond their station. Fortunately, at that exact moment, the sound of a child crying outside broke the awkward tension.
"What's going on out there? Could something have happened to the children? Let's go take a look."
Before she could even finish speaking, Fu Baiwan had already bolted headfirst out the door. How did a crying fit suddenly turn completely silent?
"Don't you dare talk nonsense. Qiujiu is never going to marry you," Tang Xian said in a chilling voice. "If you ever dare call her your wife again, I'll make you mute for the rest of your life. Do you hear me?"
So terrified he nearly pissed his pants, Jiang Xiliang found himself completely paralyzed and unable to make a sound. When had he ever encountered a situation like this?
"If you hear me, blink your eyes." Tang Xian looked down at him from above.
Jiang Xiliang blinked frantically, terrified that if he was a second too late, he'd be mute and immobile forever.
"Don't you dare go running your mouth to anyone, or else..." Tang Xian released his acupressure points. Seeing Jiang Xiliang nod vigorously, Tang Xian looked down at Fu Qiujiu, who was currently using her tiny shoes to give Jiang Xiliang a forceful stomp, and added, "And you aren't allowed to talk about it either, understand?"
Fu Qiujiu smiled brightly and nodded. *So the little young master is actually a martial arts expert?*
He even knew how to hit pressure points?
Even though Fu Qiujiu was stepping on him, Jiang Xiliang didn't dare fight back. He could only gaze pathetically as the pretty little milk dumpling slipped permanently out of the "wife" category.
*Boo-hoo, my heart hurts.*
"Is Qiujiu alright?"
The very first thing Fu Baiwan did upon coming outside was check on his youngest daughter. Seeing her cheerfully holding hands with Tang Qi, he finally let out a breath of relief.
"Tang Qi, what happened?"
Tang Xian glanced at the sniffling, tear-stained Jiang Xiliang. "Nothing. He tripped and fell by himself, and then started crying."
"Xizi! Big Xizi, what's wrong with you?" Old Mother Zhou and Second Sister Zhou arrived a moment later, immediately rushing over to check on their boy.
"Mom... Grandma... Waah..." Jiang Xiliang wailed miserably.
"What's this about? Did someone bully you?" Old Mother Zhou asked with a caustic sneer. "Don't be afraid. Tell Grandma who bullied you, and I'll settle the score for you."
"I..." Jiang Xiliang caught a glimpse of the unperturbed Tang Xian and recalled how terrifying his recent ordeal had been—he hadn't been able to move, and he couldn't even speak.
He never wanted to experience that again.
"Boo-hoo... nobody... nobody hit me."
Fu Qiujiu beamed brightly as she tilted her head back, looking utterly innocent and pure.
Tang Xian wore an expression of total detachment, as if none of it concerned him.
"Really?" Second Sister Zhou's eyes remained locked on Tang Xian, giving him a suspicious glare.
Tang Xian let her inspect him as much as she liked.
Jiang Xiliang had genuinely been scared out of his wits. "M-mm, really, Mom... I want to go home, I want to go home, I don't want a wife, I don't want a wife at all!"
"Cough, cough..." Tian Guihua suppressed a laugh. The boy was this old and still throwing tantrums like that—and he actually thought he could marry her daughter?
Not a chance in hell.