Chapter 681: 285 Loo Ying’s Marriage (Part 2)_2
Yueyao nodded and said, "Then let her come back." At least by her side, Qiao Lan’s food and clothing could be guaranteed. As for marriage, that was not to be mentioned for now.
The news was passed on, and Qiao Lan returned the next day. Qiao Lan thought she would never return to Yueyao’s side, but unexpectedly, she was summoned back.
Yueyao looked at the haggard Qiao Lan and hurriedly asked, "What’s wrong? Didn’t you have a good time at the manor?" Qiao Lan was helped by staying with Hua Lei; she shouldn’t have been neglected.
Xiang Wei felt that Yueyao was sometimes a bit foolish. Qiao Lan and Hua Lei were about the same age. Hua Lei was about to be married, and Qiao Lan was physically impaired and couldn’t marry. Her future was uncertain; it was no wonder she seemed haggard. Oh, following such a foolish mistress, her future was worrying indeed!
Qiao Lan knelt in front of Yueyao and sobbed, "Miss..." The past half year for Qiao Lan was no different from being amidst deep waters and scorching fires; now, being able to return and serve Yueyao was the best news.
All the personal maids around Yueyao were brought from Jiangnan and were very familiar with Qiao Lan, so she quickly integrated into Begonia Garden.
Zhuang Ruolan and Madam Tang acted quickly and selected two more families for Loo Ying, one being the concubine-born child of a prestigious family, and the other being a wealthy landlord with thousands of acres of good farmland, adding to the earlier two families. These four options were given to Loo Ying to choose from.
Loo Ying did not choose the concubine-born child of the prestigious family as Xiang Wei thought she might. She disliked all four options and outright rejected them. Zhuang Ruolan then couldn’t be bothered anymore and directly had Ma Peng relay Loo Ying’s thoughts to Ma Chengteng to decide what to do.
Not to mention how Ma Peng felt, Ma Chengteng, upon hearing from his son about Loo Ying’s thoughts, also didn’t bother to say much. He directly summoned Loo Ying and asked, "Are you saying you want a marriage similar to Yueyao’s?" He had provided for Loo Ying luxuriously as she grew up. He was just about to arrange a marriage for her and prepare a dowry, fulfilling his moral and righteous duties, but unexpectedly, she did not appreciate his kindness.
Loo Ying, seeing the expression on Ma Chengteng’s face, was too frightened to speak.
Ma Chengteng, looking at Loo Ying’s expression and remembering Ma Peng’s words, immediately snapped, "You truly dare to ask for a marriage like the Shen family? You should take a good look at your own conditions." When Loo Ying’s father died, he was just a sixth-rank minor official. Loo Ying herself had neither looks nor talents, and the families currently being considered were already a courtesy to her. He really didn’t expect Loo Ying to be this delusional.
Loo Ying turned pale and said, "Uncle, I don’t have such high hopes. I just want to find a better family so that I won’t have to suffer hardships in the future!"
Ma Chengteng said with an unpleasant expression, "You say it, what hardships have I made you suffer?" Loo Ying had been with the Ma Family since she was six. He had raised her until now, and never once had she lacked anything in these nearly ten years. Yet, he never expected to earn a reputation in the Ma Family for making her suffer. He really had raised an ingrate.
Realizing she had misspoken, Loo Ying quickly knelt on the ground, cried, and said, "Uncle, I meant I suffered a lot while at the Loo Family. In the mansion, under uncle’s protection, Yingying lived very well! Uncle, I am just a bit frightened because of the days at the Loo Family."
Ma Chengteng’s expression softened a bit and said, "Since you want to find a wealthy family and not suffer hardships, then choose the He family. The He family is affluent, and the second son of the He family is also considered a fine man. Marrying into that family won’t be unfair to you." The He family that Ma Chengteng mentioned was the one proposed by Madam Tang, a merchant family.
Loo Ying was stupefied: "Uncle..."
Once Ma Chengteng made a decision, he no longer left any choice for Loo Ying.
How could Loo Ying agree to marry into a merchant family when she would immediately be looked down upon as a merchant’s wife? Loo Ying had someone send a letter to Lady Xiao Ma at the manor, hoping Lady Xiao Ma would intervene and reject this marriage proposal.
Madam Tang’s steward intercepted the letter before it was sent out. Madam Tang looked at the letter and sneered, "Let her send it! Good, I don’t want her to marry into the He family either; that would make things awkward for me." The He family, being a merchant family, would be quite satisfied with marrying a daughter from an official’s family, but with Loo Ying’s high expectations, it was better not to marry her into the He family, lest she brings disaster upon them.
Lady Xiao Ma, having received the news, hurriedly rushed back to Ma’s Mansion. Zhuang Ruolan claimed she needed to recuperate and did not meet with Lady Xiao Ma, leaving Madam Tang to handle it.
After seeing Lady Xiao Ma, Madam Tang realized why Loo Ying was so audacious; it was all because of Lady Xiao Ma’s bad influence. The root cause was bad, and it was too late to correct it.