The Proposal

No one could figure out which young master would be lucky enough to marry the stunning Wen Manor's daughter. Naturally, many people followed along to see the excitement.

Two horse-drawn carriages arrived and came to a stop in front of the Wen family residence.

Magistrate Wen and his wife stood at their front entrance with their two children and several servants to greet the Xu family.

The elderly man was the first to step out of the carriage, prompting Magistrate Wen to promptly welcome him with a smile: "Sir, you've worked hard traveling all this way. We're grateful you came in person."

The old man smiled back: "What are you saying? It'd be impossible for me to miss such an important day!"

Matchmaker Bao observed this interaction and realized the families were close. She beamed with delight and said: "Lord Wen, I feel incredibly fortunate to witness the perfect match between Miss Wen and Young Master Xu today. It's truly a blessing beyond three lifetimes!"

Madam Wen smiled: "Matchmaker Bao, you're too kind. But let's not stand here chatting at the door with so many eyes on us!"

Mrs. Zhang laughed: "Madam Wen, I've come today to propose to Wenwu. Certainly can't skip the betrothal gifts, right?"

Yueyang, ever observant, began unloading the carefully prepared gifts from the carriages. Yue Xiao and Yue Xue quickly joined in to help.

Madam Wen smiled and said: "Our families are well-known to each other now, and I'm very pleased with Wenwu. Let's just go through the motions quickly."

The servants from the Wen family rushed forward to help. Each one carried a redwood chest tied with red silk, moving them to the main hall of the Wen residence.

Mrs. Zhang smiled and said: "Madam Wen, as you know, Huamen Town is small with limited fine items. We had to ask Master Su and others to gather these from the capital on short notice. If there's anything lacking, please bear with us."

Madam Wen held Mrs. Zhang's hand and said: "What are you saying? After today, we'll be related by marriage. There's no need to be so formal between us."

Wen Die had woken up early this morning and carefully dressed herself. Seeing how much effort the Xu family put into selecting marriage gifts so quickly, she felt both touched and happy.

Once all the gifts were brought into the Wen home, everyone sat down inside.

The Wen Manor's servants bustled around cheerfully, serving tea and snacks, enjoying their busy day. This was their family's special occasion, and they knew they'd benefit from it too.

Yueyang and his friends opened each chest one by one, showing the Wen family the contents.

"That crown is really beautiful!"

"Yeah! Look at the pendant with the intertwined mandarin ducks. It's decorated with all kinds of colored stones. It's so intricate! You can tell it's worth a lot!"

"And those white jade vases are so pretty!"

"Look at that fabric. The pattern is really nice. It almost looks iridescent. Miss would look great in that!"

The Wen Manor servants gathered around the presents, excitedly discussing them. Madam Wen smiled, today was a special day for the manor, and letting the servants join the excitement made the atmosphere more lively, so she didn't shoo them away.

"Wow! What jewelry is that? It's so beautiful!"

One of the maids gasped. Realizing she'd spoken too loudly, she lowered her head and covered her mouth.

"Miss, look!" Yuan'Er exclaimed.

Wen Die, already feeling self-conscious and keeping her head down, heard the maids' exclamation. Curious, she raised her head and followed Yuan'er's pointing finger.

Instantly, she found it hard to look away and couldn't help but walk closer.

A ray of sunlight hit the diamond surface just right, making the butterfly wings shimmer with a colorful glow, creating a dazzling effect.

Wen Die reached out to touch the butterfly on the hairpin, murmuring: "It's really beautiful!"

Xu Wenwu stepped forward with a smile: "Do you like it?"

Wen Die immediately nodded. But then she realized her impulsive reaction, her face turning bright red. This is a major embarrassment, she thought. In front of my future family, I can't even control myself. Will they think I'm too vain or something?

Mrs. Zhang noticed Wen Die's flustered expression and quickly came to her rescue. Smiling, she said: "Die'er, what girl doesn't love something beautiful? When I first saw this headdress, I couldn't stay as composed as you did!"

Madam Wen, studying the diamond-studded headpiece, also couldn't hide her admiration: "I've never seen such a clear and sparkling gem before! And it gives off that multicolored glow too. It's truly beautiful—must be very expensive, right?"

Mrs. Wang spoke up: "There's no need for secrets between us. This headdress was made by Qibao with her own hands. She wants to give it as a wedding gift for the future eldest sister-in-law since she adores Die'er. You won't find any diamond jewelry like this for sale right now, it's entirely unique."

"Let's thank Qibao for her hard work." Madam Wen said: "It's rare to find such skill. This butterfly is really lovely and fits Die-er's name perfectly."

Mrs. Zhang added,:"Qibao decided on the butterfly design because there's the character 'butterfly' in Die-er's name."

Madam Wen smiled: "Die'er, did you hear that? This is your future husband's heartfelt gesture. After you marry into the Wen family, you must take care of Qibao as your own little sister—treat her with love and respect, understand?"

Wen Die nodded, her face flushed, feeling deeply grateful towards Qibao.

Gramps chuckled: "Lord Wen, if there's anything else you're not satisfied with, just let us know. I'll make it right away, no questions asked, until you're completely happy."

Magistrate Wen waved his hand: "I'm satisfied—I'm very satisfied. Old man, let's get the marriage contract out so everyone can relax."

Smiling, Madam Wen pulled out a large red marriage contract from her sleeve. With the matchmaker watching, the two families exchanged the documents.

With that, the engagement was set. The two families were now technically half-relatives.

"Come here, carry everything to the young lady's courtyard!" Madam Wen instructed her servants.

"At once, Madam." The servants quickly picked up the items and rushed carefully to the rear courtyard.

Bao the Matchmaker realized the engagement had gone off without a hitch. What followed were just family matters, so she tactfully bid them farewell.

Seeing this, Mrs. Wang stuffed a large red envelope into the matchmaker's hands and warmly escorted her out.

Bao the Matchmaker, clutching the envelope containing a clearly visible silver bill, beamed with a face resembling a chrysanthemum flower. Waving her handkerchief, she left in high spirits.

Magistrate Wen turned to Xu Dabo and said: "From now on, we're family. I won't hold back anymore, how about I call you brother Xu?"

Xu Dabo replied with a laugh:"Haha, I'd be more than happy!"

While the adults engaged in lively conversation, Xu Wenwu quietly took Wen Die's hand and led her to the rear courtyard.

Wen Die, like a young bride-to-be, allowed Xu Wenwu to lead her by the hand without resistance.

The chatting adults noticed their movement but tactfully pretended not to see. After all, as unofficially engaged, holding hands was acceptable between them.

Once they reached a secluded spot in the rear courtyard, Xu Wenwu pulled out a jade ornament from his chest pocket and pressed it into Wen Die's hands. Smiling, he said: "Die'er, this is a token of my affection for you. If I'm not around and you miss me, just take it out and look at it."