Sun was muttering to herself, while Yang Ruqing remained deeply shaken by the news, unable to recover.

"Well, if it were any other man's family, our little An wouldn't be afraid at all," Sun shi continued, following up with Yang Ruqing.

“With sisters-in-law like you and Tang Ya, and with big brother Da An looking after him, Xiao An has a very enviable position in the Ministry of War in Qianyuan County.”

"Our whole family eats off the government's salary, you see. Little An is good-looking too, with a strong build and powerful frame. He's young and fit, perfect for a match with that Liu family girl."

"But who would have known, your mother-in-law actually wanted to marry Liu's daughter to Zichuan! Besides being a few years older, Zichuan is in every other way not inferior to our Xiao An!"

Sun Shi's long sighs finally brought Yang Ruoheng back to her senses from the shock.

It's undeniable that she makes a very valid point.

Zichuan, he's on the same level as Tang Ya Zi.

Xia An is not as talented as Da An, who possesses both talent and beauty.

Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!

Xiao An is no match for Tang Yazi in martial arts.

When it comes to getting married, Xiao An has almost a 70% chance of losing against Suba!

But...

“Mother, don't be too discouraged and disheartened just yet,” Yang Ruqing continued.

"My stepmother wants to matchmake Liu Doukou and Zichuan. To be honest, I can understand that. After all, Zichuan is already thirty, and he really shouldn't delay any longer."

"And Xiao An is only seventeen, a few years later doesn't matter."

“My stepmother has gotten sick again. She probably knows herself that her time is short. If she were to pass away, Kazu would be completely and utterly alone. My stepmother wouldn't rest easy knowing that.”

"Now that this niece from the family is also of marriageable age, mother-in-law wants to play a part and have her cousin marry her nephew. This is out of love as a mother, we should understand." She added.

Mrs. Sun smiled wryly, “Well, you’re right. Standing in your mother-in-law’s position, it would be very worrying and anxious indeed.”

"But about this matter, I'm on Xiao An's side. Seeing such a good girl suddenly, I got flustered and couldn't help but want to snatch her away."

"After having a few sips of tea and hearing you say this, I'm getting really anxious and impatient."

"It's a good thing I inquired with your mother-in-law today, being more tactful and not revealing my own intentions. Otherwise, it would have been really awkward, and put your mother-in-law in a difficult position." she said.

Yang Ruqing smiled and comforted Sun Shi: "Alright, Mother, let's just forget about this. Don't worry about it anymore."

"Little An, you'll definitely find a good wife who makes you happy in the future."

Besides, didn't your mother often say that one shouldn't judge a person by their looks? That Cuier from Sunjiagou doesn't look any worse than Doukou, does she? If she were to be your daughter-in-law, wouldn't you be happy? Yang Ruqing asked.

Sun quickly shook her head. "Of course I wouldn't agree to that! Miss Cui'er is too cunning and ruthless. Back then, she even thought of drugging your younger brother, Da An. It's terrifying…"

Yang Ruqing stood up and poured another bowl of tea for Mrs. Sun, placing it in her hand and saying, "This is fine, isn't it? So you don't have to worry about Xiao An's marriage. If it really doesn't work out, you could start looking for a husband for Xiaoduo first. As for the eldest house, those cousins don't follow the order of seniority anyway. Whoever's destiny comes first gets married first."

Finally calming down Mrs. Sun, Yang Ruqing watched as Mrs. Sun left with light steps. Then she turned around and continued tidying the kitchen, but her mind kept pondering over Mu Zichuan and Liu Doukui’s affair.

About this matter, I can assure you that the elders of the Liu family and the Mu family must have made peace privately after a falling out.

As for whether Mu Zichuan and Liu Doukou, the two people involved, knew about it or not, it's hard to say.

In ancient times, it was common for cousins to marry each other.

But from the quality of offspring, blood relation is too close, and the probability of children being born with deformities and mental retardation is very high.

Even if the child was miraculously born healthy, Mu Zi Chuan's excellent genes would likely be significantly diminished.

But if both sets of elders agree and both men and women are willing, then this becomes a happy affair for all.

At least after Shikawa-san left, Shikawa wouldn't be lonely because he married his cousin as his wife, which further strengthened the relationship with his in-laws. He wasn't lonely anymore.

Humans are social animals who live in groups. The thing they fear most is loneliness.

Before, Tang YaZi often confided in her that if he hadn't met Yang RuQing, he wouldn't have such a lively little family and big family today.

Aunties, uncles, grand aunts and uncles—a whole bunch of them—were all brought in by her as her in-laws.

Well, no matter what, let's wish Zichuan well and hope he can marry Liudoukou and build a complete family. This way, everyone will be happy.

Because Mu Zichuan went out to buy medicine, only Liu Doukou was left at Lao Mu's house to take care of Zichuan's mother, so Yang Ruoqing naturally had to go over.

Because Mrs. Sun brought steamed buns at noon, Yang Ruoqing didn't have to send meals anymore.

So that afternoon, she took a basket and picked some chili peppers, a few cucumbers, and a handful of tender long beans from the vegetable garden in the backyard.

A dozen or so eggs were piled on top of the basket, covered with a cloth.

He greeted Wang Cuilian and then went to Lao Mu's house.

Under the shade of a camphor tree in her courtyard, Lao Mu's Liu Doukou was doing laundry.

Two baskets were placed by the side, containing not only clothes but also shoes for all seasons. Most of them belonged to Mu Zichuan.

She washed so intently that when Yang Ruqing stood by her basin, she only then realized.

"Qing'er sister, you're here?"

She looked up and saw that it was Yang Ruoheng, surprise flashing in her eyes.

Yang Ruqing said, "Hmm, I just picked some fresh vegetables and brought some over for you."

Liu Doukou, upon hearing this, quickly stood up.

She gently wiped her water-soaked hands on the hem of her dress, then reached out to take the basket Yang Ruqing offered.

Lifting the lid, she saw fresh vegetables and plump, smooth eggs inside. Liu Doukou's face was full of gratitude.

"That's great! I was just thinking about what to make for my aunt tonight. We had chicken noodle soup this morning, and steamed pork buns sent by my third aunt at noon. My aunt said she wanted something light for dinner. I was also planning on going for a walk outside after washing the clothes to see if I could find some wild vegetables to make porridge."

“Qinger, you came just at the right time. This is truly like sending a charcoal briquette in the snow, it's really great.”

Yesterday, Liu Doukou, who was still very shy, actually spoke so much today, which surprised Yang Ruoheng a little.

Have you spent a day getting to know her?

Please: m.

(Editor in charge：it novel)