Chapter 368: Close Relationship
"Brother Cong, what do you think of my niece?" Mrs. Xing waved away the maid beside her, then asked Jia Cong with a smile.
"My cousin is elegant, steady, well-educated and well-mannered. Naturally, she is excellent!"
"But cousin, are you going to find a matchmaker?" Jia Cong asked with a smile. Xing Xiuyun is the same age as Daiyu and Tanchun, also seventeen years old this year, and is indeed at the age to get married.
"Don't worry, Madam. No matter what family background the girl belongs to, as long as she's good and my cousin likes her, I'll take care of it!"
"We don't have many blood relatives in this family, so my cousin's marriage is something we cannot take lightly."
"This..." Madam Xing smiled awkwardly, "It is indeed about Xiuyan's marriage."
"Which boy does the eldest lady like? Let me check it out for my cousin first. If he's good, then that's fine. But if he's not good, if you want to marry my cousin, you have to see if I, your brother, am willing." Jia Cong said with a smile.
"Well..." Madam Xing hesitated for a moment, then she boldly said, "Brother Cong, what do you think about us getting closer to each other?"
"You also know that I have no children. Although Xiuyan is my niece, she is also half a daughter. When I get older, I may need my niece to take care of me. Therefore, I would not feel at ease if she married someone else. It is better for her to stay in the mansion. Not only can she keep me company, but I can also have someone to look forward to in the future..."
Jia Cong was stunned. Close relatives?
"Are you talking about Brother Bao?" Jia Cong asked. "Although Brother Bao is a good man, he is also the favorite of the old lady. Although the cousin is good, the old lady may not agree to it."
There is one thing in common between Lady Jia and Lady Wang, that is, they both attach great importance to Baoyu's marriage. Xing Xiuyun's appearance and talent are naturally rare, but considering the Xing family's status, it would be impossible for the old lady to agree to her.
Mrs. Xing waved her hands hurriedly, "Of course it's not Baoyu!"
Mrs. Xing hates Mrs. Wang to the core. How could she possibly like Baoyu?
"That's Huan'er? But Huan'er is still young..." Jia Cong said, but suddenly froze, "Could it be me that the eldest lady is talking about?"
There are only two or three cats, big and small, in the entire Jia family now, and the two people of the right age are only him and Baoyu. Since it's not Baoyu, it can only be him.
"Yes!" Madam Xing nodded without hesitation. "Brother Cong, you are a capable person. I trust you. If Xiuyan stays with you, you will naturally not treat her harshly. Besides, we are only in the east and west mansions. Xiuyan can come and talk with me often when she is free."
"Of course, I also know that Cong has already fallen in love with Bao and Lin. Xiuyan's status does not qualify her to be your legal wife, but she is suitable to be your concubine. It all depends on whether Cong is interested in that girl."
After a while, Jia Cong finally reacted, then smiled bitterly and said, "Madam, how can Xiuyan be my concubine? Wouldn't this make my cousin lose face? In my opinion, it is better to find a good family, even a family with some status. With my face, my cousin can sit in the main house and will not be bullied."
Upon hearing this, Madam Xing burst into tears and said, "How could I not know Cong'er's good intentions? But, I have suffered all my life. Will I have no ?"
"Besides, it's good to live in a high-class mansion. With Cong'er to take care of her, she won't be bullied. But we are outsiders after all. Can we still watch over Xiuyan every day? It's difficult for an official to judge family affairs. If she gets married, even if Xiuyan is wronged, I'm afraid she won't tell us."
"If it was in the mansion, would Cong, for my sake, still neglect that girl? She doesn't need any position, just having a warm-hearted person by her side would be great. If we have a child in the future, wouldn't it be better than marrying into a rich family?"
"Brother Cong, I don't ask for anything else. I just ask you to agree to this matter for my sake. On the one hand, I can completely put my mind at ease about my niece, and on the other hand, it will give me hope in the future and I won't be alone..."
Seeing Madam Xing acting like this, Jia Cong was immediately annoyed... Wasn't it about Xing Xiuyan's marriage? Why was she crying?
"Madam, this kind of thing cannot be forced. As a man, it is naturally fine for me. Besides, it is a blessing to have a woman like my cousin as a match. However, it depends on my cousin's feelings after all!"
Jia Cong's words were meant to shirk responsibility, but they made Mrs. Xing stop crying immediately.
"Cong'er, are you saying that as long as Xiu Yan agrees, you will agree?" Mrs. Xing's tears suddenly stopped, and the expression on her face changed dramatically.
Jia Cong's expression froze. Is this what he meant? But if he really refused, then Mrs. Xing would probably not give up. Moreover, in fact, this kind of thing is really not a big deal. If Mrs. Xing made up her mind and went directly to find the old lady, the old lady would not stop her.
After a while, under the gaze of Madam Xing, Jia Cong could only say, "If cousin Xiuyan is willing, then it would be my luck. However, there is no need to rush for such a thing. Madam, please find a suitable time and ask Xiuyan and her parents for their opinions."
"Okay, okay!" Mrs. Xing agreed hurriedly. As long as Jia Cong said so, the matter would be settled.
Although she had no special abilities, it was not difficult for her to suppress her brother and his wife. As for Xing Xiuyan, as a junior, how could she have any say in marriage matters?
Jia Cong chatted with Mrs. Xing for a few more words, but was afraid that Mrs. Xing would bring up the matter again, so he said goodbye and left in a hurry.
After Jia Cong left, Madam Xing paced happily in the room. After a while, she shouted outside, "Jiaohong!"
"Madam!" Jiaohong pushed the door open and came in.
"Go ask Aunt Fei to prepare a carriage for me. I need to go out of the house to visit my brother. Um... I have some fine cloth in my room. Take two pieces and take them with you. Also, take fifty taels of silver."
In order to finalize the matter as soon as possible, she naturally did not want to delay for a moment, and she suffered a heavy loss directly.
If it were a normal day, she would not even bother to give Xing Zhong and his wife eight or ten taels of silver, let alone fifty taels. But now all her hopes are on this niece. A mere few dozen taels of silver, as long as she can get things done, can't she earn it back ten or a hundred times in the future?
Soon, the maid outside prepared the carriage.
Mrs. Xing took Jiaohong and hurried out. The carriage made a big circle and came to the back street. Xing Zhong's family and Wang Xifeng's parents lived next to each other in the alley of the back street.
Although the house is not big, it is quiet and sufficient.
Jiaohong went forward and knocked on the door, and soon Xing Zhong came out.
