Chapter 398: I Will Marry Before My Sister_1

Wei Ruo’s question made an already somewhat embarrassed Madam Yun even more uncomfortable.

However, she continued to try to persuade Wei Ruo, explaining with both sentiment and reason, “Ruoruo, consider it as helping your sister with her dowry. She won’t forget you when she enters the Wang Residence.”

“I ask my mother in return, if I were to marry first now, would you let my sister provide for my dowry?” Wei Ruo asked.

“Of course I would.” Madam Yun replied.

“Good, then let’s have my sister provide for my dowry first,” Wei Ruo said.

Wei Ruo’s mouth curled into a slight smile as she watched Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan as if watching a good drama unfold.

“Ruoruo, you aren’t… Aren’t you still not being married?” Madam Yun said.

“Isn’t it because mother thought I was just making a hypothetical assumption that mother agreed so readily?” Wei Ruo asked.

“Not at all, but the fact is that your sister is getting married before you,” Madam Yun said.

“Mother, there is a tradition in which elders get married before the younger siblings. As the elder sister, it is only natural for me to get married before my sister. Although my sister is betrothed first due to imperial decree, the marriage is set for next year. There is still time to arrange for me to get married first. This is how most wealthy households do it, from what I’ve seen,” Wei Ruo explained.

Madam Yun paused and stayed silent for a while before replying, “What you said makes sense, but didn’t you refuse to discuss marriage so soon? Weren’t you very upset when the Xiu Family wanted to discuss marriage for you?”

“I just thought I was not suitable for high-born families like the Xiu, not that I don’t want to get married. Now, I have found my ideal husband-to-be. I’m just waiting for them to propose, and for my parents to agree,” Wei Ruo replied.

Wei Ruo’s words were shocking; her calm tone belied a revelation that neither Madam Yun nor Wei Qingwan had expected.

“What did you say?” Madam Yun’s face changed drastically.

Wei Ruo remained calm, her silence served as an affirmation.

Madam Yun then challenged, “You mean you made contact with a man privately and arranged your own marriage?”

“That is correct,” Wei Ruo responded calmly.

“Nonsense! Can a lady behave so frivolously?” Madam Yun was enraged.

“Isn’t this the good example set by Wei Qingwan? How is it that what is understandable for her, is considered frivolous when it comes to me?” Wei Ruo questioned back. Her demeanor remained unperturbed with a touch of sarcasm in her smile.

Wei Ruo’s question silenced Madam Yun, her words of rebuke stuck in her throat.

Madam Yun struggled for a response, then finally said, “I didn’t say what your sister did was right.”

Wei Ruo calmly replied, “In any case, mother, I have already chosen my future husband. He will propose soon. When the time comes, mother, please arrange my wedding prior to my sister’s. We wouldn’t want to be a laughingstock to others.”

Turning to Wei Qingwan, Wei Ruo continued, “Your sister will get married before you. You wouldn’t begrudge adding to your sister’s dowry when the time comes, right?”

The expressions of both Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan were very strained, their faces shrouded in a gloomy shade.

“Ruoruo, if you don’t want to spend money on your sister’s ointment, you can just say it directly. There’s no need to make such a fuss. Marriage is not child’s play!” Madam Yun continued.

“Don’t worry, mother, I’m not playing around. I’ve chosen a suitable husband from a respectable family for myself. Although they may be poor, they are from an honest and scholarly family, and they have made some achievements to their name, making them an ideal match for me,” Wei Ruo explained.

“What’s suitable or not suitable? Historically, parents make the decisions in matters of marriage, not children!”

“Then mother should take some time to assess whether it’s suitable and grant the marriage.”

“Regardless, we should not rush this matter,” Madam Yun opposed.

“Mother does not need to oppose hastily, we could wait for father to return, discuss with him, and then come to a decision,” Wei Ruo suggested calmly.

Madam Yun was speechless; when Wei Ruo brought Wei Mingting into the picture, she couldn’t reach a decision.

Wei Qingwan was frowning, her lips pursed.

Both of them looked at Wei Ruo. They seemed to have a thousand words to say, but yet could not voice them out.

After watching the two of them for a while, Wei Ruo said, “Since mother doesn’t have anything else to say, I’ll leave first. I’ve been quite busy recently, and I won’t be able to accompany mother and sister.”

With that, Wei Ruo got up and left.

Madam Yun opened her mouth, wanting to stop Wei Ruo, but she couldn’t find the right words to say. She swallowed the words that had formed on the tip of her tongue.

After Wei Ruo left, Madam Yun sighed, “I don’t know if the child is serious, or if she’s making up an excuse to avoid spending money.”

“I don’t know either. I’m afraid my sister is trying to provoke, toying with her own marriage. I know this arranged marriage has hit my sister hard. She has grievances, but if she does, she can vent them on me. I’ll bear it as long as it makes her feel better. But no matter how aggrieved she is, she shouldn’t be messing with her own life,” Wei Qingwan said.

“You made a mistake before, but you were punished for it. Now, the arranged marriage is an imperial edict, blame can’t be placed on you.” Madam Yun sighed.

Wei Qingwan shook her head in self-reproach, “No, it does have something to do with me. If I hadn’t privatized with the Qi Son, and he hadn’t spoken for me, the Imperial Concubine might not have chosen me. Even though I knew my sister hadn’t been married yet, I still planned for my own marriage, which was improper.”

“That’s not your fault either. If it weren’t for that, with rumors outside, I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to marry into a good family. Now, at least, I don’t have to worry about your marriage anymore,” Madam Yun sighed.

Wei Qingwan confessed some details about the imperial edict marriage to Madam Yun.

She insisted that the relationship she had with the third son of the Qi Family was within the bounds, and their actions did not cross the line. This edict marriage actually corroborated her words.

If it were not for guilt of compromising Wei Qingwan’s reputation, the third prince of the Qi Family wouldn’t have recommended Wei Qingwan to the Imperial Concubine, leading to the imperial decree for marriage.

“I am aware of my guilt. This is not something to be proud of,” Wei Qingwan quietly admitted.

Madam Yun took Wei Qingwan’s hand and comforted her, “Don’t be sad anymore, it’s already in the past and things are moving in a good direction. We should be happy.”

Wei Qingwan bit her lip and asked Madam Yun, “Mother, what about the ointment?”

“Well, I’ll find another opportunity to talk to her about it,” Madam Yun replied, her face filled with concern.

Originally, Madam Yun only made the suggestion of Wei Ruo helping with Wei Qingwan’s dowry as a pretense. However, she did not expect Wei Ruo to shockingly reveal that she has arranged her own marriage, giving Madam Yun a headache.

“Mother, I know this is my personal issue, and it should not be bothering you. However, this matter involves the Wei Family, so I had to discuss it with you. If this worries you, then it’s my fault,” Wei Qingwan said in a guilty tone.