Chapter 9: Exquisite and Perfectly Round

Gu Zhengchong's status as the Crown Prince goes without saying. Gu Qiubo holds the rank of a prince of a prefecture, one level lower than his father's title of a king. Nevertheless, the noble ladies from various households still have to pay their respects to him. If he were to attend the banquet tomorrow, it would only add to the commotion

Due to the particularly unique requirements of Jiang Huazeng, Shang Jie naturally found it difficult to locate a girl who met his criteria. In a moment of urgency, she decided to employ a common method used in various households, which was to match the birth dates. She temporarily gathered the birth dates of several young ladies from different families and took them to the Zimu Temple to have a master conduct the compatibility analysis. Ultimately, the match was made with Zhu Ruirun, a young lady from the Zhu family. Since a match was established, Shang Jie took Jiang Bai to the Zhu residence to meet Zhu Ruirun.

Jiang Huagai seeks a gentle girl with a compatible temperament. The gentleness is relatively easy to define, but compatibility of temperament can only be determined through interaction. Before establishing any formal relationship, how could a young lady casually engage in conversation to see if they are compatible? If they are compatible, that is well and good; but if they are not, what will become of the young lady's prospects for marriage?

Hearing Jiang Bai mention that Gu Zhengchong and Gu Qiubo also wanted to join in the fun tomorrow, Shang Jie couldn't help but smile and said, "It would not be appropriate for the Crown Prince and the King of Shu to attend, lest the ladies and young women have to pay their respects to them"

Zhu Runrun lives up to her name, being exceptionally round and smooth like a pearl. Upon seeing her, Jiang Bai secretly waved her small palm and thought, "Wow, how many of my palms would it take to cover the face of this future aunt!"

"Brother Bai is the legitimate son of the Major General. You should be careful with your words, or he might get angry." Shen Tiantong glanced at Gu Qiubo and whispered, "Although he has delicate skin and a tender appearance, he is still a boy. Such remarks should not be made in front of him." I remember when we secretly watched him applying makeup in front of the mirror at m.hetushu.com. You all ran away quickly, leaving me to suffer a beating that left my face bruised. If we say he looks like a girl again and he hears it, he won't be able to hit you, but I might end up suffering again. Right now, I am still not his match, so I cannot take that risk. It is pitiful that I was beaten so badly, and if we say he looks like a girl again and he hears it, he won't be able to hit you, but I might end up suffering again. I am still not his match, so I cannot take that risk.

It is necessary to settle on four daughters-in-law at once, and to do so before the condition of Old Madam Jiang worsens, which leaves us with little time. Fortunately, Shang Jie has always been attentive to the young ladies waiting in various households and has already discreetly identified a few candidates. The General's residence is hosting a banquet, and these young ladies will all be invited. However, before the matter is made clear, it is essential not to invite only the ladies and daughters from these few households; additional families must be invited as well, so that if things do not go as planned, there will be no traces left behind. The issue is that while these young ladies are similar in appearance and character, their personalities differ, and careful consideration is needed to determine suitable matches.

It was inconvenient for Gu Zhengchong and Gu Qiubo to join in the fun, so Jiang Bai hurriedly went to inform them. Although Gu Zhengchong and Gu Qiubo felt somewhat disappointed, they thought of their own status and had no choice but to give up. For a moment, they instructed Jiang Bai, saying: "Tomorrow, when selecting the teacher's wife, we cannot attend, so you must pay close attention and help with the selection."

Hearing Xiao Jiang say this, Jiang Hua was overwhelmed with joy, thinking, "As long as we surpass them, that is enough! We are ranked fifth, overshadowed by the four older brothers above us, while the younger brother below is quite clever, often overshadowing us instead. Now, if I marry a wife who surpasses their wives, at least I will have something to hold over them.

"Fifth Uncle, that Miss Zhu's figure and appearance surpass those of the other aunts!" "Indeed, she surpasses them; she is as plump as two Miss Ma combined"

Seeing Jiang Bai and the * picture * book running around, Nurse Li left the martial arts hall and sat down at the resting area to the side. Her small face was flushed, and her forehead was slightly damp. She hurriedly took out a handkerchief, just about to wipe Jiang Bai's face, when she turned around and saw the little girl Zhe Gui standing still. She momentarily slowed her actions, paused, and said: "Madam sees that you are quite clever, which is why you are allowed to serve beside Young Master Bai. You must always be attentive. For instance, today is hot; if you see Young Master sweating, you should quickly go over and wipe his sweat. Now, all the young masters are sitting to the side resting, and you should encourage Young Master to drink more tea to cool off. Why are you standing there like a wooden post?"

Upon seeing Zhu Runrun, Shang Jie was extremely satisfied. Not bad, not bad. Just look at this large backside and thick waist; she must be very capable of bearing children. And look at this small nose and thick lips; she is certainly blessed!

Shang Jie slightly frowned, but after a while, she relaxed again. Chen Zhu's cousin, Chen Qi, has the gentlest personality and often visits the General's residence. She has crossed paths with the sixth brother, and since they are relatives, it would be a good opportunity for them to chat and see if they have a connection. As for the fifth brother, well, he has met a few young ladies, and according to his preferences, he doesn't need to marry. Let's not dwell on that too much; we will see how things unfold.

Shen Tiantong sat on the other side, sipping tea, and couldn't help but twitch at the sound of Jiang Bai and Zhe Gui joking with each other. He shook his head secretly: everyone in the General's residence is not fond of women, so how did such a Jiang Bai come about? At merely eight years of age, he already appears to be... No wonder the wife of the Anping Marquis whispered to Grandmother when she visited the Shen residence: "If the Jiang family were to fall in the future, it would likely be due to that Jiang Bai. At present, he is only eight years old, yet he is already known for his fondness for helping the maids with their makeup and for watching them sew, offering opinions on their work. Not only that, but there are also many young ladies' items hidden in the room. When he was little, when everyone teased him about what he liked the most, he would immediately say he loved flower powder. This made everyone laugh, suggesting that he must have been a girl in a past life. Now, he has grown even more handsome, but he is still just a young lad, which is ultimately not a good thing.

Although he knew that Jiang Bai was a girl, Zhe Gui was still embarrassed by her actions. When he was about to refuse the tea, the cup was once again brought to his lips, and he had no choice but to gulp down half a cup of tea. He then extricated himself from Jiang Bai's embrace and murmured, "Brother, this is not in the room; such commotion is not appropriate here."

Jiang Bai is, after all, a young girl. With the current heat, she is dressed lightly, yet she still mingles with Jiang Xuan and the others to practice martial arts. Naturally, Shang Jie and He Yuan are concerned, so they instructed Nurse Li to closely follow her. In case anything happens, Nurse Li would know how to cover for her. They also selected an eight-year-old named Zhe Gui from the family to serve her. At this moment, Zhe Gui saw Gu Zhengchong, Gu Qiubo, and Shen Tiantong, a group of elegant young boys, chatting and laughing, each more handsome than the last, which inevitably made her a bit dazzled. When Nurse Li reminded her, she came back to her senses and hurriedly took out a handkerchief to wipe Jiang Bai's sweat.

Each lady from the various households is calculating their options, all with the intention of forming marital alliances. After the banquet at the Jiang residence, aside from Jiang Huazeng, the marriages of the other three Jiang family sons have been settled. Shang Jie secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Now we still need to find a match for Huazeng; it would be best to arrange all the marriages at once."

Jiang Bai was afraid of Jiang Hua. He asked again at hetushu.com, then stepped backward out of the lounge and quickly ran outside

As for Jiang Huazeng, this is a selection of celestial beings! Where can one find such a choice for him?

Jiang Baizheng was joking with Zheguitiao when he suddenly looked up and caught a glimpse of Shen Tiantong glancing over. Without thinking, he sent a flirtatious glance in return. Shen Tiantong's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively lowered his eyes: this fellow really smiles too much like a young lady, and his looks are even more charming than those of the several young ladies in the residence, truly a prodigy!

Shang Jie had secretly decided on the candidates, and the next day during the family banquet, everything proceeded quite smoothly. The various ladies received hints and discreetly observed the Jiang brothers, who were likely to become their sons-in-law. Although the current court favored civil over military matters, and the Jiang family was not as prominent as before, the sons of the Jiang family were older and did not take concubines, which meant there would be no disputes over legitimate and illegitimate children in the future. This reduced the concerns for daughters marrying into the family. Moreover, among the young men in various households, aside from the eldest son who was expected to inherit the family business and was thus compelled by the head of the family to study and practice martial arts, the younger sons and illegitimate sons often squandered their days in extravagant revelry with friends. Regardless of the current trend in the court, the Jiang sons could not be compared to them. Furthermore, the Jiang family had relatively few restrictions, which would not oppress the daughters. In conclusion, it was indeed a good match. After some consideration, the ladies were quite satisfied.

Shang Jie was deep in thought when Jiang Bai came running in, grinning and said: "Grandmother, grandmother, good news. Third Uncle and the others have relented, saying that as long as the young lady meets their conditions, they will marry her right away." As he spoke, he relayed the words of Jiang Huahong and the others to Shang Jie. Shang Jie couldn't help but embrace Jiang Bai, giving him a kiss, and inwardly sighed: girls are indeed girls, naturally attentive and eager to help. She knew that it was a significant matter for her uncles to choose a wife, and she immediately lent a hand. She briefly considered the several young ladies in her mind and smiled, saying: "The young lady from the Ma family is the most gentle, which fits Huahong's requirements. The young lady from the Zheng family is straightforward, which also meets Huaji's needs. The difficult ones are Hua Zeng and Hua Gai."

Jiang Hua was unable to extract any information from Shang Jie, so he quietly took Jiang Bai aside to inquire. Jiang Bai blinked and said: "Fifth Uncle, it's not that I don't want to help you, but Grandmother has already made arrangements with Madam Zhu. In a few days, the decision will be finalized, so how could I dare to tell you the truth right now?"

While waiting for Shang Jie and Jiang Bai to return from the Zhu residence, Jiang Hua naturally inquired about Zhu Runrun's character and appearance. Shang Jie smiled and said, "Miss Zhu has a gentle disposition, which is quite good. Just wait for your wedding!"

"Tong Ge, do you not think that Bai Ge'er is too charming?" Gu Qiubo saw Shen Tiantong glance at Jiang Bai and then lower his eyes, and quietly leaned over to say, "It is a pity that Bai Ge'er is a boy; if he were a girl, I would definitely marry him when I grow up."

Jiang Bai was at an age where he enjoyed playing pranks. Seeing Zhe Gui's face turn bright red, he couldn't help but laugh out loud and said, "If you follow me, you are my person. I will cause as much trouble as I like."

For a moment, the maid prepared tea, and several young girls were busy serving tea and water to the gentlemen. Jiang Bai also felt thirsty and, seeing that Li Nainai had brought over tea, naturally took it and drank half a cup. Tilting her head, she noticed Zhegui standing by with a handkerchief, her small lips somewhat dry. Knowing that she had come with her to the martial arts hall early in the morning and had been waiting outside without daring to leave, she must not have had a sip of water. Unable to help but smile, she pulled her over and held the tea to her lips, saying, "There is still half a cup of tea, you should drink it!"