The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 258: Chapter 258: Someone Will Take an Interest

"Fourth Grand-uncle."

Song Jing walked to the old banyan tree and bowed. "Has your health been well lately, venerable elder?"

"Fine, fine, fine. Everything is fine."

Fourth Uncle Guo stroked his beard, his old eyes crinkling as he sized Song Jing up from head to toe. The more he looked, the more pleased he became.

"I hear your Scholar examination is coming up soon. Looking at you, so full of vigor, you’re sure to pass this time!"

Song Jing smiled. "I’ll take that as a blessing then, Fourth Grand-uncle."

An idea sparked in Fourth Uncle Guo’s mind. He looked at the young woman standing beside him. "Ling’er, this is Brother Song. Why haven’t you greeted him?"

The young woman was none other than Guo Ling, the youngest daughter of the main branch of the Guo Family and the personal maid of the Bai Mansion’s fourth young miss.

At sixteen or seventeen, she was in the bloom of youth. She wore her hair in two flat buns, her features were quite striking, and she was dressed in a pale yellow silk gown. Anyone who didn’t know better would have mistaken her for a young lady from some wealthy family.

Hearing this, Guo Ling stepped forward and curtsied to Song Jing. "Brother Song."

Song Jing returned the gesture of courtesy. "Miss Guo."

His gaze remained lowered from start to finish, never once glancing at Guo Ling.

Guo Ling, on the other hand, secretly sized Song Jing up several times.

"Oh, come now, why ’Miss Guo’? Given your respective seniority, it wouldn’t be out of place for you to call her ’sister’. Although you returned to the village late and Ling’er is in the county town year-round, you two have met a few times when she came home to visit family. You remember, don’t you?"

Fourth Uncle Guo had noticed his granddaughter’s subtle actions and was intentionally trying to get closer to Song Jing.

He was very confident that no one in all of Dafeng Village could compare to his precious granddaughter.

’Although that girl, Ji Huan... after she’d blossomed recently, her features have become somewhat extraordinary... but no matter how extraordinary, she’s still just a country girl.’

’My Ling’er is different!’

’She entered the Bai Mansion at ten and shared the same food, clothing, and amenities as the young misses of the Bai Family. To put it bluntly, she could be considered at least half a young lady herself.’

’Who in the village didn’t envy his family?’

’Some families sold their daughters only for them to end up as foot-washing maids for some local nouveau riche in town. They simply didn’t have the good fortune to enter the gates of the Bai Family.’

’But... no matter how much Ling’er strove, she was ultimately still a servant.’

’Two years ago, the Bai Family’s eldest young master had taken a fancy to her and wanted to take her as a concubine, but he was a short-lived wretch with no luck. Best not to even mention it.’

’They had signed a ten-year servitude contract with the Bai Mansion, and in the blink of an eye, only three years were left. If he didn’t find a way out for his granddaughter soon, she’d be older when she left the Bai Family. Where would she find a good husband then?’

’Especially since Guo Ling had spent these years studying alongside Miss Bai, her standards had become high. She would never be willing to settle for less. How could those crude village men possibly catch her eye?’

’This boy, Song Jing, was perfect.’

’Besides being handsome and well-educated, the most important thing was that he had a bright future!’

’If he really managed to pass the Scholar examination this year and Ling’er married him, maybe she could even become an official’s wife one day?’

’Then their Guo Family could also bask in his glory.’

The more Fourth Uncle Guo thought about it, the more excited he became. When he looked at Song Jing again, his eyes were those of a man who had already chosen his grandson-in-law.

Song Jing, seemingly oblivious, excused himself to go home and study, and left.

Fourth Uncle Guo watched him walk away, feeling that even his departing figure had an air of great presence.

When he turned his head, he found his granddaughter also looking in that direction.

Fourth Uncle Guo thought he had a chance. "Ling’er, what do you think of Song Jing?"

How could Guo Ling not know what her grandfather meant?

To be honest, Song Jing’s own qualities were indeed enough to make one’s heart flutter.

In her years with the Bai Family, she had seen no shortage of wealthy young masters, but in terms of looks and talent alone, few could compare to Song Jing.

However, no matter how good his personal qualities were, his family background was a fatal flaw. He was all style and no substance.

"Grandpa! Stop worrying about these things. I know what I’m doing."

Fourth Uncle Guo said anxiously, "How can this be an idle matter? You’re due to come home in three years! If you don’t find yourself a good match in advance, what will you do later?"

Guo Ling recalled Song Jing’s scholar’s robe, which was washed until it had faded, and then thought of the future son-in-law who had recently been a guest at the Bai Mansion, with his brocade robes and jade belts that were different almost every day.

She pursed her lips. "What kind of ’good match’ is he? Can a handsome face fill a storehouse with pearls and jade? Can brilliant essays bring brocade clothes and fine food?"

"Don’t be so shortsighted. He’s having a tough time now, but he’s about to make it! In just a few more years..."

"Years, years, what do you know, Grandpa? Do you think the examinations for Scholar and scholar are so easy to pass? Even if he passes, is being an official so easy? The Capital City is full of Advanced Scholar masters who can only warm the bench because they have no connections! You want me to marry a poor scholar now, and even if he does have a meteoric rise one day, that’ll be ten or twenty years from now! Why should I waste the best years of my life suffering for no reason?"

Guo Ling wasn’t finished:

’Never mind a Scholar, what about a Champion Scholar? They are ultimately no match for the princes and young masters of the established, aristocratic families. The wealth and status they are born with is a height that students from humble backgrounds can never hope to climb in their entire lives.’

Fourth Uncle Guo had always thought that those who passed the examinations for Scholar and Advanced Scholar would be fawned over and respected wherever they went. He couldn’t understand why an Advanced Scholar would have to "warm the bench" in the Capital City.

But he was too embarrassed to ask, afraid his granddaughter would laugh at him.

’Oh well,’ he thought. ’My granddaughter has seen the world at the Bai Mansion. If she says so, she must have her reasons.’

"Do you have a plan, then?"

Guo Ling naturally had a plan.

Recently, the madam had been selecting dowry maids for the fourth young miss. Because her servitude contract was about to expire, Guo Ling wasn’t among the candidates, but she had been constantly pestering the fourth young miss about it.

But she didn’t plan to tell her family about this for the time being.

The Capital City was a long way off, not like Yeyang. Her family might not be willing to let her go.

"Grandpa, I have my own ideas. Trust me, I will definitely win a splendid future for myself and bring honor to you and our family."

Fourth Uncle Guo sighed. "Fine. You’ve always been strong-willed since you were little. No one in the village can match your cleverness."

Guo Ling’s eyes darted around as she asked, "Grandpa, was that Ji Huan who passed by earlier? She looks so different, I almost didn’t recognize her. Is she very close with Song Jing? Why do I get the feeling they just came back from the same direction?"

Before they saw Song Jing, Ji Huan had passed by the village entrance. But she was far away, and they weren’t familiar with each other, so they hadn’t exchanged greetings.

Fourth Uncle Guo shook his head emphatically. "She’s practically invisible in this village. How could Song Jing possibly know her well? Although she’s become a bit more noticeable in the last six months, Song Jing hasn’t been back to the village during that time. I reckon he might not even know her name if they met."

Still, Guo Ling felt something was off.

When Grandpa had called out to Song Jing and he turned around, his face still held the last traces of a smile he hadn’t yet managed to conceal.

Although it vanished the instant he saw them and he became polite and proper, that joy radiating from him...

Guo Ling was no longer a little girl who was clueless about matters between men and women.

’Could it be...?’

"Don’t you look down on Song Jing? Then why do you care if he’s close with Ji Huan?" Fourth Uncle Guo asked.

Guo Ling thought of the fourth young miss’s close friend who often visited the Bai Mansion, the Academic Administrator’s daughter, Fang Yuzhi, and a strange smile curved her lips.

"I’m not interested, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!