Old Lady Mo was very clear in her heart that Meng Huaining was clean as an official, and his family was also being suppressed by Emperor Shunwu. It was already not easy for him to prepare such a generous betrothal gift.
There must have been help from his clan, otherwise with Meng Huaining's salary, it would have been impossible to prepare a betrothal gift of this standard.
She was marrying off her daughter, not selling her daughter. No matter the amount, the betrothal gift represented the groom's sincerity. When the time came, she would carry the gift back along with her daughter's dowry.
As long as her daughter was well taken care of, nothing else mattered.
Moreover, Old Lady Mo had long seen through worldly possessions. The amount was just a token of his feelings.
If she really wanted her daughter to live in splendor and wealth, she could have married her to Tang Mingrui. Tang Mingrui's business was currently thriving, much more well-off than Meng Huaining.
Old Lady Mo had a kindly look on her face as she gently placed the list of betrothal gifts on the table next to her.
"Meng is very thoughtful."
Meng Huaining saluted with clasped hands again, "I hope the gift does not displease you, Old Lady."
He knew clearly in his heart that since Old Lady Mo did not raise any objections, it meant his prepared betrothal passed muster.
The matchmaker also understood the circumstances. It was time for her to make her entrance.
With a big smile, she came forward and introduced herself first.
"Old Lady Mo, gentlemen, I am the official matchmaker of Yuncheng. Everyone calls me Matchmaker Liu. Today I have the fortune to be here on County Prefect Meng's invitation to propose to Miss Mo on his behalf."
Old Lady Mo smiled back, "We are very grateful, please have a seat."
Matchmaker Liu did not stand on ceremony and sat down in a nearby chair. She then sang praises of Meng Huaining, as was customary.
Old Lady Mo had seen similar scenes many times, so she let the matchmaker talk.
After a long while, Matchmaker Liu finally got to the main point, "Since Old Lady Mo does not have any objections, how about letting me take Miss Mo's birth date and time so I can select an auspicious date for the happy couple?"
Speaking of wedding dates, Old Lady Mo had no intention of fully listening to the matchmaker because she was anxious.
"Can we set the date ourselves?"
Her words sounded like she was asking, but she was actually informing the matchmaker that she would set the wedding date herself.
The matchmaker was clearly surprised. She had been in this business for so many years, yet this was the first time she encountered something like this.
However, she was perceptive. She could see that Old Lady Mo had a domineering character and an imposing manner that she did not dare provoke.
Moreover, Prefect Meng had already said as long as the marriage could happen, everything else was fine. She need not insist on following every custom at the expense of someone's happiness.
"Ohoho...that's not bad either. Does Old Lady have some good dates in mind?"
These past few days whenever Old Lady Mo had free time, she would consult the lunar calendar. She had already picked out several good dates.
Most importantly, all these dates were before July.
"If this marriage takes place, I plan to have Meng take Han Yue as his wife before July."
Old Lady Mo said this to Meng Huaining. For matters like this, only Meng Huaining's agreement carried any weight.
Meng Huaining did not know that Old Lady Mo would disregard custom and take the initiative to suggest potential wedding dates. Although he did not know her reasons, he believed that given Old Lady Mo's experience and wisdom, she would not make such a request without good cause.
Of course, he also was not in the habit of prying into other's private affairs. Besides, the issue of wedding dates was not a problem for him. In fact, the earlier he could take his beloved as his wife, the better.
Meng Huaining stood up solemnly, "Since you are the elder, Old Lady, whatever you decide shall be."
Seeing that the concerned party had spoken, the matchmaker also stood up.
"The old lady does have good foresight. I was about to say the same thing. This year is a leap year, so only the first half has auspicious days. The second half is not suitable for weddings."
Her words were pleasing to hear and set the Mo family members and Meng Huaining at ease.
Old Lady Mo nodded satisfactorily and asked, "Since Matchmaker Liu puts it like that, are there any good dates before July this year?"
As someone in this line of work, Matchmaker Liu had memorized the auspicious Yellow Calendar dates like the back of her hand.
"Right now it's April. April 26 is on the Yellow Calendar. There's also May 8, June 12..."
Old Lady Mo laughed to herself when she heard the dates the matchmaker listed. They were the same ones she had found in the Yellow Calendar.
Since the matchmaker's opinion aligned with hers, there was nothing more she needed to question.
The only thing left was to use the bride and groom's birth charts to determine if they were incompatible. As long as the result was not terribly ominous, they could choose a good date to make up for it.
This was Matchmaker Liu's first time seeing a family so anxious to marry off their daughter. She could also see that the County Prefect was very happy to do so.
Thus, she no longer offered her own opinion and quietly sat to the side, using the birth years and times on the bride and groom's charts to calculate their compatibility.
The Mo family and Meng Huaining also did not say anything more, silently waiting for the matchmaker's conclusion.
After scribbling away for a long time, Matchmaker Liu's expression grew happier and happier.
She put the charts down and excitedly stood up.
"Congratulations to you, Prefect Meng, and to you, Old Lady. The charts of the bride and groom are naturally matching. It's simply a marriage made in heaven."
She paused, then continued animatedly, "In all my years as a matchmaker, this is the first time I've seen such compatible charts. This union will go smoothly at every turn. Even if no special date is chosen, there will be no issues."
At this, everyone revealed looks of joy. Meng Huaining was especially thrilled and exclaimed "Wonderful!" three times.
Of course, the matchmaker's words gladdened all those present. But Old Lady Mo still wanted Meng Huaining to have the final say on the decision.
At least this would not violate too many customs, since the wedding date was ultimately the groom's choice.
"Prefect Meng, when do you think would be good to take Han Yue as your wife?"
Meng Huaining wanted to make Mo Hanyue his wife as soon as possible. The date he favored most was April 26.
However, it was already mid April. There were only ten days until that date, which would be too rushed to adequately prepare for the wedding and slight Miss Mo.
Moreover, his wedding required his elders to come preside over the ceremonies, which was impossible to arrange within such a short timeframe.
After thinking it over, he tentatively asked, "What does Old Lady think about June 12?"
He had many considerations. First, he needed to purchase a residence in Yuncheng. A married man could not keep living with his wife in the government offices.
After securing a residence, it would need redecorating to make it comfortable for his beloved.
With this timeframe, he would also have enough time to notify his elders to come preside over his wedding ceremonies without too much rush.
Overall, this was the most suitable timeframe.
Old Lady Mo would have no objections as long as it was before July.
"Good. We'll go with what Prefect Meng suggests–on June 12, come and take Han Yue as your wife."
