Daily Life of the Matriarch of a Prominent Family in a Small Town

Shen Qi is an eighteen-year-old woman living in the small northern town of Baihe with her parents, older brother Shen Shao, younger brother Shen Ji, and sister-in-law Qiao Shi. Her family runs a modest thread shop. Two years prior, her engagement to Xu You, the son of a local medical practitioner, was broken under suspicious circumstances. Xu You had fallen gravely ill, and the Xu family claimed they could not delay her life, fearing she would become a widow. However, Xu You recovered fully within weeks of the broken engagement, leading to neighborhood rumors that Shen Qi was a "husband-jinx" born with an unlucky fate. Despite her beauty and capable nature, these rumors have caused nearly all subsequent marriage proposals to fail, leaving her family anxious about her future.

Matchmaker Xue arrives to propose a match with the Xie family of Pingshan County, a prominent household that owns a large herbal medicine shop. Shen Qi’s mother is skeptical, but Shen Qi remains calm, noting that a man of high status remaining unmarried until twenty-four suggests underlying family complications. Meanwhile, Matchmaker Liu, who had previously facilitated the broken engagement with the Xu family, visits to warn against the match, claiming the Xie family is in decline and that the groom is merely a clerk managed by his ambitious cousin. Shen Qi’s brother physically removes Matchmaker Liu from the premises. The next day, the Xie family arrives for the formal viewing, bringing five members including the groom, Xie Yuduo, his father, second uncle, second aunt, and cousin.

During the meeting, Second Aunt Lady Feng displays arrogance and thinly veiled contempt for the Shen family’s humble status, while subtly promoting her own daughter as a more suitable match. Xie Yuduo, however, appears reserved and dignified. Shen Qi accidentally reveals herself to him when her younger brother falls from a tree, causing a commotion. Xie Yuduo notices her brief, radiant smile and is visibly captivated. On the journey home, the Xie family discusses the match. While Second Aunt complains about the Shen family’s low status and the "jinx" rumors, Xie Yuduo declares his willingness to proceed with the engagement immediately, surprising his family with his decisiveness.

The Shen family is astonished by the speed of the proposal. The Xie family returns with an extravagant display of betrothal gifts, including eighty taels of silver, gold jewelry, silk, and numerous food items, filling the Shen courtyard. The sheer wealth on display shocks the neighbors and validates the Xie family’s status despite their recent decline. During the gift ceremony, Old Lady Wu, the matriarch, personally oversees the presentation. She had initially been displeased by the Shen family’s modest home but was won over by Shen Qi’s poise, intelligence, and graceful handling of the elders. It is revealed that Second Aunt had attempted to substitute inferior goods for the betrothal gifts, but Xie Yuduo caught her deception and reported it to the Old Madam, who then punished the second branch’s family.

Shen Qi’s family prepares for the wedding with equal generosity, commissioning fine dowry items to ensure their daughter is not looked down upon. On the wedding day, the fifteenth of the eighth month, Xie Yuduo leads a grand procession to fetch the bride. Shen Qi, veiled and nervous, is guided through the rituals by Auntie Xue. When the crowd presses in during the ceremony, Xie Yuduo picks Shen Qi up in his arms and carries her through the throng to the bridal chamber, providing her with a sense of security and protection. The story concludes with the couple entering the bridal chamber, marking the beginning of Shen Qi’s new life in the Xie household.