Chapter 209: Creative Salesmanship

 Chapter 209: Creative Salesmanship

When Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye arrived, the young ladies who had been whispering immediately fell silent. Several of the older girls, who were already being considered for marriage, shyly lowered their heads.   

Looking at the various ladies pulling her older brother into conversation, Zhou Jingwan suddenly realized something and whispered to Daohua beside her, “Now I understand why my mother is here. She’s here to help my brother find a wife.”

Daohua paused for a moment, then looked around at the young ladies present. Seeing that they were all sneaking glances at Dong Yuanxuan and the others, she quickly understood.

This was just like an ancient version of a matchmaking event!

Zhou Jingwan continued, “I’m sure my mother has someone in mind for my brother.”

Daohua asked, “Are you sure?”

Zhou Jingwan nodded. “Otherwise, why would she have been so eager when Madam Dong suggested that my brother and his friends come over? She must be planning to let the girls take a look at him first.”

Daohua turned her attention to Dong Yuanxuan and his friends, who were being questioned by the various ladies. She noticed that her three older brothers were also receiving attention from the others. After thinking for a moment, she said, “This kind of observation isn’t very useful!”

“Why not?” Zhou Jingwan immediately looked at her.

Daohua explained, “Think about it—whether it's Brother Dong or the young men on the other side of the screen, who isn’t handsome, elegant, and well-spoken? With so many talented young men, how can the girls remember your brother?”

It was clear that many of the families present had come on this trip with the intention of secretly evaluating potential matches.

Zhou Jingwan froze for a moment. “Right! While we’re selecting someone, they’re also selecting us. And even if my mother has someone in mind, that family may not be interested him. What should we do?”

Daohua narrowed her eyes. “We need to find a way to make sure your brother and my brother stand out.”

Zhou Jingwan nodded thoughtfully, then looked at Daohua with surprise. “But didn’t you say your mother isn’t in a hurry to find someone for your brother?”

Daohua replied, “She’s not in a hurry, but I think the girls here are all quite good. Maybe one of them could be my future sister-in-law.”

Zhou Jingwan was speechless. “Your mother isn’t even here, so what’s the point of you causing a commotion?”

Daohua grinned. “It’s not like we have to settle things right away. I just want to give it a try, see if we can get something going.”

Zhou Jingwan raised an eyebrow. “What are you planning to do?”

Daohua gave her an exaggerated look. “What can I do? I’m just trying to figure out how to make sure all the ladies and their families remember my older brother.”

Zhou Jingwan immediately became excited. “Do you have a plan? Tell me! I also want everyone to remember my brother.”

Daohua glanced at the group of ladies. “Look, even though your older brother and my older brother are standing here, the ladies and their families can only see their outward appearance. They don’t really know them well.”

“If they don’t know them, how can they judge whether they’re a good match? And if they don’t know, they’ll hesitate, consider other options, and maybe miss out on a good match.”

Zhou Jingwan nodded. “That makes sense! My mother, when she’s picking a family, sometimes can’t decide. One looks good, then another looks good, but she can’t make up her mind. In the end, the girl gets engaged to someone else.”

Daohua nodded in agreement. “That’s because there’s not enough information. Men are afraid of entering the wrong profession, and women are afraid of marrying the wrong man. When families are choosing a son-in-law, they are very cautious.”

“So, what we need to do is make sure the ladies and their families get to know our brothers well.”

Zhou Jingwan’s face brightened. “What’s your plan? Tell me, how do we do it?”

Daohua smiled. “We just need to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of our brothers.”

Zhou Jingwan was surprised. “We have to mention their weaknesses too?”

Daohua nodded. “Of course! Only by exposing their flaws can we see if the other party is willing to accept them. You know, when matchmakers are involved in these things, they usually only talk about the good qualities and avoid mentioning any flaws. But once the couple is married, they realize they don’t get along and end up fighting and causing trouble for the rest of their lives. Do you want your brother to have that kind of relationship with his future wife?”

Zhou Jingwan quickly shook her head, but hesitated before saying, “But isn’t it inappropriate to reveal my brother’s flaws in front of others?”

Daohua smiled. “That’s where we have to be careful with how we phrase things. For example, I can say that my brother wakes up early every day to study and spends most of his time in the study room.”

Zhou Jingwan said, “You’re praising him for being diligent and hardworking.”

Daohua shook her head. “It’s not just that. Think about it more deeply. If my brother spends all his time in the study, doesn’t that mean he spends less time with the family? He’s been like this since he was young, so he’s probably very strict with himself.”

Zhou Jingwan nodded thoughtfully.

Daohua continued, "My brother spends little time with the family, so girls who need their husbands to spend a lot of time with them probably won’t consider him."

"My brother is very strict with himself. So, girls who are more carefree, casual, and easygoing will most likely not choose him either."

"However, even if they don’t choose him, they’ll still think of him as a hardworking and driven person, and that won’t harm his reputation at all."

Zhou Jingwan looked at Daohua with admiration. "Daohua, you’re amazing!"

Daohua modestly waved her hand. "Oh, it’s nothing special."

Beside them, Su Shiyu was staring in shock at Daohua and Zhou Jingwan, who were deep in discussion about how to make their brothers stand out. She swallowed nervously and looked at Dong Yuanyao with questioning eyes, silently asking, Should we stop them?  

Dong Yuanyao, expression stiff, shook her head. She knew Yan Yiyi was bold, but she hadn’t expected her to be this bold—to openly promote her brother like this!  

Though shocked, Dong Yuanyao was also curious and eager to see how Daohua would carry out her plan.

Soon, everyone witnessed Daohua and Zhou Jingwan’s thick-skinned approach.

While the room was still lively with conversation, two slightly childish but clear voices suddenly rang out.

"Jingwan, why do the mosquitoes only bite me and not you?"

"It’s because my brother prepared a sachet for me. He said that when we travel, there are more mosquitoes, and he was worried that my mother and I couldn’t handle the bites, so he asked many physicians to specially create this sachet for us. It contains over twenty kinds of herbs. The sachet is great, but the smell is a little strong. Every time we go out, my brother insists that we wear it. I can’t avoid it even if I don’t want to."

(Strengths: Thoughtful, caring, filial, protective of his sister; Weakness: Sometimes too authoritative)
"Your brother is really kind. I wish I had a brother like that."

"Daohua, don’t envy me! Brother Yan is also great. I remember once when we were out shopping, you accidentally knocked over a merchant's stall, and the merchant was about to cause trouble. Brother Yan immediately stood in front of you without saying a word, took a punch from the merchant, and protected you."
(Brave, responsible, dependable, makes you feel safe)
"But when we got home, my mother wanted to punish me, and he didn’t plead on my behalf. He said that if you make a mistake, you should be punished, so you can learn a lesson." 
(Takes things at face value, not good at interceding)
"So I think Brother Zhou is better. Every time we go out, you don’t have to worry about anything. Brother Zhou takes care of everything for you."

(Thorough, takes care of everything)

"But the things he prepares for me aren't always to my liking. Like the rouge, I prefer the one you gave me, but he insists on buying a bunch from outside."
(Overbearing, controlling)

"Brother Yan is better. He never forces me to do anything I don’t like, nor does he make me eat things I don’t enjoy."

(Respects others' preferences, loves his family)
"But he never spends time with me. All he does is study, saying he wants to take the imperial exams and bring glory to the family."
(Neglects family feelings, too focused on family honor)
"Still, Brother Zhou is better."

"Brother Yan is better."  

"Brother Zhou is better."

"Brother Yan is better."

Daohua and Zhou Jingwan exchanged comments back and forth, listing out every possible compliment for Yan Wenxiu and Zhou Chengye, from head to toe, inside and out. As for the hidden flaws—whether anyone could catch them was beyond their concern. 

The entire cabin suddenly fell dead silent.

Whether it was the ladies inside or the men outside, everyone was stunned, their eyes wide open.

All that echoed in their ears were comments on how good Brother Yan was and how great Brother Zhou was.   

Su Shiyu was frozen, her handkerchief slipping from her hand to the floor without her noticing.

Dong Yuanyao, who prided herself on her own thick skin, now found herself speechless, admiring Daohua and Zhou Jingwan’s self-assured, unrestrained approach.

As for the two brothers, Yan Wenxiu and Zhou Chengye, at first, they hadn’t thought much of it. But as the conversation went on and they realized what their younger sisters were trying to do, both of them turned bright red with embarrassment. They wished they could just disappear into the ground.

(End of chapter)