I Am This Type of Woman

35

"Not bad?" Ban Hua looked at Zhou Changxiao with suspicion. She remembered every good looking man in the Capital, so this 'not bad' was the watered-down version of good looking?

"Really not bad." Zhou Changxiao was afraid Ban Hua didn't believe him, he pointed at his own face, "Better than mine."

Ban Hua retorted, "Is there lack of men in the Capital who is better looking than you?"

Zhou Changxiao wasn't upset to be called unattractive by Ban Hua, being able to talk to a beauty was already good for him, "My five features are quite decent."

Ban Hua couldn't help smiling at him, she pointed at Rong Xia who was on her side, "That Yan family son, how is he compared to Count Rong?"

Zhou Changxiao felt the biggest blunder of the day was Count Cheng'an being there. How many men in the Capital could compare to Count Cheng'an? Yan Zhen was an exceptional one in a hundred in their circle of the idle youths, but he simply couldn't compare with Count Cheng'an.

Manner and looks, none could win against Count Cheng'an. What else could he say?

"Not as good." Zhou Changxiao was a muddle-head but he was also honest, earnestly said, "Count Rong is graceful, talented and honourable, not many in the Capital could be as good as him."

But why are you taking Count Cheng'an as a comparison, he wouldn't marry you anyway! Zhou Changxiao was grumbling inside but he dared not say it, afraid that Ban Heng would beat him up.

Ban Hua nodded, she had guessed this Yan Zhen must not be compare to Rong Xia otherwise she wouldn't had had no impression of him. Actually when Shen Yu withdrew the engagement, there were already plenty of people come to inquire, interested in tying the knot with Ban family. Ban Hua wasn't interested at any of them so they could only give up.

An Emperor's daughter wouldn't worry about marriage, a granddaughter of the Eldest Grand Princess' wouldn't lack interested candidates. Families with lower status or bad customs weren't worth Ban family's consideration. It was better to be single the whole life rather than marrying someone unreliable, the Bans were capable enough to love their own daughter. Some rumours outside weren't enough to push them to marry their daughter off just to let her suffer her whole life.

—

Yin-shi was sitting on a chair silently listening to the matchmaker's lavish praises on the gongzi of the Left Minister family. Her face didn't show much joy about tying the knot with them.

The matchmaker saw Yin-shi's expression, but as Marquis Jingting looked like having his mind wandered off somewhere, she knew Ban family marriage matter was in Yin-shi's hand.

The matchmaker said to Yin-shi, "Yan-gongzi has been clever and diligent since young, these few years he has been studying at the academy so he hasn't been out much. But don't worry, this gongzi is very handsome, and there isn't any messy tongfang1 around him. He is a caring man by nature so if Junzhu is willing to marry him, Junzhu will not suffer any grievances at all."

Yin-shi raised her hand to let the maid pour more tea for the matchmaker.

Coming with the matchmaker was Minister Zhou's wife. The relationship between Zhou family and Ban family was quite good therefore Minister Yan had asked her to accompany the matchmaker.

Zhou-furen was familiar with Yin-shi, from Yin-shi's face she knew today's matter wasn't going to be fruitful. Actually she was there just to fulfil her social obligation so she wouldn't say anything that might upset Yin-shi apart from some things to enliven the atmosphere once in a while.

"Marquis and Furen, what do you think?" After three cups of tea, the matchmaker's throat was about to swell. All possible praises had been said, if she heaped more than that, even she herself wouldn't believe it.