Hearing this, Jiang Si's heart skipped a beat.
Choose what? Choose a man?
Seeing Ninth Master's suppressed smile, Jiang Si suddenly remembered something.
She recalled that when her mother got married, Third Granduncle had prepared over a dozen brawny bodyguards as part of her dowry.
Back then, it was quite common for wealthy families to include bodyguards and maids in a dowry.
Some households even prepared concubines.
But now, in this modern society, such practices would surely draw harsh criticism.
And given how jealous her man was—
Jiang Si could guarantee that if she brought home a chosen man today, she wouldn’t leave their bedroom for days.
Last time, just because some brash young man had confessed his feelings to her in front of Huo Tingzhou—and, to make matters worse, called him "uncle"—
Huo Tingzhou hadn’t said anything at the time, but men had an innate competitive streak.
Because of that incident, Jiang Si’s waist had suffered dearly, and it took her ages to finally coax him back into a good mood.
"What, none of them will do?"
Ninth Master noticed Jiang Si’s prolonged silence and thought it odd—these men had been selected precisely according to the old man’s criteria.
With that in mind, he glanced at Third Granduncle.
The old man’s expression was indescribable.
Who knew what these burly men had been fed growing up? Each of them was built like a bear, their muscles so exaggerated they looked ready to burst through their sleeves at any moment.
Were they here to lend support?
Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were here to crash the wedding!
Noticing the old man’s displeasure, Uncle Zhong quickly gestured.
"You’ve all worked hard today. Come with me and take a break."
Once the men had left, Third Granduncle huffed, "Is this the best you could find after all your careful selection?"
From his tone alone, Ninth Master knew the old man was dissatisfied.
Of course Third Granduncle was unhappy!
"I told you to find a few decent-looking men, at least 180 cm tall, preferably the scholarly yet martial type."
"Look at the ones you picked—other than their height, what else meets the criteria?"
"Yes, yes, these ones are… rather plain."
"But each of them can take on three men at once. They’ll definitely keep the door secure on the wedding day!"
"I want them for appearances, not to guard doors!"
Third Granduncle was fuming. "The couple has already registered their marriage. Are you planning to bar the groom from entering his own wedding?"
This left not only Ninth Master confused but also Jiang Si utterly baffled.
"Third Granduncle, what do you mean by ‘appearances’?"
Even if they could find such men, she couldn’t possibly accept them.
At this, Third Granduncle gave her a pained look.
"You have no siblings. On such a big day, having only me and Uncle Zhong to send you off would be too lonely."
Jiang Si hadn’t expected this to be the reason. Her nose tingled with emotion.
"Having you and Uncle Zhong is enough for me. I don’t need anything else."
Though she said so, Third Granduncle still wanted her wedding day to be lively.
"But Ninth Master already brought some men. Why aren’t you satisfied?"
"No good. Too ugly. Can’t possibly show them off."
Jiang Si, marrying for the first time in both lifetimes, wasn’t well-versed in wedding customs.
She only knew some families would decorate their rooms with pictures of adorable babies before trying to conceive.
The idea was that the more they looked at them, the prettier their own baby would be.
But right now, she and Huo Tingzhou weren’t planning for children.
And even if they were, why would she need to stare at these young men?
Third Granduncle shook his head, giving her a look that said, "You don’t understand."
As a man, he knew men all too well.
Take Shen Xiuwen, for example.
When he had pursued Little Man, who would’ve guessed that behind his gentle, refined demeanor, he’d already fathered several illegitimate children?
Huo Tingzhou was someone he’d watched grow up, and he’d once praised the boy.
But who could predict the future?
With a grave expression, Third Granduncle said, "Child, remember this—a man’s words and promises only hold weight while he loves you. So take them with a grain of salt."
"And as I’ve always said, the Jiang family has the means to support you. Never force yourself to endure hardship."
"Third Granduncle, I know." Jiang Si smiled and nodded.
Before loving anyone else, she would always love herself first.
Even if she had children someday, her own thoughts and wishes would come first.
She was herself before she was a mother.
"Good, as long as you understand."
Third Granduncle patted her hand. "As the saying goes, three-legged toads are rare, but two-legged men are everywhere."
"If one misbehaves, just replace him!"
"Your mother never grasped this. Don’t make her mistake of clinging to a single crooked tree."
Jiang Si burst out laughing.
She hadn’t expected Third Granduncle to be so progressive.
Ninth Master, hearing this, also wore an expression of sudden realization.
So the old man wasn’t just picking escorts—he was selecting potential…
Or rather, he was sending a message to the Huo family: though the Jiang family wasn’t what it once was, they weren’t desperate.
If Jiang Si wished, she had countless other options.
Now that he understood, Ninth Master stood up at once.
"Don’t worry, sir. I’ll go back and carefully select a few promising young men. I guarantee Miss Jiang Si won’t be disappointed—"
Before he could finish, Uncle Zhong’s voice came from outside.
"Comrade Huo, it’s cold out. Bring the elders inside to warm up."
The courtyard gate had been left open while the men were moving things.
Huo Tingzhou and his family arrived just in time to catch Ninth Master’s last words:
"[Select a few promising young men, guarantee Miss Jiang Si won’t be disappointed…]"
At the mention of "Comrade Huo," Jiang Si instinctively looked over.
Huo Tingzhou’s striking face showed little emotion, but she immediately recognized the storm of complex feelings in his eyes.
Under that intense gaze, Jiang Si couldn’t help but feel guilty.
Snapping back to reality, she quickly greeted them. "Grandpa Huo, Grandma Huo, please have a seat."
The elderly couple smiled and nodded.
They’d heard everything, but this was a matter for the young couple—they had no intention of interfering.
In fact, they were in rare agreement: their grandson was perfect in every way, except for being a bit too reserved.
Letting him stew a little might do him good.
It’d teach him how to act in the future.
Whether Huo Tingzhou was anxious or not, Jiang Si couldn’t tell.
But she certainly was.
As soon as Grandpa Huo and Grandma Huo took their seats, she walked over to Huo Tingzhou's side.
"When did you arrive? We were just discussing the wedding arrangements. It’s all thanks to Ninth Master—he found a few people to help."
Hearing this, Huo Tingzhou's expression softened slightly. "We appreciate Ninth Master's efforts."
Ninth Master was no fool. Sensing the tension, he quickly followed Jiang Si's lead.
"Not at all, not at all. It was nothing, really. Miss Jiang Si, please don’t stand on ceremony."
Knowing they still had matters to discuss, Ninth Master didn’t linger.
Besides, the gaze from Miss Jiang Si’s man was far too icy.
At his age, he couldn’t handle the chill!
