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墨書 Inktalez
"Xiaofu, what do you think of Zhao Gongzi?"
Xie Youshun asked Xiao Lihua. After they bid farewell to Hua Heng Zhao Linting, they bought what they needed and hurried back home on the Ox Cart. Xiao Lihua sat on the Ox Cart, wrapped in an old cotton quilt, lost in thought.
In her heart, Xiao Lihua felt about ninety percent satisfied with Zhao Linting as a brother-in-law. He was wealthy and handsome, and he had a good sense of humor. Since they met, she found that he did not act superior because of his wealth. He openly expressed his affection for Meihua and promised to treat her well for a lifetime, which was quite commendable. The only reason she hesitated was that Zhao Linting was too wealthy; she feared Meihua might not adapt to that lifestyle.
Xiao Lihua voiced her concerns.
Xie Youshun smiled and said, "Didn’t Zhao Linting say that his parents have passed away? His elders leave his marriage decisions to him. When the time comes, he will settle down here with Meihua. It will just be the two of them; Meihua can take charge of the household without any issues. She can learn everything slowly, and besides, she has you as her sister to help her."
"You’re right. I’ve actually come to terms with it; I just don’t know if Meihua is willing."
Thinking of Meihua, Xiao Lihua reflected on how her sister's marriage prospects had been unsatisfactory because she wanted to marry well. Zhao Linting could be considered the best choice. She believed Meihua didn’t have anyone else she was particularly fond of; her family was still looking for suitable matches for her. Rather than choosing from those unknown suitors, it would be better to choose Zhao Linting, who at least had a known background.
Xie Youshun said, "That time at Dabai Temple, I saw Meihua standing next to Zhao Linting, and they seemed quite compatible. Meihua didn’t seem to dislike him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have risked offending Ruyi to save him. I think this could work out."
Mentioning Ruyi, Xiao Lihua frowned.
"If Meihua really ends up with Zhao Linting, I think Ruyi will hate me even more. She might even end up hating Meihua too. You heard what Zhao Linting said about the Gao Family plotting against Meihua; I don’t know if it’s Su Yuanchun or Ruyi. If Ruyi finds out that it was Meihua who disrupted her plans, she might be behind it."
"Once this matter is clarified, I'll go find Ruyi," said Xie Youshun. "As for Meihua, I believe that as long as she marries Zhao Linting, he will be able to protect her well."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lihua realized that marrying Meihua off to Zhao Linting would indeed be the best choice. If Meihua married someone else, who could ensure her safety? Perhaps those suitors wouldn’t want to marry her if they heard someone was plotting against her. Only Zhao Linting knew about this situation and still actively sought to marry her; he also had the capability to protect her.
Thinking about it, Xiao Lihua decided to go to Caotou Village tomorrow to discuss this with her family. If Meihua was willing, then it would be settled. At this age in their time period, it was indeed time for Meihua to get married.
This year, the snowfall had been heavy; the snow had not melted at all. Even though the sun shone brightly in the sky, it remained very cold. By the time they got home, their faces were frozen cold.
When they returned to the village, they found that there were hardly any people on the streets. In this kind of weather, everyone stayed indoors; if they could avoid going out, they would. They drove the Ox Cart to Wang Dashan's house and stopped.
Xie Youshun called out to Wang Dashan and then opened the door to drive the Ox Cart inside. Wang Dashan and Zhang Qingfeng both came out. Wang Dashan helped tie up the ox's reins, while Xie Youshun asked Zhang Qingfeng to help carry the things they brought for Wang Dashan's family into the house. Since it was cold and the road was slippery, and it wasn't a market day, they didn't follow along but only sent the items.
Zhang Lianxiang and Yumiang lifted the curtain for them and chatted with Xiao Lihua.
“Dad, Mom, you’re back! Is it cold? Let me warm your faces.”
Shitou and the others were sitting on the kang playing. When they saw their parents come in, they immediately stood up, stretching their little hands to touch Xiao Lihua's face. Mutou reached out his little hand to warm Xie Youshun, who had to bend down for him to reach. Shitou's eyes widened in surprise at how cold Xie Youshun's face was as he kept rubbing it with his small hands.
“So cold! So cold! With Mom’s scarf, Dad’s face is also so cold.”
“Yes, it’s very cold. So you all need to play nicely indoors and not go outside.”
Xiao Lihua felt herself gradually warming up. Today was truly a Cold Winter, but fortunately, they had earned enough money for plenty of coal and firewood, and their cotton clothes were made thick enough; otherwise, she really didn't know how they would get through this.
Wang Dashan poured half a bowl of wine for them and handed it to Xie Youshun. Xie Youshun drank half of it and then passed it to Xiao Lihua, who also took a sip. Drinking wine in this weather was the best way to warm up.
“How did it go today? Was everything smooth?”
Wang Dashan asked as Xie Qingfeng and the others looked at them. They knew what Xie Youshun and the others had gone to town for today; if this worked out, they would be able to make money from selling pigs.
“It worked out! You all can have a big celebration then.”
Xie Youshun said with a smile as he recounted what Huaheng had agreed upon, causing all four of them to beam with joy. This meant they could earn a substantial amount of money today!
Zhang Lianxiang suddenly laughed and said, "That Big Tiger Lady is going to be furious this time! She thought she had the upper hand and that I was the one losing out, and she was so pleased with herself. Let's see how she regrets it now! Those little pigs have all grown so fat; that's a big sum of money, hahaha!"
Everyone laughed at this. Sister Zhu had indeed gone too far, and for someone like her who loved to take advantage of others, she would definitely be furious enough to spit blood this time.
Zhang Lianxiang said with satisfaction, "Zhu Da is the one who collects pigs. This year, you all got ahead of him and collected the pigs first, making sure his family loses out on some earnings. That old woman will be so mad!"
Another round of laughter followed. To make money this year, they really had to cut down on Zhu Da's business.
Xie Qingfeng gratefully said, "Fourth Brother, Sister Four, we really have to thank you this time. With this batch of business, we can pay off some debts at home. Thank you so much."
Yumiang also expressed her gratitude from the side, feeling that life was so much better now than before.
Wang Dashan and Zhang Lianxiang were also very appreciative.
Xie Youshun and Xiao Lihua quickly told them not to be so formal and changed the topic to discuss collecting pigs from various villages. Xie Youshun wouldn't participate in this; he didn't want to earn that money but offered them suggestions on whether to go together or split up among nearby villages, letting them decide.
In the end, they decided to go together because that way they wouldn't be bothered by those relatives they disliked from each family. It would be harder for outsiders to interfere with their business.
Xie Youshun said, "Then you all need to prepare the carts. You can use my Ox Cart, but we need to find two more so that each of you can drive one."
Xie Qingfeng nodded and said, "Yes, that way we can move faster. There are quite a few villages nearby; we need to hurry."
Wang Dashan agreed, "That's right."
Xie Youshun then mentioned that Xiao Dashu would also go collect pigs and assigned several nearby villages around Caotou Village to him. Everyone agreed without objection. Xie Youshun said he would call Xie Youtai over but decided not to go himself. He asked Xie Qingfeng to do it instead. Ever since he learned that the Gao Family was planning something against Meihua, he felt uneasy and suspected Ruyi might be involved. He feared that if he went, Xie Family Parents would bring up Ruyi again, which would make him uncomfortable. It was better not to go at all.
Xie Qingfeng left quickly and called Xie Youtai over. The men began to discuss matters together.
Xiao Lihua and the three women sat aside talking, while the three children leaned nearby listening.
They talked for a whole hour before everyone dispersed and went home.
The next day, Xie Youshun took Xiao Lihua back to her family home. Shitou and Muto also clamored to go. The weather was quite cold, and they didn't want to let them go, but the two children looked at them with big, pitiful eyes, and Xiao Lihua couldn't hold out any longer. Xie Youshun said they could go; it had been cold in winter before, and the clothes the children wore were much thinner than what they had now, yet they hadn't gotten frostbite.
Xiao Lihua agreed but wrapped the two children up like cotton balls. They wore hats that covered their ears and faces, gloves on their hands, and were wrapped in blankets.
The family of four set off for Caotou Village. The weather was nice that day; there was no wind, and they arrived smoothly. As soon as they entered the warm house, they immediately felt warm.
Xiao Shi ran over affectionately, grabbed Xiao Lihua's hand, and called her Aunt. He smiled with his eyes squinted at the paper bag Xiao Lihua handed him, knowing that Aunt would definitely give him something delicious. Wang scolded him playfully for being greedy and told him to take his two younger brothers to play.
"Shitou, Muto, come here quickly! I want to show you the wooden tiger my dad made for me! There are three in total: two big ones and one small one. You two can play with the big ones!"
Xiao Shi waved his candy bag at Shitou and Muto, then ran to the inner room to get his treasure. Shitou and Muto followed him, and soon all three children were playing together.
Meihua smiled and called out to her sister and brother-in-law, then stood aside quietly smiling, still looking a bit shy. Just standing there drew attention; she was in the prime of her youth, as beautiful as a flower.
Xiao Lihua looked at her and thought that if such a sister married Zhao Linting, aside from family background, they would be a perfect match. She would give her sister a good dowry and teach her how to manage a household. Having read some novels about family struggles and watched dramas about family life, she understood a bit about it. She believed Meihua's intelligence would allow her to learn well and become a good helpmate for Zhao Linting; that guy would be lucky!
Meihua felt a bit uneasy under Xiao Lihua's gaze and asked, "Sister, why do you keep staring at me? Is there something dirty on my face?"
"No," Xiao Lihua replied. "I'm just noticing your red star of happiness; you're about to get married."
"Sister!" Mei Hua's face flushed slightly. She wondered why her sister suddenly brought this up. Although her engagement had not gone well, she still felt embarrassed when it was mentioned.
Wang Shi's eyes brightened as she said, "Li Hua, are you saying that someone good is interested in Mei Hua? If there is someone, you must tell us! You don't know how furious I was when the brother-in-law came over a few days ago and talked about that matter. We must find a good match for Mei Hua to show those people!"
Because they had turned down that marriage proposal, it was unclear whether the matchmaker had spread rumors or if the villagers were gossiping about Mei Hua again. Xiao Dashu had given that matchmaker a stern lesson, which only added to their frustration. They were all determined to find a good match for Mei Hua.
Mei Hua lowered her head; that incident had been somewhat of a blow to her. However, she quickly lifted her head again, not wanting her family to worry about her.
"Sister-in-law, you guessed it right. There is indeed a good match for Mei Hua. This person has met Mei Hua and is quite fond of her. He specifically wanted to inform us first. If Mei Hua and you all agree, he will come to propose."
Xiao Lihua looked at Mei Hua's expression and felt sorry for her. It seemed marrying Zhao Linting would be the best option for her, at least it would silence those who laughed at Mei Hua.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Dashu and Wang Shi rushed over to ask who the person was. They were all anxious about Mei Hua's marriage; she would turn seventeen during the New Year, and in this era, girls of that age were often already engaged or even married. Some were already mothers. Mei Hua was nearing the age of being considered an old maid, and the older she got, the worse the rumors became.
Mei Hua's face turned red again, this time from embarrassment. She hadn't expected her sister to really come to talk about a marriage proposal for her. Although she lowered her head, her ears perked up as she wondered who it could be. She thought hard but couldn't figure it out; after all, she rarely saw many men at home.
Even Xiao Pozi, who was in the room, became anxious upon hearing this and urged them to come in and say it in front of her.
Xiao Lihua smiled and went in first, followed by a group of others.
Xiao Pozi grabbed Xiao Lihua and urged her to speak quickly. Xiao Lihua didn't keep them in suspense; she shared how she had met Zhao Linting and his fondness for Mei Hua while also mentioning that someone was trying to cause trouble for Mei Hua. This matter could not be kept from them.
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