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The people listened to Xiao Lihua's words and finally believed that Zhao Linting indeed wanted to marry their daughter Meihua. First, they were stunned, then surprised, and finally a bit worried.
Xiao Pozi said, "Zhao Gongzi is truly a good man. He is handsome, articulate, and wealthy. Now he has built a large estate so close to the village where Li Hua lives; there’s really nothing to criticize! But such a good man makes me worry that our Meihua might not be able to handle him!"
Xiao Pozi looked at Meihua. In her eyes, her daughter was wonderful, but everything has to consider social standing. If Meihua were to marry a peasant, Xiao Pozi felt there wouldn’t be many suitable young men within a hundred miles who matched her daughter. However, for Zhao Linting, she genuinely worried. It was like seeing a fragrant, bright red fruit in front of her but not knowing if it was poisonous or not; she hesitated to take a bite, which was truly frustrating.
Zhao Linting had visited the Xiao Family before, and Xiao Pozi had a very good impression of him.
Xiao Dashu thought the same way. However, he also recalled what Li Hua said about someone wanting to harm Meihua and felt that marrying Zhao Linting would be the best protection for her. He could naturally protect his sister too, but thinking of the Gao Family's wealth, he feared that if he made any mistakes, it could ruin Meihua's life.
Wang said, "Mother, marrying into an ordinary family doesn’t mean there won’t be trivial matters or worries. Perhaps there are even more troubles than marrying into a wealthy family! Since Zhao Gongzi is actively seeking to marry us, it means he really likes Meihua. As long as Meihua becomes a virtuous wife and mother, they can certainly live harmoniously together for a lifetime."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Pozi and Xiao Dashu also felt it made sense, and their hesitation lessened.
Xiao Lihua said, "Mother, elder brother, sister-in-law, don’t worry. Our lives will get better and better; we can also support Meihua then. Zhao Linting said they would live in that estate close by; I will take care of Meihua and teach her how to manage household affairs. I can write now and can teach her literacy as well. Meihua will become an elegant and gracious lady. As long as you have the heart for it, Meihua, you will surely succeed."
Xiao Lihua looked at Meihua; ultimately, this matter depended on Meihua's feelings.
Meihua had been standing quietly behind Xiao Lihua with her head down since this matter was mentioned. However, her face was flushed with shyness.
Meihua felt very complicated emotions. She never expected Zhao Linting would want to marry her. When she saved Zhao Linting back then, she didn’t think about being repaid. However, she couldn’t deny that from the first moment she saw Zhao Linting, she thought he was very handsome; his eyes sparkled when he smiled and his words were gentle enough to make her shy away from looking at his face. She had imagined that if the man she married in the future had even one-tenth of his looks, she would be satisfied; she never dared to hope to marry such a man.
Later on, when Zhao Linting visited their home twice and spoke with her—his words were still so interesting—she didn’t think much of it at the time and never expected he would actually wish to marry her and even told her sister that he liked her.
Meihua's heart raced with nervousness and joy; she feared she wasn’t worthy of Zhao Linting but couldn’t bear to say no when thinking of those smiling peach blossom eyes.
Xiao Pozi asked, "Meihua, your mother thinks Zhao Gongzi is very good. What do you think?"
Meihua lowered her head and remained silent.
Wang said quickly, "Meihua, if you are willing, just nod your head; if you are not willing, shake your head. You need to think this through. Anyway, your sister-in-law thinks this marriage proposal is really good. Think about it, marrying anyone comes with difficulties, but Zhao Gongzi at least came to propose actively and is very satisfied with you. If you miss out on him, you may never meet such a good person again."
Xiao Dashu tugged at his wife and said, "Let Meihua think for herself."
Wang replied, "What is there to think about? Zhao Gongzi is a great choice for a brother-in-law. Of course, I want Meihua to marry well; my judgment has never been wrong. Mother, don’t you also think Zhao Gongzi is a good person?"
Xiao Pozi nodded; Wang was right. Marrying anyone comes with challenges, but Zhao Linting is the one with the best conditions. His only flaw is that he is too good, making it hard to let go.
"Meihua, don't shy away from pursuing happiness just because you're scared. If you are determined to be a good Mrs. Zhao, then nod your head," Li Hua said while holding Meihua's hand.
Everyone looked at Meihua. Over the years, she had been the most neglected in the family, so even though they had not found a suitable match for her until now with someone like Zhao Linting appearing, they did not want to decide for her; they wanted her to make her own choice.
Meihua had been thinking deeply and finally nodded because she realized that just the thought of rejecting this marriage made her uneasy, while thinking about accepting it brought her joy. Imagining Zhao Linting's sparkling eyes and his always smiling mouth made her want to marry him; even if this man grew tired of her in the future, she would not regret it.
Seeing Meihua nodding, Xiao Pozi held her hand and patted it gently, her eyes becoming moist. She felt sad thinking about the grievances her daughter had suffered over the years due to marriage matters, but when she thought about how she finally had a good home to go to, she couldn't help but smile widely.
Xiao Dashu and Wang were also very happy. Although they had some worries before, those worries vanished without a trace due to their joy.
Xie Youshun had been silent until now; he took out a cloth bag and handed it to Xiao Pozi, saying, "Mother, this is the dowry Li Hua and I are giving to Meihua."
Xiao Pozi was taken aback and opened the cloth bag. Inside was another layer of oilcloth. She opened that as well and found folded paper inside. When she unfolded it, her hand trembled; it was three silver notes. She had seen silver notes in other people's hands before but did not know how much they were worth since she could not read. However, in her heart, as long as it was silver notes, it meant a lot of Silver. She quickly wrapped it back up and handed it back to Xie Youshun.
"You can't give so much as a dowry, quickly take it back. You still have to live your lives!"
"Yes, sister, brother-in-law, please don't spend so much," Meihua was also startled and quickly refused. Ever since her sister had changed for the better, she had treated her very well, and she was already very content. She didn't want her to spend so much silver on her.
Xiao Dashu and Wang also repeatedly declined, saying they would prepare a dowry for Meihua.
Xie Youshun said, "Mother, big brother's wife, this is something I discussed with Li Hua. This silver is for Meihua's dowry, so she can have a grand wedding. We still have money left; there's enough for us to spend. Please don't refuse it; otherwise, Li Hua will feel bad."
Xiao Lihua said, "Over the years, my family has faced a lot of disdain, especially Meihua. She has been affected by my reputation and only now has a good marriage proposal. As her sister, I want to make it up to her. If you don't accept this silver, I'll always feel like I owe Meihua something. You wouldn't want me to feel bad either, right? This three hundred taels of silver will ensure Meihua has a generous dowry and can marry in style; then I can rest easy."
"Three hundred taels?"
Wang's eyes widened upon hearing this; she didn't expect Li Hua to offer three hundred taels right away.
Xiao Pozi and the others were also stunned; Xiao Pozi felt the cloth bag in her hand was almost burning hot.
Meihua looked at her sister and softly said, "Sister, three hundred taels is too much; I can't accept it."
Xiao Lihua replied, "You know I've sold recipes to Flavor Fragrance Tower and I'm not short on money now. This three hundred taels came from selling another recipe yesterday; it's unexpected wealth, not hard-earned money. Just accept it; don’t feel bad about it. As long as you live well, I can also feel at ease. If you want me to always feel guilty towards you, then don’t accept it and let me suffer inside."
Meihua called out to her sister with emotion. Previously, when Xiao Lihua was not doing well, she had some slight grievances in her heart. But after all, they were sisters; once Xiao Lihua changed for the better, she forgave her. Now that she was willing to go to such lengths for her marriage, Meihua felt that her sister was truly wonderful.
Xiao Pozi sighed and said, "Then I'll accept this banknote on behalf of Meihua."
The family was very happy. Xiao Lihua said they should go back and tell Zhao Linting to come propose as soon as possible.
After discussing Meihua's marriage, Xie Youshun talked to Xiao Dashu about the pig sale. Upon hearing this, Xiao Dashu was very happy; this was a great opportunity to make money. Now that Li Hua's family was making so much money and Meihua was going to marry a wealthy man like Zhao Linting, he felt he had to work harder to earn money.
Originally, Xie Youshun and the others came to the Xiao Family to prepare a lavish meal, and with these two good pieces of news, the whole family was in high spirits. Xiao Pozi suggested that Xiao Dashu go to the Village to buy more food; they were going to have a good feast today. Xiao Dashu agreed and quickly went out, returning shortly after with plenty of meat and tofu from the butcher in the street, as well as some wine.
Wang and Xiao Lihua worked together in the kitchen, and before long, they had prepared a table full of delicious dishes. Just as the family was about to sit down, they heard someone calling from outside. The mood in the Xiao Family shifted immediately; it was none other than the Matchmaker who had come to propose for Meihua last time.
"How dare she come here!"
Xiao Dashu was furious and wanted to go out and drive her away. Last time, he had taken the opportunity to cover her head and give her a beating, but rumors detrimental to Meihua still spread. He believed it was this woman who had spread them. If it weren't for wanting to protect Meihua's reputation further, he would have confronted her long ago; how could she still have the face to come here!
Wang held him back, saying, "I'll go chase her away. If you let your temper get the better of you and end up hitting her, you might get blamed for it. I can handle her."
Xiao Lihua said, "I'll go too; I want to see how she dares to come back."
The two of them walked outside together. As they reached the door, they caught a whiff of a strong scent; a plump figure had already stepped inside ahead of them. Both frowned, thinking that this person must have called out only after entering the courtyard—what was the difference between that and barging in?
Looking at the woman in front of her, Xiao Lihua noticed that she was dressed like a ball in the middle of winter, wearing bright red clothes despite her age, with makeup on her face that looked somewhat frightening. She thought this woman really resembled the Matchmaker depicted in TV dramas—equally annoying. If she hadn't known about it beforehand, perhaps Meihua would have suffered because of this person. She also wanted to give her a good beating.
The author has something to say: Thanks to Yuxue Feifei for the grenade.
Thanks to Dandan the Little Cat for several landmines.
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