"Brother, this is an apology gift I prepared for Xiuer on behalf of my family. These walnut pastries are quite expensive; they cost us a lot of money. Please take a look!"

As Li Xiuying spoke, she didn't forget to boast about how much money she had spent, like a peddler selling melons.

Little did he know, a bag of walnut shortbread was nothing to Old Ma. After buying tofu for so many years, he couldn't even afford a bag of walnut shortbread?

"Take your things back! We wouldn't dare take anything from someone of your status!" Before Li Xiuying could get close, Old Ma raised his hand sharply with a stern face.

The two chickens had thoroughly insulted him, and now he was not going to give Li Xiuying any face!

Xiuer's mother also stepped forward, grabbed Li Xiuying, and angrily pulled her towards the door, babbling and gesturing for her to leave.

She may be mute, but she has pride. If you dislike her because she's mute, then don't come to her house!

Li Xiuying, disgusted with Xiuer's mother, frowned and waved her hand away, saying seriously, "Get out of my way! I have something to say to your man! We're discussing the children's marriage! Don't cause trouble!"

Xiuer's mother stared at her in astonishment, her eyes wide with surprise.

Li Xiuying glanced at Xiuer's mother with disdain. In her opinion, Xiuer's mother was mute and had no say in the family. She then looked at the old man who was in charge and put on a smiling face, saying, "Brother, don't be so angry. For the sake of how good the two children are, let them meet."

As she spoke, she craned her neck and called into the house, "Xiuer? Xiuer? Youcai brought me to see you! Come out and see!"

"Stop shouting! Xiuer isn't home!"

Old Ma waved his hand impatiently, telling them to leave, and said, "How annoying! You can shout at the top of your lungs and no one will listen to you! Get out of my house!"

Li Xiuying only glanced at Old Matou.

She believed that Xiuer loved her son so much that she couldn't just abandon him like that, so she kept calling out, "Xiuer? Xiuer?"

"Xiuer went on a blind date, didn't I just tell you?"

Ye Yun said helplessly.

She should have kept quiet, because the moment she opened her mouth, she ignited Li Xiuying's anger. Li Xiuying immediately pointed at her and cursed, "What's it to you! You little slut, you piece of trash! You've already caused so much trouble in my Guo family, and now you dare to interfere with my son's marriage! Do you believe I'll tear your mouth apart? This isn't Blackwater Village anymore, no one's protecting you!"

"Who said no one is protecting her? Can't you see there are people all over here!" Old Ma immediately stood in front of Ye Yun and said aggressively.

Li Xiuying was surprised and asked, "Brother, you've been fooled by her, haven't you?"

Ye Yun sneered, "Li Xiuying, first of all, let me tell you, Xiu'er not dating your Guo Youcai is none of anyone else's business. Even if I didn't show up, they would still break up. You probably know the reason in your heart. Do you think everyone is like me who doesn't have to pay a single penny of dowry? You've tasted the sweetness from me and now you want to get another daughter-in-law for free? Xiu'er's parents don't owe you anything! With just two chickens, where else can you marry a whole bunch of young ladies?"

Li Xiuying blurted out, "Wasn't it you who left our family with only two chickens? Those two chickens were all the Guo family's possessions!"

"Who are you trying to fool?"

Ye Yun wanted to laugh even more, and looked directly at Guo Youcai, "Guo Youcai, your mother has at least five green bills in her hands. She didn't spend a single penny when your brother married me, you know that, right?"

Guo Youcai was stunned for a moment.

"Oh, right," Ye Yun sneered, "besides your eldest brother, your two older brothers and their wives from the Guo family also give her money every month. All in all, your mother has at least a thousand or eight hundred yuan in her hands. Do you think she can't find you a wife?"

Guo Youcai looked shocked.

He stared at Li Xiuying in disbelief and asked, "Mother... do you really have that much money?"

Feeling guilty, Li Xiuying stubbornly stammered, "Then...where would Mother get any money? Don't listen to her nonsense!"

"What about the money my older brother gave you?"

Guo Youcai said with a pained expression.

He had initially believed Li Xiuying's lies, thinking that there were really only two chickens left in the house. However, Ye Yun's words woke him up, and he looked at his mother with a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

Li Xiuying immediately panicked and grabbed his hand, coaxing, "Son, you can't touch this money..."

"Why can't I touch it?" Upon hearing that there really was money, Guo Youcai immediately shook off her hand and angrily said, "Mother! It's one thing for you to keep it from my eldest and second brothers, but why did you keep it from me? I'm your own son! Isn't this money meant for my wedding? Why are you holding onto it so tightly! If you don't spend it on your own son, are you going to take it to your grave?"

Well said!

If the occasion weren't so inappropriate, Ye Yun would have applauded Guo Youcai.

Li Xiuying just doesn't understand life.

Why are you clutching those few bills so tightly?

It's one thing that she wouldn't let her use her money from her ex-husband's son, but now she won't even let her use it from her current husband's son. She's so greedy for money that she's even squandered the most precious family ties.

Money is ultimately just an external thing.

Children are the only way out.

Foolish! You cut off your own escape route just because of these few cold, hard green bills!

When she gets old and is bedridden, those few green bills won't magically fly out of the box to help her with toileting. Her children will have to take care of her.

Everything is reciprocal.

If you do good for your children when you are young, they will be filial and supportive when you are old.

As Li Xiuying watched Guo Youcai's gaze turn colder, she grew increasingly anxious and quickly explained, "Son, that's all my money after I'm gone. Don't worry, it'll still be yours when I'm old. I won't give any of your brothers any of it..."

"Then why don't you get me a wife now!"

Guo Youcai felt wronged and angry, feeling that everything his mother said was a lie and a deception!

He probably knew his own mother's character, so he turned to Old Ma and pleaded, "Grandpa...please let me see Xiu'er. Xiu'er and I are so close, I can't bear to part with her...Don't worry, I'll definitely get my mother to give me a dowry to marry her, okay?"

His heart is sincere.

He was a young man, only twenty years old, at the age when he was just beginning to experience love and was easily swayed by emotions. His feelings for Xiuer were genuine.

It's a pity.

He's truly incompetent, and to make matters worse, he's stuck with a mean and mean-spirited mother like Li Xiuying.

Old Ma glanced at Li Xiuying, then finally shook his head and said, "Young man, you know what kind of person your mother is, and I know what kind of person your mother is. If I were to marry my daughter to you, that would be pushing her into a fire pit..."

Guo Youcai's eyes reddened with grievance, and he looked like he was about to cry.

Just then, a cheerful voice came from outside the door. Xiu'er, dressed in a long gown and trousers, led a simply dressed man into the house.