Xia Chunmei then told Xia Hongfen about it.

"Is she really the child's biological father?" Xia Hongfen's eyes widened, seemingly incredulous. "Isn't this too much of a coincidence?"

"It's just such a coincidence."

When Xia Hongfen heard that she was going to marry the child's biological father, a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders: "You should have told me about this sooner. Yesterday, your grandmother asked me about your fiancé, and I couldn't say a word. It was so embarrassing and shameful."

"I'm your own aunt! My own niece has a fiancé, and you found out before outsiders? Is that even right?"

"Aunt, I didn't mean to hide it from you. It was a last-minute arrangement with him, and I didn't have time to tell you."

"What's his family situation like? What kind of person is he? You're good at physiognomy, have you calculated your birth charts?"

"Their horoscopes are quite compatible. As for the person... he's coming to propose today, you'll see him in a little while. We've already decided on the wedding date, it'll be the 12th of this month. We'll just have a meal here as a family, nothing too big."

"Twelve? That's way too rushed. How am I supposed to prepare your dowry in time?"

As the only elder in her family, she is obligated to prepare a dowry for her niece's wedding. Even if she can't afford anything expensive, she should at least prepare two red chests.

"It's all for the baby in my belly. Besides, it's a fake marriage, so dowry and stuff don't matter. We'll just invite a few neighbors over for a meal so everyone knows I'm married."

"A fake marriage?" Xia Hongfen exclaimed in surprise.

Realizing she had spoken too loudly, Xia Hongfen grabbed Xia Chunmei and hurriedly whispered, "What's going on? Is it another fake marriage?"

“He comes from a good family, and I don’t want to be trapped in a privileged environment, nor do I want to suffer mistreatment at his home. So I told him that when the time is right, we will get a divorce and co-parent the child.”

"What?"

Marriage is such a big deal, can it really be like this?

Xia Hongfen was a native of ancient traditional women, and Xia Chunmei's words shocked her greatly.

But then, Xia Hongfen's tears started falling like a broken string of pearls: "My good niece has actually fallen to the bottom of having to fake a marriage with someone, sob sob sob... What will you do in the future?"

"Auntie, please don't cry. I should have told you sooner."

Upon hearing this, Xia Hongfen flew into a rage: "You brat, you think you can keep such a big thing from me?!"

"Let me tell you, you were worried, weren't you?" Xia Chunmei said, "Actually, things aren't that bad. At least I have money, a house, and a shop, and I can still make money. I live a life where I have no worries about food and clothing. Aren't I happier than many people?"

"But having money and food isn't enough. A woman should always have a good home. If you have a fake marriage and then divorce, you'll be a second-time bride. Where will you find a good husband then?"

"But even if I don't marry him, with my big belly, it's not certain that a good man will be willing to take me on."

"Why can't you two just make it real? You're the child's mother, and he's the child's father. Isn't it natural for you two to be together? Why do you have to fake a marriage? I heard he's a bit older. Chunmei, tell me honestly, is he married?"

No, not at all.

"Really not?"

“No, really!” Xia Chunmei said. “It’s just that his family are officials, and I’m just a country bumpkin. No matter how capable I am, I’m still just a country bumpkin. I can’t play the zither and I don’t know anything about poetry and literature. Would a high-ranking family accept someone like me as their wife? Aunt, I know my place. I don’t dream about that. The reason I’m getting married to him now is for my and my child’s future.”

With my circumstances, even if I remarry into an ordinary family in the village or county, my in-laws will treat me like a goddess.

Xia Chunmei is wealthy and has a good relationship with the Jin family. If she were to marry into a poor family, who would give her a hard time?

A woman who can earn money and has a strong backer has a strong backbone.

Xia Hongfen also understood this principle, and she knew even more that being a daughter-in-law in a wealthy and powerful family was not an easy task.

If your family is powerful enough and the man you marry is also interested in you, life will be a little easier.

If you have no family to rely on, and people look down on your background, then your life may only look glamorous on the surface, but in reality, it may be worse than that of a village woman who eats coarse food and wild vegetables.

*

At noon, the crackling sound of firecrackers rang out outside Xia Chunmei's house.

Baili Xiao rode ahead on horseback, looking radiant. Erbing and Santiao each drove a mule cart. Erbing drove a mule cart pulled by two mules, with piles of brand-new cloth tied to it, in all colors except yellow.

On a three-horse mule cart sat two bamboo baskets containing gifts such as dried fruit and other items. Outside the baskets were several chickens, ducks, fish, and sheep. Sitting on the cart was an old woman with a large red flower in her hair and her face painted deathly pale.

Such a grand spectacle immediately attracted the attention of men, women, and children in the village.

"What's going on?"

"I don't know."

"Isn't this the young man who went fishing with Chunmei yesterday? What's he doing here with so much stuff?"

"With so many things, could it be a betrothal gift?"

The villagers were talking about it.

The mule cart stopped in front of Xia Ming's house. The old woman jumped off the cart and said with a smile, "Is this the home of Miss Xia Chunmei?"

"You must be here to propose marriage." Seeing so many things, and considering Xia Chunmei and Baili Xiao's situation yesterday, Xia Mingshi guessed what was going on.

Xia Chunmei and Xia Hongfen had already talked in detail and were mentally prepared.

“I am Chunmei’s aunt, and also her only elder.”

"Congratulations, elder sister! Congratulations! You have such a wonderful niece as Miss Xia, and now you have such a wonderful nephew-in-law as Young Master Ning. You will surely enjoy endless blessings with your niece and nephew-in-law. Look at all these betrothal gifts: three mules, twenty bolts of colorful cloth, and all these fruits, snacks, chickens, ducks, fish, and sheep. Young Master Ning has put a lot of thought into everything."

Young Master Ning is handsome and wealthy, while Miss Xia is virtuous, kind, and gentle. They are a match made in heaven, destined for a long and prosperous life with many children and grandchildren.

Hearing this, Xia Chunmei, who was still in the room, couldn't help but admire these matchmakers. They could say all sorts of nice things without even having met the person.

Xia Hongfen sized up the man who was going to have a fake marriage with her niece. He was handsome, tall, and had a somewhat fierce look on his face...