His eyes were firm, and his face still held a smile: "Yuelan! It's time to settle things between us!"

He took a deep breath and continued, "I've liked you for a long time, I've even... I've already proposed to you at your house. But your aunt said she wants a dowry of two thousand coins..."

Liu Yuelan's face immediately turned red, as if it could bleed.

She didn't speak immediately, but lowered her head and tightly gripped the hair clip in her hand.

After a while, she said softly, "My mother also mentioned it to me. She said that my family charges this much money whenever a marriage proposal comes to our door."

Her tone softened, as if she had mustered her courage, and she said softly, "My father even had my fortune told. I have a lucky fate for my husband. As long as I marry him, his family will have smooth sailing and a prosperous business."

She paused for a moment, then looked up at Shen Zhiyu.

"If you truly want to marry me, you should... be willing to prepare this dowry, right?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyu immediately nodded repeatedly.

"Oh? Of course! Don't worry, I'll go back and have my mother prepare it right away."

He patted his chest after he finished speaking.

"I will definitely raise the dowry so you can marry me without worry."

Liu Yuelan smiled, her lips curving upwards.

She placed the few bills she was holding on the counter, making a soft clinking sound.

She then reached out and grabbed a bottle of old-fashioned soy sauce with a black and red bottle from the shelf, turned around and ran out of the shop without looking back.

"Yuelan, wait for me!"

A hurried shout came from outside the door; it was Shen Zhiyu's voice.

Shen Zhiyu shouted those words with almost all his might.

He chased after them to the door, stood there, and called out loudly.

I was so anxious that I could hardly breathe.

His eyes held an undisguised fervor, and his heart pounded in his chest.

As he called out, the image of her standing at the shop entrance flashed through his mind.

A surge of emotion welled up in his heart, and he had only one thought in his mind: he couldn't wait to scrape together the two thousand yuan, prepare all the red invitations, and marry her right away!

Even waiting for one more day would be unbearable for him.

As he worked, his mind wandered to all sorts of future possibilities, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

Even the young men from the same village standing nearby noticed that something was wrong with him.

But when he finished his day's work and returned home, as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he felt as if a stone had suddenly pressed down on his heart.

My emotions plummeted instantly.

A few dilapidated mud houses stood forlornly in the courtyard.

Several ropes hung precariously from under the eaves.

The wind blew through it, making a creaking sound.

Shen Zhiyu looked at those dilapidated houses, his heart as heavy as lead.

How easy is it to come up with two thousand yuan?

It's harder than climbing to heaven!

He sighed inwardly.

Smoke was rising from the stove, and wisps of smoke drifted into the air.

The air carried a faint, slightly burnt aroma, suggesting that Su Qingzhi was already preparing dinner.

The sounds of pots and pans clattering could be heard from time to time.

Zhu Xiuqin was sitting under the old locust tree in the courtyard, her head down, mending the faded clothes stitch by stitch, her expression calm as if she hadn't heard anything.

"mom."

Shen Zhiyu mustered his courage and called out softly, his voice a little nervous and cautious.

"I want to marry Liu Yuelan."

He spoke slowly and firmly, his gaze falling on the clothes in Zhu Xiuqin's hands, and he hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Could our family... raise some money? Two thousand yuan..."

"snort."

She had barely finished speaking when Zhu Xiuqin snorted coldly without even raising her head.

Two thousand? Don't even dream about it!

Her tone was laced with sarcasm as she continued coldly, "Even if you tore me apart and sold me, you still couldn't raise that much! What are you young men thinking? Always wanting to get married? If you're so capable, go earn it yourselves!"

Then, she glanced at him, her eyes showing a hint of disdain.

"If you're so capable, then teach Liu Yuelan to learn from Su Qingzhi. A decent girl should know how to take the initiative and come to you; there's no reason for her to wait for you to marry her. A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; once she marries into the family, who else would she side with if not her husband's family? How could she not be on her husband's side!"

Upon hearing these words, Shen Zhiyu's face flushed red and then turned pale; she was so embarrassed by what she said that her face turned red.

He knew his mother was extremely stingy.

But hearing her words now, half of my hope was completely dashed.

He knew very well that getting money from Zhu Xiuqin was harder than climbing to heaven.

He gritted his teeth, knowing that it was useless to resist at this time, so he quickly changed his tone and obediently walked behind Zhu Xiuqin and reached out to massage her shoulders.

"Mom, how can a good-for-nothing like Su Qingzhi compare to Liu Yuelan?"

He rubbed it while carefully explaining his position.

"She's the kind of capable, smart, and decisive girl. If she really marries into our family, things will be completely different. Our family and the Liu family will be relatives. The Liu family is the village chief's family in Qingshan Village. If we ever need anything in the future, who won't give us some face? Who won't treat us politely? Mom, just think about it, how glorious those days will be!"

“I can also use the village chief’s influence to earn more wages and land in the team in the future. As for the regular grain distribution and the year-end work point evaluation, it’s just a matter of the village chief saying a few words.”

"Besides, Yuelan isn't someone to be trifled with. She's a capable woman and will definitely be able to make Su Qingzhi behave herself. Let's see if that vicious woman will dare to bully you again!"

As Zhu Xiuqin slowly sewed a tattered garment, she listened to these words, her fingers paused, and she stopped.

you do not say!

When the village chief's eldest daughter officially entered the family and became part of the family.

Who cares about Su Qingzhi anymore?

But the thought of having to pay out two thousand yuan made her heart clench as if it were being squeezed, and she felt so painful she could hardly breathe.

She suddenly slapped away Shen Zhiyu's hand, which was massaging her shoulders.

"Stop pretending to be rich when you're not! Even if the sky falls today, I don't have that much money on me!"

"I'll say it one more time: if you're so capable, go and bring that girl home yourself. If you can't, go earn it yourself. Don't expect me to pay for it! Get lost! Stop bothering me!"

"mom!"

Shen Zhiyu was so angry that his face turned red and then ashen. He slammed his hand on the table and jumped up from his chair.

"From today onwards, I will not eat a single bite of your food!"

"From now on, I won't touch a single grain of rice. I might as well starve to death!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around angrily and ran into his room.

Then came a loud bang as the door slammed shut.

Outside the door, Zhu Xiuqin was crying and shouting; the mother and son were arguing fiercely.

Su Qingzhi heard all of this clearly from the stove.

She was busy making a pot of fish soup for Shen Cunpu and didn't have the mind to come out and take a look.

Let her argue!

Anyway, she can't bother me!