Chapter 181 The Proposal

Xiao Qi stared at his little sister's hand, his brows furrowing slightly. He was still not used to physical contact with outsiders. Whenever this happened, he couldn't help but subconsciously make a move, always wanting to throw her out the window.

"Brother, is this a difficult situation?"

Lin Yuesha continued to grab her stepbrother's arm and shake it, saying coquettishly, "Just ask for me, and when I make money, I'll buy you writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones!"

"You little brat, do you think I lack that little bit of your stuff?"

Xiao Qi couldn't help but laugh. Oh well, she's his own little sister after all, unlike outsiders. He might as well let her touch him, and besides, he...

Xiao Qi lowered his head, glanced at Lin Yuesha's chest, and remained silent.

"Shall we go now?"

It's not even the Lantern Festival yet, so the two of them visiting each other now is considered a New Year's greeting. There are still some leftover snacks from the New Year at home.

Lin Yuesha packed several oil paper packets and urged her stepbrother to take her to see them, hoping that the bowls and chopsticks would be the right size so she wouldn't have to worry about them.

"By the way, brother, does that old couple have anyone else in their family?"

People rarely show their faces in this alley, and Lin Yuesha had no recollection of the elderly couple.

"The elderly couple also have a granddaughter, and they depend on each other for survival."

Because it was their own residence, their subordinates had already found out who lived nearby. The elderly couple were in their sixties, and their granddaughter was only a teenager.

The elderly couple's son and daughter-in-law passed away from a sudden illness a few years ago. The elderly couple, who had to bury their son, had no choice but to set up a stall to make a living.

Now, both of them are in poor health, and the winters in the north are cold, so they stay at home and rarely go out or interact with their neighbors.

"Oh, I see."

Lin Yuesha went to the kitchen and cut off another piece of cured meat. Since the other party was not well-off, she decided to be generous. It was better to give something than to buy bowls and chopsticks.

As they were talking, the two headed straight for the old couple's house.

Who is it?

An aged voice sounded, followed by coughing. After a while, the door was opened.

"Happy Chinese New Year, Mother-in-law."

Lin Yuesha forced a smile and waved the several oil paper packets in her hand. She was there to deliver gifts, so she should at least be invited inside.

The old woman looked Lin Yuesha up and down suspiciously for a few moments, her expression blank. But when she saw Xiao Qi, she immediately grinned from ear to ear and turned to shout, "Old man, come out quickly! Scholar Xiao has come to our house to propose marriage!"

Lin Yuesha: "..."

Xiao Qi: "..."

What? Did she hear that right?

Lin Yuesha's mouth could fit an egg. She looked at her stepbrother in shock. When did he get together with that granddaughter? Could it be that she was in a poor family and therefore unaware of it?

Xiao Qi kept shaking his head, looking very troubled.

Before the two could explain, the old man acted even faster, pulling the door wide open and casually pushing it open. Xiao Qi entered, while Lin Yuesha was turned away as soon as she took a step forward.

"well……"

Lin Yuesha stared at the cold iron gate, speechless as she looked up at the sky.

She turned and ran home. When she arrived at the courtyard, Xiao Chenggui and Chen were chatting and laughing as they swept the snow in the yard.

"Father, Mother, something terrible has happened! My eldest brother has gone to propose marriage to the neighbor across the street!"

It was only a few steps, but Lin Yuesha was panting heavily and almost vomited up the tea she had drunk.

One sentence shocked Xiao Chenggui, who casually threw away the broom, which then flew onto the roof.

I messed up, I messed up.

"What happened?"

Fortunately, neither the mother nor the daughter noticed this small detail. Chen pulled Lin Yuesha aside and pressed her for details, "You said your eldest brother went to propose marriage himself?"

This child, how can he not understand etiquette? A marriage proposal should only be formal if the parents come to the door.

"No, it wasn't my older brother who went to propose marriage."

In her anxiety, Lin Yuesha couldn't speak clearly. She stamped her foot and urged, "Father, Mother, you'd better go and see! If you're too late, my brother will really belong to someone else!"

Given Xiao Qi's kind-hearted nature, if he learns that the other party's family is poor, he might actually go along with it.

Lin Yuesha didn't care who he got engaged to, but she didn't want to be framed like this without any explanation.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chenggui and Chen rushed to the door without even changing their clothes.

Inside the door, Xiao Qi was explaining that he hadn't come to propose marriage.

"Brother Xiao, you are unmarried and I am unmarried. Didn't you move here for my sake?"

Behind the elderly couple stood a young girl with flushed cheeks; she was their granddaughter, Yang Xiu.

I remember one day, she went to town to sell sesame cakes and was hit by a horse-drawn carriage. The sesame cakes were scattered all over the ground, and it was Xiao Qi who helped pick them up.

Unexpectedly, not long after, Xiao Qi moved to the small courtyard. She even deliberately came to borrow things, and a year has passed without her returning them. She never asks for them back, which is clearly a sign that she has feelings for him.

Finally, she got what she had been waiting for.

"Who are you?"

Xiao Qi had a headache. He turned around and saw that Lin Yuesha had disappeared without a trace, leaving him to be attacked by the three of them.

To maintain his "good guy" image, he's helped many people, so why is he being misunderstood again? First Xuan Yao, and now this Yang Xiu—women have no shame; how can they say such things?

Xiao Qi was so annoyed that he could barely maintain his composure.

Being entangled with by a woman is inexplicable and bothersome.

"Brother Xiao, don't you remember me? I'm Xiuxiu."

Yang Xiu twisted her handkerchief, wondering if Xiao Qi hadn't come to propose marriage. The two families never interacted, so what was he doing here with all those gifts?

"You're not here to propose marriage, and you're showing up during the New Year? Aren't you going to ruin Xiuxiu's reputation? If the neighbors see this and misunderstand, who will come to propose marriage in the future!"

Upon hearing Xiao Qi's explanation, the elderly couple became so angry that their faces turned red, and they retorted angrily.

The two of them, one after the other, portrayed Xiao Qi as a heartless man.

Xiao Chenggui and Madam Chen were at the door, having just learned the reason for Xiao Qi's visit, and they were both amused and exasperated.

"It's all your fault! Why did you have to instigate your older brother!"

Madam Chen pinched her daughter's cheek. This kind of family shouldn't be visited. They are unreasonable and presumptuous. They are practically the second Xuan family.

Chen had a bad feeling about Xuan Yao's personality, so she hurriedly knocked on the door to explain.

"Those bowls and chopsticks are our belongings, we won't lend them out!"

The second boss, with a stern face, chased the family of four out of the house and slammed the door shut.

Xiao Qi was disheveled, his hair a mess. Lin Yuesha lost her smile. Was her daughter worried about getting married? What terrible people she was meeting!

“Next time something like this happens, I’ll go and plead with you. Don’t drag your older brother into it for you.”

The stepson was truly innocent; look how terrified he was by the whole family. Chen felt heartbroken too.

"Mother, if you go to their door, they'll be even more convinced that you're there to propose marriage!"

Lin Yuesha rolled her eyes. The other party was acting strangely; how could she blame her family? When the Chen family came to visit, they firmly believed it was a formal marriage proposal, which only made the misunderstanding worse.

Madam Chen touched her chin, her face flushed and paled. What her daughter said made sense. If Tingyun came to visit, they could at least explain things clearly.