When Ye Caiping got home, it was already quite late.

She went into the kitchen and began preparing the spicy soup for lunch.

Seeing this, Grandma Ye quickly came over to help.

Du glanced outside, then pretended to chop vegetables and brought in a large cabbage.

After a while, Madam Du couldn't help but ask, "Little sister, did you just arrive at Tie Niu's wife's house?"

"How did you know?" Ye Caiping had just finished chopping wood ear mushrooms and daylily buds, and handed her the knife. "Here, the knife."

Du took the cabbage and placed it on the cutting board: "Yesterday when we were in the oxcart, you asked that boy going into the mountains about Xiuxiu. This morning you went in the direction of Tie Niu's house again, so I guessed you were looking for her."

Seeing that she seemed quite concerned, Ye Caiping told her about her conversation with Tie Niu's wife.

After hearing this, both Madam Du and Old Lady Ye fell silent and did not say a word.

After a long while, Old Mrs. Ye finally spoke:

“What Tie Niu’s wife said is all true. If you want to find fault with Xiu Xiu’s family, I’ve seen many worse ones. If we’re talking about it, Xiu Xiu’s mother isn’t that bad.”

Ye Caiping was taken aback: "Does your sister-in-law think so too?"

"Or what?" Madam Du frowned, looking at Ye Caiping with some surprise. "Don't you see it that way?"

Ye Caiping was stunned.

In her previous life, she was an orphan and had no family.

Although she had several relationships, they all ended without a trace, and she never reached the point of meeting her parents.

Therefore, she has no right to speak on marriage.

When it comes to people, no one is perfect, let alone a family, where it's impossible for everyone to be perfect.

Ye Caiping said, "So, sister-in-law, you approve of Xiuxiu being with Ye Yong?"

Madam Du frowned: "It's not that I approve or disapprove... it's just that when it comes to marriage, there's never a truly perfect one. For example, there are always problems with mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, sisters-in-law, or children."

“I thought, rather than doing this, at least we should choose something we like, and that means choosing someone we can be happy with. And Xiuxiu... at least a long time ago, Xiuxiu never looked down on Yong’er.”

"For this alone, I will remember her kindness for the rest of my life."

Ye Youping understood; the Du family valued Xiuxiu.

Du said, "I was thinking, should we talk to Xiuxiu again? It's impossible to give her any business, but we can add a few more taels of betrothal gifts."

Ye Caiping coughed lightly: "I just received news that Xiuxiu is engaged, to that carpenter I mentioned last time."

"What?" Both Madam Du and Old Lady Ye were stunned.

Old Mrs. Ye looked as if she had seen a ghost: "Impossible. Does everyone have the money to pay a dowry of twenty taels? Besides, even if they did, who would be willing to add a gold hairpin?"

Ye Caiping sighed, "My mother and sister-in-law just don't understand. Some people just look down on you and think you're not good enough! If you want the same thing, you have to spend more money!"

"To put it bluntly, if Ye Yong wants to marry Xiuxiu, he has to pay twenty taels of silver plus a gold hairpin and a business. If it were someone else, she wouldn't dare to say a word more. She would be happy to accept just twenty taels."

Madam Du's face darkened: "Doesn't that mean that Xiuxiu's mother is just bullying my Yong'er?"

That's what I mean.

Ye Caiping recalled her past life when she worked for a company and her boss refused to give her a raise, preferring to spend more money hiring new people. He was simply taking advantage of her honesty and reluctance to leave.

"Oh my, Xiuxiu's mother, congratulations! Xiuxiu is engaged!" Zhao Pozi's voice suddenly came from the next room: "Which village's young man is it?"

"No, neither. My future son-in-law is from town, and he's a carpenter. His family owns a shop, and he earns about one or two taels of silver a month. I'm going to Liu Decai's house first, so I'll be going now."

Upon hearing these voices, Madam Du's face darkened, realizing that Xiuxiu's mother had come to show off on purpose.

"Big brother! Big brother, where are you going!" Ye Jinhua's voice rang out from outside.

When Ye Caiping and the others came out of the kitchen, they only saw Ye Yong's back. A moment later, they ran out like the wind.

“Mother… my eldest brother is very sad.” Ye Jinhua stepped forward. “What should we do? My eldest brother is very stubborn. His cat died before, and he has never raised another one since.”

Mrs. Du said, "Now that we're engaged, it's too late to say anything."

Ye Caiping sighed softly and looked at Madam Du: "Sister-in-law, if I had a way to get that carpenter to break off the engagement and for Xiuxiu's mother to come to us, would you really agree to Yong'er marrying Xiuxiu?"

Mrs. Du was taken aback: "I agree. But you..."

"Don't worry, I have a plan." He then looked at Ye Jinhua and asked, "Where does your brother usually like to hang out?"

"He often chopped firewood under the jujube trees on the mountain,"

Ye Caiping nodded: "Mom, I'll leave the hot and sour soup to you. I'll go look for him."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Ye Caiping has a hundred ways to deal with people like Xiuxiu Niang.

The main thing is that Xiuxiu's mother isn't the kind of scoundrel; she cares about her reputation and her image.

If you say she was greedy, she could have earned dozens of taels of silver by selling Xiuxiu to a brothel or selling a few young boys.

Therefore, compared to others, Xiuxiu's mother cared more about her image and had many sons, which were her proudest assets.

This kind of person is easy to manipulate.

Compared to those who treat their daughters like livestock, or those who throw tantrums and scream at the drop of a hat, she's much easier to deal with.

As for her two good-for-nothing sons, they're even easier to handle, because they're utterly useless! They're the kind of people who wouldn't even bother to pick up money falling from the sky.

Besides, no one can guarantee what kind of family Ye Yong's future wife will have. If she encounters someone who is secretive and cunning, it will be even more troublesome.

At least this one is easy to spot at a glance.

Ye Caiping ran up the mountain in one breath and arrived at the jujube tree, panting.

Ye Yong stood blankly on the mountain, staring into the distance.

"What are you thinking about?" Ye Caiping walked to his side.

Ye Yong didn't turn around: "I... I regret it. If I had known... I wouldn't have sent her back back then."

Ye Caiping knew that he was referring to the time two years ago when he eloped with Hu Xiuxiu.