When Yao Chunnuan woke up from her nap, the yard was filled with the smell of hot lard. Yao's mother and sister-in-law were picking leeks, Hu Zi was making trouble nearby, and the others were not at home.
Perhaps the aroma from the kitchen was too tempting, Huzi kept looking inside. Finally, he couldn't help it and pulled his mother's hand to the kitchen, "Mom, there, eat..."
This little look made them all laugh.
"You little greedy cat—" Mrs. Yao tapped the tip of his nose with the back of her finger, "You have to wait a while before you can eat."
Seeing that he couldn't pull her, Hu Zi leaned over to look at Yao's mother again, and found that his grandmother, who had always loved him the most, didn't even look at him, but was only concerned about the green grass in her hand. He immediately changed his target, turned around, staggered towards Yao Chunnuan, who was hugging her legs, and raised his little face.
Yao Chunnuan raised her eyebrows, lowered her head, and stared at him.
“Beep—”
The little guy was only about two years old, and his pronunciation was unclear, so his aunt called him "dudu". But the drawn-out baby voice made people's hearts melt when they heard it.
"What's wrong?" Yao Chunnuan squatted down and gently hugged the little guy. Yao Chunnuan believed that children were the cutest when they were two or three years old, with small and round bodies. After the age of five, they would become naughty and mischievous, hated by people and disliked by cats.
The little guy anxiously pulled her hand and pointed to the kitchen, "Go—"
"You want to eat, right? Then your aunt will take you there." Yao Chunnuan let him pull her away.
When they got to the kitchen, the fat was still sizzling in the pot. She took a small bowl, put two or three pieces into the bowl, ground some fine salt and sprinkled it on the meat, and also cut a skewer and stuck it on the meat to prevent him from getting his hands covered in oil.
Finally, the little guy snuggled in her arms, holding the skewer with his short hands and stuffing the oil residue into his little mouth piece by piece. He was so well-behaved.
Yao's mother and sister-in-law were heartbroken when they saw this.
Next, the two of them prepared to make dumplings. Yao Dasao didn't let her help, just asked her to watch Hu Zi.
In the evening, the Yao family had a delicious meal of dumplings.
Yao Chunnuan thought that he had done everything he should do, and the next step was to wait quietly for the outcome of the Wang family case.
Unexpectedly, there was a visitor at home that day. It was Yao Dasao's aunt, Yu, who said she was visiting relatives and had a drink, and passed through Jinniu Village, so she stopped by to see her niece.
Yao Chunnuan had heard from her family that her eldest sister-in-law and her niece Yao Xing had a very good relationship. Every year when the family was not busy with farm work, Yao Xing would go to her place to stay for a few days.
However, Yao Chunnuan felt that the other party was too enthusiastic towards her, and the way she looked at her made her very uncomfortable.
Yao Chunnuan said hello and wanted to go back to the house, not wanting to make awkward conversation. Her sister-in-law and her mother were there to entertain the guests, so it wasn't considered rude of her to do so.
"A Nuan, don't go!" Yu called her.
"Hmm?" Yao Chunnuan looked back.
Yu smiled and said, "It's like this. I always thought you were a good kid, but your life was a little bumpy and your marriage wasn't very smooth."
Yao's mother couldn't bear to hear others say that her daughter had a bad fate, so her face changed when she heard what Yu said.
Yao Dasao kept winking at her aunt, but Yu ignored her and continued to talk to herself, "There are so many rumors in the countryside. Auntie really can't bear to see you being slandered by rumors, so I want to arrange a marriage for you, so as to get rid of your current predicament."
Want to propose marriage to her? Yao Chunnuan blinked.
Yao's mother couldn't sit still any longer and immediately asked, "Her aunt, are you serious?"
"Look at what you said, elder sister. How can you joke about arranging a marriage?" Yu and Yao's mother were of the same generation, so she called Yao's mother elder sister.
Yao Chunnuan didn't want to go on a blind date, and wasn't interested in the man she mentioned. "Talk to my mother about this. My parents will make the final decision."
Mother Yao nodded seriously and solemnly.
"This..." Yu hesitated at first, then said helplessly, "It's good for parents to make the decision, but isn't there another saying, 'When you first marry, you obey your father, when you remarry, you obey yourself?' It's your second chance to make the decision, too."
Yao Chunnuan found it funny. Yu said this and asked her to stay. Did she think she was easy to fool?
"No need, I trust my mother. Excuse me." Yao Chunnuan stood up decisively. She was not worried that her mother would agree to this marriage. Not to mention that she truly loved her daughter, she would look down on ordinary men, not to mention that she had Deputy Commander Deng waiting for her. Her mother was very confident.
Yu watched her walk away helplessly.
As soon as Yao Chunnuan left, Yao's mother asked, "What's the man like?"
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Yu quickly perked up. "The man is actually a nephew of my husband's family. Speaking of which, our two families know each other pretty well. I definitely can't introduce you to a bad one, right? My nephew is a good guy, strong and handsome. He's honest and kind, and most importantly, he's filial."
Yao's mother didn't like this character the moment she heard about it. Being honest also meant that one was not flexible and inflexible.
After she'd just said her daughter had a bad fate, Yao's mother hadn't trusted the man she'd introduced. There's a saying that goes, "The matchmaker will introduce you to someone like you." So she asked very carefully.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-four, not even twenty-five yet."
"First marriage?"
"Yes."
When asked this, Yao's mother's eyes dropped. "He's getting married for the first time at this age. Is there something wrong with him?"
"Don't worry, the child is fine, it's just that the family is a little poor. We used to be quite well-off, but a few years ago, our grandfather, father, and mother fell ill one after another. This child is very filial and sold everything he had to get them treated. You know, when someone in the family is sick, it's very expensive. Now, after a few years, after seeing off three elders in succession, the family is penniless, and he has also been delayed."
Yao Chunnuan leaned against her parents' door and heard everything they said clearly. She shook her head secretly in her heart and said sorry, she had no plans for targeted poverty alleviation.
Yao's mother's face was also very ugly at this time. How dare Yu introduce such a man? He is not worthy of her A Nuan at all!
Mrs. Yao sat restlessly on the side, her heart pounding. She had seen the nephew her aunt was talking about, and she was right about one thing: he was indeed an honest and decent man, but he was also very mediocre. She could find no fewer than ten people like him in the surrounding villages! She looked down on such a man, let alone her mother-in-law. Her aunt was indeed outstanding, and the two of them were not a good match at all!
"Before coming here, I already inquired about my nephew's feelings. He doesn't mind or despise Ah Nuan's experience. If both sides accommodate each other, the couple can live in harmony. Old sister, please believe me for once. My nephew is a good man. He doesn't visit prostitutes or gamble, and he doesn't commit crimes. He is also filial. It's a real pity for Ah Nuan to miss him."
Behind the gate, Yao Chunnuan felt like laughing. Were the Yu family trying to pick up a bargain? Did they not despise him? What right did they have to even mention the word "despise"?
They kept saying "I don't mind" and "I don't mind." The underlying meaning was, "You do have problems, but we don't care." They were putting themselves on the same level as the Yao family, or even higher, with a sense of condescension.
Also, does not committing crimes make a man a good man? That's a bit ridiculous. Isn't that the most basic thing about being a human being? Their standards for a good man are so low? Is someone like her inferior? It's clear that even Yu, a woman, looks down on women.
"Thank you for your kindness, aunt. It's just that our family has no plans to let An Nuan remarry for the time being." Mother Yao said sternly. If it weren't for the relationship with Yao's sister-in-law, she really wanted to beat the person out with a big broom!
"Sister, don't rush to refuse. Given Nuan's situation, isn't it a bad idea for her to stay in the Yao family? I've heard that the Chen family is planning to cancel Xingzi's marriage because of Nuan. I've said so much for your own good. Daughters will eventually get married, whether early or late. If she leaves home sooner, there will be less gossip surrounding your family, and Xingzi's marriage to the Chen family won't have to fall apart. This way, the family will be harmonious and peaceful. I know you love your daughter, but you can't ignore your granddaughter, right? Please consider my nephew."
Yao's mother's eyes were sharp. "Did Xingzi ask you to come?"
Yu was suddenly frightened by her eyes. Her eyes flickered, and then she shook her head and denied it, "No."
No matter how much she denied, it could not change the fact that Yao's mother had determined in her heart. She could only hold back her anger and say, "I'm telling you the truth, you don't have to bother me anymore. I won't let her marry and live a hard life." She didn't know what kind of character she had, so Yao's mother could only use the fact that she was poor as an excuse.
Mrs. Yu said unhappily, "Life is made by a couple, so why do you care so much about money? Most couples in this world have hardships before they enjoy happiness. My nephew is an honest man, and if An Nuan marries him, she will definitely not be bullied. His elders are all gone, so if he really gets married, it would be like you two having half a son. Isn't that good?"
"First of all, my family has no shortage of sons! Secondly, do you mean you don't value money? You just looked down on my Ah Nuan in your words and deeds, and you don't value money, so what are you after?"
"That's not what I meant."
"I don't care what you mean! Anyway, I don't like your nephew's conditions!" Yao's mother spoke very rudely, almost to the point of breaking up.
"You're so decisive. Aren't you afraid that your daughter will marry a poor boy next time?"
"That's a matter for the future. If Ah Nuan wanted to marry a poor boy, she must have had feelings for him. Even if he's poor, I, as his mother, would accept it and would naturally help him if I could. But now, your nephew is just a stranger to Ah Nuan. My daughter is getting married, so why can't I choose someone better? There are men in this world who are not extinct, so why must your nephew be the one to choose?"
Yao Chunnuan couldn't help but shake her head. Her mother's words were truly infuriating. She meant, "No matter what, your family won't get to enjoy the spoils. Just give up on this idea." She didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. She only knew that Yu Shi was furious when she left.
After Yu left, Yao's mother sat there with a stern face and didn't say a word.
Sister Yao had been feeling uneasy ever since her mother-in-law asked her if Xingzi had sent her aunt on this trip. She didn't know if it was Xingzi's idea, but the thought of the possibility made her scalp tingle.
Bang! Yao's mother slammed the table and asked through gritted teeth, "Where's Xingzi?"
"Going to pick grass for the pigs."
"Go and find her back!"
There are several places near the village where you can pick grass for pigs, so it’s not difficult to find people.
Mrs. Yao spoke softly on her daughter's behalf, "Mom, why would Xingzi do this? Is there some misunderstanding?"
Yao's mother smiled and said, "You'll know if there's any misunderstanding if you find her back."
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