Chapter 3 What should we do if the Zhang family comes to propose marriage tomorrow?
The three younger sisters were the first to notice Lin Chuntao's return and ran over excitedly.
"Sister, you're back."
Lin Chuntao patted Lin Duo'er's head and turned to introduce her to Pei Ying: "This is my youngest sister Lin Duo'er, this is my third sister Lin Chunhe, and this is my second sister Lin Chunxing."
Pei Ying nodded slightly, and then Lin Chuntao said, "This is Pei Ying, he will be your brother-in-law from now on."
The three sisters were stunned when they heard the word "brother-in-law," but they still listened to Lin Chuntao and obediently called him "brother-in-law."
Pei Ying responded gently.
Lin Chuntao and Lin Chunxing exchanged glances and whispered, "It's resolved."
Lin Chunxing nodded, a faint smile on her lips.
The sisters introduced themselves here, and everyone sitting in the courtyard could hear them clearly.
First, Lin Changhe rushed over, "Lin Chuntao, what did you just say, you brat?"
Lin Chuntao ignored him and continued introducing Pei Ying, "This is Dad."
Pei Ying nodded slightly and called out, "Father, my name is Pei Ying."
Lin Changhe rubbed his forehead, his eyes wide, veins bulging at his temples. "Get lost! Who's your father?"
Lin Chuntao said with a grin, "Father, be polite when you meet your son-in-law for the first time. You can't tell him to get lost. Our marriage certificate was signed by the government. Are you dissatisfied with the government's arrangement?"
Lin Changhe felt like he was about to faint.
Upon hearing that the marriage certificate had been signed, Grandma Tian and Stepmother Qian rushed over and asked her in unison, "What marriage certificate did you say? Where did you find this bastard?"
"Grandma, what you're saying is really awful. What do you mean by 'wild man'? My marriage certificate was signed with my own eyes by Grandpa Muramasa."
Upon hearing the words "village head," the old woman suddenly realized what was happening and pointed at Lin Chuntao in disbelief, asking, "Is this the outsider? Did you ask the village head to bring her back?"
Lin Chuntao nodded: "Yes, Grandma, you're so smart."
Everyone in the courtyard was stunned. They had just said they were going to find a husband for Lin Xian'er, but Lin Chuntao took the lead and brought the man back.
Uncle Lin turned to the old man and asked, "Dad, Chun Tao has accepted, but can Xian'er still accept?"
Old Man Lin remembered what the village head had said: because of the land demarcation, there was only one per household!
Seeing the old man remain silent, Uncle Lin's heart skipped a beat. Just as he was thinking of a solution, Lin Xian'er rushed out of the house and headed straight for Lin Chuntao.
"Chuntao, you shameless girl, how dare you steal my man! I'll beat you to death!"
Seeing Lin Xian'er rushing towards her, Lin Chuntao quickly said to her sister and Pei Ying, "Get out of the way."
Everyone listened to her and hurriedly stepped back. Lin Xian'er rushed over but was grabbed by the hair by Lin Chuntao. Lin Xian'er inherited her Tian family's short stature and was at a disadvantage when Lin Chuntao grabbed her.
Seeing her daughter being beaten, the old lady was about to retaliate when Lin Chuntao grabbed Lin Xian'er's face and threatened her, "Grandma, if you take another step forward, I'll scratch her face until it's bruised! I'll make sure she's an ugly monster from now on."
"Lin Chuntao, you bitch, let me go! Let me go!"
"ah!"
Lin Xian'er screamed as Lin Chuntao pushed her to the ground, and the old lady rushed to help her daughter up.
Lin Chuntao said in a deep voice, "Aunt, this is not your man. My name is on the marriage certificate, and I'm the one who brought him back."
On her way to the city today, Lin Xian'er was still fantasizing about finding a son-in-law to live with her in the future. Her mother doted on her, and with her four older brothers backing her up, her husband would definitely not dare to bully her.
Her good days were over after just one trip to the city.
"I don't care, Mother! Go find Grandpa Village Chief, I don't want to get married!"
Lin Chuntao chuckled as she watched her throw a tantrum: "Auntie, if you don't want to get married, then don't. Nobody's forcing you to get married."
Lin Xian'er glared fiercely at Lin Chuntao: "You told me not to get married, so why did you secretly go and get a man?"
Lin Chuntao wanted to say that it was because someone was forcing her to get married, but then she realized that wasn't the point.
“I’m different from you; I didn’t have parents who loved me.”
In an instant, the entire courtyard fell silent.
Qian Dingxiang was furious. Twenty taels of silver! The duck that was almost in her hand had flown away!
Lin Chuntao is still playing the victim here. She snorted coldly, "It seems it's all my fault. I'm the one who treated you badly as your stepmother. I'm leaving!"
As she spoke, she pretended to walk out, but Lin Changhe hurriedly ran over and grabbed her.
"Where are you going with my son in your arms? Come back now."
As he spoke, Lin Changhe pulled her back and glared at Lin Chuntao, scolding, "Apologize to your mother!"
Lin Chuntao curled her lips, her eyes revealing undisguised sarcasm and disdain.
Seeing Lin Chuntao like this, Madam Qian knew the marriage contract had already been signed and there was nothing she could do. But if the eldest son was gone, wasn't there still the second son?
A sudden idea struck her, and she began to speak: "Lin Changhe, look at that look in her eyes! Does she look down on me?"
Lin Changhe quickly reassured her, "She wouldn't dare."
Madam Qian retorted, "She wouldn't dare? She doesn't even respect you!"
"In this family, it's either her or me! You choose!"
Aunt Zhang quickly understood Qian's intention. "Third brother, your wife is pregnant with a son. Keeping someone with ill intentions around could lead to trouble someday. Since Chun Tao is married, why don't you move out and live separately?"
Lin Chuntao was shocked. What kind of family did the original owner have?
She glanced at Lin Chunxing, whose face turned pale after hearing her aunt say they wanted to divide the family property.
Lin Chuntao suddenly realized why Madam Qian hadn't mentioned the Zhang family's betrothal visit tomorrow; she wanted Lin Chunxing to take over after she left. She really had a clever plan.
Are these sisters just tools for them to make money?
Keep dreaming like her ancestors!
"Is what you said true, Aunt?"
Zhang Shi naturally couldn't make this decision herself, so she looked at Lin Changhe and Qian Shi, hoping they would speak up.
Lin Changhe was a little confused. He didn't realize how the topic of dividing the family had come up. Lin Chuntao could do everything at home, from cutting pig feed to feeding pigs and chickens to gathering firewood and digging the ground. Why was the labor force being driven out?
Qian pinched him, and he immediately snapped out of his daze and said, "Divide!"
Looking at her father like this, Lin Chuntao felt it was better to separate. If Qian Shi really gave birth to a child, regardless of whether it was a boy or a girl, the sisters would all become nannies. It was better to separate sooner rather than later!
“I remember that before Madam Qian came in, she said that we sisters were all burdens. We could separate the family, but I would have to take Chunxing, Chunhe and Duo’er with me.”
"Aunt, if we're dividing the family property, what will you give me? Grain, utensils, which room? We've always cut grass to feed those piglets, so at least give us one or two, right?"
Lin Chuntao spoke softly, leaving Zhang speechless.
She just wanted to tell Lin Chuntao to dream, but the division of the family was a matter for the third branch of the family; she was just adding fuel to the fire.
"Chuntao, what are you saying? It's not me dividing it with you, it's your father dividing it with you."
Lin Changhe looked at Qian Shi: "Daughter-in-law, you decide. What do you want to give her?"
Qian glared fiercely at Lin Changhe.
"Chuntao, we separated from the family only because you got married. Our younger sisters are still young. Why should we separate?"
Lin Chuntao shrugged slightly. "That won't do. Before my mother died, she held my hand and told me to take good care of my three younger sisters, especially if my father remarries. As the saying goes, 'With a stepmother comes a stepfather,' and the ancients were right!"
"You have two choices: either they come with me after we split up and have nothing to do with you anymore, or I stay here and live in this house, but you'll have to watch out for Qian Niangzi's belly."
"you……"
Madam Qian was furious that Lin Chuntao dared to threaten her.
Lin Changhe panicked upon hearing this. Lin Chuntao, that vicious girl, was trying to harm his son! They had to separate!
Before Qian could speak, Lin Changhe said, "Fine! I agree. You can take your three younger sisters. What else do you want?"
"Grain, utensils, three chickens, and a piglet."
Just as Lin Changhe was about to agree, Tian cursed, "Keep dreaming! The chickens are mine, and the pigs are mine too! You and your father separate the family property, and you'll see what he has! He's still living in my old house!"
Hearing the old lady's words, Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "Dad, it seems you have nothing. Well then, let's just continue living like this."
"We'll divide it up when you have something to share with me." With that, she led Pei Ying and her sisters into the house.
Lin Changhe swallowed hard. He stood there, frozen in place. He worked in this house every day, yet he had nothing.
After Lin Chuntao led the people into the house, she went straight upstairs. The four sisters slept together, and now Pei Ying was also there.
It seems there aren't any extra blankets or beds at home...
Just as Lin Chuntao was worrying, Pei Ying took off his bundle and said to Lin Chuntao, "I'll sleep on the floor over there."
Looking at the corner he was pointing to, Lin Chuntao nodded: "I'm sorry, it was a bit sudden and I didn't prepare in advance. I'm sorry you had to make do. Let me put some straw on your back?"
"good."
Pei Ying didn't feel wronged. He had experienced days of living in the open before, and now he was just grateful to have a place to shelter from the wind and rain.
Perhaps because the issue of Lin Chuntao not having to marry the old widower had been resolved, Lin Chunhe and Lin Duo'er were both very happy, cheerfully hugging the straw. Chunxing, on the other hand, was a little worried. Lin Chuntao patted her back and said softly, "Don't worry."
After she finished speaking, she whispered something in Lin Chunxing's ear for a while. Lin Chunxing was a little doubtful: "Is it really okay?"
Lin Chuntao smiled and said, "You'll know once you try."
After laying out the straw, Lin Chuntao lowered the rolled-up straw curtain, separating Pei Ying's living area from theirs.
The Lin family members in the courtyard had different expressions.
"Speaking of which, how come Chun Tao has suddenly become so eloquent? Wasn't she someone who wouldn't utter a word even if you hit her three times?"
A single sentence from Yang Cuizhi, the fourth son's wife, brought everyone back to their senses.
The youngest girl from the fifth branch muttered, "Maybe this is what Father always says: 'Even a rabbit will bite when cornered!'"
Children are innocent; after speaking, they wait expectantly for praise from adults.
But the adults only glanced at her and then said nothing more.
Lin Chuntao was sharp-tongued, and the man she brought back was clearly no good. If the government had really signed the marriage certificate, they wouldn't be able to deny it.
As the Qian and Zhang families worked together, everyone knew that the Zhang family was going to change their betrothal gift to Lin Chunxing.
Only Lin Changhe, lacking common sense, managed to pierce through this thin, paper-thin window amidst everyone's silence.
"Oh, right! That brat Chun Tao is getting married. What about the Zhang family's betrothal ceremony tomorrow?"
"Should we go and tell the Zhang family not to come tomorrow?"
No one in the entire yard paid him any attention.
Lin Changhe tugged at Qian's sleeve, and Qian glared at him irritably before turning around and walking to the eaves to get a chair and sit down.
As the sun was about to set, Tian grumbled, "What are you all sitting there for? Is there enough pig feed for tomorrow? Have you finished pulling up all the weeds in the fields?"
As soon as the words were spoken, the people in the yard scattered. Those who went to pull weeds and turn the soil picked up hoes, and those who went to cut pig feed carried baskets on their backs. Second Aunt Feng stood in the yard and called out, "Lin Chuntao! Lin Chunxing, have you cut enough pig feed? Why don't you come down and cut more pig feed?"
Lin Chuntao had just come downstairs when she opened the door and bumped into her second aunt who was shouting.
"Is that pig ours? Second Aunt, didn't you hear Grandma just say it all belongs to her!"
Second Aunt scoffed, holding a sickle, and scolded, "You brat, no work, no dinner!"
Lin Chuntao shrugged indifferently.
The old lady went to gather grass to feed the chickens, and Zhang went into the kitchen to start a fire to prepare dinner.
As the sun set, Zhang had finished preparing dinner, and the people who had been working in the fields returned home, huddled together in the yard, scooping water to wash their hands.
After washing their hands, the adults and boys went into the main room, while Lin Chunxing and her cousins went to the room next door.
Lin Chuntao led Pei Ying inside and saw boiled wild vegetables, boiled potatoes, and brown buckwheat buns on the table. They looked like buckwheat hulls had been ground and mixed in.
But Lin Chunxing and her cousins took it for granted, took their own bowls and chopsticks, and sat down to eat.
This is something that has become a habit over time.
Lin Chuntao, carrying a bowl and chopsticks, went out, turned around, and went into the main room.
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