Chapter 134 Mother and Daughter Conflict
At first, when the two were arguing, Lin Shulan wanted to say a few words of advice, but when Xia Wenwen mentioned Li Aiqin, her lips moved, but she swallowed her words in the end.
The thought of Li Aiqin made Lin Shulan feel uneasy: that girl was so wonderful, with her neat features, hardworking hands and feet, and a sweet tongue that was as sweet as honey. She had longed for her daughter-in-law to become her daughter-in-law.
If Peng Fei hadn't taken it... She secretly touched her temples; she'd recently had a few more gray hairs from worrying.
But Wang Xueying… Lin Shulan frowned again.
Seeing Lin Shulan remain silent with a sullen face, Xia Wenwen knew exactly what was going on. She leaned over and softly advised, "Auntie, I know Wang Xueying's reputation isn't the best. It's all just gossip from the old women in the village! Besides, she's not even twenty yet. She's young, and her temperament can be honed over time. Once she's married, you can slowly teach her how to do laundry, cook, and serve a man. Are you worried that she won't learn?"
These words were like a feather, gently tickling Lin Shulan's heart.
Yeah, who doesn't have a few bad habits when they're young? They can always be fixed with some discipline, right?
"No way! This kind of person must never step foot in my house!" Xia Qianqian said firmly to Lin Shulan, "I'll take care of my brother's marriage, but Wang Xueying is absolutely out of the question. You don't know what she's done! It was my oversight before. I'll ask around for a suitable candidate as soon as I get back!"
Xia Wenwen scoffed, glancing at her sideways: "You're looking for a wife for your older brother? Or are you planning to find one in Xiangyang Village?"
Xia Qianqian was taken aback by the question, not understanding what she was up to.
Before she could speak, Xia Wenwen turned to Lin Shulan and said, "Auntie, listen to this! When has she ever cared about my brother's marriage? I asked every single unmarried girl in the village, and if there was a suitable one, wouldn't I have told my brother? But she just says she's 'worried' about it, she's clearly just trying to appease you!"
She asked again, "You should give me a straight answer! Xueying is a young woman, we can't just keep her waiting, can we?"
Lin Shulan knew that Qianqian was telling the truth, and Wang Xueying was indeed not a good match; but what if Damin really had to stay single for the rest of his life if he missed this opportunity?
Seeing that the two of them were staring at her waiting for a reply, Lin Shulan, feeling pressured, suddenly came up with an idea: "Don't rush! After all, this is Damin getting married, we have to ask him what he thinks! I'll discuss it with him when he comes back."
She turned to Xia Wenwen, her tone softening: "Wenwen, Auntie knows you're doing this for Damin's good. How about this, I promise to give you a letter tomorrow, okay?"
Xia Wenwen's smile faded slightly; she was displeased.
She pursed her lips and reminded her, "Auntie, don't forget, Xueying is a city girl, she's educated and worldly. If I hadn't spoken up for her and vouched for Brother Damin as an honest man, this good thing wouldn't have come our way."
As she spoke, her eyes glanced at the basket at Xia Qianqian's feet, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer.
Lin Shulan quickly picked up four eggs from Xia Qianqian's basket and stuffed them into Xia Wenwen's hand.
"Wenwen, take this first! Please tell Xueying for me not to rush. After all, this is Damin getting married, and I have to ask his opinion first. If he is unwilling, a forced marriage will not be happy, and the future will not be good. Marriage is a union, not an enmity, so we must be careful."
Xia Wenwen rubbed her fingers on the warm egg, and then a smile bloomed on her face.
She carefully placed the eggs into the cornmeal bag, then reached into Xia Qianqian's basket and grabbed two more, weighing them in her hand: "I'll take these two to Xueying, so she can try them too."
As she spoke, she glanced at Xia Qianqian sideways, a provocative smile playing on her lips: "You wouldn't be reluctant to part with it, would you?"
Xia Qianqian was unhappy. She had brought those eggs specifically to help her mother recover!
But her mother didn't say anything; it would be bad if she stopped her.
She bit her lip and refused to say a word.
Seeing her humiliated, Xia Wenwen was secretly delighted. She stuffed the eggs into the bag right in front of her, then turned to Lin Shulan and instructed, "Auntie, then I'll tell Xueying that! You have to give me a definite answer first thing tomorrow morning. That girl is shy and can't wait!"
"Yes, yes, definitely!" Lin Shulan nodded repeatedly and saw her to the gate of the courtyard.
Xia Wenwen carried the heavy bag of flour and walked away with light steps. Unbeknownst to Runse, the moment she stepped out of the house, Xia Qianqian's lips moved.
He uttered a single word softly: "Stop."
Xia Wenwen felt that the bag seemed a little lighter. She clicked her tongue, thinking it was just her imagination, and continued walking straight towards Xiangyang Village without stopping.
Inside the house, Xia Qianqian said, "Mom, the eggs are for you to nourish your bodies, so you can't give them to her anymore."
Lin Shulan gave a vague reply, but in her heart she was already making plans: if Wang Xueying really married Damin, the matchmaker's gift couldn't be too meager.
Just as he was pondering this, footsteps came from the courtyard gate, and Xia Damin and Lu Zheng walked in one after the other.
Xia Damin patted Lu Zheng on the shoulder casually: "Brother-in-law, you came back with Qianqian? Perfect! Don't leave tonight, let's have a couple of drinks!"
Lu Zheng smiled and replied, "I'll listen to you, Big Brother."
Lin Shulan's eyes lit up when she saw her son, and she rushed to greet him: "Damin, you're finally back! Mom has something to discuss with you."
"What's up, Mom?" Xia Damin leaned the hoe against the wall and wiped his sweat. "Let's talk about it later. Look, your brother-in-law is here."
Lin Shulan held onto her son's arm tightly, her voice urgent: "Damin, this is important, just a few words..."
"Oh Mom, what could be more important than my brother-in-law coming?" Xia Damin waved his hand, completely unaware of his mother's unusual behavior. "Let's cook first! After we eat, we can talk slowly!"
"No! I have to talk to you about this!" Lin Shulan grabbed her son's arm, her eyes filled with urgency. "Wenwen came by just now and said she found you a girl. I want to ask what you think."
Xia Damin had just put down his hoe, his hands covered in mud, and was about to wash them when he heard this. He paused for a moment, then casually asked, "Who is it?"
“It’s Wang Xueying from the educated youth settlement.” Lin Shulan’s voice dropped eight octaves as she secretly glanced at her son’s face. “Mom knows she doesn’t have a good reputation, but… but she’s a city girl after all, with delicate skin. Once she marries into the family, you should treat her well, and we’ll teach her slowly. We can eventually mold her personality.”
"Brother! You can't agree to this! Don't you know what kind of person Wang Xueying is? Back when Liu Xiao'e and Huang Zhaodi were fighting, she was the one fanning the flames behind the scenes! This kind of troublemaker has a rotten heart. If you marry her, aren't you just asking for trouble?"
Hearing this, Lin Shulan sighed deeply, her eyes reddening: "Mom knows she has a problem! But Qianqian, think about it, we've asked all the girls in these two villages, which one is willing to marry? It's rare that Wang Xueying has agreed... At least she's from the city and willing to consider you, Damin, how about... we just make do?"
Xia Damin frowned, his dark face expressionless, silently watching his mother's reddened eyes and his sister's pale face.
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