Before Wang Xiuxiu could come up with any more ways to help the Wang family overcome their difficulties, a new incident quietly occurred.
Wang Xiuxiu wasn't stupid; when she realized Cui Erlang's feelings for her, she also harbored some fantasies.
Cui Erlang was a scholar, but not a pedant.
For her, there was also the life-saving grace she received while fleeing for her own life.
He is a very suitable candidate to be a husband.
As I grow older, I will inevitably have to get married.
Rather than an arranged marriage, Wang Xiuxiu preferred Cui Erlang.
What touched Wang Xiuxiu was the warm and harmonious family atmosphere of the Cui family.
The Cui family was simple; Cui Erlang had only one older brother and one older sister.
My older sister got married early and has never been involved in her family's affairs.
Although his elder brother and sister-in-law were not as well-educated as Cui Erlang, they were kind and gentle in character.
In particular, Cui Yuanshan, the head of the family, was well-read but never arrogant because of his talent.
Wang Xiuxiu once witnessed Qin Shi quarreling with her neighbor over trivial matters. Qin Shi was more at fault and even unintentionally tarnished Cui's father's reputation with her words.
If it were anyone else, they would probably have been furious, but Mr. Cui did not scold or berate her harshly. Instead, he pulled his wife aside and comforted her in a low voice.
He spoke gently, neither blaming her for her impulsiveness nor defending his own family, but simply said softly, "Misunderstandings are inevitable between neighbors. If we take a step back, the matter will pass."
Afterwards, Mr. Cui even brought some of his own homegrown fruits to his neighbor's house to apologize and resolve the dispute.
Even when his young grandson caused trouble outside and got into a fight with other children in the village, Mr. Cui did not hesitate to take the child to his home to apologize.
He did not show favoritism to his grandson because of his young age. Instead, he seriously taught him: "A real man should admit his mistakes and correct them."
Although the grandson was somewhat reluctant, under his grandfather's guidance, he obediently apologized to the other party.
Seeing how reasonable Mr. Cui was, the other parents felt embarrassed and said repeatedly, "It's normal for children to fight and play around. Why are you taking it so seriously, Mr. Cui?"
Mr. Cui smiled and shook his head: "Rules are rules, and mistakes are mistakes. We cannot condone them just because they are young."
Mr. Cui was a kind man, but he was by no means a pushover without principles.
He is kind and generous to others, but he has his own moral compass and can distinguish right from wrong.
There was once a lazy bum in the village who came to borrow money several times. When Cui's father saw that he was not sincere in changing his ways, he politely refused and advised him to be down-to-earth and make a living with his own hands.
The lazy man was initially resentful, but later, seeing that Mr. Cui was always generous to those who were truly in need, he understood his good intentions, gradually tempered his temper, and began to work diligently.
He would often lend a helping hand to villagers who came to him for help and were in trouble.
No matter which family was short of food or clothing, or which household suffered from natural disasters or man-made calamities, Mr. Cui was always the first to step forward, either by giving money or rice, by writing letters, or by personally helping to make arrangements.
When villagers talk about him, they all give him a thumbs up, praising him as "highly learned and even more virtuous."
Cui's father's good deeds were not for the sake of gaining fame, but rather stemmed from his heartfelt kindness.
He often said, "Everyone has their difficulties in life. If you can help someone, then help them."
It was precisely because of this benevolence and kindness that, even though Qin was always proud and arrogant and looked down on those villagers of humble origins, the Cui family still became a benevolent and righteous family praised by everyone in the village.
Mentioning Madam Cui, Qin Shi, Wang Xiuxiu couldn't help but feel a little worried.
This Qin woman herself came from a scholarly family, and ever since she married Cui's father, a scholar, her contempt for others has grown increasingly inflated.
She especially despised those villagers from poor and humble backgrounds, refusing to even glance at them.
Poor Wang Xiuxiu unfortunately became a direct victim of Qin's arrogant attitude.
I have witnessed Qin Shi adopt an elegant and noble demeanor more than once, scrutinizing me from head to toe with a critical eye.
His eyes were full of disdain, as if to say, "Hmph! Look at you, woman. Although you are not bad looking, you are empty inside and have no talent whatsoever. My son comes from a scholarly family. How can he marry such a vulgar person as you?"
Whenever she recalls these scenes, Wang Xiuxiu feels a headache coming on.
However, when she thought of the three bean cakes that Qin had generously given her when she fled the famine, a complex emotion welled up in Wang Xiuxiu's heart.
Perhaps this person isn't as they seem on the surface; maybe they're just a bit sharp-tongued, but actually quite kind and gentle at heart.
Because of this, Wang Xiuxiu's attitude towards him changed, and she no longer deliberately avoided him as before.
Regarding this matter, Chen Chunhua adopted a neutral stance, neither explicitly expressing support nor obstructing it.
Back then, Chen Chunhua went to great lengths to please Qin Shi, only to be ridiculed and mocked in return.
Although she was angry, she also had to admit that Cui Erlang was an excellent person in every way, from his family background and appearance to his talent and abilities.
Therefore, Chen Chunhua had always been secretly hoping that Cui Erlang could successfully subdue Qin Shi, this troublesome woman.
That wicked woman, Qin, is like a rat, always adept at accumulating wealth.
If the two families can really become in-laws in the future, I doubt she would feel comfortable not lending me money!
Wang Xiuxiu was unaware of Chen Chunhua's ulterior motives. She was puzzled as to why Chen Chunhua hadn't interfered with her marriage this time.
On the other hand, Qin Shi was naturally not unaware of the marriage between Wang Xiuxiu and Cui Erlang.
However, she always looked down on the Wang family's meager resources, believing that the Wang family was simply not good enough for her.
Although Wang Xiuxiu was a decent girl, she was by no means a good match for their scholar son!
Moreover, whenever Qin thought about the possibility of becoming in-laws with someone like Chen Chunhua in the future, she felt as if she had swallowed a fly, and was extremely disgusted!
His own foolish son is acting like he's possessed, only having eyes for Wang Xiuxiu.
Although matters of love between men and women are normal, I am still unwilling to agree to the marriage so easily, so I can only turn a blind eye for now.
Anyway, his second son is only nineteen years old now. He's a scholar, so it's okay for him to get married a little later.
Even Qin Shi, who had always strongly opposed the affair between Wang Xiuxiu and Cui Erlang, had silently expressed her approval.
However, to everyone's surprise, the one who reacted most strongly to this was Hong Xiaodong!
She was completely unlike her previous sensible self; ever since she learned about this, her attitude towards Wang Xiuxiu at home had become unusually harsh.
No matter what Wang Xiuxiu does, she can always find fault with it, and she just can't stand it no matter how she looks at it.
Sometimes, they would even deliberately make the floor that Wang Xiuxiu had just cleaned dirty.
He would often utter vulgar and offensive remarks like "Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror?" to belittle her.
Wang Xiuxiu was truly helpless against Hong Xiaodong, who was stubborn, wicked, and ruthless. She could only choose to stay far away from him and try her best to tolerate him!
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