Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a year has passed quietly. Wang Xiuxiu is about to celebrate her sixteenth birthday.
That year, she blossomed quietly in the spring breeze like a budding flower, growing into a graceful and elegant young woman.
In addition, with Wang Xiuxiu's deliberate display, her embroidery skills became increasingly exquisite, and the flowers, birds, fish and insects she embroidered were lifelike, drawing praise from the villagers.
Nowadays, Wang Xiuxiu has become a "money tree" in Chen Chunhua's hands.
Although Chen Chunhua was secretly pleased, she also felt a little uneasy—Wang Xiuxiu was growing up and would eventually get married.
Even though she was reluctant, Chen Chunhua understood that if she delayed Wang Xiuxiu's marriage, she would inevitably be criticized and accused of mistreating her stepdaughter.
But if she just marries into any random family, wouldn't that be a waste of this "money tree"?
Therefore, Chen Chunhua planned to find a good marriage for Wang Xiuxiu, a family that could be of great help to her young man in the future.
Chen Chunhua began to inquire around looking for a suitable family. After careful consideration, she finally set her sights on the Cui family.
Speaking of the Cui family, they are a very famous and wealthy family in Stone Village.
The Cui family was well-off. Their eldest daughter married into a wealthy family in the county town, and their eldest son was a highly respected village doctor.
Chen Chunhua's chosen husband for Wang Xiuxiu, Cui Erlang, was exceptionally talented and well-versed in literature at a young age.
He and Wang Xiuxiu were only three years apart in age, making them a perfect match!
More importantly, the young man is only eleven years old now, and in two more years he will be able to take the imperial examination to become a scholar.
If we could form a marriage alliance with the Cui family, I would not only be able to learn from the second son of the Cui family in my studies, but I could also use the Cui family's connections to open doors for my youngest son. It would be a win-win situation.
Thinking about this, Chen Chunhua became even more certain that this marriage was a match made in heaven, and couldn't be more perfect.
After making this decision, Chen Chunhua began to intentionally or unintentionally get closer to Qin, the mother of Cui Erlang.
She often brought home fruits and vegetables to Qin's house, using the excuse of asking for embroidery tips to get closer to her.
Although Qin was usually aloof, she did not refuse Chen Chunhua's attentiveness, and the two gradually became acquainted.
Stone Village is not a large village, and the villagers see each other all the time. Chen Chunhua's strange behavior quickly attracted the attention of others.
On a sunny afternoon with a gentle breeze, several women with nothing to do sat together under the old willow tree at the village entrance, munching on sunflower seeds and chatting about the latest happenings in the village.
"Hey, have you seen that? Chen Chunhua's been going to the Cui family a lot lately!" A woman squinted and gestured towards the distance.
“I saw her carrying a basket of eggs to the Qin family’s house yesterday,” another woman chimed in, her tone laced with sarcasm.
Another woman chimed in, "That's right. Lately, she's been trying to get close to Qin Shi, whether intentionally or not. But she's just trying to win her over. I wonder what she's after?"
"Hmph, what could she possibly want? She's just shamelessly trying to snag a good marriage!" An older woman sneered, her face full of disdain.
"You mean Chen Chunhua has her eye on the Cui family and wants Wang Xiuxiu to marry the second son of the Cui family?" someone asked in surprise.
"What else could it be?" The older woman curled her lip. "Qin Shi is always so arrogant. Although Chen Chunhua is not as good as her, she is still a snob and looks down on people. If it weren't for this marriage, would she be so attentive?"
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
Some people couldn't help but sigh: "To be honest, this Xiu girl is pretty and skilled, but she's still not quite right for the second son of the Cui family. Chen Chunhua's intentions are too obvious. Will Qin Shi agree to this?"
"How could that be? Her son will become a scholar in two years, and then he'll be a proper official's wife. How could he possibly fall for a peasant girl?"
The women chattered amongst themselves.
At this moment, Chen Chunhua was carrying freshly picked fruit and walking towards the Cui family with a beaming smile.
She thought to herself that as long as she could build a good relationship with the Qin family, the marriage would be a sure thing.
As for the villagers' gossip, she didn't care at all—as long as she could achieve her goal, what did other people's opinions matter?
Wang Xiuxiu, the focus of everyone's discussion, remained immersed in her embroidery, completely oblivious to the disturbances from the outside world.
All she knew was that her life seemed to be quietly changing. As her wallet grew fatter, she felt both anticipation and trepidation about what the future held...
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