Lao Liu thought to himself that it was impossible for him not to get angry. Twenty taels of silver would be enough. He could just get him some old furniture and throw a roll of red paper on the table.
He took the silver, even though it was his fourth sister-in-law who paid it first, but he definitely had to pay her back. Back then, except for his fourth brother and his sister-in-law, all the other brothers who got married had bought bedding and furniture, and even posted big red wedding characters everywhere. None of them gave their parents a penny?
When he came to his place, not only did he have to pay for it himself, but he didn't even provide him with a bedding or a quilt. According to their local customs, the man's family should prepare a mattress cover and a quilt, and the rest of the bedding and boxes and niches were prepared by the woman's family.
Although he was the youngest, he was still his parents' biological son. His parents' partiality really chilled his heart, and his face turned cold.
Seeing him, Fang hurriedly pulled him into the inner room. "Listen to me, tomorrow is your big day. Don't dare to cause trouble. It's unlucky. Just endure everything for now. If you feel unhappy and uncomfortable, find a place where no one is around and yell a few times. Don't dare to cause trouble in front of your parents at this critical moment, understand?"
Lao Liu nodded.
Fang patted him on the shoulder and followed him to the main house, calling out to Liu and Gao, "Let's help little Lao Liu get some wedding decorations cut out for the window frames and stick them wherever they're needed. At least we can make this house look like a wedding, so that Lao Liu won't be in vain for calling us his sisters-in-law."
Everyone got busy, and neighbors came one after another to give gifts. They brought things needed for daily life, such as pots and ladles. Some people just brought half a bag of rice, while others brought bacon, dried goods, and a piece of cloth. Without exception, they were all wrapped or pasted with big red paper with the word "happiness" cut out.
Soon, the table was piled high, adding a touch of festive atmosphere. When villagers came to give gifts, Fang sent her second son to ask Meng for some roasted pumpkin seeds to treat everyone.
Some villagers came into the new house and saw only a few old pieces of furniture without even a coat of new paint. They said nothing, but put on a smile and said auspicious and festive words. However, their eyes could not lie, and Lao Liu felt very upset.
In the afternoon, he came back from Jian Ning's place and saw her mother going door to door to inform the villagers to come to his house for a banquet the next day. He thought his mother had prepared everything for him. Thinking of his father working hard in the fields, he even went to discuss the arrangements for picking up the bride with the clan leader himself, so that his father wouldn't have to run errands for him after a tiring day.
He was wholeheartedly thinking about his parents, but they didn't take him seriously. The more Lao Liu thought about it, the more aggrieved he became. Fortunately, the eldest brother, Ding Youwang, still acted like a big brother this time. He saw that he was angry and comforted him in time.
The old man said: "Think about it, you won't live at home often after you get married. Your sister-in-law's second uncle runs an escort agency in the county, and you also work as a waiter there. You rent a house there, and your parents can't reach that far."
"Unlike the rest of us, even though we've split up, we still live in the same courtyard and are constantly being stabbed in the back by our parents. I, your eldest brother, will be a grandfather in a few years, but I'm still often scolded by my mother like a jerk."
"Compared to Old Four, you can't compare, but compared to the rest of us, you're already in heaven. Be content and don't be hard on yourself."
"Oh, wouldn't you be a god in heaven?" The eldest brother finished speaking, and Gao smiled and said, "Little Sixth, don't forget your third sister-in-law when you become a god. If there's anything delicious in heaven, remember to bring some back for your third sister-in-law to enjoy."
Everyone in the room laughed except for Old Six. Hearing the laughter, Old Ding, who had just finished using the restroom in the main courtyard, came over and peeked into the side yard. He looked through the window and saw a room full of people, including several sons and daughters-in-law, all laughing and talking happily. He cursed inwardly.
If the two old people had not lived frugally and saved money to buy these two courtyards and more than ten acres of land, these bastards would not be able to live the good life they have today.
He turned back to the house in disappointment.
Mrs. Meng sat cross-legged on the kang, sewing shoe soles. Although she was a bad-mouthed and mean-spirited person, there were few people in the village who could make shoes better than her.
She held a thimble on her finger and used the awl in her hand to poke a hole in the sole of the shoe. Then she pushed a pin through the sole and used both hands to pull the twine that had been twisted at both ends of the sole. The twine was deeply weaved into the sole, and she pushed another stitch in. From time to time, she would tilt her head and rub the awl against her head before pushing it into the sole again. Her movements were extremely swift.
Old Ding slowly filled a pack of cigarettes and sat at the table, puffing away, his brow furrowed in thought. After a moment, he looked at Meng and asked, "Who have you chosen for the two pairs of boys and girls who will be married tomorrow?"
Mrs. Meng pulled the twine and said, "Ding Quan and Ding Fu, and then there's Chun Ni and Ding Hui from Mrs. Liu's family."
"No." Lao Liu came over. He just remembered this. He had already told Jian Ning to let Erniu and Sanniu go, but he just remembered that he forgot to tell Meng. He was afraid that she had found other people, so he came over to say hello to her.
"Why not?" Meng looked up at him. "They have to give wedding money to the young boys and girls who are welcoming the bride. Why can't we just let our own family go?"
"Why not? Are you getting senile?" Old Ding glanced at Meng and said, without waiting for Old Six to speak, "The boy and girl must have healthy families. Fu'er and Hui'er's parents are both gone, so how can they go?"
Oh, Meng thought to herself, she really forgot about this. She only thought that although the wedding money was not much, even a small amount was still meat, so naturally she had to focus on her own child first.
"Oh, what should I do? A baby that's too big won't do. Where can I find two virgin girls at this critical moment?"
Erniu and Sanniu flashed through Lao Ding’s mind, but... Alas, he sighed inwardly!
"Girls are easy. I'll go find Ding Youtian and let Erniu and Sanniu go. We just need to find a boy. There are plenty of boys aged six or seven in the tribe. You can just pick one up if you see fit."
When Meng heard him say that he wanted to find Erniu and Sanniu, she was about to get angry, but then Old Ding glanced over at her. She shrank her neck and saw that Old Ding wanted Erniu and Sanniu to go. She didn't dare say anything, but she spat in her heart, thinking that the father and son were just wishful thinking.
She knows her own child better than anyone else. Ding Youtian looks good and unruly, but his heart follows Old Ding and he is very cruel!
"Have you discussed with them? Will they let the two kids go?" Old Ding raised his eyelids, glanced at Old Six, and asked.
"What's your opinion?" Jian Ning was also talking to Ding Youtian about this. Ding Youtian asked her back after hearing this, meaning that he had no objection if she agreed.
"You can go, but after you bring them back, they don't have to go there. Can they just come home directly?"
Ding Youtian shook his head. "That won't do. Since we're going to pick up the bride, we have to send her to the bridal chamber. Otherwise, why not just not go and let Lao Liu find two more children?"
"No, Daddy, I want to go, I want to go." Erniu ran over and said.
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