Chapter 4 I Don't Agree
Old man Chen, his son and his two children carried firewood and walked to the gate.
Chen Zhanshan heard what Old Lady Chen said clearly, and he felt bad.
For so many years, I have been working hard like an old ox and never complained about the farm work at home.
In his spare time, he would go to Qingshui Town to do hard labor. He never spent a penny of the money he earned, and used it all to support his third brother's studies.
But in his mother's words, he was just a peasant, and his daughter was destined to be lowly. A wave of bitterness spread in his heart.
He put down the firewood on his shoulder, frowned and walked closer.
"Mother, Ruolan is your granddaughter, and so is Qing girl. How can you say that about her?"
Chen Qingqing looked in the direction of the voice and saw that her father, Chen Zhanshan, was tall and thin with a dark complexion. It was obvious that he had been working under the sun all year round. Although he was only forty years old, he looked much older than his actual age.
Old Mrs. Chen's throat choked and she smiled awkwardly, "Boss, you're back just in time. Your good daughter is about to rebel.
I finally got Matchmaker Zhao to find her a good match, but she chased her away and kept saying she didn't want to marry. Isn't that infuriating?"
Chen Qingqing's eyes turned red and she slowly raised her head. She saw kindness in Chen Zhanshan's eyes. She didn't want to cry, but this was the emotion that came from the blood between the original owner and her father, and she relied on her father from the bottom of her heart.
She wiped away her tears and said, "Dad, grandma wants to marry me to Li the butcher from Qingshui Town. I'm scared."
"Don't be afraid, Dad won't let you marry Li the Butcher."
When Chen Zhanshan saw his daughter's face covered in blood, her eyes filled with tears, and her body shaking constantly, his heart was broken.
He never dared to disobey his mother, but this matter concerned his daughter's lifelong happiness, so he had to firmly refuse.
"Mom, since Qing doesn't want to, let's forget about this marriage!"
Old Mrs. Chen immediately got angry and raised her voice, "Forget it? That's easy for you to say. If she doesn't get married, what will our whole family eat and drink?"
Old Man Chen followed in and saw that Old Lady Chen had a gloomy face. He hurriedly asked, "Old lady, what's going on? Why are you yelling in broad daylight?"
Old Mrs. Chen slapped her thigh and said, "Old man, you are finally back. Just now, matchmaker Zhao came and found a good family for Qingqing.
But I've said so many nice things to this useless girl, and I've worn out my lips, but she's so stubborn that she refuses to marry me. Tell me, I've already accepted the betrothal gift, so what should I do?
Chen Zhanshan said, "They haven't gotten married yet, and they haven't even held a wedding ceremony. Why don't you just return the betrothal money?"
Old Mrs. Chen rolled her eyes at her eldest son. "Return it? That's easy for you to say. We're in a famine, and there are so many mouths to feed. Your third brother has to take the imperial examination. If you return the betrothal gift, how are you going to live in the future?"
Old man Chen shook his head and sighed, "Zhanshan, your mother is right. Your third brother needs money, and our family is also waiting for food to be cooked. You can't just watch our family suffer!"
The third brother, Chen Zhancai, felt relieved when he saw that Old Man Chen also agreed to the marriage. If his eldest brother didn't agree, wouldn't that be bad? How could he take the imperial examination? If he didn't pass and become a scholar, he wouldn't be able to be a peasant in the future!
He shamelessly said, "Brother, how can you just give up on the family you found for Qing girl after all the hard work?
Besides, Qing girl is not a child anymore.
As the saying goes, a girl should not be kept when she grows up. If she is kept, she will become an enemy. Whether she marries early or late, she will have to get married sooner or later.
I think this marriage is a good one. Qing will enjoy a happy life if she marries him."
Liu Fengjiao chimed in sarcastically, "Who says it isn't true? Mother was worried that Qing would suffer, so she specifically asked Matchmaker Zhao to find her a good family. Now that everything's settled, how can she go back on her word?"
Chen Qingqing's hands were sweating. She was afraid that Chen Zhanshan would be foolishly filial. If he agreed to this marriage, she would have no way out. Even if she didn't want to get married, she would probably not be able to escape the control of the Chen family.
She stared at Chen Zhanshan in a daze. If he agreed, she would have to make other plans. Even if she married Li the Butcher, she had ten thousand ways to escape.
After all, I am studying medicine, so it is easy for me to cripple someone.
At this time, Chen Zhanshan's heart sank again and again. He had heard of Li the Butcher a long time ago. Everyone in Qingshui Town knew that he had a violent temper and had beaten several wives to death.
At this time, his closest relatives were thinking of marrying their own daughter to such a person. Isn't this obviously pushing his daughter into the fire pit?
He said with a cold face, "Third Brother, since you and your wife both say this marriage is good, and Qing girl doesn't want to marry, then let Ruolan marry him!"
Lin breathed a sigh of relief. Since her husband objected, her daughter's marriage would definitely be cancelled.
Her expression was cold, and her tone was filled with dissatisfaction. "Third brother, I think your eldest brother is right. Mother accepted the betrothal gift to support your studies. Even if I were to marry off my daughter, it wouldn't be my daughter's turn. Ruolan is your biological daughter, and it's only natural that she would contribute to your future."
Chen Zhancai was speechless for a moment, his face turning red as liver.
Liu was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She thought that as long as the old lady gave the order, this matter would definitely be accomplished.
She had finally persuaded Zhao the matchmaker to let her facilitate this marriage. Not only did her husband have money to take the imperial examination, but the family also didn't have to eat coarse vegetables every meal.
However, she did not expect that the honest and dull Chen Zhanshan would be so protective of his daughter.
Chen Qingqing was deeply moved after hearing her father's words. It was great to have parents who loved her. As long as her parents supported her, she would not be afraid. She believed that she could lead them to a good life.
"Dad, Mom, thank you."
Chen Zhanshan patted her shoulder gently, his eyes firm, "Don't be afraid, Qing girl. If Dad doesn't agree, no one will dare to marry you off."
Old Mrs. Chen almost vomited blood when she heard this, and immediately beat her feet and stamped her chest and howled.
"You unfilial thing, you want to piss me off to death, don't you? How dare you disobey me? I gave birth to you in vain. You're trying to drive me to despair!"
Chen Zhanshan's legs instantly went limp, and he knelt on the ground. "Mom, calm down. This is all my fault. I apologize to you."
Old Man Chen's face was livid, his eyes brimming with anger. "Zhanshan, your mother has no other choice. If Qing doesn't marry, how will we eat and drink? How can we afford to send your third brother to the academy, and how can he take the entrance exam? Your third brother's future will be ruined!"
Chen Zhanshan hung his head. "Dad, Butcher Li is not a good man. If he marries Qing girl to him, won't that mean she'll die? I only have this one daughter. I can't watch her jump into the fire pit!"
Old man Chen knew his eldest son's temper. Once he made up his mind, nothing could stop him. If he did not agree to the marriage, everyone in the family would probably starve to death in this day and age.
If I had known how much money it would cost to go to school, I should not have let the third child go to school. The money saved and the food stored over the years would have been enough to help us get through the famine.
But now I have nothing left and can only pin my hopes on my third son.
As long as he could pass the imperial examination and become a scholar this year, not only would his family be exempted from taxes and labor service, but he would also get money, which would allow his family to survive this famine.
......
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