Chu Lingxuan meant to let Chen Ming keep the two thousand taels of silver and buy some property for himself. He felt that all the families nearby knew that Chen Afu was not Chen Ming's biological daughter, and he couldn't let others think that the daughter he raised married into a rich family and let her adoptive father buy so much dowry. This would easily lead to gossip about the Chu family and Chen Afu.
Before, Chen Afu had thought about leaving another two thousand silver coins for Chen Ming before getting married so that their lives would be better.
She gave a lot of money to Chen Ming privately, mainly because she was afraid that Chen Ye and Hu would get it. Outsiders only knew that the 100 acres of land in Luyuan and Laohuai Village in Zhongning County were given by Chen Afu, and they didn't know anything else, including the shares of the restaurant and the money for Chen Ming's dowry. Chen Ye's family would never tell outsiders that the shares of Xinglong Restaurant in Dingzhou Prefecture were paid by Chen Afu on behalf of Chen Ming, and they didn't even say that the shares of the first wife were obtained for free.
Not only was Mrs. Hu's eyes wide open, watching Chen Ming's purse, but all the villagers nearby were also watching Chen Afu's performance with wide eyes, wanting to see if she was "grateful".
A very poor family accidentally picked up a "golden phoenix". When this "golden phoenix" was about to fly to another family, what would it leave for the family that took it in...
No matter how much she gave Chen Ming, as long as outsiders didn't know, they would feel sorry for Chen Ming. This was the public psychology. She didn't care about other people's opinions, but the local youth Chu Lingxuan couldn't help but care about his wife's reputation.
But Chen Ming was very stubborn this time and refused to keep the two thousand taels of silver as betrothal gift. He said he wanted to set an example for everyone in the Chen family, including A Lu, to not take what they shouldn't take.
Of course, he didn't want Chen Ahfu to be blamed. After thinking for a while, he said, "Let's put things in perspective. I won't keep a penny of the betrothal money from the Chu family, but Ahfu can take out an equivalent amount of silver and let old man Zeng buy some land for me. Let everyone know that Ahfu gave me so much land before she got married. She is a good child who remembers kindness."
When Chen Afu heard this, he thought it was a better idea. They had a foster father and a foster daughter, one was affectionate and the other was righteous.
At noon, Chen Afu and his mother and Chu Hanyan would have lunch at Lu Garden. After delivering the betrothal gifts, Chu Lingxuan returned to Dingzhou Prefecture to prepare for his trip to the capital.
When Dabao came to Luyuan, he simply ignored the betrothal gifts. Not only did he not ask any questions, he didn't even look at them.
During the meal, Dabao was telling Chen Alu what the teacher had said this morning with great interest. Everyone could see that he was smiling, but his eyes were red, and he was forcing a smile.
Halfway through the meal, he said he wanted to go to the toilet. When he came out of the toilet, his eyes were even redder.
Seeing him like this, Chen Afu, Wang and Chen Ming all felt very uncomfortable.
Wang stroked his head and said, "Dabao, after your mother gets married, not only will she love you as before, but your grandfather, uncle and I will also love you as before. Your life will not be any different."
A Lu said, "The only difference is that you have a father and I have a brother-in-law, which is even better."
Chu Hanyan quickly said, "There are other differences. My brother has a younger sister, and my uncle has a niece."
These two kids, one is silly and the other is very smart.
Everyone laughed.
Dabao also laughed. He thought, it's not just these two that are different, they are all different. After laughing, he put down his chopsticks and said, "Mom, I have diarrhea and don't want to eat."
Chen Ahfu sighed, "Then don't eat. Go back and have a rest. Don't go to class this afternoon. Mom will ask someone to ask for a leave for you."
Dabao got off the kang and said, "Okay, I'll go back to the room first. You guys eat slowly."
After saying that, he lowered his head and walked away.
Chu Hanyan wanted to follow, but was stopped by Chen Afu. Maybe Dabao wanted to be alone for a while, so let him think about it.
Chu Xiaoniu and Qiuyue knew that the young master was in a bad mood today, so they didn't dare to get too close to him and just followed him from a distance.
Chen Dabao returned to his room, locked the door, then lay on the bed, covered his head with the quilt, and began to sob.
He heard the noise while he was in class and knew that it was Uncle Chu who went to Luyuan to propose marriage.
These days, his mother talked to him a lot, telling him that she would still love him even if she got married, and that he would be happier in the future.
Mother was going to the capital to marry Father Chu, and not only could she not take him with her, she also couldn't take her sister with her. She also asked him to stay home with his sister and wait for them...
He knew that, whether he wanted it or not, the day he feared would soon come. His mother was going to get married. His mother would no longer be his mother alone, but also the mother of Yan'er, the wife of Father Chu, the daughter-in-law of Abbot Liaochen, and the granddaughter-in-law of Master Chu...
From now on, the family is not just him and his mother, but a whole family. His mother's closest person is no longer him, but Father Chu.
Did he not know? He knew a lot, even more than his uncle.
Husband and wife are the two people who will never be separated. Even though my great-grandmother lived in the same courtyard with my great-grandfather, they did not sleep in the same room. The one who slept in the same room with my great-grandfather was his wife, Mrs. Hu. The one who slept in the same room with my great uncle, Mrs. Gao, was not his mother, Mrs. Hu.
Thinking of the picture he had given to his mother, he felt even more upset. Afraid that he would cry too loudly, he quickly covered his mouth with a quilt.
He and his mother will not hold hands forever, there will always be a day when they let go. And the one who can hold hands with his mother forever is Father Chu.
He knew that his mother's love for him would not change, and he also knew that Father Chu was a good man, but he just didn't like another man coming between him and his mother.
However, he was not his mother's son-in-law, nor was he his mother's biological son. He was just an orphan that his grandmother picked up in the woods! He had no right to object, even if he was unhappy.
It was not easy for his mother to treat him so well. He had heard that a fierce woman in Shangshui Village broke her former stepson's legs, and that his grandmother's stepmother sold her younger brother for five taels of silver. These bad women were so cruel to sons who were not their own, but his mother was so kind and treated him a thousand times and ten thousand times well.
He couldn't be ungrateful, couldn't make his mother dislike him. In the future, he couldn't make Father Chu dislike him...
Chen Afu took Chu Hanyan back to Fu Garden and saw Qiuyue standing by the window of the east wing bedroom listening to the noise inside.
Qiuyue saw Chen Afu coming back, and she tiptoed to Chen Afu and whispered, "Miss, just now I heard my brother crying for a long time under the quilt. Now there is no sound, so he must have fallen asleep."
Chen Afu felt very sad after hearing this, so she asked Qiao'er to take Chu Hanyan to the upper room to rest, while she went to the east wing.
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