Chapter 122
"Little father, can I not nod?"
The thought of Liu Chengye's mouth made Mu Bai's otherwise pleasing face appear unbearable to look at.
Zhou Ling looked incredulous. "Unwilling?! The Liu family is much better than the families in our village! They're not the kind of family that has multiple wives and concubines. What's wrong with marrying into that family?!"
Seeing this, Mu Jin hurriedly said, "Father, please sit down first. Bai'er, tell your father why you are unwilling to marry into the Liu family."
Mu Bai lowered his head and muttered, "That Liu Chengye is so bad at talking. If the two of us lived together, we would have a small argument every three days and a big argument every five days. We would even fight each other."
Zhou Ling sat on the stool, sighing and laughing, "I wondered why. The Liu family spoiled him as he grew up, so he's inevitably a bit arrogant. He speaks bluntly, but he's a good person."
"Little father, you know perfectly well that he said I'm like a calf!"
Zhou Ling smiled and said, "They've already nodded, so they probably like the little calf. They're praising you."
Mu Bai still looked unwilling. "We argued so much, and he still took a liking to me. Is he out of his mind?"
"The messenger who came to report also said that Young Master Liu was just teasing you."
"Is this some kind of joke?!"
Zhou Ling glanced at him lightly, stood up and said, "Fine, since you're unwilling, I won't force you. We'll have a matchmaker help us find someone again next year, and we can have a few more meetings."
After saying that, he got up and prepared to go home.
When Mu Bai thought about all the different kinds of chubby men he had met during this time, Liu Chengye, when he wasn't speaking, stood out from the crowd.
If he were to look at another group of fat men, he would probably go blind.
His hand involuntarily grabbed Zhou Ling's sleeve.
"Little...Little Father, I will listen to you and Father."
Zhou Ling's lips curled slightly. "That's right. I'm your own stepfather. Would I harm you? Hurry up and pack your things, come home with me. Don't go out before the engagement."
Mu Bai pouted, somewhat unwilling, but still obediently went back to the house, picked up the unopened bundle, and followed Zhou Ling home.
With a smile in her eyes, Mu Jin saw the two off.
Regardless, the Liu family is far better off than the other families in the village; for now, they can be considered a good family.
Night fell, the courtyard was quiet, and the light of an oil lamp flickered inside the house.
Mu Jin leaned against the headboard, folding up the baby clothes that Mu Nianjun had brought that afternoon. The clothes were still fresh and smelled of milk when Xiao Weiwei was just born.
Zhou Lin gently massaged his slightly swollen legs.
"Brother Nianjun makes sure Xiaowei wears clothes made of good quality materials, soft and comfortable."
Zhou Lin massaged Mu Jin's calves and laughed when he heard this: "Speaking of which, having a family relationship makes all the difference. When I came back today, I passed by the bookstore and was stopped by Manager Liu. He gave me a package and said it was to thank you for relieving his worries. He also said that in the future, if you want to write any novels, I can just go to the store to get them."
"Where are the things?" Mu Jin asked with a smile.
"I forgot it on the cart. Wait a moment, I'll go get it."
Mu Jin nodded gently, and Zhou Lin gently placed his calf aside, picked up the oil lamp, and went out of the house.
The room was instantly pitch black without any light. Mu Jin gently rubbed the small clothes in her hands, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"This bag is very light; it's probably just clothes."
Zhou Lin left quickly and returned quickly, placing the oil lamp on the table and the bundle in his hand on the bed.
Mu Jin folded the little clothes that Mu Nianjun had given her and moved them aside.
When the bundle was opened, it didn't contain the small clothes Zhou Lin had mentioned, but rather a smooth and soft piece of plain silk.
"This... is far too valuable."
Zhou Lin didn't dare to touch it, afraid that his rough hands would damage the precious silk.
After carefully touching it for a while, Mu Jin placed the plain silk on top of the folded little clothes.
"It's both a thank-you gift and a gift for future relatives, so just accept it."
Zhou Lin nodded, "The lives of these wealthy families are truly good. This plain silk is so smooth and shiny; it looks incredibly comfortable."
Mu Jin smiled and said, "You get what you pay for. To be honest, our family has indeed spent quite a bit of money these days."
Zhou Lin did the math: “Digging the well will cost six taels, plus the craftsmen’s food and household expenses, which will total more than ten taels of silver.”
"That's enough to buy a bolt of plain silk," Mu Jin smiled.
I carefully placed the neatly packed little clothes and the plain silk into the wardrobe.
During this period, I made a lot of money selling chicken and duck eggs, along with vegetables.
Because Mu Jin was too heavy-set, he couldn't continue working at the dye shop, so he didn't ask for the money anymore.
Although Wang Li wasn't very capable, he could help with the fire and now he could even help hang cloths to dry. So Bai Qiqiu decided to give him one qian of silver every month to buy whatever he liked.
Although the income from the dye shop was gone, Mu Jin still earned quite a bit from copying books during this period.
Even after accounting for Zhou Lin's wages at the carpenter's shop, and deducting the large expenses incurred during this period, as well as the wages of Mu Youyu and Lin Huzi, there was still a considerable amount of money left.
Mu Jin counted her money at noon today and found that the couple had saved more than seventeen taels of silver this year.
Including what was left over, there were more than 21 taels of silver. Adding the five taels of silver spent on the hidden compartment, the total was more than 26 taels of silver.
Mu Jin put twenty-five taels of silver into the hidden compartment, and kept the remaining one tael and three mace of silver outside for household use.
In late autumn, September, many dried fruits fell in the mountains.
Lin Nuo often took Wang Li to pick chestnuts and walnuts.
Wang Li was thinking of Zhou Fengnian and Zhou Chuxue. He left the chestnuts and walnuts he had picked for Mu Jin, kept some for himself, and gave them to Zhou Fengnian and the others.
The next day, Zhou Chuxue delivered a package of freshly made chestnut cakes.
“I saw Li Ge yesterday, and he’s gained a lot of weight, his face is rounder. Your uncle and I are very grateful to you two. These days your uncle has found a job in town, and I’ve been busy with things at home and haven’t had time to come and see you. You two have really worked hard.”
Mu Jin smiled and said, "We're all family, why are you speaking like that? Besides, Li Ge'er is very well-behaved. He's helped me and A Lin a lot during his time at home."
"That's good. Your uncle and I can rest assured now. You don't know how much we feel indebted to you since we entrusted Li Ge'er to your care."
“What are you saying, Uncle? You and your uncle have been paying for Li’er’s meals and clothes. A-Lin and I are just helping to look after him. How can you say we owe him anything?”
Zhou Chuxue smiled, glancing at Mu Jin's protruding belly with a hint of envy in her eyes.
"It's cold today. You're heavy and can't stand the cold, so you should wear more clothes."
Mu Jin nodded. "A Lin stays at home to look after me. When I go to work in town, his brothers help him keep an eye on me. If I'm not wearing a single piece of clothing, I'll be sent back to my room."
"It's all for your own good. I heard that your younger brother from your mother's side is engaged to the son of the owner of the bookstore in town?"
"How did you know about this, Uncle?"
Mu Jin was surprised. The Liu family had not yet come to the Mu family to propose marriage. Given Zhou Ling's personality, she would not talk about this undecided matter.
"Your aunt said that your uncle had a big argument with her about this."
Upon hearing this, Mu Jin frowned slightly. If the Liu family didn't change their minds, things would be fine, but if they did, Mu Bai's marriage would be in trouble.
That loudmouthed Aunt Mu really deserves a good scolding.
Seeing this, Zhou Chuxue thought for a moment and said, "However, when I came here today, I overheard that your stepfather has also acknowledged the marriage to the villagers, and that the Liu family will come to propose marriage on the sixth day of the ninth month."
Mu Jin understood that the matter had probably been settled with the Liu family, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
The two chatted for a while longer, and seeing that it was getting late, Zhou Chuxue got up to say goodbye and went home.
On the sixth day of the ninth month, the Liu family arrived in their carriage as promised. Mu Jin, as the matchmaker, was invited home by Zhou Ling and met Liu Chengye, her future brother-in-law, for the first time.
Perhaps because he is still young, he is not as tall as Zhou Lin, but judging from his appearance, he still has a long way to go.
He was handsome, with fox-like eyes, just like his father, but his nose and mouth were very much like Manager Liu's.
His arrogant expression revealed him to be a pampered young man.
Perhaps fearing that Liu Chengye would provoke Mu Bai again with his sharp tongue, this marriage, which was originally a done deal, fell through at the last minute.
Liu Chengye's stepfather and Zhou Ling hit it off immediately. Since they had already met in advance, they decided not to let the two meet again.
The elders of both sides, along with the matchmaker hired by Manager Liu from the town, happily finalized the marriage between the two.
After the marriage certificate was signed, Manager Liu glanced at the Mu family's large courtyard and brick house, his face beaming with joy.
His youngest son, Muzhou, was such a promising brother-in-law, so this marriage was to his liking.
After the marriage negotiations were completed, the Liu family prepared to return home, but to their surprise, young master Liu Chengye refused to leave.
Enraged, Manager Liu wanted to hit him, but was stopped by Liu Chengye's uncle.
"Dad, this place is so beautiful, why don't you let me stay here for a while and spend some time with Little Bean Sprout?"
Zhou Ling was at a loss for words.
Although the two were engaged, it was really improper to let Liu Chengye live in the house like this.
Manager Liu patted his chest and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Where are you going to stay here?"
Liu Chengye thought about it for a moment. He wasn't so foolish as to say he wanted to stay at the Mu family's house. Otherwise, Zhou Ling would probably have broken off the engagement on the spot on behalf of Mu Bai.
“A small rented courtyard will do. You haven’t been feeling well lately, so this place is perfect for recuperation.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Chengye's uncle had a thought and said gently, "Renting a courtyard is not something that can be done immediately. Let's go back first today, and I'll have the steward come to the village to look for one later. Once we've settled on one, it won't be too late to move in for a while."
Liu Chengye nodded, glanced at the tightly closed door of the room, and smiled inside, "Little Bean Sprout, I'll head back now. See you another day."
Mu Bai was inside when she heard this and was so angry that she almost rushed out of the room to give that jerk a good beating.
You're the little bean sprout, your whole family are little bean sprouts!
He couldn't help but regret his momentary lapse in judgment in agreeing to the marriage.
Liu Chengye's stepfather sighed helplessly, gave Zhou Ling an apologetic smile, and then carried him into the carriage.
The carriage clattered along and quickly traveled several meters away.
A gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness.
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