With a weight lifted from his heart, Li Laoshi escorted Qin Shi to her vicinity, and after exchanging a few more sweet words, the two parted ways.
Li Laoshi said that after Lianhua's child's 100-day celebration, they should let Village Chief Jiang make the decision to officially register the two of them in the village, so that Genqing and Lianhua would not be able to object.
Madam Qin readily agreed, as she was worried that Old Master Li might tell others about it.
Lotus is currently in confinement, and Sister-in-law Jiang, Sister-in-law Liu, and Sister-in-law Xia all said that she shouldn't get angry and that they should wait until after her granddaughter's 100-day celebration.
So for the next few days, Qin and Li continued to work as usual, but when no one was around, they would flirt and act all lovey-dovey.
At first, their dog, Sussou, didn't attract any attention.
But Wang Xiaoju, with her sharp eyes, quickly noticed that Aunt Qin's eyes and brows were now beaming with joy, and she even hummed a little tune as she walked.
Hehe, there's something going on here!
So Wang Xiaoju, along with Pi, caught Qin, who was secretly talking to Li Laoshi in the bamboo forest, that very day.
Looking at her two nieces-in-law following her around, Qin felt both ashamed and angry: "Are you two just bored and have nothing better to do than follow me around!"
Wang Xiaoju clicked her tongue twice: "The village said you eloped, but it turns out you were having a secret rendezvous. So, tell me, how are you going to resolve this?"
Pi stared wide-eyed: "Aunt Qin, you and Li Laoshi...you really aren't innocent!"
Li Laoshi wasn't afraid at all. He had proposed marriage to the village chief in front of him. Seeing Wang Xiaoju and Pi Shi, he calmly said, "What do you mean by innocent or not innocent? We are both unmarried. If we are not innocent after just a few words, then all of you who are married must be black charcoal!"
He couldn't figure it out, but since Madam Qin wouldn't agree, all he could do now was hold hands.
Seeing that her threats didn't seem to be working, Wang Xiaoju's eyes darted to the somewhat shy Aunt Qin: "Uncle Li, do you want to walk around the village with Aunt Qin in a proper manner, leaving Lianhua and Genqing speechless?"
These words struck a chord with Qin and Li, and the two had been discussing this matter for the past few days.
Jiang Zhi once said that it didn't matter if she agreed to the marriage, or what others thought; what mattered was whether Xu Genqing and Lianhua could accept it.
Not only do they have to accept Li Laoshi as their stepfather, but they also have to accept the possibility of a younger sister or brother appearing.
After all, Qin was only in her thirties, which was considered grandmother in this era. But it wasn't uncommon for the youngest branch of the family to produce an older generation, such as a younger uncle or aunt. It was not uncommon for a woman in her forties to give birth to a child.
Jiang Zhi didn't care about this; if Qin Shi and Li Laoshi wanted marital happiness, they would have to solve it themselves.
These two are thick-skinned and not afraid of what the villagers gossip about. The only people they are afraid of are Xu Genqing and Lianhua.
One reason is that she's afraid her son and daughter-in-law will get angry and stop supporting her, and the other is that she's afraid of being beaten; getting hit by a fist really hurts.
If there's a way to solve it, then there are no taboos.
Li Laoshi immediately became humble: "Team Leader Wang, if you can help your Uncle Li get through this difficult time, Uncle Li will definitely repay you handsomely."
Jiang Zhi called him "Team Leader Wang".
Wang Xiaoju is now in charge of the workshop. Her family members can still call her "Auntie," "Sister-in-law," or "Genbao's wife," but the outsiders don't know how to address a young leader like Wang Xiaoju.
Jiang Zhi suggested calling her "team leader"... Wang Xiaoju quite liked it; at least it sounded better than calling her "Genbao's wife."
Upon hearing that there would be a generous reward, Wang Xiaoju immediately said, "Aunt Qin, Uncle Li, you must keep your word! Chunhua and I each want a piece of the best fabric in the county to make our clothes."
Each person would need at least half an ounce of silver for a piece of good material. Li Laoshi replied without hesitation, "As long as you keep your word, I agree."
Pi listened with delight, thinking he had made the right decision to come all this way. All he had to do was hum a few times and he would get a new outfit without having to pay a cent.
Wang Xiaoju thought the matter was easy to resolve, but she had to ask first: "Uncle Li, I want to know what your plans are after you get married?"
After getting married, Li Laoshi couldn't possibly move into Aunt Qin's house and compete with Xu Genqing for the power of house management!
Li Laoshi said, "Of course I want to live in the storeroom, but I need to build two more rooms so that I can cook for myself in the future."
Your Aunt Qin can go home whenever she wants during the day, and go to work whenever she wants. She doesn't need to worry about me; I just want company.
He used to eat at Xu Genyou's house, and now he naturally eats with Xiaoman and the others. When he has his own family in the future, he will start cooking in his own small pot.
Hehe, I have a monthly salary and work points, and an acre of land that I rent out. I can definitely support my wife...
Wang Xiaoju thought about it and agreed. Li Laoshi's monthly salary was about the same as Xu Genqing's, so he would definitely not have to worry about food and clothing in the future.
If they really treated Aunt Qin well, Xu Genqing and Lianhua would agree.
"Alright, you wait here. I have a way to handle this. But if any rumors spread in the village, don't panic..."
Wang Xiaoju whispered her thoughts, and Qin Shi and Li Laoshi nodded in agreement.
Pi laughed heartily from the side: "This is simple! Would Lotus really believe it?"
Wang Xiaoju, like a great general, confidently declared, "You can't go wrong by following my instructions!"
The next day, the topic that had disappeared resurfaced, naturally still being about Aunt Qin and Li Laoshi's elopement.
Xujia Village has only about 20 households. Apart from a few newly arrived migrant families, the only people who can really speak on this matter are the older generation of the Xu family and the young couple Lianhua. Rumors immediately spread.
When Liu heard what her youngest daughter-in-law, Wang Xiaoju, had brought back, she was both angry and anxious: "How can you let people talk about your Aunt Qin like that? There's nothing to it at all!"
Wang Xiaoju felt wronged: "I only manage the workshop, I can't control what people say. If anyone should be in charge, it should be Genbao and the others. They were talking about it in Lihua Town."
Liu was furious. How could Genbao and the others possibly care about what she said!
If anyone's to blame, it's Lotus's mother. She heard some nonsense from who-knows-where, and Qin got herself into trouble without doing anything.
Li Laoshi laughed heartily upon hearing these words, and said to Liu Shi with a swaggering and shameless expression, "That's not true. If Sister Qin really takes a liking to me, then that's my good fortune. I'll go burn incense and kowtow right now."
Hehe, getting older, I just want to find someone who truly loves me, so I don't have to keep going on blind dates!
Seeing his appearance, Liu shook her head: "He really has no manners. If only Li Laoshi were more down-to-earth."
Qin has been very well-behaved these past two days, not even going to the workshop, and has been taking care of Lianhua and her granddaughter at home, seemingly oblivious to what's going on outside.
Pi took a plate of sweet buns and slipped into the lotus room, muttering to himself for a long time before coming out.
Xu Genqing had returned to work at the pharmacy after his vacation and only went home at night. He was unaware of these words, but since Lianhua had relayed the information, he would probably find out soon.
There's a constant stream of drama in Xujia Village, but Jiang Zhi is really not there.
She was summoned to the county government office by Magistrate Zhang, along with Pavilion Chief Song.
The houses of both families are mostly completed. Errui needs to go back to the mountain every night to see Qiaoyun, and bring down mosquito repellent and Tibetan incense to send through Baicaotang.
Jiang Zhi then took Xiao Man and Tian Tao'er with her.
Because Magistrate Zhang wanted to talk about those two kinds of medicine, this matter falls under the jurisdiction of Tian Tao Xiaoman.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com