"Yuling, here, come up and I'll take you."
Qiu Yuling hesitated for a long time and parked the car at the gatehouse. "Uncle Zhao, I'll leave the car here and go out for a while."
"It's okay, just do your thing, I'll push it in later."
Anyway, he had long legs, so he didn't need to slide twice to get on the car. Qiu Yuling sat down steadily in the back and said, "Let's go."
"Hold on tight."
The ride was not as bumpy as expected. Li Xingyao rode very steadily. The sun was too warm, which made Qiu Yuling drowsy.
"Yuling, don't fall asleep. If you feel sleepy, let's get off the car and take a walk."
Qiu Yuling narrowed her eyes and said, "I'm not sleepy, but I don't want to walk either. Ride faster. Usually, I'd be inside by this time."
Li Xingyao just thought that she was as eager to take him home as he was at that time, and he became excited instantly.
With a whoosh, Qiu Yuling, who was caught off guard by inertia, grabbed his waist in panic.
Li Xingyao's face flushed as he rode the whole way. Li Qingmei thought it was because of the sun. "Why are you riding in the middle of the day? You don't even think of getting out of the sun before coming back?"
Qiu Yuling was fine. Li Xingyao was well prepared. He tied a straw hat for her. She didn't have to pedal the bike on the way, so she didn't feel tired and didn't look flushed or angry.
After letting the two into the house, Li Qingmei busied herself pouring tea for them.
Qiu Yuling pinched a handful of sand dates in the bowl and said, "These are from last year, right? I haven't finished them yet. Fill me up with two handfuls later. Where's my dad? Call him back and tell him his son-in-law is here..."
After hearing this, Li Qingmei trotted off. Not long after, the couple came back in big strides, followed by the captain uncle.
As soon as they entered the room, the team leader, who was more advanced than Qiu Yuling's father, rushed in front and said, "Yuling, are you back? I heard that you brought your son-in-law back. Let me take a look."
"Dad, uncle." Li Xingyao stood straight from a distance.
"Good, good young man." The uncle didn't think there was anything wrong with calling him that. Qiu Jianshe seemed to be under a spell, and he couldn't move for a long time after being called "Dad".
Li Xingyao took out a large leather envelope from his bag and placed it on the table, "Dad, this is the betrothal gift for Yuling. Nine hundred and ninety-nine symbolizes our long-lasting love.
The seventy-two legs prepared by the family and those I bought myself, along with a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a radio, have all been moved to our new house.
By the way, the new house is behind the Yulingwu City Cadre Building. It has its own gate and courtyard, similar to the one in Liushu Alley. You, Mom, and Grandma will all have a place to stay when you come here..."
As soon as the betrothal gift was given, both the Qiu Jianshe brothers took a breath, and even Li Qingmei leaned against the wall for a long time.
Qiu Jianshe said he wasn't selling his daughter, "This is too much!"
"Dad, it's not much. You and Mom raised Yuling so well, providing her with food, clothing, and education. To be honest, I am the one who got the better deal. It's not easy for you two elders. This is a small token of our family's appreciation."
The captain nodded and signaled to his brothers with his eyes that Yuling was a good son-in-law.
Qiu Jianshe was unmoved. "Tell me, Yuling, to take all the money. How to spend it depends on my child. As for your business... I have no objection."
Qiu Yuling grabbed a handful of sand date pits and threw them into the dustpan, not wanting her father to lose face. "You've seen all my dowry. Two houses, a bicycle, and a sewing machine. My parents also gave me some other things a while ago. I'll tell you more about them later."
Regardless of dowry or not, Li Xingyao said that Qiu Yuling herself is his greatest comfort.
Li Qingmei stepped out and hurriedly prepared tea and food, still thinking about the 999 betrothal gift and the seventy-two legs.
I was happy that my daughter was valued, but I also felt that the quilt I made was not presentable enough.
The main room was left to the men. Qiu Yuling came over to the tea stall and put her arm around her mother's shoulders, "Mom, don't think too much. You and Dad have given me everything you could. It's no worse than their family.
Besides, your daughter is valuable to begin with, so they will definitely make a profit."
"What kind of talk is this kid saying? Marriage isn't a business, there's no point talking about losses or gains.
Since you have decided to be together, you should support each other, respect your parents-in-law, be friendly to your sisters-in-law, and come back often to visit..."
The following words were choked with sobs.
Qiu Yuling nudged Li Qingmei's shoulder with amusement, "What are you doing? Do you think a daughter who is married off is like spilled water? Let me make it clear, keep my house for me. I will come back to live here.
It's not like I'm marrying someone far away. It's just that I'll have one more mouth to feed when I come back. Are you worried that I can't afford the food expenses, so you're telling me in advance?"
Li Qingmei was amused by her jokes. "I don't need you to pay for the food. Just come back. I'm afraid that once I get married, you won't have time to come back..."
"How can that be? Getting married doesn't mean you're being sold off. Didn't you see how my father is unmoved by money? Li Xingyao was so nervous, afraid that his stern-faced father-in-law would shoo him away with both the money and the person. Haha..."
Li Qingmei only heard the sound and didn't see the whole situation. She laughed when she heard it, "Your father is just afraid that you'll be wronged. As long as we're not after their money, we'll have a strong back after marrying into their family. Even if he comes to support you, he's justified in doing so."
"My father has even thought about going to my husband's house to fight?" Qiu Yuling asked her mother excitedly what the old couple had been rehearsing every day.
Li Qingmei pretended to be busy and refused to say anything further.
Qiu Yuling finished laughing and comforted her mother, "Don't worry, you and my father, I won't suffer any loss. Not to mention that his family is reasonable, even if we can't live by reason, I still have the strength.
What's more, I still have about a thousand workers. As long as I raise my arms and call for help, I can form an armed force at any time..."
Li Qingmei was shocked. "My dear, this is not right. What will we do if something goes wrong?"
Qiu Yuling giggled, wondering how fun it was to be old. I believed everything she said.
In fact, it is not that Li Qingmei is old and has lost her mind, but that she has always been deeply touched by her daughter's fierceness, and always feels that if she is pushed into a corner, she will become the kind of person who will do this.
So when I heard something was amiss, I quickly tried to dissuade him, and then quickly changed the subject, "When are you planning to have the wedding?"
"No, I'll find time next week to get the certificate. I'm going to Cangzhou. When I come back, I'll ask the two families to sit together and the ceremony will be completed."
She would never let herself be embarrassed by being surrounded by people and forced to eat a hanging apple!
"Ah? This is too easy, isn't it? Your father has been planning to host a few banquets for a long time, always wanting to marry you off in a grand manner."
This? It's not that I can't satisfy her. "Well, I'll postpone it and get married when I have time. I've been so busy lately that I really can't spare any time. So I thought I'd just do it simply and get it done."
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