Ah Mian has done a great service this time. Some people in Lu Family Village suggested that since Old Man Lu has no other descendants, why not make an exception and add Ah Mian to the family genealogy?
"Need not."
She didn't care about these things, nor did she feel that she had to be a member of the Lu family for all eternity.
Ah Mian is just Ah Mian, nothing more.
Lu Weiwei watched the figures of A Mian and her family, hugged Xiao Ling'er tightly, and watched them leave. Faintly, she seemed to see a faint golden edge surrounding A Mian. Lu Weiwei rubbed her eyes, thinking it was probably because the sun was shining and her eyes were dazzled.
Back in Qingshan Village, Meng's mother was overjoyed and pulled Meng San and Amian to sit down in the courtyard.
"If you ask me, marrying A-Mian has really brought good fortune to the family. Now we're doing quite well, guess what?" Mother Meng said, beaming. "About Xiao Jing! She'll be thirteen this year, and lately so many families have come to give gifts, practically wearing down our doorstep. They're all thinking of getting engaged to Xiao Jing, and then getting married in a couple of years when she has her coming-of-age ceremony. But I haven't accepted any gifts yet, I was just thinking that A-Mian, could you help me find some good families to marry into?"
Engagement is a very serious matter, and the advantage is that the two families become one family in advance, and their relationship becomes much closer.
On the other hand, after the engagement, the groom and his family can also be used to assess their character. As the saying goes, a son-in-law who is not yet married is more useful than a donkey. The Meng family has few laborers, so having a man come to help with chores and fetch water in advance is obviously a good thing that makes things easier for everyone.
"Me? Okay." A-Mian nodded seriously. She felt that she had a high status in this family and could speak up. She was really treated as a sister-in-law, so she was very happy.
She wanted to carefully select Xiao Jing to prevent her from marrying into a bad family!
Seeing her so enthusiastically sharing her "tips on choosing a man" with Xiao Jing, Meng Chijian couldn't help but chuckle.
He pretended to sweep with a broom, but actually wanted to eavesdrop. However, Xiao Jing was very wary of this. "A-Mian, let's talk in my room."
They chatted until late at night before A-Mian returned. Meng Chijian couldn't resist pinching her cheek, but A-Mian snuggled into his arms and said, "Let's visit those families together tomorrow. This is a big deal for Xiao Jing. The shop will have to close tomorrow. You're a man, and sometimes your thoughts are different from ours. Perhaps you can see other men's thoughts more clearly."
Meng Chijian had the same idea; he was quite curious about what kind of man Ah Mian admired.
The next day, A-Mian and Meng Chijian went to the homes of three families for a "short visit".
The first household was a wealthy family in the village with many brothers and sisters, and the one they wanted to arrange a marriage for was their youngest son.
Meng's mother chatted casually with the elders. A-Mian looked at her and saw that she was about the same age as Meng Jing, with thin arms and legs.
After everyone had lunch, Ah Mian ate some peanuts, chatted for a while, and then left.
After leaving, A-Mian felt it wasn't a good idea: "He eats like a cat, only taking a few bites. Xiao-Jing is a glutton; if she goes to their house, the little boy might faint from hunger." For the sake of her youngest son's life, it was better not to marry into that family.
Ah Mian's first rule for choosing a man: Don't choose one who doesn't like to eat.
Meng Chijian thought to himself, "He used to eat a lot. He could eat two large bowls of rice when he was ten years old, and once he ate seventeen steamed buns in one go while he was in the army. He's not as big now, but he's still the biggest eater in the family."
Then we went to the second one.
This family was much worse off than the previous one. They only had one acre of farmland, so their second son was still unmarried at the age of seventeen.
"Aunt Meng, you've arrived! Come quickly! Please come in!"
Amian's first impression was of the Meng family's exceptional hospitality. They didn't look down on her because of her family's financial situation, which was why they specifically chose to come after lunch. Amian glanced at the dark rim of the bowl, put down the bitter tea, and looked around.
During this time, the man was quite attentive, constantly asking about Xiao Jing, and saying that he would let Xiao Jing be the head of the household from now on, and that he would definitely treat her well.
No sooner had she left than Ah Mian shook her head, even faster than the previous person.
After walking for a while, Meng Chijian guessed, "Could it be because you think he's lying?"
Ah Mian said, "That's not it..."
Ah Mian's second rule for choosing a man: He must be able to wash the dishes clean.
Meng Chijian finally understood. Ah Mian was just bluffing; she had no idea how to choose a man! She was just putting on a show.
Just as she was about to go to the third house, a basket suddenly fell from under the tree, scattering leaves all over her head. "Ptooey! Who is it?" In the blink of an eye, another basket of dirt fell down. A-Mian dodged and spotted the broom star she had seen before in the tree.
It turns out he had set up an ambush there, deliberately trying to trick people.
Amian picked up a clod of dirt, aimed, and threw it. The jinx was hit on the back, jumped down from the tree, and ran away. Amian shouted after his retreating figure, "You're so mean! I'm going to tell Xiaojing when I get back!"
The jinx stumbled as it ran, then suddenly rushed in front of A-Mian and his wife, shouting, "How could you treat Xiao-Jing like this! She...she's my sworn sister, we've sworn brotherhood. You bully her all day long, forcing her to take care of your children, and you won't even let her talk to me! You, you—and you even made Xiao-Jing eat mushy, overcooked rice with you!"
In his accusations, A-Mian was dumbfounded. Xiao-Jing seemed to have become the pitiful little thing in the Meng family, with no food or drink, and was always locked up at home.
"Sister-in-law?" Meng Chijian sneered, grabbing the jinx and slamming him into the mud. "I'm her own brother. How dare you call her Xiao Jing? You can make wild guesses all you want, but you come here to bully my wife."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
