After seeing Wang the matchmaker take Yang Cai away, Liu's father asked Yanan to close the courtyard door and took Liu Xiu into the room to talk.
Liu Xiu looked at his angry father and quietly defended himself, "Brother, I really don't know why Matchmaker Wang would introduce us to someone like this. Last year, the other guys we met were all good, but they just weren't meant to be with my Shengnan."
"Liu Xiu, you're almost 40 this year, so you need to think things through. How can the people introduced by Matchmaker Wang compare to last year's? Last year, your second brother and I had already inquired about those young men. We just needed Matchmaker Wang to help us connect them. At least there weren't any major issues with their character.
And how could those shabby people introduced by matchmaker Wang compare to them? I've tried to persuade your sister-in-law to stop being so anxious and stop trusting the matchmaker's words. I've told you to investigate the other person's background thoroughly before making any decisions!
Think about it yourself, if Yang Cai today is a guy who is good at disguising himself, and he successfully deceives you and Shengnan, and Shengnan marries him, what will happen to the three of you, mother and daughter, in the future? Have you forgotten your days in the Li family?"
"Brother, wasn't I afraid that Shengnan and Zhou Bing's affair would be known to others? I just wanted to settle Shengnan's matter as soon as possible!" Liu Xiu defended himself weakly.
"What happened between Shengnan and Zhou Zhiqing? There is nothing. They are not even together. If the villagers know about it, they will know about it. We have done nothing wrong. What are we afraid of? I wonder who dares to say anything nonsense." Liu's father retorted.
"It's a bad thing that they don't have a partner. What if someone has seen them getting close before?" Liu Xiu muttered to himself.
"What are you talking to yourself about?" asked Liu's father.
"Brother, I didn't say anything." Liu Xiu replied.
Father Liu said earnestly, "Xiu'er, let's put Shengnan's meeting on hold for now. Even if you want to go on a blind date in the future, don't look for Matchmaker Wang. She can't resist temptation, and after what happened this time, she might hold a grudge against you.
"The choice of son-in-law for Shengnan in the future must be discussed with your second brother and me, understand?" Xiu'er said. "Besides, Shengnan will only be nineteen in a few months, so there's no need to rush."
"I understand, brother! I will no longer make decisions on my own regarding Shengnan's marriage. I will definitely discuss it with everyone in the future." Liu Xiu agreed.
"It's good that you know it. Remember to be gentle with Shengnan and don't let these trivial things create a rift between you two, mother and daughter." Father Liu advised.
Liu Xiu said uncomfortably, "I know, big brother. It's almost two o'clock. I'm going to go to the tofu shop to work first. I'll talk to Shengnan tonight. I'm leaving, big brother!"
After Liu Xiu finished speaking, he opened the door of the main hall and walked out.
Father Liu walked out of the main hall. In the yard, Ruirui and Feifei were helping to chop firewood for Liu Xiu's family, while Yanan was cleaning the yard. Father Liu walked over and asked, "Yanan, where is your sister?"
"Uncle, I'm cleaning up in the kitchen!" Yanan replied.
Father Liu nodded and walked directly to the kitchen. Looking at Shengnan's busy figure, Father Liu shouted, "Shengnan, stop for a moment, I want to talk to you!"
"Uncle, what's the matter? Tell me!" Shengnan put down what he was holding, wiped his hands with a rag, and said to Liu's father.
"You don't have to think about it for now. Don't blame your mother for what happened in the past few days. Did your mother mean well but end up doing something bad?" Father Liu advised.
Shengnan said sensibly, "Uncle, I won't blame Mom. I know she was just worried about me and was too anxious. This is mainly because of Matchmaker Wang. I didn't expect her to be so bold as to deceive even the people in the same village!"
"Money makes the world go round. You should be more careful when dealing with outsiders in the future. Your mother is still too naive," said Liu's father.
"I know, uncle!"
"Okay, then I'll go back first. The mud at home hasn't been used to make bricks yet," said Liu's father.
"Uncle, you go back and get busy! Call Ruirui and Feifei back together. The firewood they chopped is enough for us to burn for a while!" Shengnan said.
Liujia Village had been sunny every day since the third day of the Lunar New Year, with daytime temperatures reaching as high as 17 or 18 degrees Celsius. Therefore, Father Liu wanted to take advantage of this period before the busy spring season began to make some mud bricks and dry them so that he could build the toilet, kitchen, and firewood shed that Xuemei and Han Chen had requested.
Qingya and her two siblings also help Liu's father for a whole morning every day. The rest of the time, they read books, do housework, or go up the mountain to chop firewood. Although there is not much firewood in the firewood shed yet, it is better to prepare more now so that Liu's father and others don't have to worry about firewood during the spring plowing and other busy farm work. They still have to go to the mountain to collect firewood after work every day.
Father Liu had just been in the yard and saw that the two brothers Ruirui and Feifei had chopped two piles of firewood, which was indeed enough for Liu Xiu and the other three to burn for several days, so he agreed as soon as Shengnan said so.
Father Liu said, "Okay, I'll take them both back and continue with my work. You don't have to think too much."
Shengnan nodded.
…
Matchmaker Wang and Yang Cai walked some distance away from the Liu family before Yang Cai finally reacted. He stopped where he was and said to Matchmaker Wang, "Cousin, has our previous agreement been ruined?"
"You idiot, you just realized it now. Your family's little tricks have been discovered by Liu Xiu and the others. How can this thing still succeed?" Matchmaker Wang scolded.
"Cousin, you took ten dollars from my parents, and you patted your chest and promised in front of them that you would help us get things done!" Yang Cai looked at matchmaker Wang with a rogue look on his face.
Matchmaker Wang angrily said, "You have no conscience. Can you blame me for not getting the job done? I spent the whole morning telling you to control your temper and act nice in front of Liu Xiu's family for a few hours, but you couldn't do it. How can you blame me? Because of your stupid thing, I offended our village chief today. I almost lost my job. How dare you say such nonsense? I am so unlucky to have relatives like you! Go back to Yangshu Village by yourself."
"Cousin, what you said is not right. We gave you money to ask you to do something. If you failed to do it, shouldn't you return the money to us? You know my parents are not easy to mess with. Besides, you also know that I like to wander around the most. If I accidentally run into my cousin's father-in-law that day and accidentally tell him that you offended your village chief!" Yang Cai looked at matchmaker Wang and threatened.
Matchmaker Wang was frightened by Yang Cai's fierce expression and stammered, "Yang Cai, I am your elder!"
Yang Cai said disdainfully: "Cousin, the ones I have to recognize are my elders. Cousin, you know I have quite a lot of friends. Do you still want to be a matchmaker for others in the future?"
As Wang the matchmaker spoke, Yang Cai, who was approaching her, took a few steps back. Wang the matchmaker lost her footing and almost fell. After Wang the matchmaker steadied herself, she angrily said to Yang Cai, "You little bastard, I've lived for almost forty years and I'm not one to be scared. Because of you, I paid Liu Xiu's family fifteen yuan today. I wanted to let you go for the sake of your parents, but now you're asking me for money. Don't be so shameless!"
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