Chapter 683 Playing the Divergent Card
Lin Yuesha looked bewildered. The pockmarked man had once expressed this idea to his father in the North. When was that? Why had she never heard of it before?
Xiao Chenggui gritted his teeth. That brat, now that he's grown wings, he's starting to make me take the blame.
He had expressed his ambitions, but he didn't take it seriously at first. He just thought that the boy rarely interacted with women and had a good impression of his younger sister, Lin Yuesha, so he wanted to strengthen their bond through marriage.
"Even your mother doesn't know; you'll have to ask your father."
Chen stood up, walked around, then pulled up a chair, sat down, took a sip of tea, and adopted an interrogation posture towards Xiao Chenggui.
He's hiding something this big; if he doesn't give a proper explanation, she'll make him pay!
She wasn't most afraid of eels, so she immediately went to the market and bought a bucketful, then pressed his hand inside to let him touch it. The smooth eels darted between his fingers—it felt wonderful.
Xiao Chenggui smiled bitterly and shrugged. If he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to continue pretending to be sick. It was all Qi Heng's fault!
"Father, did Brother Qi ever consider proposing marriage when he was in the North?"
Lin Yuesha couldn't help but press for an answer; it was crucial for her, after all, she had truly cared for him back then. If he had proposed, she would have been overjoyed.
Why did the pockmarked man suddenly distance himself? Could it be that he came to propose marriage but was rejected by his father?
Xiao Chenggui took a deep breath and mumbled, "It was him who came to our house to deliver a message..."
Xiao Chenggui racked his brains; if he couldn't come up with a reason, he wouldn't be able to explain it to the Chen family.
"Um?"
Chen crossed her arms and gestured for Xiao Chenggui to continue.
"I don't remember very clearly either."
If the specific time and place were fabricated, Chen would inevitably bring up old grievances, so it was better to be vague, which shows that he didn't care at the time.
“When our family opened the shop, that pockmarked man came to buy something and expressed his fondness for Yue Sha.”
Xiao Chenggui sat down next to Chen Shi and coaxed his wife, "You know our daughter is beautiful and hardworking, loved by everyone, and everyone praises her."
So it's not surprising that she's been eyed by unmarried young men. Xiao Chenggui said he didn't care at all. People often asked him about Lin Yuesha, but he ignored her because she had a pockmarked face and wasn't very attractive.
Chen was dizzy and confused. Everyone was talking about her daughter? She was clearly the laziest and gluttonous little girl in Chenjia Village. Granny Wang had said a lot in the village that her little girl would have a hard time finding a husband in the future.
However, Chen nodded in satisfaction that Xiao Chenggui could say that. Of course, her own daughter was the best, as she had the same idea as her.
The alarm was temporarily lifted, and Xiao Chenggui breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't have to touch the eels anymore; he had survived a close call.
Qi Heng, this brat, thinks threatening him will work? He'll let that kid know that he, as his father, is the biggest obstacle to their marriage!
“You didn’t notice at the time, but the Qi family boy took it seriously. So he went all the way from the north to the capital and even opened Shuangfuji, the girl’s favorite restaurant, in the capital. It seems he really put his heart into it.”
Chen's assessment was fair: after all, few men are willing to make such a sacrifice; most men simply pay a dowry to marry a wife, hoping to recoup their investment in the woman, treating the dowry money like buying a maid.
Once the wife is married into the family, she is expected to do chores, be filial to her parents-in-law, serve her husband, and continue the family line. If she does anything wrong, she will be beaten and scolded.
"Xiuxiu, our Yuesha hasn't reached marriageable age yet, so we're not considering marriage."
Xiao Chenggui advised Chen not to be fooled by the pockmarked man's sweet talk, after all, his daughter was still young and there was no rush to get engaged.
“My husband, I know what I'm doing.”
Mrs. Chen put down her teacup and considered the possibility of marrying her daughter to the pockmarked man.
Although he is ugly, he is sincere in his words and deeds, and has helped his family a lot in the past.
Furthermore, who would have the courage to chase someone all the way from the north to the capital, a journey of thousands of miles?
"The Qi family boy has no parents now. After Xiaoya gets married, she won't have to serve her mother-in-law. She can be in charge of the household, and the couple can do a small business together. That would be a good thing."
Originally, Madam Chen didn't think highly of Pockmarked Face, but she was moved by his sincere words. In addition, Madam Xu also spoke well of Pockmarked Face. After thinking for a moment, Madam Chen felt that Pockmarked Face was a good candidate.
So what if I'm ugly? That's not a problem. Looks are given to us by our parents; who can decide that?
"But Mother, you said before that I should stay with you for a few more years and remarry later."
Lin Yuesha forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, her mind screaming, "Mother, don't get on this pirate ship! Not only does that pockmarked face have an alias, but he's also a crazy rebel!"
As soon as Chen agrees to the marriage, Lin Yuesha will be pushed to the edge of a cliff, where she could fall off if she misses a step.
"Yes, we don't know anything about the Qi family's background, so let's just leave it at that."
Xiao Chenggui also joined in the opposition, firmly vehemently objecting. Who would cherish something so easily obtained? He wouldn't let Qi Heng succeed in his schemes again; sitting idly by wasn't his style!
"I've learned some things about my background from what the Qi family boy told me."
Chen paused, immediately drawing sidelong glances from Lin Yuesha and Xiao Chenggui. Both of them had a question in their minds: He actually confessed?
"Sigh, he hasn't had it easy these past years. Back then, his family's business was so successful that it aroused jealousy among his competitors. After his parents died, he lived with his adoptive father. In recent years, he not only had to study for the imperial examinations, but also learn how to do business and take back the shops left by his parents. His adoptive father is in poor health and is sickly, so he has to take care of him..."
Women are often kind-hearted, and Mrs. Chen sighed at the hardships faced by the young man from the Qi family.
Having rivals in business isn't a big deal; she's also someone who's run a small business, so she knows about the envious attitudes of others.
Xiao Chenggui: ...I feel offended.
"The Qi family's young man has come of age this year, which is a bit older than Xiaoya. But I think being a bit older is not bad. He will be more caring. Besides, he also said that time will tell. He came to propose marriage to settle the marriage and fulfill his wish. He is not in a hurry to get married."
Mrs. Chen sighed, "That young man is willing to wait for my daughter for several years. Just for that, I, as his mother, am very willing."
"Mother, your daughter is going to marry a nobleman!"
Lin Yuesha felt increasingly uneasy as she listened. Judging from Chen's tone, it seemed he was about to agree. She refused, determined not to be tied to the pockmarked man. Why should everything be within his calculations?
"Bullshit!"
Madam Chen gave her daughter a flick on the forehead and said, "We're just villagers, earning money honestly. Don't think that just because you're working as a cook at the Prince's Flower Appreciation Party, you've climbed the social ladder. It's not that easy."
It's rare to find such sordid affairs in the homes of wealthy and powerful families. You can know a person's face but not their heart. Take Zhuang Shi, for example. Everyone thought she was a kind, dignified, and noble wife of a second-rank official. Who would have thought that Zhuang Shi would cause her good sister's family to be destroyed for the sake of profit?
Mr. Chen spoke of profound principles, and his arguments were eloquent and logical.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
