After putting everything away, Ye Beiping followed Tao Shengli into the house.
There's a brazier burning in the house now. The temperature difference between day and night is quite large. If the brazier isn't burning at night, your hands and feet will easily freeze.
Starting a fire in the countryside is easy; there were a few pieces of wood next to him, which Tao Shengli had cut from the mountain.
Although logging is prohibited in some places, there are no such rules in Pingba Village and Taoping Village. The mountains are full of trees, and if logging is prohibited in winter, wouldn't people just freeze to death?
Moreover, the timber they felled wasn't very thick; they couldn't use thick timber anyway.
Ye Beiping, whose hands and feet were already turning purple from the cold, immediately went to the fire pit to warm himself, not daring to get too close to Su Xinyi, for fear that the cold would be too much for him.
Grandpa Tao Jianqiang and Grandma Tao were both staring intently at Ye Beiping.
Soon, Ye Beiping felt uneasy under their gaze: "Um... Grandpa, Grandma, why are you looking at me like that?"
This was immediately followed by a burst of laughter.
My maternal grandfather, Tao Jianqiang, is nearly seventy years old, which is quite old. His health is not very good, so he coughs twice when he speaks.
"Ahem, Beiping, you've grown up, gotten married, and made a lot of money. Your grandfather is so happy for you."
Everyone is very happy when it comes to getting married.
Seeing Su Xinyi with her big belly made her grandparents the happiest.
Once the child is born, it will be a four-generation household.
Ye Beiping, however, could not be happy. He glanced at his uncle Tao Shengli, who was all smiles, and lowered his head, pursing his lips.
Only Su Xinyi noticed, and with a slight frown, she also glanced at her uncle, Tao Shengli.
Seemingly remembering something, Su Xinyi said to Tao Qiuyan, "Mom, we're not short of money now. Now that we're back, shouldn't we find a wife for Uncle?"
These words drew everyone's attention to Tao Shengli.
Tao Shengli blushed instantly.
Despite the freezing weather, her face turned as red as an apple.
He goes through all of this every year, but he still can't get used to it.
You know, he's talked about having at least nineteen or twenty wives, and none of them worked out. In the end, Tao Shengli gave up on himself.
I started to doubt myself, wondering if I wasn't handsome enough.
Now that I'm over thirty, I've almost given up hope of getting married.
Tao Qiuyan also sighed and said in a choked voice, "Shengli, it's my fault. We've been a burden to you all these years."
"Sister, what are you saying? Beiping is doing well now, and you have hope for the future." Tao Shengli blushed instantly, then scolded.
It's always the same.
Seeing Tao Qiuyan's guilty expression, Tao Shengli would rebuke her without hesitation.
Ye Beiping continued, following Su Xinyi's lead: "Grandpa, Grandma, how about this, see when the village matchmaker is available to come over and we can talk. We don't need to find someone perfect, just someone we can live with. I have the money to get a wife."
As he spoke, he nudged Ye Xiaoxin with his elbow.
Ye Xiaoxin quickly realized what was happening and pulled a wad of cash from her bag, estimated to be over ten thousand yuan.
The bag deflated instantly after the money was taken out.
"Uncle, this is from Beiping for you."
Tao Shengli and his maternal grandparents stared wide-eyed when they saw the money; they had never seen so much money before.
His breathing became heavier, and he kept thinking about how much money Ye Beiping had made, spending ten thousand in one go.
Tao Shengli, who was the first to react, immediately put on a stern face: "Beiping, Xiaoxin, are you trying to seduce me to death? If word gets out that an uncle is using his nephew's money, how will I ever be able to walk around the village with my face again? Put it away quickly."
Tao Jianqiang, Tao's maternal grandfather, gazed intently at Tao Shengli and sighed softly.
Although Tao Qiuyan was his daughter, how could a daughter compare to a son? It was the son who carried on the family line.
If it weren't for his reluctance to part with his two grandsons, Ye Beiping and Ye Xiaoxin, Tao Jianqiang would have long since ignored Tao Qiuyan and saved money for his son, Tao Shengli, to get married.
However, because the two children were still young, things were delayed again and again, which put an end to Tao Shengli's marriage plans.
Looking at the money now, the old man was still willing to accept it. After all, it made sense for a nephew to help his uncle. However, he also felt that Tao Shengli's words were not wrong, and he was suddenly in a dilemma. In the end, he could only sigh.
Children and grandchildren have their own destinies; he's too old to care for them anymore.
Now, he can't even work in the fields, he gets out of breath after just a few steps, and he doesn't know how much longer he has to live.
Even the coffin has been prepared.
Ye Beiping disagreed, frowning as he said, "Mom, if Uncle doesn't agree, you should just find the village matchmaker to arrange it. We'll have the groom ride in the bridal sedan chair, no matter what."
These words were indeed quite harsh.
In rural areas, it's unheard of for the groom to ride in a bridal sedan chair. Even for a son-in-law who marries into the bride's family, this custom only exists in wealthy households.
It was because of these words that Tao Shengli was furious.
He could only make up an excuse: "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I'll go make some now."
Actually, it's usually his grandmother who does the cooking, but when there are many people in the family, Tao Shengli will take the initiative to help with the cooking.
Because my grandmother is over sixty years old, although she can walk, she still can't handle too much strenuous work.
Upon hearing this, Tao Qiuyan also got up and went to the kitchen to help.
Only the three younger relatives and the maternal grandparents remained.
Grandpa Tao Jianqiang suddenly asked, "Beiping, what kind of business are you doing in that Hangzhou?"
Silence is always terrifying; when the younger generation doesn't speak, the elders have no choice but to ask.
Ye Beiping didn't know how to explain it to his grandfather. He didn't even know what Hangzhou was. How could he explain it?
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com