The sense of risking their lives was too obvious. Those people weren't really stupid; they knew perfectly well who they could cheat and who they couldn't. After weighing the pros and cons, they still went through with the deal. Of course, those who arrested people were imposters, but the places they were sent to were real.
Upon receiving the news, Village Chief Ma was furious. With such incidents occurring time and again in Mushroom Village, what about the village's reputation? Could he still remain the village chief?
At this critical juncture, the old bachelor proposed to marry Li Ping, making her his wife. He said that Li Ping would no longer be a bad element, since there was no way a wife from eight generations of poor peasants could be a bad element. Even if she was, she would be reformed.
Village Chief Ma was still fuming when he heard the old bachelor's words. He was furious. "You're almost fifty years old, and you're going after a twenty-year-old girl? Even if she's a bad guy, you can't treat her like this!"
The old bachelor looked at the furious Village Chief Ma and said, "Uncle Village Chief, calm down. It's not that I want to marry her, it's that she wants to marry me. She came here herself and said she wanted to marry me."
Village Chief Ma didn't understand. What did this mean? What kind of young girl would marry an old man? Besides, this old bachelor had no money or house, and was the kind of guy even the slovenliest village girl would look down on. How could a young girl like him? Could this girl have lost her mind? No, as the village chief, I must get to the bottom of this.
When asked by the village chief, Li Ping was quite frank: "Uncle Village Chief, thank you for your concern. I had no other choice. I was criticized every day in the threshing ground. I was so upset and angry at the villagers' disdain. But what good is being angry? I can only breathe a sigh of relief when I get rid of this label."
Upon hearing this, the village chief sneered, "You think that once you marry this old bachelor and get rid of this label, your life will be easier? If this old bachelor were so good, would you even have the chance to marry him? Think it through. This old bachelor is just the beginning of your miserable days."
Li Ping wavered a little, but the old bachelor's words came to mind again: "If you change your mind, that's fine too. Just get that gold bracelet back for me, and we'll be even. If you can't get it back, then you can expect me to come and scold you every day."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked at the village chief with unwavering determination: "Uncle Village Chief, I want to marry this old bachelor. I won't regret it."
Village Chief Ma shook his head and sighed. This girl is completely ruined. Oh well, he had already tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen. So he could only let it go.
Li Ping finally took off her hat and was finally able to move out of the cowshed, but she began to feel nostalgic for the place. She touched and looked around, packing up the usable things belonging to Li Qiang and burning the unusable ones as firewood.
Some banknotes that were hidden very well were also found. Counting them, there were more than ten yuan. With the money she had secretly saved, Li Ping now had more than thirty yuan. She carefully sewed all the money into the middle of her jacket, so that no one could find any trace of it.
Today, Li Ping is going to marry an old bachelor. She put on the undergarment that Ye Chen'er gave her a long time ago, which is also her best. She felt a little sad. How did things turn out like this? Whose fault is it? Will the road ahead be smooth? But looking at Village Chief Ma's furious appearance, it is probably going to be a thorny road.
Ye Chen'er leaned against the door and looked at her. Li Ping really wanted to apologize to her. The best person in the world to her was not her parents or brothers, but Ye Chen'er. However, her actions and words were completely opposite.
He raised his head and smiled proudly at Ye Chen'er: "Ye Chen'er, I'm no longer a bad element starting today, but you still are, and your brother is still, okay? I wish you both a good life while wearing this hat forever."
Ye Chen'er retorted without backing down, "Congratulations on shedding the label of 'bad element' through marriage. I wish you and the old bachelor a long and happy life together, and many children."
The old bachelor is almost fifty, what kind of talk is this about a long and happy marriage? He wants to have a child soon, but whether he can even have one is another question. Li Ping was speechless. She quickened her pace and walked out of the cowshed. After a few quick steps, she suddenly looked back. Is leaving this place really a good idea?
The old bachelor was waiting for Li Ping not far from the cowshed. When he saw her come out with bags and packages, his eyes crinkled with laughter. It seemed that this woman was genuinely interested in living with him, otherwise she wouldn't have brought him so many bags and packages.
He warmly accepted the large package and was delighted to find that it contained bedding and blankets. Widow Zhang's bedding and blankets were so worn out that they hadn't been used for more than ten years. They were so dirty that they were unsightly and smelled terrible. But he dared not wash them, for fear that they would fall apart if he did.
All he could do every night was to stoke the fire in the kang (heated brick bed) until it was blazing, and then simply drape a tattered quilt over his stomach.
Now that Li Ping has brought bedding and blankets, which is the best dowry, the old bachelor's lips curled up even higher, his steps became lighter, and his gaze towards Li Ping softened considerably.
Li Ping naturally sensed these changes in the old bachelor, and felt a little relieved. If these things could make her life easier in the future, then it would be worth it.
The old bachelor personally unpacked the package, which contained two bedding sets and two quilts, one belonging to Li Qiang and the other to Li Ping. The old bachelor didn't care whose they were; he saw that although the bedding sets were a bit thin, they were still far superior to those of Widow Zhang.
He quickly threw away the old bedding and spread out the ones Li Ping had brought, carefully touching them with his hand: "Li Ping, if you live a good life with me, I won't treat you badly."
Seeing the old bachelor's actions, Li Ping felt bitter. If it weren't for these two thin quilts, she might have to sleep on a cold bed. The old bachelor was really as poor as he could get, and his future days would be really difficult.
The old bachelor opened the other packages Li Ping had brought and found only some changes of clothes, but no money. He was a little annoyed: "Li Ping, you've been here for so many years, where is your money?"
Li Ping quickly put on a bitter face: "My brother took all my money! He said he would keep it for me, but where am I supposed to get my money back from him now?"
The old bachelor was speechless. He believed Li Ping's words. How could a small woman fight against a big man, especially since Li Ping's brother was a vicious and ruthless person?
He pointed to the kangqin and said, "Put your things inside. If you think it's dirty, clean it yourself. I'm going to take a nap."
Li Ping walked around the house. This would be her home from now on, so she wanted to take a good look around.
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