The Xu couple sincerely wanted to thank Zhang Fangyuan, so they asked Xu He to slaughter a duck and roast it with bamboo shoots, take a piece of bacon to make a rather complicated dish of braised pork with preserved vegetables, and also make some wild vegetables into soup and stir-fry. Xu Changren knew that Zhang Fangyuan was drinking, and although he could not join them, he still asked Liu Xianglan to bring a jar of wine to entertain them.
Except during the Chinese New Year and other festivals, there were rarely any occasions when the family enjoyed such a sumptuous meal. Xu He also cooked very carefully, and the yard was filled with the aroma of roast duck before noon. The villagers who passed by would stop and chat: "He'er, your relatives are coming today, and the food is so delicious. I'm so hungry. What did your sister cook?"
Xu He did not respond to the villagers' questions. He went into the house alone with the firewood in his arms. The villagers did not ask him anything and just snorted.
At noon, the food was served and Zhang Fangyuan actually came over. As soon as he arrived in the yard, he smelled the fragrance. He felt so happy that he felt like he was having dinner at his wife's house.
The small square table for dining is filled with large plates and small bowls, and the food is quite sumptuous on ordinary days. Zhang Fangyuan glanced at Xu Changren in the room, and the two exchanged a few words. Liu Xianglan then warmly invited Zhang Fangyuan to eat. Xu Shaochun was reluctant to sit at the table, and Liu Xianglan glared at him.
"Zhang the Butcher, thank you so much. I am not good at speaking, so I cooked a meal as a way of saying thank you. If there is anything our Xu family can help with in the future, we will certainly help." Liu Xianglan said politely, "Shaochun, pour some wine for Zhang the Butcher."
Zhang Fangyuan said, "We are from the same village. Madam Xu, please don't be polite. He Ge'er has already thanked me."
He took the wine bowl from Xu Shaochun, took a gulp, and started eating the food without any formalities. He had only tasted Xu He's food once, and had been craving for this lingering taste for a long time.
The duck meat was well-cooked and not smelly at all, and the bamboo shoots were crispy, enough for him to drink a jar of wine. Although the dishes were delicious, he only tasted a few chopsticks and put them down in order to be able to eat them every day in the future.
"If Madam Xu really wants to thank me, I do have a problem." Zhang Fangyuan spoke in a rhythmic manner, with the smile of a gangster who used to make trouble in the city.
Liu Xianglan was stunned, and she knew that this person was not so easy to get along with. The person now was completely different from the enthusiastic and righteous person yesterday. Perhaps this was his true face.
She still smiled and picked up some food for Zhang Fangyuan: "I don't know if there is anything our Xu family can help with."
"Oh, I'll be twenty in a few months, and I'm still single. My uncles and aunts are so worried that they grab my ears when they see me." Zhang Fangyuan smiled even more: "Madam Xu, you can't just stand by and watch me die."
"That, that's too much." Liu Xianglan's face looked unhappy. Xu Shaochun was almost crying in anxiety. He wanted to turn around and run away immediately. He felt that eating at the same table with Zhang Fangyuan was like ruining his reputation.
Xu He also frowned. He chewed his rice slowly, not knowing what Zhang Fangyuan would do.
"I think the second young lady is talented, virtuous and beautiful..."
"But unfortunately, our Shaochun has already been promised to the Fei family!"
Liu Xianglan interrupted Zhang Fangyuan hastily.
"Ah? When did this happen? Why haven't I heard about it?"
Liu Xianglan sneered: "It has not been announced to the public. Fei Lang will take the college entrance examination and will get engaged when he returns. You can ask the Fei family about this."
Zhang Fangyuan pretended to sigh, then looked at Xu He who was still eating across from him: "Could He-ge be engaged too?"
Xu He looked up at Zhang Fangyuan, pursed his lips, and gently kicked the two long legs under the table.
Zhang Fangyuan felt the pain but made no sound. He remained steady as a rock and tilted his head to look at Liu Xianglan.
Liu Xianglan was stunned: "He Ge'er...he is still young."
"Isn't Hege'er only one year younger than the second young lady? Isn't he already a marriageable age? How can he still be young?"
Liu Xianglan remained silent. Although she felt that it was a good thing for someone to ask Xu He out, her deep-rooted thoughts still made her unwilling to have anything to do with someone like Zhang Fangyuan.
Zhang Fangyuan also knew that things were not that easy. Although the villagers had changed their views on him, the things they had done over the years could not be forgotten overnight. He was the epitome of a gangster in the village, and if he really wanted to be a son-in-law, he would of course have some thoughts. After all, they were in the same village, and it didn't seem like she would marry far away and have no contact with the villagers.
He said slowly: "Uncle Xu has injured his bones and muscles. I don't think he will recover in a short time. It is not convenient to go in and out of the city. If there is a son-in-law with a car at this time, wouldn't it be possible to go to the city whenever he wants?"
"Ah! The government will come to collect taxes again in April..."
Liu Xianglan's face darkened. This undoubtedly hit the nail on the head.
"Madam Xu, what do you think?"
Liu Xianglan's mind suddenly became active. She thought about how her sister had praised Zhang Fangyuan before. Now that Zhang Fangyuan wanted Heger, not Shaochun, it seemed like it would be okay.
"Our Xu family is also an open-minded family. If Butcher Zhang is willing, it's easy to talk to him. It's said that Brother Xu is still young, and his sister hasn't married yet."
If he wasn't anxious to marry He Ge'er home, Zhang Fangyuan wouldn't have wasted so much time and effort to come here and say all this today: "My family is pressing hard, and I really need someone to help take care of the house when I do business in the city. Besides, it's not necessary for the older brothers and sisters to get married before the younger ones can get married. There is no such hard rule in our village."
"I've checked the almanac, and March 19th is a good day for marriage." Zhang Fangyuan did not allow any arguments, "I'll send the engagement gifts over tomorrow."
Liu Xianglan almost dropped her jaw in shock. Wasn't this a little too hasty? But on second thought, considering what happened to the Guang family before, Zhang Fangyuan is not young anymore, so it is normal for him to be anxious.
She didn't answer Zhang Fangyuan's question directly, but pretended to ask Xu He, who had been keeping his head down, "Brother He, what do you think?"
Facing Xu He, Zhang Fangyuan suddenly felt a little insecure. He was afraid that he would be too tough and make Xu He unhappy, and he didn't want to wait for a while as he had agreed before.
It was really because his father was injured that he admitted that he took advantage of the situation.
Xu He didn't know why Zhang Fangyuan suddenly changed his strategy. Thinking about the past between them, he was silent for a moment and said, "I will follow my mother's arrangements." This was considered his tacit agreement.
Zhang Fangyuan's chest heaved when he heard that, and he breathed a sigh of relief without leaving a trace. His wife was so nice and didn't give him any face at all! He will bring him more delicious food tomorrow.
"Men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough. It's a good thing that they are from the same village. But getting married is not a small matter, and the elders have to come and discuss it..."
Zhang Fangyuan knew what Liu Xianglan was thinking and said, "My parents are long gone, and I am in charge of everything at home. I can discuss it directly with Madam Xu. I have already asked the matchmaker, and if I marry He Ge'er, I will give a dowry according to the village marriage rules, 3,200 coins."
Liu Xianglan was speechless immediately. This was a very suitable dowry for a marriage in the village. If she were to marry He Ge'er to someone else, she might not get that much money.
Another point is that Xu Changren was injured and the family needed money urgently. Zhang Fangyuan was so straightforward. She could get the betrothal money as soon as possible. She smiled immediately and poured more wine for Zhang Fangyuan: "Although our He Ge'er is shy and doesn't talk much, he is also capable. If he finds a place to settle down earlier, I, as a mother, will have my mind at ease. It's great to marry into your family."
Zhang Fangyuan tried not to laugh out loud, glanced at Xu He, and said loudly, "Then it's settled!"
The home, which was originally filled with a depressing atmosphere, became a little more festive because of a marriage. Liu Xianglan was so happy that her expression towards Xu He became much better.
"Congratulations, little brother. I didn't expect that you would get married before your sister."
Xu He felt a little dizzy. He had originally thought the same as Zhang Fangyuan, that things would not be settled until the middle of the year at the latest. He never expected that he would get things done so quickly.
He will get married on the 19th of next month, but it’s not an engagement!
But when I think about it carefully, although it’s a bit hasty, since we’re going to get married anyway, it’s no worse to do it earlier than later.
"But now that I'm getting engaged, don't get involved with the person who gave you the hairband. If Zhang the Butcher knew about this, he would go crazy and be scary."
The family was in a turmoil yesterday, so her second sister probably didn't have time to complain. Xu He knew that her second sister was mad at her, so she just made her even angrier: "He gave it to her."
Xu Shaochun's beautiful eyes widened, then she realized, "It turns out you two have been connected for a long time!"
Xu He neither admitted nor denied it, and continued to clean the table.
Seeing Xu He's reaction, Xu Shaochun felt that what she said was obviously right. She found it unbelievable that the exquisite and beautiful headband was actually bought by that fierce big man Zhang Fangyuan. A man like Zhang Fangyuan would actually spend time and effort on this young man!
Originally, I thought that Zhang Fangyuan wanted Xu He because he couldn't get what he wanted, and he had to settle for the next best thing. The reason why he was targeting Xu He from the beginning was just to give himself a way out. I didn't expect that he was really after Xu He, and to be more precise, he was treating her as a cover.
When she thought about it carefully, it was really scary. The villagers said that Zhang Fangyuan came to his house and hung around, and went to find He Ge'er to deliver something and pass a message, saying that it was for her, but in fact he was going to Xu He. Fortunately, she thought that Xu He helped her to refuse.
Thinking of this, her face turned red with embarrassment. It was the first time that she was so self-righteous and took credit for someone else's good fortune. But she had no idea that there was actually someone who would like someone like He Ge'er.
It would be fine if she didn't want it, but now that she knew it was Xu He's, she felt sour in her heart: "Since you have found a home, I am happy for you. But you have to be careful, Zhang Fangyuan used to fool around in the city and go in and out of brothels. I believe he has many tricks to deceive people and tricked you into going with a few words. In the future, when you go to his house, you must be respectful and learn to say nice things. Many men change their faces after getting married. Zhang Fangyuan is fierce, what can you do if he hits you?"
Xu He had long been accustomed to his second sister's caring words, which were actually meant to pick on people's weaknesses and to scare him.
He also responded: "Thank you for your advice, second sister. But second sister is also going to be engaged to the Fei family. Fei Tongsheng is talented in both literature and literature, and has a promising future. But Fei Tongsheng is the only child of the Fei family, and his parents take very good care of him. After second sister gets married, she will definitely take care of Fei Tongsheng's daily life. If sister learns more about housework at home, she will surely be more liked by the Fei family after marriage."
Xu Shaochun was so angry at Xu He's words that he almost threw things. This kid usually doesn't talk much, but he got cocky when he was about to get engaged, and his words were eight hundred times more annoying than usual. It's true that he used to be so timid and never knew he was actually so powerful.
"Don't worry about that. I am my parents' biological daughter. Whether I get married or not, my parents will definitely take care of me. I have to rely on myself!"
Xu He did not respond to her. He had no choice but to use this matter to show off, as if he really wanted to be the younger brother of the Xu family.
He turned around and went to the kitchen with the dishes in his arms. Xu Shaochun still felt very unsatisfied, so he closed the door and cried.
Liu Xianglan had to keep an eye on Xu He's marriage, looking forward to the bride price, and also had to take care of Xu Changren. She didn't have time to coax Xu Shaochun for a while. Instead, Xu Shaochun, who wanted his mother's support, continued to cry in the room. He didn't know whether to stop crying or not.
On the second day, He and Zhang Fangyuan came over to deliver the engagement gift. They saw each other every day, so they skipped the step of seeing each other. The families were not far away from each other, so even Zhang Shicheng came over.
Zhang Fangyuan brought gifts and sealed up half of the betrothal money, and would give the other half when the wedding took place. He also brought some cakes and fruits from the city for Xu He, and specially selected two pieces of dark-colored cloth suitable for a young man. There were many bags and small packages, which were much more than what he brought when he went to Guang's house before.
Although the items were selected according to what Xu He could use, outsiders only saw the abundance of items. Liu Xianglan was pleased and did not hide anything. The villagers soon knew that Xu He and Zhang Fangyuan were engaged.
For a while, the villagers sighed. Some said that the Xu family was quick to act and could actually tell He Ge'er to Zhang Fangyuan like that.
He also regretted not going to the Zhang family to propose marriage earlier, as he had lost such a good opportunity.
There are also those who say that the two are a good match, but they are both weird people with bad tempers. There are also those who say that Xu He's character and appearance are not comparable to Zhang Fangyuan, and she will definitely suffer if she marries him in the future.
In short, people in the village were talking about it a lot, and they would bring it up for discussion after dinner.
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