Chapter 105 Betrothal Gifts
Because he was confident, Liu Min was not polite at all.
The door was kicked open, and she stormed over, barking at her own father, "What exactly do you want?!"
Liu Shen, who was used to sleeping on a high bed with soft pillows, found it difficult to adapt to a heated kang bed. He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep no matter what he did. Finally, exhausted from all the tossing and turning, he drifted off to sleep. But not long after he lay down, his son came running over and scolded him.
"I'm begging you! Please stop hurting me! I haven't gotten to where I am today without hard work! What deep-seated hatred do you have that you won't be satisfied until you've killed me?"
It's disheartening to see a biological father and son end up like this.
But Liu Shen had no regrets.
As soon as his son arrived, he was wide awake and full of energy. He scolded him but didn't get angry. After his son finished scolding him, he said, "Isn't it cold outside? It must be cold. You must be freezing after coming here. It's warm here. Come and sit down to warm yourself up..."
The father and son had never acted like this before; this sudden change was truly nauseating.
Having said what needed to be said, and with nothing more to say, Liu Min was too lazy to waste any more time arguing with the person in front of him, and turned to leave.
"Don't go yet! I have something to tell you."
say what?
Liu Min ignored him and continued walking, arriving at the door in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Liu Shen disregarded his dignity. His two sleeves, one solid and one empty, hung down as if he had grown a third hand, looking strangely shaped. He jumped into the pit, not even having time to put on his shoes, and rushed over to grab his son's arm.
Liu Min didn't want him to touch her and quickly shook her off.
As long as his son could stop, Liu Shen wouldn't insist on anything more. He asked in a gentle tone, "When you got married, how much dowry did you give Shanlai?"
this……
This stumped Liu Min.
To be honest, I'm really guilty.
They were supposed to be getting married, and the two of them were very happy, but they didn't look like they were getting married at all.
There was no betrothal gift, of course, only a little silver notes, given by Qi Guang before the trip. These were used for food and expenses along the way, and after arriving at Wuyunwei, some were used to bribe officials. There were still some left, eight or nine hundred taels, which was not a small amount, enough for an ordinary farmer to live on for a lifetime, but it was still not much.
That's why I have to apologize to her.
Seeing that his son had stopped, Liu Shen let go of his son's hand, and hurriedly walked back while putting on his clothes. He took out a box from his bundle, turned around, and went to look for his son again.
"Take it!" He shoved it into his son's hand. "It's all yours. You should give it to Shanlai. It's only right. If you don't have it, it's outrageous! It's like bullying a girl."
How many?
Liu Min was overwhelmed with guilt and confused, so he asked this question with a blank look in his eyes.
"I came in a hurry and didn't bring much with me. I probably have around 30,000 or 40,000, but that's alright. You can use it for now. When we get back to Pingcheng, the ancestral property will also be yours."
No more, I can't accept any more! We're already even.
Once Liu Min regained his senses, he immediately turned hostile, threw the box on the ground, and said impatiently, "What does our business have to do with you? Mind your own business!"
The words were harsh, and the actions were excessive, but Liu Shen wasn't angry. He bent down, picked up the box, and still put it into his son's hand.
“You’re young and hot-blooded. Even if you don’t want to talk to me, you have to accept this. It’s what we should do. We can’t let her suffer. Besides, you’re married now, and you’ll definitely have to raise children. Can you bear to let them live a hard life? I’ve been unkind to you, and you have your complaints, which I can’t say. But Grandmother hasn’t wronged you. You have to be worthy of her. She’ll be heartbroken to see you living like this… Don’t make her unhappy…” He sighed as he said this.
"After hearing me say this, you must be thinking that the reason you're living like this is all my fault... I've always been sorry to you... Although I've always known this in my heart, I haven't taken it too seriously because I always felt that I could make it up to you. I really didn't expect things to turn out like this..."
He sighed again.
“You suffered such injustice, and as your father, I should at least seek justice for you. But I am just a nobody, and I can’t fight against a rock. If we really break off relations, there will be endless troubles. What if you get dragged into this? How can I face your grandmother and mother in the afterlife?”
"I don't regret it at all, but I can't help but think about you. You're still young, and you have a long road ahead of you..."
After speaking, he fell silent.
After a long while, Liu Min suddenly realized what was happening and thought, "I must have been bewitched. How could I have listened to him say all this? It's so inexplicable."
He turned and walked away quickly, not stopping even when he tripped, just walking forward.
What's the point of saying all this now?
He no longer needs it.
He has good intentions.
He is no longer alone.
He has a family and relatives.
There's no need to envy others anymore.
Shanlai, his lover, is currently at their home.
Having her is enough.
She was still asleep, her dark hair fragrant and soft, like snow reflecting the morning glow.
This person belongs to him.
He suddenly felt scared. What would he be like without her?
Shanlai was awakened by the heat, groaning and moaning. His body was in a state of great pleasure, but also mixed with pain, fullness, swelling, and itching... He opened his eyes groggily, and through a blurry line, he saw his face, which was tense.
Sensing her change, Liu Min suddenly came to his senses, stopped, and wanted to withdraw from her body. He felt ashamed and didn't know why he had done such a thing.
However, she caught up with him, hugged him tightly, and kissed the corner of his lips...
So it continued, but without the fierceness of the beginning; it was gentle, a kind of mutual support and companionship.
After everything was over, she kissed him, from his lips down to his neck and shoulder, leaned in, and whispered, "Why are you unhappy?"
"He said he was going to kick him out last night, and he went there this morning..."
He stopped and fell silent.
Shanlai didn't rush him, but lowered his head and kissed his lips and skin, kissing him very gently, as if he were licking a wound.
This was a very kind person to him, who pitied him, tolerated him, and was willing to give him everything...
It gives him strength so that he can endure whatever situation he is in.
“He said some things to me… He said he hadn’t been good to me, that he was sorry… I knew it all along, and I hadn’t cared about it for a long time, but hearing him say it from his own mouth still made me sad… It’s ridiculous, I’ve always considered him my mother’s killer, hated him, yet I still wanted him to come back to see me, to pick me up, to take me out to play, like other fathers… But he never came back… When I was six, I saw him for the first time. Everyone in the family was overjoyed. My grandmother smiled and pulled me to him, telling me to call him ‘father.’ I didn’t, I just called him ‘master’… I remember clearly, he was stunned for a moment, then smiled, touched my head, and said, ‘Lian Si has grown so tall…’ The next time I saw him was the day I took you to the academy… After my grandmother passed away, I spent three years with him, but he always felt that I wasn’t good enough for him… Only I was someone he was dissatisfied with…”
Shanlai listened, spread her five fingers, and gently stroked his back again and again. After he finished speaking, she whispered to him, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have forced you."
"He really treated me badly..."
"I know..." She looked up and kissed away his tears, "I know..."
She used to be so lively, chattering like a sparrow, but now she doesn't even like to talk anymore.
She knew then that he wasn't doing well.
This is perfect, just like when she first met him. He was always meant to be this way...
"We'll ignore him from now on."
He said okay, and nodded several times.
Shanlai asked him again if he was tired. "If you're tired, let's sleep for a while. I'll hold you while we sleep."
He nodded again, pulled her into his arms, their skin pressed tightly together, and whispered, "Did I hurt you just now? It was my fault... I was so scared then, thinking, 'You're all I have, I have to be close to you...'"
It hurt a little, but she shook her head at him.
"It doesn't hurt. I like you very much. I love you no matter what."
This person treated him so well...
He suddenly got up, grabbed his clothes, and started putting them on.
This frightened Shan Lai.
What are you doing?
"I have to go out! I'll be back in a bit!"
He returned in no time, carrying a box in his hand, looking excited with eyes shining like stars, and presented the box to her like a treasure.
"Quick, open it and take a look!"
What is it?
It was all silver notes, so many, it was almost frightening.
"...Where did it come from?"
“He said he would give you his belongings as a betrothal gift, so I took them all! I’ll go find someone to repair the east room later, and then you can come with me to buy some things and put them in there.”
Why such a sudden change? Is it for money?
“These are just part of the betrothal gifts. There’s also ancestral property in Pingcheng. When we go back, it’ll all be yours! He’s right, we still need money. He’s willing to give it to me, why shouldn’t I take it! He owes me this! He can get all this for just a bite to eat. Only a fool wouldn’t do it! Although I’m happy to do your laundry, that’s not a good thing! I can’t let our children do their own laundry in the future. I was a young master myself, and I know all too well the benefits! I’ll definitely find a way to make my children young masters and ladies too!”
"I'm going out now. You can sleep a little longer. What would you like to eat? I'll bring it back for you."
"I……"
He sat beside her, staring at her with wide eyes, smiling, patiently waiting for her answer.
He seemed genuinely happy.
"I want to eat sticky rice cake with red bean filling."
Would you like some sweet porridge?
The kang (heated brick bed) was built that very day, but they couldn't buy anything because Shanlai couldn't get up.
Of course, Liu Min could have bought it herself, but she insisted on going with Shan Lai to preserve her reputation for filial piety.
Later, Shanlai recovered a bit, and the two of them went into town together. They not only bought some necessities, but also a lot of fireworks.
The Chinese New Year is almost here.
Cannon fire, level three wave, box flower, ground rat, overlord whip, money scattered all over the ground...
By this time, the kang (heated brick bed) had dried, and the house had been repaired. With just a little tidying up, it would be habitable. Since they had just bought these fireworks, Shanlai thought he would ask the military household to help move Liu Shen's things over, and then have a meal together to thank them for taking care of Liu Shen during this time. After the meal, they would set off fireworks, and once the festivities were over, the matter would be considered settled.
Liu Min listened to her every word and never disagreed with her.
Fireworks were being set off, and sparks were flying everywhere. Shanlai wanted to set them off too, but he didn't dare. The ones that exploded were so loud, and the ones that didn't were afraid of burning him. So he just covered his ears and hid in Liu Min's arms, watching the three children of the military household play.
Money was scattered all over the ground; dozens of coins were counted together, and the ground was truly covered, illuminating the area as if it were daytime.
Suddenly, the youngest son of the military household exclaimed, pointing to a spot, "Someone came from over there, running so fast, and fell into the snow..."
Shanlai heard this and turned to look.
Sure enough, someone had just climbed out of the snow when he wobbled and fell back down, which was quite comical.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com