Chapter 4: The weasel pays New Year's greetings to the chicken. It has no good intentions.
Seven taels of silver was a huge sum of money, and Qiu Yu didn't know where to hide it for a moment.
She couldn't keep it in the house, it was too unsafe. She couldn't hide the eggs in the woods either. She would be heartbroken if someone outside picked them up.
After thinking it over, Qiu Xuan decided to go to the backyard.
She used a small shovel to dig a hole in the chicken coop, and put the rags wrapped with silver coins into the hole. After that, she covered it with some leaves and chicken droppings.
The Qiu family rarely comes to the backyard, especially Lin Cuihua, who never goes into the chicken coop.
This place smells strong, so even if we need to pick up eggs, it's Qiu Xuan who has to do it.
So this place is relatively the safest.
Qiu Xuan didn't stay in the backyard for long. She washed her hands, then, as usual, slung her bamboo basket over her shoulder and left the courtyard. Perhaps because she had taken the silver, which Lin Cuihua valued most, she felt very happy, humming a little tune continuously, not noticing the sun at all.
Qiu Xuan walked to the wild fruit tree in the woods with ease. The ripe fruits at the bottom had already been picked, and the remaining ones were still a little green. She picked one at random.
It tasted sour, and she spat it out after taking a bite.
"Don't eat that, it's so sour." A voice came from behind her, and she saw the daughter of Aunt Wang from the same village standing under the shade of a tree two meters away from her.
She remembered the girl, Taohua, who was about her age. Aunt Wang loved this daughter the most and usually didn't want her to work in the fields.
Peach blossoms are fair and clean and look much prettier than her.
"Taohua, why are you here? Are you here to pick fruits too?" Qiu Xuan was really surprised. After all, the sun was so scorching, and you would never see peach blossoms on such days.
"I came out for a walk and happened to come here." Taohua shook her head, with sadness in her eyes.
Qiu Xuan noticed it, but she didn't ask. After all, it was someone else's private matter, and it wouldn't be appropriate for her to ask.
Taohua took two steps toward the fruit tree and pointed at the fruit on top, saying, "The ones on top are redder and sweeter than the ones on the bottom."
Qiu Xuan naturally knew that the red ones were sweeter, but the fruit was hanging high up and she couldn't reach it at all.
"It's too high." Qiu Xuan had no intention of climbing the tree. She only had two sets of clothes. If one of them was torn, she would have to ask Lin Cuihua for needle and thread to mend it.
Lin Cuihua is so stingy that she definitely won't want to give it to her. She might even scold her. She doesn't want to go through that trouble.
Taohua looked at Hongguozi and suddenly asked her, "Qiuyun, I heard that your marriage is settled. Have you met that man?"
Qiu Xuan didn't know why she asked that, but she didn't hide it and answered honestly, "I haven't seen it."
"Me neither." Taohua lowered her eyes, and a tear slid down the corner of her eye.
Qiu Xuan was surprised: "You are engaged too?"
Qiu Xuan never expected that Taohua's fate was also clearly arranged. Could it be that Aunt Wang's love for her daughter was fake and she also wanted to sell her daughter?
Taohua felt full of grievances, but she had no place to vent, so she could only talk to Qiu Yun.
She said, "My mother arranged a marriage for me. The man is two years older than me and lives in Yuanxiang Town. I've never met him and don't know what he's like, but my mother agreed to it for me."
Qiu Yun comforted her, "Then you should talk to your mother and tell her that Aunt Wang doesn't love you the most."
Taohua choked up and said, "Forget it. It's my parents' orders and the matchmaker's words. Even if I don't marry him, who else can I marry? My mother has already inquired about the families in the nearby villages, and none of them are as rich as that family."
Qiu Yu was silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
"I just came out to get some fresh air today, and I didn't realize I'd been talking to you so much." Taohua gently wiped the tears from her eyes with a handkerchief, forced a smile, and said, "Qiu Xuan, I have to go back."
Qiu Xuan watched her figure disappear into the woods, and suddenly felt a tightness in his heart.
Blind marriage seems to be the label of this world, where no woman has true freedom. Even the most favored peach blossom can't escape, so what about her? Can she really escape?
-
The sun was setting, and Lin Cuihua and Qiu Shitou returned home just in time for dinner.
The two of them looked happy and called Qiu Xuan as soon as they entered the door.
Lin Cuihua sat on a wooden bench in the yard, casually grabbed a handful of pumpkin seeds, and cracked them while saying, "You little girl, you don't even make a sound at home. It took me a long time to call you out."
"Come here quickly and chat with me."
The weasel pays a New Year's visit to the chicken with ulterior motives!
Lin Cuihua was unusually concerned about her, so something must have happened.
As expected, as soon as Qiu Xuan sat down, Lin Cuihua took her hand and muttered, "Da Ya, you're not a child anymore. Although I'm not your biological mother, I'm also concerned about your marriage. Your father and I have been asking around for the past two days, and finally found a family for you."
If Qiu Xuan hadn't overheard their conversation, she would have been easily fooled by her words.
"The Zong family lives better than ours, with meat for every meal. Although the Zong family's Erlang is four years older than you, he is much more caring at an older age. You should marry him and enjoy a good life."
Seeing Qiu Xuan didn't say anything, Lin Cuihua felt angry. She glared at Qiu Shitou and asked him to come over and say something.
Qiu Shitou didn't dare to resist and could only go ahead with it.
Qiu Shitou advised, "Daya, your parents can't possibly harm you. Why don't you say anything? Are you unwilling?"
The marriage has been decided, so Qiu Xuan has no right to speak.
She shook her head, "Yes."
Qiu Shitou breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Lin Cuihua.
Only after this matter is done can they continue to talk about the rest.
Qiu Xuan pretended to be confused. She blinked and said, "It's all up to Dad to decide on the marriage. I'll listen to him."
Qiu Shitou nodded and continued his lecture like an elder, "Your parents have put a lot of effort into this marriage. Up to your generation, there are only you and Hu Zi in our Qiu family. Don't forget your brother when you get married."
Qiu Xuan nodded, but couldn't help complaining in her heart, "Don't forget Hu Zi, bah, it's a good thing she didn't beat him to death. As long as she left the Qiu family, she would no longer be a member of the Qiu family. Expecting her to come back to visit was a dream."
Lin Cuihua saw that he had almost finished speaking, so she came over and added a few more words.
"The Zong family wants to get married soon. After all, the Zong family's Erlang is not young anymore. Mother thinks it would be better if he got married earlier. The two families have calculated and the second day of next month is the best date."
Today is the 29th, which is only three days away from the 2nd of next month. Qiu Xuan really didn't expect the date to be set so quickly.
She had thought it would take at least another month or two.
But being quick has its advantages. Qiu Xuan was also afraid that Lin Cuihua would discover that the money was missing before she left the Qiu family.
"Don't think it's too soon, mother has already prepared your wedding dress." After saying that, Lin Cuihua took out a bundle from the bamboo basket.
It contained the wedding dress that Lin Cuihua brought back from her parents' home today. The dress was the one she wore back then, so it had been more than ten years.
"Go back to the house and try it on. If it doesn't fit, you can alter it."
Qiu Xuan took the bag, turned around and went back to the house.
The wedding dress had long faded, but the fabric felt very good, even softer than the one she was wearing now.
This shows that Qiu Shitou was really willing to spend money back then.
Qiu Xuan didn't try on her wedding dress. It was a dress that had been worn by countless people for more than ten years, and she really didn't want to wear it right away.
You have to wash it and put it in the sun first.
She stayed in the house for a while, and when she came out, she told Lin Cuihua that the clothes fit her well.
Lin Cuihua had a smile on her lips. She didn't need to change it, otherwise it would waste her needlework.
"As long as it fits, it's fine. I'll wash it tomorrow and wear it on the wedding day."
As he was speaking, the gate of the courtyard was pushed open from the outside.
Hu Zi walked in happily with a slingshot in one hand and a sugar man in the other.
Lin Cuihua saw it, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, and she asked: "Hu Zi, where did you get this?"
Hu Zi felt a little guilty, but he pretended to be calm.
He raised the slingshot in his hand and shook it, lying, "Mom, I won all this from Sandan."
It was common for children in the village to fight and steal things, but Lin Cuihua wouldn't say anything to Hu Zi as long as he wasn't hurt.
When Lin Cuihua heard that Hu Zi had won the slingshot and sugar figurine competition, she felt that Hu Zi was very brave and praised him immediately, "My son is really amazing."
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