Cui Liu slapped her daughter hard across the face.
"You ignorant brat, go and reflect on your actions here."
He took Cui Yulu's hand and led her into Cui Lao Er's house.
"Dazhuang, is there anything else you want to say? Today is Yulu's wedding day. We elders are poor and don't have much dowry, just this one dress you're wearing. Go on to live a good life and be clever in your actions."
Cui Yulu looked at the couple with her doe-like eyes, puzzled. So this is selling herself?
"Auntie, when did I say I was going to get married?"
"You silly girl, you're already wearing your new clothes. People from over there have come to pick you up. Hurry up and go with them, don't miss the auspicious time."
At this moment, Cui Dazhuang, who was lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) resting his legs, was overjoyed to hear that the jinx was finally going to make his move.
“Girl, you know your father died early and entrusted you to my care. Now that you are getting married, your second uncle is paralyzed on the bed and has nothing to give as a dowry. I only hope that your in-laws will not despise you and will treat you well. Don’t worry, if they don’t treat you well, come back and tell your family, and we will stand up for you.”
Cui Yulu found it amusing. They hadn't taken good care of her all these years, and they still thought they would take care of her after she got married? She wouldn't even dream of that.
For years, we've been eating leftover vegetable soup. On lucky occasions, we might get a couple of vegetable leaves, but most of the time we're hungry.
She usually does all the rough, tiring, and dirty work around the house. When she gets injured, she doesn't feel sorry for herself at all. Instead, she scolds and beats her even more severely.
Thinking about what the area has suffered over the years, Cui Yulu felt that moving to a different place would be good, but she just didn't want to let them off so easily.
I refuse to believe there could be a family that bullies people more than this one.
"Stop talking, I'll marry you."
"However, I have one condition. When my father entrusted me to you, he gave you real gold and silver. Now that I'm getting married, I don't want much more, just five taels of silver to keep me safe."
Upon hearing this, Cui Liu's eyes widened in surprise.
"What? Say that again and see what happens. What silver? We have no idea what silver is."
"Besides, we've spent all our money raising you all these years, and we've also invested a lot in you."
Cui Liushi never expected that Cui Yulu, who used to be so quiet that she couldn't even fart, would now dare to settle scores with her. Could it be that she was scared out of her mind by the drowning?
"Auntie, I don't know where you got that idea from. All these years I've been eating your leftovers and wearing your discarded clothes. You know best where all that money went."
Cui Liu was a little embarrassed, not expecting that the girl would remember it so clearly.
"You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of a household, and you don't know the gratitude you owe your parents until you raise children. Don't all the hard work we've put in over the years deserve that money?"
Cui Liu was crying and sobbing. People stood at the door watching the commotion, pointing and commenting from time to time. Some sided with Cui Liu, while others sided with Cui Yulu.
"Actually, Auntie, you don't need to complain about being poor. Five taels of silver is really not much. And there are the jewelry my mother left me. They are my mother's keepsakes for me."
After Li Lan gave birth to Cui Yulu, she suffered from persistent lochia and died not long afterward.
She left behind some gold and silver jewelry, saying it was a keepsake for the child, so that he would remember his mother when he saw it in the future.
Cui Liu originally thought that Cui Yufang was too young to remember these things, so she put those things away, intending to use them as a dowry for Cui Yufang in the future.
I didn't expect her to still remember.
Cui Liu glared at her, feeling puzzled. Cui Yulu, who used to never dare to speak loudly, actually dared to challenge her and settle a small score.
“You’re mistaken. There are no such things here. Hurry up and go with Granny Qian, or we’ll miss the auspicious time.”
"No, I've already made too many concessions. If you don't give me the silver and jewelry, I'm not leaving today."
He sneezed a few times as he spoke, his hair wasn't completely dry yet, he was probably going to catch a cold.
“Auntie, look what the child has said. You should give it to her quickly. She lost her mother when she was young and has had a hard life. Now that she's getting married, give her the jewelry so she can marry happily.”
Aunt Li next door knows this family best. She used to bully Yulu a lot. Now that she's married, even if it was a bit hasty, she's finally left that den of wolves. Hopefully, her parents will be able to live a good life in the future.
“It’s not that I don’t want to give it to Sister Li, it’s just that it’s not safe for her to keep those things on her. I’m keeping them safe for her so they won’t get lost.”
Cui Liu's face was full of calculation. Cui Yulu was going to marry someone to bring good luck, but the other party was an idiot and was currently ill. Who knew when he would die? Given Cui Yulu's personality, she would definitely be manipulated by that family, and they would benefit from her for nothing.
It would be better to let them benefit.
They're relatives after all.
"Don't worry, Auntie, these things are much safer here with me than with you."
"Since the child has said so, you should give it to her. It's getting dark, so let them leave quickly, or it will really delay the auspicious time."
Aunt Li from next door was trying to persuade her, and at this moment Cui Yulu's face also turned much paler, and she felt cold for no reason.
It looks like he's about to collapse here.
Cui Dazhuang glanced at his wife, then at Cui Yulu. If she died at home, he wouldn't even be able to save the eight taels of silver, and he would still have to pay for her medical treatment. Wouldn't that be a losing proposition?
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and find the child."
Cui Dazhuang spoke, and even though Cui Liushi was unwilling, she had no choice but to stomp her feet, lift the curtain, and walk towards the west room.
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