Chapter 29 Want to Marry a Wealthy Family
Kaoshan Village Gaojia
Mrs. Cui was sitting in the yard. One of her legs could not move and she had trouble sleeping after lying in bed all day.
She couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and felt suffocated, so she asked Ding Hong to carry her to the yard. At least it was better than staying suffocated in the house.
But after Ding Hong carried her on her back, she ran back to her room and went to sleep.
Until the smoke rose from other people's homes but there was no smell of smoke at all in her own kitchen, she couldn't help but howl at the top of her lungs.
"My dear, you lazy bastard, why did I choose you to be my daughter-in-law? The rooster has crowed eight times, why don't you hurry up and make breakfast? I'm going to starve to death. Chickens can't lie down as well as you, pigs can't sleep as well as you, one by one you make me worry, why am I so miserable?"
Ding Hong rolled her eyes impatiently. Ever since Li Wanyue left, she had to do most of the housework, including feeding the pigs and chickens, washing clothes, cooking, collecting firewood, fetching water, and working in the fields.
When Li Wanyue was around, she only needed to cook.
If it weren't for the silly girl Liu Cui next door who helped take care of the old woman and do housework during the day, she would have no idea how tired she would be.
These days, I have been guarding the old woman every night and she can't sleep well. The dark circles under her eyes are getting heavier.
After finally getting some sleep, the old woman started howling again.
Listening to Mrs. Cui's constant scolding, she raised her foot and kicked Gao Zhiqiang: "Still sleeping? You are not as sleepy as a pig. Didn't you hear mother calling for help? I'm tired these days and want to rest for a while. Go tell mother that my body will collapse if I keep going any longer. I have to get up and work after sleeping for a while. Let Conghui make breakfast."
Gao Zhiqiang rubbed his sleepy eyes and said, "With my mother's temper, how can she listen to me? You have to work harder, daughter-in-law, and go cook. Didn't my second brother say he was preparing the betrothal gifts? I think it won't be long before the new bride can be married into the family, and then you won't have to work so hard."
Ding Hong sat up suddenly and said, "You can only say nice things. When will you learn from your second brother? He does nothing. What's the point of studying? He has everything in the house.
And your sister, she doesn't do any work, she just embroiders all day, but she doesn't do anything good. She has been to several families, but no one likes her. She thinks she is a rich lady and wants to marry into a wealthy family, but why would a wealthy family like her? In the whole family, we are the only ones who are like servants and are at others' beck and call."
Gao Zhiqiang was disturbed while sleeping and felt annoyed. He said unhappily, "My second brother is going to take the exam to become a scholar. As long as he passes, our family will have a better life. Not only will the land be tax-free, but your mother's land can also be registered in our name, which will save us money.
He can also teach our Dapeng to read, which is equivalent to saving ten taels of silver in tuition a year. Just think about it, if we bear more now, how much benefit we can get in the future. My little sister is a girl and will only stay at home for two years. You should be patient. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about marriage. Just do your job well. Mother will worry about the rest. Go quickly."
"Dapeng is almost nine years old. When will he teach?"
"Go cook first, and I'll talk to the second brother when we meet him."
Ding Hong sighed, got up reluctantly and went out.
Mrs. Cui glared at her in anger and said, "You are so slow. I am afraid you are deaf. I came out only after my voice became hoarse. Yuan'er is on leave today and will be back from town soon. Why don't you hurry up and cook?"
Ding Hong walked forward with a stiff smile. A sour and stinky smell rushed into her nose, almost making her vomit.
Mrs. Cui had difficulty walking, and it was even more difficult for her to urinate and defecate, so it was inevitable that some of it would get on her clothes. In addition, she hadn't taken a shower for many days, so the smell was unbearable.
At night she would sleep on the floor and take care of the old woman.
She endured the smell and smiled and replied, "Mom, I've been working around the house these days, and I have to take care of you at night. I'm really tired. Zhiqiang is also tired and his back aches. I'm just afraid that you'll feel bad for Zhiqiang. I was here to massage his legs, which delayed me for a while. I'll go cook now."
"Humph, you're kind enough to be kind."
Ding Hong rolled her eyes and said, "Mom, can you please stop yelling so early in the morning? My second brother is the only scholar in our village, and he passed the imperial examination. You are the mother of the imperial examination, so you have to put on airs. If you keep yelling like this, I'm afraid that my second brother will be laughed at if the news gets to the town."
Seeing that Mrs. Cui's expression changed slightly, Ding Hong smiled secretly in her heart and continued, "Mother, there are always people in this village who talk about my second brother behind his back. I think there are still many people who believe what Li Wanyue said. Why don't you find another wife for my second brother as soon as possible? Then no one will believe the rumors, right?"
Mrs. Cui glanced at her and said, "That's easy to say. Don't I want to find him a wife to take care of him as soon as possible? Will you pay for it?"
Ding Hong said, "Why would I need money? I see that Liu Cui next door is very attentive to my second brother and she is hardworking and capable. If my second brother is willing to marry her, I don't think she would ask for a single penny of betrothal gift. What do you think, mother?"
Mrs. Cui said with a spit, "Liu Cui is not as pretty as Li Wanyue. Yuan'er doesn't even look down on Li Wanyue, how can he look down on her? Yuan'er is going to marry a well-educated and well-mannered scholar in the future. Don't mention this matter, lest people think that Yuan'er has something to do with her."
"I got it, Mom. I'll go cook." Ding Hong curled her lips and turned to go to the kitchen.
Neither of them noticed Liu Cui outside the door. Her eyes were red. She originally wanted to give two cakes to Mrs. Cui, but she didn't expect to hear such words. The cakes in her hand were crushed by her.
She originally thought that her efforts in performing in front of them these days would make them say a few good things about her in front of Brother Zhiyuan, but she didn't expect that they didn't take her seriously in their hearts.
Does Brother Zhiyuan think so too?
She looked at the broken cake in her hand, turned around and went home.
When breakfast was ready, Gao Zhiyuan came back.
Mrs. Cui hurriedly greeted him with a smile and asked him to go and eat.
Brown rice porridge, dark flour pancakes, pickled vegetables, and five boiled eggs.
Gao Zhiyuan didn't notice that Mrs. Cui's leg was injured. When he saw the food on the table, he immediately lost his appetite.
Upon seeing this, Mrs. Cui immediately said to Ding Hong, "Old lady, Zhiyuan always cooks white rice porridge at home. Why are you cooking brown rice porridge today? How can Zhiyuan eat it? How can he study hard if he doesn't eat well?"
Ding Hong was dissatisfied. She and her husband had always been eating brown rice porridge, so why didn't she seem to feel sorry for them?
But he said, "Mom, there's no rice left, how can I cook?"
"Gone so soon?"
"Yeah, those two kilograms of rice won't last for a few days."
Mrs. Cui turned around and immediately said in a friendly manner: "Yuan'er, just eat an egg first. I'll ask your eldest brother to go to town to buy rice later."
As she spoke, she pushed the bowl of eggs in front of Gao Zhiyuan. She cooked five eggs in total, one for Cui Po's, one for Gao Zhiyuan, one for Ding Hong's son Gao Peng, one for Gao Conghui, and one for Gao Zhiqiang.
Every time, only when Gao Zhiyuan came back could they cook eggs, and only they had eggs to eat.
Gao Conghui immediately grabbed an egg, peeled it quickly and put it in her mouth, but because she chewed it too fast, she almost choked and rolled her eyes.
She quickly drank a mouthful of brown rice porridge.
Ding Hong secretly mocked Gao Conghui in her heart. She wanted to marry into a wealthy family even with this condition? She was dreaming.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
