After getting everything ready, Pei Shaorong ran to the Qin family early the next morning and anxiously took Aunt Qin with him to go to the Mo family to propose marriage.
Aunt Qin was an experienced person. Seeing Pei Shaorong's impatient look, she smiled jokingly and ran to the Mo family with him.
Although Linjiang Village is not big, Pei Shaorong's home is still some distance away from the Mo family. One is to the east of the village, and the other is to the west. It still takes more than ten minutes to walk there.
Mo family.
Mo Xiaobao has been keeping an eye on most of the work in the fields for a while now. Old Man Mo has nothing to do today, so after breakfast he sits at home and smokes his pipe to rest.
He didn't have many hobbies in his life, except for smoking dry tobacco. Apart from that, he just wanted a boy to inherit the Mo family's bloodline.
Sitting on the decades-old rattan chair at home, Old Man Mo was smoking a pipe while staring at Mo Xiaobao not far away, feeling puzzled.
His little brother got up early this morning. Although he usually gets up so early, Father Mo always felt that something was wrong with his little brother today.
Ever since he was found a marriage partner, this young man has never smiled again. He looks sad and sighs all day long. He is not as efficient as before when working, as if he has lost his soul.
But today Mo Xiaobao seemed like a different person. In the past, after finishing his work, he would lock himself in the room and act mysterious.
After finishing work this morning, he actually took out his favorite clothes, which he only wore during festivals, and put them on and sat in the yard.
Not only is he sitting in the yard in new clothes, but he has been smiling since he got up in the morning, and his eyes have been staring at the door, as if he is waiting for someone...
Father Mo smashed his cigarette butt and couldn't help but speak, "Xiaobao, why are you sitting here in new clothes so early in the morning?"
"No, nothing. The weather is nice, so I'm basking in the sun!" Mo Xiaobao shrank back, looked at Old Man Mo and stammered.
"What the hell are you doing basking in the sun!" Old Man Mo stood up and walked to Mo Xiaobao, looking him up and down. When he smelled a hint of fragrance, his expression changed a little.
"You put on perfume? And you're wearing new clothes? And you're blushing..." Father Mo slapped Mo Xiaobao on the head and yelled, "Tell me the truth, what did you do? Did you do something weird again?"
"Look at you, and you're still wearing perfume. Tell me, have you hooked up with that guy? Daddy has finally found you a marriage, what do you want to do now? You've become so bold that you dare to hook up with a man. Are you trying to make Daddy a laughing stock in the village?"
After all, Old Man Mo has lived to such an old age and has seen everything. But Mo Xiaobao has changed drastically today. He wore new clothes and applied perfume for the first time ever, with a shy and blushing look on his face, which clearly shows that he has a lover.
How could he not know that his own brother, Mo Xiaobao, was so bold that he dared to do anything. Take the last time he ran away from his marriage, for example. He was the first one in the area who dared to do such a thing!
Seeing Mo Xiaobao's appearance today, Old Man Mo felt depressed. He was not sure whether his young man would really do such a thing as hooking up with other men in private. If the matter was really settled, the marriage he had agreed with the family in Shanghe Village would be over.
According to Mo Xiaobao's conditions, what kind of man can he find? He might be a gangster in the village or the kind whose family is extremely poor. Then he, as his father, will have to bear the consequences for the rest of his life!
The more Old Man Mo thought about it, the more he felt that it was true. He picked up his pipe and was about to hit Mo Xiaobao with it. Mo Xiaobao was startled and quickly stood up and dodged.
"Dad, no, no, don't hit me. If I really wanted to hook up with a guy, how could I sit here openly and let you find out? Do you think I'm stupid?"
Mo Xiaobao dodged and yelled at the same time, worried that Old Man Mo would kick him instead of hitting him with his pipe. How would he face Brother Pei if his handsome clothes got dirty?
Hearing his words, Father Mo stopped and thought about it. Last time when Mo Xiaobao ran away from his marriage, he didn't notice it immediately. If he really hooked up with a man, she wouldn't be so stupid as to let him see it. But why did he wear new clothes and dress up neatly when it wasn't a festival?
"Come here and stand still. Then tell me, why are you wearing new clothes today? And you're putting on perfume. Aren't you ashamed..." Old Man Mo stared at Mo Xiaobao with annoyance.
"Why are you dressing up? No matter how you dress up, you still look the same. How can any good man in this village be interested in you? Okay, if you have time, go work for your father and fill up the water tank at home!"
As soon as Old Man Mo finished speaking, before Mo Xiaobao could refute, he heard a knock on his door.
"I'm not going to talk to you anymore, go back to the house, change your clothes and get to work!"
After looking at the angry Mo Xiaobao, Old Man Mo straightened his clothes and continued smoking his pipe while going to open the door.
The people knocking on the door were Pei Shaorong and Aunt Qin who were preparing to propose marriage. Old Man Mo glanced at Aunt Qin, then looked at Pei Shaorong who was standing behind him.
"Aunt Qin, what are you doing at my house so early in the morning?"
Aunt Qin smiled and said, "Of course I came to your house for good news. The magpie has come to your house to call. Haha, Father Mo, quickly call your wife out, and let's go in and talk slowly..."
"Happy event, what happy event? Are you sending money to my family?"
Old Man Mo frowned. His family had been in a state of gloom recently because of Mo Xiaobao's marriage, so there was no chance of good news.
However, seeing Aunt Qin's smiling face, he still opened the door and led Aunt Qin and Pei Shaorong into the yard, and by the way, he yelled towards the kitchen to call his wife out.
When Mo Xiaobao saw Pei Shaorong and Aunt Qin come in, he wanted to come over, but was glared at by Old Man Mo, so he had to leave obediently. He hid aside with a red face and watched. He was so excited in his heart that Brother Pei really came to his house to propose marriage!
After everyone entered the house, Father Mo sat in the main seat. Aunt Mo brought some water and asked Aunt Qin and Pei Shaorong to sit down. "Hey, Aunt Qin hasn't come to our house for a long time. Come, have some water..."
"You're too polite, Aunt Mo. I came to your house today for something important!" As the saying goes, don't hit a smiling person. Aunt Qin has been smiling since she entered the house.
"Business? If you have something to say, just say it directly. Don't waste time. What on earth are you talking about at my house? Women who talk about business one moment and happy events the next are just so long-winded..."
Old Man Mo's attitude is not very good, and he speaks in a pretentious manner. He is a very face-conscious person and has a strong sense of machismo.
In the Mo family, no one dared to oppose his opinion on matters big or small. Even if Mo Xiaobao talked back to him, in the end he did not dare to resist his decision.
Aunt Qin chuckled and didn't care about Old Man Mo's attitude. This was the way he was, and everyone in the village knew it. She pulled Pei Shaorong in front of Old Man Mo and got down to business.
"Father Mo, do you recognize this guy? This is Brother Pei, the one who just moved to our village..."
Father Mo looked Pei Shaorong up and down for a few times, then stared at the backpack beside him, coughed and said, "Ahem, I know him, what's the matter? What's the matter that Aunt Qin brought him to our house?"
"Oh, of course there is something, it's a serious matter, a happy one!" Aunt Qin slapped her thigh and said with a smile, "Look, my brother has taken a fancy to your Abao and asked me to be a matchmaker..."
"..." Old Man Mo paused in smoking his pipe, his eyelids twitched, and his gaze immediately fell on Pei Shaorong. Aunt Mo next to him also looked at Pei Shaorong.
Facing the stares from the two men, Pei Shaorong stood there honestly, with a simple and honest smile on his face. He was also secretly looking at the Mo couple, thinking that Abao looked more like his mother.
After a long while, Father Mo retracted his gaze and said slowly, "Aunt Qin, I have already discussed my son Abao's marriage with the people in Shanghe Village. The engagement will be arranged tomorrow. Isn't it a little late for you to talk about it now..."
"Not too late, not too late. You haven't even decided yet..." Aunt Qin said, "I'm talking to the Mo family. Look at what a talented brother Pei is. He's handsome, strong, and can hunt. If your Abao marries him, she'll eat meat every day..."
Without waiting for Aunt Qin to finish her words, Father Mo stared at Pei Shaorong with some disdain, "Alright, what's the point of what you said? Can you hunt forever? He's a lone man from another place, he doesn't even have a field in the village, what will my little treasure eat and drink if he marries him?"
"As for the betrothal gifts, I have already agreed with the people in Shanghe Village that the betrothal gift is three taels of silver, and there are also standard betrothal gifts such as wedding cakes. These will cost at least more than ten taels of silver..."
"My dear brother, don't blame me for being harsh. You can't even come up with ten taels of silver, and you still want to marry a wife?"
Old Man Mo stared at Pei Shaorong and thought to himself, this man looks good and has a good body, but he is too poor and his family doesn't even have any land.
I heard that the house was bought from the village for only one or two or three strings of silver. After marrying such a son-in-law, I'm afraid he will have to support me, not to mention being filial to me.
“………”
After hearing what Old Man Mo said, Pei Shaorong did not rush to speak. It was just like what Aunt Qin said, Old Man Mo was going to blackmail him. He had heard in the village that the betrothal gift was only two and a half strings of silver, but now it had become three taels of silver.
There are also standard betrothal gifts, which would cost more than a dozen taels of silver. Aunt Qin had helped him to inquire before he came. Father Mo told the family in Shanghe Village that there was no betrothal gift except two and a half strings of silver!
After looking at each other, Pei Shaorong did not answer. Aunt Qin spoke in tacit understanding, "Mr. Mo, how can you be so dishonest? You told Shanghe Village that the betrothal gift was clearly two and a half strings of silver. The whole village knows it. Are you raising the price now?"
"Brother Pei, the betrothal gift is two and a half guan as you agreed with Shanghe Village. As for the betrothal gifts, we will also give them according to the standard for the young men in the village. We will definitely not give you a penny less. Look, we have brought all these things, and we even prepared two more kilograms of pork..."
As Aunt Qin was talking, Pei Shaorong also cooperated by moving his backpack in front of Old Man Mo. The full basket was actually more than the standard betrothal gift for marrying a young man in the countryside.
Old Man Mo stretched his head and weighed it. He was a little tempted, but he didn't nod immediately. It would be too inconsistent with his stingy style to agree so easily...
On the other side, staring at Old Man Mo's expression, Aunt Qin's eyelids twitched. She winked at Pei Shaorong, took a deep breath, straightened her posture, and was ready to start a bargaining battle with Old Man Mo at any time!
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