Zhou Xiaolan's words really resonated with He Ping'an. His family had previously discussed in a meeting that once they settled his temporary job, the next step would be to save money for his older brother's wedding.
He had heard his parents mention that even without the "three turns and one sound" (a traditional Chinese stringed instrument), he would still need to prepare two of them, plus a dowry of several hundred yuan, in order to marry a good daughter-in-law.
The Zhou family's demands are a bit excessive, but they're not unacceptable. Why must the family refuse? It's because they're afraid he'll empty the family's pockets, making it even harder for the eldest brother to find a wife.
Zhou Xiaolan said, "I know I made some mistakes in the past, but I have been trying to correct them."
If we get married in the future, we'll be a couple. Naturally, we'll put all our efforts in the same direction, and that way we can live a good life and make those who look down on us open their eyes wide.
He Ping'an was somewhat tempted, "It's not easy to rent a house in this city..."
...
When Tian Guihua returned from the hospital, she heard people in the compound saying that the marriage between the Zhou and He families was settled.
Carrying the basket back to his home, he sneered, "I was really afraid of them. It's good that they've succeeded. It's best to keep such a menace together."
Hua Guangzong, who was cleaning fish in the kitchen, nodded in agreement, "I just don't know how the two families negotiated afterwards. Many people only vaguely heard about it and didn't understand it very clearly."
Some say He Laicai promised to give a betrothal gift, while others say he wrote some kind of IOU.
"Who cares what kind it is," Tian Guihua said, taking out the bowls and chopsticks she had brought back and washing them again with a handful of wood ash.
This time, chicken soup was sent over; the grease and grease can't be washed off properly at the hospital.
"Our family is just here to watch the show for now; we can't get involved."
"What are you saying, old woman? We're too busy with our own lives to have time to meddle in their business."
By the way, what did the doctor say? Can I be discharged now? Being in the hospital isn't as convenient as being at home.
He also felt sorry for his wife, who had lost weight from running around all day.
Thinking of his irresponsible son and daughter-in-law, Hua Guangzong sighed silently. This was all a debt. He wondered what the old couple had done in their past lives that they had to pay it off in this one.
"I asked," Tian Guihua said with a smile. "The doctor said it's just that our family isn't comfortable with this, otherwise we could have been discharged the next day."
"Wait until Zhiping gets off work, then have him call Jiang Yi, and the two of them will push the cart and bring the person back."
"That's good. I've cleaned the fish. Here's how you want to cook it. I'll go wait up ahead. If Jiang Yi comes back, I'll let him know so that the kid won't run off to the other end of the county again."
Jiang Yi is a good son-in-law in every way, except that he is a bit too clingy.
If you can't find them at home, they must have gone to the other end of the county.
"Go on," Tian Guihua waved her hand to shoo them away, preparing to stew the fish soup so that Lijuan could drink it when she returned.
The hospital wasn't far away, and they had already brought the person back before it got dark.
When Li Lijuan returned safely, many neighbors came up to greet her. Some of the more familiar ones, or those with whom she had a good relationship, even brought a few eggs to visit her.
Tian Guihua showed the utmost goodwill to these neighbors; if it weren't for their strong support that day, she didn't know if things would have gone so smoothly.
She took out the wild mountain tea she had roasted herself and put some sugar in everyone's cups.
This unusual generosity drew everyone's attention; it seemed Tian Guihua had changed her ways, offering both tea and sugar.
Tian Guihua wiped her face and cursed under her breath, "They're all bastards. Do I have to open my mouth and curse them to make them happy?"
However, they couldn't do that, since these people had all done their families a favor. Forcing a smile, they said, "You helped my Lijuan before, otherwise this would have been a real disaster. I wouldn't have had the time to go and thank you all in person. Now, I'd like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to everyone."
When our baby turns one month old, we would be honored to have you all as our distinguished guests.
They've already discussed things at the hospital these past few days. The neighbors have been very helpful, and they can't just leave without giving back.
This is a good opportunity to invite everyone over and add some joy to the children's day.
"So that's what it was about," Liu Tiezhu and the others breathed a sigh of relief, as long as they didn't get angry at them.
“We’re all neighbors, and it’s fine if we bicker sometimes, but when it comes to human life, no one can take it lightly,” Liu Tiezhu said, feeling that the two families had some connection. He stepped forward to speak on behalf of everyone. “We can just come over and join in the fun that day. As for treating everyone, don’t bother. These days, everyone’s struggling.”
The others opened their mouths but didn't say anything. Only Liu Tiezhu liked to say polite things. Could the Hua family's conditions be the same as everyone else's?
It would be foolish not to take advantage of such a good deal. Besides, they really did us a huge favor the day before yesterday...
In the instant the incident occurred, no one thought much about it, but who would refuse to benefit from it afterward?
Tian Guihua saw through their thoughts at a glance, but she didn't care about that. Ensuring the safety of Lijuan and her child was more important than anything else.
Besides, they helped me, and if I don't repay that favor, it will cause even more trouble later.
"Hey, it's all the usual. Everyone should come and make an appearance. Don't make me go door-to-door to invite you all again. I'm telling you, this is my only chance. Don't miss out."
Everyone understood what Tian Guihua meant: this was to repay a favor, and it would be their own loss if they didn't come.
What else is there to say? Come on, you absolutely have to come, and you even have to eat a lot on an empty stomach to make your money's worth.
It's rare for Tian Guihua, who's usually so stingy, to be so generous; we can't let this opportunity slip by.
Besides, the Hua family's house has been filled with the aroma of meat these days, which has made everyone drool. This time, we must eat our fill and savor it later.
They realized that Jiang Yi was capable, sending them good things every now and then. They must have suffered from the aroma of the food quite a bit, so they had to ask for some interest first.
Everyone was all smiles. When they saw Zhiping's little brat, they didn't hold back their smiles and praised him from head to toe, making Tian Guihua grin from ear to ear.
Hua Guangzong smiled and shook his head, letting them make a fuss. These people all had some minor flaws, but when it came to important matters, they were quite capable.
For this reason alone, he should be more tolerant. Starting tomorrow, he should carry the lucky charm his granddaughter gave him again and try to catch more fish for the family so that everyone can eat to their heart's content.
Bai Zhaodi asked Tian Guihua, "You've hired so many people, you'll definitely be too busy. My cooking skills are pretty good, I'll come over and help you as soon as possible."
Tian Guihua looked at her in surprise, "You're so diligent? Besides, our relationship doesn't seem that close, does it? They say there's no such thing as an unsolicited favor; there's always an ulterior motive..."
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