"Are you home, brother and sister-in-law?" A laugh suddenly rang out from outside.
Upon hearing that it was Aunt Ye, Ye Caiping quickly went out to open the door: "Aunt Ye, what brings you here? Come in quickly."
The two walked into the main room together.
Aunt Ye smiled and said, "With so many people here, are you discussing something important?"
Grandma Ye gave an awkward smile; after all, they weren't discussing important matters!
Aunt Ye didn't think much of it and said, "My Wuquan is getting married at the end of the month, around the 20th. We need to get his wife into the family before the New Year. My eldest brother and sister-in-law must come and help us out then."
It means to go and help.
Grandma Ye said happily, "The date has finally been set, congratulations! Don't worry, I'll definitely go."
The villagers don't have money to hire people for their feasts. They have to rely on their relatives to come and help.
Aunt Ye chatted with Old Lady Ye and the others for a few more minutes before leaving, saying she had to inform other people.
As Du watched Aunt Ye's retreating figure, her heart burned with passion.
She won't be able to get her daughter-in-law before the New Year; she'll have to wait until next spring to bring her home.
...
Since returning home, Xiuxiu's mother has been living in constant fear, afraid that the Ye family will regret their decision.
Fortunately, Tie Niu's wife kept comforting her, otherwise she would have collapsed.
That noon, Tie Niu's wife rushed in excitedly: "They're here! The Ye family has come to propose marriage!"
Xiuxiu's mother stood up excitedly.
Hu Xiuxiu, who was sewing shoe soles in the room, blushed and quickly closed the door.
The younger three and four children were all in her room, grinning and curiously eavesdropping through the door.
Only Madam Du and Madam Wei came to propose marriage, accompanied by a matchmaker.
Xiuxiu's mother was already very satisfied. She didn't dare to say a word more and just sat there smiling the whole time. She nodded and agreed with whatever the matchmaker said.
Soon, they exchanged the birth charter and wrote the marriage certificate.
The two parties pressed their fingerprints on the marriage certificate, thus officially becoming engaged!
Xiuxiu's mother finally breathed a sigh of relief and smiled broadly.
He then sidled up to Madam Du and said cautiously:
“My dear in-laws, could I tell everyone that Xiuxiu’s dowry is twenty taels? No, I don’t mean to ask you for money. It’s just… it sounds better that way. People will praise you for being generous.”
Du gave her a cold look: "I don't like to put on a show of wealth when I'm not. Whatever the price is, that's what we'll pay. The matchmaker is watching! Aren't you afraid of being exposed and becoming a laughingstock later?"
Xiuxiu's smile froze on her face.
Madam Du then warned, "We know perfectly well how this marriage came about. It's not that we're afraid of you. It's just that Yong'er is someone who cherishes old feelings. Don't ruin the last bit of affection Yong'er has left."
Xiuxiu's mother's face changed, and she dared not utter a sound.
Tie Niu's wife quickly stepped forward and said with a smile, "Of course, of course. By the way, when are you two going to set a wedding date? They're not getting any younger, so you should set a date soon!"
"Don't worry, we still need to match our birth dates and times, right?" Madam Du said coldly.
"Yes, yes, I was so busy I forgot."
After Du, Wei, and the matchmaker left, the news of Ye Yong's engagement to Hu Xiuxiu spread throughout the entire village.
The villagers gasped in disbelief. Given Xiuxiu's condition, who would dare to marry her?
The nosy villagers all went to inquire about it.
Whether it was Old Lady Ye or Madam Du and Madam Wei, they all answered with a smile when asked:
"If we think it's a good fit, then we'll go with it. Xiuxiu is a really nice girl."
Someone else asked Xiuxiu's mother how much the bride price was.
Xiuxiu's mother's face darkened, but she didn't dare to say anything more, only saying, "Whatever it is, is fine. As long as my daughter marries well, that's all that matters."
Someone found out the real price, and a sarcastic person went to tease Xiuxiu's mother: "I heard that your Xiuxiu's dowry is only six taels. Didn't it used to be twenty?"
Xiuxiu's mother felt ashamed and angrily said, "What do you mean by selling? It's all because of your foul mouths that you say I'm selling my daughter. Look, I only asked for six taels, where did I sell her?"
"Hmph, at least you have some conscience."
But some busybodies said, "She fainted on the mountain a few days ago. She was trying to frame Ye Yong. She must have threatened to kill herself to force Ye Yong to marry Xiuxiu."
The villagers all believed that Xiuxiu's mother had used underhanded tactics to secure the marriage.
However, regardless of the circumstances, they are already engaged, so it's not appropriate to say anything more.
...
At the top of the mountain, Ye Yong and Hu Xiuxiu looked down at the vast expanse of several villages.
They couldn't help but exchange a smile.
Ye Yong said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Hu Xiuxiu shook her head: "I'm not wronged, I'm happy. As long as we work hard, life will get better and better."
Ye Yong suddenly pulled her into his arms.
Hu Xiuxiu blushed, but hugged him back.
Finally, I can hold you without any reservations.
"Wow~~" One, two, three, four, five little heads popped out from the bushes.
Ye Yong and Hu Xiuxiu quickly released each other, their faces burning red.
"Brother-in-law!" The mistresses ran up to Ye Yong.
Ye Yong's face turned as red as a monkey's bottom, but he grinned foolishly.
"Don't worry, Yong-ge, we won't be a burden," Hu Xiao-si said firmly. "We're all grown up now and can take care of ourselves."
Hu Xiaosan said, "I know how to farm, harvest, and do farm work."
Hu Xiaosi said, "Me too, I can do anything."
The fifth, sixth, and seventh children raised their hands: "We can gather firewood, feed the chickens and pigs, do laundry and cook. We can feed ourselves."
Hu Xiaosi said, "So sister, don't always think about us. We can take care of ourselves. Third brother will be fourteen next year, and we'll be a year older too. We can support the family."
"As for the eldest and second brothers, we'll just consider it as feeding two extra pigs; it's no big deal."
Hu Xiuxiu's eyes were slightly red, and she patted their little heads: "Okay."
Everyone says they're a burden, but how could they really be a burden?
Hu Xiuxiu looked at Ye Yong: "When they were little, they needed to be taken care of, but over the years, they've done their share of farm work and housework. They're not a burden."
Ye Yong nodded: "I understand."
Although they are still young, as long as the brothers work together and don't cheat or slack off, they will have no problem supporting themselves.
Even if I were to actually help, it would only be to lend a hand during the busy farming season, and after three or four years, they would all have grown up.
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